Sermon

Shepherds Of The Flock, Part 6 - Frank Brancato

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. In Titus Chapter 1 and verse 5. Here's another passes that we

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  2. have referenced in every one of our sermons on this series.

  3. And let me also say though, before we go any further, I'm

  4. going to do my very best not to repeat things that we have

  5. already studied in detail. I realize some of these themes

  6. kind of overlap and some are kind of connected.

  7. I'm going to do my very best not to do that and just focus on the

  8. six things that remain in the book of Titus Chapter 1.

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  9. Now, one of the passages that we have cited each and every time

  10. Time though, in Titus Chapter 1 is verse 5 where the Apostle

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  11. Paul says. For this reason, I left you in

  12. Crete that you should set in order, the things that are

  13. lacking and a point or ordain Elders in every city.

  14. As I have, commanded you very very briefly.

  15. Now the place of Crete was no small place, it was the fifth

  16. largest island on the Mediterranean Sea, it was 185

  17. miles long and at its widest part, it 35 miles wide.

  18. We find that there were over 100 cities there and we also find as

  19. ancient historians would declare there were over a million people

  20. that lived in Crete and when the Apostle Paul divinely inspired

  21. by the Holy Spirit road, to this evangelist by the name of Titus.

  22. He said, this is why I have left you behind.

  23. I've left you behind for these reasons to set in order, the

  24. things that are lacking and ordain elders.

  25. Hours in every city. You know, the very idea that

  26. they could ordain Elders in every city and that phrase,

  27. obviously means this. By the way, it means a plurality

  28. of Elders in every Church, in every city when it says, and

  29. ordain Elders in every city. That's what it's talking about

  30. ordained. A plurality of Elders in every

  31. Church in every city. Now, this shows the extensive

  32. spread of the Gospel by the time of Paul's letter, no doubt.

  33. Now quickly the office of an elder is referenced by three

  34. different names. All three are referring to the

  35. same office. He is called an elder and an

  36. elder means older and with experience.

  37. So it describes an experienced older, man.

  38. Secondly, he is called a bishop and that word means overseer and

  39. that describes his duty to the congregation.

  40. He is a overseer of it and finally, a pastor and he is

  41. called a pastor describing his task and that is to feed or

  42. Shepherd, the flock of God now, even though Paul commanded Titus

  43. to ordain Elders in every Church, there are still

  44. qualifications. Have you ever stopped to

  45. consider why? There were so many

  46. qualifications to be an elder in the Lord's Church?

  47. We're going to talk about the importance of this office at the

  48. very end of our sermon. But why were there so many?

  49. And by the way, did you hear me in my introduction?

  50. I said 24 qualifications and then I said, or maybe even 25

  51. qualifications, the reason for that is some Scholars.

  52. Say that in the very beginning. When Paul said, if a man desires

  53. the office of an elder, he desires a good work.

  54. Some got some say that desire is not part of the Quirements, I

  55. think it is. I think it's the first

  56. qualification is you have to desire the office.

  57. If you add that one, as one of the qualifications there are 25

  58. 25 qualifications to be an elder in the Lord's church.

  59. I'm not going to talk about the ones that we've already covered.

  60. I think we've covid-19 of them or so but here we go.

  61. Let's go into the qualifications.

  62. Now as found in Titus Chapter 1 and the first one is you can't

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  63. be Self-willed. Not self-willed in Titus Chapter

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  64. 1 and verse 7 for a bishop. And we just talked about the

  65. fact that that means overseer describing his duty.

  66. In other words, still the same office doing Elder for a bishop

  67. must be blameless as a steward of God and not self-willed that

  68. phrase or that word self-willed comes from the Greek word auth

  69. eighties and it means arrogant arbitrary.

  70. Or even overbearing. Now that word that Greek word is

  71. found in only two places. In all the Bible, it's found in

  72. Titus Chapter 1 and verse 7. And it's also found in second

    Titus 1 chapter mention 2 Peter 2 chapter mention

  73. Peter chapter 2 and verse 10 where the Bible says and

  74. especially those who walk according to the Flesh in the

  75. lust of uncleanness and despise Authority.

  76. They are presumptuous self-willed.

  77. What are we talking about? Out.

  78. We're talking about an obstinate inflexible arbitrary, arrogant

  79. person. Now.

  80. If an elder. Is obstinate.

  81. If he is inflexible. If he is a tyrant, if he is

  82. arrogant, overbearing and condescending.

  83. How's he going to work with people?

  84. You know, we talked about the difference between working with

  85. people and dealing with people. Those are two different things.

  86. Let me give you a little example.

  87. It was an NFL football team, that hired a coach, and the

  88. coach came in, and in his press conference, they asked the

  89. coach. They said, what are you going to

  90. do? How you going to deal with your

  91. Mercurial receiver? By the way, Mercurial means

  92. basically it's talking about unpredictable and back.

  93. It actually goes back. That word actually goes back to

  94. 15. 100. In that year, in that ancient

  95. era of language of English. And it actually met somebody

  96. that was unpredictable Guided by Mercury the planet, and

  97. therefore had unpredictable Behavior.

  98. So, the word now is basically talking about an unpredictable

  99. disruptive person. So the coach was asked, how do

  100. you going to deal with this Mercurial personality?

  101. And he said, I love this. I don't deal.

  102. With players, I work with them. Now if we spent more time

  103. working with people, especially as they grow, then we will spend

  104. a whole lot less time in the future dealing with them and

  105. dealing with problems. Working with them.

  106. Elder has to do, that can't be overbearing, can't be arbitrary,

  107. can't be a tyrant. Can't be unreasonable.

  108. We talked about the fact before that.

  109. He can't take the authoritarian approach in leadership.

  110. Peter describes how an elder should serve in a congregation

  111. second Peter chapter 5 beginning there in verse 2. it's a

  112. Shepherd, the flock of God, which is among you serving as

  113. overseers not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest,

  114. gain, but eagerly not as being Lords over those entrusted to

  115. you, but being examples of the flock now, The greatest form of

  116. leadership is your example. That is absolutely nothing new

  117. everybody. Here knows that.

  118. Everybody here understands. The greatest form of leadership

  119. is your example. People are more concerned about

  120. our behavior and people are more concerned about what we do and

  121. our example than they really are in what we have to say.

  122. Now, here's the flipside to that.

  123. If our example is what it ought to be and people see the

  124. demonstration of our life as it ought to be, they will listen to

  125. the verbal leadership that we give them, or the advice that we

  126. might give them in the future. But Elder has to be someone who

  127. has a good example. He can't have that kind of

  128. arrogant, arbitrary or overbearing type of Personality.

  129. Now in both of these past passages, Titus Chapter 1 and

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  130. verse 7 and second, Peter chapter 2 and verse 10 in both

  131. of these passages, this Greek word right there.

  132. Means this, it is referring to human impulse.

  133. Instead of obedience to Divine command.

  134. In other words, Ben Divine command is to be this way,

  135. right? This Greek word here is the flip

  136. side of that. In other words, it's talking

  137. about somebody that follows their human impulse rather than

  138. what is commanded of them. Can't be self-willed and be an

  139. elder. Here's another one.

  140. This is another negative 1 and that is you can't be

  141. quick-tempered. An elder is not quick-tempered.

  142. Titus Chapter 1 and verse 7 for a, bishop must be blameless.

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  143. As a steward of God not self-willed, not quick-tempered.

  144. And I will say this to before going any further.

  145. Some of these will spend a whole lot less time on and others will

  146. spend more time on today, but this is not quick-tempered.

  147. Titus Chapter 1 and verse 7. The phrase quick-tempered of

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  148. those words comes from a Greek word.

  149. That means not soon angry or not, inclined to anger, you

  150. know, this is nothing new. That the Book of Proverbs

    Proverbs 22 chapter mention

  151. chapter 22 and verse 24 says this this into this, Make no

  152. friends with an angry man and with a furious man, do not go.

  153. Look at the influence of an angry man, and the wise men of

  154. old said, don't make friends with an angry, man.

  155. What's it talking about? Somebody that is soon angry or

  156. inclined to anger? Now, verse 25 of Proverbs 22

  157. gives, the reason why we don't make friends with those kind of

  158. people verse 25, lets you learn his ways.

  159. Ways and set a snare for your soul.

  160. You know, the reason for this qualification is a quick

  161. tempered, person is displaying a lack of self-control instead of

  162. being patient and gentle as he ought to be this - qualification

  163. is similar to two others that we've already studied.

  164. Remember these two brawler and Striker and I got to tell you

  165. some also Domino's kid. I thought when I heard this,

  166. when I was little kid caught on when I heard the passage and the

  167. King James preacher, got up and read not a striker, I thought,

  168. oh, you can't be on strike. Can't ever go on strike.

  169. It's an interesting phrase, that word Striker is that actually

  170. talking about the King James renders, the word Striker.

  171. Now in that the word Striker, at the time of the publication of

  172. the King James Bible, it referred to a person that went

  173. around, get this thumping, people on the head with a

  174. Quarter Staff. Now what to Quarter Staff of

  175. Quarter Staff was a six to eight foot pole, okay?

  176. With a metal deal in the end of LED deal on me and led tip on

  177. the end and he would go around and even some people on the

  178. head, he was called a striker later on.

  179. It was used a Quarter Staff as a means of a weapon.

  180. So that is the picture. Now, I love with the new King

  181. James says about it because it really tells us exactly what it

  182. is. The new King James says, you

  183. can't be Went in other words, you can't be a striker in the

  184. King James meaning, you cannot be a violent type of person.

  185. Now, these are all negative qualifications that we've

  186. noticed so far and really they go together because a quick

  187. tempered person, a quick, tempered person will also lead

  188. to violence. If you get mad every time,

  189. somebody says something, you don't like, it's only a matter

  190. of time before you misbehave. I've known people in my life

  191. like that they can mad all the time.

  192. I knew people, when I went to college at Cal Poly, they were

  193. mad all the time. You know what they were, also

  194. violent all the time too. A qualification of an elder is

  195. someone. That is not soon angry, not

  196. quick-tempered because that kind of a person needs to be gentle

  197. and mild and not be a violent person.

  198. Now, let me ask you this. Is there anything different from

  199. that qualification? For an elder please?

  200. Please listen. Is there anything different

  201. about an elder than a Christian? Absolutely not.

  202. A Christian can't be quick-tempered, either.

  203. A Christian can't be violent either.

  204. So these fit our Christian lives to all right?

  205. These are two - qualifications let's have a positive one.

  206. Let's have a positive one. An elder for a qualification,

  207. has to be a lover of what is good and that's found in Titus

    Titus 1:8

  208. Chapter 1 Verse 8. So in other words in verse 7, he

  209. says the negative things that we are not to be involved in and

  210. then he goes into the positive things and it begins with being

  211. hospitable, we've already talked about Eyetality.

  212. So we won't do that. But the very next thing is, a

  213. lover of what is good? What does that mean?

  214. What does that mean? It actually comes from the Greek

  215. word, fill a goth. He's and it and in the King

  216. James version it says a lover of good men.

  217. Now, the phrase lover of Good Men is not broad enough.

  218. It's not a broad enough description of what the word

  219. actually means. In fact, in the ancient world,

  220. the word appeared as an honorary epithet in religious

  221. inscriptions. In other words, when it

  222. described a religious person, He was a lover of what is good?

  223. What's that mean? King James new King James simply

  224. says this. A lover of what is good, which

  225. means a lover of what is all good or all things that are

  226. good. You know, Paul encourages

  227. Christians to always do good, Ephesians chapter 4 and verse

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  228. 29. Paul said, let no corrupt

  229. communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for

  230. necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the here's

  231. in addition. Peters, words could also be used

  232. to describe one who is a lover of good First Peter chapter 3

    1 Peter 3 chapter mention

  233. and verse 16, And keep a good conscience.

  234. This is out of The New American Standard by the way, and keep a

  235. good conscience. So that in the thing which you

  236. are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may

  237. be put to shame. So a man that has this

  238. qualification is a man that would fit, Romans chapter 12,

    Romans 12 chapter mention

  239. and verse 9. Let love be without hypocrisy.

  240. Abhor what that? What is evil.

  241. And cling to that, which is good.

  242. And that leads us to our next positive qualification.

  243. That is a person that is just in Titus Chapter 1 and verse 8.

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  244. He says just that he said you have to be in addition to being

  245. sober minded. We've already dealt with that

  246. one in first Timothy. In addition to that, a man must

  247. be just the word, just is the Greek word to caios, and it

  248. means upright and it means righteous.

  249. It is talking about someone who conforms to the laws of God and,

  250. man, and lives in accordance with With them.

  251. Now, I got to say about being righteous.

  252. The Bible says there is none righteous?

  253. No, not one. How do we take that and apply it

  254. to our life when we're commanded to live righteously?

  255. Well, first of all, the word righteous means right doing now

  256. when the Bible says there, is none righteous?

  257. No, not one. It means that none of us on our

  258. own Merit by our own standard by our own Deeds.

  259. Is righteous by ourself and nobody can be righteous without

  260. the Lord. In fact, let's do this.

  261. Let's go back to an ancient man. That lived a long time ago.

  262. Abraham the Bible says it was imputed unto Abraham that he was

  263. righteous. Because of his obedience.

  264. So, in other words, because of his obedient life, it was

  265. counted to him as if he were righteous.

  266. Now what does it mean for us to be righteous in first John

    1 John 3 chapter mention

  267. chapter 3 and verse 7? He who practices righteousness

  268. is righteous. This is righteous just as he is

  269. righteous. In other words, it's a matter of

  270. right doing a just man will do that.

  271. Which is right. First Timothy chapter 1 and

    1 Timothy 1 chapter mention

  272. verse 9 knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous

  273. person but for the Lawless and insubordinate or the Obedient

  274. Joseph was described as a just man, you remember that in

  275. Matthew 1 and 19, the husband of Mary Cornelius in the book of

  276. Acts the 10th chapter in the 22nd verse.

  277. He was the first Gentile convert and he was called this

  278. Cornelius, the Centurion adjust man.

  279. One who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nations

  280. of the Jews? Now I think it's worthy of note

  281. here. There's not one of these

  282. qualifications for an elder, that's unreasonable.

  283. Have you ever stopped to consider?

  284. We spend a long time and a lot of time talking about the

  285. qualifications and we realize that we look around us and very

  286. few follow fall into those that qualify.

  287. But if you ever stopped to consider that of the

  288. qualifications to be an elder, there's nothing at all.

  289. That's unreasonable. We can sum up everything that

  290. Paul dealt with, in both passages.

  291. First Timothy chapter 3 and Titus Chapter 1, with all the

    1 Timothy 3 chapter mention Titus 1 chapter mention

  292. qualifications and really we could sum it up like this.

  293. Here it is. You know what Elder needs to be?

  294. And upright, honest and clean family, man.

  295. Not hard to be what else? He must be God fearing.

  296. He must be righteous and deeply devoted to his faith.

  297. Every one of the qualifications fall under both of those

  298. categories. It's not asking too much, is it?

  299. Even though they're very realistic though, they are

  300. required. And just because a person is a

  301. nice person. It's not necessarily an elder

  302. material. So a just man leads us into the

  303. next qualification. The next positive qualification

  304. that is this, and I'll tell you this, this word is very much

  305. misunderstood. It's this word right here, Holy.

  306. People misunderstand what holy means.

  307. Sometimes people think that a person that is Holy means I am

  308. better. If I am Holy I am better.

  309. In other words I'm better. Therefore I look condescendingly

  310. upon everyone else. I am Cut Above, I am better but

  311. did you know that the word? Holy does not mean elevated at

  312. all when it comes to a person's life Now when we talk about the

  313. things that God deems, holy like God, Jesus Christ to Holy

  314. Spirit, the things, the word of God, the things that God deems

  315. holy those things are elevated, but when the word holy is,

  316. describing a person. It is different.

  317. In fact, in Titus, Chapter 1 and verse 8, we are we find that not

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  318. only is a man to be just which lives righteously, but he also

  319. must be holy. What does that word mean?

  320. That word comes from the Greek word hose?

  321. He's and it means this devout and pleasing to God, that told

  322. me. I'm just going to let that sit

  323. for a second. That's good stuff.

  324. The definition of this word is good stuff.

  325. That's what it means. A person could say sometimes.

  326. Oh, I'm just unworthy, I know Yaar.

  327. I am too. We all are.

  328. I've heard people say I just couldn't live faithful the

  329. Christian life. I don't think I could do it.

  330. Holy enough. Okay, well, if you talk about

  331. your own goodness, no you can't neither deny but here's the

  332. point, it's not about that. Can you do this though?

  333. Can you be devout? And that'll be demonstrated in

  334. what you're right doing, which is just can you live your life,

  335. pleasing to God? That's it.

  336. If you can do that, you are living a holy life.

  337. And all of those things are given in the word of God.

  338. Let me show you a passage by the way, where the word holy and

  339. just those Greek words are used together in the same passage is

  340. found in Ephesians chapter 4. Watch this In Ephesians chapter

    Ephesians 4 chapter mention Ephesians 4 chapter mention

  341. 4, and verse 24. And by the way, it's not talking

  342. about an elder here, it's talking about the new man in

  343. Christ. It's talking about someone

  344. that's been baptized into Christ.

  345. Has risen to walk in newness of life.

  346. Therefore, putting on the new man in Christ, just talking

  347. about a Christian that watch this.

  348. And that you put on the new man, which was created according to

  349. God, in righteousness, by the way.

  350. That's just, that's the just word and true Holiness, which is

  351. what development pleasing to God.

  352. I think we can do that. I know we can do that.

  353. It's talking about this, not just talking about Elder, folks,

  354. talk about every Christian, every Christian can do, that's

  355. not an unreasonable requirement. First, Peter chapter 1 and

  356. beginning, in verse 14, listen to this, as obedient children,

  357. not conforming yourselves to the former luster as in your

  358. ignorance but as he who called you is, Holy you also be holy in

  359. all your conduct because it is written be holy for.

  360. I am Holy again. Nothing is unreasonable here?

  361. These are not unreasonable. Now, all of those things being

  362. said, he has to be a lover of what is good.

  363. He has to be just he has to be holy, these were three from that

  364. passage that we haven't dealt with.

  365. But you know what? There's more there's more.

  366. And you know what it is? What's been our final time on

  367. this requirement here, there's a reason for it all There's a

  368. reason for it all. Here it is.

  369. Holding fast. The faithful word holding fast

  370. the faithful word. It's found in Titus Chapter 1 in

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  371. verse 9. Let's read that holding fast the

  372. faithful word as he has been taught.

  373. That he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and

  374. convict those that contradict. Now I got to just say this

  375. little history here, when Elders were ordained in every city,

  376. There was great opposition in those cities.

  377. Remember that? In fact, the early church

  378. composed are comprised of Christians that were Jewish by

  379. Blood. For example, and the first

  380. Christians were from the Jews. They were Jews their whole life,

  381. their family had been Jews also and therefore, when it came to

  382. hearing the gospel, they obeyed the gospel they were spiritually

  383. minded man. They didn't have to go very far

  384. to qualify to be an elder. Right here we go.

  385. Now they're members of the church.

  386. Paul says, ordain Elders in every city, meaning in every

  387. Church in every city. But guess what?

  388. There were those who were there to contradict.

  389. You know who they were? In reference to them

  390. specifically. It was the judaizers it was the

  391. judaizers that came in trying to bring aspects of the Old Law

  392. back on the law of Christ. The King James says, the

  393. gainsayers and the gainsayers just means those that

  394. contradict. So this is a man that has to

  395. hold fast, the faithful word of God.

  396. What does that mean? It means this.

  397. This is a man that clings to he is devoted to the word of God.

  398. He is completely devoted to the word of God.

  399. It's a very important qualification to because since

  400. an elder is in the leadership and teaching position, he will

  401. have the in the opportunity of influencing the church.

  402. If an elder tolerated, false things taught, can't you see the

  403. direction that the congregation would go?

  404. And let me just say this to all I would say is I make a general

  405. statement, anything that goes against the word of God is

  406. false, You know, I don't know any, I don't know anybody that

  407. would disagree with that, really, anything that

  408. contradicts the word of God, and the truth of the word of God.

  409. Is false, an elder has to cling to or hold fast the faithful

  410. word. Now, he is one that cannot make

  411. an uncertain sound. I'm going to get to that.

  412. Let me give you a passage for that and just a minute, but it

  413. can't give an uncertain sound, meaning, he cannot be

  414. wishy-washy. One time, it's this fellow was

  415. not an elder, but I asked him a question years and years and

  416. years ago. I was younger.

  417. And I said, I have a question. I have a Bible question.

  418. I asked him the question about something.

  419. And he responded. I was really waiting for him to

  420. give me an answer. I really needed a straight

  421. answer, you know what he said. Well it could be this and it can

  422. be that, but when you make that decision and when you do what

  423. you're going to do, just make sure you're consistent and make

  424. the same decision later on down the road.

  425. That is a definite maybe. About something that I needed

  426. specific Direction on. That is somebody that is echoing

  427. and uncertain sound when it comes to the word of God and

  428. Elder cannot be one who Echoes and uncertain wishy-washy sound.

  429. It's got to be clear and it's got to be concise and he needs

  430. to know what that sound needs to be in Acts chapter 20 and verse

    Acts 20 chapter mention

  431. 8. This is Paul warning, the

  432. Ephesian Elders. Listen to this.

  433. Take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, Walk among which

  434. the Holy Spirit has made you overseers look at verse 31,

  435. therefore watch, and remember that for three years.

  436. I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears.

  437. In other words, we cannot be passive or indifferent

  438. concerning doctrinal. Truth in the word of God.

  439. Now, When a crisis arrives arises, an elder must give clear

  440. Direction. And when I said about an

  441. uncertain sound, Paul writing to those core, it explains what

  442. it's like. To give an uncertain sound.

  443. In other words, not to be firm and concise about truth.

  444. That's all that means. Watch this.

  445. It's kind of like this first Corinthians 14 and 8, for if the

  446. trumpet makes an uncertain sound who will prepare himself for the

  447. battle then we know what that is.

  448. You know, in the old days when somebody would go into battle,

  449. they blast the trumpet right? Everybody knew what the sound of

  450. the trumpet was you know what the sound of the trumpet was it

  451. was time to go to battle. Now, Paul so brilliantly with

  452. the holy spirit's guidance, Paul brilliantly says, if the trumpet

  453. guy blasts, an uncertain sound, nobody's going to know when it's

  454. time to go into battle, they won't know what it means.

  455. All it means is you gotta hold fast, the faithful word.

  456. And not give an uncertain sound. How do you do that?

  457. How do you not give an uncertain sound?

  458. Very simply here it is. Second Timothy 1:13, hold fast

    2 Timothy 1:13

  459. the pattern. Of sound words.

  460. Hold fast, the pattern of sound words.

  461. Now, I will say I will say That in the absence of Elders, this

  462. responsibility falls on the Evangelist and the teachers.

  463. It falls on every one of you that teaches here you must hold

  464. fast. The pattern of sound words in

  465. the word of God. Having proper leadership.

  466. You know, I think that you can pretty much look at examples of

  467. problems in congregations for a perhaps that might come up and

  468. it really all goes back to leadership.

  469. Leadership is everything. Leadership is everything and I

  470. have to tell you as long as I've been around Tina and I would be

  471. married, 26 years in May. So almost 26 years living in

  472. this town, Living here, I've lived longer here than anywhere

  473. else in my life. This congregation has always

  474. enjoyed good leadership. Strong leadership that is

  475. imperative. We have to have that.

  476. The congregation will only go by way of its leaders, its leaders

  477. and teachers can't be those. That are blasting an uncertain

  478. sound. No, we got to hold fast, sound

  479. words and all that is folks. All that is is the word of God.

  480. Now watch this, the reason for an elder being able to do this

  481. is because they have to hold fast the faithful word so that

  482. they will be able to evict and exhort those who contradict We

  483. talk about what that means or gainsayers.

  484. And by the way, in verse 11 of Titus 1, it says, whose mouths

  485. Must Be Stopped, who subvert whole houses teaching things,

  486. which are, they are not for the sake of dishonest game.

  487. And by the way, subvert just simply means undermine the

  488. authority. Those that undermine the

  489. authority of the church or the truth.

  490. Now, dwelt noted, this about Titus Chapter 1 and verse 9.

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  491. He said Titus Chapter 1 and I think this is true by the way,

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  492. he said, Titus Chapter 1 and verse 9 is a commentary of his

    Titus 1 chapter mention

  493. words. In first, Timothy chapter 3, and

  494. verse 2, when he said be apt to teach, do you see that the word

  495. apt as some would say that it is, do you see that?

  496. It's not just somebody willing to teach That means skillful.

  497. Here's a commentary on that passage?

  498. Why? Because he has to be able by

  499. sound Doctrine to exhort and convicting those at contradict.

  500. Primary job of an elder is watching over the flock of God.

  501. It requires a man to be a student of the Bible.

  502. It requires a man that has a broad knowledge of sound

  503. Doctrine and the reason is is to not only convict those that

  504. contradict but also to encourage and lead the flock of God.

  505. But finally today finally, today, as we conclude our

  506. remarks, In the New Testament, a bishop or an elder is not

  507. pictured as an iron rule authoritative authoritarian.

  508. He is described as a humble, man who views himself as a leader

  509. among equals. I like what one man said he said

  510. you know what, he he's the kind of guy.

  511. That views all of us standing at the feet of the cross.

  512. And an elder. That's the proper humble

  513. servant. He's the guy that feels in his

  514. heart that the ground is level at the foot of the cross.

  515. That his position of an elder or in his life is not elevated.

  516. Above anyone else, the ground is level, he doesn't look at

  517. himself as a puffed-up authoritarian.

  518. He looks him set himself as a forgiving servant.

  519. Just like everybody else. You know, when we talked about

  520. the idea of an elder Desiring, the office Desiring the work.

  521. Here's a quick little glimpse into that work acts 20:28,

    Acts 20:28

  522. therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock

  523. among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to Shepherd

  524. the Church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

  525. So the good work that an elder is to do is to fold its to feed

  526. the church. And number two is to meet the

  527. needs of its members. Now, one of the ways that you

  528. meet the needs of its members is to feed the shepherd, the Church

  529. of God which is the flock of God.

  530. These are the things that an elder does.

  531. But finally in closing, there are many things that an elder

  532. does. And we spent this is now six

  533. lessons, six lessons, We talked about a lot of different

  534. requirements, but maybe in your mind, you're thinking, but what

  535. does an elder do? I see the requirements and we've

  536. kind of touched on some stuff. What specifically does an elder

  537. do here. They are Elders duties.

  538. Teaching leading protecting disciplining comforting

  539. providing security soothing the troubled handling disputes

  540. evaluating weaknesses ministering to the sick

  541. counseling and even delegating responsibilities and I'll just

  542. say when it comes to delegating responsibilities, that is my

  543. absolute weak spot. That is a weak part of me.

  544. I have always had the personality just do it myself,

  545. that is not a good leader and where I might be a good leader

  546. in other aspects. I need to work on that

  547. delegating responsibilities and sometimes that means stepping

  548. back and let someone get in there.

  549. Like Terry says sometimes and get their feet wet sometimes you

  550. just have to give them a chance to do that delegating

  551. responsibilities. An elder does that in his

  552. duties, but all of this, by the way, remember when I said, why

  553. are there so many requirements to be an elder?

  554. Why are there? You know, an elder?

  555. Is the highest position. That a person could ever have in

  556. the Lord's church. It's so important that there has

  557. to be a plurality. So one man's not puffed up or

  558. held up higher than another. Has to be at least two.

  559. That picture. This we know how important an

  560. elder is. The church is the greatest

  561. institution in all the world. The church is the Earthly

  562. institution of the Heavenly Kingdom.

  563. If the church is the greatest institution in all the world, it

  564. means it's the greatest thing in all the world.

  565. And if an elder has the highest position in that church, Isn't

  566. he the most important person in the world in the eyes of God?

  567. All I know is he's more important than the president of

  568. states. That's fact.

  569. I don't care if it's Donald Trump or whoever they're not

  570. going to get me to heaven. Only the Lord is going to do

  571. that. Only the word of God leading me

  572. to do that. Through the church.

  573. Greatest institution, all the world, the greatest thing.

  574. And here's the final thing. An elder with all of these

  575. responsibilities cannot do. So, as an authoritarian, he has

  576. to do. So as a humble servant, Humble

  577. servant. I'm finished.

  578. And so, is the series on the qualifications of Elders at some

  579. point very soon. I will deal with deacons and

  580. their wives. I don't know if I'll do it right

  581. away. I may skip a little time and it

  582. is also very possible that I may take tackle deacons and their

  583. wives and one sermon. Not sure yet.

  584. Haven't put that all together but at some point we will talk

  585. about deacons and their wife. This is Elders in the Lord's

  586. Church. We thank you for listening to

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