Untitled Sermon (2)

The Work of Elders

Sweetwater Church of Christ | 1/13/19 AM Service---

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Just for the sake of full disclosure, for the next few weeks I’m going to be preaching on topics that I have been asked to preach on by the elders. I personally appreciate this, because first, it shows that they are concerned with what you all hear, and second, it means that I don’t have to come up with a topic all on my own! I’m only telling you this to be transparent—this is part of their leadership, and I want you to see it. I think it’s important you see it. They care about this congregation.

Just so you know what to expect, here’s a preview:

Today I’m preaching about elders.In the coming weeks I’ll be preaching about deacons and preachers, and the role of the church member.I’ll also be preaching a lesson or two directly dealing with our relationships with each other as a growing congregation.

They may even suggest a few more things along the way, and I’ll preach on those things too. But again, I’m telling you this so you can see that it’s not me coming up with these things—it’s our shepherds overseeing the work here. And I also hope in the coming weeks and months you will even hear their voice on some of these things a bit more, too.

Now without any further, delay, let’s get into our study for this morning…

A Unique Organization

Often when a person finds out that I’m a preacher, their next question is, “Where do you pastor?” Of course, most all of you understand that I’m not a pastor. And if you don’t, then this lesson will help explain that. But I’ve gotten used to hearing that question posed in that way.

I’ll answer, “I preach for the Sweetwater church of Christ.” Which is then usually followed up by another question: “Aren’t you all that church that doesn’t use music in worship?”

Now the reason I bring any of that up is because I think it shows two things. First, there are some very visible things that make us different from denominations (e.g. not using musical instruments in our worship). But the second thing is that there are some not so visible things that make us distinct—namely, the way we are organized.

While most denominations in the world have a single man who serves as a pastor for a church (or who heads a “ministry team” as they’ve come to be called), that’s not how we do things. I preach, but I’m not the pastor. In fact, despite what some people may think, I really have no power past that of being able to persuade people. That’s because we follow the organizational structure that is presented in the Bible, the one that the church in the first century followed.

This makes us unique in a number of ways. First, we have no central earthly headquarters, and we’re not part of any type of denominational association that can dictate rules to us. Second, we call things by different names than most other groups do. What many people think of as a pastor we call a preacher. What some would think of as deacons we call elders. And the same goes for pastors—those are the elders, too. I’m simply a preacher, an evangelist. Deacons are simply servants, who serve in a particular area of need.

In coming weeks we will take a look at the different roles we see in the church, but for this week we want to concentrate on the role, or more specifically, the office of an elder. And I want to approach the subject in the form of questions and answers, as I think that will help us organize our thoughts, and cover what needs to be covered this morning. Likewise, I don’t want you to think this is an exhaustive, or complete study of elders. I’d encourage you to take what we talk about this morning and use it as a springboard for your own study. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask me, or even better, one of the elders. So let’s start with our first question this morning.

Words Referring to Elders

Q: According to the Bible, what is an elder?

I think the best place to start answering this question is to go to . In this chapter, Luke records how Paul calls for the elders from Ephesus to come and meet with him. He then gives them encouragement, instructions, and some warnings. It’s an interesting passage to study on its own, but I just want to point out a couple verses that will help us begin to answer our question. Let’s start with .

“(17) Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” (, ESV)

And now skip down to verse 28. I’m also going to switch translations for just a second to the very literal NASB, because it will help us understand something here.

“(28) “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (, NASB95)

Out of those verses I want to extract some words, all of which obviously refer to the same group of men:

“Elders”—This word is translated from the Greek word πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros). It is an adjective describing someone who is older, and is used in that generic sense in places. But here, and in other passages like it (e.g. ), the word refers to a specific position or office held by an older man, or in this case, men—the “elders of the church.” “Overseers”—This word is translated from the Greek word ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos), which is a compound word referring to someone who “looks over” or “watches over” a group of people. The NKJV also translates this word as “bishop” in certain places (e.g. ), so that is another word we can add to our list of words.“Shepherd”—This is actually a verb (Greek ποιμαίνω, poimaino), which the ESV translates as “to care for.” But it refers to what these men are charged with doing—“shepherding the flock” (i.e. the church) they have charge over. In they are actually referred to as “shepherds.” This is also the word that is sometimes translated as “pastor” (KJV, NKJV).

So we have a number of words: Elder, overseer, bishop, shepherd, and even pastor. But each of these words refers to the same office, just from a different angle, or a different responsibility. If we put them all together, then it gives us something of a picture of what an elder is, and what he does. He’s an older man who watches over the church, who guides and protects it like a shepherd does his sheep.

I think it’s worth noting that we don’t have to call our elders just the word “elder.” We could biblically refer to them by any of those other names. We could call them pastors. We could call them bishops. We just usually call them elders for the sake of simplicity. Likewise, both the terms “pastor” and “bishop” have been misused to the point that “elder” probably draws the clearest distinction between our leaders and what the world thinks a “pastor” or “bishop” is.

One other thing I think is important to point out: There is always more than one man looking out for a congregation. There never was in the first century, nor should there be today just one “pastor” in a church. Even John Stott, an Anglican Priest, noted this obvious point in his commentary on the book of Acts. He wrote:

“There is no biblical warrant either for the one-man-band (a single pastor playing all the instruments of the orchestra himself) or for a hierarchical or pyramidal structure in the local church (a single pastor perched at the apex of the pyramid… It is better to think of them as a team… We need today to recover this concept of a pastoral team in the church.” 1

I think he is absolutely right. And part of recovering this correctly means appointing the right men. Which leads us to the next question we want to answer this morning.

Becoming an Elder

Q: According to the Bible, what qualifies someone to become an elder?

There are two key passages in the New Testament that give us the qualifications for someone to become an elder. They are , and . Let’s take a moment and look at the ones in Titus for just a moment.

“(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— (6) 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. (7) For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, (8) but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (9) He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (, ESV)

I really don’t want this lesson to become a lesson on just the qualifications of elders, but there are a few things I want to point out from this passage that I think are important.

First, we see clearly (again) that an elder is the same position as that of an overseer or bishop (compare v. 5 and 7). Second, it’s evident that this is a man who is in view here (v. 6), not a woman. Third, the qualified man is one of high moral character, who is trustworthy and knowledgeable in the Scriptures. Fourth, he is a people-person, who knows how to lead his own family, and how to handle other people as well.

But let me also suggest to you that these aren’t mere qualifications—they are characteristics. They are qualities of the lifestyle of God’s ideal man. And they aren’t achievable overnight. A man can’t simply decide one day that he wants to be an elder, and become one the next. He has to have lived his life with that office as a goal, or at the very least, leaving open the possibility. He has to have disciplined himself, and led his family in such a way as to show he is capable of taking on that role. A man has to have chosen to live his life in this way well before the time comes to take the office of elder.

So now that we’ve discussed the different words used to refer to elders, and how a man becomes qualified for the office, let’s take a brief look at their responsibilities.

Responsibilities of an Elder

Q: What do elders do?

At first glance there may not seem to be a great deal of information concerning what elders are supposed to do. There’s no single passage that says, “And here are the responsibilities of an elder,” which then lays out a checklist. Even the commands we do have (e.g., “shepherd the flock”) are somewhat general. But I think this is for a purpose. The Lord’s church was designed to be able to work in all times, in all places, until the end of time. Thus, the general nature of instructions given to elders gives the necessary leeway to make it work within a number of different contexts.

With that being said, I also don’t want you to think that an elder can simply make up his job description. Even in the general commands that are given there are some clear goals in mind. It’s just the means of accomplishing those goals are left at the discretion of the elders themselves.

We looked at the words used to describe the office of elder earlier. I want to briefly revisit those, and point out how each word also gives us an idea of their responsibility.

Let’s start with the words bishop or overseer. In secular Greek this term would have applied to someone who was a supervisor. In the case of the church then the responsibility is clear—they are watching over you, and me. They are responsible for looking out for our souls.

Then there’s the terms shepherd or pastor. Think about what a shepherd does. He leads his sheep where they will be safe, and well fed. He protects them from the dangers they may not even see. He helps to heal them when they are injured. He searches for them when they are lost. That’s what a shepherd, a pastor, is to do in Christ’s flock, too.

Finally there’s the term elder. This word describes a man who is older, and likely older than most all of the people he is leading. Thus, he’s lived more life, and seen more things. He ought to have wisdom that others don’t have. He’s also proven he has it in the way he has lived his life. Thus, he’s ready and able to give counsel and share that wisdom with those who are younger, for their benefit (if they will listen).

Then there are some of the passages which are written to elders which give us some indication. Let’s start with .

“(11) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” (, ESV)

The key here is in verse 12—“to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” The word translated as “equip” means “to furnish completely.” One role of the elder is to be sure that the saints, i.e. the church, have what they need to do the work of ministry. Whether that be resources, information, guidance—they are there to give them what is needed to do the work.

Now look over to with me for just a moment. Starting in verse one, Peter writes:

“(1) So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: (2) shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; (3) not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. (4) And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (, ESV)

There are many things in this passage we could look at, and spend an entire sermon unloading. But I want to focus on verse 3 for a moment. He describes their manner of leadership. They aren’t to be domineering, making demands of people like kings. Rather they are to lead by being examples to the flock. Thus, another responsibility of an elder is to live the kind of life he wants the sheep to live! He needs to persuade them to do so as well. Again, we could say a lot about this passage, but for now I just want to point out the responsibility of being an example.

There are other passages we could visit which give us an indication of the elder’s work. Since they are compared to shepherds, we could visit passages like , which describe Jesus as a shepherd, and make application there. We could go to , where the personal work of elders is mentioned in visiting with those who are ill, whether physically or spiritually. We could see that from that some elders are teachers and preachers as well, thus worthy of financial support for their work. But I hope that what we’ve looked at here can at least help guide your mind into the correct way of thinking about the elders and their responsibilities.

Our Responsibilities to Elders

Q: What are our responsibilities to the elders as members of this congregation?

I would love to spend a great deal more time on this specific section than I’m going to be able to (and I may very well do so in a future lesson).

“(7) Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (, ESV)

While this passage doesn’t specifically mention elders, it certainly applies to them. They are those who “spoke to you the word of God.” These aren’t secular leaders, but religious. And there are two imperative verbs in this passage (commands). They are to “remember,” and to “imitate.” Put together, he’s what the author of Hebrews is saying—keep these men in mind in your life, and do your best to live like them. It makes me think about how we sometimes might think back to our parents, when we were growing up, and ask ourselves in a specific situation, “How would mom or dad handle this?” That’s the idea. Think about these men. Then imitate their faith.

Just a few verses down from what we just read, he writes:

“(17) Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (, ESV)

There are two imperatives in this passage as well: “Obey” and “submit.” The word “obey” has a special sense to it as well. It’s not the sense of begrudging obedience to a dictator, but rather obedience that comes from being persuaded that the course of action you are obeying is correct. Think of it this way: You willingly submit to the counsel and direction of the elders because you are convinced that they have your best interests, and the church’s best interests in mind. Am I saying they are perfect? No. Am I saying they can never be wrong? No.

But consider this with me though: If a man has met the qualifications to become an elder, he probably has some things you don’t! He has an endorsement from God in having met those qualifications. He has knowledge of Scripture that you may not have. He has wisdom from living that you may not fully comprehend now. He has the ability to see things you may not see. He has the ability to deal with other people and personalities that may be better than your way.

So be humble. Be willing to admit that their way is probably a better way, even if at first you don’t agree. Let them serve with joy, and without groaning. That will make things better for you and everyone else, too.

Closing Thought

I may be one of the most visible personalities in the church—but I should never be considered as the one who is singlehandedly leading this congregation. We have two good men who are elders, overseers, shepherds. Get to know them. Let them get to know you. They are watching out for your soul. Appreciate that. Tell them you appreciate that! Seek their counsel. It will probably help your life!

Please understand that these men are more than an executive board who hire and fire the preacher, and make other business decisions for the church. They are more than firefighters who are here to put out the “fires” that happen between people. They are men who have volunteered to be responsible for watching over your soul. So it is my hope that you understand them a bit better now, or maybe have been reminded of some things you had forgotten.

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1 Stott, John. “The Message of Acts”. pg 324