Biblical Church Leadership

Intro

Alright go ahead and grab a seat. This morning we are continuing our sermon series called “Being the Church,” where we are studying what God’s Word says a church is and must have in order for it to glorify God and carry out his mission to make disciples.

People rise and fall

And if the church is going to effectively carry out this mission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded us, then every church must be led by qualified leaders.

And, like any group of people, if a church is going to effectively carry out its mission to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and teaching all people to obey everything Jesus commanded us, then it must be led by qualified leaders.

Knowing this, God gives his churches leaders who are called by God to equip the saints for the work of ministry and instruct them in godly living.

And it is under the leadership of these godly leaders that the church grows to be more like Christ and is equipped to carry out the ministry God has entrusted to them which is to share the gospel with the lost.

Therefore, it is important then for us to study who these leaders are and what they are called to do because no church can be healthy with poor leadership.

Without the gift of effective and faithful leaders, a church will have its growth stunted because there will be no leaders teaching the Word and spurring on the body to grow in Christ so that his name will be glorified in us.

That said, I want to spend our time this morning studying who God has called to lead his church, how they are to go about exercising leadership over the congregation, and finally spending some time in application for how biblical church leadership should affect everyone in the congregation and not just those called by God to lead.

Who Leads the Church?

While there are all kinds of leaders in a church, God in his wisdom has set apart two offices of leaders that every church must have if they are going to follow the biblical pattern and be strong, healthy, and fruitful.

These two offices are called the Elders and the Deacons and God’s Word clearly lays out the qualifications for anyone that would hold these offices in 1 Timothy and Titus.

Let’s start with discussing the qualifications and work of elders and then we will move to the qualifications and work deacons.

Who Are Elders?

Now at the outset, we need to first define our terms because the Bible uses three different titles to describe this one office.

This is so important because over the course of church history, some people have confused these terms and in doing so, have created hierarchies within the church that have allowed power hungry leaders to consume the church instead of serve the church that God has entrusted to them.

Basically the Bible uses three words used to describe this office, and each word carries a different emphasis that tells us about the role of this leader.

First they are described as ποιμήν (poimen) which is translated as shepherd or Pastor.

This describes the leadership, protection, and care that pastors are to have towards their flock.

There is also ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos) which is translated as overseer or guardian.

ποιμήν poim

This is word is where Catholics and Episcopalians get the term bishop. However, this is not a new office in the church, but simply describes the office of pastor, elder or overseer.

In the everyday Greek-speaking world this word described someone who was appointed by the emperor to provide leadership and political oversight to an Empire’s province or territory.

In this way, this term describes how overseers operate under the authority of King Jesus to lead his church.

And finally there is πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros) which is translated as elder.

πρεσβύτερος

Contrary to what you might think, this word does not simply refer to the age of the leaders of the church.

Rather, the emphasis of this word highlights how the leaders of the church are to be seasoned, spiritually mature men capable of teaching wisdom and leading others.

It does

So what you have are three words that describe one single office. The primary leaders of the church are the pastors, elders, or overseers.

All three terms are used interchangeably, and this is most clearly seen in .

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.

So at our church, we generally refer to our primary leaders as elders or pastors. As far as we are concerned they mean the same thing.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Sometimes churches will refer to pastors as those elders that are on staff and paid by the church while calling the other men who make their living elsewhere elders or lay elders.

The important thing to remember is that no matter what they are called, they all hold the same office and serve the same function.

Practically this matters because some people wrongly assume that the “Pastor” is the real pastor or leader and all the other elders are kind of like the B-Team.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. For example at our church, I am just one of the elders.

The pattern of Scripture is that pastoral ministry needs to be a team effort.

This is where we get the term “Plurality of Elders” meaning ideally every congregation would have multiple qualified men serving them as pastors.

We get this understanding from the fact that the word used for elder almost always occurs in the plural in the NT. The few exceptions to this rule are when a NT author is referring to themselves as an elder or they are singling out a particular elder from a larger group.

And churches must aim towards having a plurality of elders because it benefits the entire congregation to do so.

For one, it allows all the men serving as elders to combine their knowledge, wisdom, and experience to more effectively lead and oversee the flock.

Not only that, but it also allows there to be more pastors so that more people can receive pastoral ministry. The old adage is true. Many hands make light work.

Simply put, more discipleship and pastoral ministry happens when it is not all flowing through one man.

Finally, having a plurality of elders also safeguards the church from the self-serving power-hungry leaders.

But we’ve all seen examples of how a manipulative leader can surround himself with yes men making any true plurality impossible, and thus endangering the church.

So how do we protect the church and make sure the elders function as a true plurality and not a shadow board doing the will of one man?

I think the mark of having a true plurality of elders is when every man is inclined to defer to the others.

And I can tell you in all integrity that by God’s grace that is what we have here at our church.

Every time we get together or we are seeking God’s will on something difficult, the bent of every single one of our hearts is to defer to the other men in that room trusting that God is working in them instead of feeling the need to fight for our own way.

The unity and love and fellowship we experience as elders of this church is a blessing from the Lord that is hard to describe. I think there are many men who serve the church their entire life and never get to experience what we have here in our church and you are blessed as a result.

So a plurality of elders is necessary because it allows the church to be governed by the wisdom of several men and not just one, it allows us to more effectively pastor more people in our church, and it also guards us against power-hungry leaders who try to use the church to glorify their own name instead of the Name of Christ.

Ultimately, what all that means for us here is that the other men that serve our church as elders are just as much your pastor as I am and hold the same spiritual authority as I do. The only difference is that I’m blessed to serve as a pastor full-time while they make their living elsewhere.

And I will tell you that I am humbled by the other men who serve you in this church because everything they do is a sacrifice of the limited time they have outside of work for personal time and time with their families.

I genuinely could not be more grateful for the other men that serve alongside me as your pastors because they are encouraging, hardworking, and faithful men of God who love Christ and love you.

So in summary, the primary leaders of the church are called Pastors, elders, or overseers. All three titles describe the same office, but just carry a different emphasis.

Pastor emphasizes the care and love for the people we serve as shepherds of the flock.

Overseer emphasizes our leadership role as stewards who have been given authority by Christ to serve his purposes and not our own.

And Elder speaks to a man’s maturity and personal character.

So if Elders are the ones called by God to lead the church, how do we know who is qualified to hold this office?

Thankfully, the Bible tells us in and .

Because these two lists are so similar, I want to read through each of them and then we will back track to highlight what each of these passages tell us to expect from men who are called to be pastors.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Similarly, says that a man is qualified to be an elder...

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.

Now let’s walk through some of the aspects of both of these passages to see what the qualifications for an elder are.

You’ll notice at the outset that these lists are different. For example Titus does not mention that an elder should not be a recent convert and Timothy does not say that they should be upright, holy, and disciplined.

What this tells us is that neither list is meant to be exhaustive, but rather Paul wrote them to give a representative list of the kinds of qualities that an elder should embody.

Basically, Paul wants the men who serve as elders to be an example for the church of what it means to faithfully follow Jesus.

Now let’s walk through some of the aspects of both of these passages to see what the qualifications for an elder are.

Above Reproach

The first thing you’ll notice is that the overarching standard for an elder is that they are above reproach.

This doesn’t mean that an elder must be perfect. We are all sinners and if that were the case we would all be disqualified.

What it means is that an elder is someone with impeccable spiritual and moral character.

That means they are men whose lives are characteristically free from any sin or corruption that would be a bad example to the flock or bring reproach on the name of Christ.

Husband of One Wife

Literally this could be translated as “a one-woman man.”

This qualification means more than just making sure an elder is not a polygamist with multiple wives.

It is about a man’s moral integrity and sexual fidelity as a husband. It basically means he only has eyes for his wife and is fully devoted to her.

As such, this qualification does not prohibit a man who is single, nor one who has been remarried after their wife has died, nor even, in some circumstances someone that has been divorced.

We need to remember the reason these lists were given were to describe the type of man who can be an example to the flock of godly living.

Therefore, in regards to the husband of one wife, we need to ask “Can this person serve as an example to the flock in the area of marriage and family?”

So take the single person for instance. If Paul meant that only someone who is married could be an elder, then he would have effectively disqualified not only himself, but the Lord Jesus!

A single person can still be an example to the flock in the area of marriage and family if they are morally pure and free from fornication and do not have a reputation of being a flirt.

Likewise, someone whose wife passed away and is remarried can still be an example of what it means to be devoted to the one wife he is married to, because Paul says death of one of the things that can end a marriage covenant.

Now the divorce question is admittedly a little more complicated.

Some people would say that someone who has been divorced is automatically disqualified from being an elder.

However, I would push back on that given how Jesus allowed divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality, and Paul also understood that the believer is not at fault if they were abandoned by their unbelieving spouse.

So someone being divorced does not automatically disqualify them from being an elder, but there are a lot more questions that need to be answered before appointing them to the office of overseer.

We need to know whether or not there were biblical grounds for divorce, the role they played in the divorce, as well as discerning how much time has passed since the divorce because someone who is recently divorced would not be in a position to be an example to the flock.

A divorced man is not automatically disqualified because if Paul had wanted to exclude divorced men from being an elder, he could have simply said so because divorce existed in his day.

Likewise, we don’t take similar qualifications to this extreme. Both Timothy and Titus mention an elder’s relationship to their children, plural.

That would men any man with less than two children, even if it was because of infertility, would be disqualified from serving as an elder.

That said, I believe that someone who suffered a past divorce with biblical grounds but in the years since established a solid track record of being a devoted husband is not automatically disqualified from being an elder.

Remember, the principle of this qualification is can they serve as an example of a godly marriage?

Good Father

Likewise, an elder must be able to serve as an example to the flock of a godly father.

Because the behavior of someone’s children reflects on the spiritual leadership that is going on in the home, an elder’s children must not be characterized by disobedience or rebellion.

Titus even says that they must be believers although I think a better translation is that they must be faithful.

Otherwise, a pastor that has a new baby would find himself immediately disqualified from the office.

Paul’s whole point with this qualification is that if someone cannot manage their own family, there is little reason to expect they can manage the affairs of the family of God.

Sober-minded and Self-controlled

This means that their thoughts should be characterized by wisdom and Christian maturity which is reflected in their actions through disciplined living.

In other words, they are not driven by passions or emotions, but they are driven by faithfulness to God’s Word in every area of their life.

This leads an elder being able to be known as respectable by those that know him.

Hospitable

Being hospitable means that an elder has love for strangers.

Basically, a man qualified to be an elder is known as friendly and welcoming to all people.

Then Paul continues his list by listing several negative qualities that must be absent from the life of an elder.

Negative Qualities

Elders are not to be drunkards, violent, quarrelsome, quick-tempered or a lover of money.

Drunkards obviously means they aren’t getting drunk.

Violent means they don’t allow their anger to overwhelm them to the point where they lash out physically or verbally.

Quarrelsome means that they aren’t argumentative. Sadly, thanks to the rise of social media I believe many men disqualify themselves because they willfully give in to arguing with people on the internet as a faceless keyboard warrior.

Not a lover or money or greedy for gain is also crucial because Jesus said that no one can serve God and money.

If a pastor is more concerned with accumulating wealth than honoring the Lord, then they will eventually cheapen the gospel in order to make a quick buck under the quise that they are just helping the church grow.

All this to say that an elder cannot be mastered by their sinful addictions and those that are enslaved to the lusts of their flesh prove themselves to be unworthy of spiritual leadership in the church.

Not a Recent Convert

Many years are needed for a man to grow in the faith and truly have the level of personal and spiritual maturity required of an elder.

This doesn’t mean that an elder cannot be young. Simply that they cannot be young in the faith and must have a long track record of faithfully following the Lord.

Paul warns that if we install a man as an elder who is not spiritually ready for it, it will lead them to the sin of pride, which is the same condemnation reserved for the devil.

That’s why he says in Titus that they cannot be arrogant. Jesus doesn’t want little Satans leading his church.

An elder must be humble like Christ.

Well Though of by Outsiders

An elder should have an excellent reputation with those outside the church.

Basically, a non-Christian should not be surprised to learn that this man is a pastor. It should make sense

All Christians represent Christ to the world and leaders in particular are the first ones the world looks to as representatives of the whole.

Therefore, if a man has a bad name in the community that would lead to Christ receiving a bad name himself, that man would be unfit to serve as an elder.

Lover of Good, Upright, Holy

Again, this points to the above reproach qualification. An elder should be a man who is a godly example of what it means to follow Jesus that the rest of the flock can look at and say, “Oh, that’s how you do it.”

Not that elders are perfect by any means, but that they represent what should be typical of every Christian.

Able to Teach

The last qualification that we will examine is the only one that is a skill an elder is required to have, and that is the ability to teach.

All the other qualifications for an elder have to deal with their character whereas this one speaks to their role in the church.

Elders are required to instruct others in the faith. If a man cannot teach and disciple others effectively, they may be a godly, honorable man, but they are not an elder.

This does not mean that every elder is required to preach, but they should be able to teach God’s Word in some capacity and with effectiveness whether that is to the whole congregation, small group settings, or even one on one.

Paul’s instructions to Titus speak to this most clearly when he said 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.

This leads us to discuss what role elders play in the life of the church. In other words, What do elders actually do?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

What Do Elders Do?

If I could sum it up in a sentence, the elders of the church are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry and instruct them in godly living.

In doing so we fulfill what Paul said in which is to care for the church of God.

Turn to and I will show you what I mean.

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, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

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, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

There’s a few important things I want you to see from this passage.

First, Paul says that Christ rules and leads his church through godly leaders who he himself has given to the congregation.

Two of these groups of leaders no longer exist today, those being the Apostles and the Prophets.

Earlier in Paul said that the church was quote “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”

By saying that the apostles and prophets were part of the foundation laying stage of the church, Paul was saying that those offices were limited to the early church and do not continue today.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

When you build a building, you lay the foundation one time at the beginning of construction. The apostles and prophets of the NT were given by God to play the foundational role of revealing God’s Word to his people.

Now that we have God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures, their ministry is obsolete because God has revealed everything we need to know to follow Him in the Bible.

The other two groups of leaders, the evangelists and the pastor-teachers, continue to serve the church today by building on that foundation and faithfully preaching God’s Word.

Evangelists describe those leaders who are particularly gifted in sharing the gospel, a task every Christian is called too, and the shepherd-teachers, because you should see those words as one thing like it was hyphenated, refers to pastors of churches.

Paul uses shepherds and teachers to describe the two primary roles of pastoral ministry.

What I want you to see, is that your pastors are Christ’s gift to you for your good and spiritual growth.

The second thing I want you to see is that Paul tells us why Christ gave these gifts. He says it was to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for the building up the body of Christ.

This is that idea of caring for the church.

Notice, that Paul says that all the congregation is to do the work of ministry, not just pastors.

Many churches get it backwards when they expect the pastors to do everything in the church and then wonder why the church stagnates.

Its because it takes all of us together to fulfill the ministry that God has given us to do and at this church that is to see lives changed through building healthy churches.

We will never plant churches, raise up pastors or missionaries, or support other gospel ministries if every member of our body does not play their part.

It is not the pastors’ job to do your ministry for you. It is our job to equip you so that you can faithfully carry out whatever it is that God has given you to do in this church for his kingdom.

The third thing I want you to notice is that Christ has given his churches Pastors in order to disciple his people in godly living.

Jesus wants his people to grow in unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God so that they would be mature Christians.

This is why elders must be able to teach God’s Word. There are false worldviews and false ideologies that are constantly tossing people around to and fro.

Pastors are given to churches to instruct the congregation in the word of God so that they would no longer be blown about by every wind of false doctrine, but would instead be able to stand firm in their faith and follow Christ in a lost world.

In other words, it is the pastor’s call to teach the Word of God so that you can grow to follow Jesus in every area of your life.

This is why the elders’ primary responsibility is to be devoted to the ministry of the Word and prayer.

The Word of God is the primary means by which the Pastors, which remember is also translated as shepherds, feed the sheep so that they are healthy and able to grow.

As Paul reminded Timothy All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Elders are called to sow God’s Word in the lives of the congregation and then pray like crazy that God would give growth and spiritual fruit.

It is for this reason that the main charge and duty of every elder is found in preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Who Are Deacons?

So what we have been looking at so far is what the Bible says about who elders are and what their primary role is in the church.

But there is another office that God has instituted to lead his church and that is the office of deacon.

To put it simply, Deacons are servants of the church.

To put it simply, Deacons are servants of the church.We get the word Deacon from the Greek diakonos which literally means servant.In a very real sense all Christians are deacons. If we were to transliterate instead of translate it would read If anyone deacons me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my deacon be also. If anyone deacons me, the Father will honor him. Even Jesus talked about himself as a deacon (or servant).However, God has organized the leadership of the church with the office of Deacon and this leadership position is to be filled with biblically qualified Christians to serve the church in a unique way.So Deacons partner with the Elders to lead the body of Christ by serving the body of Christ. And as leaders in the church they are to serve as examples to you of what it means to faithfully serve Christ and his church.Because of the importance of their role as examples, after giving the qualifications for Elders in , Paul also provides the qualities that should mark the lives of those called to serve as Deacons of the church. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. These men that we are setting apart today all fulfill these qualities and in so doing serve as wonderful examples to you of Christian discipleship.

We get the word Deacon from the Greek diakonos which literally means servant.

In a very real sense all Christians are deacons because all Christians are called to serve others.

Even Jesus talked about himself as a deacon (or servant)

However, God has organized the leadership of the church with the specific office of Deacon and this leadership position is to be filled with biblically qualified Christians who serve the church in a unique way as well as to give the rest of the church another example of what it means to follow Christ and serve his kingdom.

So Deacons partner with the Elders to lead the body of Christ by serving the body of Christ. And as leaders in the church they are to serve as examples to you of what it means to faithfully serve Christ and his church.

Because of the importance of their role as examples, after giving the qualifications for Elders in , Paul also lists the qualities that should mark the lives of those called to serve as Deacons of the church.

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

In terms of qualifications, the primary difference between deacons and elders is that deacons are not required to be able to teach.

These men that we are setting apart today all fulfill these qualities and in so doing serve as wonderful examples to you of Christian discipleship.

Thus, deacons are equally qualified with elders in terms of character and spiritual maturity, and therefore serve as an example of what it means to follow Jesus.

What Do Deacons Do?

Even though they don’t teach, deacons still serve the church by supporting the ministry of the Word.

If elders are called to oversee and fulfill the ministry of the Word, Deacons are tasked to come alongside them support the ministry of the Word by assisting the Elders with other tasks in order to free them up to teach the Bible.

How so specifically?Surprisingly, the Bible does not lay out explicit examples of how early church deacons served the church.Perhaps one reason why is God in his wisdom knew not to provide an explicit job description like he does for Pastors so that Deacons would have flexibility in their role to serve the church as needed to help and support the Elders.The only allusion that we possibly have regarding the work of Deacons comes from . In this passage an argument had arisen in the church between the Hellenistic (or Greek speaking) Jews and Hebrew Jews. Some of the Hellenist widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food which meant they had nothing to eat.So the 12 Apostles assembled the church and said that it was not right for them to give up preaching the Word of God to serve (or deacon) tables. As a result 7 men were called forth to oversee the widow ministry and bring unity to the church with the only qualifications being that they be godly examples and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.Based on this passage we see that God has organized the leadership of the church with a two pronged approach. Elders are called to serve (or deacon) the church in the ministry of the Word and prayer.Deacons likewise are called to serve the church by doing two things:caring for the practical needs of the church body and fostering unity amongst the body PURPOSE: so that the ministry of the Word would not be neglected.Practically speaking then, Deacons are given to the church to assist the Elders in maintaining the ministry of the Word. They help take away some of the practical responsibilities and distractions that can divert the Elders from focusing on the Ministry of the Word and prayer.In short, the Elders of the church focus on the ministry of the Word through preaching and prayer, and Deacons make that possible by taking care of everything else.So let me take a moment to introduce to you our Deacons and explain their role and how they serve you so faithfully and make the ministry of the Word possible...

Now what does this look like specifically? Surprisingly, the Bible does not lay out explicit examples of how early church deacons served the church.

Perhaps one reasons for this is because God knew, in his wisdom, not to provide an explicit job description like he does for Pastors so that Deacons would have flexibility in their role to serve the church however they needed to in order to help the Elders.

Basically, a pastor’s job description is the same in every church everywhere, but a deacon’s job description must be flexible in order to support the ministry of the Word in that church’s specific context.

The only possible allusion we might have about the work of deacons is in .

Now to be clear, this passage does not describe the first deacons in the church. However, I believe it established a biblical principle for church leadership to follow and in doing so set the pattern for a role what would later become deacons in the life of the church.

In this passage an argument had arisen in the church between the Hellenistic (or Greek speaking) Jews and Hebrew Jews. Some of the Hellenist widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food which meant they had nothing to eat.

So the 12 Apostles assembled the church and said that it was not right for them to give up preaching the Word of God and prayer in order to serve (or deacon) tables.

As a result 7 men were called forth to oversee the widow ministry and bring unity to the church with the only qualifications being that they be godly examples and full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.

Based on this passage we see that the biblical principle for church leadership is that the highest authority in the church, which today is the elders, must be careful to not allow the practical needs of ministry distract them from their primary role of fulfilling the ministry of the Word and prayer.

Instead, they should raise up others who can help serve the practical needs of the church while they themselves continue teaching the Word.

This is where deacons come into play because God has organized the leadership of the church with a two pronged approach.

Elders are called to serve the church in the ministry of the Word and prayer.

Deacons likewise are called to serve the church by doing two things:

caring for the practical needs of the church body and fostering unity amongst the body

and fostering unity amongst the body

Why? So that the ministry of the Word would not be neglected by the elders

Practically speaking then, Deacons are given to the church to help the Elders focus on the ministry of the Word by taking away some of the practical responsibilities and distractions that come up in ministry.

They help take away some of the practical responsibilities and distractions that come up in ministry.

In short, the Elders of the church focus on the ministry of the Word through preaching and prayer, and Deacons make that possible by taking care of everything else.

Now this doesn’t mean that deacons take care of everything themselves. They are still leaders in the church.

So let me take a moment to introduce to you our Deacons and explain their role and how they serve you so faithfully and make the ministry of the Word possible...

In fact, the men in were serving thousands of people. It is unlikely that they did it all themselves.

So Deacons are the leaders who gather others in order to organize, oversee, and execute administrative tasks and other practical service needs of the ministry.

Think about it like this. While sometimes they do the menial tasks that just need to be done, deacons are most effective when they organize and execute major areas of ministry that promote the ministry of the Word.

And I can tell you as a pastor I could not be more grateful for the men who serve our church as Deacons so faithfully because without them, very little ministry would actually happen by the elders.

THE BIG IDEA Is that God has given elders to the the church to teach the Word and he has given deacons to the church to help make that possible so that the whole church would be equipped to make disciples as they grow in godliness.

Now all of this leads us to a very important question...

How do we get these Leaders?

-following Jesus in every area of your life

Deacons

We saw earlier how Christ himself gives pastors to the church so in a real sense we don’t make leaders, we receive them.

as a pattern

Elders

Because of that fact, it is unwise to set a standard for how many Elders and Deacons a church must have because we cannot demand Christ give us more gifts than what he has sovereignly chosen to give.

That said, the Elders as the overseers of the church, are the ones responsible to recognize and raise up new leaders in the church.

Raising up other Elders

Even though some people argue that congregations should be the ones to choose their pastors, and may indeed need to if there is no pastor at the church to do so, the biblical pattern is for the recognized spiritual leadership of the church to be the ones responsible for raising up new leaders.

For example, in Paul and Barnabas were the ones who appointed elders in every church.

In , Paul told Titus that he was responsible for appointing elders in all the churches he oversaw.

indicates that it was the elders who recognized and ordained other elders.

Perhaps most convincingly, Paul instructs elders, as the current church leaders, to raise up faithful men who will be able to instruct others also according to .

So how we get these leaders is by the current leaders of the church identifying, evaluating, training, and affirming those who are called by God to serve the church as a leader.

Now this doesn’t mean that elders just pick who they like. We noted earlier that they must look first and foremost for faithful men who live out sound doctrine.

However, also gives instruction to how elders are to go about raising up new leaders.

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

This tells us that the elders of a church must prayerfully seek out who God is raising up to lead his people.

Seeking the Lord’s will recognizes that it is ultimately God who gifts, calls, and commissions men to spiritual leadership in the church because the church’s leaders are given by God for the good and spiritual growth of the church as a whole.

So in short, God leads the elders and deacons through prayer and fasting to recognize who he has chosen to help lead his people, and the congregation accepts and recognizes that leadership as well.

Application

So what does all this have to do with the whole congregation?

I don’t want to simply want to teach you a sermon on church leadership without showing you how you can apply it to your own life even if you aren’t a leader.

So by way of application, I think that there are some specific ways in which you are able to support the leadership God has given our church that would greatly help the gospel work that is going on here.

As Paul said in We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Support

So to close out this sermon, I want to highlight some ways in which you can love and esteem the leaders of our church. This is not an exhaustive list, just a few suggestions that really bless your leaders.

Follow Your Leaders

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

Now I want to bring your attention to the word translated rule. It is applied several times to elders throughout the NT.

This word speaks to the elders’ role as overseers because it is a word that describes someone who has been entrusted by Christ to oversee the church. This tells us that there is no earthly authority in the local church higher than the elders.

However, this does not mean that elders are able to rule the church with an iron fist because even though there is no higher earthly authority in the church than them, they themselves are still under the authority of the Word of God. Elders are called to rule and they only rule well when they submit their leadership to God’s Word.

Therefore, elders do not have the authority to tell you to do absolutely anything and you must obey it. That is tyranny and churches that allow leaders to lead this way pay a heavy price. The only authority an elder truly has is one delegated to him as he teaches God’s Word to God’s people.

As such, elders must always remember that the church is not their own. It is Christ’s. It is his flock that he bought and paid for with his blood, and all the shepherds of the church serve as under-shepherds to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

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.

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.

The church’s call is to submit to their elders and to recognize that they are given by God for the church’s good.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

And you are called to submit and follow in faith, not in men, but trusting God himself who is working through fallen men to lead his people.

And here is why you can trust the elders God has placed over you if they are following the Word of God. The Bible says that every elder will be held accountable to the Lord for those under their spiritual care.

And I will tell you as an elder, this is absolutely the most fearful responsibility of my life. Anyone truly qualified to be an elder does not take it lightly because they know they will stand before God and be asked to give an account for how they led God’s people.

Pray for Your Leaders

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,

We need your prayers. Being a pastor is one of the most difficult things any man can undertake because the task is inherently beyond us.

We can’t give life to dead hearts. We can’t change people. We can’t free people from sin. Only God can work salvation for others. We are simply called to preach the Word and leave the rest in God’s hands.

Thus, we are men who labor in weakness.

But here’s what I want you to notice from this passage. Paul says that when you pray for your leaders you actually strive with them in the work of God.

Through prayer, you partner with us and actually join in the work of ministry that we are doing!

So What Can You Pray For? I think there are three things that are always needed.

Faithfulness. Faithfulness for us to shepherd the flock well according to the Word of God.

Wisdom. Wisdom to know God’s will and to be able to lead our church according to the Scriptures.

Protection Against Spiritual Attack. Satan knows that says “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” The enemy is always at work against pastors and we need your prayers to endure his attacks and fulfill our calling because sometimes giving up seems like it would be a whole lot easier.

Faithfulness

Wisdom

I cannot express to you enough how much we need your prayers.

Protection against Spiritual attack

Imitate Your Leaders

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

The reason why the qualifications for leaders in the church focus on character and not on skill is because our primary role is to serve as an example to you of what it means to follow Jesus.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

That doesn’t mean that we are perfect or that you should use our sin to justify your own, but that as we follow Jesus, you imitate our faith and practice in your own life so that you too can grow in Christ.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Men Aspiring to Be a Pastor

A Word to Men Aspiring to Be a Pastor

Finally, I want to close with a word to men who aspire to be a pastor. I want to share with you a few things that I wish someone would have told me

First, I put a lot of weight on the fact that Paul said that if anyone aspires to be an elder he desires a noble task. The first step in being a pastor is actually wanting to.

However, you have to examine your heart and ask, Do I want this because I want to be in a position of influence and hold authority, or do I want this because I want to serve the church?

Being a pastor is a position of honor, but it is also a position that requires humility because every act as a pastor is to serve the needs of your flock and not your own, and men who are not interested in serving the church have no business being pastors.

I will also say, that a desire is not necessarily a calling. Pastors are appointed by the Holy Spirit according to so in a sense they are called, but church culture has twisted what calling actually means.

Just a strong desire does not necessarily mean you are called to be a pastor. How you know whether you are called or not is if you have an internal desire that is met with an external affirmation by the church’s recognized leaders.

So until that time comes, if you are really called to be a pastor you are called to faithfully serve the church here and now even without the title.

Someone once told me that being a pastor is more of a recognition of what you are already doing than it is an official title that then allows you to do ministry. The greatest proof for whether a man is called by God to be a shepherd of God’s people is shown in how he shepherds in the opportunities available to him today.

You don’t need to be a pastor to shepherd others. So if you desire to be a pastor, you should take leadership opportunities that are available to you.

For example, we desperately need community group leaders who lead community groups in Bentonville and Centerton. So if you want to be a pastor one day, go through the process to grow as a leader, not only by leading your family, but by leading a small group of people entrusted to you.

And then, lead, shepherd, and faithfully serve for years because that is how long it takes to assess a man’s character and calling.

Paul said in Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands and even Deacons are required to go through a time of testing.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands.

1 Timothy 5:22 ESV

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Someone not willing to serve over the long haul without the title and prestige of elder is not fit to lead God’s people.

Because what this tells me is that someone is only serving the church to get their idol of pastor. Not because they actually love Christ and his people.

But I will also encourage you, in those years of faithful service, if you truly are called to be an elder, God is not wasting a single day.

He is using your job, your life, your spiritual growth today to develop you to be a better pastor tomorrow.

I I can tell you this from personal experience because God called me to be a pastor when I was just 8 years old and I had to wait 20 years before that calling was actually affirmed by this church.

During that time I would often grow discouraged and frustrated because all I wanted to do was serve as a pastor, but it just felt like every opportunity was always out of reach, I was years away with no end in sight, and I didn’t know what God was doing.

I didn’t know it then, but throughout all those years, God was preparing me and making me fit to serve as a pastor.

He used that time to give me a hunger for theology so that I could grow in my understanding of the Scriptures.

And yet, on this side of it I see how God used that desire to make me hungry for theology. Help me to truly love the church and not just a position. And he grew my character so that I could be fit to serve as an elder.

He helped show me how I wasn’t serving the church to help people love Christ more. I was only serving the church so people would be impressed with me and my maturity and leadership. I had made ministry all about myself and God had to break me of that.

Finally he also grew and developed my character so that I would not fall into pride and arrogance, and by God’s grace he will keep me humble and dependent on him so that I don’t disqualify myself by foolishly wandering off into some sin thinking I’m above it.

As hard as it was, I would not trade those 20 years for anything because they made me a better pastor today for you.

God cares for his church and if you truly are called to be a pastor you will be one on the day you are fit to serve and lead well, but not any sooner.

So if that is you, let me encourage you.

Grow in Christ. study your Bible. Pray. Read books on theology, leadership, and church ministry. Take every opportunity you can to learn and grow to be a pastor even without actually having the title right now.

Lead your family. Invest in your marriage and children because they are the clearest picture of whether God has equipped you to be a pastor.

And finally, serve faithfully. Serve for years. Take opportunities to lead and shepherd others as God allows knowing that every opportunity is a great way to develop as a leader who leads others to grow in Christ.

And always check your heart to make sure that your ministry is done out of love for Christ and his people and not just a desire to be a pastor.

But I will warn you, don’t serve the church simply to try and be a pastor. That is idolatry. All the ministry that you might have if that is your heart will not be for Christ and love for his people, but will be for a position and all that fruit will burn up and blow away at judgement.

And by God’s grace, he will give us more pastors, more deacons, and more leaders who are fit to lead God’s people equipping them for the work of ministry to make disciples of all nations and to help all of our church grow in godliness.

Let’s Pray

Scripture Reading

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. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 15:30.