The Biblical Blueprint for Church Leadership | Acts 20:17–38

A couple years ago, I was speaking on

the subject I'm going to speak to you

about this morning on the work of an

elder.

We're going to look at 20 this mornings

20. I'm taking a break from Matthew this

morning. We're having a members meeting

here on Wednesday night. And two years

ago, I brought up the that we need more

elders in the church. And so in our

members meeting, we had nominations for

elders and we talked to various people.

Some people that were nominated weren't

actually members of the church. Some

people didn't want to be an elder.

And so we we've been without more elders

here the last couple years. And people

said, "When are we going to get more

elders?" because the the uh the church

is grown and we need elders in the

church. We need more elders to do the

work of elders. And so this morning I'm

going to be looking at what is that

elder? We have someone who we're putting

forth to be an elder. We'll discuss that

later in the f. But what is an elder?

What is his work? What does he do? And

some of you may be saying, well, what

does this have any relevance to me

whatsoever? I don't want to

had no desire to seek

an occupation in the ministry.

So why is that relevant to me? And the

answer is because churches with elders

was God's idea for the health of the

flock of God.

And what we want from an elder should be

what God wants us to want from an elder.

And what we look for an elder should be

what God wants us to look for in an

elder. And what an elder does what God

should want an elder to do. And many

churches have gone astray by appeals to

what will make the church grow, what

will bring more people in, what is

entertaining, what makes them feel good,

uh who is funny, who looks good, who's

trendy, but that's not what we're to

look for. And so, we're going to look at

a passage this morning that defines what

an elder is, what an elder does. And

it's going to be something as a body

that

I want you to over the next God so easy

to do. I want you to be over the next

week fasting about the future of the

church and where we're going. And I want

you to keep these things in mind because

we're also going to ask for feedback

from the body before we appoint this

person who does the work and we want we

want feedback from the body. Is there

anything against anyone that needs to be

dealt with? Is there any major character

issues that have escaped on notice? I

don't think so, but we're going to bring

that up. But I want you looking at the

passage this morning and saying, "Okay,

this is what I'm

for."

This is what an elder does. If you stand

with me now for the reading of God's

word, we're readapter

starting in verse 17.

Now from he went to Ephesus and called

the elders of the church to come to him.

When they came to him, he said to them,

"You know how I lived among you the

whole time from the first day that I set

before I

serving the Lord with all humility and

with the trials that happened to me

through the Jews. how I did not shrink

from declaring to you anything that was

profitable and teaching you in public

and from house to house testifying both

years and

of repentance toward God and faith in

our Lord Jesus Christ

and now behold

I'm going to Jerusalem constrained by

the spirit not knowing what will happen

to me there except that the Holy Spirit

testifies to me in every city that

imprison

and affliction await me. But I do not

count my life any value nor precious to

myself if only I may finish my course in

the ministry that I received from the

Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of

the grace of God.

Now behold, I know that none of you

among whom I have gone about proclaiming

the kingdom will see my face.

Therefore, I to you this day that I am

innocent of the blood of all. I did not

shrink from declaring to you the whole

council of God.

Pay attention to yourselves to all the

flocks 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 w will come in among you not

sparing the flock and from among your

ownelves will arise men speaking twisted

to draw away the disciples after them.

Therefore be alert remembering that for

three years I did not seek night or day

to admonish one everyone.

Now I commend you to God and to the word

of his grace which is able to build you

up and to give you the inheritance among

all those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one silver apparel. You

know that these hands minister to my

necessities and to those who are with

me. In all things I have shown you that

by working hard in this way we must help

and remember the words of the Lord Jesus

how he himself saidless.

When he had said these things he knelt

down and prayed with them all. There was

much weeping on the part of all. They

embraced Paul and kissed him being

sorrowful most of all because of the

word he had spoken that they would not

see his face again and they accomper

that when shepherds were promised

Lord our

to be aer raise up.

God, this is your plan. This is your

your plan for your church. God, I pray

Lord that you would give us hearts

towards one another, willing to submit

to one another, willing to take free

spirit of humility. I pray Lord that you

would visit this body, you would pour

out gifts to men, God, you would raise

up for us elders in the future. We need

them now. We need them in the future.

Father, as we grow, God, give us godly,

godly elders who will

give us the heart, Lord, to follow.

You may be seated.

So in this text, Paul is getting ready

to leave

and he's leaving he's already left and

he's in my calls and he asks for all of

the elders in to come to him because

he's getting ready to leave and

you can just feel these are these are

the last words of Paul to the people of

Ephesus.

These are the particularly the elders of

Epism and he's talking to them and he's

reminding them about their role as

elders their role as shepherds of the

flock of God and what is it they need to

hear. He doesn't emphasize that they be

popular or witty or funny or have great

uh interest in preparation, but he tells

them a lot about their character and

their work and what they can do as

elders. And we see here that what an

elder is read

is that he's calling the elders. He uses

shephering analogy. He talks about

shephering the flock. He talks about

wolves. This is shepherd analogy. So

sometimes people will call an elder a

pastor. Pastor is taken from shephering

terminology. Someone who leads the sheep

and feeds the sheep and takes care of

ministering to their sheep sicknesses

and afflictions and restoring sheep when

they fall over. All those things that

shepherds do. He also uses the word of

overseeing as a verb which is another

word we'll look the word overseer. And

so the word elder, as I'm going to show

you, the word elder,

pastor,

overseer, in other words, bishop,

they all refer to the same office.

He doesn't call for any priest, nor does

he mention the work of priests and and

transforming

bread and wine into body and blood.

Priests are never mentioned in the New

Testament in that way. talk about the

priest of the believer but you don't see

an office of priests in fact you only

see two offices in the New Testament and

that is elders and deacons there was no

other officers

over elders and later bishop was seen as

something from an elder but as we see

originally it's the same office and they

were chosen from among the people in the

church they were known among the people

their character was known their

qualifications were made known by Paul

but let's look now at our text and and

and see it come out by acts 20 verse 17

Acts 20:17

says now from my he to

the elders of the church to come to him

so who are the elders the Greek word

could mean older so you could be talking

about an elder man just

Today we may talk about an elder like

respect your elders young man. We're

just talking about somebody who's older,

but it was it was used as a term for the

office because it came to be seen that

older men had the wisdom to guide Israel

originally. And so it says a seniorly

Israelite Sanhedrin also figuratively

member of the council that's in

revelation or Christian preser we get

our word Presbyterian the denomination

Presbyterian comes from this word of

elder the word pres

you need delegate, man. You gota you got

to get some people doing this job that

you're doing. And Moses goes to the

people and he says, I want all of you to

choose able men that fear God that hate

covetousness and I will appoint them as

in Hebrew tresbuteros

and Greek in the Greek that was that was

the old testament word for an elder. So

the office actually existed in ancient

Israel. They were like senators of

Israel. They were the the heads of

tribal groups chosen from among

families, the local households. Well,

now they're chosen from the household of

faith. The church, the local church is a

household of faith. And so that's where

the it's actually rooted in the Old

Testament. The New Testament isn't

coming up with a new idea necessarily.

It it pre-exists the Old Testament and

it was even part of the synagogue. They

had elders in every synagogue. So

there's an existing system when the

church becomes the church and they don't

start over from cloth but they choose

elders like their forefathers did in the

old testament in Deuteronom

and chapter 18. All right. So, what do

they do? Verse 18 says, "And when they

came to him, he said to them, you know

how I lived among you the whole time

from the first day that I set foot in

serving the Lord with all humility and

the tears and the trials that happened

to me through the flock of the Jews. How

I did not shrink from declaring to you

anything that was profitable and

teaching you in public and from house

testifying both to Jews and Greeks of

repentance towards God and faith in our

Lord Jesus Christ. Three things I want

to bring out here. First of all is I I

want to bring out that he says you know

how I lived among you. You saw the way

that I live. When we get into first

Timothy later on in this look at some of

the qualifications

how the elder lives is of extreme

importance

and it's very important how they live.

does not want immoral, ungodly, wicked

people shephering the flock of God

because because the people will become

like those that lead them. So moral

character is extremely important to

Paul. The second thing he says I did not

shrink back from declaring to you

anything that was profitable. Now, why

would Paul shrink back? He said, "Some

things that God's word offensive

doesn't make people happy." You might

offend the rich, you might offend the

poor, you might offend the women. Oh,

God forbid you offend the women. You

might offend you might offend the

popular. You might offend somebody that

has um that that has

power and influence in the church. Paul

said, "I did not shrink from declaring

to you anything that was profitable. I

think

he says that whoever breaks these

commandments and teaches others to do so

shall be called the least in the kingdom

of heaven.

I take that as a great warning that if

there's something in the text that

there's something in God's word and I

avoid it for fear of offending people,

God is saying that will make you leap

from heaven

that will make you go to the back of the

line. Paul says, I did not shrink back

from declaring anything that was

he was teaching you in public. Someone

brought up that The original church was

all house churches. But from the

beginning, you see Jesus preaching to

great multitudes on seashores and

mountain tops. You see Peter preaching

daily in the temple. Uh you see Paul and

the Acropolis and the Agora preaching

out teaching out in public. The church

met in all kinds of places. They didn't

have church buildings. They were

persecuted. The church was relatively

poor. But they did teach in public. They

taught in public places. People would go

and Paul was preaching this morning out

in a field. It's a nice sunny day. Show

up out there and and they would he would

he preach wherever in public, but he

also did it from house to house. We're

just a Sunday morning preacher. And and

something about someone who's who's

called particularly into the teaching

ministry. Um something that that is

evident is

they they want to talk about the things

of God. They want to talk about it.

to them.

Uh it's a passion to them and it's in

their heart and what's in the heart is

going to come out. And so he was

preaching in public but he's also

preaching from house to house. He says

out the abundance of the heart the mouth

speaks. So I I think of one great

important thing the the minister or the

elder in the church should be a man all

about God's word. Loving God's word

consuming God's word meditating upon

God's word because whatever's on the

inside is going to come out and you

won't have anything to give. It's you

freely give what you freely receive. So

it's a great importance that a man is

going to keep the word, love the word,

be in the word so that in house to house

it's coming out. He says he was

testifying both to Jews and Greeks

repentance towards God and of faith in

our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is the essence of the call of the

gospel. He was preaching to everyone,

Jews and Greek. Everyone everywhere.

What's the message? Repentance towards

God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The call of the gospel is you who are

self-ruled, masters of your own destiny,

independent,

turn towards God. Repent of your sins.

Turn from your sins and put your faith

in Jesus Christ. That's the message.

repentance towards God. We have broken

his law. We have sinned against him. We

have offended him. But if you will turn

from your sins and place your faith in

the work of Jesus Christ, you will be

saved. This is the message. In recent

years, the message of repentance and

many places, many churches, I've heard

big known preachers even say that they

don't like the word repentance. They

don't like to speak of sin. But Paul

spoke of sin. He called people to

and really as we come to the word of God

all of us elders and and all of us alike

as we come to the word of God we're

going to see things that don't line up

with the way that we're living and when

we do our response will be God have

mercy on me as we look to the communion

table we remember what Christ has done

for us and we renew we are to be

constantly renewing our faith and what

Christ has done for us we're to be

coming back and remembering what Christ

did on the cross for us. That's the

message that he preached publicly.

Repentance towards God and faith in our

Lord Jesus Christ walk around telling

everybody everywhere loves you has a

wonderful plan for your life.

He went everywhere and he said

toward God

and put your faith in Jesus Christ. That

is the gospel message. And so an elder

must be able to teach and preach and

have a life that reflects what God

requires of us, which we all fall short

of. But that's what we're aiming for.

Acts 20 verse 22. And now behold, I'm

Acts 20:22

going to Jerusalem constrained by the

spirit, not knowing what will happen

there, except that the Holy Spirit

testifies to me in every city that

imprisonment and afflictions await me.

But I do not account for my life of any

value, nor is precious to myself, if

only I may finish my course in the

ministry that I received from the Lord

Jesus to testify to the gospel of the

grace of God. And Paul was willing to

suffer. He knew the price that it would.

Now, as of right now, there's no great

horrendous persecution in the church. Uh

people may hurt your feelings and people

might think he will love you and you may

rub people along and people may not like

what an elder says or how he preaches or

how he prays or any variety of things.

But um but the the elder must be willing

to suffer. Paul was willing to suffer as

a pattern. He was willing to suffer if

the cause of Christ and he received his

ministry from the Lord Jesus to testify

the grace of God and he was willing to

suffer for that message.

Now behold, I know that none of you

among whom I have gone about proclaiming

the kingdom will see my face again.

Therefore, I testify to you this day

that I am innocent of the blood of all.

For I did not shrink and become to you

the whole of God. That same phrase

declaring the whole council of God is

proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom

and he's declaring the whole council of

God.

the whole council of God that's old and

new testament Paul makes it clear

that all scriptures given by inspiration

of God and his cloth of all we don't

leave off the other half of the book two

of the book the old testament it's the

whole council of God now we look at the

old test through the lens of the cross

and what Christ has done but to be

faithful you don't leave off the old

testament you don't leave off that are

unpopular or hurt people's feelings, the

faithful minister of the word will

declare the whole council of God. Do you

want to hear the whole

that's what I'll come back to for the

rest of you is what what are you coming

to hear and see? I think of a similar

question Jesus asked his audience in

Matthew 11 when John the Baptist

disciples asked questions and he says to

the crowds John the Baptist what did you

come out to see did you come out to see

a reed shaken in the wind

to see uh people somebody wearing fine

clothing to know those that wear fine

clothing live but what did you come out

to

What did they come out to see? They came

out to hear. They came out to hear a

true prophet that would proclaim the

whole council of God and proclaim the

truth and do it in power. And so that's

what we should want. We should want the

whole council of God. We should want to

hear what does God require of me?

Because we're not in a club.

If it's just a club, I'd rather stay

home and sleep in morning another day.

The church of God is God's idea. It's a

body of believers that God is conforming

to the image of his son working in our

hearts

changing lives the image of Christ and

the body of his bringing new souls into

the kingdom of God. And so we need to

check ourselves. If we're coming for

some other motive, if we're looking for

something else from the church that God

did not were going to church to do, then

we need to check ourselves and make sure

to do the right thing. All right. Verse

28, he says, "Pay careful attention to

the elders here. Payful 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, noting the flock.

From among your own will twisting

twisted things to draw away the

disciples after them. Therefore, be

alerting for years and day to admonish

every

lot of things. First of all, be careful.

Careful attention to

all

constantly be on looks

beating

yourself and and that's one of the

reasons why we need our elders so that

we can

hold we can hold each other up and we

can hold each other accountable and we

can confront each other when we need it.

He says all the flock. Now what's

interesting here is the word elder in

previous verses which is kind of the old

testament

form of government

of the old testament and now he switches

over to shepherd language. This is where

we get the word shepherd. The word isn't

the word pastor is only I know it's used

in

but the word isn't used as much as you

might think. It's the number one thing

that people call pastors today or

doctors. But notice here the elders are

now look at look at the language here.

First of all, the congregation is

referred to a as a

and and a flock of of sheep. Why is

that? Because in the same way that a

shepherd is to care for the sheep and an

elder is to care for the flock by

analogy. So I remember when I became

pastor

years ago now I think it was 20 years

ago when I became a pastor 21 years in

March actually when I became a pastor

back then I remember one of the first

sermons I preach was the Lord is my

pastor in Psalm 23

which is an interesting text to go and

look at what when David says Yahweh is

my

what does he talk about the Lord

talks about him

and and feeding him. And by analogy, the

elders feed the flock in the word of

God. Just like a shepherd lead

grass, the pastor should be feeding the

flock from the word of God. How he

restores my soul.

When a sheep falls over and he's on his

back and the blood is rushing to his

head and he can't get over, which is a

common thing on the sheep apparently,

the shepherd comes along and restores

him on his feet again and and holds him

there until he's able to walk again. If

he's been on his back for a while, blood

rushes and can't hardly move. It's a

picture of how David says, "The Lord

restores my soul. When I'm when I'm

down, he picks me up. He restores me. He

gives me peace again. He He gets me uh

on back on the path of righteousness.

And he protects me from the the the

wolves and the you know you talk about

going through the valley of the shadow

of death. All this the shephering

analogy how the Lord protects them from

the wolves. And here too we hear the

analogy of grievous fierce wolves are

going to come from among you from the

elders themselves. Wolves will come into

the flock. What do they do? They draw

them in after themselves. They're not

pointing to Jesus. They're pointing to

themselves. This is all shephering

analogy. Things that a shepherd does. He

anoints my head with oil. What what is

that? That that was a way a shepherd

would apply ointment to a sheep's head

to to heal his wounds from a certain

kind of fly that would get in the nose

and lay eggs in the nose. Awful things.

The shepherds would mix oil up with

different apply it to that for the sheep

in order to treat it from certain

ailments that that are perceived. But

it's a picture of how God cares for us

physical means. He he feeds us, he leads

us, he disciplines us, he protects us.

All of these things are analogies for

things that a shepherd does. And so the

word shepherd

sayer

to me

a reminder of a of a calling of of a job

description of how a shepherd is to care

for the flock to care for the sheep or

to care for their needs and attend to

the flock that Christ

with his own blood.

That's why when someone leaves not for a

good cause

for good reason they have to leave or

start a new

whatever. But it's a it's a sad thing

when people leave the church to go down

a path of self-destruction. It hurts the

heart. There's many ways when people

say, "Well, you know, going somewhere

else. It's not a great tragedy." But

sometimes you watch people, you watch a

going down a path that you know is a

path of

and it hurts the heart to watch that.

But that's the heart because the flock

Christ

with his own blood. You see you see here

this this association of elders are

shepherds and also notice this word

overseer

overseer in verse 28 overseer

that word the word the word episcopus

look at it vish or overseer it's also

used in first chapter three uh the word

epop

um one who superintendent Christian the

office of a bishop

it was a it was a town used in it was

used in town of an administrator over

the town it was an overseer but it's not

a separate office it's the word we get

from so the presidential church takes it

from

and theian church takes it from this

word translated bishop or overseer but

here he's talking about the The shepherd

is looking over his flock. He's looking

for danger. He's looking for wolves.

He's looking for the sheep that's not

eating. Why is that sheep not eating?

Why is that? Why is that sick? Is that

sheep need attending to? That's what the

overseer is doing. This is one reason

you need more.

You need more. You need a certain amount

of elders just to take care of the

number of people that they need. Now,

one thing that we do here

We'll put the names and the numbers of

our elders up on the screen after the

service. You're welcome to take a

picture of it, write it down, save it.

We're going to depend upon you a lot of

times to help us do the over by contact.

I can't know everything that you're

going through and I can't guess. I try

to make phone calls to men. I I try to

make phone calls and find out where

people are and what they're doing. But

feel free to reach out for help from

your from the elders of the church

because it's what we're here to do, but

we need help doing it because we're not

we're not living in the same house with

you. We don't know everything you're

going through unless you reach out to

us. But this is a picture the

episcopiser

and uh shepherd they're the same office

here one group of men all elders

and now I commend you to God and to the

word of his grace which is able to build

you up and to give you the inheritance

among all those who are sanctified.

I covered no one's silver or gold

apparel. You know that these hands

minister to my necessities and to those

who are with me in all things. I have

shown you that by working hard in the

way in this way we must help the weak

and remember the words how he himself

said it is no.

So he commends them to God and to the

word of his

empering

He says, Timothy, give yourself to these

things. Meditate upon them that your

prophet may appear unto all. For doing

this, thou shalt save thyself and them

that hear thee. He's constantly beware

of false doctrines. Watch out for the

doctrines of devils. Be ready to rebuke

the gameers and the people that that

want to

tone the flock of God. tells them take

yourself,

I commend you to God and the word of his

grace which is able to build you up. The

word of his grace will build you up. And

he says that you must help the weak.

Help the weak. The the church is not

just made of strong people. The church

isn't just made of people that are have

it all together.

In fact, we all need encouragement and

strengthening from brothers and sisters.

And so, um, we all need accountability.

We all need encouragement. We all need

people in our life that will lift us up.

And that is that is a great part of what

the elder is called to do. Verse 36. And

when he had said these things, he knelt

down and prayed with them all. And he

was much weeping on the

He embraced Paul and kissed him being

sorrowful most of all because of the

word he had spoken that they would not

see his face again and they accept

there's a problem with a pastor

a church in which you can't even talk to

That's a problem.

Now, it may be that a church of great

size.

The day it was born was actually a mega

church.

Day number one, 3,000 people get saved.

A few chapters later, 5,000 people get

saved. And we're told in 47, Acts 27,

that daily people were getting saved.

And they're breaking bread from house to

house. So, the church was born was a

huge group of people. And so immediately

there was a great need to raise up more

leaders,

get more people ready as quick as they

could. Now some of these people were

there temporarily. They were coming on a

pilgrimage to Jerusalem to offer a

sacrifice to keep the feast and they

were going to do that and then they were

going to go home back to Pontious

Galatia and Friia or wherever they came

from and they needed to be quick with

the gospel as quick as they could so

that when they go back to Friia they can

bring the the news to the

and and so there was a a lot of work

being done immediately but they had

right away the church also were highly

organized.

They had deacons and the deacons weren't

just guys that got together once in a

while and discussed you know

some some new fun project. deacons were

handling distribution of large amounts

of finances to widows, Hebrew widows and

Greek widows taking the distribution of

funds from day from day one the church

had to be very organized. I'm against

organized religion. When you're against

you're against the religion ordained in

the word of God because it was pretty

organized.

In fact, that's one of the convicting

things. It was they had a they had a a

government. They had a system and they

had a way of raising up leaders so that

the work of God could continue. Paul was

there for three years just like Jesus

was in Ephesus for three years. And when

he left, he left deacons and elders. And

when he left, he left two ordained

elders. And that's what his do be there

for about three years, going to the next

place and ordain deacons and elders. He

ordained three, but he deacons and

elders to do what? To the flock of God.

The deacons take care of the practical

practical things uh administrative

things and the elders take care of

preaching teaching

prayer study visiting people disciplehip

and that that was God's plan. So like in

Titus going on to a new text now

tells this why I left you sleep that you

might what remained in order and appoint

elders in every tongue as I directed

you. If anyone is above the roach, the

husband of one wife and his children are

believers and not open to the charge of

debauchery or inordination.

For an overseer, as God's steward must

be above reproach, there's that word. An

overseer as God's steward must be above

reproach. He must not be arrogant or

quick tempered or a drunken or violent

or greedy for gain but hospitable a

lover of good control upright holy and

disciplined. He must hold firm to the

trustworthy word as false so that he may

be able to give instruction and sound

doctrine and also to rebuke those

oppos.

So

he said this is why I left you

to ordain

elders

I guess will be later on but he appoints

orain that's the word

to break down

figuratively to designate

to appoint ordain. He he left them there

to ordain elders because they needed

more elders to keep the work of God.

And so it should be our prayer God

elders

and elders.

Peter

would say

what we find here.

I exhort the elders among you as a

fellow elder. Isn't that interesting?

Peter refers to himself as a fellow

elder. Not as the first pope, but as a

fellow elder. He was an apostle

and and he had a prophetic office. He

spoke he writes scripture. He is a

foundation stone of the church. And yet

in humility, he reversed himself as a

fellow elder. Not as a but as a fellow

elers. Peter uses the language. He

speaks to them as

even though

he was more than an elder. And yet in

that office he refers himself as a

fellow elder and a witness of the

suffering 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. There's that langage of shepherd.

We've got the word elder and we've got

the word shephering. Shephering the

flock of God among you. Exercising

oversight. Now there's that word like

related to overseer at the scopus. It's

that it's that same kind of root. Not

under compulsion, but willingly, as God

would have you, not for sinful gain, but

eagerly, not doineering over those in

your charge, but being to the flock. And

when the chief appears, you will receive

the unfading crown of glory. Likewise,

you are subject to your elders.

with humility toward one another.

That's interesting.

And he tells them to exercise oversight,

but he also warns them not doineering,

not being on an ego threat, not not

going beyond your jurisdiction of the

church. years ago called the shephering

movement in which elders were approving

every little decision in the church. You

know, I want to buy a car. No, I don't

think it's buy.

I like to marry her. Well, I that's not

biblical. That's not the jurisdiction of

the church, right? The jurisdiction of

the church, the elder isn't the elder

isn't uh giving you oversight on on the

nonical issues of your finances. Okay?

Uh but but when it comes to teaching

sound doctrine, teaching the truth,

counseling you in moral matters, you

should really pay attention to your

elders. Be very careful because they're

there to help you. We all have blind

spots. And elders, including helping

elders, help us to see our blind spots

so that we don't go off. This is God's

design. He said, not doineering over

those in the church, but being examples.

Peter emphasizes being

he

don't do the young

one another

have a very even if you think oh I'm so

right on this I know I'm right

well prayerfully

But be careful and ask is it pride

that's leading me down this or is it my

wanting to justify doing something that

God's word clearly says is not to be

done. All right, one more text I'm going

to go through.

I don't know why.

I got a little time

getting in trouble right here. All

right, Ignore that. Who knows?

Not really. Not really. Timothy 3. This

is an important text since he is both

both Paul and Peter uh have emphasized

being an example to the in what how and

why are these so important I believe

what we're going to see here is actually

this is a pattern that he doesn't just

want for elders he the moral part he

wants all of us to be moving towards he

wants he wants us all to have these as

part of our life and so he writes

Timothy who left

to ordain elders. He says this is

trustworthy. If anyone aspires to the

office of overseer,

he desires a noble task. Now there's

number one

elders

where the elders

didn't want it.

didn't want it didn't want to work

on

they have to desire they desire a noble

nires

okay disappointing but okay

therefore an overseer must be above

approach

the husband of one wife or literally one

woman man. Now I don't take that to be

uh I I don't believe in the context here

talking about someone

that they

and the reason I don't I'll give you one

reason that doesn't make sense to me.

Let's say you got a guy that just got

saved and for his previous life he's

never been married but he's been Mr.

all kinds of women just never been

married, right? And then you got another

guy, maybe he was a believer, maybe he

wasn't, maybe his wife, kind of like

Israel, was unfaithful to the Lord was

unfaithful to him. We don't know all the

circumstances, but uh he's divorced. And

we're going to say, okay, the guy that

was just sexually immoral before, which

all these

probably were, that's okay. But if

someone's been married before, it's not

okay. I don't believe that's the point

of the test. I think the Point of the

text here is that the overseer must not

be a womanizer like for example the sons

of Eli were in the old they were and

they were sexually immoral and therefore

I really think it has more to do with

the the sexual purity of the man now

more than what he was many years in the

past. However, past conduct should be

investigated. So that's that is my

opinion on it. differ on it, but I I

don't believe it's simply saying, "Oh,

at one point you were divorced. You're

disqualified.

Even God divorced Israel."

So I I don't believe that's the point of

the passage. I think he's talking about

is this person needs to be a good

example to the

person now or going through a divorce

now or in recent history, then he's not

a good example. The point is being a

good example. The point is not at any

time in your life that have you failed

because then we'll never get

you can't we can't have perfection.

All right? sober minded,

self-control,

respectable,

able to teach, not a drunker,

not violent but gentle, not

a lover of money. You notice Paul says,

"Iviel

addressification

of the elder in the Old Testament,

not

Why? Well, because money is being

interested to the elders and he's

covetous man.

So, not a covetous man

or not a lover of money. Verse four, he

must manage his own household well with

all dignity keeping his children.

If someone does not know how to manage

his own household, how we take care of

God's children. Again, this is something

that constantly has to be reevaluated.

And what I think you're saying here,

look at their household. Their household

is out of control.

the household of God

and it's the present that is most

but the past is an indication of where a

person is at. I had somebody tell me

about a pastor. All of his children had

totally gone straight from the Lord,

gone off into homosexuality, left,

falling away in every way. That still

pastor that is an indication that

something was wrong. That is an

indication that he did not know how to

manage your household. And the advice

he's giving you is probably some bad

counsel

because he didn't know how to do it

himself.

So the way a man governs his household

and leads his family is an important

indicator mentioned in both

verse six. He must not be a recent

convert or he may become puffed up with

conceit

of the devil. Moreover, he must be well

thought of by outsiders so that he may

not fall into the snare of the devil.

Why? Why this about a recent convert and

doesn't how much it is. I'm glad he

doesn't define how long it is because

some countries like I've heard in Asia

a very short period of time and because

there's nobody else to do the job of

thousands of people

God by his

and what else are they going to do but

Paul really doesn't want to go for

somebody who's just they're eloquent

they're funnyately

eldership

they become puffed up within.

So talent is not alone.

Watch out for Okay.

Likewise must be dignified, not double

tonged, not addicted to much wine, not

greeding for dishonest. They must hold

the mystery of the faith with a clear

conscience. Let them also be tested.

Then let them as deacons if they prove

themselves lame let them also be tested

first implying that you should know the

person know the church know the person

and

find

you have concerns for all right vers

means

So you can translate it wise also be

women likewise must be dignified not so

minded faithful in all things. Let

deacons each be the husband of one wife

managing their children their own

households well for those who serve well

as deacons gain a good standing for

themselves and also great confidence in

the faith that is in Christ Jesus. So

bunch of qualifications here. Here's

kind of the summation of the list.

There's a lot more that could be said

here, but first of all, we see a one

woman sexuality.

I I think that is definitely my opinion.

He's a one woman. He's not a womanizer.

He doesn't have he's not constantly

looking at women and with their eyes.

Very important. sober, vigilant,

somebody that is spiritually alert to

danger

and is is looking out for it. They're

not just going through life. They're

thinking critically about doctrine,

spiritual danger, temptation.

It's got to be a shepherd has to be able

to look out so he's sober and vig.

He has to have self-control in his own

life. orderly, good behavior, moderate,

I want to talk about that one for a

moment.

He really cares for people, not just

because he loves people.

He wants to hear what's coming out of

his mouth.

I don't think that necessarily from the

public. I think it's it's okay to have

leading elders who are there and

decision making processes and church

discipline issues but at least he needs

to know the word of God be able to

communicate oneonone

and help guide people who are struggling

with sin in their life you need to be

able to teach if not from a pulpit oneon

one I think pulpit yes but it doesn't

say specifically in the pulpit he needs

to know doctrine be able to communicate

it in a cohesive manner that people can

not given to wine

not a drunk not contentious or pugnous

doesn't doesn't like to fight and not

somebody

I want to look at this really

I want to note for all

says in

For to this you have been called because

Christ also suffered for you leaving you

again all

so that you might follow in his step. He

committed no sit

in his mouth. When he was reviled he did

not revile in return. When he suffered

he did not threaten but continued

entrusting himself to him who judgesly.

He himself bore our sins.

his body on the street that we might die

to sight.

By his wounds, you have been for you

were praying like sheep but have now

returned to the shepherd and overseer of

your soul. In our even

but This is the one who himself bore

your souls

for us

towards God in Jesus Christ. The purpose

of the church is first of all the

evangelistic purpose. We're to make

known the gospel. We're call the nations

and we're to teach and observe all

things he's commanded us. But we're all

commanded to live to righteousness.

All of us are commanded to be holy. All

of us are called to be sexually pure and

honest and not be covetous and be good

examples to the whole churches. The

reason why it's important that elders be

an example is because this what he wants

he wants all of us to be godly

and the emphasis in remembering that uh

he loved us and he gave himself for us

our own body on the tree and and uh we

have returned to our soul it's

reasonable that we should lay down our

lives for him lay down. Father, we thank

you God that you are our good shepherd.

You care for this. You loved us. You

gave yourself for us. Lord, it is

reasonable that we should seek to live

for you to honor you with our lives,

with our words. God, I pray Lord that

you would bring

to hearted

encouragement and strength to the

stumbling. I pray for the heavy heart

before you this morning. lifted up. And

I pray Lord for the person that's

struggling with sin in their life that

they would know that you're a good

shepherd and that you lose none of your

teachers.