Introduction / The Functions of Elders

The point: Consider the tremendous importance of the subject of church officers, recognizing it as vital for the church's blessing.

An old servant of God's saying, 'when God gives you light on your feet, follow the light. Your notes will be there next week, but the light won't,' illustrates Martin's willingness to deviate from his prepared notes to follow the Holy Spirit's leading in preaching.

But in the context of preaching, when the Holy Spirit gives added light and a sense of unction and the pressure to deliver it, as one old servant of God said, when God gives you light on your feet, follow the light. Your notes will be there next week, but the light won't. So sometimes when I follow light...

0:43 - 1:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Take heed how you build the church of Jesus Christ, ensuring all actions align with the scriptural blueprint.

His experience doing construction work and adhering to a blueprint illustrates that in building the church, one must continually refer to God's Word as the master blueprint, lest their labor be 'wood, hay, and stubble' at Christ's judgment.

And the only way we know how to build is to go to the blueprint. When I did construction work summers, there were times when I saw a house going up a certain way. If it were my house and I were building, I'd have changed some things. But you see, that wasn't my prerogative to say while we're laying up the block, hey, you know, I think it would be nice if we sort of put a little, a little bay in here in the foundation so they can have a bay window.

6:48 - 7:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Isolate the office from people and recognize that the dignity, submission, and authority are inherent in the God-appointed office, not the person.

The office of the President of the United States, distinct from the individuals who occupy it (JFK, LBJ, RFK), illustrates the concept of an 'office' as a position of authority or trust, separate from the person filling it.

When you speak of the office of the President of the United States, you're not talking about JFK or LBJ or, may the Lord deliver us, RFK or anything of that nature.

13:44 - 13:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Isolate the office from people and recognize that the dignity, submission, and authority are inherent in the God-appointed office, not the person.

A quote from John Brown, describing the church as a 'monarchy administered by inferior magistrates chosen by their fellow subjects who are to execute the king's laws,' clarifies that Christ is the king and elders are His administrators, guided solely by His Word.

to discover those who should fill that office, we will recognize that the dignity, the submission, and the authority is not bound up in that person as a person, but in that office as a God-appointed office. And this is tremendously vital to our thinking as we approach this whole subject. For as John Brown, one of the great commentators who has helped me so much in my preparation for this series of messages, states, and I quote now, a Christian church is a very free society, but they mistake the matter who consider it as a democracy.

14:43 - 15:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He breaks down 'oversight' into three analogies: a father in his family (1 Timothy 3:4-5), a shepherd with his flock (1 Peter 5:2, Acts 20:28, Psalm 23), and a ruler in his…

Martin shares that he told a man working on tapes that he would never return to a ministry of constantly traveling from church to church because he would miss the personal blessing he receives from being 'forced to dig' into the Word to prepare sermons for his own flock.

One of the men was working on some tapes the other day when I was doing my spade work for Sunday and I told him that I'd never never unless God gave me lights and bells ever go back into that kind of ministry where all you're doing is trapping around from church to church. I would miss so much blessing just for the good that comes to me. When I'm forced to dig to have something to give to you just selfishly I would not want to relinquish that holy privilege. And this concept came with freshness to my own heart in 1 Timothy chapter 3 where he's giving the requirements for the bishop the elder a...

34:43 - 35:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He breaks down 'oversight' into three analogies: a father in his family (1 Timothy 3:4-5), a shepherd with his flock (1 Peter 5:2, Acts 20:28, Psalm 23), and a ruler in his…

Psalm 23 is used as an analogy to illustrate the comprehensive duties of an elder as a shepherd, including providing, leading, restoring, comforting, and protecting the flock.

Maybe you ought to use Psalm 23 to help you. The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not lack any good thing. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

38:08 - 38:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He breaks down 'oversight' into three analogies: a father in his family (1 Timothy 3:4-5), a shepherd with his flock (1 Peter 5:2, Acts 20:28, Psalm 23), and a ruler in his…

A quote from John Brown expands on the shepherd's duty beyond just feeding, including strengthening the diseased, healing the sick, binding the broken, and guiding the flock, emphasizing the holistic nature of the elder's shepherding role.

Protecting leading guiding all of these factors are involved and let me quote again from John Brown who had a tremendous thought on this. To procure and administer food to the flock is an important part of the shepherd's duty but it is not his only duty. He must strengthen the disease and heal the sick and bind up the broken and bring again that which was driven away and seek that which was lost. He must go before them and guide them and govern them.

38:51 - 39:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Elders must jealously guard every channel of instruction and teaching in the church, ensuring no 'poison' is set before the family of God.

The analogy of a father who would never allow poison on his children's table illustrates the elder's solemn responsibility to jealously guard all preaching and teaching ministries from false doctrine.

who are going to see to it that poison is never put on the children's table follow my figure my analogy any father who will allow poison to be brought in by whatever means and set before the table of his children is a fiend and he's not worth the name of a father and if he's got to bear scars in his body to keep poison from the table of his children he's not worth the name of a father unless he's willing to do it and the great responsibility of the elders in any church is to jealously guard every channel of instruction and teaching whether it's formal from the pulpit

45:52 - 46:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Elders have a responsibility to seek out and 'stop the mouths' of those who subvert houses with false teaching, separating personality from principle for the health of the sheep.

Martin expresses his apprehension about a lifetime ministry, wondering who among those who now show him love might one day 'rise up to draw away disciples,' illustrating the painful reality and vigilance required of elders against internal threats.

are standing there as shepherds don't you take little catnaps under a willow tree and let the foxes and the wolves come in no no watch be awake be alert when you see any foxes of heretical teachers coming any of these wolves he said you be careful to ferret them out but something far more subtle and dangerous verse 30 also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them therefore watch watch watch you know this is something that one of the few things that makes me apprehensive about thinking in terms

48:06 - 48:50 Read in full sermon

The point: The eldership has the God-given trust and responsibility to oversee all aspects of the propagation and teaching of God's message, ensuring it is '16 ounces to the pound Bible truth'.

A quote from John Brown emphasizes that providing 'healthy food' (divine truth) is the leading object of the Christian eldership, as knowledge is necessary for faith and a well-instructed mind is the only soil for spiritual growth and holy conduct.

and that every single person that comes into the church has that was a real trust and that was the main piece of that the key that was raised in the book the second specific duty that comes under this general heading of overseership this is just the minimum may I read before I go to that from Brown again I get so blessed it's like sharing a new recipe with somebody you wives you know you'd be selfish if you didn't and this was so helpful to me first then Christian elders to act the part of shepherds and overseers food must be eaten and digested in order to health and bodily growth and indeed t...

50:48 - 51:28 Read in full sermon

The point: The eldership has the God-given trust and responsibility to oversee all aspects of the propagation and teaching of God's message, ensuring it is '16 ounces to the pound Bible truth'.

Martin recounts conversations with brethren on the west coast who are surprised by his sermon length (50-55 minutes on Sunday mornings, an hour or more on Sunday nights) and his lack of complaints, illustrating his commitment to thorough exposition despite modern trends.

Preaching's passe. Organization committees, little group meetings, and group therapy, and all this other business. And it's producing at best little itsy-bitsy statements fed and nourished up on little itsy-bitsy sermons that don't have enough content to choke the flea if he was trying. I get weary of this. Out there on the west coast

53:17 - 53:43 Read in full sermon