Author's Note: The following message was preached at a special service to honor two of our elders for their years of service and dedication. It could be easily adapted to a similar occasion in most any church that has elders.

Introduction

Bruce Larsen, in his book, Wind and Fire, points out some interesting facts about Sandhill Cranes. He writes:

"These large birds, who fly great distances across continents, have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time. Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation."

"That's not a bad model for the church," he continues. "Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be shared. But most of all, we need a church where we are all honking encouragement."

Most certainly we have come together today to worship our God. Nothing could be more important. And one way we can worship and honor him is to obey what he says. With that in mind, then, please join me in I Thessalonians 5:12-13 for instruction on this subject of "honking encouragement."

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work." (NAS)

We have decided to use a part of this Lord's day to honor God by doing what these verses say. We want to "appreciate" and "esteem highly" those among us who are elders, namely, Claude Wells and Warren Vasey, and, of course, their faithful wives, without whose support they could not do their work.

In this message I want to do my best to crack open the meaning of these two verses and make application to us and our elders. Then, at the conclusion of the instruction, we will obey by doing what these verses say, or, in the words of Bruce Larsen, we will "honk encouragement" to our leaders. That is our agenda for today. Let's get started.

These verses contain a what, a whom, and a why, so we’ll use those three words to keep track of our conclusions.

1. What We Are to Do.

I see two commands in these verses. We are "appreciate those who diligently labor" among us, and we are to "esteem them very highly in love because of their work."

Among the definitions Webster gives for "appreciate" is this one: "to value or regard highly."

When we say that property "appreciates," we are saying is that it goes up in value. When we appreciate someone, we are recognizing their value.

If a parent gives a child a quarter for the Sunday offering and later gives him five dollars to go to the movies, he is giving that child an unspoken expression of what he feels is really valuable, and the child will "appreciate" things accordingly.

When you or I turn to someone meaningful in our lives and say, "I appreciate you," what we are saying is that we value them highly.

The second command in this passage is "esteem." Though the two words "appreciate" and "esteem" are listed as synonyms by Webster, it does seem that the word "appreciate" has more to do with our attitude and "esteem" our action.

When you appreciate someone, you recognize their value. When you esteem them, you lift them up in your actions.

A young man once visited a certain minister's study. "Are all these books yours?" he asked. "Yes," replied the minister. "Wow! Have you read all these?" "No. I haven't read all of them," he replied honestly. As the young man continued to look, he spotted a top shelf containing about 30 books that were separated from the rest. "What are these?" he asked. "Those, young man, are my friends. When I have a particularly difficult passage to understand or when I feel down and need encouragement, these are the books I turn to. I put them up there because they are the most valuable books in my library."

In a sense, this minister "appreciates" all of his books. But those on that special shelf are the ones he "esteems." He has lifted them up.

Paul says here that we are to "esteem them highly because of their work." We are to lift up our leaders and put them in a special place because of the value of their work.

It seems to be a common human tendency for all of us to appreciate people who are important to us, yet fail to esteem them by letting them know about it until suddenly the opportunity to do so is no longer available. We don't want to do that with our elders, so that is what this day is all about.

2. Whom We Are to Appreciate.

Paul says we are to appreciate those who "diligently labor" among us.

It is difficult for a person who has never done the work to understand the pressure involved with being a shepherd of God's people. A man who is an elder is usually one who takes very seriously the troubles and trials of those under his charge. The very nature of his responsibility does not let him "leave it at the office" or, more accurately, "leave it at the church building." Whether he is paid for his work or not, he cannot simply punch in and punch out with his time card. He is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. His responsibility goes far beyond just teaching, too. He must see that those who look to him for leadership actually do what he is teaching. When they fail to live up to God's principles or choose to disobey, the very nature of his caring causes him to suffer to some extent right along with them.

"Apart from these external things," Paul wrote to the Corinthian church, "there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches."

Yes, indeed! The elder's work is "labor" and he must do it "diligently." Because so much of his work must be confidential, the entirety of it is seldom seen or understood by others. Said another way, he cannot share his burden with most of us.

I recently participated in the ordination of two elders in the Springfield church. During their "proving" time prior to the ordination, I heard them say more than once, "We just didn't realize how much work this really was!" Each man now carries a beeper or cellular phone and is doing the work shepherding the church.

We have here in our elders, two men who have labored far more diligently than any of you know. The whole of their work is known only to God. They are patient about it. They do not boast. But I will boast for them, because I know. We esteem them for their work!

Also, as to whom we are to appreciate, these verses say "those who diligently labor among you." The work of the shepherd or elder is to be among the people. He isn't one who spends all his time making decisions behind closed doors and giving orders by memo. He is among the people. Unlike the evangelist, his role is primarily those inside the church.

Jesus said in John 10:3 that a good shepherd knows the sheep by name and when he calls them, they follow him. One who isn't a "people person" should never be an elder. An elder must be involved in the lives of those under his charge. One of the greatest tests of his leadership is to look around and see who is following.

And, yes, an elder does have charge in the Lord over the sheep. He presides over them. This is both a position of authority and a position of responsibility. His authority, when exercised within the realm of God's word, is backed up by heaven.

We read in Hebrews 13:7, a verse written to us, the church:

"Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Yes, the elder has authority given and recognized by God and, as I said, he also has responsibility.

His responsibility is that of one who will one day give account for those under his charge. Each elder someday have to answer for the way he has discharged his work. He is not to "lord it over" the flock. He is to lead by his word and by his example. Submission is surrendered by the flock to such a man, not demanded by him.

Not just anyone can be in this position. Stringent qualifications are laid out by the Bible. According to Paul in 1 Tim 3:2-7,

"An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); and not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

These qualifications, along with additional ones in the book of Titus, indicate that not just anyone can be an elder or "overseer" as he is called here. In this day it seems it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find men who fit these qualifications. My observations tell me that a congregation with several men among them who desire to be elders is blessed indeed! And the desire to do the work is also important. I have seen men who seemed to meet all the other qualifications who didn't want the responsibility of being elders.

Finally, as to the whom we are to esteem in our text, we are to lift up those who give us instruction.

An elder must be "able to teach." He must have an aptitude for conveying the teachings of the Master. But it doesn't stop when he has stood up in front of the people. His life must teach as well. What the people see in him must square up with what he speaks. In other words, he teaches by his example. None of this "listen to what I say, not what I do" stuff.

I stand before you today and declare that Warren Vasey and Claude Wells have met these qualifications over the years to the very best of my knowledge. No, neither man is perfect, and they would be the first to acknowledge it, but their teaching and example is consistent with what we have been talking about and I consider this congregation very blessed to have them as elders. May their tribe increase!

3. Why We Are to Do What These Verses Say.

The passage says we are to esteem them highly in love because of their work.

The work that these elders do is vital to the life of the congregation! As I have already said, they are the shepherds or pastors of the flock.

A most common misunderstanding today is to is that the "preacher" or evangelist is the pastor of the flock. While such a man may do some of the shepherding work, Biblically, the elders are the pastors.

We read in Acts 20:28, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd [pastor] the church of God which He purchased with His own blood."

A careful consideration of the context of that verse indicates that it was spoken to the elders of the Ephesian church.

Peter said in 1 Pet 5:1-2, "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd [pastor] the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;"

In Ephesians 4:11 we read that God "gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers..."

My point her is simply that the elders are the pastors. They are formally charged with shepherding the local congregation.

Besides shepherding or pastoring, the elders are also to guard the flock. "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock..." Paul told the Ephesian elders.

According to Titus 1:9, the elder must be able "both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict." In that context Paul was warning about false teachers.

We are blessed in this congregation to have two men who are elders who served as evangelists for many years and know the Scriptures very well.

And let me just say that a man has to be both knowledgeable and alert to protect the church against false teaching today. He must be both compassionate and courageous. He must be steady and stable. The nature of his work necessitates his staying with a congregation over the years.

David Bercot, in his book Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up says it well. Speaking of the first several centuries of the church: "The...elders weren't outsiders brought into the congregation; they had generally lived in it for years. Their strengths and weaknesses were well known to the entire congregation. Furthermore, they didn't qualify to serve as overseers or elders by studying in school and stuffing their heads with knowledge. The congregation wasn't as interested in the depth of their knowledge as they were in the depth of their spirituality. How close was the man to God? Had he lived for years as an example to other Christians? Was he ready to lay down his life for Christ? As Tertullian told the Romans, 'Our elders are proven men who obtain their position not by purchase, but by established character.'"

For the early Christians, holding the office of elder frequently meant one would be the first to suffer and/or die when the church was persecuted. While that is probably not true in most cases today, the elder will frequently stay with the flock during difficult times, putting his own needs behind those of the church. While others might desert their posts when the pressure is on, the good elder stays on and serves his Lord.

The elders are also the managers of the church. Paul wrote to Timothy of the elder, "but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of [manage] the church of God?)"

This goes hand in hand with the exhortation to the elders to take the oversight of the congregation.

Conclusion

I have said all these things to help all of us have a greater appreciation for both the office and the officers we call elders. But today we are being even more specific. We are honoring the two men among us who have walked these things in the flesh. Warren Vasey and Claude Wells have served and are serving well as elders of this congregation. Though there is no way we can return in kind all of the benefits of their service to us, we do want to let them know of our gratitude for their years of service to us and the work of Christ. So at this time let me ask the Warren and Wilma and Claude and Agnes come to the front.

Warren and Wilma, Claude and Agnes, on behalf of a grateful congregation, I present to you these plaques which are a small token of our appreciation for your years of faithful service to this church. We appreciate you as our shepherds and commend you for doing the work of the Great Shepherd among us. May God bless you with good health and long life and an assured reward in the life to come. Thank you for being faithful to Him and to us and showing us how to be faithful to Him as well.

Tammy and Brenton have a song that they wish to dedicate to our elders at this time....

(Song)

A 1973 issue of "The Pilgrim," told of a visit to China by the Philadelphia Orchestra. In one city, the Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra performed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony for the visiting musicians. According to reports, it was not done very well. At the end of the first movement, the Chinese conductor passed the baton to the American conductor, Eugene Ormandy. What a transformation! You would have thought Ormandy had been conducting the Chinese Philharmonic for years. As the members of the Philadelphia Orchestra listened, they were impressed in a new way with Ormandy's talent and genius. They suddenly realized that they had begun to take him for granted, and had lost sight of the greatness of their conductor.

It can be the most natural thing in the world to take leadership for granted. Let's determine not to do it.

We will close this part of our service at this time. However, we have a dinner planned next door in honor or the Wells and the Vaseys. We will continue there...

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.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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