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Ephesians 4:4-16 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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This morning we have before us the great occasion to install Clayton Elder to serve as an elder for our church.
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!
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And I'll do my very best this morning to answer each of these questions with a summary statement,
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followed by some form of explanation, however brief, for the sake of our time together.
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However, before we dive into these questions, I want to help each of you recognize that a study of the office of elder,
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an office that God has given to the church, should not be a boring academic.
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Pursuit.
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This should not be a study reserved for those who may someday go into vocational ministry.
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You see, Christ Jesus is the builder and sustainer of the church.
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So it matters that we understand how it is that He does this.
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If we love Christ, we will love His church.
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And we will be concerned about how He has ordered the church to function.
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We should appreciate the way that He is building us together into a body for the praise of His name.
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And the appointing of elders is a part of that process.
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So in order to do so, we're going to need to look at a number of texts this morning.
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But I'd like to begin with Ephesians chapter 4, verses 4 through 16.
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Before I read this, I remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
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It was written for His glory and our good.
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And as such, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
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Beginning in verse 4 of Ephesians chapter 4.
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There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call.
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One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
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One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
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But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
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Therefore, it says, when He ascended on high, He led a host of captives and He gave gifts to men.
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In saying He ascended, what does it mean but that He had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?
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He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens that He might fill all things.
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And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry,
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for building up the body of Christ.
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Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
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to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
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So that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine,
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by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
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Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head,
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into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped,
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when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
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This is a very classic ecclesiological text.
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That we have this Christ, right, who came and dwelt amongst us, who has now ascended,
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and in His ascension, He has gifted people in the church.
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That the church might minister to itself, to one another.
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That we might not be immature, but rather mature.
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And it's a beautiful text to this end.
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That we not be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
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That we not be deceived by those who will work to deceive the church.
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But that we would speak the truth to one another in love.
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That we would properly exemplify Christ in the places which we live
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because we're doing this work of ministry together.
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And Paul says he gives gifts to this end.
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Draw your attention back to verse 11.
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Paul says that Jesus gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers.
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And why did He give them?
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To equip the saints for the work of ministry.
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For the building up of the body of Christ.
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That these gifted people would be passing along equipping that we would be built up in this way.
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There is a lot of understandings about what is meant by apostles and prophets of angels.
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I don't want to get into any of that.
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But I just want to draw your attention simply to this idea of shepherds and teachers.
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And in the Greek, the and is not there.
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And so I think more properly it should be understood as pastor-teachers.
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Both the title and the description of what it is that this particular gifting does.
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Jesus has given to the church pastor-teachers to do this work of equipping
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so that the church can build itself up in love.
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That we would be more like Christ.
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That's why it matters that we consider this topic.
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Why do we care?
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Because we want to look like Christ.
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Because we want Christ to be honored.
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We want Christ to be glorified in this place.
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So we need to care about the questions I have posed to you this morning.
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And we most certainly need to care about the answers.
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So let's look at them, I hope, in brief.
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We'll see.
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Number one.
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I'm going to move pretty quick this morning.
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Number one.
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Who are elders?
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Who are elders?
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Very short summary statement.
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Elders are men qualified and appointed.
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Elders are men qualified and appointed.
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Come with me, Will, if you will, please, to 1 Timothy chapter 3.
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1 Timothy chapter 3.
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Here Paul writes to Timothy, who's in Ephesus.
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The saying is trustworthy.
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If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
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Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled,
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respectable, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
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He must manage his own household well with all dignity, keeping his children submissive.
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For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
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He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
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Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
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So, you'll find, if you're being astute in this text, that we don't see the word elder anywhere in it,
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but we see rather the office of overseer.
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And without belaboring the point this morning, put forth to you that these terms are interchangeable.
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The idea of overseer, elder, pastor, bishop.
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All of these are words used to describe the very same office.
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So, we note in this text, first off, that these overseers or elders, which is speaking to a spiritual maturity, are men.
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Note in almost every verse, the male pronouns.
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I think it's in all of them except verse 3, if I'm not mistaken.
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Verse 1, he desires a noble task.
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Verse 2, he's the husband of one wife.
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Verse 4, he must manage keeping his children.
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Verse 5, how will he care for God's church?
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Verse 6, he must not be a recent convert, or he may become.
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Verse 7, he must be so that he.
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Beloved, this text is only seven verses, and yet it contains eight pronouns, plus the title of husband.
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Should we have any doubt that Paul meant for elders to be men?
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Many do.
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So, let's make the point just a bit further.
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In the same letter, 1 Timothy 2, verse 8-13, Paul writes to Timothy,
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Let a woman work quietly with all submissiveness.
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I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.
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Rather, she is to remain quiet.
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For Adam was born first, then Eve.
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We will not unpack all that this text means this morning.
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I want to draw us specifically to, though, the authority that Paul mentions.
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He says that he does not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man.
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We understand this to be spiritual authority.
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He's talking in the context of the church.
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And I will admit that there is some, maybe much, ambiguity here.
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This is a bit of a gray area.
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What exactly is spiritual authority?
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For example, can I read a book authored by a woman?
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Many conferences will have women come and speak at them.
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Passion, for example, each year typically has Beth Moore,
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who really faithfully teaches the Bible.
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Is it okay for us to go to such a thing?
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I'm not going to answer those questions for you this morning.
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I have answers for them.
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You're welcome to come ask me later.
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But we can be sure that in the case of elders, there is no ambiguity.
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That in the context of the local church, that it would be considered authority for a woman to be in such a position.
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Our text uses this word overseer, episkopon.
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Episcopon, right?
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Where do we get the title from elder from?
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In the parallel text in Titus chapter 1.
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Presbyteros, to oversee or to protect or to guard.
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Right?
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This is a spiritual authority given to this office.
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And ladies, I will let you know that I do not stand before you with any pride about that at all.
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I stand before you with trembling.
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In God's good order, he has determined that men would serve as elders.
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And men who serve well in that position do so with a great deal of humility.
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Why me?
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Why, oh, me?
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These are men.
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These are men who are also qualified.
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Not just any man, but a qualified man.
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And we have in this text, in 1 Timothy, a list of qualifications.
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We also can see a very similar list in Titus chapter 1, verse 5 through 9.
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A parallel text.
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But are these the only qualifications?
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Certainly we want men giving leadership to read their Bibles and pray.
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We want these men to be characterized by a personal holiness that we can observe in this way.
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So what I think that Paul is doing here is he's speaking specifically to these qualifications that are, in fact, observable.
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The recognized quality of this man.
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How is it then, right, that we as a church are meant to look and see if a man is qualified?
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By these observable qualities.
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These things that are coming out of who he is.
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That express his very character.
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And there's a concern, not just about the church's observation,
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but how it is that this qualified man interacts with those outside of the church as well.
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Beginning of verse 7.
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Paul says, moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders.
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So when the lost world looks at the church and see who gives leadership to that church,
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they respect these people.
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These are good qualities, right?
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This is a man worth respecting.
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And Paul gives us both some positive and some negative.
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So he states things in the pot of must be this, should be this,
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and some things that he should not be.
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So notice verse 2.
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These are all positive.
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Above reproach.
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The husband of one wife, so he's not a womanizer.
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Sober-minded, controlled in his thinking.
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Self-controlled, controlled in his actions.
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Respectable, hospitable, welcoming to people, and able to teach.
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Verse 3, we see some in the negative.
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Positive, not a drunkard.
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Not violent, but then the positive, gentle.
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Not quarrelsome, always stirring up controversy.
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Not a lover of money.
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And then back to verse 4.
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In the positive again, he must manage his household well.
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As an example for how he would manage a greater house.
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A house of faith.
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He must keep his children, if he has children, submissive.
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And then back to the negative again in verse 6.
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He must not be a recent convert.
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He could become puffed up if he's a recent convert.
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He must have learned the lesson of humility.
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And these are, of course, qualities that we would want to be true of any Christian person,
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with one possible exception, the being a husband.
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And an elder must be a model of holiness.
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We don't say, this is for an elder.
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An elder should be qualified in this way, but other people don't need to obtain to these qualities.
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Well, of course we want all Christians everywhere to be above reproach.
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To be sober-minded.
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To be self-controlled.
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To be respectable.
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To be hospitable.
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We want these things to be true of all Christian people.
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And I believe what he's trying to communicate here, Paul, is that these men are supposed to lead in this.
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Elders are supposed to be models of holiness.
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Not perfect, but excelling in that pursuit of perfection.
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Getting out ahead of others in this pursuit of growing up into Christ's likeness.
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This means, for Clay, that he has to press in.
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And when others wonder what it looks like to follow Jesus, they must find an example in him.
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In the way that he picks himself back up when he does sin, repents, and follows once again Christ.
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That he's out ahead.
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That he's pressing on in holiness and helping us do the very same.
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There's an additional exception in our 1 Timothy 3 text.
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And that is this idea of being able to teach.
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Paul expounds upon this in Titus 1 and verse 9 where he writes,
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He, this elder, must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught.
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So that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
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An elder is to know the word of God and be able to communicate in the affirmative and in the negative.
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They must be able to say, yes, this, as well as have the boldness to say, no, not that.
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We want all people to be growing up in this type of maturity.
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Elders particularly must lead in this way.
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Knowing the word of God and being able to communicate it.
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This means for Clay.
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That he needs to continue to be a faithful student of the Bible.
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We need to give him space and time to be able to do such a thing.
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That he would be ready in season and out of season to instruct us in the truth as he's done well in the past.
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So these are men qualified and appointed.
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There are two instances of elders being appointed in the Bible.
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We see this in Titus 1, verse 5.
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Paul writes to Titus,
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This is why I left you in Crete that you might put what remained into order.
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The things that had yet to be finished in establishing these churches.
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We see it also in Acts chapter 14, verse 23.
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It says,
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Now, some will argue from these two texts that only apostles could appoint elders.
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And therefore, elders should no longer be appointed in the church.
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This case is made fairly broadly.
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However, we don't believe that Titus or Barnabas were apostles.
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Barnabas is called an apostle in Acts 14, verse 14.
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But this is likely the more general use of the term which means messenger.
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One who is sent with a message.
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Further, Paul does not command Timothy to appoint elders.
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But simply instructs him how to recognize men that should be appointed.
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And the understanding is that they were appointed by the churches in which they served.
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And finally, 1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 through 7.
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And Titus chapter 1, verses 5 through 9.
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1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 1.
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Would have no relevance to us today if we were not to have leaders in our churches.
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Consider that.
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If we're not supposed to have leaders in our churches, these have no relevance to us at all.
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But are we supposed to have leaders in our churches?
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Let's suggest to you, yes.
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Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 17 says,
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Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who have to give an account.
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Given as gifts.
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Those who are going to keep watch over you.
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Who are going to care for your souls and give an account for your souls as a result.
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And so the church should recognize and appoint elders for every congregation.
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With much care and concern, observation and consideration.
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We should be both recognizing and raising up men who will lead in our fellowships.
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That we might grow into Christ's likeness.
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This is good for us to the glory of God.
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So who are elders?
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Elders are men qualified and appointed.
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What do elders do?
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That's the next question.
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What do elders do?
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You'll find much of that answer in the previous answer.
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But let me expand now a little bit.
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Summary statement is,
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Elders labor.
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If you're taking notes, I'll do it one more time.
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Elders labor in prayer.
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Let's go through each of these quickly.
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First, they pray.
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Elders pray.
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1 Timothy chapter 2 in verse 1.
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We read already this verse.
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First of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.
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Elders recognize that without prayer, nothing happens.
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Elders recognize that apart from the power of God at work in our church, we can do no beneficial thing.
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And so elders pray and we lead out in prayer.
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Acts chapter 6 and verse 4.
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Just after the first deacons are appointed,
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because the apostles were being troubled by this issue of feud distribution,
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which was an important issue.
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It needed to be addressed.
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But rather than getting mixed up with that administration,
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they appointed men to do that work.
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And then they, here we see in verse 4 of Acts 6,
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said,
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But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.
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We also see prayer to be a particular ministry of elders in James chapter 5 and verse 14,
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where James writes,
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Is anyone among you sick?
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Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him.
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It's an activity because we know we need God's power in the other ministry,
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the preaching of the Word,
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but also because it is a ministry itself that we would pray for those who need help in our congregations.
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So elders pray.
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Second, elders pursue holiness.
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I've said already they lead out in this activity.
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In Acts chapter 20 and verse 28,
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Paul instructs the Ephesian elders to pay careful attention to yourselves.
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He goes on to say,
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And the rest of the flock.
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But he begins by saying,
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Pay careful attention to yourselves.
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Elders set an example in holiness.
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What a weighty thing that we would lead out in this way.
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In 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 3,
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Peter explains that elders should be examples to the flock.
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And those qualifications particularly are a help to us.
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1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
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Elders should be able to say with Paul,
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as he says in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1,
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Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.
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Ultimately what Paul is communicating there is that you should look like Christ.
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This is what he's aiming you at.
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But he's giving you something tangible.
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Something incarnate.
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Here is a man filled with the Spirit who's following Christ well.
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And I can see what that looks like.
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I have some example before me.
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That I might get in with him and be like Christ as well.
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Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 7.
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The writer of Hebrews says,
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Remember your leaders.
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Those who spoke to you the word of God.
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Consider the outcome of their way of life.
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And imitate their faith.
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So elders pursue holiness.
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Third, elders pastor their families.
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Elders pastor their families.
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I remind you of 1 Timothy 3.
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He must manage his own household well.
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With all dignity.
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Keeping his children submissive.
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Why?
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Because it serves as an example for how he will manage.
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How he will pastor a larger flock.
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So we see the family then as this smaller flock.
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And he must do this well.
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Now I do not believe that this means that an elder must have a family.
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That he must have children.
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Clay and Kathleen have yet to hold their baby.
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The one's cooking up right there right now.
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But if he does, he must first pastor his family.
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And all Christians should be doing this work.
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Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4.
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Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.
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But bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
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This is the place that we begin discipleship.
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In the home.
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Leading our wives and leading our children to the truth of Christ.
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The contemporary pastor Votie Bauckham said this.
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There are many worthwhile pursuits in the world.
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He's a pastor.
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Note that.
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But few of them rise to the level of training our children to follow the Lord and keep his commandments.
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I desperately want my sons and daughters to walk with God.
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And I am willing to do whatever it takes.
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Whatever the Bible says I must do.
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In order to be used by God as a means to that end.
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So, elders pastor their families.
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If an elder is not good for his family, then he is not good for the church.
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And as such, as a church, we should be careful not to require too much of our elders.
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We should be careful that we give space, time, that they might also serve and love their families.
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Many years ago, I just decided I was going to put my foot down and say no sometimes.
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Which is so hard to do because I love you guys.
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But if I'm no good for my family, then I'm no good for you.
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So, Clay's going to work on pastoring Kathleen and pastoring their new baby.
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We need to give him space for that.
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Time for that to be possible.
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Fourth, elders prepare future leaders.
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It is an indictment on many leaders' ministries that they do not duplicate themselves.
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And we see this happen in our culture all the time.
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A pastor leaves the church for whatever reason that may be.
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And he has not raised up a single man that could step into his role.
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Or he has and the church just hasn't recognized it.
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This happens from time to time as well.
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But more often than not, he himself is not a disciple maker.
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He's not identified leadership quality within the church and worked within the church to see men raised up.
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2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2 says,
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What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,
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entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
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It's a good command that Paul gives to Timothy.
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Pass along leadership.
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That more people will be raised up.
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That the church would continue to grow in holiness.
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Elders prepare future leaders.
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Invest themselves heavily in future leaders.
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We have had the joy of watching Clay do this so well for so long.
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Decades.
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Investing.
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I was so moved at Clay's wedding by the row of men who were standing in his wedding party.
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It was like 50 men in your wedding party, I think.
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A dozen.
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Something like that.
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It was moving to see this investment across many different generations of young guys that had come through the school and come through our church.
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And Clay's faithful investment in them.
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And I'm confident he'll continue to do the same.
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This happens in a broad way.
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It happens in preaching type settings.
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Big teaching settings.
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But I am also convinced that it must happen in a specific way.
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The one-to-one kind of relationship where we give time for people to see our lives.
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Not just broadcast the truth.
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But also to take that and then draw it in.
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That we're in relationship with one another.
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It's a good relational work that needs to be happening between elders and the congregation.
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It is a wonderful goal to work towards always providing for the leadership of our churches from within.
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This may not always happen.
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But it is a wonderful goal that we would really work at seeing who has God brought us.
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And who does God intend to raise up that they would give good leadership in our fellowship.
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So, elders prepare future leaders.
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Fifth, elders protect the church.
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Protect the church.
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Again, 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1 and 2.
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Here, elders are called overseers.
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Guardians.
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Right?
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They're giving oversight.
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And this is a really important work.
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And I praise God that it's a work that often you don't see happening.
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There are lots of side conversations that happen in the life of our fellowship.
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There are people who have come here who would have poisoned the water.
32:16
They likely were wolves in sheep's clothing.
32:21
And because we stood our ground on the truth, they didn't remain here any longer.
32:27
This is a work of elders that we would protect the church.
32:31
Elders are heavily involved in our membership process.
32:35
Because when somebody comes into membership of our church, we as a church are saying with the kind of confidence we can,
32:41
Christian, yes, we can see the fruit of the Spirit in your lives.
32:46
And in a sense, elders hold that gate and help that work of bringing in people who are truly regenerate and very carefully keeping out those who are not.
32:58
Right?
32:58
Sharing the gospel with them all along.
33:00
Hoping that they will, in fact, come to faith in Christ.
33:05
Remember Acts 20, verse 28.
33:06
I read the first part of it to you.
33:08
Pay careful attention to yourselves, as Paul to the Ephesian elders, and to all the flock,
33:14
in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God,
33:19
which he obtained with his own blood.
33:23
The church is a precious thing.
33:26
Bought by the blood of Christ.
33:29
And elders do the work of protecting this precious thing.
33:34
We do so spiritually.
33:37
We care for.
33:39
We shepherd.
33:40
Right?
33:41
We guide.
33:42
Titus chapter 1, verse 9.
33:46
He, this elder, must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught.
33:51
Right?
33:51
This is the text that we have before us today.
33:55
So that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine.
33:58
We're building up.
33:59
And also to rebuke those who contradict it.
34:04
Right?
34:04
To say no.
34:05
Sometimes this is not the truth.
34:08
And to draw people to the truth.
34:12
I want to share with you a quotation that Clay shared with me.
34:18
He had said, maybe you could work one of these in.
34:20
And he gave me a couple.
34:21
And I want to share this one with you from John Calvin.
34:23
who wrote,
34:25
let the pastors boldly dare all things by the word of God.
34:33
Let them constrain all the power, glory, and excellence of the world to give place to and to obey the divine majesty of this word.
34:44
Let them enjoin everyone by it.
34:47
From the highest to the lowest.
34:49
Let them edify the body of Christ.
34:52
Let them devastate Satan's reign.
34:56
Let them pasture the sheep.
34:59
Kill the wolves.
35:00
Instruct and exhort the rebellious.
35:03
Let them bind and loose thunder and lightning if necessary.
35:08
But let them do all according to the word of God.
35:13
So this is this work of protecting the church.
35:17
Protecting the truth of God that we would continue to grow in Christ's likeness.
35:25
So elders protect the church.
35:27
Sixth, elders preach.
35:29
The word of God is to take a central place in the ministry of an elder.
35:36
This follows from our previous point.
35:38
And it should take a central place in the worship of the church.
35:44
It should be primary in the worship of the church.
35:47
The gathering of the church should be absolutely saturated with God's word.
35:52
If you're not very familiar with God's word, you may not recognize that our songs are scripture rich songs.
36:02
I hope that if you're a part of this fellowship and as you sing songs, you'll begin to see song lyrics in the Bible.
36:07
Wait a second.
36:09
What's happening?
36:10
They're borrowing it from the text to give us such beautiful songs.
36:14
So we pray the word and we sing the word and we preach the word and we hear the word.
36:22
Preaching, this work of opening the text and giving it careful explanation, is central to the ministry of an elder.
36:32
Elders, after all, are to be able to teach.
36:37
Now that does not mean, I don't believe, that every elder preaches in this way.
36:43
Like what we're talking about, this type of setting.
36:47
But that every elder does, in fact, teach this preaching ministry of proclaiming God's word is happening.
36:54
And it's evidently happening in the life of an elder.
36:59
Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2, verse 15.
37:02
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.
37:06
A worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
37:15
And then Paul, later on in this letter to Timothy, gives this charge to him in chapter 4, verses 1-4.
37:23
He says,
37:24
So preach the word.
37:44
And here's some ways in which you're going to be doing that.
37:47
You're going to be taking this word and you're going to be giving it application in the life of the church in all these varied ways.
37:53
And you're to do this with patience and teaching.
37:56
Why?
37:58
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching,
38:03
but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions
38:10
and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
38:17
The time is coming and is now here.
38:21
People won't want to hear what the word of God says,
38:23
but they'll want to hear what they want to hear.
38:25
And it seems to me that what Paul is saying is that God's going to give it to them as a judgment for them.
38:32
You go, okay.
38:34
Someone will come along and will scratch your ear for you.
38:38
Will tell you exactly what you want to hear.
38:42
A faithful elder wants to simply open up God's word and speak from this text.
38:50
A faithful elder only has anything worth saying if the word of God says it.
38:54
Let me simply tell you what God has said, right?
38:59
Because elders love the church.
39:01
And they know that God's word is what the church needs.
39:05
It's their real need.
39:07
Elders are less concerned about felt needs and more concerned about real needs.
39:13
Ultimately, primarily concerned about real needs.
39:18
It is not the job of an elder to make the truth relevant to you,
39:23
but rather to show you its relevancy.
39:28
It is relevant.
39:30
To merely show you that it's relevant.
39:33
To do the hard work of taking an ancient text and helping you understand it.
39:38
Right?
39:38
To go to the Old Testament, not to disregard it because it seems to be some obstacle to people coming to faith,
39:43
but to explain it to you.
39:45
To help you take this ancient thing and pull it here to the present and tell you what it means and why it matters.
39:54
Beloved, God wrote us a book.
39:58
The job of an elder is to fix your gaze on the truth.
40:02
Right?
40:02
To put your nose in the Bible.
40:05
That's why we love, typically, to do verse-by-verse exposition.
40:10
Thus saith the Lord.
40:15
Secondly here, preaching is central in the worship of the church.
40:18
Right?
40:18
We need to note together the centrality of preaching in the early church.
40:23
In Acts chapter 2, verse 42,
40:27
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.
40:30
Right?
40:30
Preaching that was happening.
40:31
Not exclusively amongst the apostles, but it was, in fact, happening.
40:35
Acts 4.31,
40:36
When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken,
40:39
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
40:41
And what did they do?
40:42
When they were filled with the Spirit, what did they do?
40:44
They didn't do weird things on stage.
40:47
They continued to speak the Word of God with boldness.
40:51
This is what the Spirit of God did for them.
40:55
Right?
40:55
They weren't making people fall on the floor.
40:57
They were preaching.
40:59
Acts chapter 6, verse 1 and 2,
41:02
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number,
41:04
a complaint by the Hellenists arose.
41:06
Oh, I read this to you already.
41:07
Right?
41:07
They gathered together.
41:08
They had deacons so that they could do what?
41:10
Right?
41:11
They said,
41:11
It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve tables.
41:17
Acts chapter 8, in verse 4,
41:19
After Stephen is stoned, it says,
41:21
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word.
41:27
So we see the centrality of preaching.
41:30
Right?
41:31
It's why our services are centered around preaching.
41:34
It's why we spend the most time on preaching.
41:38
Because the Scripture gives it to us as this example.
41:41
Elders preach.
41:43
When we gather, we need the truth in large measure.
41:48
Beloved, it's once a week.
41:51
It's the Lord's Day.
41:53
We gather this time that we would be fed.
41:57
We need a meal, not a snack.
42:01
We need to be fed the truth of God's Word.
42:04
Spurgeon once said,
42:06
Surely, if men's hearts were right,
42:10
short sermons would not be enough.
42:12
When we gather, we need the truth,
42:20
and we need the truth with reverence.
42:24
We need men to open God's Word to us,
42:28
who love God's Word,
42:30
who respect God's Word,
42:33
who aren't concerned about entertaining you.
42:36
Dr. Morton, Louis Jones, great preacher,
42:40
writes in Preaching and Preachers
42:42
this distinction between the preacher
42:44
and the pulpiteer,
42:46
one who gets up and puts on a show
42:48
for people's entertainment.
42:52
He, like Paul,
42:53
who writes in 1 Corinthians 2.2,
42:56
would say,
42:57
For I decided to know nothing among you
42:59
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
43:03
Richard Baxter, the Puritan pastor,
43:08
wrote in his great work,
43:09
the Reformed pastor,
43:11
Of all preaching in the world
43:13
that speaks not stark lies,
43:16
I hate that preaching
43:17
which tendeth to make the hearers laugh
43:20
or to move their mind with tickling levity
43:24
and affect them as stage players used to do
43:28
instead of affecting them
43:30
with the holy reverence
43:31
of the name of God.
43:35
You ought to want a man, right?
43:37
And I know there's some guests with us this morning
43:39
who will go back to churches.
43:41
You want to want a man
43:43
who will reach back
43:45
and take hold of these ancient truths
43:48
with one hand
43:49
and with the other
43:50
reach forward into your life
43:53
in order to bring the two together.
43:56
This is the work of preaching.
43:58
Ancient truths applied for you
44:01
today.
44:04
On your bulletin,
44:05
final quotation,
44:06
I think, for this morning.
44:08
Spurgeon wrote,
44:09
The true teacher should not seek
44:11
to soar on the gaudy wings
44:13
of brilliant oratory,
44:16
pouring forth sonorous,
44:17
polished sentences
44:18
in rhythmic harmony.
44:21
And that's saying a lot
44:21
because Spurgeon was brilliant.
44:23
His language just burst out of him.
44:25
It was beautiful.
44:25
But should endeavor to speak
44:28
pointed truths of God,
44:31
things that will strike and stick,
44:33
thoughts that will be remembered
44:34
and recalled again and again
44:36
when the hearer is far away
44:38
from the place of worship
44:39
where he listened
44:40
to the preacher's words.
44:42
elders preach.
44:48
So,
44:49
who are elders?
44:50
Elders are men qualified
44:51
and appointed.
44:51
What do elders do?
44:52
They labor in prayer,
44:53
pursuing holiness,
44:54
pastoring their families,
44:55
preparing future leaders,
44:56
protecting the church,
44:57
and preaching.
44:58
They are a gift to us.
45:00
How should we relate
45:02
to our elders
45:03
really quickly?
45:04
I'm sorry this is going long.
45:09
This is three sermons
45:10
pulled into one,
45:11
just as a side note.
45:14
The church,
45:15
this is your summary statement,
45:15
the church should honor
45:16
and obey its elders.
45:19
The church should honor
45:20
and obey its elders.
45:23
I'll give you a quick text
45:24
for each of those.
45:25
Honor,
45:26
1 Timothy 5, 17,
45:27
let the elders who rule
45:28
be considered worthy
45:29
of double honor,
45:31
especially those who labor
45:32
in preaching
45:34
and in teaching.
45:35
Paul goes on to talk about
45:36
the ox
45:38
being,
45:39
treading out grain
45:40
and the worker
45:40
being worth his wages.
45:42
So, I do think,
45:42
in some sense here,
45:44
Paul is talking to Timothy
45:45
about the pay
45:45
that elders receive
45:47
for what they're doing.
45:48
But that's not the point
45:49
I'm trying to make this morning.
45:50
The point is
45:51
that you should want
45:52
to love and serve
45:53
your elders.
45:54
Show them honor.
45:54
Show them respect.
45:56
And I am very pleased
45:58
to say, church,
45:58
you do this well.
46:00
You do this in heaps.
46:02
Keep doing it.
46:04
Do this for clay.
46:07
Also,
46:08
you should obey
46:09
your elders.
46:11
Hebrews 13, 17
46:12
says,
46:12
Obey your leaders
46:13
and submit to them.
46:14
For they are keeping watch
46:16
over your souls
46:17
as those who have to give
46:18
an account.
46:19
Let them do this
46:20
with joy
46:20
and not with groaning,
46:21
for that would be
46:22
of no advantage
46:23
to you.
46:25
So there is an authority
46:26
granted
46:27
to elders.
46:28
What kind of authority
46:29
is it though?
46:30
What sort of authority
46:32
is it?
46:33
Elders have the authority
46:34
of scripture
46:35
as we all do.
46:36
We're a congregational church.
46:38
Elders don't rule
46:39
in the sense of
46:40
Lord
46:41
over the church.
46:43
We have the authority
46:44
of the scripture
46:44
and
46:46
we have relational
46:48
authority.
46:49
Elders in our church
46:51
have served
46:52
amongst us.
46:53
Have laid down
46:54
their lives
46:55
for the lives
46:56
of others.
46:58
Are seeking
46:59
to do this.
47:00
To rightly
47:00
keep watch
47:01
over your souls.
47:03
To really care
47:05
about you
47:05
and how
47:07
you're doing.
47:09
Paul writes
47:09
in 1 Thessalonians 5,
47:11
We ask you,
47:11
brothers,
47:12
to respect those
47:13
who labor among you
47:14
and are over you
47:15
in the Lord
47:16
and admonish you
47:17
and to esteem them
47:18
very highly in love
47:20
because of their work.
47:21
Be at peace
47:22
among yourselves.
47:24
So here Paul instructs
47:25
that you respect
47:26
your elders.
47:28
You could also
47:29
translate that word
47:30
know intimately
47:31
your elders
47:33
because they're men
47:35
who do work for you.
47:37
Because they are
47:38
serving you well.
47:40
They're in relationship
47:41
with you.
47:44
So the respect
47:46
and therefore
47:47
the authority
47:47
of an elder
47:48
that they possess
47:49
is primarily
47:50
relational
47:51
and not primarily
47:54
positional.
47:55
people.
47:58
So honor
47:58
and obey
48:00
your elders
48:01
as your elders
48:02
lay their lives
48:04
down in service
48:05
to you.
48:08
Christ is building
48:09
his church
48:10
and he is
48:12
employing
48:12
means
48:13
to accomplish
48:14
this task.
48:17
Elders
48:17
are a means.
48:19
They're not
48:19
the only means
48:20
but they are
48:22
a means
48:22
and an important
48:23
one
48:24
and we should
48:25
be exceedingly
48:26
grateful for the
48:27
gift they are
48:27
to us
48:28
in Christ.
48:29
And I say that
48:30
with you
48:30
as an elder.
48:31
I am thankful
48:32
for elders
48:33
in our church.
48:34
I'm thankful
48:34
I'm not the only
48:35
one but I'm
48:36
serving amongst
48:37
men
48:38
who are serving
48:39
you.
48:41
May his kingdom
48:42
go forth
48:42
as we continue
48:43
to arrange
48:43
ourselves
48:44
as a church
48:45
according
48:45
to his good
48:46
and wise
48:48
instruction.
48:50
Let's pray
48:51
together
48:51
and then we're
48:52
going to turn
48:52
our attention
48:52
to installing
48:54
clay.
48:55
Father God
48:55
thank you very
48:56
much for your
48:57
word and for
48:57
what it has
48:58
to say to us
48:59
about how it
48:59
is that you've
49:00
ordered the
49:01
church.
49:02
Father help us
49:02
to be a people
49:03
who care about
49:05
ecclesiology
49:06
who want to
49:07
study how it is
49:08
you have meant
49:09
for us to be
49:10
your bride
49:11
and to grow
49:12
in holiness
49:12
for the praise
49:13
of your name.
49:16
I thank you
49:16
for this morning
49:17
and what it
49:17
means.
49:19
I thank you
49:19
Father for
49:19
working grace
49:20
in us to be
49:21
obedient to your
49:22
word and I pray
49:22
this in Christ's
49:23
name and for
49:24
his sake.
49:25
Amen.
49:28
I've been very
49:29
blessed to know
49:30
Clay Naylor for a
49:31
very long time.
49:34
Clay and I met
49:34
at a campus
49:36
ministry event.
49:37
He walked up to
49:38
me and as I tend
49:39
to do I was
49:39
standing at the
49:40
edge of the
49:40
crowd and Clay
49:42
beelined cut
49:44
across.
49:44
He didn't walk
49:45
on the sidewalk.
49:46
I don't think
49:47
Clay would do
49:47
that.
49:47
He beelined
49:48
across the grass
49:49
and walked
49:50
straight up to
49:50
me.
49:51
If I remember
49:52
right I was
49:52
probably in
49:53
river shorts
49:54
and sandals
49:55
and Clay was
49:55
wearing Levi's
49:58
Wranglers maybe
49:59
and a big belt
50:03
buckle and cowboy
50:03
boots.
50:06
God's providence
50:07
brought us
50:07
together.
50:08
We normally
50:09
would have been
50:10
the kind of
50:10
people that were
50:11
drawn together
50:12
but we quickly
50:13
found that we
50:13
loved the same
50:15
Christ.
50:16
And we very
50:17
quickly formed
50:18
a friendship.
50:20
I think the next
50:21
time I saw Clay
50:21
he got drug
50:22
into a meeting
50:23
at that very
50:24
same campus
50:26
ministry where I
50:27
was a little bit
50:27
hot under the
50:28
collar about
50:29
something and
50:30
thankfully he
50:30
didn't flee from
50:31
me but he
50:32
liked the passion
50:33
that I had for
50:35
the truth in that
50:36
moment even though
50:37
maybe wasn't
50:38
appropriately
50:38
applied.
50:39
those of you
50:42
who don't know
50:43
Clay well
50:43
Clay has cystic
50:45
fibrosis and
50:47
coming out of
50:47
college we
50:49
started a college
50:50
Bible study just
50:50
kind of out of
50:51
necessity to be
50:52
together and study
50:53
God's word together
50:54
Clay and myself
50:55
and one of our
50:56
previous elders who
50:57
now lives in Utah
50:58
and Clay was the
51:00
one that said hey
51:00
we should invite
51:01
other people to
51:02
come and we
51:03
went okay and
51:06
in his apartment
51:07
in Dahlonega a
51:08
few more people
51:09
showed up and
51:09
then a few more
51:10
people showed up
51:10
and a few more
51:10
people showed up
51:12
much of what our
51:13
church is today
51:14
kind of came from
51:15
that college Bible
51:16
study and things
51:18
we were learning
51:18
and growing in
51:19
together during
51:20
that time.
51:22
During those days
51:23
my wife and I
51:24
got married and
51:25
Clay's lung
51:27
capacity was
51:28
diminishing and
51:29
diminishing and
51:30
diminishing.
51:32
We held that
51:33
college Bible study
51:34
in our town
51:36
home where we
51:37
would clear out
51:37
the living room
51:38
we'd take all
51:38
the furniture out
51:39
of the living
51:39
room and put it
51:40
on the back
51:41
deck and sit
51:42
college students
51:43
cross-legged on
51:44
the floor and
51:45
sitting on our
51:46
counter.
51:47
We had stools
51:48
behind that.
51:48
We joked it was
51:49
the balcony.
51:49
We would put 50
51:51
college students in
51:52
our town home and
51:54
Clay who had 20%
51:56
lung capacity would
51:58
open God's word
51:59
with oxygen tank
52:00
sitting next to
52:01
him.
52:02
We in those days
52:04
thought this is the
52:05
last day we'll see
52:06
Clay.
52:06
I think every time
52:07
we gathered together
52:08
on a Thursday
52:08
night we thought
52:10
okay this is the
52:11
last time and none
52:12
of us were saying
52:14
our goodbyes because
52:14
we didn't want to
52:15
talk in those terms
52:16
but there were many
52:18
visits that I
52:19
thought I just
52:20
don't know.
52:21
I don't know.
52:23
His 10 yard walk
52:24
from his truck into
52:26
our town home would
52:27
leave him extremely
52:28
winded.
52:29
Unable to talk
52:30
winded at that
52:32
time.
52:33
not long after
52:35
that Clay was put
52:37
on a transplant
52:37
list and received
52:39
a double lung
52:40
transplant which
52:41
is a phenomenal
52:42
miracle that these
52:43
things can even be
52:45
done 10 plus years
52:47
ago or about 10
52:48
years ago.
52:49
No.
52:51
Clay got very sick
52:52
after that double
52:53
lung transplant.
52:53
within an inch of
52:56
his life before
52:57
within an inch of
52:58
his life during the
52:59
transplant and then
53:00
afterward terrible
53:01
case of pneumonia
53:02
spent I don't have
53:03
the facts straight in
53:04
my head but in
53:05
Birmingham for a
53:06
month plus in the
53:07
hospital in a drug
53:09
induced coma just
53:11
not doing well.
53:13
God has preserved
53:16
his life and I
53:18
just want you guys
53:19
to understand God
53:20
has preserved his
53:20
life in part for
53:22
us.
53:23
How good that is.
53:25
God's providence is
53:26
good sovereignty.
53:28
He knew how much we
53:30
needed Clay.
53:32
His service and his
53:33
kindness toward us.
53:37
Clay has carried
53:37
around with him a
53:39
prayer journal that
53:40
gets retired and
53:40
then a new one gets
53:41
formed and a new one
53:42
gets retired and he
53:43
writes in the front
53:44
of that prayer
53:45
journal I think in
53:46
most cases Acts
53:47
chapter 20 and
53:48
verse 24 which
53:50
says but I do not
53:51
account my life of
53:52
any value nor as
53:54
precious to myself if
53:56
only I may finish my
53:57
course in the
53:59
ministry that I
53:59
receive from the
54:00
Lord Jesus to
54:00
testify to the
54:02
gospel of the
54:03
grace of God.
54:05
And Clay has
54:06
prayed this would
54:07
be true of him and
54:09
he has exemplified
54:09
this in so many
54:11
ways.
54:12
Right.
54:12
Thinking that his
54:13
course was almost
54:14
finished.
54:16
Pressing in being a
54:17
gospel proclaimer to
54:19
where he thought the
54:19
end would be and then
54:21
God would extend his
54:22
life.
54:23
And then he would do
54:23
it again and then God
54:24
would extend his life.
54:27
And it's just astounding
54:29
to me to think back
54:30
across a decade and a
54:32
half and to go Clay
54:33
Naylor is still alive.
54:35
That is incredible.
54:38
Right.
54:38
And he gets in the mix
54:39
with us and he presses
54:40
us toward Christ all
54:42
along.
54:44
He is married now.
54:46
Ever thought that
54:46
would happen?
54:49
He's a well because of
54:52
his cystic fibrosis.
54:56
Sorry brother.
54:59
His wife is currently
55:01
pregnant.
55:02
How incredible.
55:04
Clay Naylor is going to
55:04
hold a baby.
55:07
It's astounding how good
55:09
God is.
55:11
And joy upon joy.
55:12
Right.
55:13
Not to make this better
55:14
than any of those things.
55:15
But just joy upon joy.
55:16
He's God heaping up joy
55:18
on us this morning.
55:19
He's now becoming an
55:20
elder of our church.
55:22
What a cool thing.
55:24
Clay, the task ahead is a
55:26
weighty task.
55:27
I don't know in many ways
55:28
you've already bore that
55:29
burden.
55:31
But it's a glorious one.
55:33
You have elders who love
55:34
you.
55:35
You have a church who
55:36
loves you.
55:38
Don't forget that as you
55:39
take up the task of
55:40
under shepherding that
55:41
you're still a sheep.
55:43
Christ is our great
55:44
shepherd.
55:46
Flee to him at all
55:47
times.
55:49
Kathleen, it's
55:50
appropriate just to say
55:51
a word of encouragement
55:52
to you.
55:53
You're joining Clay in
55:55
this task as his wife.
55:57
But this church does not
55:59
expect you to be a
56:00
female version of him.
56:02
If you start to think
56:04
they are, you let me
56:05
know and I'll set them
56:05
straight.
56:06
We don't expect you to
56:08
pastor the church.
56:10
But you are expected to
56:12
love and serve alongside
56:13
Clay.
56:16
Know that your marriage
56:18
will be troubled by
56:20
attacks as Clay
56:21
faithfully serves in the
56:22
church.
56:24
I think who could know
56:27
the mind of the enemy
56:28
but Satan certainly
56:29
loves to get after the
56:30
homes of those who lead
56:32
in the church.
56:33
But know that you have
56:35
a church that loves you
56:36
and that Christ has
56:37
defeated Satan and has
56:38
overcome this world to
56:40
flee to him at all
56:41
times.
56:43
You together have this
56:45
weighty work ahead of
56:46
you but it is glorious.
56:48
It is good.
56:49
It is worth taking up
56:50
and reveling in and
56:52
enjoying.
56:53
And I'm thankful for you
56:54
church that you've made
56:55
it a joy.
56:56
It is not a burden to
56:57
serve you.
56:58
It is certainly a joy to
57:00
serve you.
57:02
And so this morning we
57:04
are pleased to install
57:06
Clay Naylor as an elder.
57:08
Having been nominated and
57:09
voted upon according to
57:10
our bylaws, the elders of
57:13
our church are to be
57:14
qualified faithful men
57:15
according to 1st
57:16
Timothy 3 and Titus 1
57:17
who will stand before God
57:18
and give an account for
57:20
the people of Christ's
57:22
family church according to
57:23
Hebrews chapter 13.
57:25
This is both a solemn
57:28
and a joyful occasion.
57:31
Now attach the back of
57:32
your bulletin.
57:34
Again, I apologize if you
57:35
don't have one in your
57:36
hands.
57:36
Just participate as you
57:37
can.
57:38
It's a document for a
57:40
responsive reading.
57:42
So if you will for me
57:43
church, if you'll stand
57:44
and join me in this
57:47
responsive reading.
57:47
In case it's unclear,
57:59
you're the congregation.
58:02
There is but one good
58:05
shepherd.
58:06
Our Lord Jesus Christ.
58:09
The sheep hear his voice
58:10
and he calls his own
58:12
sheep by name and leads
58:13
them out.
58:14
The Lord Jesus who so
58:44
loves his bride that he
58:45
gave himself up for her
58:47
and still now washes her
58:49
with the water of his
58:50
grace.
58:51
As the head of the church,
58:52
her chief shepherd gives
58:54
to her under shepherds,
58:57
pastors to care for the
58:58
sheep even as they are
59:00
sheep themselves.
59:02
Thanks be to God.
59:04
You can be seated.
59:07
Your job's not done yet,
59:08
but please be seated.
59:10
Let me ask Clay to go
59:12
ahead and join me on stage.
59:13
I'm going to let you
59:21
stand where the mic is.
59:25
Clay, will you teach us
59:27
whether many or one to
59:29
one in sermons and prayers
59:31
and counsel the gospel of
59:33
Jesus Christ?
59:34
I will by God's grace.
59:37
Will you shepherd us not
59:38
for shameful gain, but eagerly,
59:40
not domineeringly, but gently
59:42
being an example to the
59:44
flock?
59:45
I will by God's grace.
59:47
Will you pray for us
59:48
interceding on our behalf
59:50
that we might comprehend
59:51
with all the saints the love
59:53
of Christ that surpasses
59:54
knowledge, that we may be
59:56
filled with all the fullness
59:57
of God?
59:58
I will by God's grace.
1:00:00
Church, will you be subject to
1:00:03
him, clothing yourselves in
1:00:04
humility even to one another,
1:00:06
obeying your leaders,
1:00:07
letting them serve you with joy
1:00:09
and not with groaning,
1:00:10
since this would not be of
1:00:12
advantage to you?
1:00:14
We will by God's grace.
1:00:16
All right.
1:00:18
Can I ask Doug, who is our
1:00:20
current other elder, Kathleen,
1:00:23
Clay's wife, as well as his
1:00:25
parents, to join us on stage?
1:00:28
You've got plenty of time.
1:00:30
Just take your time.
1:00:30
Thank you.
1:00:31
Thank you.
1:00:32
Thank you.
1:00:37
All right.
1:01:04
Let's pray together.
1:01:07
Father God, we thank you
1:01:10
that you have given the church
1:01:12
to Christ and Christ to the
1:01:14
church.
1:01:15
We humbly recognize that we
1:01:17
have our very being because
1:01:19
of Jesus' sacrificial work
1:01:21
on our behalf.
1:01:23
We thank you that you have
1:01:24
placed him as the head of the
1:01:26
church, that he lovingly
1:01:28
leads us, working holiness
1:01:29
into us and out of us for the
1:01:32
sake of his name.
1:01:33
And we thank you that you have
1:01:34
given to the church under
1:01:35
shepherds for the same good.
1:01:37
Father God, thank you for Clay.
1:01:41
Thank you for leaving him with
1:01:43
us for so long, for his
1:01:45
constant faithfulness, for his
1:01:47
care and concern for your
1:01:50
people, for his patient
1:01:52
teaching of your will and your
1:01:54
ways.
1:01:55
He is truly a gift to our
1:01:57
church.
1:01:59
Bless him and Kathleen and
1:02:01
their baby, that their home
1:02:03
would be a place of rest and
1:02:06
joy.
1:02:07
Grant that the work ahead would
1:02:09
bind them together in loving
1:02:11
service to others and to each
1:02:14
other.
1:02:15
Grant Clay wisdom, we pray, as he
1:02:19
gives leadership in our
1:02:20
fellowship.
1:02:21
Grant him humility and affection
1:02:24
for us, that he may pay
1:02:26
careful attention to himself and
1:02:29
to all the flock, that the body
1:02:31
might grow being built up in love.
1:02:35
God, we want to honor Christ as a
1:02:39
church.
1:02:39
And so we pray this in his name.
1:02:43
Amen.
1:02:45
In the name of the Lord Jesus, the
1:02:46
chief shepherd of the church,
1:02:49
Christ Family Church installs Clay
1:02:51
Naylor as an elder.
1:02:53
Church, welcome your new ending.
1:02:55
Thank you.
1:02:55
Thank you.
1:02:56
Thank you.