We’ve embarked on a summer theme of Christian service where we are working to apply the fruit of the Spirit to service activities through service teams. This week’s theme is serving with Joy. Tonight we will introduce the next focus: Serving as peacemakers for Christ.
When we look at what God says about serving I can’t think of any work of service for the church any more important for today than the service of our elders, can you? They are a vital part of the body of Christ, specifically called by God to shepherd the flock and oversee the whole congregation. Theirs is a ministry of service that requires maturity and spiritual leadership. These men give of themselves and concern themselves with our needs and spiritual welfare. Titus chapter one and 1 Timothy chapter three have this in common: both instruct us about the eldership of the church.
It is interesting how Titus focuses on the importance of the church doing good deeds and yet he begins this instruction by talking about the establishment of elderships in every church. Good deeds in Christ are to be under the oversight of good elders who serve. Christian service requires leadership. God’s design for the church is that each body have elders that serve in the shepherding role as the body serves Christ under their oversight and guidance. The elders direct and assist us, protect and guide us, pray for and with us, as the church grows in serving like Christ.
This church is blessed with three men who serve as our elders: Butch Feher, Bob Mayes and Jim Siler. But this church also has at least six members who have served as elders in the past, either here or in other places: Joe Spencer, Gordon Mosley, Robert Boyd, Joe Cade, Roger Camp and Richard Carmack. We are thankful to God for your service and invite you to stand at this time, not for applause but while we pray for you. Would all of you who have served or are now serving as elders please stand?
Heavenly Father, your word tells us that surrounding your throne are 24 elders who bow and cast their crowns before you in holy worship and praise. Father, you are the source of their wisdom and you are the one who created them and direct them in their works of service. As we realize the honor you give to elders in your presence, and the honor they give to you, help us honor the elders you have blessed us with. We thank-you, Father, that you have blessed this church with men of spiritual maturity who have served and continue to serve You by serving us in example and oversight in Christ. Bless these men and their families O Lord. Lead them and guide them so that they may lead and guide us in your way and will.
Father, for those who have served as elders in the past, we thank you for their years of labor and continuing example. They are still such an encouragement to us all and a source of wisdom and experience for our elders presently serving. Please keep them in your care, Father and may their labors follow them as a great eternal reward in glory with you in heaven.
For our brothers who serve as elders here today, we seek your blessings O Lord. May they be wise and courageous, faithful and strong. May this body help make their service here to be a joy and not a burden. Thank-you for Butch, Bob and Jim, Lord. May their words and works bring you honor and glory as they serve Christ by serving us.
Father, please continue to raise up men from among us who will become faithful elders for this church. Stir the hearts of the brothers here to seek that noble position and dedicate themselves to serving Christ in this way. I pray for our youth that they may begin early to grow up in Christ into serving you as members of the church. I pray for our young men that they may be strong in the Lord and devote themselves to becoming servant leaders of the church. I pray for those in our number who are qualified to serve us now, that they may seek your will and realize that you have prepared them for this duty and service.
Finally, Father, let this congregation grow in strength, in spiritual maturity, in service and in number according to your holy will as revealed to us in the Word. In Jesus name we offer this prayer, Amen.
Thank-you brothers, you may be seated.
Titus was given a job. Look at chapter one with me and listen to what God’s word says about this.
The first four verses set it up by way of introduction: Paul’s God given work was to spread the faith in Christ and knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness. He did this by preaching the gospel and establishing churches all over the place. These churches didn’t have New Testaments. They didn’t have nice buildings with power point and pews. They didn’t start with experience and a history of Christian faith. The spiritual maturity they had came from their Jewish members. But even these Jews needed to be versed in the new covenant of Christ. Just imagine what church must have been like before Matthew, Mark, Luke and John… before Acts, Romans, and all the letters of Paul, Peter, James, John and Jude. Where did the church go for guidance?
Jesus Christ built his church through the inspiration and movement of the Holy Spirit. Each church was vulnerable to the influence of false teachers who came through town touting their particular viewpoints and passing the plate to pay for their preaching. There were whole households who were being lead astray. 1: 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.
And: 13brebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
How did the early church handle this problem? Titus tells us. Elders, taught and trained in the truth, were appointed in each church and put in position to give the congregations a source from which to know the word and will of God. Look at verse 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.
What did these men oversee? The church! How did they do it? They did it by protecting the church from false teachers and by giving the church models of faith to follow. They did it by leading the church in works of service that honored the name of Jesus Christ. They did it by helping the married men to be faithful husbands and fathers and by helping the married women to be faithful wives and mothers. They did it by instructing the young to live sexually pure lives that honor Jesus Christ in speech, attitude and life. They did it by disciplining the members who would not keep the faith and by encouraging the members who were faithful. They were men of faith, prayer and godly example. They were men who were servants of Jesus Christ. They followed the Spirit of Christ and did good deeds.
Listen to Titus 1: 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.
By God’s grace and strength these qualities are not impossible to attain. They are not expressions of perfection, but maturity. This man is tested at home and tested in the church. In Timothy’s list he is also tested in the community in which he lives. Listen to 1 Timothy 3: 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
It is vital for the church that we have elders, and it has never been more important than it is today. This is not a lesson about the details involved in qualities of elders. We are not trying to parse through each item on Paul’s list. This sermon is more of a call. Today I hope you men here will hear God’s call. I hope you women here will pray for and support God’s call on our brothers.
Earlier I asked those men who have served or are serving as elders to stand. We prayed for them and will continue to do so. Right now I would like to ask the rest of us men, young and old who have not served as elders… yet:
Are you willing to grow up in service to Christ? Are you willing give yourself to Jesus Christ and put on these qualities that are listed in God’s word for an elder? Are you willing to prepare yourself to serve some day in this role of service as an elder for God’s people the church? Are you willing to do that? Will you strive to meet the qualifications listed here in God’s word for elders of God’s people, Christ’s church? Will you? Whether you are 5 or 105, if you are willing to develop the qualities and take the mantle of service as an elder at some point in your life, would you tell the Lord that in prayer?
I have asked Butch, one of our elders to come and pray for us, young and old, that we would all listen to the Lord’s call on our lives to service, and be ready and willing to serve in whatever capacity God directs.
