Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today, as we continue our Flesh and Blood series about what it means to be the church we shift our focus from the responsibilities from the Covenant Members to that of the Church Leadership.

There are two offices named in the Scriptures for church leadership, in which the church is called to submit to and recognize.

Both offices are always plural when mentioned in the Scriptures, the offices of Elders and Deacons.

This week we will primarily look at the office of Elders.

our probing question:

How, and to whom, are you called to submit to within the God called and Scripturally instructed, leadership structure of the Church?

___

How do you view submission in our present context of society?

What emotions does the word “submission” evoke when you hear it?

Is it primarily Scriptural or “worldly?”

How does your view shape your obedience to Scripture and God’s commands in submission within His Church?

Exposition

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

The Submitting Flock (; )

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

2. The Submitting Shepherd (; ; ; ; )

Acts 15

(presbyterois)

Paul’s instruction

Elders—In the church, spiritual leaders and ministers, usually equated with bishops and pastors; became a decision-making council.

HNTC Ac

The word Elder and Overseer are used interchangeably throughout the NT.

The Greek word for overseer is episkopos, which is a common designation for various kinds of officials within the local church.

Phil 1:1

The word Elder (presbyteros)

53.77 πρεσβύτεροςb, ου m: a person of responsibility and authority in matters of socio-religious concerns, both in Jewish and Christian societies—‘

Paul’s instruction:

In each of the Scripture’s mentioned

Paul’s instruction

1 Tim 3:1-7

Titus

In all the Scriptures cited above, Paul associates the term overseer with the elders and the work of shepherding and safeguarding “the church of God.”

So it is evident that the words overseer and elder refer to the same group of officials, and Paul uses the two terms interchangeably.

This means, whatever assignments are given to the elders are also assigned to the overseers and vice versa.

— uses Overseer, and in Paul uses the term elder… (He makes a case for some Elders being paid for their labor…)

1 Tim

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

Peter’s instruction:

Peter’s instruction:

53.78 συμπρεσβύτερος, ου m: one who is an elder along with others—‘fellow elder.’

πρεσβυτέρους οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν παρακαλῶ ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος ‘I appeal to the elders among you, (I who am) an elder along with you’ .

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

3. The Submitting Christ: The Good Shepherd (; ; )

Our example as the Elders and Overseers as those who are shepherds to God’s flock, we are all under-shepherd’s to THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Jesus.

Our call is specific and our example is challenging…because to be an under-shepherd of Christ is to STRIVE to live as Christ.

How did Christ live?

Peter says it this way...

Phil 2:5-11

Still one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture given to help us understand what it means to submit to those who shepherd the Church and to understand the requirement that all must submit to Jesus as the Good Shepherd first is Jesus’ own words.

Jesus says:

John 10

I came across an interesting story while studying this passage that I want to share with you.

There was a Scottish theologian by the name of Sir George Adam Smith who lived between the 1850s-1940s who was known as one of the greatest Old Testament scholars.

While in the Middle East he told of an encounter

“…[He] came across a shepherd and his sheep.

He fell into conversation with him.

The man showed him the fold into which the sheep where led at night.

It consisted of four walls, with a way in.

Sir George, said to him, ‘That is where they go at night?’ ‘Yes,’ said the shepherd, ‘and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe.’

‘But there is no door,’ said Sir George.

‘I am the door,’ said the shepherd.

He was not a Christian man, he was not speaking in the language of the New Testament.

He was speaking from the Arab shepherd’s standpoint.

Sir George looked at him and said, ‘What do you mean by the door?’ [The shepherd said], ‘When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in the open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door.”[1]

That’s exactly what Jesus means for us in the passage.

He is the living door.

In order to go into the fold (become one of His children), you must go through Him.

By the same token, to go out to pasture (to enjoy the freedom and forgiveness of eternal life), you must go through Him.

As the door He is the Protector and the Provider.

As the door He is our way to a better future.

“When you come in the door, you are not only saved, but you are safe.”[2]

[1] Preaching the Word: John: That You May Believe” by R. Kent Hughes (Crossway-Wheaton, IL 1999) pgs.

271-2

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

john 10

rch demands submission.

John 10

Servant leadership in Christ’s Church demands submission.

John 10:

Response

3 specific responses:

Examine yourself and ask, “Am I submitting to Christ and the leadership of His local church in a Biblical way?

In a way that is bringing Him glory?”

Recognize that submission is not an ugly word.

We are all called to submit to those who have authority over us.

We exercise this everyday, especially if we work for someone.

Finally, I have invited a group of men who I believe possess these qualities as Elders and Overseers to begin praying and studying what it looks like for Concord to submit to the Biblical oversight of the plurality of Eldership.

Meaning that I also want to invite you into that prayer.

I’ve said that we don’t want to be a “traditional church” by the definition of “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

No way.

We want to be a “Biblical Church.”

So over the next several months we are going to be looking at how our Biblical Leadership Structure reflects the instructions given to the local church in the New Testament, and we will be praying through if we as a church need to make any changes to that structure.

I can say with confidence and as the shepherd of this flock I believe there are changes to make for the betterment of being Christ’s local church.

However that is not for me to change by myself.

That requires much study, prayer, and biblical counsel.

I invite you to be praying for our church and what this type of change may look like within this body.

No change will take place without first being brought before you, our Covenant Members, and it will not be brought forth without much study and prayer in following the Scriptures.

This is an invitation to begin praying about being a Biblical Church, a healthy church.

A gospel-centered and Christ-exalting church.

Let’s pray.