SERMON: Ordaining An Elder

Thank you for subscribing to the Shepherds Church podcast. This is our Lord's Day sermon and we pray that as we declare the Word of God that you would be encouraged Strengthened in your faith and you would catch a greater vision of who Christ is.

And may you be blessed in the hearing of God's Word and may the Lord be with you. I am I so blessed.

By your pastor. About five years ago. I think it was or so we met on the bayou in Louisiana. We were standing there. My wife and I were standing there and we were talking and your pastor come walking up and stood with us for quite a long time.

I Think that might have been the first time we shared a cigar together and a bourbon. But boy our friendship has just grown and I am so very very thankful for his love. For his care of me. I mean as I can call him up Whenever I want and Chat with him about really any subject I think and he would he would help me Through those things.

So I'm very very grateful and I think you folks are as well. Amen. Yeah, so grace mercy and peace from God our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also greetings from Tri-City Covenant Church and Summersworth, New Hampshire, as you know Reverend Paul Edgar serves on your elder board.

And we're very very grateful that he's able to do that. And we're very grateful that we're only an hour away from you so we can visit from time to time. And also our greetings from all of the Bootser Presbytery churches.

We're what a wonderful Presbytery we have as as you know, we're gathering this coming week and Liberty, New York. Think of that Liberty.

New York.

What a great place how that is going to be and it's never going to be the same as the boots of men descend upon it and Bring our bring our ways of the Presbytery there this coming week. So certainly keep you us in their prayers.

What a glorious day. What a glorious day in the life of your church. What a glorious day that he has moved upon Don Smith. That he has been Examined and looked at and as you know all you've prayed for him over these many months I has he's gone through this.

As he's gone through this time of preparation for this day to be installed as an elder at The Shepherd's Church, but also an elder in the kingdom of God.

God.

Praise the Lord for his glory. I Start this morning. I'm going to use several scriptures this morning and I'm gonna move pretty pretty quickly through but I wanted to start this morning in Genesis chapter 1 verses 28 and 29 and also I also know the test of my friendship with Kendall on Two accounts when you've already witnessed.

He allows me to come to you and preach and what I'm comfortable preaching in which is the clerical caller. And I'm I'm very very comfortable in that mode. So I appreciate him allowing me to do that and also he appreciate allow me to use the King James version of the Bible as I preach the word to you today, so and blessed that and God pardon me and God blessed them and God said unto them be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea over the fowl of the air and Over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The Dominion Mandate and the Care of Creation

Let us pray Almighty God our Father. We are grateful again for your time that we have to look into your word. Oh Lord God I pray that you would open our hearts and our minds to your word Father. I pray Oh Lord God that you would watch over my tongue my lips this day that only your truth would come forth.

Father I pray that you would bless this time that we have together this morning in Jesus name. Amen. Of course, we know this as the Dominion mandate. We know this that God after God had created man and his own image.

He blesses them and tells them to take dominion of his creation. He tells them to be fruitful and multiply to work diligently on the earth. He tells them to produce things. To have children and to become more than just the two of them Adam and Eve.

He tells them to rule the things of the earth. God entrusted them with his beautiful creation. He trusted all of that to mankind. He commissioned them to rule and care for what he had created. Brothers and sisters, of course, this is what God calls us to.

He calls us to take Dominion in the name of Jesus. We are to be fruitful. We are to produce good and godly things. We are not supposed to be stagnant or just get by waiting for the return of Christ. We're supposed to do things.

We're supposed to be fruitful. We're supposed to be multiply. Brothers and sisters he has entrusted us with his creation. The work of his hands the work of his spoken voice. He has entrusted us. God so much loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for the salvation and restoration of his creation.

Jesus loving the creation so much that he gave his own life for her salvation and restoration. So brothers and sisters we have a great responsibility to fulfill the dominion mandate. I believe the Shepherds Church is being faithful to this mandate.

I believe that the kingdom of Jesus is stronger because of the Shepherds Church. And today it will get even stronger as we install a new man to the service of Elder to the office of Elder to work alongside your faithful pastor Kendall.

I'm further excited to know that you have great plans to purchase property. That's wonderful. That's another advancement. That's fruitful. That's multiplying if you will. You plan to plant the flag of Jesus on another piece of property.

Soon if all goes according to according to your plan and your plan hopefully is according to his will. Adding these things already already to a soundly planted church is indeed fulfilling the mandate so.

Kudos to you. Glory to your work so far. Seven years of a church and you've accomplished much. Of course, you have a pastor that doesn't. I don't think he sleeps at all. Maybe he does. Maybe the testimony is he takes five-minute naps here and there but but he is an active man.

The Office of Elder as a God-Ordained Work

Today I really want to do three things this morning. I want to give an address to the office of Elder. I want to talk a little bit to dawn directly and Kendall and really I guess John as you as you start to grow into This role of Elder possibly as you discern the Lord's will here.

The second thing I want to do is I want to address you faithful people. What your role and responsibility is to your elders. And then thirdly? I'm gonna leave you with the commission of our Lord. So I turn to 1st Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 through 7 and Don if you don't if you don't get up and walk out after I read this the requirements of Elder to the qualification of Elder praise the Lord.

Because it is scary. It's overwhelming sometimes somewhat. So this is a true saying writes Paul if a man desire the office of a bishop. Which of course we know that to be an elder or a presbyter or an overseer he desire with a good work a Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach.

Not given to wine nor striker not greedy of filthy lucre but patient. Not a brawler. Not covetous. One that ruleth well his own house. Having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?

Not a novice less being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without. Lest he fall into reproach and the snare in the snare of the devil.

So of course the office of elder is First of all an office created by God. Created by God for the governance of his church. This is not a man-made office. Rather it is a God-made office. Elders are direct under under shepherds of the Good Shepherd the Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider Acts 2028. Take heed therefore unto yourselves Into all the flock. Over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God. Which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The calling to the office of elder originates through the Holy Ghost as we read here in Acts. He moves we respond. And this ought to tell us two things or at least two things I would say. First of all an elder never wakes up one morning and says I want to be an elder in God's Church.

It comes as it comes about as the internal prompting of the Holy Ghost. Or maybe the prompting of a brother saying you should be an elder. You have the gifts of being an elder. Maybe it originates that way, but even if it does in that case The Holy Spirit is there.

We're told that in the scriptures Over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you an overseer. This speaks to the great weight under which elders serve. They are called by God To the high office to lead his church.

They are called to a life of feeding the Church of God. Which is a great responsibility This ought to be humbling for all men called. I know personally I often pray. Especially when I when I'm preaching that day.

Lord.

Why do you trust me of all people to speak to your people? It's such a overwhelming and humbling task. The Lord God entrusts men mere men men like myself and Kendall and Don to speak into your lives very very humbling but then after I pray and and realize that I Believe that God the calling of God is true.

I Conclude that I don't know why but I'm gonna put everything I can into it. That I'm gonna try to fulfill every moment that I can to do my job as an elder. Secondly this ought to speak to us in terms of the Holy Ghost again calling us or hath made us overseers.

To the congregation it ought to say that when we mess with a duly called Examined and installed elder we are messing with God's chosen man. That ought to be humbling for you folks. You the good people of the Shepherd's Church have a responsibility to treat your elders with respect and honor.

For so long as they follow God. Now I don't mean for any second here that they're any better than you are because they certainly are not. I'm no better than you are. None of us are no better than the others in the sight of God.

But he gives us responsibilities and part of your responsibility of a church. Which I'll talk a little bit more in a few minutes is to serve them. To obey them to submit to them for as long as they follow God.

Back to Paul's letter he tells Timothy here and us of course. Secondarily that those who desire to enter the office of elder desire a good work. The desiring as he has already there's already seen that he has initiated.

He calls us to a good work. We've been bedded we've been vetted through prayer by all parties. We've been examined as elders and we've been duly approved by the church. But notice God does not say or pardon me that Paul does not say well I guess God because this is written by the Holy Spirit as well.

Or most importantly it's penned by Paul written by the Holy Spirit. But Paul writes here. That's not he doesn't say good honor. Desiring good honor is not is exactly the opposite that disposition. That God wants in his chosen men in the office of elder.

Elders are to have the same mind as Christ. Christ did not exalt himself. Rather he came in the form of a servant and gave his life for his sheep.

You.

Recall in the very night that he was betrayed he took off his garment. We could say his priestly garment. He took that off and he put on a servant's towel and He got down and washed the dirty grimy feet of those Apostles.

Then Jesus after serving in that manner What did he do. He got back up gave back the servant's towel and put back on his his robe his garments. And he faithfully served those men. Overseers washed the feet of their people.

True and faithful servants of Jesus often enter into the messiness of life's situations. They washed the situation with love with sincerity with counsel and Then they put their clothes back on if you will and they lead worship on Sunday mornings.

But they enter the dirtiness of life often. Elders he calls you to be humble Not exalting yourself Not looking for good honor. Rather you are called to a good work a work ordained and appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ.

The elder must be one who applies himself to that work. And not to the honor or advantage the office affords him. It is a great work is a work of great importance. It's the work of great importance and it carries with it the greatest good in a way.

And what is that? Caring for the souls of God's people. Caring for the school for the souls of.

The.

Pardon me caring for the souls of God's very own people. That is a big responsibility. Caring for souls is a difficult calling. The foundation of the calling has to be prayer because we cannot do this alone.

It has to be prayer. It has to be a reliance on the Holy Spirit to care for those he has placed under your care. The calling of elder has to be carried out with thought and diligence carried out with mercy.

Upon mercy upon mercy. And then when we're all done with that mercy stuff. More mercy and more mercy and more mercy. Elders have to be long-suffering as our Lord is with us. Elders are called to open the eyes of the people open their hearts to the Lord and With the power and the aid of the Holy Spirit they call from people from darkness to the light of the Lord Jesus Christ.

From the power of Satan to the power of God. Puritan theologian Richard Baxter wrote this about elders. They are officers appointed to teach and guide those churches in the way of salvation. We care for souls.

We care for God's very own people His chosen people. Then the then the Apostle Paul here he turns to the list a long list of qualifications for those who desire this good work. I'm only gonna chop her on just a couple this morning to save us all.

From all of it I suppose. It's quite a list as you know, and it's it's a it's a it's a high office. As you read the list of qualification it really speaks to the responsibilities that elders have to watch over your souls.

The office of elder requires men that are duly qualified. And here what is Paul list here first? He says the elder must be blameless. Sinner still.

Yeah.

Sinner still but he must be blameless. But he must be here. Even though he's a sinner. He has to be a man that is above reproach and The Greek word here literally means irreproachable. He is one that walks in holiness and diligently seeks not to give occasion for accusation.

Because he is called to be of good behavior. Yes, while a sinner still but not given to grievous sin. Not one that that is given to extremes in behavior. An elder must be even keeled if you will. Soul care is a high calling.

It requires qualified men. It requires that man to be diligent in Seeking his own holiness while he preaches holiness to you. Don and Kendall as well lead the way in devotions in your congregation with the power and aid of the Holy Spirit.

Search out your sin and Lay it before God. So that you might care better for the souls that you've been entrusted with. You're called to be blameless. The elders must have control over things of the flesh.

Paul here lists that he must be sober. Meaning that is self-controlled. Meaning not given to much wine. He is not to be a striker or a brawler. Meaning he's not to be quarrelsome quarrelsome. But rather he's a be a man of peace and this time this times to fight out.

I will give you that but largely it's about bringing peace to very difficult situations and Again, he's to be even-tempered. He's not to have extremes in behavior. Angry one minute happy the next joyful and quickly.

Angered by something. That's a tough. I'll be honest with you. That's a tough one for me. That's a real that's a real tough one. So I'm preaching to myself at the moment. Paul also points to things that the elders must do.

They must be given to hospitality. There must be men of being hospitable men. Welcome people to have a welcoming spirit. They must be of good behavior. They must be patient. Remember years ago. I used to pray for my wife all the time when she's a second grade teacher every morning I pray that she'd have patience and and finally years later She said I.

I used to dislike it when you prayed that way and I went What she goes. I just like it because for sure God would test me that day of my patience.

Right, honey.

But you have to be you have to be a man of patience long-suffering is not our Lord patient with us. Amen. Yeah. The elder is a man that cares about and is diligently is diligent. Pardon me to maintain a good report a Good report amongst these people a good report in the community a good report amongst other elders.

That he's invested in a good report. Elders you have many great responsibilities in the life of the church. Not the least of these is the care for your people. Again, their very souls are in your hands.

Yes, they are in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ for sure, but he is an entrusted them to you. He has called them by your side. He has called them under your shepherding. Again quoting from Richard Baxter the pastors and overseers of the churches of Christ must take heed both to themselves and to all their flocks and all the parts of their pastorate or elder eldership.

Work in all parts of that. Brothers Don and Kendall you must take care of yourself as much as you take care of these people. You must care for your soul. Through diligent devotion prayer worship and so on.

If you do not it will be very hard if not impossible to care for these people that God has entrusted to you. For the brothers you need to be like Christ on the night that Christ was betrayed. He had that beautiful high priestly prayer.

Remember that the content of that what a beautiful prayer. That's really the only time that we're allowed into the intimacy of the father and son by voice. It's so beautiful. Jesus prayed this way to his father.

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name. That thou gavest me I have kept and None of them is lost. But the son of perdition that the scripture might be fulfilled. Brothers work diligently to be able to give that same report when you meet the Lord Jesus Christ.

That is lose not one that he has given to you. Jesus was able to report that he lost none. That the father gave to him. Except for Judas which was already planned out. We know that he was not this way and we know that this was not easy for Jesus to accomplish after all he had fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes people who doubted him.

Sinners.

It certainly was not easy for the Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, it will not be easy at times for you. You will have to follow Jesus be patient again long-suffering and merciful. It takes a it takes a lot to care for souls and.

Again, you will need that disposition of Jesus Christ to care for them. Brothers lose not one. Lose not one that God has assigned to your charge. Further remember this. For the Son of Man has not come to destroy man's life, but to save them.

Jesus came to save not destroy. Let that be a how you carry yourself. You are Jesus's boots on the ground. He wants to save and not destroy. You are called to carry out this faithfully. He has prepared you for this.

Have the disposition of Paul to the weak become. Become I as weak that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men that I might all by all means save some. Notice Paul's goal. That he was willing to meet folks where they were even in weakness.

What is his stated purpose that he might save some? Brothers diligently and faithfully care for these people for they have been entrusted again to your care brothers and sisters of the Shepherd's Church.

The Congregation’s Duty to Obey, Submit, and Encourage

You are the members here. You have a significant role in the success of these men. Hebrews 13 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves. For they watch for your souls as they that must give an account.

That they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you. The author of Hebrews of course uses words that are despised in our time.

Obey.

Rule over submit. Words that can be bothersome in our bothersome. Especially in our true New England spirit of Independence. And you can't tell me what to do or is that just me? That's probably just me.

Yeah however, these are these. However, these are the Christians duty to obey rule over. Or go obey and submit I should say According to the scriptures. It is your duty. It is the duty required by our Lord Jesus Christ for those who gives The calling of overseer.

You are to obey them you are to submit to them Brothers and sisters with all sincerity. He did not place just some random people.

Over you.

He placed Kendall now Don over you. These guys are not random these guys are ordained. Appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ for your care. To give their lives. That you might be saved. To give their lives that your soul would not wander from our Lord Jesus Christ.

These men are appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ. Consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. But now hath God sent them set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. It has pleased God to set you here at the Shepherd's Church in particular.

For as long as they follow God and the responsibilities as elders you are required to obey and submit. This is a scriptural command. The scripture command trumps any cultural misgiving to authority. It even trumps our good New England spirit of independence trumps at all.

The scriptures trump everything. Now certainly these men are not supposed to rule you with tyranny or any such thing and they don't and they won't I'm sure of it. So your hands your lives are safe in their hands because they are men of God.

Paul gives us or Paul huh? Paul I mean that the author of Hebrews Gives us the reason. For your obedience the reason you need to submit. You're gonna love this part. As I said to them before the elders before They are the boots on the ground for Jesus Christ.

They have the great responsibility to watch over and care for your souls and They are to do it with joy. They will give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ on how they did. Your job brothers and sisters is to help them to be in a position to give a good account.

Hebrews 13 17 here links the links gives us a link pardon me between obedience and submission. To how they rule over you. They are supposed to do it with joy. Anything else is not profitable. The scripture tells us.

Meaning that you cannot produce the fruit required in the Dominion mandate if they cannot do it with joy. Oh, yeah, and just as I said a moment ago, this doesn't give them permission to be as tyrants.

They must care for you. They must shepherd you. Teach the things of God to you call you to repentant repentance. Not as tyrants, but as servants of the King of Kings. This call to help them serve you with joy means that you need to Edify them.

You need to speak well of them and if you cannot If you cannot speak well of them you go to them and you talk to them about it. If you are like a drippy faucet In other words a constant nag or thorn in their side.

They will not be able to watch over you and care for your soul with joy. You don't want to be the person that they cringe as you approach. Because you're just gonna you're just standing there waiting for their latest criticism you don't want to be the person that walks in through that door and one of the elders see you and you say.

And they go like this. You don't want to be that person. I have a couple like that. But by the grace of God, he gives me patience.

Most of the time.

Most of the time I have to rebel against the patients if they are concerned about your constant criticism. Then it will be very difficult for them to guide and care for you correctly. See every for every moment that they spend worried about that criticism because I'll tell you what it hurts us.

It truly does even the best man when he receives criticism upon criticism upon criticism. He can't keep pushing it away it it affects us it makes us spend time in that. Well, is it true? Is it not true?

Should I do this? Should I do that? All of these things and for every moment that they spend in that world. They can't spend caring for your soul. It derails that those that part of their job for a while.

Sometimes.

The author of Hebrew here says that you need to help them care for you. You need to help them care for you with joy. I'm not sure. I know many more joyous men than Kendall Langford. Every time when I call him up, it's hey brother, how are you and.

Some beautiful greeting joy. It's always joy. So even if we have to talk about something heavy, at least we enter into it with joy. Brothers and sisters help them care for you with great happiness and pleasure.

Keep yourself in check. Compliment them and thank them more often than you offer criticism. Critique. And I'm not saying you you shouldn't point out a possible Error or something like that. I'm not saying anything like that, but I think you know what I'm saying.

It's a drippy faucet drippy faucet. That hurts it hurts a lot it derails things so don't be like that. Tell them how much you love them. Tell them How much you respect them? Thank them for putting in the effort to Save your soul to care for your soul.

Be bent on helping them to watch over your souls with joy and not with grief as the author of Hebrew says here. If they lead this church and you with grief it is.

Unprofitable for you.

The whole Dominion mandate is delayed When they cannot do it with joy. So brothers and sisters put them in a position that they can serve you with joy. That too is a great responsibility. They have a great responsibility and doing the role doing the work of it as an elder.

But you have a great responsibility and helping them do it with joy. Carry that out brothers and sisters at the end of the day. We must recognize that we have a great responsibility In the kingdom of God and that great responsibility is to defeat the powers of darkness.

Bringing the light of Jesus to every corner of this planet. Before he ascended to the right hand of his father. Before he sat down on his eternal throne. Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission.

Jesus came and spake unto them saying all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go you therefore and teach all nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever. I have commanded you and lo I am with you always. Even unto the end of the world.

Amen.

The Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ makes the Dominion mandate and Genesis 128 possible. We are to be the people that build the kingdom of Jesus. We are to be people that take Dominion. He is again as I said at the beginning he's entrusted his very creation.

God gave his only son. He's entrusted it to us. Again, God gave his only son for the salvation and restoration of it and Jesus gave his very own blood and body.

For it.

And.

The Lord's Prayer, of course, we pray his kingdom would be here would be the same here on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus has power in both places. He has left the earthy responsibility to us with the power and aid of the Holy Spirit.

When the elders and members are like your church right now when you're working together in unity and harmony. Then the church can fulfill her calling in the kingdom of Jesus. Glory be to God that you're doing that.

But when they are at odds. When they are at odds it greatly limits their ability to overcome the power of darkness and fulfill this calling. So don't let that happen. You folks are advancing in glory today a new elder another man to come aside alongside Kendall to carry the responsibility Of leading this church.

Glorious.

Glory be to God. Amen. You are engaged in daily Bible readings with Kendall summaries that is absolutely glorious. And if you haven't engaged in that yet Do so without delay Monday morning tomorrow do so without delay.

You're on the lookout for property that is good and glorious and Many other things going on here that are glorious. Another man being being examined for the role of elder. Two men in the being examined for the role of deacon in this church.

Glory be to God. I also love the promise that we find here in this Great Commission. Jesus saying I am with you always. And In the Greek that literally means. That literally means the entire day.

Always.

Every moment of every day. And That was not some future promise of the Lord Jesus Christ. That was a present-day promise when they received it. It's a present-day promise now for us. The Lord Jesus Christ is with his people every moment of every day Until the end of the world.

What a great and glorious promise to live in. Again, this is a glorious day in the life of the Shepherd's Church. You're installing a new elder. Elders always remember the care of souls that you have been called to.

Keep yourself in all godliness. Cast off all ungodliness. Be faithful and diligent to care for and love these people. Lead and serve them with joy. Membership. Help them care for you with joy. Support them so far as they follow God.

Don't be like a drippy faucet of criticism rather be those who edify your elders. Encourage them for when you do that they will serve you with great joy and When you do that You will continue to fulfill the Dominion mandate.

In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Amen.