1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Well, let me start with a question this morning. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,440 Think about this in your heart. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:11,480 Should a man or woman aspire to leadership in the church? 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,240 Should a person aspire to leadership in the church? 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,320 And I mean that in a general sense, 6 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:17,820 not specifically about elders, 7 00:00:17,820 --> 00:00:20,360 but about all kinds of leadership in the church. 8 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,120 Deacons, ministry directors, leading on the worship team, 9 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,320 children's ministry, becoming a discipler of others. 10 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,840 Should Christians aspire to leadership? 11 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:31,640 Should they want it? 12 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,760 Should they pursue it? 13 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:34,360 Is that okay? 14 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,540 Is that what God wants from us? 15 00:00:37,540 --> 00:00:40,800 In my many years of ministry, I've found that so many 16 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,540 Christians are hesitant to step forward into leadership, 17 00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:47,180 to raise their hand and say, I'm ready. 18 00:00:47,180 --> 00:00:48,620 And there's a whole bunch of reasons for that. 19 00:00:48,620 --> 00:00:52,220 Some folks just don't feel qualified or don't feel like 20 00:00:52,220 --> 00:00:55,560 they'll ever be qualified at any point in their life. 21 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,600 Some are a little bit just passive in the approach to that 22 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,960 question thinking, I'm just, I'm absolutely fine with sitting 23 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:04,860 in the back and letting other people lead. 24 00:01:04,860 --> 00:01:08,200 Let them sort of carry the weight of that. 25 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,500 And then others have counted the cost of leadership. 26 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:11,660 They see the hard work. 27 00:01:11,660 --> 00:01:15,200 They see the responsibility and the weight of it. 28 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:17,440 And they say, no, thank you. 29 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,840 Still others are concerned about whether having an ambition 30 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:22,980 for leadership is a godly motivation or an ungodly 31 00:01:22,980 --> 00:01:23,820 motivation. 32 00:01:23,820 --> 00:01:27,020 Is it better just to remain humble and not seek that out? 33 00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:29,560 So it's just something to think about this morning in your own 34 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,660 heart, where do you stand on that? 35 00:01:31,660 --> 00:01:34,160 Should we have ambition to leadership? 36 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:35,620 So grab your Bibles. 37 00:01:35,620 --> 00:01:37,400 We're going to start not in Titus this morning. 38 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:46,500 I want you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and look at verse 1. 39 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,580 We are in the pastoral epistles, right? 40 00:01:49,580 --> 00:01:53,540 Very important letters, right, from an older apostle written to 41 00:01:53,540 --> 00:01:58,380 his younger protege, preparing them to sort of fill in because 42 00:01:58,380 --> 00:02:01,820 Paul knows his life is coming close to an end. 43 00:02:01,820 --> 00:02:04,880 So we've got Timothy and Titus who are being written to. 44 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:09,900 Now, there is no doubt a type of ambition that we should resist. 45 00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:11,320 Let me make that clear. 46 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:14,600 The type that is self-focused, that is self-indulgent, that is 47 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,140 self-glorifying. 48 00:02:17,140 --> 00:02:19,500 But according to this text, we're going to read verse 1 in a 49 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:22,800 second, there is a noble and worthy and honorable kind of 50 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,180 ambition that is actually required to be in the heart of 51 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:29,120 any man who wishes to serve as an elder. 52 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:33,020 He must have a passionate drive to serve the kingdom of God 53 00:02:33,020 --> 00:02:35,220 into shepherd God's flock. 54 00:02:35,220 --> 00:02:36,780 So take a look at verse 1. 55 00:02:36,780 --> 00:02:40,100 It is a trustworthy statement. 56 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:43,720 If any man aspires, look at that key word, aspires to the office 57 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,580 of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 58 00:02:48,580 --> 00:02:50,620 So the first thing you see Paul writes to Timothy about 59 00:02:50,620 --> 00:02:52,980 elders is they have to aspire to the office. 60 00:02:52,980 --> 00:02:56,940 Now the Greek verb there, oregatai, means to stretch out 61 00:02:56,940 --> 00:03:02,180 and grab onto something, which tells you what he's getting at 62 00:03:02,180 --> 00:03:03,180 here. 63 00:03:03,180 --> 00:03:06,620 The perspective elder has to want this, he has to desire it, 64 00:03:06,620 --> 00:03:08,820 he has to reach out for it. 65 00:03:08,820 --> 00:03:09,820 And what does God think of this? 66 00:03:09,820 --> 00:03:13,820 Paul says it's a fine work that he desires. 67 00:03:13,820 --> 00:03:17,220 Now in my opinion, the translation here, the NASB comes 68 00:03:17,220 --> 00:03:18,340 out a little bit flat. 69 00:03:18,340 --> 00:03:20,460 I prefer the ESV's description. 70 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:24,180 He desires a noble task. 71 00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:28,660 And the Greek word there for finer noble, kalos, oops, there it is, 72 00:03:28,660 --> 00:03:29,660 kalos, right? 73 00:03:29,660 --> 00:03:32,440 It has this beautiful range of meaning to it. 74 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:36,580 It can mean beautiful, excellent, precious, commendable, 75 00:03:36,580 --> 00:03:38,100 and more. 76 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:42,940 That's what Paul says about an elder who seeks to have 77 00:03:42,940 --> 00:03:47,260 ambition, seeks to have godly ambition to become an actual 78 00:03:47,260 --> 00:03:48,340 elder. 79 00:03:48,340 --> 00:03:51,180 So as we look at this, we have to keep in mind the context 80 00:03:51,180 --> 00:03:52,780 that Paul is writing in. 81 00:03:52,780 --> 00:03:53,780 Think about this. 82 00:03:53,780 --> 00:03:56,260 Taking a leadership position in first century Ephesus where 83 00:03:56,260 --> 00:04:00,420 Timothy was, was not an easy thing to do. 84 00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:02,100 Leadership in those early churches in Greece would bring 85 00:04:02,100 --> 00:04:05,820 you things like trouble and hardship and rejection and 86 00:04:05,820 --> 00:04:07,420 possibly real persecution. 87 00:04:07,420 --> 00:04:11,100 So far fewer men back in that day were stepping into church 88 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:14,160 leadership to feed their egos. 89 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:15,340 That just didn't happen often. 90 00:04:15,340 --> 00:04:17,700 For the most part, it was a daunting thing to basically 91 00:04:17,700 --> 00:04:19,860 raise your hand and say, I want to be an elder and put a 92 00:04:19,860 --> 00:04:21,440 target on my back. 93 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,100 So you see here in this text, Paul gives encouragement to 94 00:04:24,100 --> 00:04:27,940 Timothy, tell the men that the church needs qualified leaders. 95 00:04:27,940 --> 00:04:30,400 Let them know that in God's eyes, this is a commendable 96 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,220 thing to have ambition to church leadership. 97 00:04:34,220 --> 00:04:35,960 Now what about today? 98 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,860 Not so much hardship and persecution to be in church 99 00:04:38,860 --> 00:04:39,860 leadership today. 100 00:04:39,860 --> 00:04:42,800 Today in far too many churches in this country where being a 101 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:46,380 pastor or a preacher carries prestige and privilege and 102 00:04:46,380 --> 00:04:50,420 sometimes even wealth, you see men aspiring to the office of 103 00:04:50,420 --> 00:04:54,140 elder and more likely to the role of pastor or preacher for 104 00:04:54,140 --> 00:04:56,060 all the wrong reasons. 105 00:04:56,060 --> 00:04:59,580 You see men wanting it for applause, for admiration, for 106 00:04:59,580 --> 00:05:02,820 the love of titles and celebrity and all the perks that go 107 00:05:02,820 --> 00:05:07,100 along with being recognized by not just the congregation but 108 00:05:07,100 --> 00:05:09,260 by the wider world, the Christian world. 109 00:05:09,260 --> 00:05:10,260 That's why they're there. 110 00:05:10,260 --> 00:05:12,900 In fact, if you think about it, it's not that far off from a 111 00:05:12,900 --> 00:05:16,340 passage you read several weeks ago in Matthew 23 where Jesus 112 00:05:16,340 --> 00:05:17,740 says this about the Pharisees. 113 00:05:17,740 --> 00:05:20,540 Now listen to this as you think about men who are in ministry 114 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:22,020 for the wrong reasons. 115 00:05:22,020 --> 00:05:26,880 The Pharisees, they do everything to be seen by others. 116 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,260 They love the place of honor at banquets. 117 00:05:30,260 --> 00:05:32,660 They love the front seats in the synagogue. 118 00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:35,700 They love greetings in the marketplace and they love to be 119 00:05:35,700 --> 00:05:38,420 called rabbi by the people. 120 00:05:38,420 --> 00:05:43,100 Many men in Christian ministry today fit a similar description. 121 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:45,600 So this morning as we come back to our study of elders in Titus 122 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,540 1, let's make sure we get this principle right off the bat. 123 00:05:49,540 --> 00:05:52,740 Having a passion to excel towards church leadership is not 124 00:05:52,740 --> 00:05:56,340 wrong and in the case of elders, it's not only not wrong, it's 125 00:05:56,340 --> 00:06:00,380 beautiful, it's commendable and it's required but here's the big 126 00:06:00,380 --> 00:06:04,860 but, the motivation of the heart is the determining factor. 127 00:06:04,860 --> 00:06:08,300 Always check the heart because where does God look? 128 00:06:08,300 --> 00:06:09,300 On the heart. 129 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:11,320 He's far less concerned with what you do on the outside than 130 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:14,060 He is what motivates you inside. 131 00:06:14,060 --> 00:06:16,100 So we always have to ask the question, why do we do what we 132 00:06:16,100 --> 00:06:17,100 do? 133 00:06:17,100 --> 00:06:18,700 If we aspire to leadership, why? 134 00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:22,540 What motivates us to step into that position? 135 00:06:22,540 --> 00:06:25,420 Ambition that is focused on glorifying God and advancing 136 00:06:25,420 --> 00:06:28,740 His kingdom is a mighty force for good. 137 00:06:28,740 --> 00:06:33,700 We know that but beware, what is Jesus' standard for greatness? 138 00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:34,700 Right? 139 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:38,500 It really doesn't have anything to do with prestige or 140 00:06:38,500 --> 00:06:42,780 privilege or the applause of men or becoming wealthy. 141 00:06:42,780 --> 00:06:46,780 For Jesus, it's about giving yourself to serve others rather 142 00:06:46,780 --> 00:06:50,060 than inducing people to serve you. 143 00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:51,740 And sometimes we get that mixed up in the church. 144 00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:53,340 So here's what we're going to do today. 145 00:06:53,340 --> 00:06:55,420 That's just sort of an entree to what we're going to get to in 146 00:06:55,420 --> 00:06:56,500 Titus 1. 147 00:06:56,500 --> 00:06:59,860 We are going to bite off two whole verses this morning. 148 00:06:59,860 --> 00:07:00,860 Very exciting. 149 00:07:00,860 --> 00:07:03,780 And it's funny, last week I came up here and I was half joking. 150 00:07:03,780 --> 00:07:07,700 I said, hey, I didn't intend for this but this is week two on 151 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:10,060 elders, there's going to be a week three. 152 00:07:10,060 --> 00:07:11,180 Well guess what? 153 00:07:11,180 --> 00:07:15,100 I didn't intend for this but today's week three on elders 154 00:07:15,100 --> 00:07:19,580 and there's going to be a week four. 155 00:07:19,580 --> 00:07:21,740 Because the stuff is just pouring out of me. 156 00:07:21,740 --> 00:07:25,740 I know it's only like five verses but there's so much that 157 00:07:25,740 --> 00:07:29,180 needs to be talked about in the modern church culture about 158 00:07:29,180 --> 00:07:31,500 ecclesiology and about elders in particular. 159 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:34,220 So I'm saving some really important truths for next Sunday 160 00:07:34,220 --> 00:07:37,860 and Lord willing we'll be at the end of it at that point and 161 00:07:37,860 --> 00:07:38,860 we'll move on. 162 00:07:38,860 --> 00:07:39,860 I know Jessie, she's skeptical. 163 00:07:39,860 --> 00:07:41,380 She's like, are you sure? 164 00:07:41,380 --> 00:07:42,380 We'll see. 165 00:07:42,380 --> 00:07:44,580 Now you might recall that I praised you guys last Sunday for 166 00:07:44,580 --> 00:07:46,540 engaging so well with these sermons. 167 00:07:46,540 --> 00:07:48,460 I really appreciate that. 168 00:07:48,460 --> 00:07:50,980 Remember I invited you guys to ask any new questions you might 169 00:07:50,980 --> 00:07:54,380 have and once again you did not disappoint. 170 00:07:54,380 --> 00:07:58,740 So before we dive into our two new verses, I do want to talk 171 00:07:58,740 --> 00:08:01,380 about the two main questions that came out of our 172 00:08:01,380 --> 00:08:02,700 congregation. 173 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:06,700 Two questions that were actually mentioned by multiple people. 174 00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:09,900 So I feel like the Lord was saying you've got to touch on 175 00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:10,900 these things. 176 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:12,900 So let me deal with the two things and I'll deal with the 177 00:08:12,900 --> 00:08:13,900 easier one first. 178 00:08:13,900 --> 00:08:16,260 When we spoke last Sunday about the requirement of an elder's 179 00:08:16,260 --> 00:08:20,140 home life, we looked at Titus 1.6 where it says he must have 180 00:08:20,140 --> 00:08:22,900 children who are faithful. 181 00:08:22,900 --> 00:08:25,860 And we define that as children who, they don't live perfectly 182 00:08:25,860 --> 00:08:28,940 obviously but in the general course of life they live in 183 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:31,860 submission to the authority of their father in the home. 184 00:08:31,860 --> 00:08:34,940 They don't live in a state of debauchery or rebellion, Paul 185 00:08:34,940 --> 00:08:36,100 says, right? 186 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:38,780 So then the question came up and we'll answer this. 187 00:08:38,780 --> 00:08:39,780 Okay, that's fine. 188 00:08:39,780 --> 00:08:43,220 We see how important it is for a young child living under the 189 00:08:43,220 --> 00:08:47,580 roof of his or her home for them to be in submission. 190 00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:51,260 But what is the cutoff age for that? 191 00:08:51,260 --> 00:08:52,260 What is the cutoff age? 192 00:08:52,260 --> 00:08:56,180 In other words, what if an elder's son or daughter grows up, 193 00:08:56,180 --> 00:08:58,420 becomes an adult and then turns away from their father's 194 00:08:58,420 --> 00:09:02,140 instruction and discipline and begins to live a thoroughly 195 00:09:02,140 --> 00:09:03,540 anti-Christian life? 196 00:09:03,540 --> 00:09:07,020 Is that elder then disqualified? 197 00:09:07,020 --> 00:09:09,260 Now I've personally seen this happen. 198 00:09:09,260 --> 00:09:13,140 And it's one of the most, for a dad and everybody that's a dad 199 00:09:13,140 --> 00:09:14,820 out there, you can understand this. 200 00:09:14,820 --> 00:09:16,700 It's one of the most heartbreaking things you can 201 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:17,700 imagine. 202 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:20,140 But I would place this issue in the same category that we 203 00:09:20,140 --> 00:09:23,140 discussed last week about whether or not a father in the 204 00:09:23,140 --> 00:09:27,700 home can ensure that his child is an actual believer. 205 00:09:27,700 --> 00:09:28,700 He can't, right? 206 00:09:28,700 --> 00:09:30,740 He doesn't have control over that. 207 00:09:30,740 --> 00:09:34,540 Confession is a supernatural act of God alone and it can't be 208 00:09:34,540 --> 00:09:37,140 controlled by a parent, mom or dad. 209 00:09:37,140 --> 00:09:39,860 And the same thing now is true about adult children. 210 00:09:39,860 --> 00:09:42,860 Every child hits that stage of life where they have to 211 00:09:42,860 --> 00:09:46,340 separate from their parents and begin to walk independently of 212 00:09:46,340 --> 00:09:47,780 their oversight. 213 00:09:47,780 --> 00:09:51,100 And when that happens, that adult child now has this thing 214 00:09:51,100 --> 00:09:53,860 we call freedom of choice. 215 00:09:53,860 --> 00:09:54,860 And they have to make a decision. 216 00:09:54,860 --> 00:09:56,700 They have to determine for themselves if they're going to 217 00:09:56,700 --> 00:10:02,020 walk in obedience not to mom or dad anymore, but to Christ and 218 00:10:02,020 --> 00:10:03,300 to his word. 219 00:10:03,300 --> 00:10:05,140 So it's that difficult stage of life. 220 00:10:05,140 --> 00:10:07,100 I've been through it with two kids. 221 00:10:07,100 --> 00:10:08,100 It's difficult. 222 00:10:08,100 --> 00:10:12,420 18, 19 years old and that young man or young woman has to say 223 00:10:12,420 --> 00:10:15,420 to themselves, okay, I'm following Christ not because my 224 00:10:15,420 --> 00:10:18,140 parents tell me to, but it's my faith now. 225 00:10:18,140 --> 00:10:21,780 I believe I choose to walk in obedience to God's word. 226 00:10:21,780 --> 00:10:24,140 But sometimes they don't. 227 00:10:24,140 --> 00:10:27,420 Sometimes they get a taste of freedom and off they run. 228 00:10:27,420 --> 00:10:29,420 Now the good news is sometimes they come back when they see 229 00:10:29,420 --> 00:10:31,580 the, like the prodigal, they see the foolishness of their 230 00:10:31,580 --> 00:10:35,060 living and they come back, but sometimes they don't. 231 00:10:35,060 --> 00:10:36,860 Sometimes they continue to reject the truth that they were 232 00:10:36,860 --> 00:10:39,220 raised and instructed in. 233 00:10:39,220 --> 00:10:42,180 But a potential elder cannot be held responsible for how an 234 00:10:42,180 --> 00:10:45,140 adult son or daughter responds in those years. 235 00:10:45,140 --> 00:10:49,540 You train and you instruct and let me tell you, you pray and 236 00:10:49,540 --> 00:10:52,100 you live as an example in the home for your child. 237 00:10:52,100 --> 00:10:53,100 And then what do you do? 238 00:10:53,100 --> 00:10:54,500 You've got to let go. 239 00:10:54,500 --> 00:10:57,260 And it is so hard. 240 00:10:57,260 --> 00:10:59,860 It is so hard because you want to keep controlling them. 241 00:10:59,860 --> 00:11:02,620 You want to keep like, no, don't do this. 242 00:11:02,620 --> 00:11:03,620 You've got to let go. 243 00:11:03,620 --> 00:11:04,620 It's like a bar of soap. 244 00:11:04,620 --> 00:11:05,900 At some point it's going to slip out. 245 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:10,020 You got to let go. 246 00:11:10,020 --> 00:11:12,140 It's really, really hard. 247 00:11:12,140 --> 00:11:13,140 And here's the other thing. 248 00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:15,180 You never feel like you did enough as a parent. 249 00:11:15,180 --> 00:11:16,180 I could have done this better. 250 00:11:16,180 --> 00:11:17,180 I could have done that better. 251 00:11:17,180 --> 00:11:20,180 And when that feeling comes over you, what you have to do is you 252 00:11:20,180 --> 00:11:21,620 fall back on your theology. 253 00:11:21,620 --> 00:11:25,180 You preach to yourself what scripture says about salvation. 254 00:11:25,180 --> 00:11:29,420 You open your hands and you entrust your child to both the sovereignty and the goodness of 255 00:11:29,420 --> 00:11:30,740 God. 256 00:11:30,740 --> 00:11:32,800 And then you keep praying. 257 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:34,660 And that's the long answer. 258 00:11:34,660 --> 00:11:35,660 That's the long answer. 259 00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:39,780 The short answer is no, an elder should not be disqualified because their adult child 260 00:11:39,780 --> 00:11:46,080 has run off and is now making choices and actions that go against his teaching and instruction. 261 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:50,420 The standard of having faithful children should be restricted to that period of life when 262 00:11:50,420 --> 00:11:54,700 an elder's kids are in the home and under his direct authority. 263 00:11:54,700 --> 00:11:57,980 Okay, so that's the easy one. 264 00:11:57,980 --> 00:11:58,980 Let's talk about the second one. 265 00:11:58,980 --> 00:12:03,140 It's a harder question and that's the issue of divorce. 266 00:12:03,140 --> 00:12:07,400 And as I dive into this, you should know that this could be an entire sermon by itself, 267 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,300 so I don't have time to talk about every nuance and every possible situation. 268 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:15,620 And in fact, this is one of those areas of practical theology where we should resist 269 00:12:15,620 --> 00:12:20,740 drawing hard and fast lines that aren't explicitly found in the scriptures. 270 00:12:20,740 --> 00:12:22,340 But we can start with some obvious things. 271 00:12:22,340 --> 00:12:24,980 Number one, God hates divorce. 272 00:12:24,980 --> 00:12:26,780 Right? 273 00:12:26,780 --> 00:12:29,780 He says that clearly in Malachi chapter two. 274 00:12:29,780 --> 00:12:30,780 God hates divorce. 275 00:12:30,780 --> 00:12:31,780 Why? 276 00:12:31,780 --> 00:12:35,320 Because it's a violation of a sacred covenant that two people have entered into. 277 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,380 He has joined them together as one flesh and now that's broken. 278 00:12:38,380 --> 00:12:40,140 He hates that. 279 00:12:40,140 --> 00:12:43,220 And Jesus addressed this in Matthew 19, didn't he? 280 00:12:43,220 --> 00:12:47,420 He's citing Genesis 2 and he says, for this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother 281 00:12:47,420 --> 00:12:51,480 and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. 282 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:54,000 So they are no longer two but one flesh. 283 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:59,580 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. 284 00:12:59,580 --> 00:13:06,940 So we also know that there are two concessions in the New Testament that give us permissible 285 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:12,260 reasons for divorce, not commands to divorce, not instructions to divorce, but concessions. 286 00:13:12,260 --> 00:13:16,020 Meaning in some circumstances it's going to be permissible. 287 00:13:16,020 --> 00:13:18,620 But we should always be careful about this. 288 00:13:18,620 --> 00:13:22,420 Whenever you get concessions in scripture, what do people tend to do? 289 00:13:22,420 --> 00:13:26,980 Justify their actions and point to that and say, well, I think I can fit my circumstance 290 00:13:26,980 --> 00:13:28,660 into that concession. 291 00:13:28,660 --> 00:13:30,020 We have to be really careful with that. 292 00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:33,760 We always need to keep the overarching principle in mind. 293 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,740 God hates divorce and we should tremble at the fact, tremble at the fact that we would 294 00:13:37,740 --> 00:13:41,660 consider breaking up what he's joined together. 295 00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:42,660 So two concessions. 296 00:13:42,660 --> 00:13:45,180 The first one is found in 1 Corinthians 7. 297 00:13:45,180 --> 00:13:51,280 Paul says that when an unbelieving spouse abandons a believing spouse, that that believing 298 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:56,260 spouse is no longer enslaved or in bondage to the marriage covenant. 299 00:13:56,260 --> 00:13:59,820 And that probably is related to what was going on in that time. 300 00:13:59,820 --> 00:14:04,380 Remember the gospel is spreading into the Greek world and a husband and wife hear the 301 00:14:04,380 --> 00:14:05,380 gospel. 302 00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:09,700 One converts, the other says no thank you, and now you have conflict in the marriage 303 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:12,100 and the unbeliever runs off. 304 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:17,100 And in that case, Paul says the believer doesn't have to chase that person down to try to save 305 00:14:17,100 --> 00:14:18,140 the marriage. 306 00:14:18,140 --> 00:14:20,500 They're free then from that marriage covenant. 307 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:21,500 That's one. 308 00:14:21,500 --> 00:14:26,420 The second one is given is to us again in Matthew 19 by Jesus himself and it points 309 00:14:26,420 --> 00:14:30,460 to the breaking of the covenant due to sexual immorality. 310 00:14:30,460 --> 00:14:34,700 The dissolving of the one flesh nature of marriage because of adultery where a man or 311 00:14:34,700 --> 00:14:41,540 a woman has now joined himself or herself to someone who is not their spouse. 312 00:14:41,540 --> 00:14:46,480 So any divorce that takes place other than those two areas of concession, we simply categorize 313 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:51,600 that as an unbiblical divorce and it is a serious act of rebellion that is contrary 314 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:56,580 to God's will and contrary to the clear teaching of scripture. 315 00:14:56,580 --> 00:14:57,860 Make sense? 316 00:14:57,860 --> 00:15:02,340 Now with that as our backdrop, you have to ask two questions related to the qualifications 317 00:15:02,340 --> 00:15:03,340 of elders. 318 00:15:03,340 --> 00:15:09,180 Can a divorced man ever again be considered the husband of one wife and can he ever again 319 00:15:09,180 --> 00:15:10,620 be considered above reproach? 320 00:15:10,620 --> 00:15:14,620 Those are important questions because we have to follow God's instruction. 321 00:15:14,620 --> 00:15:18,000 We're going to structure the church and we're going to put men in important offices. 322 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:22,740 We ought to look carefully at what God says and treat it carefully. 323 00:15:22,740 --> 00:15:27,340 First let's acknowledge that neither of those two qualifications, husband and one wife and 324 00:15:27,340 --> 00:15:32,380 above reproach, explicitly mention divorce. 325 00:15:32,380 --> 00:15:37,380 So as I cautioned last week, we have to be careful not to extrapolate 100% inflexible 326 00:15:37,380 --> 00:15:41,160 dogmas that aren't explicitly in the text. 327 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:46,500 Now in an indirect way, those two requirements do, they do have a connection to divorce. 328 00:15:46,500 --> 00:15:51,140 We can't ignore that either, but again we should be cautious about drawing inflexible 329 00:15:51,140 --> 00:15:52,140 lines. 330 00:15:52,140 --> 00:15:56,560 Let me give you two examples of why we need to be careful with this and not draw lines. 331 00:15:56,560 --> 00:16:01,740 Examples where there might be, I stress that might be room for grace to abound. 332 00:16:01,740 --> 00:16:07,760 Say a man aspires to be an elder, but years ago his wife who at the time claimed to believe 333 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:13,900 and attended church with him suddenly leaves him for another man, up and goes. 334 00:16:13,900 --> 00:16:15,440 He does not want divorce. 335 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,320 He fights for the marriage, right? 336 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:19,980 He wants to work on the marriage. 337 00:16:19,980 --> 00:16:21,920 She absolutely refuses. 338 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:27,040 She files for divorce and she abandons the marriage. 339 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:30,820 Is that man disqualified because of something he had no control over? 340 00:16:30,820 --> 00:16:33,180 Because none of us can control the will of our spouse, right? 341 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:34,980 He had no control. 342 00:16:34,980 --> 00:16:36,460 Is he disqualified? 343 00:16:36,460 --> 00:16:38,300 My answer would be no. 344 00:16:38,300 --> 00:16:44,220 And especially no if later on he built a long track record of devotion to a second wife 345 00:16:44,220 --> 00:16:48,100 and that they were involved in doing ministry together as a couple. 346 00:16:48,100 --> 00:16:51,560 So you'd want to look at all of those details, but this was out of his control. 347 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:52,700 What happened to him? 348 00:16:52,700 --> 00:16:55,180 He was abandoned by a woman. 349 00:16:55,180 --> 00:16:59,180 Another example, say a man aspires to be an elder, but years ago he divorced his wife 350 00:16:59,180 --> 00:17:05,180 without biblical grounds, so he sinned, but he wasn't a believer at the time. 351 00:17:05,180 --> 00:17:09,540 Are we going to hold him to a standard that he doesn't understand nor has submitted to? 352 00:17:09,540 --> 00:17:11,180 And again, I would say no. 353 00:17:11,180 --> 00:17:16,340 As an unbeliever, we can't hold him to that standard and especially no if later there's 354 00:17:16,340 --> 00:17:22,200 a solid track record of new life in Christ and effective ministry in the church. 355 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,820 So all I'm saying here is this, without an explicit command that says no divorced man 356 00:17:25,820 --> 00:17:30,740 can serve as an elder, I think we need to look at every situation on a case by case 357 00:17:30,740 --> 00:17:31,740 basis. 358 00:17:31,740 --> 00:17:36,140 We take all the nuances and the circumstances into account, we seek the Lord in prayer, 359 00:17:36,140 --> 00:17:40,620 and then with the collective wisdom of the entire plurality of elders in the church, 360 00:17:40,620 --> 00:17:42,900 we make a determination. 361 00:17:42,900 --> 00:17:46,500 By the way, we would still err on the side of caution with this. 362 00:17:46,500 --> 00:17:47,840 We're not going to just open it wide. 363 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,500 We're going to err on the side of caution and going slow with this. 364 00:17:51,500 --> 00:17:55,300 By the way, a man's conscience plays into this issue as well. 365 00:17:55,300 --> 00:18:00,500 Years ago at Oak Hill, I knew a man who had a sketchy divorce in his background. 366 00:18:00,500 --> 00:18:02,980 It was when he was young in his 20s. 367 00:18:02,980 --> 00:18:04,500 He was a believer at the time. 368 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:06,620 He knows it was sin. 369 00:18:06,620 --> 00:18:11,380 And then by the time he had come to Oak Hill, he was in his 60s, so it had been almost 40 370 00:18:11,380 --> 00:18:13,620 years since his divorce. 371 00:18:13,620 --> 00:18:18,300 And he said, he said, Jeff, I don't think I can ever be an elder. 372 00:18:18,300 --> 00:18:22,200 My conscience will not allow me to serve because of my past. 373 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:23,200 And I respect that. 374 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,700 I respected that principled stance that he had taken. 375 00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:26,940 So that factors in as well. 376 00:18:26,940 --> 00:18:29,740 So there's a lot going on with this question. 377 00:18:29,740 --> 00:18:35,380 And if you've just been raised in this place, if the D word is there, a person cannot serve, 378 00:18:35,380 --> 00:18:37,700 just test that. 379 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:41,500 Test that and make sure that you're not drawing lines that God doesn't draw. 380 00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:42,860 Amen? 381 00:18:42,860 --> 00:18:44,580 So great questions, you guys. 382 00:18:44,580 --> 00:18:45,580 Really good questions. 383 00:18:45,580 --> 00:18:47,520 And again, I appreciate hearing from you. 384 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,180 Maybe you'll give me some more this week and we'll end up with five weeks on this. 385 00:18:51,180 --> 00:18:52,180 No. 386 00:18:52,180 --> 00:18:56,540 But the fact that you're taking the issue of elders seriously is a great encouragement 387 00:18:56,540 --> 00:18:57,780 to the entire team. 388 00:18:57,780 --> 00:18:58,780 So let's move on. 389 00:18:58,780 --> 00:19:01,820 Let's go to Titus chapter one now. 390 00:19:01,820 --> 00:19:05,860 By the way, can I just mention this? 391 00:19:05,860 --> 00:19:12,000 I know a couple weeks ago I talked about whether or not you should call me Pastor Jeff. 392 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,180 You guys are hilarious, by the way. 393 00:19:14,180 --> 00:19:20,540 I keep getting texts and emails, dear Reverend Jeff. 394 00:19:20,540 --> 00:19:23,060 And then, you know, smiley face. 395 00:19:23,060 --> 00:19:26,260 Or I got one, Saint Reverend Father Jeff. 396 00:19:26,260 --> 00:19:28,700 So, don't do that. 397 00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:35,540 But listen, look, colloquially, I understand why you're calling me Pastor Jeff and I appreciate 398 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:36,540 it. 399 00:19:36,540 --> 00:19:37,540 I'm not going to get mad at you. 400 00:19:37,540 --> 00:19:41,340 I'm not going to deny it and go, who are you talking to? 401 00:19:41,340 --> 00:19:43,620 The point is more important than what you actually call me. 402 00:19:43,620 --> 00:19:47,580 The point is that I'm one of seven elders and that's an important point. 403 00:19:47,580 --> 00:19:51,660 But if you want to call me Pastor Jeff, that's absolutely fine. 404 00:19:51,660 --> 00:19:52,940 Okay. 405 00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:57,140 So last week we looked at two requirements for elders in verse six, right? 406 00:19:57,140 --> 00:20:01,060 The overarching qualification of being above reproach and then two sub-requirements of 407 00:20:01,060 --> 00:20:06,040 being above reproach, which is being a godly father and husband in the home. 408 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:07,860 Now we look at verses seven and eight today. 409 00:20:07,860 --> 00:20:12,500 What we're going to see are five character traits that cannot be found in an elder's 410 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:19,140 life, disqualifying, followed by six character traits which have to be found in an elder's 411 00:20:19,140 --> 00:20:21,300 life or he's disqualified. 412 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:24,540 So again, Paul's laying out a very high standard here and for good reason. 413 00:20:24,540 --> 00:20:26,760 We talked about this last Sunday. 414 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,760 Leadership is the number one thing that's going to set a local church on a path towards 415 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,520 spiritual health or away from it. 416 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,100 So the high standard we should all praise God for. 417 00:20:36,100 --> 00:20:37,700 It's very, very important. 418 00:20:37,700 --> 00:20:39,460 And again, I mentioned this the first week. 419 00:20:39,460 --> 00:20:44,700 This is not only important because you should be sort of examining what's happening at Oak 420 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:49,500 Hill, but there may come a time in the future where you hit a different life stage and you 421 00:20:49,500 --> 00:20:52,540 move out of the area or you go to another church. 422 00:20:52,540 --> 00:20:57,420 And this is, guys, this is in the top one or two things you need to look very carefully 423 00:20:57,420 --> 00:21:00,940 at before you commit yourself to a new church family. 424 00:21:00,940 --> 00:21:02,100 Leadership. 425 00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:05,200 You've got to ask good, hard questions. 426 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,020 How is your church structured? 427 00:21:08,020 --> 00:21:11,140 Is there a plurality of elders? 428 00:21:11,140 --> 00:21:14,380 Does one pastor dominate and control the church? 429 00:21:14,380 --> 00:21:18,260 By the way, they may not admit it in leadership, but you've got to ask other people. 430 00:21:18,260 --> 00:21:21,380 Do you feel like there's one guy who dominates and controls everything? 431 00:21:21,380 --> 00:21:23,380 Who are these men who lead? 432 00:21:23,380 --> 00:21:28,320 Have they been appointed based on their character and integrity or according to some other standard? 433 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,660 These are important questions whenever you settle on a church home. 434 00:21:31,660 --> 00:21:34,820 Now, I'm going to shock you with something here before we go on. 435 00:21:34,820 --> 00:21:40,300 Yes, the passage that we're about to walk through specifically deals with the character 436 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:45,540 traits of elders, but the truth is all Paul is doing in this text is describing what a 437 00:21:45,540 --> 00:21:48,820 spiritually mature person looks like. 438 00:21:48,820 --> 00:21:49,820 That's it. 439 00:21:49,820 --> 00:21:50,820 So what does that mean? 440 00:21:50,820 --> 00:21:53,980 That means, surprise, everybody's involved in this. 441 00:21:53,980 --> 00:21:57,740 This list that we're about to go through is what God wants for every single person in 442 00:21:57,740 --> 00:22:01,900 this room because we all want to move towards spiritual maturity, right? 443 00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:04,340 So we're getting a really good description of this. 444 00:22:04,340 --> 00:22:06,940 Man, woman, I'm not talking about becoming an elder. 445 00:22:06,940 --> 00:22:10,460 I'm just saying becoming a spiritually mature believer. 446 00:22:10,460 --> 00:22:13,980 So I don't want you to check out this morning because I know we all have a tendency to go, 447 00:22:13,980 --> 00:22:14,980 this doesn't apply to me. 448 00:22:14,980 --> 00:22:15,980 I'll never be an elder. 449 00:22:15,980 --> 00:22:20,540 No, pay attention to this because we all want to see these things develop in our lives. 450 00:22:20,540 --> 00:22:25,140 And of course, when we talk about moving towards spiritual maturity, can I encourage you? 451 00:22:25,140 --> 00:22:28,660 It requires patience and diligence. 452 00:22:28,660 --> 00:22:33,700 Both are required because maturity takes time and it takes commitment. 453 00:22:33,700 --> 00:22:37,780 Wouldn't it be nice if we could have some mountaintop dramatic experience one day and 454 00:22:37,780 --> 00:22:39,940 wake up the next day and be spiritually mature? 455 00:22:39,940 --> 00:22:42,940 That would be so nice, but that's not the way it works. 456 00:22:42,940 --> 00:22:48,120 That's why Paul actually commands Timothy, discipline yourself, young man, for the purpose 457 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:49,120 of godliness. 458 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:50,820 He uses an athletic metaphor. 459 00:22:50,820 --> 00:22:56,260 He says, look, if you want to see progress in these things, you've got to train for it. 460 00:22:56,260 --> 00:22:58,480 And we all know that principle, but sometimes we forget. 461 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:03,340 If we want to move towards spiritual maturity, we have to train for it. 462 00:23:03,340 --> 00:23:06,900 And by the way, Tani could do this, but I'll do it this morning for myself. 463 00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:09,580 Let me give you a testimony to this truth. 464 00:23:09,580 --> 00:23:14,500 If you had known me back in my late 20s and you said, you know what, Jeff, could you ever 465 00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:15,580 be an elder in a church? 466 00:23:15,580 --> 00:23:17,060 Could you ever serve anywhere in a church? 467 00:23:17,060 --> 00:23:19,880 I would have said, absolutely not. 468 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:23,180 I would have laughed at you based on where I was at that time. 469 00:23:23,180 --> 00:23:29,260 So never be surprised by what God can do if he marks you out and says, nope, I've got 470 00:23:29,260 --> 00:23:30,980 a job for you to do. 471 00:23:30,980 --> 00:23:31,980 Amen. 472 00:23:31,980 --> 00:23:35,580 Okay, so let's go to verse 7 now. 473 00:23:35,580 --> 00:23:39,940 Here we see Paul expanding on this idea of above reproach, but now he's talking about 474 00:23:39,940 --> 00:23:42,600 it in a new area, not the home anymore. 475 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,520 He's talking about the church. 476 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,440 For the overseer must be above reproach as what? 477 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,180 As God's steward. 478 00:23:51,180 --> 00:23:52,180 God's steward. 479 00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,020 Now, two things to note here. 480 00:23:54,020 --> 00:23:58,500 First, Paul just switched, you know, switched terms and we talked about this the last couple 481 00:23:58,500 --> 00:24:04,300 of weeks, he moved from presbyteros, which is translated elders in verse 5 to episcopon, 482 00:24:04,300 --> 00:24:07,980 which is translated overseer here in verse 7. 483 00:24:07,980 --> 00:24:09,100 Same office, right? 484 00:24:09,100 --> 00:24:11,940 Interchangeable terms for the same office. 485 00:24:11,940 --> 00:24:16,140 The word episkopos does come with a sort of a distinct function. 486 00:24:16,140 --> 00:24:21,740 When you look at a presbyteros, an elder, it in general means a spiritually mature man 487 00:24:21,740 --> 00:24:23,400 who leads in the church. 488 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:29,200 But episkopos refers to a manager, somebody who administers, somebody who oversees. 489 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:33,420 So it's a more functional title, but it's all the same office. 490 00:24:33,420 --> 00:24:40,280 The other thing to note here is the word steward, oikotomos in the Greek, and that refers to 491 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:43,960 a household manager. 492 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:49,280 And it really is the perfect word to describe the practical functions of elders in the church. 493 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:53,240 A steward was a household manager in Greco-Roman culture. 494 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:58,980 It was, now get this now, a steward was a servant who acted on the interests of his 495 00:24:58,980 --> 00:25:00,640 master. 496 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,720 He acted on the interests of his boss. 497 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:08,560 And in a normal Greco-Roman household, the master of the house would look at all of his 498 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,980 servants or you can say employees, whatever you want to say, and go, I'm going to pick 499 00:25:12,980 --> 00:25:18,660 the most trustworthy one to be my steward because I want him to go out there into the 500 00:25:18,660 --> 00:25:22,560 world and do business for me, represent me with all integrity. 501 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,560 So the most trustworthy one makes sense. 502 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,960 And of course that steward then would be accountable to the master for making sure he's taking 503 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,540 good care of all the things that are entrusted to him. 504 00:25:33,540 --> 00:25:35,360 Now think about that in terms of church elders. 505 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:37,100 That is exactly what we do. 506 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:40,840 The house does not belong to us as elders, right? 507 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:46,240 We are servants chosen by our master to take care of the things that he has entrusted to 508 00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:47,240 us. 509 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:53,080 And this is why God requires that his stewards be the most trustworthy in the body, right? 510 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:59,780 Therefore qualified based on their character and integrity so that they represent him well, 511 00:25:59,780 --> 00:26:01,880 so that they do all that he has commanded of them. 512 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:06,500 And yes, someday, and we'll get to this in Hebrews 13 later, we will give an account 513 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:07,500 as elders. 514 00:26:07,500 --> 00:26:09,720 It's one of those reasons why we would be cautious about this. 515 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:15,120 We will give an account to the chief shepherd for what we did as under shepherds. 516 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,180 So this idea of steward is a beautiful picture of what church elders are. 517 00:26:20,180 --> 00:26:24,900 And so if you connect the ideas in verse 6 and 7, you get to see Paul's logic here. 518 00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:30,120 If an elder is to be a good steward and a good overseer of God's household, which is 519 00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:35,660 the church, it logically follows that first he better prove it in his own household with 520 00:26:35,660 --> 00:26:38,040 his wife and with his kids. 521 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:39,040 Make sense? 522 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,520 Okay, very logical passage. 523 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:41,520 Right. 524 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:42,700 Let's keep going in verse 7. 525 00:26:42,700 --> 00:26:48,520 Let's look at the five negative character flaws that must not be present in an elder. 526 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:50,720 These things would disqualify a man from serving. 527 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:53,760 Now, again, I'm going to remind you what I said last week. 528 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:58,200 The standard here is high, but it doesn't mean perfect or sinless. 529 00:26:58,200 --> 00:26:59,200 Okay? 530 00:26:59,200 --> 00:27:00,440 Elders sin just like you do. 531 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:05,560 But when any of the following five things become a consistent defining feature of a 532 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:10,720 man's life, he is no longer considered above reproach and he's disqualified from holding 533 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:11,720 the office. 534 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:12,720 That make sense? 535 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,600 So it'd have to be a consistent defining aspect of his life that these are the things that 536 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:17,600 mark him. 537 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:20,480 And friends, as we look at this, these are serious warnings. 538 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:21,480 Okay? 539 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,620 Serious warnings for, I'm looking at the six other guys that serve as elders here, serious 540 00:27:25,620 --> 00:27:31,080 warnings for us, but also again, serious warnings for any time you ever search for a church 541 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:33,800 home that these are the type of men you're looking for. 542 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:37,800 Number one, it says that an elder must not be self-willed. 543 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:38,800 Okay? 544 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,440 There it is. 545 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:48,120 The Greek term orthodes, and it means to be arrogantly set on self. 546 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:51,200 Arrogantly set on self. 547 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,160 And if you think about it, we've all known people like this. 548 00:27:54,160 --> 00:28:00,080 This is the type of man who always insists on getting his way. 549 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:06,340 He always maintains that his opinions are best, that his right to make decisions is 550 00:28:06,340 --> 00:28:12,520 greater than anybody else, that his feelings about a subject matter, matter the most. 551 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:17,000 And then he tends to dismiss other people's feelings and other people's opinions because 552 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,320 his are always best. 553 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:24,400 This is the type of man that loves to accumulate power, loves to assert his rule over other 554 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:25,580 people. 555 00:28:25,580 --> 00:28:31,560 And in doing so, he will often have a tendency to be ungracious and condescending and often 556 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:38,480 hostile to anybody that disagrees with him or anybody that gets in the way of his self-will. 557 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,240 So he's not a team player. 558 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:45,240 And let me tell you something, as a member of an elder team, that team player aspect 559 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:51,760 of being in a plurality of elders is essential to a healthy elder team and to a healthy church. 560 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:53,560 And this is not one of those guys. 561 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:57,240 Over the time, a man like this is going to create divisions in the body because he's 562 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:59,620 going to play favorites. 563 00:28:59,620 --> 00:29:01,680 And you know who's going to be his favorites? 564 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,480 Whoever agrees with him. 565 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:07,640 And he's going to make enemies, the people that stand in his way. 566 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,240 So ultimately, he's going to scatter sheep because they're going to recognize this man 567 00:29:11,240 --> 00:29:15,600 is power hungry, he is overbearing, and he is uncaring. 568 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,040 Beware of self-will. 569 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:21,280 Number two, he can't be quick tempered. 570 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:24,040 The Greek word here just means one who is prone to anger. 571 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:28,000 I like the CSB ads, hot tempered. 572 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,280 And interestingly, this one goes with the first one, right? 573 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:35,720 Because when an arrogant, authoritarian man doesn't get his way, he often gets very angry, 574 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,680 unrighteously angry. 575 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:41,680 And we know from other parts of scripture that man's unbridled anger is a hindrance 576 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,240 to the work of God. 577 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:44,360 James talks about it, right? 578 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:48,760 He says, let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger 579 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:53,560 of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 580 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:55,000 So an elder can't be hot tempered. 581 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,820 One of the things I was told very early on by a mentor when I was so green in ministry, 582 00:29:59,820 --> 00:30:00,820 this was great advice. 583 00:30:00,820 --> 00:30:06,680 He said, look, Jeff, you're going to get frustrated at times by the sheep. 584 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:10,160 People in your flock are not going to respond well to your leadership, but here's what he 585 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:11,160 said. 586 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:15,160 You cannot be angry at your sheep. 587 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:21,280 You have to be gentle, you have to be firm, and you have to be patient. 588 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:25,840 You keep teaching, you keep correcting, and you keep caring. 589 00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,520 You don't get angry, and you let the spirit do that sanctifying work in them. 590 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:30,920 And that was great advice. 591 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,720 Ultimately, friends, an angry elder is going to destroy the peace and unity of the body. 592 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:37,720 So beware. 593 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:39,920 Number three is pretty obvious. 594 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,280 An elder must not be addicted to wine. 595 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:46,040 The ESV puts it plainly, he cannot be a drunkard. 596 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:50,000 Now we've said this publicly from the pulpit here at Oak Hill. 597 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:56,320 The Bible does not prohibit drinking alcohol, but it does warn us repeatedly about the danger 598 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:57,520 of being drunk. 599 00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:58,520 Repeatedly. 600 00:30:58,520 --> 00:30:59,520 Why? 601 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:03,560 Because first of all, in that state, you are no longer under the control of the Holy Spirit. 602 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:08,040 In that state, you are now controlled by the substance that you've taken in, alcohol, drugs, 603 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:09,040 whatever it might be. 604 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:14,280 And in that state, you are way more likely to make sinful choices that are both self-destructive 605 00:31:14,280 --> 00:31:16,960 and bring shame to the name of Christ. 606 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:17,960 So don't do it. 607 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:23,320 Secondly, the New Testament talks about consistent drunkenness as one of the things that marks 608 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:25,560 an unbeliever. 609 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,080 One who will not inherit the kingdom of God. 610 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:29,500 So this is a serious thing. 611 00:31:29,500 --> 00:31:35,360 Any sign that an elder has a substance addiction is grounds for disqualification because ultimately 612 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:42,520 he's not reliable, he's not trustworthy, he's not respectable as a leader in Christ's church. 613 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:43,920 Amen? 614 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:49,360 Number four, an elder cannot be pugnacious, plictase in the Greek, a very interesting 615 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:50,360 word. 616 00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,260 The root of that word means to strike. 617 00:31:52,260 --> 00:31:57,700 So Paul's suggesting that this is a man who lacks control of his emotions. 618 00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:02,360 He is prone to lashing out physically because he's not in control of his emotions. 619 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:09,140 In fact, the ESV renders this violent and the CSB renders it as a bully. 620 00:32:09,140 --> 00:32:15,600 So he's prone to both verbal and physical combative nature. 621 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:16,920 He's combative. 622 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:21,120 And this becomes a huge problem for elders because sometimes we have disagreements and 623 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:23,780 we cannot fly off the handle at each other. 624 00:32:23,780 --> 00:32:27,040 We cannot get verbally or physically combative. 625 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,000 Sometimes we handle tense situations in the body, interpersonal conflicts among church 626 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,000 members. 627 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:36,320 And with a pugnacious elder, he's more likely to throw gas on the fire than water on the 628 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:37,460 fire. 629 00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:41,360 He's going to make things worse, not better because of his temper. 630 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:45,300 And from the flock's perspective, they will see a man like this and they will feel treated 631 00:32:45,300 --> 00:32:51,720 roughly by him and possibly even live in fear of him, which is the last thing you want for 632 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:52,720 a shepherd. 633 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:56,320 So beware, a pugnacious man. 634 00:32:56,320 --> 00:32:59,460 Last one, an elder must not be fond of sordid gain. 635 00:32:59,460 --> 00:33:02,700 Simple way of putting this, he cannot be greedy. 636 00:33:02,700 --> 00:33:08,500 This describes a man who finds his way into positions of authority and then wields that 637 00:33:08,500 --> 00:33:10,880 authority for his own personal gain. 638 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:15,440 And oftentimes as he does that, rejects any sense of financial accountability. 639 00:33:15,440 --> 00:33:18,100 These are dangerous men in the church. 640 00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:20,400 How many preachers out there have done this? 641 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:28,380 How many stories do we know of pastors and preachers who have built massive churches? 642 00:33:28,380 --> 00:33:33,860 And in the process of that, accumulated for themselves, I mean, just massive luxury homes 643 00:33:33,860 --> 00:33:39,100 and car collections and private jets and, you know, they've got a personal designer 644 00:33:39,100 --> 00:33:44,340 choosing their clothes and their shoes as they go out to preach. 645 00:33:44,340 --> 00:33:45,760 They're greedy. 646 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,300 They're in it for the wrong reasons. 647 00:33:48,300 --> 00:33:49,300 And it's not new. 648 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:50,940 In the New Testament, we see Jesus condemning. 649 00:33:50,940 --> 00:33:51,940 It's interesting. 650 00:33:51,940 --> 00:33:55,380 He condemns, first of all, the scribes and the Pharisees because they devour widows' 651 00:33:55,380 --> 00:33:58,940 homes and they keep the prophets. 652 00:33:58,940 --> 00:34:04,420 And the Sadducees ran the sacrificial system in the temple like a mafia, getting kickbacks 653 00:34:04,420 --> 00:34:08,400 from the merchants, charging exorbitant taxes on currency. 654 00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:13,860 History tells us that the priesthood in Jerusalem were the wealthiest people in that society. 655 00:34:13,860 --> 00:34:16,340 Shameful. 656 00:34:16,340 --> 00:34:21,660 And so in 1 Timothy 3, 3, Paul says an elder must be free from the love of money, not free 657 00:34:21,660 --> 00:34:25,500 from money, free from the love of money. 658 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:29,180 By the way, that doesn't mean that an elder must be poor either, right? 659 00:34:29,180 --> 00:34:30,780 Because money itself is not evil. 660 00:34:30,780 --> 00:34:32,500 It's like a handgun, right? 661 00:34:32,500 --> 00:34:34,880 If it's just sitting there, no problem with it. 662 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:36,500 But it can be used for good reasons. 663 00:34:36,500 --> 00:34:38,240 It can be used for wickedness. 664 00:34:38,240 --> 00:34:40,780 And the same thing is true with money. 665 00:34:40,780 --> 00:34:47,740 But those prosperity preachers, those multi-campus mega church pastors of our day, and you know 666 00:34:47,740 --> 00:34:51,100 some of their names, they have brought shame and disgrace upon the church and upon the 667 00:34:51,100 --> 00:34:53,380 name of Christ because they're greedy. 668 00:34:53,380 --> 00:34:58,900 They have used the sheep and the ministry as a means of fulfilling their own financial 669 00:34:58,900 --> 00:35:01,060 desires. 670 00:35:01,060 --> 00:35:03,580 Beware of such men. 671 00:35:03,580 --> 00:35:04,580 So quick summary. 672 00:35:04,580 --> 00:35:07,260 You see them all on the screen. 673 00:35:07,260 --> 00:35:08,820 Now challenge your own heart. 674 00:35:08,820 --> 00:35:13,300 How are you doing in those same five areas? 675 00:35:13,300 --> 00:35:17,660 If it's your desire to move towards spiritual maturity, how are you doing with your self 676 00:35:17,660 --> 00:35:19,380 will? 677 00:35:19,380 --> 00:35:25,060 Are you one of those who are stubbornly insist on having everything go your way? 678 00:35:25,060 --> 00:35:27,340 How are you doing with your temper? 679 00:35:27,340 --> 00:35:29,340 Are you quick to listen? 680 00:35:29,340 --> 00:35:32,300 Are you quick to react? 681 00:35:32,300 --> 00:35:38,140 Are your habits regarding alcohol or some other substance, is there a problem there? 682 00:35:38,140 --> 00:35:39,140 Are you pugnacious? 683 00:35:39,140 --> 00:35:40,660 Are you always looking for a fight? 684 00:35:40,660 --> 00:35:45,640 Are you prone to lash out at others when things don't go your way? 685 00:35:45,640 --> 00:35:46,940 And what's your perspective on money? 686 00:35:46,940 --> 00:35:48,200 Is it a healthy perspective? 687 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:49,920 Do you love money? 688 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:51,620 Only you can answer that question in your heart. 689 00:35:51,620 --> 00:35:55,460 Do you love money? 690 00:35:55,460 --> 00:35:58,540 Okay. 691 00:35:58,540 --> 00:36:01,220 Good. 692 00:36:01,220 --> 00:36:03,380 All right. 693 00:36:03,380 --> 00:36:04,380 Let's move past the negative. 694 00:36:04,380 --> 00:36:06,380 Should we look at the positive? 695 00:36:06,380 --> 00:36:07,380 Good. 696 00:36:07,380 --> 00:36:08,380 Let's look at verse eight. 697 00:36:08,380 --> 00:36:10,620 Let's look at the things an elder must be. 698 00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:12,420 Number one is hospitable. 699 00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:14,600 Philoxenos. 700 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,640 He must be hospitable. 701 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:21,300 And that word is used in Greek literature to describe somebody who is loving or generous 702 00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:23,300 towards strangers or guests. 703 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:24,300 All right? 704 00:36:24,300 --> 00:36:29,220 And in my mind, this is one of the core essentials of what it means to live within the community 705 00:36:29,220 --> 00:36:30,300 of faith. 706 00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:34,340 An elder has to have a welcoming spirit. 707 00:36:34,340 --> 00:36:36,500 An elder must be a welcoming man. 708 00:36:36,500 --> 00:36:42,260 He's got to be friendly and warm towards church members, towards visitors and guests, towards 709 00:36:42,260 --> 00:36:46,020 his neighbors, towards anybody that God puts in his path. 710 00:36:46,020 --> 00:36:47,020 A welcoming spirit. 711 00:36:47,020 --> 00:36:48,740 I mentioned this last week. 712 00:36:48,740 --> 00:36:54,660 An elder isn't allowed to hide from the flock or to hide in his home on his block. 713 00:36:54,660 --> 00:36:56,340 He's to be an example. 714 00:36:56,340 --> 00:36:58,580 He's to be out there among the people. 715 00:36:58,580 --> 00:37:03,380 We find that sometimes the elders try to say, well, I'm shepherding from a distance. 716 00:37:03,380 --> 00:37:04,380 That doesn't work. 717 00:37:04,380 --> 00:37:05,380 It just doesn't. 718 00:37:05,380 --> 00:37:09,860 Well, you cannot love and care for people from a distance or hidden behind the door 719 00:37:09,860 --> 00:37:11,140 of your home. 720 00:37:11,140 --> 00:37:12,140 You've got to be out there. 721 00:37:12,140 --> 00:37:18,340 And by the way, oftentimes this idea of hospitable gets really practically expressed in opening 722 00:37:18,340 --> 00:37:20,620 up our homes. 723 00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:22,860 And our elders are so good at this. 724 00:37:22,860 --> 00:37:26,500 How many church events happen at the homes of our elders? 725 00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:27,860 All the time. 726 00:37:27,860 --> 00:37:29,100 Over and over and over again. 727 00:37:29,100 --> 00:37:34,860 I remember when Tanya and I first moved to Castaic, this was 24 years ago, 24 years ago, 728 00:37:34,860 --> 00:37:39,400 we bought our home and we prayed over it and we literally said out loud, God, this is not 729 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:40,400 our house. 730 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:41,940 This is your house. 731 00:37:41,940 --> 00:37:43,960 And so help us to be hospitable. 732 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:49,940 Help us to open our door to whoever we need to minister to and just use this house as 733 00:37:49,940 --> 00:37:52,620 a tool and a resource for ministry. 734 00:37:52,620 --> 00:37:57,980 That's how an elder needs to relate to the resources that he has. 735 00:37:57,980 --> 00:38:02,080 And the fact is if elders are not open and generous with their lives and with their homes, 736 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:07,780 the entire church is going to reflect that indifference and that lack of warmth. 737 00:38:07,780 --> 00:38:09,340 So elders set the pace in this regard. 738 00:38:09,340 --> 00:38:10,340 Hospitable. 739 00:38:10,340 --> 00:38:16,420 This is a very general term, must love what is good, philagathos, general term, one who 740 00:38:16,420 --> 00:38:23,260 is willingly and with self-denial seeking to do good, to be kind to others. 741 00:38:23,260 --> 00:38:29,420 This is a spiritually mature leader who is always ready to do what is best, not for himself, 742 00:38:29,420 --> 00:38:31,520 but what is best for others. 743 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:36,860 So this elder is helpful and kind and generous with his time and with his resources, whatever 744 00:38:36,860 --> 00:38:40,980 people need, he loves what is good. 745 00:38:40,980 --> 00:38:42,340 Number three, he's got to be sensible. 746 00:38:42,340 --> 00:38:45,860 Now this is an interesting word, sophron in the Greek. 747 00:38:45,860 --> 00:38:48,740 And that root of that word carries the idea of wisdom here. 748 00:38:48,740 --> 00:38:53,060 It means to be of sound mind, to be prudent, especially in your decisions. 749 00:38:53,060 --> 00:38:56,140 And man, is this not lacking in so many areas of our culture today? 750 00:38:56,140 --> 00:38:58,340 Common sense, right? 751 00:38:58,340 --> 00:39:01,880 Common sense is so uncommon these days. 752 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:07,100 This is an elder who is able to exercise good judgment. 753 00:39:07,100 --> 00:39:09,820 And man, elder teams need this. 754 00:39:09,820 --> 00:39:10,920 Exercising good judgment. 755 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:14,060 He has a mind trained to practice wisdom. 756 00:39:14,060 --> 00:39:16,940 And so he makes sound decisions for the sake of the body. 757 00:39:16,940 --> 00:39:19,660 He's not impulsive, that's important. 758 00:39:19,660 --> 00:39:22,620 He's not reactionary. 759 00:39:22,620 --> 00:39:28,000 He doesn't race into change or swing the pendulum from one end to the other, things that cause 760 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,660 the flock to feel like things are unstable. 761 00:39:31,660 --> 00:39:34,020 He executes good judgment. 762 00:39:34,020 --> 00:39:35,020 He's not reactionary. 763 00:39:35,020 --> 00:39:39,500 And when elders act wisely and with discretion in the way they handle things, you know what 764 00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:41,020 the sheep tend to do? 765 00:39:41,020 --> 00:39:44,660 Settle in and relax and follow their leaders. 766 00:39:44,660 --> 00:39:48,020 And that's the picture that Paul wants for his churches. 767 00:39:48,020 --> 00:39:49,900 Sensible, very important. 768 00:39:49,900 --> 00:39:52,340 Number four, he's got to be just. 769 00:39:52,340 --> 00:39:57,320 Now I prefer the ESV translation of upright here, or the CSB says righteous. 770 00:39:57,320 --> 00:40:03,620 Now not that this man is perfect or sinless, but he strives to live in accordance with 771 00:40:03,620 --> 00:40:04,620 God's standards. 772 00:40:04,620 --> 00:40:08,920 He sets out to practice righteousness. 773 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:13,580 This means he's consistently fair and equitable in his dealings with others. 774 00:40:13,580 --> 00:40:18,020 He weighs the facts of a matter and then he doesn't show favoritism. 775 00:40:18,020 --> 00:40:19,900 He's objective about it. 776 00:40:19,900 --> 00:40:24,020 And he doesn't do just whatever is popular or whatever is expedient. 777 00:40:24,020 --> 00:40:27,960 He lives by his principles. 778 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:31,260 He makes fair and sound decisions on behalf of the sheep. 779 00:40:31,260 --> 00:40:33,340 Very very important. 780 00:40:33,340 --> 00:40:36,140 Number five, an elder must be devout. 781 00:40:36,140 --> 00:40:37,780 The Greek word here can also mean holy. 782 00:40:37,780 --> 00:40:43,560 Again, not that he's fully perfected or sanctified, but this does speak of his moral purity. 783 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:48,100 Elders need to have a level of moral purity that's an example to the flock. 784 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:49,140 He must be devout. 785 00:40:49,140 --> 00:40:52,540 That means he is consistently committed to the things of God. 786 00:40:52,540 --> 00:40:59,260 He keeps himself from wickedness and he doesn't waver when the tides of culture shift. 787 00:40:59,260 --> 00:41:03,500 This is the type of elder who models godly commitment and the flock notices that he's 788 00:41:03,500 --> 00:41:06,740 committed and they will tend to follow such a man. 789 00:41:06,740 --> 00:41:08,860 He's devout. 790 00:41:08,860 --> 00:41:15,700 And then finally, and this one may be the biggest in my mind, he's got to be self-controlled. 791 00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:23,740 Egg krates in the Greek, which means having power over, having power over self, being 792 00:41:23,740 --> 00:41:24,740 self-controlled. 793 00:41:24,740 --> 00:41:26,580 ESV, I like how simple it is. 794 00:41:26,580 --> 00:41:28,220 He's got to be a disciplined man. 795 00:41:28,220 --> 00:41:30,580 He's got to be a disciplined man. 796 00:41:30,580 --> 00:41:35,500 Paul uses the same word in 1 Corinthians 9 to talk about that athlete that exercises 797 00:41:35,500 --> 00:41:37,940 self-control in all things. 798 00:41:37,940 --> 00:41:38,940 Why? 799 00:41:38,940 --> 00:41:41,300 So that he might win the prize. 800 00:41:41,300 --> 00:41:42,300 Self-control. 801 00:41:42,300 --> 00:41:46,180 In other words, the athlete restrains himself from choosing anything in his life that's 802 00:41:46,180 --> 00:41:50,980 going to get in the way of that goal that he's searching for, to win that prize. 803 00:41:50,980 --> 00:41:53,540 And this should be true of an elder in Christ's church. 804 00:41:53,540 --> 00:41:58,440 He has to be disciplined to shut out things that are going to hinder his calling to lead 805 00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:00,660 and shepherd the body with integrity. 806 00:42:00,660 --> 00:42:01,980 Shut him out. 807 00:42:01,980 --> 00:42:08,400 Bad habits, harmful desires, compromising temptations, anything that is going to cause 808 00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:10,660 him to be easy prey for the enemy. 809 00:42:10,660 --> 00:42:16,100 Because listen, without self-control, a man or a woman are exposed to attack from the 810 00:42:16,100 --> 00:42:17,900 enemy. 811 00:42:17,900 --> 00:42:19,560 And elders can't have it. 812 00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:21,600 Can't be that way. 813 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:24,020 That's how the enemy picks us off one at a time. 814 00:42:24,020 --> 00:42:26,020 So he's got to be disciplined and self-controlled. 815 00:42:26,020 --> 00:42:30,060 Okay, again, quick summary and challenge. 816 00:42:30,060 --> 00:42:33,620 How are you doing in these six areas? 817 00:42:33,620 --> 00:42:36,980 Would you say that you're a hospitable person? 818 00:42:36,980 --> 00:42:43,940 Are you open and welcoming and warm to everyone? 819 00:42:43,940 --> 00:42:45,420 Do you love what is good? 820 00:42:45,420 --> 00:42:50,420 More importantly, do you then do what is good? 821 00:42:50,420 --> 00:42:53,100 Are you sensible in your choices? 822 00:42:53,100 --> 00:43:00,080 Do you employ wisdom, biblical wisdom, or do you just react impulsively? 823 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,140 Are you just in the sense of being fair in the way you deal with others? 824 00:43:03,140 --> 00:43:09,620 Or do you shift the scales in a way that is going to suit your desires? 825 00:43:09,620 --> 00:43:13,900 Would you describe yourself as devout in terms of how committed you are to the things of 826 00:43:13,900 --> 00:43:16,380 God? 827 00:43:16,380 --> 00:43:18,620 And then how's your self-control? 828 00:43:18,620 --> 00:43:24,160 Is your life disciplined in a way that daily you're striving for that prize to be more 829 00:43:24,160 --> 00:43:25,720 and more Christ-like in your life? 830 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:27,460 Those are really, really important questions. 831 00:43:27,460 --> 00:43:29,260 So do you understand what I'm saying? 832 00:43:29,260 --> 00:43:31,060 These are the qualifications for an elder. 833 00:43:31,060 --> 00:43:37,620 No question about it, but they just describe a spiritually mature person, male or female. 834 00:43:37,620 --> 00:43:38,620 So it's good for all of us. 835 00:43:38,620 --> 00:43:41,740 So, okay, running out of time. 836 00:43:41,740 --> 00:43:44,900 Let me wrap up with just a couple thoughts. 837 00:43:44,900 --> 00:43:47,340 Now last week I wrapped up with two quick concepts. 838 00:43:47,340 --> 00:43:51,900 I said, first of all, can we just stop and praise the Lord for the men that he has called 839 00:43:51,900 --> 00:43:53,780 to eldership at this church? 840 00:43:53,780 --> 00:43:54,780 Right? 841 00:43:54,780 --> 00:43:55,780 And we did, and that's awesome. 842 00:43:55,780 --> 00:43:57,020 They're incredible guys. 843 00:43:57,020 --> 00:43:58,580 They're qualified. 844 00:43:58,580 --> 00:43:59,580 We love each other. 845 00:43:59,580 --> 00:44:01,260 We love shepherding this body. 846 00:44:01,260 --> 00:44:05,020 And then secondly, I said, as an offshoot of that, they need prayer. 847 00:44:05,020 --> 00:44:06,020 We need prayer. 848 00:44:06,020 --> 00:44:07,020 Right? 849 00:44:07,020 --> 00:44:10,580 Because enemies, the enemy is always going to go after leadership first. 850 00:44:10,580 --> 00:44:13,060 Because if they can bring down leaders, they can bring down a church. 851 00:44:13,060 --> 00:44:14,320 So I asked about prayer. 852 00:44:14,320 --> 00:44:20,100 Can you pray that we have continued unity and love on our team for wisdom, for strength, 853 00:44:20,100 --> 00:44:23,820 to endure this task that we have been called to? 854 00:44:23,820 --> 00:44:25,640 Now my closing thoughts for this morning are these. 855 00:44:25,640 --> 00:44:31,680 Two more things, and both of them speak to how the Bible instructs you guys, the flock, 856 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:33,620 to relate to your elders. 857 00:44:33,620 --> 00:44:37,120 And the first one is showing them honor. 858 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:42,220 By the way, both of these passages, they might seem self-serving because I'm an elder, but 859 00:44:42,220 --> 00:44:45,780 really I'm just trying to put the scriptures in front of you to say this is how you should 860 00:44:45,780 --> 00:44:48,140 relate to your leaders. 861 00:44:48,140 --> 00:44:49,140 First of all, showing them honor. 862 00:44:49,140 --> 00:44:50,140 Right? 863 00:44:50,140 --> 00:44:51,660 1 Timothy 5, 17. 864 00:44:51,660 --> 00:44:57,700 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who 865 00:44:57,700 --> 00:45:00,900 work hard at preaching and teaching. 866 00:45:00,900 --> 00:45:04,940 So you see in both the passages that I'm going to show you, there is a reciprocal nature that 867 00:45:04,940 --> 00:45:06,140 happens in the church. 868 00:45:06,140 --> 00:45:12,060 A beautiful cycle where the elders serve you, the flock, and you, the flock, respond. 869 00:45:12,060 --> 00:45:14,860 So in this case, what are church leaders called to do? 870 00:45:14,860 --> 00:45:16,220 To rule well. 871 00:45:16,220 --> 00:45:20,080 That means they're a shepherd and to oversee and to care for the body. 872 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:24,980 And in return for that, the flock is called to honor them for the hard work that they 873 00:45:24,980 --> 00:45:25,980 put in. 874 00:45:25,980 --> 00:45:33,100 And let me just say, look, I'm the only full-time elder that gets actually paid for this, so 875 00:45:33,100 --> 00:45:35,020 don't worry about me. 876 00:45:35,020 --> 00:45:37,820 But these are, no, I shouldn't say that. 877 00:45:37,820 --> 00:45:38,980 But I get paid for what I do. 878 00:45:38,980 --> 00:45:41,580 The other guys are volunteers. 879 00:45:41,580 --> 00:45:43,380 And they put in long hours. 880 00:45:43,380 --> 00:45:46,060 And they do a lot of work, so they should be honored. 881 00:45:46,060 --> 00:45:49,140 And maybe we can flesh this out later about what that means practically. 882 00:45:49,140 --> 00:45:54,100 But just for today, just I want you to walk away with that heart set or that mindset to 883 00:45:54,100 --> 00:45:58,700 have this attitude to show honor to those who are serving you. 884 00:45:58,700 --> 00:45:59,700 Amen? 885 00:45:59,700 --> 00:46:01,000 And then Hebrews 13, 17. 886 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:03,340 This was in our call to worship this morning. 887 00:46:03,340 --> 00:46:08,540 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who 888 00:46:08,540 --> 00:46:10,540 will give an account. 889 00:46:10,540 --> 00:46:15,500 Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. 890 00:46:15,500 --> 00:46:17,400 Again, reciprocal nature. 891 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:18,820 What does the elder team do? 892 00:46:18,820 --> 00:46:22,060 Keeps watch over your souls. 893 00:46:22,060 --> 00:46:23,060 Anybody think that's important? 894 00:46:23,060 --> 00:46:25,740 Yeah, that's kind of important. 895 00:46:25,740 --> 00:46:31,820 And in return, the flock is called to obey, or really the word there is to yield, yield 896 00:46:31,820 --> 00:46:37,260 to the shepherds and trust them and follow after them. 897 00:46:37,260 --> 00:46:40,540 And then the author of Hebrews here finishes with this incredibly wise statement. 898 00:46:40,540 --> 00:46:47,740 He says, look, if you become a stubborn sheep, a stubborn, ornery sheep who's a pain in the 899 00:46:47,740 --> 00:46:51,780 neck to your elder team, it actually doesn't profit you anything. 900 00:46:51,780 --> 00:46:54,100 It hurts you. 901 00:46:54,100 --> 00:46:59,860 Because you're causing your elder team then to groan under the weight of shepherding you. 902 00:46:59,860 --> 00:47:04,940 So if you want the best, both for your walk with the Lord and for the encouragement of 903 00:47:04,940 --> 00:47:09,580 your leaders, yield to them and follow them and trust them. 904 00:47:09,580 --> 00:47:11,700 Now we have to earn that trust as well, right? 905 00:47:11,700 --> 00:47:12,940 And hopefully we have it, Oak Hill. 906 00:47:12,940 --> 00:47:14,140 You've seen our lives. 907 00:47:14,140 --> 00:47:17,420 We're opening our lives to you guys so that you will trust and follow. 908 00:47:17,420 --> 00:47:22,820 And we have found that this church has been a beautiful, reciprocal relationship. 909 00:47:22,820 --> 00:47:30,060 So love your shepherds, encourage them, bless them, let them serve you with joy, with joy. 910 00:47:30,060 --> 00:47:31,060 And we do. 911 00:47:31,060 --> 00:47:36,700 I can ask all six guys and we would say it is a great joy to be able to serve you guys 912 00:47:36,700 --> 00:47:38,300 at Oak Hill. 913 00:47:38,300 --> 00:47:42,940 So the picture of ecclesiology that Paul draws here for us in the pastoral letters, isn't 914 00:47:42,940 --> 00:47:43,940 it beautiful? 915 00:47:43,940 --> 00:47:45,340 Isn't it beautiful? 916 00:47:45,340 --> 00:47:48,980 Isn't it so logical and so common sense? 917 00:47:48,980 --> 00:47:54,260 And so I pray as I close here that all of us, whether you're a shepherd or you're a 918 00:47:54,260 --> 00:47:58,500 sheep, that we will hear the Lord's voice in this and that we'll obey. 919 00:47:58,500 --> 00:48:01,540 We'll say that is the best thing for all of us. 920 00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:02,620 And so I want to obey. 921 00:48:02,620 --> 00:48:06,580 Whether I'm caring, whether I'm serving or whether I'm following and yielding, that we 922 00:48:06,580 --> 00:48:07,580 would obey God's word. 923 00:48:07,580 --> 00:48:08,580 Amen? 924 00:48:08,580 --> 00:48:14,980 Let's bow our heads. 925 00:48:14,980 --> 00:48:19,020 Father as always, we thank you for time spent in your word. 926 00:48:19,020 --> 00:48:27,020 Is there anything better than searching for your voice in the scriptures? 927 00:48:27,020 --> 00:48:32,420 To hear from the guy of the universe, to know even on a super practical level what it is 928 00:48:32,420 --> 00:48:35,820 you want for your body, the church. 929 00:48:35,820 --> 00:48:40,660 Father, I thank you for how practical it all is. 930 00:48:40,660 --> 00:48:45,500 What you have called the shepherds to do, what you've called the flock to do, what you 931 00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:49,900 want us all to be in our character and integrity. 932 00:48:49,900 --> 00:48:51,220 And so I pray for myself. 933 00:48:51,220 --> 00:48:52,500 I pray for my fellow elders. 934 00:48:52,500 --> 00:48:58,560 I pray for every person in this room that we would continue to grow in spiritual development. 935 00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:03,400 That we would have a desire for that, a passion to see more and more spiritual maturity in 936 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:04,400 our lives. 937 00:49:04,400 --> 00:49:06,280 Lord, we know we can't do that on our own. 938 00:49:06,280 --> 00:49:10,420 We can be diligent in this, Lord, but we need your spirit to do that work in us. 939 00:49:10,420 --> 00:49:12,520 So help us to yield to your spirit. 940 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:16,820 Help us to yield to the commands that we see in scripture. 941 00:49:16,820 --> 00:49:18,220 And Lord, do a great work in us. 942 00:49:18,220 --> 00:49:23,580 As we train as athletes, do a great work in us and call us to whatever role you have for 943 00:49:23,580 --> 00:49:27,980 us, Lord, we would have open hands for that and that your will would be done in our lives. 944 00:49:27,980 --> 00:49:30,580 So thank you again for this morning, for the gathering of the saints. 945 00:49:30,580 --> 00:49:33,780 We love you and we praise you in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 946 00:49:33,780 --> 00:49:40,780 Amen.