Church Leadership: Part 4
Our Responsibility to Our Elders
A Sermon by Dave Redick
Hwy 20 Church of Christ, Sweet Home, OR
There was once a man who lived on Long Island, New York, who bought a high quality barometer. When it was delivered to his home, the arrow appeared to be stuck, pointing to the section marked "Hurricane."
The man shook the barometer, but the indicator stayed pegged at the same spot. Then he got angry. Of all the nerve to sell defective products. He sat down and wrote a scorching letter to the store where he made the purchase. The following morning on the way to his office in New York City, he mailed the letter. Later that day a hurricane struck the East Coast. That evening the man returned to Long Island to find that his barometer was missing -- and so was his house.
The Bible is our barometer. We can argue with it, debate it, call it archaic, or we can read it and obey it, adopting its saving words of life into our lives. This later choice is our choice, for this time and this church.
The message this morning will be the conclusion of our four week series on the Eldership. In preparation for considering Roland Morehead for the Eldership, we have looked at leadership in general the church, we've looked the role and responsibilities of the elders, we've considered their qualifications. Now we will consider our responsibility to these men who are our elders.
Somewhere I ran across a strange story about two men who worked together in a warehouse. Every noon they sat on the dock and ate their lunches. One, named Joe, would invariably open his lunch box, remove a sandwich, and examine it to see what kind it was. If it was peanut butter, he threw it away. Any other kind he always ate. One day his friend, Ed, asked, "Joe, how long have you been married?"
"Twelve years," Joe said.
"You've been married twelve years, and your wife still doesn't know you don't like peanut butter?"
Joe retorted defensively, "You leave my wife out of this. I make these sandwiches myself!"
Sometimes you think you know someone or something because circumstances seem to be so obvious, yet you may find out that you really don't know. It is that way with some Bible subjects. Most of us probably figure we know what the Bible teaches about the Eldership, yet we may find out that we really don't know as much as we thought.
Please join me in your Bible at Hebrews 13.
In the concluding words of Hebrews, the writer, probably Paul, gives last minute instruction to the Hebrew churches. Scattered among these instructions are admonitions for the church regarding the treatment of their leaders. Among the leaders in mind, were the elders.
Follow along with me as I read the passage in full.
(Read Hebrews 13:7-25)
(Note: Verse 7, "Remember those who led you..."; Verse 17, "Obey your leaders..."; Verse 24, "Greet all your leaders...")
There needs to be a spontaneous, positive, joyous response of a congregation to its leaders (and particularly, I'm referring to its elders) when they are doing what God has called them to do. In this passage I see seven such responses.
I. A Congregation Is To Remember Its Elders.
(Read v. 7a)
At the time this was written, some of the leaders of the church, due to persecution, were in prison. Others were in hiding, still ministering to the flock, but subtly, knowing that if they were ever caught, it meant a death sentence. Some were already dead. In those days the leaders were the first victims of violence when it came upon the church. It was a dark, lonely, physically dangerous time to be a leader.
It is hard to suffer for the sake of Christ and to continue ministering to God's people in the face of difficulty. Such suffering is never easy, even when it is for such a noble cause. One of the things that helps immensely, during such a time, is to know that what you are doing counts for something. People remind you of that from time to time.
Perhaps the greatest disservice we would ever do for our leaders is to forget the sacrifice they are making or have made for us and for the cause of Christ. By "forget," I mean taking them for granted as though their work means very little to us and is unimportant.
All of us, small or great, have a basic need to know that our life is counting for something. This need is heightened as the work and sacrifice grows greater. Perhaps Satan's biggest victory over good leaders is won when he convinces them that their work is forgotten or insignificant. In other words, it counts for nothing.
Several years ago, PBS aired a program on the Library of Congress. About halfway through, Dr. Daniel Boorstin, the
Librarian of Congress, brought out a little blue box from a small closet that once held the library's rarities. The label on the box read: Contents of the President's Pockets on the Night of April 14, 1865. Since that was the fateful night Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, every viewer's attention was seized.
Boorstin then proceeded to remove the items in the small container and display them on camera. There were five things in the box: A handkerchief, embroidered "A. Lincoln" A country boy's pen knife A spectacles case repaired with string A purse containing a $5 bill -- Confederate money (!) Some old and worn newspaper clippings
"The clippings," said Boorstin, "were concerned with the great deeds of Abraham Lincoln. And one of them actually reports a speech by John Bright which says that Abraham Lincoln is 'one of the greatest men of all times.'"
Today, that's common knowledge. The world now knows that British statesman John Bright was right in his assessment of Lincoln, but in 1865 millions shared quite a contrary opinion. The President's critics were fierce and many. His was a lonely agony that reflected the suffering and turmoil of his country ripped to shreds by hatred and war.
There is something touchingly pathetic in the mental picture of this great leader seeking solace and self-assurance from a few old newspaper clippings as he reads them under the flickering flame of a candle all alone in the Oval Office.
Leadership can be a lonely place, in the Presidency and in the church. We must remember those who lead us and have led us so that they never have to feel that their work is in vain.
II. A Congregation Is To Imitate Its Elders.
(Read v. 7b)
John Maxwell has said, "A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way."
There is a great accolade in that second half of verse 7 for the elders of the first century. The Hebrew writer's words, "Imitate their faith" presupposes that they had a faith worth imitating.
My earliest experiences as a new Christian brought me into contact with the elders of the church. There were three of them in our congregation and they became some of my closest friends. I didn't know how to act as a Christian, but as I observed their lives, they showed me.
There are two sides to the responsibility mentioned here: that of the leader and that of the follower. According to 1 Peter 5:3, the elders are to be "proving [themselves] to be examples to the flock."
Here in our passage in Hebrews we are to be following that example whenever it is good.
No, this isn't an absolute command. Elders are human beings, not gods. We are to imitate them only so long as they follow Christ. Most of them do, however, so most of the time we should imitate them.
III. A Congregation Is To Obey And Submit To Its Elders.
(Read 13:17a)
These are not the most popular words in our time. Most people don't want to have to obey anyone, anywhere, anytime. They don't want to submit to anyone, either. They want to be a law unto themselves. Such anarchy never works, however. At some point, someone has to lead and someone has to follow. God has ordained that elders are to be leaders and members of the church are to be followers. If we have problems with that, we have problems with God, because it is His way.
I Timothy 5:17 says, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor..."
According to God's word, the elders are to rule the congregation. It is the duty of the members to allow ourselves to be ruled.
The church is not a democracy where everyone has a vote. That idea is foreign to the New Testament. It wreaks havoc wherever it is adopted. The church is a theocracy with God as its head and trusted, proven, congregationally approved leaders carrying out His wishes.
The word "obey" means to assent, to listen to, to follow. It means to yield to. The word "submit" means virtually the same.
Wuest, in his Word Studies In The Greek New Testament points out that both of these words are in the continuous present tense. He translates the verse this way:
"Keep constantly obeying your rulers, and constantly be submitting to them; for they are constantly watching for your souls, knowing that they are to give account..."
Our obedience and submission isn't just an occasional thing.
Something else... The elders are not instructed by God to make anyone submit to them. The instruction is given to you and me as members. It is our obligation to submit. If it doesn't get done, God will hold us responsible.
But what if an elder makes a mistake or leads us in the wrong direction?
First, let me say, that is the reason we are to be sure a man is spiritually qualified before putting him into the office. In that way we minimize the possibility of wrong turns.
Beyond that, though, recognizing that elders are human beings
capable of error, and can be wrong, there needs to be a cooperative effort between leaders and members to keep lines of communication open.
An elder is not beyond considering the congregation's input before making an important decision. As a matter of fact, he is a fool if he does not. James 3:17 says that the wisdom from above is "easy to be entreated." When someone "entreats" an elder, they reason with him. He should listen to what they say before making his decision.
Another consideration along this line of possible wrong turns by the elders is the fact that in the New Testament there was always a plurality of elders. No one elder is a law unto himself. In this way there is a check and balance system. I have encouraged the elders here to always bring important matters before the group of elders before making a final decision. Three spiritual men are far less likely to make a mistake than one man operating on his own. (One of the things I have watched for in Rollie over the last year is his willingness to function as a part of this group. Had he been unwilling to do this, or resistant to it, I would never have brought this issue of appointment before you.)
If you want an example of the wisdom of this, read Acts 15 sometime. A great controversy faced the church in that passage. The potential for ruin was great. After the issue became evident, it says in Acts 15:6 that "the apostles and elders came together to look into this matter." They did this even though they had a living Apostle of Christ in their presence! They recognized the wisdom of the group. Then, after they made their decision, they announced it by letter, prefacing it with these words: "It seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church..."
No elder is an authority unto himself, though his judgement should carry a lot of weight with us. It is primarily in the group of elders that the authority lies.
In the government of our country, one legislator doesn't make law. If he wants to make law, the whole congress must convene. I believe it is like this with the Eldership. Of course, if an elder gets out of line and into sin, the scripture is clear. 1 Timothy 5:19-20 says, "Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning."
Evidently, though there is a time to question an elder's rule, it is not to be done over trivial, petty matters. Individual accusations where there are no witnesses to testify to their validity are to be rejected.
To sum these things up, God's way is that the congregation obey and submit to its elders and that the elders not abuse their authority. Provision is made for extreme variances, but for the everyday matters, even when we disagree, we should submit to their leadership. With these ideas in operation, problems will be minimized.
IV. A Congregation Is To Give Joy To Its Elders.
(Read v. 17, esp. 17b)
If a congregation wants its elders to be fruitful and successful in their work, they need to create an environment in which they may serve with joy. Joy makes heavy work lighter.
The opposite of joy in this passage is also mentioned. It says, "let them do this with joy and not grief..."
It is the nature of a good shepherd to be involved with those under his charge. An elder's life gets all tied up and tied in with the members of the church. If one of them stumbles and falls, or wanders away, it brings grief to him that is very real.
One of the greatest ways to fill an elder with joy is to have a willing, submissive spirit toward God and His word. If the elder has to come and correct you, your attitude is one of appreciation for the man's concern for you rather than anger that he has admonished you.
There are other things you can do to fill the elders with joy and make their work lighter and not grievous. Be in the attendance of the church meetings. It is far more efficient for one man to speak once to 200 people than it is to have to go to 200 homes and speak the same message 200 times! It is frustrating to see a person forsaking the assembly to the point that they ultimately fall away. Brethren, we cannot expect our elders to shepherd us if we aren't willing, cooperative sheep!
In short, to bring joy to the elders, be a faithful Christian. Develop a faithful home. Commit yourself to your marriage and your family. Love your children. Love your brothers and sisters. You know what I mean!
Oh, and there is one more thing. There is a subtle warning in verse 17 to anyone who decides not to make the elder's work joyful. It says, "...for this would be unprofitable for you." I don't know all the theological ramifications of that. But I do know that when God gives such a warning, he always backs it up.
V. A Congregation Is To Honor Its Elders.
I want to divert you to another passage about the elders for just a moment to get this point.
(Read 1 Timothy 5:17-18)
The word honor indicates to us that we should hold these men in high esteem. We should treat them with the utmost of respect. Paul here even adds to that. He says "double honor" is to be given to those who work hard at preaching and teaching. Those words "work hard at preaching and teaching" translate literally as "they who labor in the word and doctrine." This doesn't mean than an elder must be a great orator. He must, however, be a hard worker in the word! And when he is, he is worthy of double honor!
Actually, there is a strong illusion here to a paid Eldership. Verse 18 says, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."
I realize that we are not in a position to do it now, but I believe God's ultimate goal for us would be a paid Eldership. After all, the less time these men must spend earning a living outside, the more time they can devote to the needs of the body.
VI. Some Considerations For Us.
Even though we haven't begun interviewing the congregation yet, I am already detecting widespread support for Rollie becoming an elder. I am really glad of that. One brother even questioned why we should spend all this time. "Just do it" was his idea. I certainly appreciate his confidence in Rollie, but there is another consideration involved in this. The Scripture warns us about hasty appointments to this office.
Paul, after speaking of the double honor elders were to receive, said this to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:21-22 -
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thus share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin."
Those are heavy words, containing a heavy warning.
Our next step will be to contact each family in the church in the manner in which you indicated to us on the sign up sheet last Sunday. For most, that will be by phone.
Conclusion
Let me close by sharing this quote from William Arthur Ward:
"Every person has the power to make others happy. Some do it simply by entering a room -- others by leaving the room. Some individuals leave trails of gloom; others, trails of joy. Some leave trails of hate and bitterness; others, trails of love and harmony. Some leave trails of cynicism and pessimism; others, trails of faith and optimism. Some leave trails of criticism and resignation; others trails of gratitude and hope."
I call upon you to be a person who makes others happy by entering the room. Work hard at being a good Christian. It is the best way for all of us to carry out our duty to our elders and ultimately, to our Lord!
Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.
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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.