Reduction of Elders: What Might God be Saying? Part 5

Driving home: God alone infallibly and comprehensively understands his purposes in providence, but we learn from the scriptures that Christians ought prayerfully and humbly to seek to discern from the scriptures the purposes of God in…

The story of Joseph being put in a pit illustrates how God's purposes in providence are not immediately clear, but can lead to unexpected ends, like Joseph on the throne, preserving his people.

Sometimes the end of it is not seen for years. Remember Joseph. Who would have thought that that very dark, rough thread of providence that put him in a pit had along the way at the other end of it, Joseph on the throne, being the one through whom God would keep alive the promised seed of his people. So God alone infallibly and comprehensively understands his purposes in providence, but we learn from the scriptures that Christians ought prayerfully and humbly to seek to discern from the scriptures the purposes of God in his providential dealings with them.

2:20 - 3:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Repudiate any fleshly confidence in men.

The nation of Israel desiring a king after their own desires, and suffering for it, illustrates the danger of lowering biblical standards in desperation for leadership.

That would be to imbibe the spirit of the nation that said, we want a king. And God says, all right, I'll give you a king after your own desires. And they suffered for it. Then thirdly, you brought forward the fact or the suggestion that this could be a call to repudiate any fleshly confidence in men.

4:34 - 4:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Exercise discernment and discretion when offering practical diaconal assistance, avoiding being an 'easy touch' for 'Christian panhandlers'.

The anecdote of 'Christian panhandlers' in the Thessalonian church and Trinity Church illustrates the need for discernment and discretion when offering practical diaconal assistance, warning against being an 'easy touch'.

They had them in the Thessalonian church, people too spiritual to work. And Paul said, if any man will not work, let him not eat. And don't be soft and an easy touch for Christian panhandlers. That's right.

14:34 - 14:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Older women should overcome excessive modesty and 'plunge in' to mentor younger women, offering practical help and mid-course corrections.

The analogy of distorted mirrors in a 'funny house' illustrates how romantic involvement or other factors can distort one's vision of reality, making it difficult to 'come to one's senses' without external advice.

I tried to bring him to his senses. He's interested in marrying this woman and it's obvious that thing will be a disaster. I tried to bring my cousin, I tried to bring my friend to his senses. What you mean is you tried to get him to face the reality, which is very evident to you and anyone else in touch with reality, but his hormones and his romantic involvement has so distorted his vision.

45:44 - 46:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Younger women should overcome the notion of being a 'pest' and actively reach out to older women for help and instruction.

The analogy of teenagers at their first mixed party, with guys and girls on opposite sides of the room, illustrates the timidity and false modesty that prevents older and younger women from engaging in mutual instruction and mentorship.

Otherwise, it's like teenagers at their first mixed party where the guys are on one side of the room trying to hide their zits, and the girls are on the other side of the room looking around, and nobody meets in the middle of the room. And I'm convinced that this is one of the problems. We have younger women who say, well, the older women have paid their dues. Well, they want to come in my house and hear my screeching kids and hear my problems about how I find it difficult to be submissive.

49:54 - 50:21 Read in full sermon

The point: If someone seeks to teach you but has deficiencies, exhort them to 'get their act together' in those areas before you are willing to listen.

The anecdote of Spurgeon telling a man convinced he was called to preach to deliver a 20-minute sermon, only for the man to realize after five minutes he had nothing to say, illustrates how exercising a gift can reveal one's true measure and overcome an 'itch' for ministry.

Everything to gain, nothing to lose. Like the man who was so convinced he was called to preach, until Spurgeon told him, all right, you preach, take a sermon somewhere, 20 minutes. He said then he realized after five minutes he had nothing more to say. And he got over all of his itch to be a preacher.

52:46 - 53:01 Read in full sermon