01/13/2008

BIBLICAL OBLIGATIONS TO ELDERS

1 Timothy 5:17-21

   The Church must:

I. HONOR THE ELDERS APPROPRIATELY

A.        It STARTS with an ATTITUDE

v:17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy

ELDER speaks of MATURITY

*        Pres-buteros = Spiritual maturity and eternal dignity

Acts 20:17 he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church

BISHOP speaks of AUTHORITY

*        Episkopos = Administrator, manager, over-seer

Acts 20:28 Holy Spirit has made you over-seers

PASTOR speaks of MINISTRY

*        Pol-maino = Shepherd is the verb and Pastor is the noun form

Acts 20:28 …to shepherd the church of God

worthy . . .

*        RULE = To stand first, first in terms of leadership, first in terms of responsibility (Heb 13:17)

*        WELL = Unusual excellence (1 Tim 4:6-16) *Serve, warn, study, reject, disciplines, commands, etc.

WORTHY = A value of someone based on the position or rank that he holds

B.         It is SUPPORTED with an AMOUNT

                       v:17 . . . of double honor

                        DOUBLE = twice the amount something is worth

                        HONOR = translated “price” and “wages”

II. PROTECT THE ELDERS INTENTIONALLY

**Some accusations must be:

A.     REJECTED and IGNORED

5:19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder…

B.     RECEIVED and INVESTIGATED

5:19 ...except on the basis of two or three witnesses

1.      The WITNESSES must be AVAILABLE (v:19)

2.      The SIN must be HABITUAL (v:20)

**A former Church distributed an unsigned letter to the membership: he loves black people more than white people, he has been slain in the spirit and he speaks in unknown tongues, he deceived the pastor search committee . . .

**David’s confession

***There is a third thing obligation to the Elders: The Church must:

III. REBUKE THE ELDERS OPENLY

**How does a Church rebuke an elder?

A.     TRUST the PRINCIPLE

5:20 those who continue in sin rebuke

5:21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias . . .

B.     FOLLOW the PROCEDURE

5:20 …Rebuke in the presence of all

In 1 Cor 5:1-13 Paul gives us the biblical procedure: We must:

1.      MOURN

5:2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead . . .

2.      JUDGE

5:3 For I, on my part . . . have already judged him who has committed this sin . . .

3.      PURGE

5:7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump

4.      REBUKE

1 Tim 5:20 Those who have been continuing in sin, REBUKE in the presence of all

C.     REMEMBER the PURPOSE

5:20 …that the rest also may fear

**REBUKE David in love:

**David’s Exhortation to deal with our sin

**Invitation

**Song: “One Touch”

**Dance/ interpretation: Veronical Shelton

**Yvette’s testimony:

David’s request for forgiveness:

**Observe the Lord’s Supper