Sermons
“Elder Selection”
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I'll be reading first Timothy three verses 228.
I'll be reading from the English Standard version.
The saying is trustworthy.
If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach the husband of one wife, sober minded, self controlled, respectable hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not cosom, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own household.
Well, with all keeping his Children submissive for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, he will care for God's church.
He must not be a recent convert or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into contention of the devil.
Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into this grace into a snare of the devil.
Hm. Like some of you, I have struggled a little bit with drainage this week.
And so this morning, I am doing my Don two X imitation.
Good evening brethren.
He doesn't even know it's morning.
If you know, Don Trux, don't tell him that I'm channeling his voice because I'm not paying any residuals to him.
I hate it.
I want to beg your indulgence this morning.
Not just for the timber of my voice, but also for the fact that following the service this morning, following our Bible classes, uh, Debbie and I are going to be leaving for the airport relatively quickly.
And so please do not take offense if we rush past you on our way out of the building.
It's not intentional.
It's just that when Taylor Swift is late for the plane, they hold the plane for her, but Delta doesn't care about me.
And so they'll go just whenever they are ready.
What's missing from this picture?
Is there anything that you might expect to see in such a pastoral scene?
Well, what you might expect to see is a pastor.
You might expect to see a shepherd.
If you see a flock of sheep, there's no shepherd in this picture to watch over and provide for the sheep in Matthew the 210th, the ninth chapter verse 36 Jesus was looking out at the crowds that were there with him and he, it says he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.
I believe the New King James version says they were weary.
The idea is that they didn't have a shepherd and they were scattered, but just because there are shepherds does not necessarily mean that they are competent or good shepherds back in the old Testament.
The Lord described the leaders of the nation of Israel as shepherds.
Those would be the priests, levites the king and perhaps even some profits.
And in Exodus Exodus, in Ezekiel chapter 34 Ezekiel talks about how the shepherds of Israel were not doing what shepherds need to do.
He says, Son of man, the Lord says to Ezekiel prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them even to the shepherds.
Thus says, the Lord God, all shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves should not shepherds feed the sheep.
You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool.
You slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep the weak, you've not strengthened the sick, you have not healed the injured, you have not bound up the stray, you have not brought back the lost, you have not sought and with force and harshness, you have ruled them.
So they were scattered because there was no shepherd and they became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill, my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth with none to search or seek for them.
In the criticism of these shepherds, there is also some information about what shepherds really ought to be doing.
These shepherds were not doing these things.
We'll look at them a little bit more in detail in just a few moments.
But you're aware of course, that in the New Testament, elders are described with the figure or in the figure of a shepherd or a pastor.
Those are synonymous terms of a local congregation.
Peter and first Peter five.
In the first few verses, their rights to other elders, he himself was an elder and he indicates that they are shepherds by telling them their responsibility to shepherd the flock of God.
And he talks about it in verse four, the chief shepherd.
And so elders of a local congregation are simply shepherds under the chief shepherd.
They are stewards of a flock that does not belong to them.
It belongs to the Lord.
It is God's church.
And in fact, Peter, excuse me, Paul reminds the elders at Ephesus of that very fact in acts 20 verse 28 where he has a conversation with them as he's on his return leg from the third missionary journey.
He says, to them, pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood.
I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise when speaking, twisted things to draw away the disciples after them.
Several indications in this verse already, these verses of the fact that shepherds or elders are shepherds there uh to take uh pay careful attention to the flock.
The term to care, there is essentially the same idea as shepherding.
It's the cognate verb of the noun that justice translated shepherd or pastor.
And so these elders were to shepherd, the church which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers over and they were to guard against wolves.
Again, the figure being extended to talk about those who were false teachers and who would prey upon members of God's flock.
The KSR elders are preparing in the next month or so to initiate an elder selection process for the possibility of identifying additional qualified men to serve as elders.
Three of our deacons have already been tasked with preparing, organizing this effort.
And as we begin to think over the next several weeks about selecting additional elders, there are several things that I think we need to consider and I'd like to bring some of those to your attention this morning.
The importance of elders I think is seen that is of their work is seen uh by their work, the nature of what they have been charged with by the Lord.
The scriptures describe the work of elders in both a figurative way but also in somewhat explicit terms as well.
We were looking just a few moments ago.
At first Peter chapter five, I wanna read this passage now emphasize if you would verses two and three, Peter, right?
So I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.
Shepherd the flock of God that is among you exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you not for shameful gain, but eagerly not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
And so Peter talks about shepherding the flock, which is among you.
I think some versions uh King James version I believe, talks about feeding the flock, but shepherding is much more than simply feeding sheep.
As we'll note uh a little, a little later on this other passage that we likewise looked at just a few moments ago.
Acts chapter 20 verses 28 to 100.
There are several things that I want you to take away from just this short uh passage of scripture.
First of all, elders are told to pay close or careful attention to yourselves, to themselves and to all the flock, none of the sheep are to be neglected or to be ignored.
And it is the Holy Spirit who has given this charge to elders.
It's not something that elders decide.
Well, this is what we think we're going to do as elders or shepherds of this congregation.
It is the Holy Spirit that charges individuals with their work and he does that through the qualifications that we'll talk about a little bit later on.
And they are to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood.
And that emphasizes the value of the sheep, the value of the flock that elders have been charged to take care of the Lord's criticism of the shepherds of Israel, as we noted earlier, I think also suggests the expectations that God has for shepherds, those who are human shepherds of humans.
In Ezekiel chapter 34.
And in verse two, the question is asked, should not shepherds feed the sheep.
The qualifications of elders include both in first of the three and Titus one.
The qualification that an elder needs to be able to teach, needs to be competent, not just aware of what the scriptures teach, but also skilled in presenting that information to others.
In verse Timothy three and verse two, he is to be able to teach in Titus.
The first chapter in verse nine, Paul writes to Titus and after telling him that he needs to put things in order and appoint elders in every town ESV, then he says in verse nine, that an elder must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught.
And the next part of the sentence is a purpose clause.
Why does he need to hold firm the trustworthy word as he's been taught?
Two p two purposes here so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
And so he gives instruction in a positive way, but he also will refute or rebuke those who would teach something other than the trustworthy word.
Going back to Ezekiel chapter 34.
And noting now, verse four, the text says, the weak, you have not strengthened the sick, you've not healed the injured, you've not bound up the strayed, you have not brought back the loss you have not sought and with force and harshness, you have ruled them.
And in each of those phrases, the failure of the shepherds of Israel highlights what God expects of shepherds.
They're to be the ones who support the weak, who help to heal those who are sick who go after those who are straying and seek those who are lost.
In first Thessalonians chapter five and verse 12, Paul addresses the Thessalonians and says, we ask you brethren brothers to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.
The word admonish means to warn.
And sometimes that's what shepherds have to do in a physical setting.
That is a shepherd who's watching over sheep.
He may have to go and forcibly bring a sheep back into the the area where the rest of the sheep are into the fold.
They have a crook and his staff and those are helpful in guiding sheep back where they belong.
Elders have to do the same thing sometimes and it's an uncomfortable task.
Some warnings come simply by instruction.
If a pastor or an elder preaches about a certain danger, he's giving the warning without necessarily correcting anyone.
But sometimes those warnings address unwise or even sinful conduct among the members of the flock.
And it's not because elders enjoy poking at people or, or warning people or telling people what to do, which I think sometimes is perhaps the feeling of some.
It's because we understand the consequence of a sheep that goes astray and never returns to the fold that sheep will be lost.
And there's nothing more important in this world.
Then what our status is when we leave this world or when the Lord returns.
And so the loving thing for any shepherd to do is to correct sheep who are not doing what they ought to be doing, to warn them to admonish them, respect those who are over you in the Lord and admonish you is Paul's instruction to the Thessalonians.
Well, let me just quickly summarize, we could look at other passages.
But I think these are points that are amply clear already, elders lead the flock by being examples to the flock.
They feed the flock by teaching the word of God.
So both in their instruction and in the way that they live there, guiding the flock by instruction, by example, elders are to help the weak or the sick with rebuke or encouragement as circumstances require.
And elders are to protect the flock.
As Paul wrote to Titus by confronting the false teaching of wolves.
And what I want you to take away from this particular section of our study is that the importance of the work of elders also suggests the critical nature of the selection process.
God's sheep in the Old Testament.
Ezekiel says suffered because the shepherds were not doing what they were supposed to be doing, they were bad shepherds and they took advantage of the flock.
And as a result, God says, my sheep were scattered, not taking anything away from the responsibility of sheep.
God criticized the shepherds for not doing what they were supposed to be doing.
And in the selection process that we'll engage in in the near future, this congregation is going to be asked to look at the male members of the congregation and compare them to the qualifications for elders.
I think that you would agree with me that it is more important.
What kind, what quality elders a congregation has then the preacher that they might listen to on a regular basis.
I firmly believe that a congregation can have an average preacher maybe below average in terms of comparison to others.
But if that congregation has good elders, they'll do well.
But I also believe that a congregation can have a great preacher, a flash in the pan he's known across the brotherhood.
And if they have poor elders, they will suffer.
And in fact, in many cases, the preacher won't stay.
And sometimes what happens is they just rotate preachers.
The importance of good elders I think implies that we need to seriously consider this selection process and select men or identify men on the proper basis.
Well, how is it that we should select elders?
What do the scriptures say about that?
If you read in Titus, the first chapter in verse five, as Paul writes to Titus about the matter of elders or pastors.
He says, this is why I left you in crete so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you, it might sound at first blush that Titus was to select certain men to serve as elders.
But I think a closer look at this passage will suggest a different meaning.
The word that is translated, a point that I've highlighted there in yellow is a word that vine comments uh and says that it usually means to appoint a person to a position.
Interestingly enough, it is the same word, the same Greek word that is used in acts the sixth chapter.
And you may recall that in the context of Acts six.
In the beginning of that chapter, there was some tension between brethren there and the Jerusalem church because some of the hellenistic uh widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
And so the apostles instruct the brethren in verse three, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the spirit and of wisdom whom we will appoint to this duty, same word.
So what's going on here?
The apostles have told the congregation to pick out these seven men and then the apostles would appoint them to the position to essentially the service for which they were being selected.
You know, I find that interesting because the Jerusalem Church, there are the apostles there.
In fact, if you look at the passage, it says the 12 called together the brother the brethren.
So the apostles are all there.
Why didn't the apostles just go ahead and select seven men?
Surely of all the people in the first century church who would be most qualified to select these men to get the right men.
Wouldn't it be the apostles?
Or could it be that the Holy Spirit is trying to show us something about how those servants of the congregation, whether you're talking about deacons or whether you're talking about those who are leaders, elders who essentially serve the congregation as well, that they ought to be selected by the congregation.
And so we go on to look and realize that after the congregation had selected seven men, those men were to were set before the apostles and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And I would suggest to you that that's the appointment, the congregation selected the men based on the qualifications given by the Holy Spirit through the apostles.
And then once those seven men had been selected in their name there in the text, then the apostles appointed them by laying their hands on them.
That was a common way of designating somebody to a task or a position.
They prayed with them and laid their hands on them.
And we followed that same example of Act six in the past.
As we've looked uh to select elders and deacons, We've had the congregation select the men who would serve in those roles.
Now, how does the congregation do that?
How does the congregation select certain men?
I don't know that the scriptures describe any specific process for how the congregation is to select men except that we are given qualifications in both First Timothy three and Titus one for men who would serve as elders uh in Acts six and first Timothy three also for deacons.
But the process that we will follow is designed to first identify men who meet these qualifications of scripture and then secondly, to build consensus among the members regarding those men whose names were not submitted perhaps by all of the members, 100% of the members.
That's a rather unusual thing to take place before we finish up our thoughts this morning.
May I make a few observations about these qualifications?
Leo Red Forest from First Timothy three verses one through seven.
And that's uh a listing of the qualifications and you'll find similar uh similar list.
In Titus one, the qualifications for an elder are clearly intended to equip men for the work they're given, they're not just pulled out of the air, but they are designed to make sure that the men who are given this responsibility of shepherding a flock are capable of doing that.
Some of the qualifications are very easy to determine whether someone is qualified or not.
He's either married or he's not.
He either has Children or he doesn't have Children.
There's no degree involved here.
It's a kind of uh yes or no.
But other qualifications are not so visible or may involve a question of degree.
For instance, he is to be sober minded, he's to be respectable.
He's to be hospitable and not everybody may uh analyze people the same way with respect to those qualifications.
And that's the reason that this process is also designed to build consensus among members.
I might look at somebody and say, well, he's not maybe as hospitable as I would like, but he's received so much support from the others.
I don't have a problem with that.
I don't think he's unqualified.
I just didn't uh note that in his uh in his character, in his experience, the purpose of some of the qualifications is specifically revealed and the purpose of other qualifications I think are more implicit and not explicit.
Let me give you an example of that in verse four here in verse Timothy three.
That's on the slide, it says he must manage his own household well, with all dignity, keeping his Children submissive.
Now, in some versions, verse five is parenthetical.
It is given in, in explanation of this domestic qualification of managing his own household.
Well, for Paul writes, if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church.
And so we look at the way that man's family has done in order to determine whether his track record in teaching and shepherding a smaller group, his own family.
How is he done with that?
Has he guided his Children in truth?
Are they uh being disciplined?
Are they being taught if he can't do it with his own family?
How would we think that he would do it with a local congregation?
And so before God is willing to turn his local flock of sheep over to this shepherd, always in a group of shepherds, we want to know how has he done with his own family?
And that's no small qualification in Titus the first chapter and verse nine, as we looked at earlier, he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he can both teach and rebuke.
We understand the necessity of that.
And yet brothers and sisters over the years, I have known a number of elders who did very little teaching of any public nature and very little private apparently as well.
They were really not very well knowledgeable in the scriptures and not very skilled in presenting what they did understand.
How do you shepherd a flock if you can't feed them, heal them, protect them, guide them by means of teaching the word.
That's frankly a lot of what elders need to do.
Unfortunately, individuals are sometimes selected to be elders of a local congregation for the wrong reasons.
And I'm gonna just suggest a few that I've noted over the years, congregations, I think legitimately want to have elders.
That's God's plan.
And I think we need to uh constantly be trying to follow that pattern, that template for the organization of a local congregation.
But sometimes congregations kind of go awry as they look to provide leadership from their own members.
Sometimes men are selected because of emotional attachments.
So the selection process becomes more a popularity contest than anything else.
Now, here's brother.
So and so over here and he's not as outgoing, but he's very knowledgeable in the scriptures.
He would make a good elder.
He's qualified in every way, but he's not, he's not a glad hander, he's not the person who's always out shaking hands and, and, and he's not a big talker.
And so he's maybe not as popular as this guy.
And so people tend to look at the popular person as though he is the better choice and that's not necessarily the case, you can be pretty popular and not be qualified to be an elder sometimes men are selected just because of the fact that they've been successful in the secular world.
Maybe they're businessmen who have run their business and grown it and, and they're very good at that kind of thing.
But brothers and sisters, the church is not a business and leading a congregation is different than running a company.
We need to understand that.
And sometimes what happens is men who are selected on that basis.
Oh, they're good businessmen.
And what they do is they kind of adopt this ceo mentality in terms of leading the congregation.
And that's not an elder.
He needs to smell like sheep.
Sometimes it's just a matter of selecting somebody on the bell curve.
You know how that works in school.
You know, you got a certain number of people who are kind of at the bottom and then you kind of got some up here and then some over here and we just select somebody who's kind of the best of the bunch, so to speak.
But that's the wrong standard.
We're given qualifications and men either meet those qualifications or they don't, but we don't select them on the basis of favorable comparisons to other members.
Paul in Second Corinthians wrote about some false teachers who compared themselves among themselves.
And he said that's not wise sometimes it's threshold qualification.
I've actually known congregations where individuals were essentially selected to be elders and served as elders, not because they were necessarily qualified according to the list of qualifications.
But they were virtually the only people in the congregation who had believing Children or even had one believing child.
They can't teach, they don't meet other qualifications.
But because so many of the rest of the congregation couldn't meet the domestic qualifications, particularly with respect to the leadership of their Children.
They just took anybody who was close enough and they suffer for it.
Sometimes congregations just say, well, we just, we just got to have somebody who will lead, we just have to have elders.
And so what they do is they just pick somebody, not with a whole lot of concern about the qualifications, whether this person's qualified or not these men, but they'll just get maybe the best that they can do whoever's willing.
And so the necessity of leadership drives this selection process as opposed to the qualifications.
Now, each of those bases usually result in unqualified men serving as elders and the flock suffers for it.
Well, let me conclude this morning in our study by saying elders should watch over the local congregation.
There are shepherds who are involved in teaching, leading by example, guiding by example, encouraging, protecting, correcting healing and the ability of elders to do those things.
Depends on their qualifications.
It depends on their desire to serve.
It's a work that requires a lot of effort and time.
And if a man doesn't desire to serve, if he's not willing to put in that kind of time and he'll make a poor elder and the congregation will suffer for it.
So their ability depends on their qualifications, their desire to serve and frankly the cooper operation of the members.
And I will say to you that the elders of this congregation have spoken publicly and privately in our amongst ourselves of what a joy it is to work with this congregation.
I want you to see one other thing about elders and the flock, the relationship between them.
And it's pictured in John 10 where Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd.
I'm gonna point out three passages here.
The whole John 10 is using that figure of a shepherd and sheep.
And in verses three through five, Jesus says to him, the shepherd, the gatekeeper opens the sheep, hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
He knows those sheep when he has brought out all his own.
He goes before them and the sheep follow him for, they know his voice, the sheep know the shepherd just like the shepherd knows the sheep a stranger.
They will not follow, but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of strangers drop down if you will.
Now to verse 14 of the same chapter, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd.
I know my own and my own know me.
I understand that sometimes shepherds will actually shepherds of different flocks will actually share the same sheep fold if that's possible by logistics.
And so the challenge then is to separate the flocks now that they've commingled in this sheep fold.
But if the shepherd knows his sheep and can call them by name, there's Blackie, there's one ear, et cetera and the sheep know the voice of the shepherd.
Then he goes out, he calls the sheep and the ones that belong to him, follow him and the rest go with another shepherd or stay in the fold.
Jesus said in John 10 verse 27 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.
Now, I would not suggest ever suggest that the elders of this congregation have the perfect relationship with the congregation as Jesus describes it here.
But I think that's the kind of relationship that elders and congregations need to try to develop that the sheep know the shepherds and that's part of the selection process.
You really can't say that a man is qualified or unqualified if you don't know him and elders need to know the sheep.
And that's a challenge as the congregation gets larger.
We all have things that we have to do in life.
The elders just like you have things to do.
And so it's really helpful that that there are more elders so that that job can be done that the sheep can know the shepherd and the shepherds can know the sheep.
I mentioned earlier, the flock doesn't belong to the elders.
They are merely stewards of the Lord's flock.
There are those who have been entrusted to take care of individuals who do not belong to them.
Those individuals belong to Jesus Christ, as Paul said in acts 20 verse 28 they were purchased with his own blood with the blood of Jesus Christ.
The Lord knows his sheep perfectly and they are the ones who listen to his voice and follow him.
And the question this morning is, are you listening to the voice of the shepherd?
Are you heeding the commands of the good shepherd?
He brings life.
He provides everything for us now and in eternity.
Are you listening to the voice of the shepherd?
You know what's interesting in John 10 Christian is not mentioned.
Someone says, well, that would be kind of an anomaly, it's mentioned in the New Testament, but Jesus identifies his sheep, not by a name, but by the fact that they hear his voice and they follow him, that's how you know who the sheep are.
And if you're not following Jesus, he's not your shepherd, but it can be.
And if you want him to be your shepherd this morning, if you've never obeyed the gospel, never become part of the Lord's church.
Being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ, my question to you is why would you wait?
I can't think of a better relationship that would benefit you both now and forever.
If you're part of the Lord's church, but you become unfaithful, you're the sheep that's straying.
Please understand the good shepherd loves you.
He seeks his sheep and part of the way he does that is through these local shepherds and of course, other brethren as well.
If we can assist you in any way this morning, in your relationship to the Lord, then we want to encourage you to make that known as we stand and sing, to encourage you.
- 2024.08.11A-ElderSelection.mp3 (12.29 MB)
