Congregationalism and Rule by Elder

The point: Be sensitive to the peculiar, dominant, worldly perspectives of the day and exert unusual spiritual disciplines lest you be subtly affected by the climate of anarchy and suspicion of authority.

Martin cites Watergate, the Vietnam War, and Marxism as influences creating a societal climate of suspicion towards authority, which affects how people view elders.

And intelligent Christians seek to be sensitive to the peculiar, dominant, worldly perspectives at any given point in their pilgrimage, and seek to exert, unusual spiritual disciplines lest they be subtly affected by that climate. And surely the prevailing climate of our day is one of anarchy, of crass independence, and of prevailing suspicion of anyone in a place of constituted power and authority. Watergate, the Vietnam War, the general influence of Marxism,

3:15 - 3:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The whole concept of shepherd and sheep in Old and New Testament is a concept of gracious, positive, assertive, wise, you can put all the adjectives you want, but the bottom line is, of rule.

He uses the analogy of a shepherd and sheep to argue that Congregationalism neuters the biblical concept of a shepherd's authoritative rule, reducing the elder to a mere catalyst.

that God would not establish the whole concept of the function of elders in this framework of imagery. Unless we are prepared to say that a shepherd's basic function among sheep is simply to be a catalyst to kind of flow along with what the sheep desire.

32:54 - 33:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The whole concept of shepherd and sheep in Old and New Testament is a concept of gracious, positive, assertive, wise, you can put all the adjectives you want, but the bottom line is, of rule.

He compares an elder to a father in a household, arguing that a consistent Congregationalist theology would neutralize the father's role as a gracious, loving ruler and guide, reducing him to someone who merely seeks consensus from his children.

It's absolutely impossible without neutering this. And then likewise, when you come to the whole concept of leaders being likened to fathers in the household. What is a father in the household? This is simply a catalyst to stand on the sideline and get a consensus of what the children would like, where they'd like to go, how they'd like to spend the family money, how they'd like to structure themselves, and so forth.

34:29 - 34:51 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You see, an insubordinate brat will always look upon the most gracious, kind, reasonable, rule of a household as tyrannical. Don't ever forget that. And ecclesiological brats, who've never known the joy of submission to …

Martin tells the story of a spoiled brat who views an obedient child's submission to a gracious but authoritative father as tyranny, illustrating how insubordinate individuals mislabel biblical elder rule as oppressive.

Now, often elders are accused, rightly or wrongly. of being tyrannical and despotic. And remember, an insubordinate child who's never known the joy of happy submission to a father who rules his household graciously but authoritatively, consider any kid who obeys his father as being oppressed.

39:49 - 40:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses when elders can be justly charged with tyranny, noting that insubordinate individuals often mislabel gracious rule. He identifies three marks of abuse: ruling in…

He shares anecdotes of people who, as children, would hide from pastors due to their arrogant, overbearing demeanor, illustrating an abuse of elder authority.

I've had some of you tell me that when the elders or pastors that you knew growing up would come up the front walk of your church, you'd run out the back door and hide in the bushes. And some of you sitting here will know what that is. That arrogant, proud, overbearing spirit and demeanor in which elders want almost the kind of support. Superstitious reverence that poor Roman Catholics give to the Pope.

43:09 - 43:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses when elders can be justly charged with tyranny, noting that insubordinate individuals often mislabel gracious rule. He identifies three marks of abuse: ruling in…

He compares the desire of arrogant elders for 'superstitious reverence' to that which Roman Catholics give the Pope, highlighting an abuse of authority.

I've had some of you tell me that when the elders or pastors that you knew growing up would come up the front walk of your church, you'd run out the back door and hide in the bushes. And some of you sitting here will know what that is. That arrogant, proud, overbearing spirit and demeanor in which elders want almost the kind of support. Superstitious reverence that poor Roman Catholics give to the Pope.

43:09 - 43:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses when elders can be justly charged with tyranny, noting that insubordinate individuals often mislabel gracious rule. He identifies three marks of abuse: ruling in…

He gives the example of elders enforcing dress codes with tape measures at the door, illustrating elders extending their rule into areas of Christian liberty.

Now, if you ever see any of that, now you know there's an abuse of the authority that Christ has vested in elders. Secondly, when elders extend their rule into areas of Christian liberty, when elders make and then enforce rules where they have no biblical grounds to do so in terms of dress codes. And we know of situations right now where this is true. Where you'd almost.

43:36 - 44:03 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are guilty of skepticism that reads the worst motives into withheld information, repent of it and ask God to slay it every time it rises in your heart.

He uses the analogy of a father preparing a camping trip and a child asking if they need a tent, to illustrate interrogations that assume elders' incompetence.

The interrogations which assume incompetence. It's like a father saying to his family, Now kids, we're going on a four-day camping trip. And daddy has spent three weeks making all the preparations, everything's together. And just as they're about to get in the car, one of the kids says, Daddy, did you know we're going to need a tent?

53:54 - 54:15 Read in full sermon