The WORK, FIGHT & LOVE of Biblical Eldership
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1. How does the context inform the meaning of this passage? Please consider: a) the literary context (passages before and after the passage), b) the historical context (circumstances of the audience), and c) the biblical context (citations/allusions or historical connections to other books that the author is making).
Literary Context -
Paul always has a band of faithful men who follow him from on stop to the next. There is something powerful about what we see there.
We took notice of this back in . Paul leaves Titus and Timothy behind to help establish elders in every church. -
This is glaring deficiency in my mind with sister churches in the SBC.
Another observation is the
Historical Context -
The larger world of leadership was dominated by singular charismatic leadership. Yes there were councils but largely “yes men” councils.
Sandhedrin is a good example but the High Priest was the defacto buck stop.
Biblical Context -
NT OBSERVATIONS
One huge observation in all of this is that in every church, there was a model of plurality of leadership. Not just one single leader is needed to lead the church in a healthy way. - Titus - Left in in Crete to put into order what needed to be put in order…namely the establishing of elders.
This is glaring deficiency in my mind with sister churches in the SBC.
Another observation is the
OT OBSERVATIONS
Moses and Jethro
2. How has the author organized this passage? Please a) show the structure in sections with verse references and b) explain what strategies you used to see this structure.
Paul’s Model before the Elders of Ephesus- 20:17-24
Paul’s Commissioning of the Elders at Ephesus - 20:25-35
Paul’s Tearful Departure from Ephesus - 20:36-38
3. Drawing on your work to this point, state the author’s aim for his audience (in one short sentence).
“Luke’s aim is to show his readers a healthy model of how leaders live, train, commission and send new leaders for the church”
4. What parts of this passage connect to the gospel of Jesus Christ? What part of the gospel is in view?
Repentance and faith is essential to Gospel rich leadership
Testifying to the grace of God is essential to Gospel rich leadership
5. Drawing on your work to this point, what conclusion will you argue to your audience (in one short sentence)? What applications will you make for your audience?
CONCLUSION -
“The Church’s gospel witness is strengthened by elders who faithfully lead from head, heart and hands”
APPLICATIONS -
Elders get their hands dirty in the everyday-ness of Gospel ministry.
Elders protect their flock by continual theological and biblical growth.
Elders love one another deeply and fight for the brotherhood of the church.
6. What is your sermon title and your preaching outline?
Title: The Work, Fight and Love of Biblical Eldership.
Outline
We Need Elders that will WORK tirelessly for us - v.17-24
We Need Elders that will FIGHT hard for us - v. 25-35
We Need Elders that will LOVE Deeply for us - v.36-38
SERMON MANUSCRIPT
INTRODUCTION
Illustration
One of my all time favorite movies is the movie “Tombstone”. It was released during my Sr. Year of High School. Some friends and I saw the movie a total of 3x in the Theatre before it went to VHS. I know instantly by saying this this that I need to explain some things. (1). There was not much to do in Moneta, VA so stop judging me about seeing a movie 3x. (2.) Kids, they used to have these stores called “Video Stores” like Blockbuster and they would rent us these things called VHS cassettes that had 2 wheels and some tape that had the movie on it.
I digress. What stands out about this movie is the last 30 minutes where Wyatt Earp is coxed back into his role as a “law dawg” instead of staying in retirement to make tons of money on gambling. Due to the murder of his little brother, he gathers a iconic band of “Immortals” made up of Doc Holliday, Sherman McMasters and Turkey Creek Jack Johnson to take down the infamous band of crime lords called the Cowboys who terrorized the SW during the late 1800’s.
The movie chronicles well the blood, sweat and tears that were spilt for one another in the work to secure justice! Today, we are going to look at one of the most pictures of the life and work of elders in the church.
Main Idea
The church is strengthened by faithful elders who WORK, FIGHT and LOVE so that the Gospel will be known in our city!
Context
If you have been paying attention as we have plugged away through Paul’s missionary journeys, you likely have clued into the fact that Paul surrounded himself with good men. This was likely due to this model that was set for him with Barnabas who mentored him and then quietly passed the ministry baton to him shortly after they began doing ministry together.
Why this is important?
NT pattern to establish churches with multiple elders so that the church had a sure foundation for future future health and sustainability. This is an outstanding and frankly counterintuitive principle when you compare this to what we think is need for health and sustainability today. Money, buildings and programs are very important but no one metric is more predictive of future health and sustainability than the health and training of biblically faithful elders.
OT pattern stands out as well. Moses was the defacto leader through and the exodus from Egypt. He was working himself to the bone and it was the wisdom of his father-in-law who pointed out the need to distribute the leadership of the Israelite people across many godly men. The leaders of each tribe.
The Importance of this can not understated. Local churches struggle greatly with vision, faithfulness, stability and theological clarity today. I meet constantly with leaders in other churches outside of my tribe and I see men are the brink of burnout or failure. I see singular leaders who could become abusive leaders because they have laid all the hopes of the church on their own shoulders in stead of Jesus and a qualified faithful team of faithful elders.
So let me state our position clearly at Grace. We are church stands on the clear example of the 1st Century Church of establishing a TEAM of ELDERS for the church. By doing so, we help stem the tide of doctrinal error, lack of gospel clarity and missional drift. Elders are called to a sacred trust of Gospel clarity & advancement.
Transition:
So that is why Paul’s engagement with the Ephesian Elders is so vital for us today. We have some exciting things rolling out with our church. We look forward to installing Josh and Delon in the near future as well as start training other faithful men for this work as well. Elders are called to a sacred trust of Gospel advancement through the training and commissioning of faithful men!
SERMON OUTLINE
SETTING UP THE STORY
SETTING -
We left off last week with a riot breaking out in Ephesus in response to the powerful work of the Spirit that broke out because of Paul’s ministry. Ephesus would go on to be one of the, if not THE, stalwart churches during its day. They were known for hold tightly to their doctrine as well as applying their doctrine into their lives. In one sense, the Corinthian Church and the Ephesian Church might be the bookends of doctrinal and spiritual maturity in the early church. One struggling to differentiate themselves from the culture of their city and one that deeply impacting the culture of their city.
Due to the intensity of the riot in Ephesus, the disciples felt it necessary to encourage Paul and his companions move on in their missionary endeavors. Paul would head back to Macedonia, which was kind of his home base of monetary support. As he is journeys, he links up with some of his team that has went ahead of him in Troas.
Having only one night of ministry in Troas, he unloads both barrels that evening and spoke until after midnight. During that engagement, a young man fell asleep and subsequently fell three stories, broke his neck and died. Alarmed, the entire fellowship ran downstairs with Paul. Paul embraced him and pronounces that the boy is alive. He and the fellowship went back, grabbed a snack and Paul preached until Dawn.
That is what you call confidence in preaching ya’ll! So in case someone falls over dead in our service, let’s just keep going ok…JK
When Paul and his team leave, they make a few other stops and but decide it was best to bypass Ephesus so they could get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. IN doing so, he decides to call for the elders of the Ephesian Church to meet him along his journey in Miletus for an elders retreat. It is there that Paul delivers some of the most instructive teaching on the importance of elders in the church.
I want us to notice 3 commitments of Biblical leadership that must be embraced by the elders of a church. The WORK, FIGHT, LOVE
I. We Need Elders that will WORK tirelessly for us - READ v.17-24
READ v. 17-21
Paul reminds the Elders of Ephesus of his own example of ministry among them. He is not being pompous and he is not trying to make a big deal about himself. Paul knows what we all know intuitively. Leadership in the church is passed on by the example of faithful men before them. He was that example.
We Need Elders that will FIGHT hard for us - v. 25-35
Paul notes several important aspects of this ministry that needed to be emulated by this young elder team.
They needed to be (1) FULLY PRESENT in their work of ministry.
He defines what looks like in the participle phrase that follows: “serving you with all humility, with tears, during the trials.” This is critical for leadership in the church. We need leaders who will stay in the game. We need men that will roll their sleeves up and get their hands dirty.
We need men who are regular men among men. Yes, there is a set apartness of eldership but they are men just the same. They feel the pains and stresses of life. They struggle with temptation and sin. They must cultivate repentance like all other followers of Jesus do. They lead NOT from above but from among! They laugh. They cry. They celebrate. They mourn.
This is why I am deeply grateful for my Baptist heritage that is being recovered today. Pastors and elders are selected from among the people not from outside the people. They are affirmed to their role because the body has witnessed their faithful example from within.
This is refreshing in a world where so many celebrity pastors are falling like flies. They or their people people have separated them from the body. That kind of separation has proved over and over again to be disastrous not only for the elder but for the flocks they lead.
This is not to say that the elders should not be held in honor and esteem for the men they are. They should be. They should be followed not just because of the role of their office but also because of the faithful way they administer the office.
They must (2) not hesitate to proclaim the truth of the Gospel in every season.
Paul defines what this looks like as well. They don’t avoid telling the church. What a painful thing it is when a pastor avoids telling his people the truth. Why do pastors do this? (1) They want to be liked? Cowardice of telling the truth leads people to hell but also rules the church impotent in a world is desperate for grace and redemption.
Paul told the truth everywhere. He didn’t mince words. He didn’t pull punches. He didn’t adapt his message in order to not offend. Whether he was in the Synagogue (publically) or in a home with some pagan Gentiles, he stayed on message.
We said it last week, the main thing of the message is repentance and faith!
APPLICATION - The work of ministry is emotionally tiring and spiritually draining! Is that the pattern of leadership we see in the church today?
Most of the men I meet with in our city on a regular basis are very much like this. They are tired. They are spent. They are carry the burdens of their people with them where ever they go. If their people are suffering, they enter into that suffering with them. If their people are resistant to the Gospel truth, they stand ferociously on the truth of God’s work and take the hits.
II. We Need Elders that will FIGHT hard for us - v. 25-35
Standing on his own example of hard work, he passes the baton to these Ephesians elders. Paul’s work would soon conclude. The work of the ministry would fall into the hands of ordinary men who dig in and go to work. The Apostolic witness would soon pass from this life into the next. Only the Apostle John would survive after Paul but much of his ministry would be through writing from his prison on the Island of Patmos.
So Paul needed to pass on the work to men who would fight as hard as he did. These men would probably minister faithfully in their own hometowns for the duration of their life. There is something beautiful about pastors who labor in one place for 20, 30 or even 50 years, laboring over the Word of God and guarding the flock that God has place among them.
How would these men need to fight? (1) Fight themselves!
Pastors need to take heed of their own souls. In Spurgeon’s Lectures to my Students, he calls the students of his famed pastoral training school to take good watch of their souls. “You must remember that we have need of very vigorious piety because our danger is so much greater than that of others. Upon the whole, no place is so assailed with temptation as the ministry…our dangers are more numerous and more insidious than those of ordinary Christians.”
Pastors who do not take care of themselves will prove to be of little benefit to their congregations in the long run. They will likely burn out or disqualify themselves from their ministry posts. The church should take watch of their pastors (vocational and non-vocational.
Examples of caring for your pastors-
Sufficient salary (vocational) so that they can be relieved of worldly care. This is where I credit my Presbyterian brothers who set a standard of living for each pastor according to the cost of living that the church must provide for. Baptist by in large of starved their pastors and if you look at the longevity of a Baptist Pastor and Presbyterian Pastor, you would find in many cases a marked difference between the 2.
Pray for them - Whether you know it or not, the spiritual warfare for those in the office of elder/deacon is great. Satan knows the most advantageous spot to attack a church is in its leadership.
Love their families well - Recognize that the sacrifice of an elder is also carried by his family as well.
Sufficient salary (vocational) so that they can be relieved of worldly care. This is where I credit my Presbyterian brothers who set a standard of living for each pastor according to the cost of living that the church must provide for. Baptist by in large of starved their pastors and if you look at the longevity of a Baptist Pastor and Presbyterian Pastor, you would find in many cases a marked difference between the 2.
Take them out for lunch or have them over for dinner - Don’t be taker but a giver.
Be their friends - Don’t just talk about ministry with them. Offer to take them to a ball game or in my case, grab a cigar and treat them as a real dude.
Serve in the church - Don’t wait to be asked. Go find a ministry and start doing it.
Remind him of the Gospel’s work in His life! Thank them for their work.
(2) They fight for their flock -
Paul is clear here that God gives a particular flock to a particular group of elders. In such, we should know that membership is how I know who I am ultimately responsible for!
The weapons of their fight are outlined here as well. There are (3) I see
(1) - They fight with Gospel Remembrance. v.28b “purchased with his own blood”
The elder must cling tightly to his identity in Jesus. He is not called to his office because of a set of talents or gifts but rather a calling that is above him. He needs often to remind himself of the Gospel - Joe Thorns little book “Note to Self” is a powerful little book that I keep on my person everywhere I go.
(2) - They fight with Doctrinal fidelity. v.29-30 “wolves will come in among you…distort the truth”
The elder must also guard his doctrine. Sound Doctrine is no small matter. There are charitable conversations we can have but there are some essential doctrines that cannot be compromised and must be protected among the church.
The Authority and Sufficiency of the Word of God
The Trinity
The Substitutionary atonement of Jesus as our only sufficient mediator for our sin.
Justification by Faith, by Grace Alone, in Christ Alone.
These are not up for discussion!
(3) - They fight by renouncing the world. v.32-33 “word of grace which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance…i have not coveted silver or gold.
Paul is not commending bi-vocational ministry here. He is saying that whether he gets his living from the people of God or through some other means, he lives by the Word of God, for the Word of God. We fight by committing our worldly cares to the Lord. The church comes along side and does her best to help with that matter where possible but in whatever circumstance, the this World is not our home!
III. We Need Elders that will LOVEone another Deeply - v.36-38
When Paul was finished commissioning this group of men, they spent time praying for one another. They shed tears for one another. Their brotherhood was deep. They kissed Paul and hugged him. This was a true sign of manhood! The world says our emotions are a sign of weakness. NOT in God’s economy! They could barely let go of Paul because of their deep love for him. They knew that he was almost through with his race.
There is a brotherhood that forms among pastors, particularly in the local church but outside the local church as well. When we planted Grace, I would bring different ideas to Amanda about where we might plant. When it was all said in done, we knew we couldn’t plant anywhere but in the Nashville area. The love I have received from the tribe of Pastors I fellowship with indescribable.
A few of us have prayed that if it is God’s will, we want to run the race together in this city until we pass our ministries off to someone else. Only God knows if that will happen, but I believe those guys will fight for me and i will fight for them!
8 years of ministry at Providence with Joe and John and the tears that were shed when I left that church for the last time is one of the most meaningful memories I have in ministry. The bond is still strong today. This doens’t mean there was not conflict between us. Heaven’s mercy there was all kinds of differences and disagreements among us but God used them to bring humility and love for one another.
When we formed the IDT for Grace Church that was made up of Josh, Delon and Myself with a couple other men it was clear that God would develop a special bond between Delon, Josh and I. I am deeply grateful for them. I pray that our brotherhood will grow in the same manner (it already has in many ways!).
In May, we will examine these men with other pastors from the area and God willing on June 17, we will install them as Elders at Grace.
APPLICATION -
Church, you can encourage this brotherhood in many ways:
Don’t spurn brotherhood yourself! When a brother engages you for friendship, receive it and invest in it.
Empower them to retreat and get away for refilling, refreshment and retooling so they last for the long haul!
Pray for a Holy Spirit Unity among them that overpowers the differences that lie between them.
CONCLUSION -
Let’s remember this - The church is strengthened by faithful elders who WORK, FIGHT and LOVE so that the Gospel will be know in our city!
Let’s Pray!