Biblical Leadership: Why God Gave us Elders
Notes
Transcript
What is the role of the preacher? What are elders required to do? What is a deacon’s responsibility? What is my role as a member?
Intro
Intro
Illus: Sicily “geep.” Sheep that were crossing the road and got out of control. Shepherd was nowhere to be seen. One even ran down the road and jumped off of the overpass.
Illustration of what the church might look like without a structure. Without leaders.
OT: Judges - God raised up judges to lead God’s people and the people would continually rebel and seek to do their own thing.
And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah. Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.
Judges 1:
Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
I want to address some confusion in the church, generally speaking, concerning who is in charge.
Presbyterian Church: Two Office - Elder and Deacon
We have elders/some have the gift of teaching and preaching
English Standard Version Chapter 5
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer 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 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? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
1 tim 3:
Elder who teaches is an elder with a different added skillset.
Many people view the pastor as autonomous as if he is the chief elder or leader.
Pastor/preacher may have more skill at handling God’s word through formal training, but he is still an elder.
We believe in plurality of elders.
So, what does this mean? God sets the leadership in the church. And, as we will see Paul sets the stage and then charges the elders to lead.
Paul sets the example for leadership in the church:
Biblical Principles
Biblical Principles
Church Leaders (Elders) - Shepherds
(elders) Lead us to worship (7)
Met on the first day of the week. Sunday is known not as the sabbath, but as the Lord’s Day.
VII. As it is of the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in his word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men in all ages, he hath particularly appointed one day in seven for a sabbath, to be kept holy unto him: which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week, which in scripture is called the Lord’s Day, and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.
Westminster Assembly. (1851). The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition (pp. 120–121). Philadelphia: William S. Young.
Breaking Bread
Likely the Lord’s Supper
Prolonged speech
sermon/teaching
(elders) Care for the dead and dying (8-12)
Eutychus
Fell asleep and died
Paul was concerned for his Physical well being
He raised him from the dead
Paul was concerned for his Spiritual well being
We know this from the previous passages
Encouraging other saints
sharing of the Gospel
Long discussions he was currently having
(elders) Go where they are called (13-16)
led by other saints
Was of one accord
Like minded and simply went where he was needed
trust and faith in God’s soverignty
led with a purpose
Had a vision for where he wanted to go
avoided Asia
avoided things that distracted him from his mission
Riot and
set a goal and went there
Led by the HS (22)
Elders are called to
Lead us to worship God faithfully
Are concerned about our spiritual and physical health
are willing to go wherever God calls them to serve
set a vision for where God is leading his people and take us there
Church Member (Disciples) -
Disciples follow their elders to worship (7)
They faithfully obeyed and were diligent in listening to Paul
Long hours
No one complained that the sermon went past 12:00
The church today has cheapened
The office of elder
The importance of being taught God’s truths
The elders are leading us, let us follow
As long as they are point us to Christ Jesus and worship in Spirit and Truth
Disciples stay awake for God’ truth (9)
Eutychus fell asleep
We often fall asleep when we should be learning
Much like the disciples who went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray with Jesus
Jesus returns to find them asleep
English Standard Version Chapter 14
37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
We can be spiritually lazy
Be diligent to stay awake
Jesus also tells us to stay awake concerning His return
; ; Luke 21:36
As our leaders lead us toward spiritual growth, we as disciples should diligently stay awake and follow
Disciples seek to serve their leaders and take care of them (13-16)
The disciples took care of Paul’s travel plans
arranged for faster travel for Paul
cared for his well being
helped him stay focused on the main mission
their faith fullness helped free Paul up to accomplish his God ordained call
get to Jerusalem
In a sense the elder is a servant of the church member
in another sense a good church member takes care of their elders
freeing him up to serve in his role
Conclusion
Conclusion
In order for the church to be successful in God’s ordained order we need to be faithful:
If you are a leader are you leading well?
Lead us to worship, Care for our soul, and go where God has called you and we will follow
If you are a disciple are you following well?
Be willing to be led to worship a Holy God, stay awake and hear God’s truth from our elders, and take care of your elders
Illus: Greatest example we have of faithful service is that of God the Father and Jesus the Son
Jesus was obedient to the Father
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
Without this obedience there would be no salvation
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
He humbled himself
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Let us as leaders and as members look to Jesus to know how to lead well and follow well.
God has ordained both roles in the church. Whatever your role? Are you faithfully seeking to serve Christ well as either an elder or disciple?
It is only with the power of Jesus that we can accomplish this anyway. Let us look to him for strength and guidance as we seek to be faithful in both roles. Only then will the church as a whole be obedient to our King, Jesus Christ.