Elders, Part 2

Turn please to the book of Titus, Titus chapter 1. I want to continue on my exercise from yesterday on the oversight in the house of God. I appreciate comments received in respect to my ministry yesterday, much appreciated. You know, when your brethren stand up here and minister the word of God, you have to understand that the 30 minutes they spend up here is probably meant 30 or more hours at home.

Do you understand that? A lifetime in the word of God and it's nice to show appreciation for the ministry of the word of God. There are notes at the back, as said, and brother Williams Gates came to me and he says, I could get up and give your message. And really he can't because he's Irish.

He doesn't have a Scottish accent, so he can't do it. I was, I was in Pape Avenue a number of years ago and two sisters met me after the meeting. I was ministering and they said, we just love sitting, listening to you.

We could listen to you all night. Such a lovely accent. It didn't matter what I said.

It was just my accent. Well, that was about 20 or 30 years ago and I've lost my accent now, really. So I'm a more, when I go home, I'm American.

That's what they tell me. Anyway, Titus chapter one, and I'll try and keep this brief. I've given notes.

So some of the headings I can just mention in Passover, you're able to read and reference the scriptures yourself. For this cause left I the increte, that thou should have said in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city, as I appointed thee. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly, for a Bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy looker, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by some doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayer.

First Peter chapter five, verse one. The elders, which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy looker, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords or lording over God's heritage, but being in samples to the flock.

And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. And finally in Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Take heed unto yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit hath made ye overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own self shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Now we trust God will bless to us the reading of his precious word.

Now don't be dismayed when you look at the second page on my notes with all these lists. I will certainly not go over every one of them, although there are about 19 items. The last list, I will only cover really the last one, the reward.

If we get time for that, I'm certainly not going to go over them, but I'll try and pick out things I think are relatively important and spend a minute or two on these. I can only spend a couple of minutes on each one. I want to be finished in good time and leave time for another brother.

And I don't have good eyesight, so if I go past half past, go like this, I'll know it's time I got down. I get needles in my eyes every few months because I've got bad eyes and you'll appreciate my problem. The plurality of overseers.

Overseers are part of the function of an assembly. When you come to the epistle to the Philippians, Paul addresses the Philippians as the saints and to the bishops and deacons. So an assembly is composed of three groups.

One is saints. Among the saints, there are bishops or overseers is the word in Philippians chapter one. And there are deacons or servants or ministers.

We don't use the word bishop and we don't use the word deacon. And the word deacon, it's used, I don't like quoting Greek words, but I will do just to get the idea over. It's diakonos and it's not always used for a spiritual ministry.

It's a word that's used for a ministry of different kinds. But in Titus, in Timothy, it is used for a spiritual ministry. In Philippians one, it is used for a spiritual ministry.

But elders are always in the plural, except when giving the qualifications for an elder. We speak of the oversight or the elderhood. I want to say something that everyone understands.

An elder in himself has no authority. So Deutrophis, he's exerting authority over the whole company of God. Deutrophis.

John says, I'll deal with them when I come. He was out of order. He was out of place.

When an elder has an exercise about speaking to someone, he'll get another elder and the two of them will speak to that brother or sister. When there's issues coming up, decisions will be made, not by one man, but by elders. It's always in the plural.

That's why when I find an assembly, and I've known of some where there's only one brother left, what do you do? What would you do? Here you are in an assembly and you're the only brother in it. What would you do? Well, I know what I thought I would do. There'd be an awful lot of prayer.

They'd be seeking to see if we can get a gospel work going and souls saved. But after a while, if nothing was happening, I'm sorry, I would be closing the door. You see, my Bible tells me, Matthew 18 and 20, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst.

Now that's a principle of the divine presence. But brethren, the subject matter would tell me it's two or three males, not two or three women, not one man and two women. But I believe Matthew 18 and 20 would be two or three males.

An assembly can only function if there's two, at the minimum, men. It cannot function as a New Testament assembly with elders, with only one man. The plurality of elders.

Someone told me, well, we've told the elders all about it. No, they hadn't. They told one elder and they refused to meet with the elders.

So they're not telling the elders, they're telling one elder. If you have an issue with the elders, speak to the elders. And let me say something else.

This is a little bit off topic, but it's not really. I've been there and done this. There's an issue I'm unhappy with in the assembly.

I take it to the elders. I leave it with the elders. I don't take it and start talking about it all around the assembly.

I've left it with the elders and the elders, plural, now have the accountability for my concerns. They may agree. They may disagree.

That's their accountability. I have performed, carried out my responsibility in taking my concerns to godly appointed elders. Does that make sense to you? That will prevent the strife, the concern that was given yesterday that can destroy house of God, the plurality of elders.

Let's move on. Spiritual gift. I was never taught this as a boy.

I was taught about spiritual gifts, but I didn't understand that elderhood, being a shepherd in the flock of God was a spiritual gift. Here's my scriptures. Go first Romans chapter 12 verse 8. He that exhorteth on exhortation, he that giveth let him do it with simplicity.

He that ruleth over you with diligence. Now that's the word. Mr. Darby says he that leads with diligence.

It's the thought of leadership in the house of God. It's a spiritual gift to have leadership in the house of God. Now the work of the shepherd, the true shepherd, is the one that goes before.

He's not behind cracking the whip and saying get on with it. He's the one who's saying follow me. And we'll get that in first Peter.

He's an example to the flock. Secondly, in first Corinthians chapter 12, I'm trying to leave some of my notes out and move on. Paul writes, verse 28, and God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps.

Let's stop there. I'd love to be speaking on gifts. That's one of the greatest gifts going is a help.

Do you know what the word comforter means in John 14? It's one that goes alongside. Listen, I can look back on older sisters in my life. They've went alongside.

They've just been an encouragement. They've been a help. And that's one of the greatest gifts that I know that affects all the people of God.

Then he says governments and diversities of tongues. Now, all of these are not gifts that we have today. The word governments means administration or guides or your revised footnote is wise counsel.

These are spiritual gifts. When do you receive a spiritual gift? I believe in embryo. When I trusted Christ as my savior, God had a plan for me.

And he started from my first day as a believer in Christ to develop in me what I might use for his glory and his service, whatever sphere it's in. And brethren, sisters have spiritual gifts as well as brethren. I was brought up in a culture almost where the sisters could almost have nothing.

And it was sad. I'm satisfied. And I've known godly sisters who are the mainstay of the house of God with their intercession before the throne of grace.

It's a spiritual gift. The word also means it comes from a root word and it's called the pilot. In Acts 27, remember Paul was on the ship and it says the centurion, Paul told them there was going to be problems and they shouldn't sail.

And the centurion believed the master, the master of the ship, the pilot, the one who was guiding the ship. And so we've got the one who leads and the one who guides. And that's part of the work of the overseer.

It's a spiritual gift. Let's move on. It's an appointment.

We're at Acts chapter 20. I like to use for us the word recognition. We're in that situation just now in part two.

My Bible tells me over whom the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers. Now you say, hold on, wasn't Titus, didn't you read in Titus chapter one about Titus being given a request from Paul with regard to the ordaining of elders? In Acts chapter 14, didn't Paul go about ordaining or appointing elders? Yes, he did. And if you have apostolic authority, you go ahead and do it.

I believe, listen carefully, brethren. I believe that the Spirit of God raises up men to lead the house of God. And if the Spirit of God gives me a gift and a work to do, he will give me the fitness to do it.

There'll be the shepherd heart. There'll be the love of the word of God. We talked yesterday about being skilled in teaching.

Men who can get into the book of God, men who love the word of God, they might not be able to expound it on the platform, but they can handle it on a one-on-one basis and deal with the truth of God when error is coming around, as Titus gives us an exhortation. And so there's a requirement there for the appointment. We recognize men who are doing the work.

We just ask them to fellowship with us. Can you meet with us in the work of God? And what a joy it is when a brother who's doing the work and you advise the saints that this brother will be meeting with the elders and the saints say not before time. We've known that for a long time.

It's a sad thing when the saints say, what's going on? Why? That's a sad thing. The elders have to be very careful, wait before God, wise counsel, and all of those things. Qualifications, we dealt with them yesterday.

I'm not going to go over the details. Titus gives about six different ones from Timothy chapter three, and Peter gives three different ones altogether. The qualifications for an elder.

Now, just want to be careful here. I mentioned this yesterday. I'll mention it again.

Don't sit with your Bible and look at the qualifications for an elder and line your overseers up alongside it and say, oh, they don't make this. They don't fit that. They don't fit that.

I'll tell you what to do. Take the qualifications for the elder, the whole 26 of them, and line your life up alongside it. Where do I fit in? Do you think because the elder has to have a shepherd's heart that you don't? That I don't? This is what Paul says to the Philippians who mentioned it yesterday.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man on the things of others. We have all to have a care for each other. Galatians, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We have to be burden bearers. We have to be carers and sharers one of another. And so we've got the thought of the qualifications of the elder.

Then we've got the activity of the elder. I believe that as Paul went back over his area of service, and he looked upon those men that he'd seen saved, and he looked at the work they were doing, he would see they were actually doing the work that he could recognize them as an elder. It wasn't taking a man who was doing nothing and saying, right, you are an elder, and suddenly became something he never was.

But a man who's going to move in oversight over the house of God will already be showing the care and the love and the concern for the people of God. Do you ever visit the widows? Now, one thing about visiting widows is a little bit of a problem. If you like to talk, you better not do it because you won't get to talk.

Brother and I used to do it quite regularly, and you go in and you sit down, you get your cup of coffee, not tea, coffee is preferred now, and you listen. The dear sister's been alone for days, and she wants to talk. You know what you do? You sit and listen.

Then when you're finished, you read and pray with her and tell her a lot about the Lord Jesus. You know this, your day is made, your heart is full, she's rejoicing, but you know, you're rejoicing. Now, you're not going to start doing that when the brethren recognize you as an elder.

You should be doing it before. Are you doing that, young man? Do you visit the sick? Do you visit the weary? Do you encourage brethren when they take part in worship that don't do it much? When they get up in the prayer meeting and pray for the first time? When they take a little part in the Bible study, do you encourage them? That's all part of the work of the shepherd. It should be seen in my heart, and it should be seen in each of our hearts.

So, it's an activity. And then, finally, and I've lots of thoughts here on a work I'm not going to do at times going on. Just one thing.

You get the same word doing the work of the overseer in Timothy 3. You get the work of the evangelist. Do the work of an evangelist. I know many evangelists, and I've been out with many evangelists.

You know this. The first thing they do when you're paying the bill is they leave a tract. Did you know that? I've been with so many, and they put me to shame sometimes.

And they could only speak about the Lord Jesus and the love to talk to someone about their soul. I don't know if you ever knew Andrew Bergma. To me, I was with Andrew a number of times, and I loved going with him.

Andrew could only talk to people about their soul. That's all he knew about. He didn't know about cars.

He didn't know about ball games. He only knew about the Lord Jesus and the gospel. Andrew would far rather sit in someone's house telling them about the Lord than sit in a ministry meeting.

He was doing the work of an evangelist. We'll leave that. Then there's a responsibility of the elder.

Who is it to? He's not responsible to a group. I remember a man came to our meeting in Ireland, and the brethren told him they didn't want him to speak. And he says, well, I'm going to report you to London.

I think there was some group in London he thought was the head office for the assembly. No, no. The elder reports as the shepherd to the chief shepherd.

Listen again to Hebrews 13, verse 17. Obey them that have the leadership over you, and submit yourselves for the watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you. Who are they giving account to? The chief shepherd.

1 Peter 5 and 3. When the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. When the elders bring you before the Lord, are they crying out with joy or are they shedding tears? That's what the writer to the Hebrews is talking about. Mom used to tell us that dad's pillow was often wet with tears.

Have the elders caused to weep over us? It was to do sometimes. Great grief when things happen. Child of God.

Live for God and work for God. The elder is responsible to the chief shepherd, to the Lord Jesus. Four things now in the appointment of the elder.

I'm going to go very quickly. We've basically covered them. Number one, it's not by man.

It's a divine appointment and it's a recognition by men. They're already engaged in the activity. It's a spiritual gift and they're already doing the work.

They're not taking the accountability, but they're doing the work. It's a personal exercise. Remember chapter three of first Timothy verse one, if a man desire overseership, remember Peter, that they do it willingly.

It's a spiritual exercise. Doesn't mean you go up to the existing current overseers and say, I'm exercised to be an overseer. Recognize me.

So don't do that, please. That's not the whole idea. You show a spiritual exercise.

Spiritual men will recognize the work that you're doing and it's recognized by others. First Thessalonians chapter five, know them that have the rule or have the leadership over you. There's a recognition by the people of God.

Now, just to give you a little idea here, where things go. This is what I say is common to all spiritual gift. Number one, it's a recognized spiritual gift in your Bible.

Now, let me just cover that before you get me after the meeting. The word servant or service or diakonis is generic for a lot of different activities. Could be an evangelist.

It could be a teacher. It could be an exhorter. It could be someone who goes around visiting the doors and never stands on a platform.

There's so many different activities. It's a recognized spiritual gift. Number two, it's a divine appointment.

Spiritual gifts are given and the three persons of the Godhead are involved with them in them. First Corinthians 12, it's the spirit of God. Romans 12, it's God himself.

And then Ephesians chapter four, it's body gifts. A little bit different from the assembly gifts, but it's there isn't Christ. It's a divine appointment.

And fourthly, it's recognized by the people of God. They will recognize spiritual gift. It's a recognized spiritual gift.

It's a divine appointment. It's an individual exercise and it's recognized by others. We'll move on.

I'm watching that clock. It's moving on very quickly. Okay.

We'll move on. I left my notes far behind and so I've got to see where I am again. Okay.

We're now looking at different words used describing elders. Now I've added one in there that you may pick me up on, Ephesians chapter four, pastors, but I put that in there very deliberately. So we'll start off with the different words.

The second column I have, the second list I have is very similar to this particular one and I won't deal with that. I'll need the few minutes I have just to cover these eight points. They're called elders and that's really a word that speaks for maturity.

We pointed out yesterday, not a novice, less being lifted up with pride, you fall into the snare of the devil, the judgment of the devil, the condemnation of the devil. It's spiritual maturity. It's nothing to do with the color of the hair or the lack of hair on your head.

It's to do with your spiritual maturity and it's nothing to do with the length of time that you've been saved. I've met people who have been saved a long time and their spiritual maturity was probably kindergarten. I'm sorry.

That requires spiritual maturity. They're over you. That's watchfulness.

Now a beautiful picture of watchfulness is Ruth chapter two and I love it. I know that some people like to take the servant in the field, the overseer as being a picture of the Holy Spirit. Well, I'm not aware in my Bible of the Holy Spirit reporting to the Lord Jesus, but I'm aware of the elder reporting to the chief shepherd.

And here was a man when Boaz came and asked about this late, this young lady in the field, he knew all about her. He knew everything about her. He made it a point to know what was going on.

Not only that, he instructed a young man in reference to her care and purity and to provide her material needs. Beautiful picture of one who is over you. The Bishop, again, it's a thought of responsibility as well as maturity.

He's got a responsibility, is responsible for the welfare of the people of God. Now, I was always told that water doesn't rise any higher than the level of the main water source. I think we have to be careful, but in general, the spiritual quality of overseers will have something to do with the spiritual quality of the assembly.

Not seen in every case. I have to be careful. I don't want to make assumptions.

The elders are to be our examples and therefore we follow them. Generally speaking, elders are godly men and we thank God for them, for the work that they do, the labor that they render. Shepherds.

I'd like to speak for a while on shepherds. I can't take the time, but I've a beautiful picture of Jehovah as a shepherd in Isaiah 40 and 11. I mentioned that the other day.

It's a thought of his leading them as a shepherd and he takes them in his arms. You ever taken someone in your arms? Brethren, isn't that good? Just to show love and care. There used to be an old lady in our meeting, Mrs. Shields.

She wasn't an elder, but she could have been. I was a young teenager and if I took part in worship, she'd come up. I thought she was ancient.

She was probably in her sixties, but I thought she was ancient and she'd come up and I was just a little boy. She'd put her arm around me. Duncan, we enjoyed hearing you this morning.

I look forward to that. If I didn't take part, she'd still come up and she'd still put her arm, she just like putting her arm around me. I was a cuddly boy, you know, good shape and everything.

And she'd say, Duncan, we missed hearing you this morning. Isn't that beautiful? I love that lady. She was so kind and everything and everything to me.

The shepherd's heart and the shepherd in Isaiah chapter 40 is going to take them in his arms. He's going to hold them in his bosom. That's shown love and care and affection and watch.

I just love the last stanza in that verse. Brethren, it's beautiful. And gently lead those that are with young.

Remember Jacob? He says, I've got to come on a little bit slower to his brother because I've got ewes that are just ready to bear children, bear young lambs and gently lead those that are with young. And we have to keep our eyes open for those who are weak, for those who don't have the strength of others. And we have to be careful we don't place them in precarious situations.

And we have to gently lead them along. The presbytery speaks of maturity. It's only used once in Timothy four, Ephesians four.

I want to speak on this because I've heard a lot of teaching on it that personally I don't agree with. Ephesians chapter four is not local assembly work. Ephesians chapter four, and we have brethren here who would fit in to Ephesians chapter four.

They're teaching pastors. They're evangelists. Their work is out from the assembly and in the assemblies.

They move from church to church, teaching the truth of God. And I have heard brethren talk about this as being assembly elders. I personally don't see it that way.

I like the rendering, teaching pastors. Paul says, you know, there's people that teach you, but they're not your spiritual father. He speaks of himself to the Thessalonians as a nursing mother.

Our ministry should be with care and affection and looking for results. I'm looking for results for my ministry, let me tell you. I'm looking for young men with an exercise to lead the people of God, to wait before God on that exercise, and to seek to demonstrate in their life that which God has given them to lead and feed the people of God.

And I'm looking for an understanding among the body of saints for the work and activity and care and love of the elder in the house of God. These are men who have been raised in the local assembly, and God has fitted them to go out into the world as evangelists. The evangelist works out from the assembly, and he's working in the world.

And the teaching pastor is working among the people of God, teaching them the truth of God. Then there's the thought of leadership, and that's a very common one. It's used a few times in Hebrews.

Leader, it's used rule, and there's no such thing as rule. It's the thought of leading, of going before the people of God. And then there's governments.

We are not going to talk about the crown of glory. That's what Peter tells us. That's the reward for the overseer.

There's a crown of glory. The Lord is looking forward to receiving something, giving something special to those who have served for him and labored for him in the house of God. I trust these thoughts have been a help to the people of God.

And remember, in no way am I seeking to criticize current elderhoods. I want to encourage young men with an exercise for leading the people of God.