Leadership in the Church pt 4

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We continue to look at the biblical qualifications for Elders from 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1, to discover what it means for Elders to be "temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach".

Leadership in the Church pt 4

The Qualifications of Elders 2

25/10/09

Recap

We got started in looking at the qualifications of Elders last week using 1 Timothy 3:1-7 as our text, and referring to a parallel passage in Titus 1:5-11.

We covered the passage up to the middle of verse 2 last week…

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,^ he desires a noble task. ^2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife ^[1]

Within these verses we covered three key qualifications of an Elder.

· First we noted that an Elder in the church must be a man. We recognized that there are differences of opinion among Christians on this, but we believe the Bible sets out a pattern that was meant to be followed not just in the cultures of biblical times but in our culture also.

· Secondly we noted that an Elder is a man who is above reproach, not meaning without fault, but meaning a man who is above accusation. When he sins he confesses that sin – publicly where necessary – and is restored by God. An Elder cannot be a person who harbours sin in his life or denies sins when they occur. These two qualifications are the overarching ones, the things that follow in the list simply add more specific detail to these general qualifications.

· Thirdly we noted that an Elder is a man who is faithful to his wife if he is married. He is a model to other men in how to treat their wives. He is not flirtatious. He does not entertain lustful fantasies. He is not adulterous. If he is single, he should likewise be a model of how to treat women as sisters with absolute purity (1 Tim 5:2), in the same manner that married men do with all but their wives.

As we begin our study today I want to remind you that as we consider these qualifications they are meant to not only guide us in our selection of Elders, but also to show us what sort of people we are to be. May God speak to us about our own lives as we look at the sort of qualities He desires in His people – the sort of qualities that will glorify God, build up His people and cause us to be faithful witnesses of Christ Jesus.

We are going to deal with the next three qualifications together, as they are very closely linked…

An Elder must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable

The first two terms are very closely related. The first one, “temperate” refers to being clear minded. It means to be alert and to not have your thinking impeded by anything – uncontrolled emotions, sinful desires, intoxicating substances or whatever. An elder must be able to think clearly in all situations. Remember they are charged with keeping a careful watch over themselves and the flock.

The second term “self-controlled” refers to not just their ability to be clear minded but also well behaved. They put into practice the principle of Romans 12:2 – they are not conforming to the pattern of this world, but are being transformed by the renewing of their minds.

We all know what it’s like to be so caught up in something so powerfully that we don’t think clearly and therefore don’t do what is right and good.

I don’t have any experience being caught up in drunkenness or other substance us that has taken over my ability to think, so I can’t identify with that one, but I do know what it’s like to be caught up in anger and caught up in pleasure. I have told you many stories in the past of the unwise things that I have done in those situations.

1 Peter 4:5 says

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

Don’t get caught up in the things of this world that threaten to control you whatever they may be. Recognise that our time here is short and we must use it for the glory of God and His eternal kingdom. Be clear minded and self controlled in order that we can pray – so that we can live in right relationship with God through His Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 puts it like this:

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ^2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ^3 While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

^4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ^5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ^6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

As we get closer to the return of Christ there are going to be more and more things trying to pull us away from following Him. The Church will be infiltrated by people who seek to tell people what they want to hear – teaching people to follow their own desires as if that’s what God really wants for them. There will be great temptation for leaders also to pursue popularity and in the process sacrifice faithfulness to God. Listen to the advice Paul gives to Timothy about this in

2 Timothy 4:1-5…

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ^2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ^3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ^4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ^5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Do you see those two essential qualities of a leader coming through again? “Keep your head” – be clear minded and alert! Enduring hardship, doing the work of an evangelist and discharging all the duties of ministry – that’s talking about self discipline. Even when it gets hard and the pressure is on, keep doing what you know is right. Preach the Word! Correct, rebuke and encourage!

Elders must be men who follow this sort of example. They don’t get caught up in other things, they are clear minded and self controlled, and that is what produces the third qualification in this group: being respectable.

When a person gives careful thought to their life and teaching and when they exercise self discipline in carrying out what the Holy Spirit is prompting them to do it produces a life that wins the respect of others.

The classic text on this is Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus says:

^13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

^14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ^16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I want to illustrate this by taking you back in the book of 1 Timothy just a little way to where Paul is addressing Christian women, in…

1 Timothy 2:9&10

^9 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, ^10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

The word “modestly” is the same word as “respectable” in chapter 3 verse 2. Also, the word “propriety” comes from the same root word as “self-controlled” in the later passage. So basically we see Paul applying the same standards to Elders as he has just applied to all Christian women in regard to how they present themselves!

Both words basically refer to being properly ordered. When our lives are properly ordered others will see it and respect us for it.

As he addresses the women Paul points out that in their culture the way a woman presented herself was a big deal – that’s true today as well! Basically women felt under pressure to appear attractive as well as to communicate their status in society by their adornment. What they did with fancy hairstyles, expensive clothes and jewellery is still done today, but it just looks a little different!

Paul says to them “Hey, don’t be caught up in your own attractiveness or your own status. Don’t be controlled by the things that control so many other women. Instead, a Christian woman’s is to order her life around doing what is good, to the glory of God.”

That is also what Elders are to be like. They are to be people who are observed by others to have ordered their lives around doing what is good to the glory of their Father in Heaven.

Let’s move on to our next qualification:

An Elder must be hospitable

Hospitality is an incredibly important part of the Christian life. It is what builds a group of strangers into a family.

You might remember quite a few years ago now a particularly smug reporter asked a certain politician if she was xenophobic. She replied “Please explain” and has been ridiculed for it ever since. I suspect most people who watched it on T.V. didn’t know what xenophobic meant either – it means to be afraid of strangers. The Greek word for hospitality is “Philoxenia”, which means to love strangers.

If we’re honest, most of us tend to be closer to xenophobia than we are to philoxenia!

Most of us tend to be a little shy or wary, a bit stand-offish when it comes to making people feel welcome and accepted. All Christians are commanded to show hospitality with cheerfulness (1 Pet. 4:9) and particularly to share with those who are in need (Rom. 12:13), and to those who are doing the Lord’s work (3 John 8). Hebrews 13:2 tells us that in doing so some people have even entertained angels without knowing it!

Hospitality is a test of Christian love. It’s easy to say we love others, but often we have these mutual benefit societies where we just hang out with people we enjoy. We have people over for a meal knowing that they’ll have us over for a meal. We lend someone something knowing they’ll do the same for us. We help someone knowing they’ll help us.

It doesn’t take a lot of love to live like that. What you sometimes see is that when someone in a group like this starts getting a bit harder to love because they don’t have as much as the others or don’t always agree with the others, they start getting left out of the loop! That exposes the real selfishness that is being indulged.

If you only hang out with people and look out for people who you already have a loyalty to and friendship with, you are not being hospitable. You’re just doing what any other person does. It’s tribalism – you have your group and you look out for your group, and anyone else can go jump… unless they are going to join your group and fit in with your group and add something to your group. In that case they are most welcome!

Over the years I’ve seen so many different ways that people only give to relationships that they expect to get something from. That’s not the Christian way. Love is not selfish. True hospitality is a great litmus test to see if we are truly loving or whether we are self serving. It’s the standard expected of Elders.

So if hospitality is a demonstration of whether a person has matured in love, the next qualification is a test of their maturity in the truth.

An Elder must be able to teach

Remember that the “ministry of the Word” was one of the two primary tasks of the Apostles, and has been passed on to their successors who fill the role of Elder. The ministry of the Word refers to faithfulness in teaching the Word and applying the Word in the life of the church. The ability to teach the Word is an important part of caring for the needs of the flock. A sound knowledge of the Word is essential in order to be able to protect the flock and to rightly govern the flock.

The phrase “able to teach” comes from the Greek word “didaktikos”, which only occurs in one other place in the New Testament.

It’s found in 2 Timothy 2:22-26, where Paul is writing to Timothy to encourage him to be faithful in every aspect of his ministry. He says…

^22 Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ^23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ^24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. ^25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, ^26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

This is the type of teaching that Elders are to engage in. Not getting caught up in arguments. Not being resentful about those who don’t listen or won’t agree or don’t seem to put into practice the things that are taught. An Elder faithfully teaches the written Word which is centred on the Living Word – Jesus Christ. He seeks to help people to find truth in Jesus, to find freedom, forgiveness, fulfilment, a future – all in Jesus. An Elder is gentle in his instruction, because he knows that truth and love always go hand in hand in the kingdom of God.

This is what James writes on this subject in James 3:13-17:

^13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ^14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ^15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ^16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

^17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Lots of people are wise in their own eyes! Lots of people think that they know what other people need to hear.

Here’s the test to apply to yourself – what sort of fruit is your wisdom producing in your life and the lives of others?

When we think of men who are able to teach we are looking for men who will be able to pass on wisdom from above. A simple knowledge of the Bible isn’t enough, it must be accompanied by spiritual maturity such as James describes in this passage.

By the way, being able to teach doesn’t mean they must regularly preach! They should be able to do so, but teaching happens in many different ways. Elders should be active in small groups where the Bible is studied. Their conversations with others should impart wisdom. The example of their lives should demonstrate wisdom. They should be men that others can turn to when they want to know what the Bible teaches. They should be men that others can turn to when they need advice on how to live for Jesus.

So we’ve done 6 so far, only 8 more to go!! So far we’ve determined that…

1. An Elder must be a man

2. An Elder must be above reproach

3. An Elder must be faithful to his wife if he is married

4. An Elder must be temperate, self-controlled, respectable

5. An Elder must be hospitable

6. An Elder must be able to teach

I hope that as your understanding of these qualifications grows or is refreshed that God will continue to guide us in our selection of leaders and will show us what we should each be aspiring to as followers of Jesus.

---

^[1]All Scriptures from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Article - Doing the Devil's Work

Doing the Devil’s Work

I received an e-mail this week strongly criticising a major outreach that is happening across Australia at the moment – the “Jesus, All About Life” campaign run by the Bible Society. It saddened me to see once again (hopefully) sincere and well-meaning Christians who attack and frustrate the efforts of other Christians in the belief that they are defending the purity of the church and the gospel message.

You don’t have to look very hard to find many examples of Christians attacking other Christians over all sorts of issues. Yet we all serve the same Lord who prayed for us “…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ^22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: ^23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. ^[1]

Our reactions to others usually say more about us than they do about them. The reaction against the J.A.A.L. campaign I believe showed a lack of awareness of the total scope of the campaign and the churches involved in it. It may also highlight a very rigid idea of how we should share the gospel as well as some other things – it’s not up to me to speculate! This is why we have the “log and speck” principle that I have talked about so often. We are meant to correct and rebuke each other in love, but it must always be preceded by self examination. Am I being judgemental? Am I holding on to a grudge? Am I being suspicious? Do I have enough information to make a good assessment? Am I being teachable? Am I demonstrating humility and love as well as concern for the truth?

When we act according to our natural impulses we do the Devil’s work for him. We hurt each other and we hold each other back from doing God’s work. When we examine our own hearts and pursue the glory of God through unity with other believers, we build ourselves and others up to make the Church even more effective. Whose work are you doing?

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Sermon - Leadership in the Church pt 3

Leadership in the Church pt 3

The Qualifications of Elders

25/10/09

Recap

So far in our series we’ve looked at the leadership structure contained in the New Testament.

Leadership is always about service, it’s never about power and control.

The New Testament describes 3 basic ways in which we serve in the church.

The first is the general service that is expected of all believers. Ephesians 4 mentions that the body of Christ grows to maturity when every part does it’s work. We are all to serve one another in love, and that service takes many different forms. I believe that service in any form is also form of leadership. It influences people. It affects things. When you read the Bible it is very clear that we all have a responsibility to be building one another up and leading each other in the ways of godliness. We are either leading people toward Christ or away from him. I really want you to understand this, otherwise we become too worried about positions that people hold instead of the way people live. We are all leaders, we all have influence and we are all called to lead well.

There have been many times over the years that my ministry here has been improved by the leadership of others in the congregation. And, to be honest, there are times my ministry has been hindered by the actions and attitudes of others. Things people have said and done, even down to the body language people display as they listen to a sermon – all of these things have either helped or hindered me.

Leadership is not a top-down thing. We all influence each other. We are all to serve each other in the way that we influence each other.

There are 2 more specific types of servant-leadership that the Bible describes. One is the role of Deacon, where there are particular tasks that are entrusted to people of demonstrated spiritual maturity and wisdom appropriate to those tasks.

The second type of servant-leadership is the role of Elder, which we talked about a couple of weeks ago and includes the general task of shepherding the flock, which is the local church. Specifically, that means guarding the flock, caring for the flock and leading the flock.

Today we are going to look more closely at the qualifications that are expected of an Elder. What sort of person should a congregation appoint to this role of oversight and nurture?

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,^ he desires a noble task. ^2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ^3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ^4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ^5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ^6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ^7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. ^[1]

Titus 1:5-11

^5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint^ elders in every town, as I directed you. ^6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ^7 Since an overseer^ is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. ^8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. ^9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

^10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. ^11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

What we’re going to do first of all is step through our reading in 1 Timothy 3, and we’ll refer to our passage in Titus 1 as appropriate as we look at each of the qualifications listed.

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,^ he desires a noble task.

Here again we are reminded that to be an Elder is to serve, not to lord over others. To be an elder is to desire a noble form of service. The tasks of guarding, caring for and leading the flock are both joyful and solemn.

The NIV translation here raises a question: does “anyone” really mean “anyone”, or does it mean “any man”? In other words, should a woman also aspire to the task and office of Elder?

The Greek word itself does not specify any specific person or type of person, it’s meaning depends on the context. Some translations stick to “anyone” here because that is the most literal way of interpreting the word. Some translations say “any man”, because in the opinion of the translators, the passage as a whole is addressing men and not women.

I believe that both approaches are equally valid, but what I want to emphasise today is that whether your Bible says anyone or any man, it is a noble task that they aspire to do. However the task has been set aside for men to perform.

I’m going to give you a brief rundown of why we teach that…

First of all if you read in verse 2 we discover that the Elder must be “the husband of but one wife”, later on in verse 4 “he must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect”.

Similarly in Titus 1:6 we read that an Elder must be “the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.”

The most obvious conclusion here is that an Elder must be a man, since only a man can be a husband. Also as a father he is evaluated on the basis of how he has used his authority and discharged his responsibilities as a father as an indication of how effectively he will use authority and discharge his responsibilities as an Elder.

However, it can be pointed out that there are some assumptions that are being made or might be being made here. Some might argue that since infidelity was both more common and even acceptable practice for men, there was no need for women to be told to be faithful to one husband.

It could also be argued that perhaps Paul is simply assuming that Elders will be men, as almost all positions of authority in that culture were held by men. In that case, he is simply giving the standards necessary for those men, not teaching that it must only ever be men who hold those positions. Just as it is no longer culturally necessary for women to have covered heads in worship or for us to greet one another with holy kisses, it may not be any longer necessary to only have men functioning as Elders.

After all, Paul does not say an Elder must be a man, the husband of one wife. Rather, he seems to assume the Elder will be a man, in which case he should be the husband of one wife.

I want to point this out to you because it is very likely that as people come into our church family they will have questions about why we only have male elders. I want you to be comfortable with why some churches teach a different point of view than we do without labelling them as unbiblical, but I also want you to be convinced that the bible teaches that the role of elder is a role for qualified men only. I want to stress that there is no genetic superiority built into men that makes them better or wiser leaders. Being a man is no advantage or disadvantage as opposed to being a woman.

The reason we teach male leadership in the church and home is that we are convinced that is what the Bible teaches and therefore what God intends. We are blessed by obeying Him, not by pursuing what we might think of as a better way. God always knows best, whether we recognise that or not!

So why are we convinced the Bible teaches male eldership as an ongoing pattern rather than a pattern just for that time and place? We could have a long discussion on that but I’ll just give you the short version!

One of the key tasks of an Elder is to protect the flock. One of the ways this happens is that Elders keep a lookout for people who are teaching false doctrine or whose lifestyles are corrupting the church, and they provide the necessary correction.

Titus 1:9-11 describes it this way:

^9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

^10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. ^11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

When we did our series on the role of women in the church, we discovered that in Timothy chapter 2 and 1 Corinthians chapter 14 Paul expressly forbids women from this task. It is not appropriate for a woman to exercise authority over a man in this way.

Again some might say that this was due to the culture of the time in which Paul lived and wrote, and that things are different today. However we conclude, based on Paul’s reference to the created order and other biblical evidence, that this is in fact God’s revealed will for the Church and also for the Family. We believe that this is the wisdom of God for our good. It is not repression or control or abuse of power – although sadly some have warped it and made it an excuse for such ungodly behaviour.

If you want more information about why we have reached this conclusion I invite you to have a look at the series we did on that subject earlier in the year, or I can recommend some good books on the subject for you.

So to put it simply, an Elder must be a man, but what kind of man should he be?

Let’s trace through our passage:

^2 Now the overseer must be above reproach,

This is how Paul begins his list of qualifications in his letters to both Timothy and Titus. It is the overarching statement, and the rest of the qualifications are just adding more detail to this one: An Elder must be above reproach, he must be blameless.

This is not the same thing as being perfect, which is what we often start thinking straight away. Any honest person reads this and thinks “Well that rules me out! I’ve made lots of mistakes, and I still have many struggles with my thoughts and desires and attitudes and actions. There’s no way that I am a perfect Christian.”

Don’t forget that there is no such thing as a perfect Christian, only a perfect Christ! Paul himself was very conscious of his own sins, and he didn’t hold back in pointing them out in others either!

Nevertheless as Titus 1:7 says: “Since an overseer^ is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless”.

Remember that the overseer is like the steward in the Master’s house. We are all servants, but the steward is the one responsible to make sure that all of us are doing our work as the Master requires. The buck stops with him. However the biblical pattern is that this responsibility does not rest on one man alone but on a group of qualified men in each congregation.

So if being blameless does not mean being perfect, what exactly does it mean?

The general answer to that is the same for Elders as it is for all Christians. To be blameless is to neither deny our sin or harbour sin (eg: 1 Jn 1:5-10). Rather, when we fall short we confess it and allow God to cleanse us in order to make us more like Jesus.

When a person does not respond to the inner conviction brought about by the Holy Spirit, it is the role of the Church to help them to come to that point of conviction and repentance. Usually this is done privately, but if they are determined to continue in sin the church must resort to dealing with the matter publicly in order to protect the purity of the church and help the person to be cleansed.

(Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5).

However if an Elder is found to be presently harbouring sin in his life, he must be rebuked publicly as a warning to others.

1 Timothy 5:19

^19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ^20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

An Elder is a role-model to the congregation and an authoritative witness to unbelievers. People judge the church much more stringently by the conduct of its leaders. Therefore when an Elder sins publicly he must be dealt with publicly. The word “sin” in verse 20 could perhaps be better translated “are sinning” which a number of translations do. Some translations use the phrase “persist in sin” or “continue sinning”. The idea is that if an Elder is harbouring sin in his life then he needs to be rebuked so that others may realise the seriousness of sin and may be aware that even Elders are not beyond the discipline of the Church. Of course, if the Elder does not repent then he could expect to disciplined in the normal manner, which would be to lose his position as Elder and also his membership in the church.

Where an Elder commits a public sin but confesses of his own accord or after being confronted about the issue, I would expect that he would have the humility and integrity to do so publicly so that everyone may be aware that the issue has been properly resolved and may be encouraged by the example of the Elder in response to his own mistake.

I have seen examples of Elder misconduct swept under the carpet in the mistaken belief that it would be harmful for people to find out that certain things have happened. Guess what – people know, and if they don’t know, they suspect! Secrecy goes hand in hand with hypocrisy, not with holiness. When Elders don’t confess their sins they actually become objects of reproach instead of being above reproach. People remember their wrongdoings and continue to associate those wrongs with the Elder concerned because they have never seen the wrongs dealt with properly.

An Elder needs to be blameless, and to be blameless we need to refuse to harbour sin in our lives, and we need to deal with it appropriately when it happens.

the husband of but one wife,

What does it mean to be the husband of one wife? Does it mean an unmarried man cannot be an Elder? Does it mean a widower who has remarried cannot be an Elder? Does it mean a divorced man, or a divorced man who has remarried cannot be an Elder? Does it mean that a polygamist cannot be an Elder?

The phrase translated as “husband of but one wife” literally says “a one-woman man”. In other words if he is married, as most men were, he must be faithful to his wife. Not only does this mean he must not be married to more than one woman and that he must not have affairs, but it means that his heart and affection must belong to one woman only. Jesus said that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matt. 5:28). An Elder must be a one-woman man.

What about men who are single? Must they marry before they qualify to be Elders? Some groups would teach that, however I would find it strange that the Apostle Paul, who was single himself (2 Cor. 7:8) and encouraged others to remain single if that was God’s gift to them. It would be strange for Paul to recommend singleness as a way of being able to concentrate on the Lord’s work, but then forbid single men from the noble task of being an Elder.

What about a man who has been divorced? I know people who have really struggled with this question, and I have seen many different answers given. The Bible itself never prohibits a divorced person from holding a position within a local church. Some would say that we need to protect the reputation of the church by making sure that it’s leaders have never been divorced, which is something that God hates.

However, most people realise that we cannot judge a person solely on their history, particularly when we don’t know the full story leading up to and following after these sorts of events. I know plenty of lousy husbands who have never been divorced, and I know men who have given their best to the marriage only to wind up divorced. I know men whose lives were turned around by God after divorce and remarriage. We need to judge people by who they are now and what God has done in them, not where they came from.

An Elder must be a suitable example to the flock of what it means either to be married or to be single. It is possible for someone to be divorced and for God to do a work of teaching and restoring so that they become highly qualified to then be an example and a help to others. It is also possible that a previous divorce reveals a lack of maturity that has not yet been addressed and therefore disqualifies that person from serving as an Elder.

We need to be very careful that when it comes to selecting Elders that we look closely at their situation in marriage or singleness and see whether they are being suitable role models for others in that situation.

Close…. We’ll do the rest next week!

Article - Living By the Spirit pt 3

Living By the Spirit pt 3

A friend once told me that the secret to losing weight was to eat and drink more! The key is in eating the right foods and drinking lots of water. If we satisfy our appetites with good things we will not keep turning to bad things.

The Bible says something very similar when it comes to overcoming sin. If we focus just on not sinning, the temptation stays right there until it eventually grabs hold of us. If we resist temptation and then turn and pursue good things, that temptation stops being the focus of our thinking and loses its power over us. That’s why when Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Tim 2:22, he says “Flee the evil desires of youth…” Timothy was a youngish guy who would be tempted by the sorts of desires young guys usually struggle with. But Paul doesn’t leave it there, he goes on to say “… and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Timothy had his own struggles and temptations, like we all do, but not only did he need to resist them, he needed to do what every other Christian needs to do and pursue godliness with pure motives.

I have a real weakness when it comes to resisting the temptation of the bikkie barrel. When I keep a water bottle handy and choose to eat a piece of fruit instead my body benefits! In the same way, “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7).

Don’t just try resist temptation – it will always get you in the end. Focus yourself on Jesus – communing with Him and following Him – and He will cause you to stand firm. Instead of the fruit of destruction you will produce life-giving fruit.

Article - Living By the Spirit pt 2

So how do we live by the Spirit? That’s the key question of the Christian life. We cannot do it on our own, we need God to work in us and through us.

In John 15 we find Jesus saying exactly this, and He uses the image of a vine and its branches. He says: “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

^5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)^[1]

To live by the Spirit means to remain in a condition of connection with Jesus. The Spirit will continually point us to Christ if we let Him. He will help us to talk to Jesus, listen to Him, love Him, obey Him, follow Him etc.. The Spirit loves to point us to Jesus and help us to live as Jesus did during His time on Earth (1 John 2:6).

The critical discipline of the Christian life is to carry an awareness of God with you in every part of life. We are to remain in Him – this means literally to dwell (abide) in Him.

There’s a great theme of abiding that flows through the Bible, but even in the previous chapter we find that God the Father abides in the Son and the Son abides in the Father (Jn 14:10). Not only that, but while Jesus abided with His followers for a time (14:25) the Spirit abides in us (14:17). It is the Spirit who enables us to abide in Christ.

So living by the Spirit means to abide in Christ and allow Him to produce good fruit in our lives. It is to have our whole lives oriented around a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not excluding Him from any part of who we are or what we do.

More next week!

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^[1]All Scriptures from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Sermon - Leadership in the Church pt 2

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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^[1]Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

^[2]American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible : The Good news Translation (2nd ed.) (Tit 1:7). New York: American Bible Society.

Article - Living By the Spirit pt 1

Living By The Spirit pt 1

In our series “Strive for Perfection” we discovered that we don’t become perfect by our own efforts, but by allowing God to cleanse us and shape us. This is summed up in Galatians 5:16, which says: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

That’s why confession is so important, it restores the relationship by which we are being saved.

But how do we live by the Spirit? Many Christians are hazy on what that’s all about. We so often see our Christian live as a set of behaviours instead of as a personal relationship with God. But being a Christian is not living by Christ’s rules, it’s following Christ Himself. We can’t do that ourselves, but God in His incredible grace has chosen to live inside each of His people in order to change us from the inside out. We can only understand the things of God because God helps us to. We can only do the things of God because He helps us to. We are nothing without Him. We are helpless and depraved.

That might sound like a bit of a guilt trip or an unnecessarily harsh view of human nature. I’m not forgetting the fact that we are also wonderfully made and every human being is of infinite worth. I love to see good things in people and I’m often amazed by what I see in others – whether they know God or not.

But none of us can escape the corruption of our own sinful nature. We are at the same time wonderful and woeful! Recognising our own inability to be like Jesus is the first step to freedom. We need to live by the Spirit. We’ll talk about how we do that in coming weeks.