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Introduction:
Regrettably,
almost the only time we preach on topics relating to elders is
when we are appointing them. In that situation, we are so busy
trying to think about who may be qualified that we may not stop to
think about ourselves as we listen to those lessons. We think,
perhaps subconsciously, “I will never be an elder, so this does
not apply to me. I wonder who we have that is qualified.” Or
perhaps we think, “One day, when it is my time to be an elder,
then this will matter for me, but right now let me think about who
we have that is qualified.” Today, we will look at the job and
qualifications of elders, but not because we are about to appoint
anyone. Rather, each of us needs to learn these lessons, whether
we are young or old, male or female, nearly qualified, far from
qualified or will never be qualified. Discussion: I.
“One day, when it is my time to be an elder, I will work
on these qualifications.” A.
We can see the qualifications for pastors in I
Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. We can summarize these lists by pointing out that God
wants men of character, conviction and demonstrated capability.
Too often the mindset when we study these qualifications is,
“One day, when it is my time to be an elder, I will work on
these qualifications.” B.
The first problem with this is—if you wait until it is
your time to be an elder to work on these qualifications, then you
will never be an elder. Why? Because a qualification is something
you have to have prior to being an elder. This reminds me of the
time at the end of my junior year in high school when I told my
Dad that I had decided to go out for the high school football
team. I remember sitting at the dinner table as he explained why
trying out for the football team my senior year would be
absolutely pointless. Certainly, I had enough athletic ability to
make the team. But having never worked on any useful football
skill, I was not qualified to be anything more than a pounding bag
in practice for the bulldozers who had been training in football
for years. Come game time, I would never play. C.
But the most important issue is not that you have to work
on these things years prior to “your time to be an elder.” The
real issue is to consider who God is saying should be an overseer.
Boil all the qualifications down into one sentence and you learn
that God wants mature Christian men to be bishops. When we
recognize that these passages describe maturity and not just elder
qualifications, our mindset changes. Suddenly, these passages are
no longer about someone else. They are about you and me. D.
Who among us is supposed to grow to maturity? Every one of
us. When are we supposed to start that process? The moment we are
born into Christ. I Peter 2:2 said we should desire the milk of the word in order to
grow. II Peter 1:5-11
demonstrated that growth and increased maturity are essential to
salvation. I Corinthians
14:20 said that we are to be babes in evil but grow to
maturity in understanding. The picture of the shepherd is not a
picture for the few who may one day become elders. It is the goal
for every one of us. (I understand that neither getting married
nor having children are prerequisites to mature Christianity.
However, what these passages say about the elder and his family
demonstrates maturity in Christ regarding the family relationships
for all who do get married and have children.) E.
Are we allowed to be full of blame, unholy, unjust,
inhospitable, unable to teach, given to wine, covetous,
quarrelsome, violent and self-willed just because we are not
elders? Notice what Paul told Titus about men in general in Titus
2:2, 6-8. Sounds surprisingly like eldership qualifications.
But what about women? Read Titus 2:3-5 and also what Paul said regarding widows qualified to
“be taken into the number” in I
Timothy 5:9-10. These passages sound surprisingly similar to
the elder’s qualifications. Maturity is essentially the same for
men and women. F.
Maturity is the goal for all Christians. Whether
being a bishop is near, far or nowhere in our future, the picture
painted in Timothy and Titus should be our goal. What are you and
I doing to be what is described in those verses? II.
“One day, when it is my time to be an elder, I will do
this work.” A.
We can learn the job of bishops from I
Peter 5:1-4. These men are shepherds who oversee the flock of
God. They are accountable for our souls. They are to guard, guide
and feed the flock. They are to strengthen the brethren, helping
us get to heaven. When someone is “out of duty,” the elders
deal with them. When someone is teaching error, the elders deal
with them. When someone is in need, the elders deal with them.
“Boy, I sure am glad I am not an elder yet. That way I do not
have to deal with all of that. But don’t worry, one day, when it
is my time to be an elder, I will do that work.” B.
At times, it is almost as if those of us who are not elders
see our brothers and sisters in some kind of need or having some
kind of problem and we offer the spiritual equivalent to Cain’s
response to God in Genesis 4:9, “Am I my brother’s keeper? That’s the elders’
job.” In Galatians 6:1,
Paul taught, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass,
you who are spiritual restore such a one...” This passage is not
directed to elders, but to the spiritual. If we do not work to
restore or help our brethren, we are not declaring that we are not
elders. We are declaring that we are not spiritual. C.
I
Peter 5:2
claims the elders are overseers. The only other passage in the
Bible to use the same word, “episkopeo,” for “overseer” is
Hebrews 12:15. There it
is translated “looking carefully” (NKJV). But notice that Hebrews
12:12-17 is not directed to bishops. It is directed to
Christians. Whose job is it to strengthen those with weak hands
and feeble knees? The Christian’s. Whose job is it to make it
easy for the brethren to go to heaven? The Christian’s. Whose
job is it to make sure that none fall short of God’s grace? The
Christian’s. All of us are to be doing this job now. Not waiting
until some far off day when we may or may not become elders. D.
Someone will of course ask the natural question: “If this
work belongs to all Christians, why then is there an office of
elder to rule, lead and shepherd the congregation?” The Bible is
clear that God appointed only some to be pastors (Ephesians
4:11). How can we claim that this duty given to the elders
applies to all? We do so in the same way that we can point out
that the duty of evangelism can apply to all, even though there
are some given to be evangelists (Ephesians
4:11). Each of us is our brother’s keeper. Each of us is
responsible to strengthen the weak, restore the fallen and build
up the brethren. But the office of elder is for the one whose life
is given over completely to that work. Like the evangelist, some
may even gain their livelihood from this office. That is not to
say that they cannot work secularly. After all, Paul, the
evangelist, was a tentmaker and at times he did not make his
livelihood from the gospel, even though his life was devoted to
evangelism (II
Thessalonians 3:8-9). Therefore, as there are those whose
lives are devoted to evangelizing and spreading the gospel, yet
the responsibility of evangelism rests on all of us. Just so,
there are those whose lives are devoted to keeping the flock, but
the work of being our brother’s keeper belongs to each and every
one of us. E.
It is so sad to hear someone ask, “When are the elders
going to do something about so and so?” If we are asking, we
obviously know something about “so-and-so.” When are we going
to do something about them? When are we going to exhort them,
instruct them, convict them and help them get to heaven? This is
our job. We must not say, “One day when I am an elder I will do
this work, but right now, when are the elders going to do
something about this?” What are you and I doing to accomplish
this work right now? Conclusion:
We must never be caught in the trap of thinking some day
down the road we will apply Bible teaching to our lives. We may
not be elders and we may never even become elders, but we must
still grow to maturity and minister to one another. Do not be
overwhelmed by this picture of spiritual maturity, the mere fact
that God established these as qualifications means He understands
the growth process of Christianity and He is patient with us.
However, do not be complacent in your present spiritual status.
Keep the picture of God’s shepherds as the guideline and goal of
your life and spiritual growth. What is even sadder than the statement we have been discussing is the very similar one—“One day, when I become a Christian, I will …” I certainly am glad that God did not say, “One day, when I feel like getting around to it, I will provide for man’s salvation.” God had a plan and He implemented it, sending His Son to die for you and me. Considering His great plan, His great sacrifice and His great love, He does not deserve your devotion “one day” but today. “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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