Elders: Primary Tasks / Functions, Part 2

The point: Do not resent or accuse concern for biblical church officers as moving away from Christ's centrality, as it is a 'pious fraud' to do so.

The Colossians' 'order' (taxis) is likened to a well-drilled army, illustrating the precision and discipline of biblical church order that brought Paul joy.

In fact, in writing to the Colossians, he says his heart rejoiced because he found in them the two things being joined. Verse 5, For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I, with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding two things, your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As he heard of their order, their toxis, the fact that they were like a well-drilled army, that the church was walking in biblical church order, as well as in an ongoing vital faith in the Lord Jesus, this caused him to rejoice. He did not simply rejoice in their order, or solely in their ongoing faith in th...

6:18 - 7:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If that is not so, then the whole distinction between sheep and shepherd is obliterated. It is made nonsense.

Quoting Matthew 9:36b, Martin highlights the 'wretched state' of sheep without a shepherd, emphasizing the distress and scattering that results from a lack of true pastoral care.

And getting those sheep safely to heaven is the great goal. And as I was meditating upon this matter subsequent to preaching last week, I thought of that text in Matthew 9, 36b, which indicates for sheep to be without a shepherd is a wretched state. For the Scripture says, Jesus, seeing the multitudes, was moved with compassion for them, for they were distressed and scattered,

12:24 - 12:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second function of elders is to 'take care of the church or the family of God,' as derived from 1 Timothy 3:4-5. Martin uses the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34-35)…

The Samaritan's actions in Luke 10:34-35 are used to define the verb 'to take care' (epimeleomai), illustrating how elders should assess and meet the needs of the church.

You'll find two other usages of this verb, epimeleomai, in the Greek, to take care. What does it mean? And you children are familiar with the parable of the good Samaritan, that poor fellow that on his journey got mugged and was left half dead. And the Samaritan came along and cared for him.

17:46 - 18:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Welcome the oversight of elders as a privilege, desiring spiritual health to serve God.

The analogy of a wealthy benefactor assigning a personal GP to a family is used to explain why Christians should not resent elders' oversight, but rather welcome it as a privilege for spiritual health.

And you know healthy Christians don't resent that someone feels conscience-bound to be his own. It's inspector. Would any of you consider yourself oppressed if some wealthy benefactor took aside the best GP in all of New Jersey and assigned him to be the personal physician for you and for your family and told him whatever else you do whoever else's body you're concerned about you're to be concerned for the bodies in that house. I want you to make periodic check-ups.

29:57 - 30:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Elders must welcome admonition not only from fellow elders but also from any of their sheep.

Martin recounts a personal story of receiving admonition from a non-member about offensive terminology used in a sermon, illustrating that true elders welcome admonition from anyone, not just fellow elders.

an elder for a while and see how they beat up on one another I don't mean carnally but let one of us step outside of biblical principles and biblical thinking and the rest of the elders are on us like a cat on a mouse and that's exactly the way it ought to be for he who will not be admonished by his brethren in the eldership is in no posture to admonish the sheep under his care and the universal mark of an abusive shepherd is he's answerable to no one in reality there may be plurality of eldership on paper but he's insulated in reality from anybody getting to his conscience the mark of a true ...

46:41 - 48:09 Read in full sermon