Elder/Pastors - Who Should Be An Under-shepherd?

This morning if you are joining us for the first time we are on week 4 of a series called leading the church forward and this is a little different than how we normally have sermons hear Northwest. Normally the sermons just take a text and we we walk through and he talked about what it means and how it applies. But sometimes we come across topics that we really need to talk through the church and don't get to very often and this is one of those topics that I thought would be really good for us to cover and it's dealing with how's the church really structured? What's it supposed to be who's supposed to lead it? How does all that work? And so if you have not heard the first three in the series and go back and find them online, they're dealing with kind of an introduction to everything and the fact that Christ is over everything and then we spent two weeks talking about our role as a congregation what it is we're supposed to to do. And then this morning we're going to talk about another group of people in the leadership of the church some undershepherd some Elders pastors overseers. They go by lots of different names, and we're going to talk through that humbly pray for us this morning as we jump in and then I'll start us off with a text in just a little bit here from 1st Peter 5 if you end up wanting to have that handy will be the first text will go to talk this morning. So Heavenly Father. Thanks for this morning. Thank you for a chance to to sing your praise. Thank you that. You are the high king of heaven and you are our treasure and Lord. We pray that as we go into this time in your word that you would help us leave here with an even clearer understanding of how good you are to your people Lord. We ask this so that you would receive great glory and we would receive joy in Jesus name. Amen. So last week is were talking about the congregation and we re a Congregational Church. What all they're supposed to do we talked about the different tasks that they have and one of the tasks that the congregation has is to help them not have to do everything every time by themselves. So another is we talked last week about the fact that you know, if we need to buy more Staples, we don't have a congregational vote on that to figure out whether or not we can place that order that's generally voted on in the budget that the congregation overseas. There's lots of other things to that not everybody has the time to do and so the congregation chooses people who they believe can best fulfill certain tasks for them. Most of the time those leaders come from within the body. Sometimes those leaders come from outside the body and join it join a local congregation and lead from there. I would be an example of that. I was called here about three and a half years ago to be the lead pastor, but I wasn't raised up in this church, but most of the leaders that are here were raised up in the church. So the congregation's job is to figure out what God's will is for leadership in the church. Now I point this out because it's really important understand. We are not getting away ever from the primary point that Jesus is Lord over his church. He's Lord over the congregation. So when the congregation makes decisions, they're not making them independently of Jesus. They're making them in light of what God's will is what Jesus plan for this particular church at this particular time is and so it is safe to say in one sense that leaders within the church are chosen by God not by the congregation. So how does the congregation today what when God chooses leaders the congregation will start to see them lead and they can come along and acknowledge and affirm and in the case of certain types of leaders in the church even ordained them to leadership within the church body. So they're not looking around just saying who do we like best? It's not a popularity contest. We're not saying who's the smartest it's not an intellectual contest what we're looking around when we have the congregation determine who are leaders are we're looking and saying, who is it that we see God raising up to do certain things in such a way that we want to set them apart for that more. And so weak we call them to sir. We were dating them to serve in certain capacities. There are two main roles were offices. If you will that the Bible says the church should fill with leaders for only two that are are required everything else. We knew and Leadership is is optional Beyond these two and those are elders and deacons.

Or the next several weeks we're going to do is we're going to examine both those offices the office of Elder and the office of Deacon and figure out who they are. What type of people should we be looking for in the congregation that would spring up that would say, yes, they're the sort of people that can fill those tasks for us. And today specifically we're going to start by Looking At Elders which probably brings us to their first question that I'm going to guess 80% of you in this room have and that is what's an elder. Because even if you grew up in a church context where they had Elders it could mean different things because different churches have viewed this off in different ways. Presbyterian churches are actually named after the Greek word for Elder, press Peter Ross. That's how they got their name and they have elders but they set up their Elders differently their Elders don't lead their Elders rule of teaching elders and ruling Elders that are set up to actually run the church. So they're not congregation Lee run their Elder run. But other churches like AR type of church a Baptist Church would look At Elders differently. They don't rule they lead there's a difference there because that puts the the power behind the church's ability to get things done in the hands of the congregation not in the hands of the leadership. Cuz again, the congregation is just choosing those people for the role there to serve in However, if the congregation is careful and what it chooses the leadership should not be something that changes willy-nilly all the time. There should be a level of confidence that the people we put in those positions are qualified enough to do them that we don't have to keep pulling them out. now if a lead and don't rule does that mean that there could be situations where the elders in the church would say? Hey, we think something should happen and the congregation would say now we don't think so. Yep. That's exactly what it means. Does it mean that should happen all the time? Probably not or else you're probably chosen the wrong elders. Can I hear if you find yourself constantly at odds with everything that the elders are bringing to you? Then chances are you didn't choose folks that were really in line with where you thought they were going to lead the church?

They mentioned this morning when I introduced myself I said I'm lead pastor, but you could also call me and Elder at the church and Baptist Church has a lot of times we choose to use the word Pastor instead of Elder to describe that particular office that those those men serve in. So we should probably talk about this the the qualifications here in a bit, but we should talk about this idea of Elder Pastor overseer. Where does it occur in scripture? How does it talk about who these people are so 1st Peter 5 verses 1 through 4 is a great place for us to start.

Says this 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 to be revealed Shepherd. The flock of God that is among you exercising oversight not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you not for shameful game put eagerly not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock and when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading Crown of Glory the Bear real example of Peter writing to another Elder and he is an elder himself. They also points out in verse one that he's a partaker in the glory that's going to be revealed. So that automatically should tell us something if your leaders are not fellow partakers in Christ. And in his glory that is to come they're not the right leaders for you right Elders should first. foremost be Christ followers play speaking to these elders and he says they should do something. Now. The English language is weird in this sense right teachers teach. So do elders ELD not quite and so Peter goes into describe a little bit for us here about what it is that Elders are supposed to do. First to Shepherd the flock of God that is among you. Elders are to be Shepherds in verse 4 and he mentions again that the chief Shepherd appearing. So an elder isn't undershepherd. He's not the chief Shepherd. He's under Christ. He's it is an undershepherd. What does it mean to Shepherd the flock of God? That is among you.

What is Shepherd is to feed and care for and protect and watch over the flock that you are given until one of the things the Elder should do the elders should provide that shepherding loving feeding hair for the people in the church.

They rely on the chief Shepherd, but they assist him with each individual flock that they are given to care for.

So Elders are Shepherds not what's interesting is an English the term that we use to describe Shepherds usually in the church context is Pastor. They actually come from the same root that idea of a pastor literally means a shepherd. That's where we get that term from. So a pastor or an elder is someone who Shepherds the flock that they're in. And the exercise oversight this word in Greek when you see oversight or overseer is the term where the Episcopal Church gets its name from episcopus is an overseer or sometimes called a bishop. Now the understanding a bishop is a whole nother concept that weren't they aren't even going to get into right now because suffice it to say Peter here speaking to elders and saying as an elder urge you elders. To do what give oversight? So these Elder should not only be Shepherds. They should be providing a level of watching out for and watching over what's going on setting some direction helping determine where things are going to go to make sure that the church is got some oversight to it and isn't just off in a hundred different directions everybody doing their own thing but keeps them on the same page working together.

Now I do want to take briefly hear from just talked about what is an elder to talk about these next few sections here in 1st Peter 5, cuz I think it's really important as you understand what type of people should be elders. They do the shepherding. They do this oversight not as those who have to not under compulsion, but it's those who want to we're going to get to a passage later in 1st Timothy 3 were talks about if anybody aspires to the office of overseer. This a good thing. It's a noble task. They should want to do it.

And God desires that for his leaders that is not to say if you're serving in it and Leadership capacity that you should never have a hard day and be like man, I would rather be so many other places then here right. Now you have that that's the reality of life, right? We all experience that at times days are hard. There's a big difference between having a couple days to her day that are really down for you and saying I don't want to do this. I don't like this. This is not what I want to do. And there's a heart that God gives that willingness. That desire is very very helpful.

in addition They're not to do it for shameful gain. but eagerly Those who are Elders are not in it for the money. If you see or hear someone who calls themselves an elder or a pastor or a bishop or whatever they want to call themselves and their main goal is to fleece the flock for money. They are not doing what they are called to do.

Jokingly, it's been said that. Congregation had a meeting and they were concerned for their pastern. Trying to decide how to best help keep him doing what he should be doing in. They were having a discussion between the deacons and the members and member said in a while. We'll do our part and you do yours. What do you mean by that? It will keep them humble you keep them for

And instead it's not the way it works rise of the intention. But there is something to be said for is your pastor satisfied are your elders satisfied with the compensation that they receive are they continent? Like man? Can you help me up at tomorrow? I need some more need some more. It's a heart that says I'm content because of how God's called me.

So not in the compulsion to willingly not for shameful gain, but eagerly and we get to the next one not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. There is a type of leadership that is abusive. And we have seen it if you keep an eye on the Evangelical World At Large we have seen even in the last two years several pastors from very prominent churches throughout the United States who have lost their Ministry not because of sexual infidelity not because they stole money but because they were bad leaders. They were abusive to the flock they were domineering over than they could not take correction and they wanted everything to be done their way or get out.

That's part of the reason. I think it's good that God set it up that Elders should be responsive to and accountable to the congregation as a whole. Because when someone is given too much power and too much Authority it tends to corrupt them.

so instead of domineering you look for examples of people who model to the flock what christlikeness looks like. now this can go both ways and it's danger because sometimes you can assume that well, if the pastor doesn't it must be fine, and that's not true because you always have to go off the word of God not someone's activity right but it can go the other way as well and sometimes people put Elders or pastors on a pedestal and I like all he can do no wrong. That's dangerous. Dangerous for the person who you're putting up on that pedestal and it's dangerous for you.

Have to realize that since leaders are chosen out of the congregation. They're not different people. They're just giving different skill-sets and different gift things in different callings by God to lead in certain ways. So

I'll ask a question that I know the answer to in any one of you known me for more than 5 minutes. No since you passed your perfect. Nope, not a bit. Is that okay? Well, yes, cuz he's human. Now would it be great if your pastor was just like I don't care about any of them to do whatever I want to hear what the Bible says in the live. However feel no no, that would be bad to write. There's there's a call for personal Holiness that the pastor should model that the Elder should model for the congregation as a whole.

Can we look as Elders to Christ himself for our reward the unfading Crown of Glory bring up this passage at first just to remind you that an elder can also be called a Shepherd or Pastor because the exercise oversight you often see them called overseers as well. These three terms Elder pastor and overseer are nearly synonymous throughout the New Testament. They need almost the same thing every time they're used. Is an example to this if he's ins for 11 and 12 States the following he gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the Shepherds and teachers or some translations. We'll just call it the shepherd teachers to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry for the building up of the body. So part of the job that these Shepherds have when we talked about was it mean to feed the flock while it's not as if an elder is called to provide food for everybody in the church, but instead they feed spiritually they require to be able to teach as part of their calling and shepherding I'm at teaching should have an affect the one of the ways you can tell if someone seems to be gifted in such a way teaching why is it they might be good as an elder or Pastor is does they're teaching equip the Saints for the work of the ministry. Does it Empower them with the gospel to be able to live lives? Look more like what Jesus wants them to look like? Now that's not mean that they're going to be the same sort of teachers and every grouping that they're all going to be fantastic at teaching Sunday school or they're all going to be really good preachers or they're all going to be really good one-on-one counselors know it just means that in whatever context they're gifted to teach God seems to use their teaching effectively in the lives of those they're caring for teaching that the body of Christ is is built up its strengthened for its role.

So both in 1st Peter, we have been called elders and Shepherds here in a fusions. We have to call Shepherds again and I'll give an example from Titus one, but they're also called overseers and this is also going to get us into the next topic about who should be an elder. So if you ever scriptures with you turn to Titus 1 where to look at verses 5 through 9.

Pause writing to Titus and giving him some instructions on what he should be doing why it is that he's their pulses this this is why I left you in creep so that you might put what remained in to order and appoint Elders in every town as I directed you. I just want to stop there for a second cuz I want you to notice something in both 1st Peter he refers to the idea of exhorting the elders among you and then Ephesians. It refers to that Shepherds and teachers and Sharon Titus power refers to appointing Elders in every town. This is important because this is one of the things that is different in the Bible's understanding of it than even some of our own Baptist Churches have put into practice. Sometimes a church is single Pastor LED single Elder LED and then a board of deacons that kind of does everything else.

The original understanding throughout the New Testament is that Elders Pastor Shepherds overseers should be plural. There should be a group of them doing this together. Not just one person. One of the things I love about our church. We do not just have one person in that position. We have me and we have Pastor Don and we have Pastor Bill. So when we sit around and talk to each other about what is going on in the life of the church and how we care for people well and all that sort of stuff when we meet it's not just one person's blind spots being reflected on the whole congregation. They can sit in a meeting with me and say yeah, that did not go so well probably don't do that. They can stay well. Have you thought of this as something to do? And we can bounce ideas off each other and pray for our congregation and and pray for each other and with each other. So that decisions that are being made or done in such a way that We're all bringing the good gifts that God has given us together.

Now you may be looking at this and and if you studied any of this before you may look at the idea of Titus being told to appoint Elders in every town and go away to Mentor Elder supposed to be like over a whole city or they just over a church like why is he telling him in every town is a couple of reality? She have to understand here to get this one Elders Is Not A New Concept in the New Testament. There were Elders in the Jewish days in the Old Testament. They were the older wiser leaders. They would sit at the gates. They would take things in it would if it was functioning in some similar ways to how others function in the New Testament Church. And so there was this understanding that this concept was not brand-new. However, what made them unique in this context and why he can stay and every time it's because at that point in Christian history, there was not First Baptist Church Second Baptist Church First Presbyterian second pres first Episcopal second Episcopal on and on and on and on. This is one of the problems actually that our culture brings about for us is now instead of saying we are the church and we got to figure out galatia Corinth at the cyst. We got to figure out how to be the Church of Jesus together. Now whenever you like something we're just like me to go to church down the street instead so I can but at the time they did not have that option if you were in town and there was a church that was the church. There were no other options. And so when he says the tightest, I want you to point elders and every town what he saying is hey, you're in Crete this region this area here. What I want you to do is go around to all the different towns where there's a church prison and make sure that they have Elders in each one of those count. Could he have said instead? I want you to make sure that there are Elders in each Church. Yes. He could have said that but he worded it this way because I would have made a lot of sense to Titus just travel from town to town and make sure that all the churches have elders.

Why is this the ongoing job? Should we have somebody who comes around and checks on our church and tells us we need to have elders and picks out who they're going to be in the points them for us. Do we need some sort of system like that set up women are churches know again understand the historical context. The tightest is written in. They did not exactly know how it was that they were supposed to be structuring church at that point yet. They loved Jesus profusely and they've been changed by him and they weren't well with the Holy Spirit and they were doing the best they could and what started off as a small group and may not have needed anything more than just the leader of a particular family that was hosting the event to make sure everything went okay at the gospel starts to spread in the church gets bigger. It's a lot harder for a group of 80 to make decisions together than it is for a group of vacant. So what's the church grows in these different towns now the leadership to to lead those churches as needed until he's saying Titus go around and do this not because I should be the ongoing practice everywhere throughout history. But because the church is new and it's growing and it needs to have leadership available. So go do it this way. We'll discover other passages that talk about how the church continues to provide that leadership. But in this case, he's directing it this way because of where the church is at in history at this point. but then then he starts to transition Us in to the idea of What type of person should this be? So he's already said in here that he's appointing Elders verse 6 if anyone is above reproach the husband of one wife and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery insubordination. It was some character qualities. We talked about this a bit more in a little bit and then he says for an overseer as God Steward must be above reproach. CC just flips these terms want to call them the Elder says Point Elders because their overseers so now there has to be above reproach cuz an overseer must be above reproach. You can see what I'm talking about here in terms of the terms being used.

As if they're mean the same thing. Take us into some more definitions. Why does someone who's overseeing as an elder need to be these things? It has to be above reproach. She can't be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain but hospitable a lover of good self-control upright. Holy and discipline. You must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction and sound Doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradicted. We're going to get into these qualities of an elder and just a little bit when we look at the 1st. Timothy passage. Cuz Paul gets almost the same exact list of instructions in Timothy as he gave and Titus but I do want to point out something he mentions here in a lot more detail than he doesn't the Timothy passage coming up in Timothy's just going to say that you must be able to teach but here he gets some clear instructions on what that looks like in verse 9 and Elder Pastor has to hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught. A pastor should not be someone who reads his Bible and goes. Yeah, maybe. Me some of the stuff. I like some of it will just text that part. I wouldn't like that so much. Now it should see my hope cleared all of you that that would be a horrible thing for your pastor to not be sure that the Bible was trustworthy cuz that's what they're supposed to be teaching. However, I say this because I have First-hand knowledge of pastors who have completely lost their confidence in the scriptures. And unfortunately, there's entire denominations that have lost their confidence in the Bible. They no longer believe it to be true their pastors and churches who would say they are agnostics. They don't even know for sure that there's a God let alone whether the Bible is trustworthy.

if your pastor reaches that point It's one of the great ways in which the congregation can hold an elder accountable if this a brother that's not where you should be. if there's more Charlie Brown cartoon illustrations in your sermon than there is scripture. Something's wrong.

Need to get on the same page here. The Bible is what you need to be able to teach and you need to have confidence in it yourself.

Why how are you going to give instruction in sound Doctrine is he says at the end of verse 9 and to review those who contradicted if you don't know it or believe it yourself.

Now for some that means additional study. We all of us should write read our Bibles regularly and probably taking some other devotional material beyond that to help ourselves grow in the faith. And sometimes you come across something interesting in the word. You're like man, I got to learn more about this since you find some other books or you look online and try to find some information to help fill things out we all should be growing that way. But there's sometimes when you're looking for someone to lead you say hey, are they willing to put in some additional study time? Are they willing to take it Beyond just what everybody else is expected to do and really dig into this a little deeper so that when they come in or able to teach a sound Doctrine, they're not a half a step ahead of where I just finished reading in my Bible this morning that they taking some time to really be able to process through this in and help teach that the simple Basics and the more in-depth stuff. Yes. That should be the goal that mean every single Elder in a church needs have a PhD in theology. No. But they need a heart for and a growing love of God's word that causes them to want to know deeply what it means so that they can pass it on to others.

And I will turn to the 1st Timothy passage and will cover some of those other parts of Titus as we look through here cuz I said the list is very similar 1st. Timothy 3 1 through 7 is another one of the Pastoral Epistles a shepherding letters that Paul wrote to various people are at 1 to Titus and couple to Timothy. He says to Timothy who is a young leader in the church is growing up. And sort of Paul's Protege in that. Here's what he wants him to do. He says the saying is trustworthy if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. So someone wants to be an elder Pastor overseer and wants to do it. That's a good thing. song bad things good thing therefore he wants to do it. What should he be like and this is crucial because there are some who want the position the title and some of the authority that comes from being a leader but they don't have the character qualities to qualify them for the position. And those people are the ones that end up being wolves in sheep's clothing that tear down churches. Make sure that these character qualities are key to defining who that person is. Here's what it hears his list here. It must be above reproach. So there's nothing in their life ongoingly that we would look at it and say,

That's just not something that we want. Someone is leading us to have as part of their life right now. There's that that X Factor if you will of not just police different than me, that's fine. But that level of reproach ability that can actually cause people to question Christ and the gospel because of this person's position. Festival of reproach the husband of one wife. This one gets a lot of discussion is what is that mean with Paul just saying? Hey don't let him be a polygamist. Don't let him have more than one wife. Well, he could have been saying that because that was an issue in the church at that time. There were people that try to have more than one wife. There are some who would say well what that means is an elder has to be married cuz he can't be the husband of one wife if he's single. Is others who would say while he has to be the husband of one wife so he can never have been divorced and remarried because then he's not doesn't A1 wife. He's been the husband of more than one wife in his life.

Judging from how Paul writes about the rest of scripture. I think that the better interpretation of being a husband of one wife is this it is someone who is ongoingly faithful. To either the wife he has now. or to the wife he may have in the future. I do not think this statement limits the eldership to married men.

Because one can be faithful. without being married

and one can be married to one person their entire life and be unfaithful. I think he's dealing with that issue more clearly. They have to deal with the heart of the person to say hey, I Can a one woman man literally that's the way that the Greek spells it out the text that one woman man. That's it. So for me, that would be Melissa. Is there anyone for me besides Melissa? No, just one. Bill has Evelyn Don has Karen. There's no one else for us. That's it. Why is that important? Cuz if you if a person cannot be faithful to their own spouse who they've United to before God, how can you trust them to be faithful to the church as a whole?

But faithfulness is key to the concept of a person being qualified next qualification sober-minded.

In our current day and age sober-minded people are becoming harder and harder to find. If you don't believe me read Facebook. All right. Are you guys a lot of people who will let their mind go to anywhere and everything and every conspiracy Under the Sun and flights of fantasy. But an elder should be sober-minded and he sees things clearly knows what's going on.

Is self-control it doesn't just do whatever he wants. He controls himself for the sake of the Gospel. He's respectable and hospitable is someone who other people can actually say he's a good guy. Who do I talk to him? I feel good afterwards. Somebody tells me hard things. I don't feel good. But I still feel loved right there. Those sort of folks.

And here is we talked about earlier and more detail able to teach cuz there's an elder or an overseer password has to be someone who's able to actually teach the word.

He's got some qualities Scott some things he needs to be able to do some skill sets and then he goes into some other things here that would qualify as activities. He should not be involved in. Not a drunkard. You think that makes sense?

However, I was living in Rochester and there was a home about a mile and a half from our house. That was for alcoholic priests. Because so many of them in the loneliness of their position and the understanding that the communion wine had to be finished developed a really bad habit for themselves. We're told in other places. They were not to be filled with wine, but be filled with the spirit. There should be a level to which a pastor is not someone who's known for drinking too much. sometimes sadly related to that but he listed out differently here not violent, but gentle

he don't want some of these going to be on the shape find a Shepherd use a gentle Shepherd.

Quarrelsome does not mean that since they're told in the Titus passage. They're able to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine that they won't disagree and firmly disagree with people who are not sharing and understanding of the Gospel. However, they don't seek out a fight. They're not trying to fight to win the fight. They're trying to argue for the sake of the Gospel. There's a difference.

And not a lover of money which he dealt with her earlier and multiple different passages. I do find that interesting that just about every passage that mentions Elders reminds them. Don't love money too much.

Then he must manage his own household. Well with all dignity keeping his children submissive. For someone does not know how to manage his own household how we care for God's Church.

So is this someone who just racks up credit card debt, like there's no tomorrow. How well is it going to supervised the finances of the church? Sis, someone whose house is just always in disarray. And nobody really knows what's going on like everybody on the streets like yeah, that's the weird house strange things happen there. It's always kind of a wreck. Nobody really knows what's going on there. I not a good thing right here Travis household in order.

It says with all dignity keeping his children submissive. If one of my children here with me today. Hope you realize that.

What's the purpose here is this? In a home when you have children around and they're like extremely disrespectful. to the authority of their parents and that person has no idea how to train a child well and how they should grow up to be healthy productive adults.

How is it going to rain in Shepherd the people within the church? That's that's what he says here in the text. If you can't do it at home. How you going to do it on a larger scale on the church. So should a pastor or elder or overseers home life be open to the church? Yes, should it be like a fish bowl and everybody just staring in all the time. I'll know that's probably not helpful, but there should not be secrecy about the pastor and his family.

One pastor friend of mine put it this way. He said the church does not feel free to ask the pastor's wife how things are going at home. Pastor should be worried. What he meant by that is if things are happening around the house and you wouldn't want everyone else to know are the reality of Life at home. And you're like no don't talk to him about that. That's a problem. Now does that mean that if you ask my wife is everything always perfect in the spring or household or you ask Paul is sitting here today? Is everything always good is is everything just clock work around the house? You're going to get a no, right? Why because nobody's house is perfect. Our house is controlled comprised of six sinful people all trying to figure out how to love Jesus and live together. Well, But at the same time are we trying in our home to set an atmosphere in environment where Christ is is adored and loved and learned. Yes.

He must not be a recent convert or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. This is a great one because it reminds us of something. There is a a a level of energy when your first saved. But if all of sudden you were given leadership to go along with that you might tend it develop an attitude of wow. I'm pretty awesome. Now, I've made it and get conceited and the devil can use that to take you down a couple notches in a hurry. Those of us who have been Christians a while. Oftentimes have experienced enough Life as a Christian to be humbled. When we've been humbled and then were put in a position where you're called to lead. It's much easier to lead from humility.

If you've lied in any environment before you probably had something go wrong, right all of us when we leave something goes wrong. Sometimes things go horribly wrong. Those are good moments for us. Why is it reminds leaders of this concept that we are not the be-all end-all to this we can make our best plans. Try our best do everything we can do to lead. Well in the reality of it is God's the one who makes it successful or chooses not to

If we just put it all in her cells will either burn out. Or try to take too much control of the situation and it said we need to be humble and leave the work to God. 47 moreover, he must be well thought of by Outsiders so they may not fall into disgrace into the snare of the devil.

Now that's an increasing challenge for us and our culture today, but I want to remind you of the culture in which Paul is writing this to Timothy. He is in the middle of Roman culture, which has a Pantheon of gods and Emperor worship and everything else is here the Elder in a church and you're like, we believe that Jesus Christ came lived a perfect life is a Son of God. He died for sin rose from the dead and is to be worshipped now and forevermore exclusively. There is God the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and there are no other gods, but him Is it going to be well-loved by every Outsider who's like but Athena is my goddess. No.

Can we say thought of well by Outsiders or not saying that Outsiders going to agree with every single point that a pastor holds two?

But it would be nice for a pastor not to be known as a jerk in the community. Great white people should be who aren't even part of your church be able to say hey. Oh, yeah. I know him. He's a good guy. Crazy ideas about Jesus. That's the goal what we're looking for here. So that others don't malign the leadership of the church and the church as a whole another picking on the church in the snare of the devil because they were more about either themselves or some weird issue or just working horrible neighbors or whatever. It was that the broad Ill repute or going back to the beginning reproach upon the church in the Name of Christ.

now be honest here for a second. if you are a Time is church. And and you're like a I might be really interesting to look at being an elder at some point. The man I look at this list.

I don't do a lot of that stuff all the time. I remind you. It's not about perfection. But clear long-term progress in the right direction. It's not as if we're looking at this position and saying you have to have every duck in a row before you can do this. Cuz that was the requirement. Jesus would be the over Shepherd and there would be no under Shepherds. but at the same time if you see a particular area in your life where you read this lesson you go. Yeah, that one really, isn't me? Being a feel like God might be calling me to do something like that. My encouragement to you would be this let the holy spirit's prompting as you read that text and hit that point cause you to go back to God's word and say I'm going to sit here for awhile. Lord's by your grace. Will you work on me and this area?

Where to keep working on it you and me and whoever else you put around me in the church when he was working on this area so that it can get to the point where I could safely say, it doesn't Define me.

Not that I don't occasionally have sometimes where I'm not everything perfectly but it doesn't Define my life. No one would look at me and say how well that's that's who he is.

Now having said all this and knowing that next week, we have an additional sermon talk anymore about what Elders exactly do.

Only a couple statements about our church. Bill and Don and I currently represent all the what alcohol types of Elders you can have in a church environment. We have vocational Elders vocational meaning it's their job. So I'm a full-time vocational Elder Don is a part-time vocational Elder received some Financial renumeration from the church, but he still has another job Beyond here.

and then we have Bill who represents sort of a At this stage in his life by vocational Elder. He could have another job at this point. He's retired from his other job. He doesn't receive a paycheck from the church to do what he does. He just serves in that role. The reason I'm really thankful for that is as we move forward as a church if we want to be able to provide the level of shepherding and oversight teaching to the church that's needed. We need to be able to add folks in who are by vocational elders and part-time vocational Elders because we're not in the Sterling a financial position nor do I think we should put ourselves in a position where all the pastors are paid staff members. It's part of the joy of having a mix of Elders in the environment is it allows us to grow as we grow without having to worry about financially, how did things work out and also? It can be much less about the finances when you're doing it voluntarily. Does that mean everybody should work the same amount should Bill put in 60 to 70 hours a week like me. Should I put in the amount of time Don puts in? No, we all are just our schedules based on what the Lord is allowed us to do it given points in our life, but We all serve to the capacity that we can and if we look ahead at the at the future and whether or not we would bring on More Les Elders to the church. We could look and say Hey give a full-time job. That's okay. You can still serve as an elder. It's just going to be in a different capacity and someone who can devote themselves to it full time. We have different expectations of William. Collie there lay Elders are by vocational outers. Both those terms can be used to describe those folks within the church body.

also how many courage you during this this time when we're actually supposed to be doing Deacon nominations, I believe for the coming year to start to look at it when we get into the the part about deacons in a couple weeks here looking at at folks in the church and saying how does this person function? Really do within our church body are they like Deacon type stuff. We talked about with Deacon stew or next weekend. We talk about what others do or they Elder type stuff like how that person fit in. Then pray for those people.