Leadership in the Church pt 2
The Ministry of Elders
11/10/09
Introduction
Last week I mentioned that when it comes to appointing Elders and Deacons for ministry, the Bible doesn’t give a detailed set of instructions for how to do it. What the God does emphasise in His word are the qualifications necessary for those who undertake such roles, and what those roles actually involve.
We’re going to start our exploration of the Ministry of Elders by looking at what that ministry entails, then we’ll get stuck into looking at the qualifications needed by those who are appointed as Elders.
We established last week that Biblical Eldership is a continuation of the Apostolic ministry. The Apostles – men who had been trained and commissioned for ministry by Jesus Himself – then set about establishing other leaders who would continue their ministry of spiritual leadership in the many locations in which churches were springing up, and also carry on from the Apostles as they died or departed.
There’s something that I need to make clear at the very outset though. The authority of the Apostles rested in their first hand experience of Jesus. They could teach and model the truth because it had been entrusted to them by Jesus. Today, the authority of Elders rests in their conformity to the written Word of God. The teachings and example of the Apostles have been preserved for us by the power and grace of God in the form of the New Testament, which follows on from the Old Testament in complete unity and harmony.
The word “apostle” simply means “sent one”. It describes a delegate, someone who represents another and carries their message. This phrase is used in the New Testament to describe people who were entrusted by the Church to take the message of the gospel out to others – people like Barnabas and Timothy. However when I use the word “Apostle” in the context of leadership I’m using capital “A” Apostle, if you like. I’m referring to only those personally sent by Jesus as His representatives. These men established the pattern for leadership in the Church, and they recorded for us all that we need to know in order for our church to be governed the way Christ intends.
What an Elder is to do and what sort of man he is, is completely determined by the Bible.
Let’s go through the biblical role description of an Elder, starting with a passage we referred to last week, Acts 20:28-31.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. [1]
1. Elders guard their own lives and the lives of the flock
An Elder must never be complacent! They need to keep a careful watch on their own life and teaching to make sure that they are being faithful to Christ and His Church. The Church is under constant attack from our adversary, and we must be careful to recognise the things that are threatening our own purity and the purity of the church. Elders must protect the congregation, and they do this in 3 key ways:
· They teach the truth. They are always teaching the congregation the whole counsel of Scripture so that the people are equipped in order to handle every temptation, recognise every false teaching and do every good work.
· They model the truth. This is part of teaching, but it’s worth listing separately just to be clear. Teaching is not just what you say in Bible Study or from the pulpit or in conversations or meetings. Elders teach the truth in the manner of their lives. Their attitudes, speech, lifestyle, behaviours – in all of these things they show how to follow Christ. In this way false teachers are recognisable, because they live for their own glory and gain rather than the glory and gain of Jesus Christ as all true Elders do.
· They discipline the Church. We are all to be correcting and rebuking one another in love. In fact it is one of the healthiest things we do for each other, because before we can speak to someone else we must first examine our own lives (Luke 6:41-42) and give God the opportunity to work on us first. However Elders have a special responsibility to make sure that they are active in church discipline. They keep careful watch over their own lives in order to discipline themselves, and they keep careful watch over the lives of the congregation in order to help other members of the church to overcome sin and error. The church has been bought with the precious blood of Christ, so we must not become complacent about sin.
2. Elders care for the needs of the flock
Paul urged the Ephesian Elders to “Be shepherds of the church of God” (Acts 20:28). As we’ve seen, protecting the sheep is an important part of the work of a shepherd. But that is not all that is required. Sheep also need to be cared for.
In 1 Peter 5:1-4 we read…
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
In this passage Peter stresses the servant nature of an Elder’s ministry. Elders are called not to lord it over others, but to serve them in love. Being an Elder is hard work, just as Paul described to the Ephesian Elders in Acts 20. The authority of an Elder is not given to him in order for him to lord it over others, always getting his own way because he knows best. Rather, his authority is what enables him to serve effectively.
Peter reminds the Elders that they are to be willing to serve as God wants them to be (v.2) and that Christ the Chief Shepherd will appear and their work for Him will be rewarded on that day.
In these 2 ways Peter stresses the accountability of Elders to God for the manner of their service.
The two main ways of caring for the needs of the flock were mentioned in Acts 6 – the ministry of the word and prayer. Praying for and with believers is an important part of an Elder’s ministry. In James 5 prayer for the sick, along with anointing with oil, is specifically mentioned. When we look at the letters of Paul we can see how much he invested in praying for Christians and churches, and that is an important aspect of every Elder’s work. One of the greatest dangers in the church is a reliance on ourselves rather than on God. It is particularly important that our leaders understand our complete dependence upon God and always be seeking Him in prayer. Elders care for the flock by praying.
Secondly the ministry of the Word describes not only teaching the word but applying the Word to every aspect of church life. Helping people individually and the church corporately to stay true to God’s revealed truth and will for us is a core responsibility of Elders. An Elder must love God’s Word. He must study it, meditate on it, memorise it and apply it regularly. This is all hard work, but it’s essential work in order to be men of spiritual maturity and to be able to care for the spiritual needs of the flock and be an example to them.
3. Elders lead the flock
In verse 3 Peter said that Elders should not lord it over those entrusted to them. In other words, they should not misuse the authority they have over those in their congregations. In Titus 1:7, Elders are described as “God’s Stewards” (Funnily enough, my two favourite translations don’t bring this idea out very well!). The word translated in the KJV & NASB as “steward” and by the NCV as “manager” has the idea of being the person – most probably a slave – in the household who is not the master but has been given responsibility by the master to oversee the running of the household. The Good News Bible words it like this “For since a church leader is in charge of God’s work…”[2] which is a simple but clear way to put it. The NIV says “Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work”, which is OK, but we tend to think of it as they are being entrusted with their own work, but the sense of the word here is that they are being entrusted with the work of the household, which is the church.
In 1 Timothy 5:17 we read…
“17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
As you can see by these verses, Elders are to lead – to rule over and direct - the congregation.
In Hebrews 13:7 we hear about the leadership role which is exercised by their teaching and example, and we are urged to remember and consider these things and imitate their faith.
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith
A little later on in verse 17, we are told to… “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
In other words, Elders lead not only by teaching and by example, but in the careful exercise of authority as people who have been entrusted with the care and oversight of the flock. Elders are accountable to God for how they lead, members of the congregation are accountable for how they obey their leaders. That’s not an easy thing to stomach sometimes! I’m reminded of that great phrase in 1 John 4:20 that says: “For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen”. I think the same principle is true of many other things as well. How can we say we serve God if we do not serve others? How can we claim to obey God if we will not obey our earthly leaders – both in society and in the church? God has told us to submit to both under the Lordship of Christ!
It’s one of the reasons that it is so important for children to learn to respect and obey their parents. A child who does not do this for their parents is going to have a hard time learning to do it for God!
Elders also must obey and submit. Their obedience, like all of us, is first of all to God. Secondly they come under the authority of His Word, like all of us. Thirdly, they come under the authority of Earthly government, like all of us. Finally, they come under the authority of Elders, like all of us! What does that mean? Simply that the Bible always commands a plurality of Elders leading a church. Any time you have more than one person in a team, you’re going to need to have submission!
I’ve been in Eldership meetings where particular Elders have had an opinion on something but changed their minds as the issue was discussed biblically and prayed about. I’ve seen other issues passionately debated, and in the end some Elders have agreed to support a decision that they still did not agree with. They’ve done this because they don’t want to get their own way, they want to see God’s will done. And while most of the time it is possible to work things through biblically and come to a consensus, sometimes you need to trust that God is guiding the majority when you’re in the minority! Sometimes that shows a work of character-building that God is doing in you to check that you’re not a person who demands to get their own way – a fatal condition for an Elder to be in, both for him and for the church.
So obedience and an attitude of submission are essential qualities in the Christian life, and we must have these toward Elders as they direct the affairs of the church and as they watch over our lives.
Conclusion
So that’s the job description for Elders! They are to:
· guard their own lives and the lives of the flock
· care for the needs of the flock
· lead the flock
They fulfil each of these tasks through prayer, teaching, example and leadership.
I want to close with 1 Timothy 3:1
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.”
I want to encourage all of the men of the congregation: set your hearts on being overseers. Don’t desire the title or the authority, desire the task! Pray, study God’s Word, teach, set a good example – these are things that all Christians should do! As you do these things you will become a fit person to handle the authority that comes as the congregation recognises the work of God in you and appoints you as an Elder, giving you the opportunity to be even more effective in your labours for the church, for the glory of Jesus Christ.
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