We’re in week number two of a three part message serious where we are looking at the different role’s within the church...
Last week we talked about deacons. We saw that deacons are the ultimate example of servants. And that their role is to come along side of the elders and help carry out the mission of the church.
They are servants and they help take care of the physical needs of the church.
Next week, we’re going to look at our role as a church. As a body of believers, as a congregation, what is our role in the body of Christ.
Today, we’re going to shift our focus towards the shepherds of the church as we look at elders. We’re going to look at a couple of different passages from the Apostle Paul.
But before we do that I want you to notice something. I want you to notice that most of the qualifications involve character, not knowledge or skill, but character.
A person’s lifestyle and relationships provide a window into his or her character. So let’s look at the words of Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 3 starting in verse 1…
This is a trustworthy saying: [This is a saying or some information that you can trust and count on] “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”
2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach.
3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.
4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
An elder must not be a new believer, [why] because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall.
7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 NLT
Slide Look at what else Paul has to say in Titus chapter 1. Again notice the emphasis on character and integrity here: An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7 An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.
[Question…do you know your leaders enough to know if they are these things or not? If not, what can you be doing to know them better and to help them live these things out. What can you do?]
9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong. Titus 1:6-9 NLT
So there are few things that you need to understand. First of all, elders are men. We know this because of the number of times Paul uses the pronoun, ‘he,’ ’his,’ or ‘him.’
Some churches have gotten into the habit of allowing women to serve as elders. And that’s just not Biblical…Men have been called to lead the church. And that’s why we have male elders.
Also, you’ll find in the New Testament that elders have different names that are used interchangeable but mean the same thing. Sometimes they’re called overseers, they’re called shepherds, they’re also called pastors and of course elders.
And what else you need to understand is that elders are seasoned men. They’re men that have been in the faith for a while. They’re spiritual mature. Their faith has been tested. They have had time to grow and deepen their spiritual roots.
Paul also tells us that being an elders is something that a man desires. It’s not a title that has just been given to him. You don’t just walk up to a guy and say, “Hey, we have an opening and we’re going to make you an elder.”
Slide that might be how its starts. But look at what Paul says, This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires [what] an honorable position.”
That word aspires literally means to set one’s heart on something.
And so Paul is saying, “Man it's wonderful when a man has a desire to be a leader within God’s church!”
But then throughout the rest of the section he gives example after example of the high standard of living an elder must have.
Paul says, “Hey he’s got to be above reproach…[He’s not prefect, but He’s not living an immoral life]
He’s got to be a great husband [literally he’s a one woman man]
He’s got to be mentally and emotionally stable
He’s got to be self-control, and respectable
He’s got to be able to teach and communicate the Gospel
He’ got to be a man of integrity and gentleness
He’s got to know the Bible and it’s teachings so he can encourage believers and so he can stand up to people with false beliefs.
And just like deacons, elders need to be men that are full of the Spirit, and have complete faith in Jesus and are men that are guided by Heavenly Wisdom.
Elders are men that need to be bold in their faith and willing to risk it all in order to advance the kingdom for the glory of God.
Here’s what I need you to understand…these things are not optional for Elders of a Biblical Church. This is what Scripture requires of the men who lead our churches.
And you might be sitting here this morning wondering…Why? Why do elders need to be these things? I mean the world has changed and become more enlightened…don’t you think these Biblical requirement are a little old fashion for today?
No, I don’t! The men that are lucky enough to lead our church represent God. They are the care takers of his church. And they not only represent him but they represent our church.
People should be able to look at our leaders and say, “I want to be just like them.” And not because of who they are but because they see so much of Christ in their life that they can’t help but want to be that way.
And so that brings up the question then, “What’s the responsibility of an elder?”
If the deacons come along side of the elders to help carry out the mission of the church and take care of the physical needs of the church…what do elders do?
Slide 1. Elders are called to Shepherd God’s People
Elders are church officers that provide supervision, protection, discipline, and direction for other believers within the church…
Look at what Peter say’s…
Slide And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.
Slide Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 1 Peter 5:1-3 (NLT)
Now there are a couple of things that I want you to notice here: Whose flock are the Elders shepherding? God’s! It doesn’t belong to the Elders, it all belongs to God.
Everything that you see, every person that is here, every part of this building, every dime that is collected…everything that we have here belongs to God.
And the Elders at Portage Christian Church are the overseers of it all. They are the ones that are in charge of leading the people of this church and they are the ones that are in charge of protecting the flock.
This is why the role of an Elders is such a huge deal. They are in charge of the health and well-being of the church. And when they past from this life to next they’ll have to give an account for the things they did or in some causes the things that they didn’t do.
Slide Obey [now that word obey can also mean follow, place confidence in, or be persuaded by] your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)
The task of an elder is to help people mature and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ-they’re helping you become more Christ like in all areas of your life.
And so, an elder should shepherd the flock not because of the title they get or because of the rewards and benefits they receive. They shepherd a church because they love Jesus and because they love the church and the people in the church, and they want to see people grow.
Look at what Jesus said to Peter when it came to shepherding God’s people.
Slide After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Slide Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
Slide A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” John 21:15-17(NLT)
An Elder holds one of the most critical and valuable roles in the church. He is called to shepherd the people of God. So it’s so critical that an elder loves his flock. Because the job of shepherding God’s people can be messy at times.
You see a shepherd knows his sheep. He knows everything about his sheep. He knows how to lead them, he knows how to feed them, he knows what they like and don’t like. And when you look at a shepherd he spends his whole life caring for the sheep that have been entrusted to him.
And that’s how it is with an elder. He’s got to know his sheep. He has to watch over his sheep and make sure they are being feed. He has to make sure they are living their life the way God wants them to live.
This is why I love that the New Testament calls Elders shepherds and the people in the church sheep. Because that is what elders are supposed to do for the congregation. They are called to protect, correct, and love every person in this congregation. Why? Because they are shepherds that take care of their sheep.
Slide 2. Elders are called to Pray
Slide So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom.”
Slide “We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in [what] prayer…” Acts 6:1-4 (NLT)
There’s something I want you to notice here….Notice how the apostles were so busy taking care of the physical needs of the church, that they didn’t have time to take care of the spiritual needs. They didn’t have time to pray for the ministry of the early church.
And you have to realize that prayer is so vital to the life of the church. I mean look at how important prayer was in the ministry of Jesus. There are countless examples of Jesus going off to be alone to pray to the father.
It’s critical to the life of the church that an elder be a man of prayer. Elders must be willing to devote themselves to times of prayer. An elder most be willing to pray for the ministry of the church. An elder must be willing to pray for the people within the church. An elder most be a man of prayer.
One of the things we do as an eldership with our deacons is once a month we spend time praying for the people with in our church.
Slide Shepherd List
We have this list called our Shepherding List. On this list we have the names of the people within our church that attend-both members and nonmembers.
One of the things you’ll notice is that we have these columns with names on it (those are your names) and above it we have elders and deacons assigned to different columns.
The reason why we do it this way is so that these men can keep tabs on you. Making sure everything is going well in your life. Making sure there isn’t anything you need. We’re very intentional about making sure people are falling through the crack’s.
But one of the things we do with this shepherd list is once a month we will actually spend time praying for you and your family. If we know of any needs or other issues, we actually take the time to pray for you.
I love that! I love that each month our leaders take the time to pray for our families. It used to be many years ago our meetings would center on a lot of physical things, namely the building and it’s needs.
But we actually spend a great deal of time praying for God’s people and the ministry of the church.
Slide Areas of the Church we pray for
List the five areas of prayer….
.
.
.
.
.
Prayer is a powerful thing in the life of an Elder. Everything we do within the church should be bathed in prayer and elders should be leading the way in covering our church in prayer.
And the reason why prayer is so important in the life of an elder is because we’re in a battle with Satan and we need the power of almighty God leading us.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 NLT
Men that are constantly seek the heart of God and spending time with him are able to stand boldly and lead boldly because they know the heart of God. And they’re not afraid of opinions or push back because they have the assurance of the father because they are men that spend time with him.
Elders need to be men of prayer…
Slide 3. Elders are called to know and teach the Word of God
Slide Look at Acts 6 again: So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time [doing what] teaching the word of God, not running a food program.” Acts 6:2 (NLT)
These guys understood how important it was to know and teach the word of God. This was their purpose. And notice how much of a priority they made this. They put this before running a food program for the widows.
It’s important that the men who are leading our church know the word of God and are able to communicate and teach it.
Slide Look at what Paul says, “Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…” 1 Timothy 3:2 (NIV)
Listen you can’t teach what you don’t know. It’s important that an elder has this solid foundation for his faith. That’s why it’s important that an elder has a deeper understanding for God’s truth. And he knows the word of God.
Slide 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. Titus 1:9 (NIV)
Listen, elders don’t have to have a PhD in Bible Theology. But they have to know enough that they can teach and minister to other people. They have to know enough to be able to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ.
And listen, we are living in a time when people are taking the Word of God and twisting it. They’re making it say whatever it is they want it to say. And you have to have elders that know the truth and know the word of God.
It's their job to stand for truth and not allow these false teaching into the church. It's their job to make sure the church is staying true to doctrine. It's their job to make sure believers are being feed the word of God.
That’s why it’s so important that you have men that understand and know the word of God.
An elder must be able to teach. One of the most important tasks of any elder is to teach the Scripture to those within the church. An Elder must understand and be able to communicate the profound truth found within Scripture, as well as deal with those false teachers who mishandle them.
The work of a leader never ends, but being a leader in God’s church is such a privilege and an honor. It is a job that takes a lot of work and a lot of prayer.
And we are called to submit and obey our leaders, they have a huge responsibility on their shoulders…
Slide I shared this verse last week and I’ll share it again: Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say.
The only time I would say you don’t listen to a spiritual leader is when they are going against the word of God. When they are contradicting Scripture or when they are teaching false doctrine…
When that is happening within a church, as a brother or sister in Christ, you should at least talk to that leader about what it is they’re teaching.
“You know I heard you say so and so, would you mind explaining that a little more. Do you mind shedding a little more light on that. I’m not really understanding what you’re trying to say, do you think we can get together and talk about it.”
There is nothing wrong with approaching a leader having those kind of conversation. Maybe on there end it came out wrong, maybe you misinterpreted what they said, so it’s always good to have those conversation.
What you shouldn’t ever do is go up to a leader and say, “You know you’re a false teacher, you’re a hieratic, I can’t believe you would say…” Those aren’t good conversation starters.
Neither should you just leave without having those conversations. Maybe the leaders was completely wrong and just didn’t know it. There needs to be this line of open communication.
Leaders are not perfect. I’m not telling you either that we have to agree on every matter and that you should follow a leader blindly but I think you should have at least respect and show honor to mean that lead our church.
Why? Look at the rest of verse 17:Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God.
They watch over your soul. They watch over your well being…
Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow.
Now that sorrow could also be translated groaning; it speaks of emotional burden and stress. Having leaders who are stressed and burned because of an unruly believer in the church doesn’t benefit the church nor the leader. Matter of fact, it takes time and resources away from the church, while they are trying to deal with the unruly person. The author say’s…
That would certainly not be for your benefit. Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)
Meaning that instead of focusing on the mission and the ministry of the church, the elders are having to deal with you. It’s of no benefit to them or you; and one day you’ll be held accountable for those actions.
Fortunately, we have a really good and supporting body of believers here. We have people in this church that love our leaders, that pray for our leaders, and really encourage them.
Slide One of the things that you and I can do is to pray and encourage our leaders. They have such a huge responsibility. We have been blessed in this church with Godly men that are willing to lead us.
