Elders: Primary Tasks / Functions, Part 2

The Harmony of Christ-Centered Experience and Church Order

0:03 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, October 6, 1991, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now I would ask you to follow in your Bibles as I read two brief portions from the pen of the Apostle Paul, which on the surface of things may appear to be very unrelated. The first is in Colossians chapter 2, the book of Colossians chapter 2, verses 1 through 7. For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance,

1:09 of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As I have said, I would have you know how greatly I strive for you and for them at Laodicea, as therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. And then the second passage from Paul's first letter to Timothy, 1 Timothy, very familiar words to many of us in this building this morning, chapter 3, verses 14, and 15.

2:13 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Now I have read, as I have already intimated, two apparently unrelated passages from the pen, of the Apostle Paul. And I have done so in order to highlight a very important principle of the Word of God.

2:50 And the principle is this, that there is no necessary conflict or contradiction between the most passionate concern for real Christ-centered religious experience and an equally passionate concern, and an equally passionate concern for real Christ-centered religious experience, and an equally passionate concern, concern for meticulous conformity to Christ-authorized church order. Now that's the principle. No necessary conflict or contradiction between the most passionate concern for Christ-centered religious experience and an equally passionate concern for meticulous conformity to Christ-authorized church order. The Colossians 2 passage indicates that with reference to the church at Colossae and at Laodicea, Paul was undergoing spiritual exercise that he describes in very strong language as striving for them, obviously, referring to his prayers, and it's evident that the focus of his prayer was that they might have vital, experiential, Christ-centered religious experience.

4:19 That was his great passion, that they might know Christ as the embodiment of the very wisdom of God, that they might be rooted and built up in virtue of their union, with Christ, that no one, however smooth his speech, would move them away from Christ-centered religious experience. And yet this same apostle writes to Timothy a whole epistle of six chapters in which there are meticulous details concerning Christ-authorized church order, details about the place of women, and the place, and the place, and the place of men, and the standards for elders and for deacons, and the care of widows, and how to receive accusations concerning elders, and how to care for them, and how to care for widows, all of this meticulous concern for church order. And the great truth that setting these two passages before you, I trust will underscore that in the apostle's mind and religious experience, these two passages, two things were not in conflict one with another, nor were they self-contradicting. There are many in our day who say,

5:46 once someone begins to be concerned for meticulous conformity to Christ-authorized church order, that's legalism. That's moving away from Christ-centeredness. That's moving away from having a church fragrant with the presence of Christ, If that's so, then the apostle Paul should have sat and listened to these teachers. For in his mind, and in his experience, and in his letters, he saw no contradiction between the two.

6:18 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 the Lord Jesus, but he rejoiced in both, because in reality, the glory and sufficiency of Christ will be most powerfully and accurately displayed in a meticulously well-ordered church, full of the grace, and power of the Lord Jesus. And what does all of that have to do with the preaching of the Word this morning? Well, simply this.

7:46 In the course of what we have entitled the Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church, I am presently expounding the sixth affirmation of this manifesto, which is that we are determined to pursue a biblically framed standard for church officers. And I deeply resent even the suggestion, let alone the accusation, that to be concerned with this is to move away from the centrality of Christ. It's a pious fraud to say so. For the Apostle Paul has demonstrated that these two things are inseparably linked in a mind that is influenced by the teaching of the Word of God. And so we are opening the door to the teaching of the Word of God. And so we are opening the door to the teaching of the Word of God. And so we are opening up this affirmation of our determination to pursue a biblically framed standard for church officers.

Elders as Shepherds of God's Flock (Review)

8:44 Having defined what we mean by church officers, we are now considering crucial aspects of a biblical standard for church officers. We've looked at the name and number of such officers, the gender of such officers, the qualifications for these officers, the manner of recognizing and receiving them, as a gift of Christ, and now the primary tasks or functions of church officers as defined by the Scriptures. And last Lord's Day we began to address the task of elders, overseers, pastors, those that have the rule over you. And we had time only to pick up the first and the major strand of the biblical teaching with reference to the job description of an elder. And we saw it to be this, that they are responsible to shepherd the flock of God. That imperative is laid upon them in Acts 20.28 and in 1 Peter 5.2.

9:53 And what does that involve? Well, in answer to that question, we went to the Scriptures and saw that it involved that they must consciously take a place of comprehensive, responsive responsibility for the sheep, which is qualitatively different from the manifold responsibilities that the sheep have one to another. The New Testament epistles and other portions of the Word of God are full of the many responsibilities the sheep have one to another. And an elder has all of those responsibilities considered as a sheep.

10:30 But in addition to that, he must consciously take a place of comprehensive responsibility for the sheep, which is qualitatively different from the responsibility of the sheep one to another. If that is not so, then the whole distinction between sheep and shepherd is obliterated. It is made nonsense.

10:53 And God is not conveying so weighty a matter in nonsense. But not only must they consciously take a place of comprehensive responsibility for the sheep, they must conscientiously discharge the distinctive functions of a shepherd to the sheep and do it in the disposition and spirit of the great shepherd, the Lord Jesus. And we did not go to Palestinian shepherds to find out what that means. We went to the Scriptures.

11:23 And we saw that to conscientiously discharge the distinctive functions of a shepherd means that those who are shepherds, those who are elders, are to secure, wholesome food for the sheep. They are to protect the sheep from predators. They are aggressively to seek the sick, the straying, and the wandering, and the weak with a view to restoring them to health. They are to take the lead in separating goats who appear among the sheep.

11:54 And they are to guide the sheep into paths of righteous thinking and acting. And all of these things are to be done in the spirit and disposition. And after the path, the pattern of the chief shepherd, the archipoimane, as Peter calls him, love is to be the great motive in the discharge of these duties. Self-sacrifice unto death if necessary the measure, for the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

12:24 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,

12:58 sheep having no.

13:03 So that the position of sheep without shepherds is one of the most important of distress and of being scattered. And while it is a curse for sheep to have selfish, hard-hearted, self-seeking shepherds such as the shepherds of Ezekiel 34 and of Matthew 23, it is equally grievous when sheep have no true shepherds who are prepared to take upon themselves in the will of God the burden, of assuming the comprehensive responsibilities of those functions of a sheep, of a shepherd to a flock of sheep. Now today, I want to take up with you three other ways in which the Scriptures define and describe the function of elders. And these are lesser areas of the job description, and I believe I can realistically cover the three in the time that remains. What is the job description of elders? Well, they are not only to fulfill the responsibility of shepherds to the flock, but secondly, they are to take care of the church or the family of God.

Elders as Caretakers of God's Family

14:24 They must shepherd the flock of God, yes, but they must also take care of the church or the family of God. And where do we learn that? Turn, please, to 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3.

14:42 In this very passage where the biblical standard for an elder is set forth, we read that he must be one, verse 4, who rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity, that is, with all proper respect, is to manifest the ability of being able to govern with authority, with authority, with authority, and yet with grace, so that there is a respectful submission to his government, one that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. And then, the only requirement upon which the apostle amplifies and gives the rationale for it, this is the only one, all of the rest are just set out and we are left to ourselves to figure out why an elder must be blameless, a one-woman man given to hospitality. No inspired comments are made upon the rationale for that requirement except with this one. You see that? And here is the rationale.

15:57 But if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Now, what's Paul telling us? He's saying the requirement for an elder is that he must rule well his own house and the reason is this. If he cannot govern wisely in the smaller sphere of his own house, how shall he do that which is part of the job description of an elder?

16:32 Take care of the church of God.

16:38 ...that taking care of the church of God is the responsibility of elders.

16:44 He does not say the church takes care of itself. It has the Spirit and has the presence of Christ and has the Word of God. He says an elder along with his fellow elders is to take care of the church of God. Now, if that's not what he says and means, I ask any one of you expound the passage to me in a way that makes sense.

17:15 Then the question is what's it mean to take care of the church of God? Well, obviously it has parallels in...

17:22 A man ruling well his own house or else he would not bring the two together. If a man rule not well his own house, how shall he...

17:31 And he doesn't use the word rule here, but he used the word take care. Well, what's it mean to take care? Well, the only other two usages of this verb in the New Testament give us a good answer. You'll turn to Luke chapter 10.

17:46 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.

18:11 And we read in Luke chapter 10 verses 34 and 35 these words. And he came to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine, set him on his own beast and brought him to the Lord. And he said, and brought him to an inn, now here's our verb, and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two shillings and gave them to the host and said, here's our verb again, take care of him.

18:39 And whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee. Now in this context, what does it mean to take care? Well, it's obvious. In the immediate taking care of him, the good Samaritan made an accurate assessment of the good Samaritan of this man's physical needs.

18:57 If he needed a tourniquet on this arm, he put a tourniquet on it. If he needed to have a wound washed on his left elbow, if he needed to have an ice pack on his forehead, he took care of him. He wisely and compassionately discerned the man's immediate present needs. Then he took appropriate steps to meet those needs.

19:23 Those are the two things, involved in taking care of him. So that if we were giving an amplified version of this passage, we could say, he came to him, bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine, set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn and perceived his physical needs and wisely and appropriately administered the medicine for the help needed. Then, when he'd been begun to recover on the morrow, he took out some money, gave it to the host and said, take care of him and whatsoever more you spend, when I come back, I'll repay you. What was he asking the innkeeper to do?

20:07 He says, you carry on doing what I started to do. You continue to monitor his progress and wherever you see need for food, for rest, for somebody to set a bone, for somebody to cleanse a wound, accurately perceive his need, take the appropriate steps to meet the need, spend whatever you need to spend in order to take the steps and when I come back, I'll repay you. That's all bound up in the command, take care of him. Now, that's the verb the Holy Ghost uses to give a job description of elders.

20:41 Shall he take care of God?

20:52 The church viewed as a household is not viewed as a household that takes care of itself without anyone designated with peculiarity. peculiar responsibilities to take care of it. No, elders are charged with the awesome responsibility of taking care of the church of God considered as a family of God's people. That means they must seek to secure orderly behavior within the household of God's people.

21:27 1 Corinthians 14, 40 Let all things be done decently and in order. They must labor, labor for peaceful relationship among the siblings and help to sort out little fusses and fights and irritations among the siblings, the brothers and sisters. They must be concerned to exhort them to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace and deal with the little irritants and the burrs under the saddle. They must seek to administer needed counsels and rebukes when members of the household are not acting appropriately on and on we could go, but I've said enough to give you a feel.

22:08 This is part of the job description of elders. They are not only to shepherd the flock of God and take on that comprehensive responsibility with at least those five strands of specific, biblically mandated duties, but viewed from another perspective, they are to take care of the church or the family of God.

22:39 Though all the people have the Bible, all the people of God have the Holy Spirit, though Christ is in the midst and though Ephesians 5 says Christ himself nourishes the church, yet Christ himself is the one who gives pastors and teachers to take care of the church that he nourishes. So this does not denigrate the glory of Christ, nor does it denigrate the endowment believer. It says in his house there must be those who take care of the family.

Elders as Overseers of God's People

23:32 But then we move on and we see that the job description not only involves shepherding the flock of God, taking care of the church or family of God, but thirdly, they are to oversee the people of God. They are to oversee the people of God. One of the titles of an elder is a bishop, an episkopos, which means one who looks over or inspects. And this word is found in such familiar passages as Acts 20.28, take heed to yourselves and to the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, bishops. Titus 1.7 it is used, the bishop as God's steward. There's the household concept again.

24:24 You see, the elder is a steward. He has a trust committed to him by the one whose house the church is.

24:33 The bishop as God's steward. 1 Timothy 3.2 A bishop, an overseer. Philippians 1.1 Paul addresses the church as comprised of saints in Christ Jesus with the bishops, with the episkopoi, the overseers and the deacons. But in 1 Peter 5.2 you don't have the noun, you have the verbal form which is part of the job description. I want you to turn there 1 Peter 5.2 This is not just another title, it actually becomes part of the job description of what elders are to do. And in this passage we read 1 Peter 5 The elders therefore among you I exhort to am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ to am a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed shepherd, shepherd the flock of God which is among you exercising the oversight. Shepherd the flock of God bishoping, looking over the flock, sorry, tend the flock which is among you exercising the oversight

25:45 looking over them not of constraint but willingly according to the will of God. Now again, as we ask the question what precisely does it mean to look over when this verb is used? What does it mean? Well, its only other usage in the New Testament is in Hebrews 12 and verse 15.

26:04 And again, it's very helpful.

26:07 Hebrews 12 and verse 15. In the midst of an exhortation,

26:14 a very serious exhortation, verse 14 of Hebrews 12, follow after the Greek word dioko translated many places, persecute, has the idea of fixing your eye on something and tracking it down with great diligence, pursue, follow after, track down peace with all men and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord. Here's our word. Bishoping, looking over, looking carefully lest there be any that falleth short of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled. How careful, how do we need to be in the constant inspection of our own hearts with respect to seeing if we can discern anything that might turn us aside from the grace of God, turn us aside from the way of holiness, turn us aside from the way of peace with all men.

27:22 Bitterness in due time to have that root system cause a shoot to spring up and flower out in a kind of bitterness that will lead, lead to apostasy as the subsequent context indicates. Why we need to be as careful in the guarding of our hearts as for life itself.

27:42 Guard thy heart above all that thou guardest for out of it are the issues of life. That's the force of this verb.

27:52 And now we are told that elders are to exercise a function of intense careful inspection of the people of God. They are bishops. They are looker-overs. They are watchmen.

28:09 They are to stand upon the wall looking for approaching dangers. They are to move among the people looking for signs of declension. Looking to see if there are indications of skin cancers upon their spiritual frame. Looking for indications of sallow complexion that may indicate an ill-functioning situation.

28:33 Spiritual liver or spleen. They are to be actively concerned with the sheep to look over them. To watch over them. They are in all of these things to do so not simply as fellow believers.

28:50 We have that responsibility one to another. Bear one another's burdens. Exhort one another day after day. If you see your brother overcome in a fall he that are spiritual restore us such a one.

29:04 I am not at all inferring that this concept blots out the responsibility of believers to care one for another. Cain's cynical question is too often asked. Am I my brother's keeper? Yes.

29:17 We are one another's keepers. But in a unique and in a way for which they will give formal account elders have a peculiar qualitatively different responsibility to be looker-overs. The title overseer-bishop is not just a name. It's not just a title.

29:43 It embodies a vital aspect of their function under the will and by the word of Jesus Christ the head of the church.

29:57 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.

30:40 I want you to have an eye that's out to see any signs of any ill health and no matter what it costs I want you to take whatever steps necessary to restore them down. Would you resent that?

30:52 I don't think anyone who wants to be healthy for as long as he can be healthy in order to serve God we'd say what a privilege.

31:01 Well why would anyone resent having the head of the church mark out certain men whom the church recognizes. Remember they're not forced upon them. They're not forced upon them. The church recognizes them.

31:11 Recognizes them as Christ's gift and receives them as they see in them the marks of a Christ-made gift in both grace and endowment of spiritual ability and they receive them not only to perform the functions of a shepherd to the sheep not only to govern in the house but also to be inspectors. Those who are concerned with the health not to pry into details of your personal life that are none of their business not to go snooping around in matters that are matters of your blood-bought liberty but to see if indeed you are walking in a way of spiritual health while you yourself are to bishop yourself you're to look carefully over your own heart God has given another means to keep us in the way and that's a people officially charged to look carefully over your own heart. carefully over you as well and it's only those who have something to hide or something defective in the root of their religious experience who would resent and not welcome such a gift from Christ. You see if the whole idea of somebody inspecting

32:36 is grievous to you then frankly you don't want the Lord Jesus as your savior.

32:45 Wait a minute pastor I want Jesus I just don't want no elders messing around with me. Well I'm sorry because He saves in such a way that everyone He saves comes under His bishopric. Turn to 1 Peter 2.25 That's not my notion this is the word of God 1 Peter 2.25 For ye were going astray like sheep a direct allusion to Isaiah 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray we've turned everyone to his own way but are now returned unto the shepherd and here we are bishop of your souls. If you're a converted man or woman you're no longer a straying sheep you're no longer willfully deliberately as the pattern of your life straying into paths forbidden by God. You're no longer a sheep indifferent to communion with Christ and obedience to the ways of Christ.

33:53 You've repented you've turned unto God through Christ you've been returned unto Christ as the great shepherd who laid down his life and you have found rest in the precious blood which cleanses from all sin but my friend you've also returned to Him not only as a shepherd but a bishop one whose eye you welcome to scrutinize every area of your heart and every area of your life one before whom you seek to walk and live and if you have truly embraced Christ as your bishop you will not find it difficult to embrace the under bishops that He Himself marks out and equips and gives to look over your soul.

34:46 Do you see that? And there's something suspect in the person who says oh I don't mind Christ monkeying around and looking over me I just don't want any man looking over me.

34:59 Well some may say that because they've been burnt by people who in taking the role of episkopos have literally become tyrants intruding into matters of personal liberty where they ought not and in a manner that is very contrary to the spirit and word of Christ have far exceeded the bounds of their job description in scripture and that may be true in a rare few but by and large my experience has been in this place over the years that those who resent quote the intrusiveness of elders asking questions about your personal life and your devotional life and your marital life and your relationship to your wife and your relationship to your kids it's an indication you've got stuff you don't want uncovered and it proves you're really not living under Christ as your bishop because true bishops will never bring any word to your conscience but the word of Christ and if you're already living comfortably under the word of Christ you have nothing to fear when one of his servants comes and with that word seeks to fulfill his task as one responsible to oversee

Elders as Governors of God's Assembly

36:26 the people of God but then in the fourth place the responsibility of elders is not only to shepherd the flock of God take care of the house of God oversee the people of God but fourth and finally they are to govern the assembly of God they are to govern the assembly of God and there are two Greek words used with reference to the biblically mandated function of elders which focus upon the idea of governing or leading the one is found in 1 Thessalonians 5 12 and in Romans 12 8 and in 1 Timothy 5 17 and there is absolutely no question that elders are referred to in 1 Thessalonians 5 12 I shouldn't say absolutely no question there is very little responsible question raised by any exegetes that in 1 Thessalonians 5 12 Paul is referring to elders he says in 1 Thessalonians 5 12 we beseech you brethren to know then that labor among you and are over you in the Lord for you Greek students pro iste me know then that labor among you

37:50 and with wrong theology Paul take your epistle back that's what many in our day would say that's not what the text says know then that labor among you and are over you in the Lord within the Lord the bounds of his will operating within the parameters of his authority and his word not their own notions and their own standards but nonetheless they are over you in the Lord not standing beside you just helpers of your faith a little more gifted but over you in the Lord same word is found in 1 Timothy 5 17 and there it unequivocally his elders because the word elder is used 1 Timothy 5 17 let the elders here's our word that rule well pro iste me let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially those who labor in the word and in teaching and Romans 12 8 is most likely a reference to this gift of rule

39:18 being exercised in the person of an elder though it cannot be proven conclusive there is a general consensus among evangelical commentators that that's probably what it refers to he that exhorteth to his exhortation he that giveth let him do it with liberality he that ruleth pro iste me with diligence he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness so there's the one family of words to indicate that elders are to rule or to govern in the assembly of God but then the second word hegeomai and its family of words comes to its clearest expression in Hebrews 13 and I'm going over these passages because as I said before in this manifesto I have many purposes in mind not the least of which is that the rank of file of you have a grasp upon these issues that if anyone will ever seek to lead you away from them you will be able to stand upon the word of God and insist that Christ's rule continue to be implemented in this place 13.7 remember them that had the rule over you men that spake unto you the word of God and considering the issue of their life imitate their faith they were clearly

40:45 conscious of those who had the rule over them and they were identified as men who in their function were speaking the word of God and who in their persons exemplified the power of that word they lived a life that answered to their message and so he says imitate them verse 17 obey them that have the rule over you and submit for they watch in behalf of your souls as they that shall give an account that they may do this with joy and not with grief for this were unprofitable for you but doesn't the Bible say submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ yes it does Ephesians 5.21 but obviously this is not speaking of the generic submission that we owe one to another in honor preferring one another in love it's speaking of a specific group who had the rule over the rank and file of the people of God and he says obey them that have the rule over you and submit for they watch in behalf of your souls I have placed them in a position of rule and government not to oppress you not to tyrannize you but to help you get safely to heaven and I know it won't be done without such a structure

42:14 within my church it's the Lord Jesus who instituted those who would rule verse 24 greet all them that have the rule over you and all the saints now that's the coup de grace anyone who say well everyone rules over me because we're all mutually submissive well if that's so then this is tautology salute all them that have the rule over you that's all the brethren and oh by the way and all the brethren will you accuse the writer of Hebrews of nonsense if there's no distinction between the ordinary rank and file of the saints and those that have the rule over the saints what does this text mean what does this text mean be my teacher who have bought eleven let loose in our that no such thing as rule by elder is taught in scripture be our teacher and expound that passage in a way that will convince our judgment salute all them that have the rule over you and all the saints very clearly two distinct groups of people and if all the saints have the rule in the same way that the elders do then they will rule over you and the distinction is obliterated people want to play cutesy with logic we know how to play that game

43:42 answer the fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceits I don't enjoy polemics dear people but when I hear people spewing out their ignorance that they've got a compelling case that utterly obliterates any concept of rule by elders it's time to answer the fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceits for the word of God is clear and what does this involve governing the assembly of God well certainly it means teaching the will of God from the word of God in the context of an exemplary life 13.7 teaching the will of God from the word of God in the context of an exemplary life remember them that have the rule over you and how will you remember them in two ways men that spoke to you the word of God they were binding your conscience by scripture and then they were sealing that bondage binding by their own example imitate their faith that's in the passage that's the responsibility of elders to govern in the assembly of God how? by teaching the will of God from the word of God in the context of an exemplary life according to 1 Thessalonians 5.12 they not only teach the will of God from the word of God but they admonish the people of God to walk in the ways of God

45:12 look at 1 Thessalonians 5.12 know them that are over you in the Lord and admonish you there's our word same as in Ephesians 6.4 verbal reproofs rebukes encouragements what do they do in their place as being over you governing among you we beseech you brethren know them that labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you that is from that position they seek to bring authoritative rebuke and reproof upon your conscience and what are you to do resent them exceeding highly in bitterness for their intrusion's sake esteem them exceeding highly in love for their work's sake be at peace among yourselves and we exhort you brethren admonish the disorderly you see you'll never be able to fulfill your task in admonishing your brethren if you won't be admonished by your overseers just as no overseer can fulfill his task of admonishing those under him who will not receive the admonition of his fellow elders if you think an elder has been firm with you you don't know anything about firmness you ought to be

46:41 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 shepherd of a true ruler and governor in Christ's assembly who authoritatively in his office admonishes those over whom he rules and whom he leads and governs is that he himself welcomes the admonition not only of his fellow elders but of any of his sheep I had someone who's not even a member recently very hesitating to come to me say Pastor Martin there's something on my heart I want to talk to you about I said fine let's go around back and talk I could tell he was a bit nervous we prayed I said what's on your mind he said well I don't want to appear ungrateful I said come on get to the heart of it

48:09 and then he told me some things that I had said in a sermon he had heard in which I had used some terminology in trying to make a biblical passage contemporaneous I had talked about someone going down a given street in Palestine and I used to say I used certain names usually associated with Jews and he said did you know that for Jews who know their background those names are very offensive in other words I didn't use a racial slur name but I used a name such as you'd associate certain names with Italians and some with Hispanics he said Jews conscious of their background know that those names were never names they took upon themselves because they used as you find in the scripture Simon bar Jonah Simon son of Jonah and he said they would use so and so son of bar Israel or bar Yikov or bar somebody else and he said for a Jew conscious of that background that those names were imposed by people who wanted to keep track of the Jews with negative ends in view that's very offensive I said my brother I never knew that I said never again in my preaching will I do that you've helped me to be a better preacher thank you thank you I don't know what he expected me to do pin him to the floor and say who are you to question my I don't know what he expected but I know what he got and I can preach this with him sitting here this morning with a clear conscience

49:37 yes we receive admonition yes yes we must we don't know our own need and don't manifest the proper spirit but all that being true you can't obliterate what the passage says know them that are over you and admonish you and for anyone to say there's no difference in the ordinary admonition of a brother and the formal admonition of one over him in the Lord is to blur the lines of distinction that God himself has marked out so what does it mean to govern the assembly of God's people means to teach them the will of God from the word of God in the context of an exemplary life admonish the people of God to walk in the ways of God and then to watch over the souls of the people of God with the view to their personal accountability to God verse 17 for they watch for your souls they watch for your souls haunting phrase convicting phrase phrase that at times causes sleeplessness to a true elder they watch for your souls as they that shall give an account they'll give an account they'll give an account and it won't do to say in that day but Lord they never welcomed my approaches they never welcomed and he will say yes but they were part of that assembly

The Focus and Challenge of Eldership

51:05 in which I placed you to govern and to watch why did you not go well Lord they're not approachable they're self-defensive and they're touchy and whatever you try to get to their conscience they justify themselves and the Lord will say it matters not as long as they were part of the assembly and their actions didn't warrant excommunication you had a responsibility to watch for their souls even though they rebuffed you even though they cut your heart by their self-justification and by their indifference and by their careful equivocations and unwillingness to own their fault you watch for their souls as they that shall give an account now we don't have time this morning to address which we will God willing next week the proper limits of the authority of elders in fulfilling this fourfold job description the manner in which they are to exercise their functions but suffice it to say as we draw our message to a close this morning we've said in the manifesto we are determined to pursue a biblical standard for church officers and having established the name and number of those officers the gender the qualifications how they are recognized and received what then are the functions of these officers with respect to elders they are recognized

52:33 they are to fulfill the functions of shepherds caring for their sheep they are to take care of the church or household of God oversee and inspect the people of God they are to govern the assembly of God and if one thing is clear in this fourfold job description it's this the focus is on people and not programs and buildings you see that? the focus is on people shepherd the flock take care of the household of God the people of God the assembly of God the focus is upon people not programs and buildings therefore I say in the words of the apostle brethren pray for us as we face this awesome task that we may have more and more measures of selfless self-giving love a servant's heart that unusual blending of humility and moral courage that we will walk with integrity and uprightness brethren pray for us everything that's in your heart in the way of potential for sin is in ours the difference is the devil has special imps in hell

54:01 to fan the flames of remaining sin in our hearts to try to shame the name of Christ by getting one of us to fall pray for us pray that God will raise up others to share the burden with us pray that God will equip men with the gifts and graces that you as the people of God will recognize as Christ's gifts we can't impose them we have no such warrant we have no such desire you the people of God this is biblical congregationalism you have the word in the spirit and you are to seek to discern among you those whom the Lord is fashioning into those whom you will recognize as your shepherds as those to care and oversee and govern you and pray that we may have a spirit of discernment in our dealings with you and that you may have a discerning spirit of submissiveness that will make our task a delight and for you who are not Christians you don't need a human elder or bishop you need the heavenly shepherd the heavenly bishop and we saw this morning that that's what conversion is described as in Peter's words you were a sheep going astray

Call to the Heavenly Shepherd

55:30 that's what some of you are this morning doing your own thing going your own way away from God and Christ and heaven in the direction of self sin the world and hell oh my God my friend turn from that way of destruction unto the heavenly shepherd who laid down his life for sinners who will take you under his care and be your bishop will govern you with a yoke that's easy and a burden that's light and will take you safely at last to heaven into his very presence let us pray our father we do earnestly pray that you will take your holy word and write it upon the hearts of your dear people that these issues which in our day are being openly and violently opposed by many you would so convince our judgment by the scriptures that a whole host of demons from hell and the most eloquent persuasive men upon earth would not be able to budge us from our commitment to your word oh that we may have a spirit wrought bible based intelligent determination

56:57 to pursue biblical standards for church officers that Christ will in this his house may prevail against the opinions the whims and the desires of men seal your word to our hearts for the sake of your dear son and the good of our souls we pray in Jesus name amen