SERIES: ‘THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHURCH IN 2005”
TEXT: 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-7; TITUS 1:6-9; 1 PETER 5:1-3; ACTS 20:28-31
TITLE: “EMPHASIZE A BIBLICALLY-FUNCTIONING ELDERSHIP”
INTRODUCTION: A. Two police officers respond to a call from the dispatcher concerning a bad traffic accident.
When they arrive on the scene, they find a father, mother, and two children
unconscious inside a wrecked automobile. Almost immediately after the officers
arrive, an ambulance pulls up and tells the officers that several more ambulances are
on the way.
After the other ambulances arrive and begin to load their patients, the officers
discover that there is a monkey inside the car and that the monkey is conscious,
though a little bruised up. Since the monkey is the only conscious passenger in the
car and there are no other witnesses to the accident, the officers decide they’ll try to
get the monkey to tell them what happened.
They ask the monkey, “What was the father doing?” The monkey mimics
drinking from a bottle. One of the officers said, “Makes sense.”
They ask the monkey, “What was the mother doing?” The monkey mimics
shaking his finger. “Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere. The father was drinking
and the mother was getting on him about it.”
They ask the monkey, “What were the children doing?” The monkey mimics the
children fighting in the back seat. The officers look at each other and one of them
says, “Well, with all that going on, it was inevitable that they were going to have a
wreck.”
The two officers turn to walk away when one of them turns around and asks the
monkey, “By the way, what were you doing the whole time?” The monkey mimics
driving.
1. Who is supposed to be steering the church?
--Who has God ordained to do the job?
2. The obvious answer from the New Testament pattern is the elders
--The elders are supposed to be in charge of steering the church
B. What is an elder?
--The original language of the New Testament uses three basic terms to refer to the
office of an elder:
1. Presbuteros – a term that signifies maturity
a. Not just maturity in age
--Sad to say, but maturity doesn’t always come with age
b. It’s a maturity of experience, wisdom, and discipline
2. Episkopos – “overseer”
a. Term used to refer to a manager or supervisor
b. Some modern synonyms would be director or superintendent
c. It’s another New Testament word that gives the same sense of meaning as
“steward”
--“One who runs or oversees the master’s household”
3. Poimen – “shepherd”
a. One who leads, feeds, and protects the flock
b. Other significant translations use the term pastor
--The Latin word for “shepherd”
4. Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church
Leadership, says that elders are “…a biblically qualified council of men thatjointly
pastors the local church.”
C. Simply put, elders are leaders
1. Joe Ellis, The Church on Purpose, Keys to Effective Church Leadership:
“Leadership is the function that fosters and maintains a congregation’s focus on the
divine purpose and promotes ration efforts to achieve it.”
2. Ellis also says that leadership in our congregations exists to hold the negative
influences and the processes which work against the divine purpose at bay.
3. Church leadership has to operate between two poles: the people on one side and the
goals on the other.
--Biblical leadership helps to move the body of people toward achieving the divine
purpose.
4. How do elders function Biblically as leaders?
--According to the Bible, there are four primary ways for elders to serve as leaders
I. SUITABLE LEADERSHIP
--by suitable, I mean “qualified”
A. The common mistake is for congregations to elect and appoint biblically unqualified people as elders (and
deacons, too)
1. They allow unprepared and unsuitable people to assume leadership positions within the congregation
2. This behavior has proven time and time again to be a formula for failure and disaster
3. When electing and appointing leadership, there are three important things to keep in mind:
a. Determination – do you want to?
--Are you willing to move into a leadership role
b. Desire – why do you want to?
--What are the reasons you want to be a leader?
c. Deportment – what qualifies you to do so?
--How do you show that you’re qualified to lead the church of Christ?
B. The apostle Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, was so concerned over this issue of qualified leadership that he
spelled out the qualifications in his first letter to Timothy and in his letter to Titus:
1. 1 Tim. 3:1-7 – “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a
noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate,
selfcontrolled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle,
not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children
obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he
take care of God’s church?)
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the
devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and
into the devil’s trap.”
2. Titus 1:6-9 – “An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe
and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s
work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quicktempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent,
not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is
selfcontrolled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has
been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
C. The qualifications for elders can be divided into three categories:
1. First category: moral and spiritual character
--“above reproach”
a. Above reproach in marital faithfulness and sexual purity
b. Above reproach in integrity
c. Above reproach in self-control
1). In the use of money
2). In the use of alcohol
3). In the exercise of authority
d. Above reproach as a model of Christian living
1). Spiritually devout
2). Righteous
3). Lover of good
4). Hospitable
5). High level of integrity before the non-Christian community
e. Above reproach in relationship skills
1). Gentle
2). Stable
3). Sound mind
4). Not contentious
--doesn’t like to fight and argue
f. Greatest amount of time spent on qualification is spent on moral and spiritual character
2. Second category: Abilities
a. Must be able to manage their household well
b. Must be a model for others to follow
c. Must be able to teach and to defend the faith
3. Third category: Spirit-given motivation
--Someone who serves grudgingly or with ulterior motives will not provide proper care for the
congregation because they lack the proper motivation
a. The first thing that must be shown is that the person is willing to do the job
1). 1 Tim. 31:1 – KJV – “desire”; NASB – “aspires”; NIV – “sets his heart”; AMP – “seeks”
2). 1 Pet. 5:2 – “…Not because you must, but because you are willing…”
b. Acts 20:28 – “Guard yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.”
--The desire has to be there but it has to be a desire given and approved by the Holy Spirit
D. Three very important reasons why Christ gave these qualifications to His church:
1. First reason: An elder is entrusted with Christ’s most precious possession: His Bride – the Church
a. An elder is therefore a “steward” of Christ’s prized possession
1). “Steward” – literally a “household manager”
2). It was a position of honor, authority, and trust
3). The steward’s job was to always act in the master’s best interest
b. As elders, they have access to people’s homes and to the most intimate details of people’s lives
1). They work with people who are vulnerable to deception or abuse
2). They handle intimate spiritual matters
c. As elders, they have the greatest influence over the doctrinal direction of the church
d. Elders, therefore, must be men who are well known in a community for their Christian influence,
have proven integrity, and are doctrinally sound
2. Second reason: They are to be living examples for people to follow
a. It hasn’t been too long since we’ve had a good winter storm. One man tells the story of how he
used his seven-year-old son’s baseball bat to smash the slick coat of ice on his driveway. Soon he
got cold and went inside for a cup of coffee before attempting to clear the car.
Several minutes later, his son, who had been outside with him, came in. “Dad,” he said, “I got
the ice off the car.”
“How did you do that?” his father asked.
“Same way you did,” the boy shrugged, “with the baseball bat.”
--When we’re not careful, sometimes we model and teach something that was never intended to be
taught
b. Elders must model godly living
1). Must be morally above reproach
2). John MacArthur: “Whatever the leaders are, the people become. As Hosea said, ‘Like people,
like priests.’ (Hosea 4:9) Jesus said, ‘Everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his
teacher. (Lk. 6:40) Biblical history demonstrates that people will seldom rise above the
spiritual level of their leadership.”
c. Think about it:
1). If the elders have a contentious spirit, the congregation will become contentious
2). If the elders are inhospitable, the congregation will become unfriendly and cold.
3). If the elders love money, the congregation will become worshippers of money.
4). If the elders are not sensible, balanced, and self-controlled, their judgments will be extreme and
unbalanced, which will cause the congregation to be extreme and unbalanced.
5). If the elders are not faithful to their spouses, they will encourage others to be unfaithful
6). If the elders do not faithfully hold to the authority of the Word of God in their own lives and in
the operation of the congregation, the congregation will not hold to it.
3. Third reason: The qualifications protect the church from incompetent or morally unfit leaders
a. Some people push themselves into leadership to satisfy their egos
b. Other are pushed into leadership by those who would like to control them.
c. Some are sadly deceived about their own abilities or character
d. Some are just evildoers who are seeking to infiltrate and ruin the congregation.
e. The qualifications exist to protect the church from just such intentions by keeping unsuitable people
out of leadership roles.
1). Also provides the congregation with a means to oust unsuitable leadership
2). When a congregation refuses to remove leaders who have Biblically disqualified themselves,
they are willfully disobedient to God’s Word.
3). The result will be that they will undermine the moral and spiritual vitality of the whole
congregation, as well as destroy the congregation’s influence in the community.
4. Alexander Strauch: “Much of the weakness and waywardness of our churches today is due directly to
our failure to require that church shepherds meet God’s standard for office. If we want our local
churches to be spiritually fit, then we must require shepherds to be spiritually fit.”
II. SHEPHERD LEADERSHIP
--Main jobs of shepherds
A. Protecting the flock
1. 1 Pet. 5:1-3 – “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and
one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your
care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;
not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being
examples to the flock.”
2. Acts 20:28-31 – “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after
I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own
number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your
guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.”
3. How do you protect the flock as a spiritual shepherd?
a. Understand the Bible sufficiently to protect from false teachers
b. Seek out lost or straying sheep
1). Administering discipline
2). Admonishing improper behavior and attitudes
c. Have to be spiritually alert
1). Watchful
2). Prayerful
B. Feeding the flock
1. Neil Summerton, elder, A Noble Task: Eldership and Ministry in the Local Church: “…to both
Timothy and Titus, Paul is crystal clear that the indispensable quality which incidentally distinguished
the elder from the deacon, is the ability to master Christian doctrine, to evaluate it in others, to teach
it, and to debate it with those who teach falsehood
2. Jn. 21:15-18a – When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do
you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said,
“Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes,
Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him,
“Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do
you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, "Feed my
sheep.”
C. Leading the flock
--This is where the concept of the “overseer” comes in
1. Shepherds have to know where water, pasture and safety are; they need knowledge of how to keep
their sheep safe in the fold; must use land and water supplies wisely – not depleting all their resources.
2. Elders, in the same way, must clarify direction for the congregation; must set goals; make decisions;
dive direction; correct failures; affect change; and motivate others to follow
D. Caring for the flock
1. Christians suffering from sickness are to call for the elders
--James 5:14 – “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and
anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”
2. Elders are to perform the ministries of visitation, comforting, strengthening, prayer, and counseling.
3. Above all, in all things, the elders must exhibit love for God’s people
III. SHARED LEADERSHIP
A. The eldership is not the responsibility or “domain” of one person
--The New Testament makes it clear that there should not be one “pastor” but a plurality of “pastors”
1. Acts 15, elders (plural) who unite with the apostles to deliberate over a doctrinal controversy.
2. James instructed sick believers to “call for the elders” (plural)
3. During Paul’s 1st missionary journey, they appointed elders (plural) at each newly form congregation
4. Acts 20 – Paul calls the “elders” (plural) from the church at Ephesus to meet him in Miletus
5. In 1 Timothy and Titus, Paul didn’t consider a church fully developed until it had qualified and
functioning elders (plural)
6. Peter understood the concept of a plurality of elders in each congregation
a. 1 Peter was written to five different congregations in northwestern Asia Minor
b. 1 Pet. 5:1, he gives instruction for the “elders” (plural) to shepherd the flock
7. Before they were married, a husband and wife decided that he’d make all the major decisions and she
all the minor ones. After 20 years of marriage, he was asked how this arrangement had worked out.
He replied, Oh, it’s worked out great! In all these years I’ve never had to make a major decision.”
8. The eldership is comprised of a council of equals
--Each one has the same authority and works together for the betterment of the church of Christ.
B. The benefits of “shared leadership”:
1. Benefit #1: They balance each other’s weaknesses
a. One elder may have the tendency to be harsh with people; the others temper his harshness
b. Some elders have problems with confrontation; the others can push for action
c. Elders who are doctrine-based can sharpen those who are not
d. Elders who are stimulated by service or outreach can ignite the others to be more so
2. Benefit #2: Lightens the workload
--Moses and Jethro
3. Benefit #3: Provides accountability
a. Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
b. There can only be true accountability among equals.
c. Let’s face it: church leaders can sometime be lazy, forgetful, fearful, or too busy to fulfill their
duties.
--We need partners in ministry to hold us accountable.
C. We need to also understand that although elders are a council of equals, there will be some who stand
out among the others
1. 1 Tim. 5:17 recognizes this principle – “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are
worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.”
2. Even though all elders have equal authority, all are not equal in giftedness, biblical knowledge,
wisdom, leadership ability, or experience.
3. It’s important to remember that each elder shares in the same responsibility of leadership, of
exercising biblical authority, and of shouldering the workload.
a. It’s just that some will be better at it than others and can then serve his fellow leaders as a “leader
of leaders”
b. Good example of this principle is Peter
--As the early church began, all the apostles share the same responsibilities of apostles but Peter
served his fellow leaders by challenging them, energizing them, strengthening them, and
igniting them.
4. Shared leadership is important because they can push one another towards greater achievement
--Jesus didn’t send his follower out alone but in pairs.
IV. SERVANT LEADERSHIP
A. Jesus taught the importance of servant leadership
1. Mk. 9:33-35 – They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you
arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was
the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be
the very last, and the servant of all.”
2. Lk. 22:24-27 – Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority
over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among
you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater,
the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am
among you as one who serves.”
B. Chuck Colson served as Special Counsel to the President of the United State under Richard Nixon from
1969-1973. He knows from personal experience just how enticing power and authority can be. Now a
Christian, he has distinguished himself as an outstanding Christian leader and one of the best analysts of
Christianity and culture.
1. In his book, Kingdoms in Conflict, he describes the difference between the worldly view of power and
position and the Christian view:
“Nothing distinguished the kingdoms of man from the kingdom of God more than their
diametrically opposed views of the exercise of power. One seeks to control people, the other to serve
people; one promotes self, the other prostrates self; one seeks prestige and position; the other lifts up
the lowly and the despised.”
2. He also gives this warning: “Power is like saltwater. The more you drink, the thirstier you get. The
lure of power can separate the most resolute of Christians from the true nature of Christian leadership,
which is service to others. It’s difficult to stand on a pedestal and wash the feet of those below.”
C. Why does the church need “servant-leaders”?
1. A body of elders can become self-serving and dictatorial
2. Conflict among leaders is a common problem in many congregations
a. Servant leaders work on humility, patience, and repentance in their own lives
b. They also love one another, honor one another, and pray for one another
3. The flock needs loving and gentle care
--If leaders cannot treat one another in a proper way, they certainly cannot treat God’s people in the
proper way.
CONCLUSION: A. We’ve talked about what elders are supposed to do
--Now we need to talk about what the congregation is supposed to do
1. Heb. 13:17 – “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch
over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a
joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
2. Practical ways to obey and submit to your leaders:
a. Pray for them
b. Speak encouraging words to them
c. Speak positive words about them to others
d. Love them
e. See out ways to assist them in doing their jobs
f. Support their decisions
g. Hold them accountable for what they say and do
B. We have someone who was duly elected as an elder in this congregation and comes
today to be duly ordained for that position
1. Richard Clements, would you come to the front along with the other men who have
been serving as elders: J.R. Alsman, Jerry Swann, Bud Fitzgerald, and Tom Gress
2. Jesus Christ is Lord of His church. Eph. 1:22-23a – “And God placed all things
under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which
is his body…”
Founded upon the conviction that He is the Son of God, redeemed by His blood,
nourished upon His Word, upheld by His intercession, the church is His body,
commissioned to do His will.
Christ did not set up His church and then abandon her. Rather, He sent His Holy
Spirit to guide the apostles into all truth, so that the body would have all it needed to
do the work Christ intended and also be protected from those forces which would
destroy her. Elders were named in each congregation and given oversight in spiritual
matters.
We have come together at this time to set apart this one that we have selected to
serve this congregation as an elder. Let’s ask God’s blessings upon what we do, that
His name may be honored and His will be done.
(PRAYER BY PREACHING MINISTER)
3. Minister (to the congregation): Have you, members of this community of Christian
believers, seeking the guidance of divine wisdom, chosen the brother who now stands
before you to be an elder in our congregation and oversee the spiritual welfare our
church? If so, answer “We have.”
Congregation: We have.
Minister: Do you wish him to be set apart to shepherd this flock as the elders tended
the flock of God in the early church? If so, answer “We do.”
Congregation: We do.
Minister: Will you promise to encourage and honor him in all things consistent with
the Word of God, and zealously aid him in the discharge of his responsibilities? If so,
answer, “We will.”
Congregation: We will.
Minister: Richard Clements, have you prayerfully considered the responsibilities and
obligations which the office you are called to fill carries with it? If so, answer, “I
have.”
Elected brother: I have.
Minister: Do you, with a just appreciation of these responsibilities and obligations,
accept this office? If so, answer, “I do.”
Elected brother: I do.
Minister: Will you promise that, always seeking divine help, you will faithfully
perform the duties of elder, studiously endeavoring to learn and do the things that will
make for the peace, purity, and spiritual growth of this congregation? If so, answer, “I
will.”
Elected brother: I will.
(PRAYER BY CHAIRMAN OF THE ELDERS)
C. Dick Clements has answered a call of God on his life to serve as an elder here in this
congregation
1. What is God calling you to do today?
2. Have you never submitted yourself to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?
3. Maybe today’s the day for rededication to God’s call on your life or to answer His
call for you to transfer your membership
****ordination service adapted from the Christian Minister’s Manual by Standard Publishing, c. 1984.
