Our aim is to present every person complete in Christ. This is not, however, an individualistic goal. Individual members grow, but we are all members of one another. Parts of a body grow and the whole body must be built up in love. We’re not done until “we all attain to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the fulness of the stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, 16). The unity, knowledge, and maturity aren’t only for the elbow.

Much of our vocabulary and imagery communicates this desire. We tag-lined ourselves as Reformed and still reforming. We stand on the five-footed solas of the original Protestants and see how the five fingers of God’s sovereign grace change everything they touch. But we recognize we have not arrived. We continue to reform and change in light of God’s Word. We refer to the vine, we took a three-leafed vine as our logo that represents our commitment to organic life and a desire for full-bodied growth and fruitfulness.

Our weekly shepherding groups are called Life to Life and, while that connects with more than one idea, it is not less than a desire to see abundant life abund. Similarly, Men to Men is not only men talking to men about man things, it is an emphasis on maturing manliness in each one of us.

Maturity in Christ, as individuals and as a body, is our goal. How do we know if we are actually maturing? Are there benchmarks or reference points that would help us evaluate our progress?

There are in physical life. After a baby is born there are regular check-ups with the doctor and there are certain tests and measurements taken at certain times. A child’s growth can be compared to observed ranges of other children the same age and even compared to the child’s last check-in. The younger the baby, the more appointments and evaluations. As the child matures there should still be regular exams, though not quite as frequent in occurrence.

As a young-ish congregation, we would do well to think carefully about our progress. But what are the standards? How can we identify health and growth and maturing-ness?

There are some resources I’d recommend to you such as Mark Dever’s Nine Marks of a Healthy Church as well as John MacArthur’s Marks of an Effective Church part 1 and part 2. Around 10 years ago I worked through those and created my own Marks of a Healthy Student Ministry. Especially in the first years, we spent more time considering and graded ourselves.

As our first Trinity Leaders’ retreat approaches in a couple weeks, and since we’re still in the early development stages, I wanted to rethink the marks, talk through them with Jim and Dave, and then share them with everyone for the sake of examination—of the marks themselves and how our body is doing. I’m planning to take today and two more Sundays to work through them.

Today I will only cover the first mark. It belongs at the beginning and I’m more passionate about it than ever based on more Scripture meditation and ministry observation.

A maturing church has:

Leaders who are godly and growing.

God’s theater operates with leaders and followers. We see the dance of leading and following in families, government, businesses, and church. A maturing church will have certain kinds of leaders. Two preliminary details before the guts.

First, leaders is plural. There is only one Head of the Church: the Lord Jesus. Under Christ there were multiple apostles, plural evangelists and pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). References to elders in a church assume more than one (Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5), likewise, with deacons (1 Timothy 3:8). Even if there only one leader exists for a time, a maturing church will increase the number of leaders.

Second, leaders includes more than elders. I mean this mark to apply first to elders/pastors/shepherds/myself, but not only to that group of men. Elders should be the primary example and we’ll see some of the specific requirements addressed to them. But the example is meant to be followed. Deacons too have requirements. So again, the mark of godly and growing leaders starts with the elders, but it branches out through every man, husband and father, who leads his home.

[Of course, this is a reason for inviting every man to read, consider, discuss, and work through a book on Biblical Eldership. It doesn’t mean that every man will be an elder in office. It does mean that every man is some sort of leader somewhere, and he should consider what kind of leader he is, good or bad.]

A maturing church will have a plurality of men, from the elders up, godly and growing. Let’s consider the adjectives godly and growing.

Leaders who are godly.

”Godly” can be schmaltzyfied, but it is a fine descriptor used numerous times in the New Testament. To be godly, in its simplest meaning, is to be God-like. To the degree that one devoutly bears God’s image he is God-like. The closer one becomes to being complete/perfect in Christ, the more God-like he is. Followers should be able to look at their leaders (whether father, teacher, elder) as an example of the godliness they pursue.

Leadership offices in the church require a certain CHARACTER. Deacons must be dignified, not double-tongued, sober, not greedy, with great faith and integrity, taking care of things at home first (1 Timothy 3:8-12). Teachers must be disciplined in tongue meaning they must be disciplined in heart, since the mouth speaks the heart’s contents (James 3:1-5; Matthew 12:34). Each elder, in particular, “must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” He needs to be a good leader at home first. He shouldn’t be a recent convert, meaning that a pattern of maturity should already exist even so that those outside the church think well of him. (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; see also Titus 1:7-9)

Though not called an elder, Paul told Timothy to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Earlier in the chapter he told him to “train [himself] for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

In terms of character, not one of the requirements for deacons, teachers, elders, leaders, is anything more than Christian character. Leaders are to be those who live like Christ in a distinct and dependable way. They are not Level-2 Christians, they are consistent Christians. They live in such a way that you expect to see God reflected.

That also means that to be truly godly, leaders must reflect more than one side of God’s attributes. A God-like leader reflects a God of truth and love, diligence and patience, clarity and compassion, authority and self-sacrifice. Our God turned over tables in the temple and took up a cross for others. He came not to be served but to serve. God-like leading requires gospel illustrating dying. So said Jesus to His disciples (Mark 8:34). So said Paul to husbands (Ephesians 5:25). Being a godly leader brings life by its dying (see 2 Corinthians 4:7-12). It also requires serving with God-like gladness, working with others for their joy (2 Corinthians 1:24), not fearing their joy.

Leaders who are growing.

Especially for elders, there must be a recognized pattern of godly character. And especially for elders, there must be a recognized progress in godly character.

With every fiber of my being I believe that nothing discourages a person more than a stagnant spiritual leader. Growth occurs more slowly in certain seasons, but there must be work anyway. Doesn’t the word “lead” imply movement? We can’t lead others by staying in the same place. Leading is pulling not pushing. “Follow me” means I’m going somewhere so come along.

Any leader who barks at his followers, who requires them to go out front, or who thinks he’s so far ahead that he can stop will frustrate his followers and is likely to find his ministry unfruitful.

The Christian life is one of more and more maturing. Leaders are to be model Christians. So leaders must model a Christian life of more and more maturing.

Peter urged all of his readers, because God already gave them everything pertaining to life and godliness:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)

Paul said about himself:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (Philippians 3:12-15)

Then he urges the believers: “join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (verse 17).

One of the clearest and most compelling passages is 1 Timothy 4:15-16. Specifically addressed to Timothy so he would “know how [he] ought to behave in the household of God” (1 Timothy 2:15), it has awesome leadership application for sake of a church’s maturing.

Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:15-16)

The paragraph (verses 11-16) gives imperatives for leading along with a promise. Timothy is to:

• be an example
• preach the Word

Paul beings to wrap up in 15, practice these things, immerse yourself in them. He is to “take pains…be absorbed in them” (NAS), “give [himself] entirely to them” (NKJV), “occupy [himself]…be wholly in them” (DRBY). And what things? Scripture reading, exhorting and teaching, yes, AND modeling! His life mattered, not merely his mouth. His devotion was to be obvious in such a way so that all may see [his] progress, “progress may be evident to all” (NAS). He needed godliness and a growing godliness.

Godly leaders cannot say, Do as I say, not as I do. They should not start with, You need to grow. They say, Grow as I grow. Watch me grow. Again, Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this double duty, “pay close attention” (NAS) making sure your heart is alighted rightly, not only that you divide the Word rightly. Leaders cannot rest on yesterday’s dying, they must die again today and then again later today. A Christian’s love, like his batting average, will be judged on today’s at bat, no matter how many enemies he loved last week.

Those are the instructions, but note the promise: for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. I’m freshly staggered by this subordinate clause.

Save must be an exaggeration, hyperbole, right? It must be a translation difficulty; certainly the Greek removes this man-centered sounding confusion. Nope. σώσεις = (future active indicative) “save,” deliver (from sin), make like Christ, bring to the Father through the Son, have eternal life.

We will not go so far as to say that this contradicts with other clear statements in Scripture. A leader cannot save himself by himself, let alone save others by himself. Instead, every leader and every follower is saved by grace through faith, not their own doing (see Ephesians 2:8). So how does that fit with 1 Timothy 4:16?

A godly and growing leader is a God-appointed means of grace to others. If we are saved by grace, and if we are saved by leaders with right hearts and right teaching, then one way growing grace gets to people is through God’s use of growing people. Attentiveness brings effectiveness. That’s staggering.

Yes, God has spoken through a donkey (Numbers 22:28). Paul was able to find something to give thanks for even when men preached Christ insincerely (Philippians 1:15-17). But here he’s saying that a man who pays attention to himself and to his teaching is POTENT. God uses changing hearts to change hearts.

That’s why a mark of a maturing church is leaders who are living as Christians. Maturing hearts are a means of maturing other hearts by God’s grace. It’s more than a picture of what could be, it’s a powerful. It’s deeper than enthusiasm being contagious, but not less than that. We don’t love the truth and you can take it or leave it. We love it into you. We love you into it. That’s potent.

A growing church must have growing people following growing leaders.

That same is true at home, dads. You set the tone. You are leading, your heart is affecting the heart of your wife and kids. The question is, what affect are you having? What kind of hearts is your heart creating?

Conclusion

One practical question is: Who decides if a leader or group of leaders are godly and growing? Who decides if an elder is above reproach? If a deacon has been tested enough?

Certainly God decides ultimately and finally. It’s also fair to recognize that, say, in the case of an elder, that other elders—those who have demonstrated mature Christian character—will be wise to consult. But is it not true that followers demonstrate the leaders’ qualifications? Who should see progress? All. The hearers. And based on what we’ve said, won’t we know if the leader is growing by seeing a pack of growing people around him?

This series on marks of a maturing church should get everyone watching. If everyone can’t see godly and growing leaders, we’re going to be stagnant and will discourage and eventually lose those who want to grow.

In summary, a maturing church is marked by leaders who are godly and growing because:

• Godly growing leaders model the goal of maturing for those they lead. They call others to follow them as they follow Christ.
• Godly growing leaders earn the trust of those they lead. They increase in influence, they grow in gravitational pull, as they make it more obviously safe and happy as their dying for others is proven.
• Godly growing leaders communicate grace to those they lead. Their work is potent to salvation, effective for heart change as their own hearts change.

Remember: “Attitude reflect leadership, captain.”