The Need for Godly Elders pt.1
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Prayer
Read Titus 1:5–6 “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.”
Intro
Years ago
in a wildlife preserve in South Africa
park rangers came
to a shocking discovery:
the slaughter of 39 rare white rhinos.
And what was even more shocking
was that
this slaughter
was not done by poachers
but by juvenile delinquents:
teenagers.
But not teenage boys.
Teenage
elephants.
You see a decade ago in the park
the park could no longer sustain
the growing population of elephants.
So in order to slow the growth
the park decided
to kill
some of the elephants
targeting the adults
whose young
were old enough to survive without them.
So these young elephants
grew up fatherless.
And as time went on
these teenage elephants
would do things
that elephants
wouldn’t normally do.
They began roaming in gangs
and began bullying others.
They became increasingly violent
knocking down rhinos
and stepping or kneeling on them
to crush the life out of them,
To fix this terrible problem:
the park rangers
began to theorize
that the elephants were behaving this way
because they lacked role models.
They lacked examples.
So when the park rangers
brought in a large adult male elephant
to lead
the young elephants
to be an example to them
the killing stopped
and the young elephants
were saved.
And it’s this importance
of having an example to follow
that is the focus
of our passage this morning.
You see
in the first 4 verses
of Paul’s letter to Titus
Paul encourages Titus
and reminds him
what the heart of pastoral ministry is:
to help
Christians grow
in their faith in God
and their knowledge of the gospel.
This is because Titus
has himself
grown in the Lord
because
Paul was a godly example
of the Christian life
to him.
And now it is Titus’ turn
to do the same
for the churches in Crete.
To help them grow
by being a godly example
to them
so that other godly elders
would be raised up in the church
so believers who lack guidance
like those fatherless elephants
can see
and follow their example.
This is why
our title today is:
The Need for Godly Elders pt. 1
and our main point:
God gives godly elders to the church so that you may follow their example.
God gives godly elders to the church so that you may follow their example.
1. Elders need to be appointed (v.5)
1. Elders need to be appointed (v.5)
Look at v.5
‘This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you-’.
Before we can truly understand this verse
there is a key word
that you must understand
correctly
and that is the word elders.
The term elder
simply means
an older person.
But in the Bible
it’s the official office
of church leader.
An elder
is a leader of the church
simple as that.
But the Bible also has other words
that describes church leaders
such as:
pastors
bishops
and overseers.
And all of these titles
pastors
bishops
overseers
and elders
are all interchangeable
to describe one office.
For example
in v.5-6
Paul tells Titus
the qualifications of elders
but in 1 Timothy 3:1
he gives qualifications of overseers
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
The word overseer
is also translated as bishop.
In 1 Timothy 3
Paul gives qualifications of overseers/bishops
which are the same
as the qualifications of elders
in Titus 1
meaning
that Paul uses the words
overseer
bishop
elder
pastor
interchangeably
referring to the same office.
What this means
is that a bishop
does not have higher authority
than an elder or pastor.
Nor does a pastor
have higher authority
than an elder.
They’re equal.
Now today
churches tend to use pastor
to describe a paid elder
and elder
as a non-paid elder.
But biblically speaking
regardless
if one is paid or not
they have equal authority.
You can call an elder
a pastor
and a pastor
an elder
because they refer
to the same office:
of official church leader.
So now that you understand
that elder
simply means church leader
and that bishop or pastor
are the same as elder
we can see
the mission
that Paul assigned
to Titus
back in v.5:
to appoint elders
in every town
on the island of Crete.
Crete
is a large island
south of Greece.
It was an island known to have many towns
and so it seems
that in most of these towns
there was a church.
How were there churches
on the island?
On the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem
when the Holy Spirit
filled many believers
and they began speaking in tongues
which are literal human languages
Cretans
were present.
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
How were there Cretans
all the way in Jerusalem?
Crete
was a central hub on the Mediterranean sea
that made it easy to travel from
and do trade.
What it also meant
was it was a place
where the gospel could easily reach
but also a place
where many worldly philosophies
and ideas
could be shared.
A place
where false teaching
could easily
be spread.
This is why
Paul commands Titus
to appoint elders
because it says in v.10-11,
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
There are many
rebellious
vain
and deceptive people
and especially of the circumcision
which are Jews who commanded Christians
to follow OT law
also known as the Judaizers.
The people cause disorder
within the church
that is so harmful
that it even is destroying the family
the basic fundamental unit
of society
that God made.
So Paul commands Titus
to put these churches
into order.
The Greek word
epi-de-ortho
which is translated as
put into order
is where we get the word orthotics.
It literally means to straighten.
And Paul
wants Titus
to straighten out
reform these churches
from false teaching
and wicked people.
How?
By appointing elders.
Which means
that elders
are what
brings order into the church.
Elders
straighten out
the church
from crookedness
and wrongdoing.
An orthodontist
straightens your teeth
an orthopedist
straightens your bones.
And elders
straighten out the church.
It is not surprising then
that the Episcopal and Methodist churches
who don’t have elders
and thus are overrun
by false teaching
supporting homosexual marriages
and the like.
Those churches are dying
because they have no order
because they have no elders.
So the stakes are high here.
If Titus
does not appoint elders
in every church in Crete
the church
will be overrun
by false teaching.
Because the church
needs leaders.
Without leadership
without elders
a church is like a headless chicken.
Running around everywhere
making a mess
and finally
dropping dead.
Without leaders
the elders
a church
is out of order.
Because leaders
are absolutely necessary
in order
for a church to remain faithful
to God’s Word
and to grow.
One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith
Paul told Titus
to appoint elders in the churches
because of the immoral people
the culture of Crete bred.
And the appointing of elders
are so that
these people
would be sound in the faith.
Elders
straighten out the church
by removing the crooked theology
in people
making them sound
in the faith.
What you believe
directly impacts
how you live.
Even the smallest fine details
that you believe in
will impact
how you live.
For example
if you believe
that Jesus is not actually God
then you will live a life
trying to earn your way
into heaven
because
if Jesus is not God
then that means he would have sinned
and then that means
that he would never have actually
achieved salvation for us
and thus
you will have to achieve salvation
yourself.
It’s why cults
such as the Jehovah Witness’
are very
works and rule based
because they do not have assurance of salvation
because they believe Jesus
is not God.
But thankfully the truth
is that Jesus is God
and that he lived a sinless life
and paid the penalty for sin on the cross
that we deserve
and rose from the dead
which means he completely and truly
earned salvation.
And he offers salvation to everyone
as a free gift
to anyone who believes in Him.
So if you are here
and haven’t put your faith in Christ.
We urge you
to believe in Him
so that your eternity after death
is secured in Him.
And so you can live a life in hope and peace
not in fear of eternal punishment.
This is the gospel.
The gospel
that the elders of the church
teach the church
so that others can also go
and share Christ with others/
This is why
elders needed
to be appointed.
Without them
you have a crooked church
and crooked Christians.
And because the churches in Crete
need elders
to be appointed
it means they didn’t have any yet.
Which means
that these churches
are brand new.
They are still in the beginning stage.
And a church
that does not have elders
regardless
if it has been around for decades
is still
in the beginning stage.
The baby stage.
And what this means
is that our church: CCBC
because
we don’t have elders
is still in the baby stage.
We don’t have an official leadership structure
that recognizes elders
which include
both
staff
and non-staff elders
as the official leaders of the church.
We have Pastor Jeff and I
but there other may be others
in this congregation
that should be elders
but have not
been appointed yet
that our church
desperately needs.
And many
of our deacons
recognize this.
They’ve been going through a book
called biblical eldership
and are quite convinced
of our church’s need
to appoint elders.
And we pray
that the rest of the church
will also see the biblical need
for elders.
And rather than get upset
or feel disappointed
where our church is now
we should be excited:
that God has shown us in His Word
where we need reforming
straightening
and that we are in an exciting moment
of great spiritual growth
in this church.
Now one thing I pray you notice
is that
Paul writes
elders
not elder.
That the word elders
is in the plural
meaning
that churches
need
multiple pastors
multiple elders.
Not one
but multiple.
Paul told Titus
each and every church
in all of the towns of Crete
needed
elders.
It didn’t matter
how small
the church was
as many of the churches
began in homes;
that church
needed
more than one
elder.
Problems arise
when churches
only have one
elder
one pastor.
In fact
the majority of churches in America
are small churches
with only one pastor.
What happens
is that each church
becomes a mini kingdom
and that church
with the one solo pastor
its king.
It’s like in the the book of Kings
where the kingdom of Israel
stood or fall
based on how good
or bad
it’s king was.
If the king was good
he followed the Lord
then Israel was blessed.
But if the king was bad
he would lead Israel into apostasy
and they would be cursed.
And other than God himself
you would have no idea
of whether
the next king
you were gonna get
would turn out to be good
or bad
and unfortunately
the vast majority
of the kings of Israel
were bad.
And it’s the same with churches.
If that solo pastor was good
then great
but if not
then there’s little that could be done.
But that’s not the biblical model
of elders.
A church is not
supposed to rise and fall
completely
on the success or failure
of one man.
Paul told Titus
to appoint elders
plural.
And Paul
wasn’t alone either.
He was part of a group of apostles
the 12.
Even The Lord Himself
who appointed these 12 apostles
is not alone.
He has the Father and the Spirit.
If Paul
and God himself
are not alone
then why
all of a sudden
pastors
are alone
solo
in the majority of churches?
And that’s right
it’s all of a sudden
because the church
being led
by a group of elders
not a solo pastor elder or bishop
was the model
of the early church
as Jerome
an early church father
who translated the Bible into Latin
who lived from 347-420 AD
testified,
Paul is speaking here to elders who have the power of placing elders in the individual towns, so that they would hear clearly by what kind of rule correct church order should be maintained.… Originally the churches were governed by a common council of the elders - Jerome
Paul is speaking here to elders who have the power of placing elders in the individual towns, so that they would hear clearly by what kind of rule correct church order should be maintained.… Originally the churches were governed by a common council of the elders - Jerome
The church was always
and originally led
by a group of elders
but later on in the history of the church
that changed
and consolidated the power and authority
to one man
the bishop in Rome
also known as the pope
and ever since then
it created an environment
for abuse in churches to thrive
because they went away
from God’s design
of shared authority
in a group of elders
to one man
having all the authority.
Now we know
that the church
is supposed to be led
by a team of elders
rather than a solo elder
but there are also
great benefits
in obeying God’s Word
in how churches
are supposed to be led.
One:
elders
at the end of the day
are just men.
And God said
it is not good for man to be alone.
When a man is alone
unchecked
by other godly elders
he is open to temptation
to become puffed up
and abuse his power.
Because he is like a king.
But elders
need other elders
to keep each other accountable
from going the wrong way.
They also round each other out.
One elder’s weaknesses
are another’s strengths.
They can help each other out
and see things
that the other can’t see.
And a team of elders
can reach more people in the church.
One man
can’t do it all.
More elders
equals
more ministry
and more discipleship
in the church.
So church
we need to appoint
elders
in this church.
It’s phenomenal
that we still have Pastor Jeff with us
but we also need more.
If there are men
in this church
that can be elders
but may not necessarily be called
to do it as paid elders
because they also have a calling
to serve God in the marketplace
we need to appoint them too.
As I said church
we are in the baby stage
but if we appoint elders
we can finally move on to maturity
as a church
and disciple more of our people
of every age
from the youth to the elderly
from the first generation to the second generation
and be a light to more people
in our communities
not just in our lifetime
but for generations to come
so that this church
will be a church that makes disciples for Christ
until he returns.
But first
we need to appoint elders.
When you look for a church
one of the first things
you must look for in a church
if you want to be part
of a church that is healthy
and a church that is growing
is if they have elders or not.
So we must appoint elders
at CCBC
if we want to be a church
that is growing
and maturing.
So perhaps
some of you now
are on board
and willing to appoint elders
to CCBC.
But before you can appoint elders
you need to know who
can be appointed as elders.
2. Elders must be pure men (v.6a)
2. Elders must be pure men (v.6a)
Let’s look at the first phrase in v.6
where Paul gives us
the qualifications of elders.
‘if anyone is above reproach’.
From this point
in v.6-9
Paul gives us an idea
of what to look for
when appointing elders.
Just like any job requirement
a person
must meet the standards
and qualifications
before
he may be considered for the position.
And the first qualification
and most important is
‘above reproach.’
This simply means
a person
with a good reputation.
That when you look at this person
you don’t have second thoughts
or second guesses.
That you don’t blink twice.
That there is nothing in this person
in his past
or present
that makes you reconsider.
It does not mean
this is a perfect person.
Every person
will always be criticized
especially by unbelievers
for preaching the truth
but ultimately
when you look at
the character of this person
this person is not marked
with a poor reputation.
Now
that can be interpreted
in many ways.
So Paul begins with this general principle
and then gives us
more specific examples
of what it means to be above reproach
to help us
find elders
so that we may appoint them.
So the next qualification
continues in v.6
is the husband of one wife.
Now
it’s unfortunate
that I have to explain this
because
of our day and age
but this immediately keeps
eldership
only
for men.
In Paul’s time
the idea of eldership
being only for men
was not at all questioned.
But because of our current age
that attacks everything
even gender itself
we have to explain this.
In Greek
this phrase is literally
a ‘one-woman man’.
In Greek the word for man or woman
can also be translated
as husband or wife
so you can translate it as
husband of one wife
or one-woman man
either way
the elders
Paul writes
must be a man.
Of course those who wish
to push women pastors
on churches
try to get around this
but there is literally
no way around
such a clear verse
that qualify
an elder
as a husband
or a man.
Some may say
yeah but this is cultural
but if this is cultural
then so are the other qualifications
of not being a drunkard
not being greedy
then those must be cultural too.
We can have drunk
and violent elders
if that were the case
if you want to treat God’s Word
like a buffet.
This issue
of women pastors
is no small thing.
Currently right now
the Southern Baptist Convention
which our church is a part of
is having it’s annual meeting
in Dallas, Texas
with many leaders
that are trying to make an amendment
that makes it even more clear
what the Baptist Faith & Message 2000
already says
that the office of elder
is only for men.
Because some SBC churches
are being sneaky
getting away
with women pastors
in their church.
How do they get away with it?
By calling women
who have the job of a pastor
but calling them a director
minister
or
they call these women
elders
but not pastor
or associate pastor
but not senior pastor
which as the Bible was shown clear earlier
that elder
pastor
bishop
are the exact same office.
Now here’s the underlying question
that is the reason
why this is even an issue
in the first place:
is it sexist
for the Bible
to keep the eldership
for men only?
And here’s the answer:
Our God
is a God of order.
For example
in marriage
God has put order
by giving husbands the role of leadership
and wives the role of assistance.
Is that sexist?
99.9% of true Christians
do not bat an eye
when it comes
to the different roles
between husband and wife
within marriage
but why when it comes to pastoral ministry
do we do this?
‘Oh but if man is a leader
and woman is a helper
that means
that men are superior
to women’.
And that’s just wrong.
In Genesis 2:18
when God calls Eve
a helper
the exact same word
is used to describe the Lord
in Hosea 13:9
He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper.
In this verse
the Lord rebukes the Israelites
for trusting in their kings to save them
because those kings are against who?
God the helper
the exact same word
God calls eve.
If God is our helper
Is he inferior to us?
No.
The one who leads
is not superior over
the follower or helper.
They are equal.
They just do different things.
Just as how the Son submits
to the Father
and the Son is no lesser
than the Father
just a different role.
And a wife is not lesser
than the husband for being a helper
it’s just a different unique role
because God is also called a helper.
Now that you understand
that God made the eldership
only for men
is not sexist
but a unique role
we can finally go onto explain
the qualification of being
a one-woman man.
Now take note
that these qualifications
in v.6
of having the status
of being married
or having children
in the rest of the verse
are not requirements.
These are things
that Paul assumes
that a person who is a potential church leader
is probably an older man
who probably
is also married
and has children
hence the term elder
but is not necessarily requires a man
to be married
or have children.
Case in-point
Jesus and Paul
were not married
nor had any children
and they are obviously qualified
as elders
of the church
Jesus being the chief elder
the chief shepherd
and head
of the church.
If Paul meant
that you must be married
and have children
to be an elder
who would be disqualifying himself
and The Lord Jesus.
No with these qualifications
Paul is pointing to a deeper principle
than just the status
of being married
or having children.
So then
what does Paul mean
by one-woman man?
What Paul means
is that assuming
that this potential elder
who is probably married
that he would be a man
who is faithful
to his wife.
A one-woman man.
Some take it to simply mean
not a divorced person.
But a man
who is not divorced
but married
but has affairs with other women
is not
a one-woman man.
This is a qualification
that goes beyond
simply being divorced
or not.
What if a man’s wife died
and he remarries?
Is he not a one-woman man?
He still can be.
When your spouse dies
the Bible teaches
that you are completely free
and are able to remarry.
Because Paul’s point
is that this man
who is a potential elder
is a man who is faithful
to his wife
which does not prohibit men
who remarried
due to the death of his wife
from being elders.
But what about men
who divorced?
Can they be elders?
According to Jesus
and Paul
there are only two biblical reasons for divorce.
Jesus said in Matthew 19:9
And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
So the first
is sexual immorality
according to Jesus.
And in 1 Corinthians 7:15
But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
Here Paul talks about
a Christian married to a non-Christian
and that non-Christian
abandons
the marriage.
So these are the only two reasons
where divorce
can be not sinful.
But I want to make clear
that divorce at all costs
should not be even thought of
but instead
should always push for reconciliation
as much as possible.
So a man
who divorced his wife
for an unbiblical reason
cannot
be an elder.
But what about a man
who did have a divorce
on biblical grounds?
And the answer to that is
it depends.
Because this is more grey
this is an area that calls for wisdom.
And wisdom is found here
when we go back to the fundamental principle
of a man
who is qualified to be an elder:
is he above reproach?
Is his reputation clean
to the point that there is zero hesitancy
in recommending him?
Unfortunately
most of the time
divorce
muddies
a man’s reputation
even
if the divorce was on biblical grounds.
If a man
who had a divorce on biblical grounds
and that everyone who knew him
knew exactly what happened
and that he was completely innocent
then his reputation may be clean
meeting the qualification
of being above reproach.
But most of the time
not everyone knows
the complete details
of a divorced person
and thus
divorce usually
marks a man’s reputation
even if he was innocent
unfortunately
in this broken world.
Ok but what about if the man is single?
If a man
does not have to be married
does he just skip this qualification?
And the answer is no.
Because if a single man
has the reputation
of being sexually impure
or a womanizer
then he is not
a one-woman man.
He’s a multiple-woman man.
Now this may not necessarily mark a man
for life
like divorce would.
Most of these qualifications of an elder
may be things
that at one point
a man may fall short in
and thus may not be ready
to be an elder.
But later on in life
if he matures
then he can be ready
to be an elder.
For example
a man
who struggles with discipline
which is a qualification
as we see in v.8
may not be presently
qualified
but if he becomes disciplined
later on in life
he will be qualified.
But when people look at him right now
is his reputation
one of being
lazy
or undisciplined?
Or back to a one-woman man in v.6
is his current reputation
that of a porn addict
or a womanizer?
If he is
then he cannot be an elder
right now
and he must grow
in his purity
in order
to be reconsidered
to be an elder.
Pastor Garrett Kell
was a pastor
who God used
to revitalize
Del Ray Baptist Church
in Alexandria, VA
that grew from 20 people
to now currently around 500
by focusing
on becoming a healthy church.
But he wasn’t always
a success
that God allowed him to be today.
In a previous church
that he pastored
Pastor Garrett
was addicted
to pornography.
Amidst
a church that was growing rapidly
he lived
with this sin in secret.
When he could no longer bear it
he revealed his sin
to a fellow pastor
who encouraged him to step down.
And while he had the option
to keep it a secret
he decided to follow God
and tell his church
which led to nothing but consequences
and pain
with many people leaving
and even getting a near fatal accident
50 days before his wedding.
But eventually he was restored
as godly men
came in to his life
to encourage him
and mentor him
and many
within the church
also began to be confess their sin
and there was great healing.
And since then God has used Pastor Garrett
to help men who struggle with purity
and even writing a book on sexual purity
as Christian men.
So if you are a person
who is struggling
to be pure
and you are currently serving in ministry
you should step down
confess your sin to the Lord
So that you can be free
from living a double life
and be free
from the trap of sin.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
When you are impure
it’s easy to become depressed.
Because you lose focus on what life
is about.
But God’s Word is clear here.
People want to know God’s will all the time.
You want to know God’s will?
Here it is.
Be holy.
Be free
from sexual immorality
and control yourself.
That is God’s will for you.
And Christ
will restore you
to become a stronger Christian
so that you can be a greater blessing to others
then when you were struggling to overcome sin.
So church
consider men
who are faithful to their wives
and are sexually pure
married or not
to be elders
of the church.
If a man
cannot handle his marriage
he cannot handle the church.
If a man
cannot be pure
then neither will the church
be pure.
Because elders
must be pure men.
3. Elders must be good managers of their family (v.6b)
3. Elders must be good managers of their family (v.6b)
Similar
to their faithfulness to their wives
and being pure
they must overall
be men
who are able
to manage their family
well.
Let’s look at the last part of v.6
‘and his children are believers’.
Now the word for believers
can also be translated
as faithful
which I believe
is the better translation.
namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of dissipation, or rebellious.
Faithful children.
When you have a word
that has multiple meanings
as the Greek word pistos here
can be either
faithful
or believing
you use context
to determine
which of those meanings
is used here.
Here
Paul goes on to explain
what it means
for children
to be faithful
he says:
children who are not
wild
and disobedient.
So the context of this verse
is pointing to the behavior
of the children
rather than
their status of being born-again.
So then Paul is saying
that a qualified elder’s
children
are faithful
which is shown in their trustworthy
obedience.
Their loyalty.
This same idea of faithful
meaning trustworthy obedience
is seen in Matthew 24:45,
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?
Here Jesus
is giving an example
of a servant
who is faithful
to his master
meaning the servant
always carries out
the commands
of his master
and is always loyal to him.
And a man
qualified to be an elder
is a man whose children
are faithful
in their obedience
to their parents
and are loyal to them.
The reason this must be clear
is because
Paul just like earlier
with marriage
is not emphasizing
the a man’s marital status
married or not married
nor is he emphasizing
the children’s salvation
saved or not saved.
No he is looking deeper
than that.
He is looking for a man
who is able
to manage
his family.
It’s the exact same idea
in his letter to Timothy
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
If you want to see
if a man is qualified
to lead the church
look at how he leads his children
his family.
So now that you know
that Paul is talking about
a man’s ability
to manage his children
we can now look
what exactly
his children should look like
in the rest of the verse,
‘and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination’.
First
not open to the charge of
or another way to say it
not being accused of
debauchery.
Debauchery
is a word
that’s a bit old-fashioned
but basically it means
a wild lifestyle.
A lifestyle
that is out of control
and immoral.
1 Peter 4:3 gives an example of this wild lifestyle
For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
Here Peter describes
the wild lifestyle
of the gentiles:
sensuality and passions
a lifestyle that is ruled by feelings and emotions
drunkenness
orgies
or sexually immoral
drinking parties
and lawless idolatry
constantly running into
the police
because the child is enslaved
to idols
money
achievement
acceptance in their community.
If a man’s children
has this wild lifestyle
he cannot be considered
as an elder.
And finally
there’s one more description
Paul gives about
a qualified man’s children
‘not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination’.
Insubordination
meaning
not rebellious.
Not disobedient.
When a child
is defiant towards their parents
disrespectful
and unloving towards them
the parents
have failed
to parent their child well.
Colossians 3:21 says
Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
If a father
is unreasonable
to his children.
If he is a hypocrite
if he is unloving
if he is not a servant leader
then he creates angry children
that are discouraged
and will become
wild
and disobedient.
And it’s not just disobedience to their parents
but disobedient
to authority as well.
A rebellious attitude
towards police
towards their teacher
towards their pastor
or any authority figure
not just
their father and mother.
A child who behaves in this manner
is not faithful
not loyal to their parents
is a man
who is not
a good manager of his family.
Now what about a man
without children?
How can he be a good manager of his family?
Well if God has given him the care
of other family members
such as nieces
or maybe has to care
for his parents or grandparents
who are very elderly
and he does well in caring for them
that can be a man
who is a good manager of his family.
But there is one more way
both a married
and a single person
can in a way
be a good manager of his family.
Well remember
that Paul had no children of his own.
However
he called Timothy
and Titus
his true children.
His spiritual children.
Because he mentored them.
In one way
the pastoral epistles
are the peak
of Paul’s writings
because they are the result
of his discipleship
his mentorship
of other young men
who have finally become
pastors.
And so
one thing
you should look for
in a man who is qualified
to be an elder
is a man
who has spiritual children.
Is this a man
who is discipling and mentoring others?
If so
then this is a man
who can be an elder.
This is a way
that a single man
in a sense
can be a good manager of his family.
His spiritual family.
In 1965
there was a group of young boys
who ran away from their homeland of Tonga
and stole a boat
in search of the island of Fiji
to live in paradise.
But because they had no map or compass
they ended up on a deserted island
and were stranded for 15 months.
Rescue finally came
when Captain Peter Warner
passed by on his ship
noticed the deserted island
had fire.
So he decided to investigate
and as soon as his ship approached
the boys began swimming toward the ship
begging for help.
Captain Warner
picked them up
and they were saved.
But unfortunately
once they were returned back to Tonga
they were immediately arrested
for stealing the boat.
But Warner
having pity on the young boys
paid the boat owner the fine
and then decided to quit his job
and stay in Tonga long-term.
He started a fishing business
and hired the boys as his crew.
The captain
mentored these young boys
and some of them became friends with the captain
for life
and said,
‘Captain Warner was like a father to me.’
A man regardless
if he has children or not
who actively mentors and disciples others
has spiritual chidren
and in that sense
can be a good manager of his family.
Now a man
who is a good manager of his family
can also be seen
not just in his children
or spiritual children
but also
in his priorities.
A man’s children
may be well-behaved
but if he prioritizes
his career
over the church
to where his family
often misses church
or is constantly unavailable
for church
then he is teaching his family
not to prioritize
spiritual matters.
Men who prioritize career
or prioritize
any other idols
such as money
sports
or entertainment
above all
will destroy their family.
These are men
who are not
good managers of their families.
So church in conclusion
as we realize
the importance of elders
and their qualifications
remember
that God gives
godly elders to the church
so that you may follow their example.
Elders need to be appointed
Elders must be pure men
Elders must be good managers of their family
Some of you may think
‘well I’m not interested in being an elder
so this doesn’t apply to me.’
But church
the reason
that God gives these qualifications
to elders
in the first place
is so that
they model a life
that you
should live.
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
As part of your walk with God
God gives you leaders
who teach you His Word
and so that
you see the fruits of their life
and imitate their example.
God
wants elders to be pure men
so that you
would be pure.
God wants
elders to be good managers
of their family
so that you
would have families
that are orderly
and honoring to God.
God
wants you
to live a life
like the elders
in your church.
It’s not because
the elders
are better than you.
We are all human
at the end of the day.
But God
in his grace
puts godly men
to be the example
that you need to follow.
Who can find a man
who is sexually pure
in these wicked times?
That shows
not how impressive a man is
but how graceful and powerful
God is
in keeping men
and protecting them
from temptation.
So church
be on the lookout
for men
who are pure
and men who are
good managers of their family
and keep your eye on them
so that Pastor Jeff and I can appoint
more elders
in the church
that can help us
live more like Christ.
The more elders
the more examples
you have
and the more sound
you’ll become in your faith.
Next week
we will look at
the rest of the qualifications
but for now
remember
to follow the example
of the purity
and the good management of the home
in the elders
of this church.
Let’s pray.
