Introduction to the Role of Elders

Eldership Weekend Roadmap

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Introduction to Elder’s Role - 1

Elder as Shepherd of the Flock - 3

(Meeting of men’s groups)

Older Men’s Classes1. Nature of the Work2. Sheep Shepherding3. Flock Shepherding4. Self Assessment &

Development

Younger Men’s Classes…

Men, Women,Children; classes

Elder Selection & Appointment - 4

Church’s Role in Developing Elders -4

Elder as Shepherd of the Sheep - 2

Friday Saturday Sunday

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

9 AM

Noon

1 PM

4 PM

7 PM

Elders – God’s Plan Acts 11:29 Elders distributed relief in Judea Acts 14:23 “when they had appointed elders for them in

every church” Acts 15:2-6, 22-23 Elders in Jerusalem, deciding and

communicating doctrinal matters Acts 20:17, 28 Elders in Ephesus Acts 21:18 Guarding the church’s unity Ephesians 4:11 Listed as a gift from God Philippians 1:1 Overseers and deacons Titus 1:5 “so that you might put what remained into

order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” Titus 1, I Timothy 3 Qualifications I Timothy 5:17 Elders teaching and being supported I Peter 5:1-5 Instructions to elders and congregations Hebrews 13:7, 17 Instructions to obey elders James 5:14 Praying for the sick

Who are Elders?

Elders/Presbytery Bishop/Overseer (ESV) Shepherd/Pastor

Who are Elders? 1. Presbytery (KJV) Eldership (NKJV) (I Tim 4:14 Timothy’s gift)

a. Acts 11:29, 14:23 Eldersb. Titus 1:5 Qualifications of Elders

2. Shepherds (Ephesians 4:11)a. Elders are to shepherd the flock (I Peter 5:2)

3. Episkopos “overseer” or “bishop” (Acts 20:28, Titus 1:7, Philippians 1:1)

a. Epi – over/on; skopos – goal in viewb. I Timothy 3:1 - “Office of a bishop” (NKJV) “overseer” (ESV)

What are Elders to Do? 1. Rule – I Timothy 5:172. Activities implied in I Peter 5:2-3 3. Equip the saints – Ephesians 4:114. Pray for the sick – James 5:145. Lead/make decisions in matters that

affect a church Benevolence – Acts 11:29 Doctrinal matters – Acts 15 Personality issues – Acts 21:18

What are Elders to Do? 1. Rule – I Timothy 5:172. Activities implied in I Peter 5:2-3

Implications of I Peter 5:2-3 Shepherd flock – implications? Not under compulsion Not for shameful gain Not domineering

A selection and appointmentA duty/officeHandling money

Perhaps receiving supportGiving and

following of instructions

What are Elders to Do? 1. Rule – I Timothy 5:172. Activities implied in I Peter 5:2-3 3. Equip the saints – Ephesians 4:114. Pray for the sick – James 5:145. Lead/make decisions in matters that

affect a church Benevolence – Acts 11:29 Doctrinal matters – Acts 15 Personality issues – Acts 21:18

Congregation’s Responsibilities and Benefits

1. Follow2. Assist/Join in the work

1. Increase in activities and opportunities

2. Multiple blessings

Responsibilities

Benefits

Why do churches really need elders?

Not primarily the leadership of a body of people (though important) Flock Shepherding

Primarily the shepherding of every soul in the bodySheep Shepherding

The nature of the work

Hebrews 13:17

  17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

I Peter 5:2-4  2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd appears,

John 10:3-5, 14  3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

I Timothy 3:4-5  4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

Elders as Shepherdsof the Flock

Northwood – January 201416

Eldership Weekend Roadmap

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Introduction to Elder’s Roles

Elder as Shepherd of the Flock

(Meeting of men’s groups)

Older Men’s Classes1. Nature of the Work2. Sheep Shepherding3. Flock Shepherding4. Self Assessment &

Development

Younger Men’s Classes…

Men, Women,Children; classes

Elder Selection & Appointment

Church’s Role in Developing Elders

Elder as Shepherd of the Sheep

Friday Saturday Sunday

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

9 AM

Noon

1 PM

4 PM

7 PM

Flock Shepherding• Therefore take heed to yourselves and to

all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28)

• Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly (I Pet 5:2)

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Shepherding the Flock

• Misconceptions of ‘church’• Great leadership (Mk 10)• What a church does• A church leader’s work• Flock support of this leadership

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Misconceptions of the church

• Inspection Station• Community service• Business

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Inspection Station

• Symptoms– Members want to do just the minimum– Measure of success is ‘efficiency’ (least effort)– Little tolerance for extra obligations– Little impact on lives ‘outside the building’

• Leader Requirements– Efficient & organized– Sensitive to members’ busy lifestyles

• (and not too intrusive)

– Provides an ‘adequate’ religious experience

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Community Service / Club• Symptoms

– Members expect needs to be met • Good preaching (and other performances)• Lots of ‘ministries’ & visits (‘services’)• Activities for all types

– Measures of success are Quality & Comfort – Little tolerance for inconvenience or difficulty

• Leader Requirements– Customer oriented– Quality conscious

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Business• Symptoms

– Organizational goal is Profit (Existence?)– Measures of success are #s, $s, Growth,

Efficiency, Predictability– Image & Physical Assets emphasized– Little tolerance for weak, needy, non-

productive• Leader Requirements

– Charismatic motivator (Recruiter/Salesman)– Strong direction-setting, positive control– Image consciousness: an eye for success

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Shepherding the Flock

• Misconceptions• Great leadership• What a church does• A church leader’s work• Flock support of this leadership

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Things Assembled Christians Did Pray (Acts 2:42; 4:23, 31; 12:12) Sing (Eph 5:19, & see Heb 2:12) Observe the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7; I Cor 11:20) Listen to preaching (Acts 20:7) Teach & learn the Word (Acts 13:1) Gather money for needy Christians (I Cor 16:1-2) Welcome visitors (James 2:2) Teach unbelievers by orderly worship (I Cor 14:23) Discuss issues & distribute the truth (Acts 15:30-31) Discuss problems & plans to address them (Acts 6:2) Announce decisions & give feedback (Acts 15:22, 30) Select & appoint workers for the group (Acts 6:3,5) Select & appoint workers to go elsewhere (Acts 13:1,2) Hear reports from workers (Acts 14:27) Publicly condemn an unrepentant brother (Matt 18:17) Initiate & explain discipline (I Cor. 5:4ff) Reprove elders that sin (I Tim 5:20)

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Congregational Issues & Decisions

Selecting/supporting men to send to preach (Acts 13:1-3) Allowing a man to join a local church (Acts 9:26-30) Selecting men to send with gifts (II Cor 8:19; I Cor 16:3,4) Selecting men for office (Acts 6:2,3; I Tim 3:10) Settling a dispute between members (I Cor 6:5) Publicly debating a doctrinal issue (Acts 15:4-7) Dealing with complaints of “neglect” (Acts 6:1) Sending a doctrinal letter to another church (Acts 15:22) Deciding to send money to needy saints (II Cor 8:1-12,18)

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NT Actions of “Elderships”

Distributed gifts to needy (Acts 11:29-30) Met to consider doctrinal questions (Acts 15:2,6) Chose men to send to another church (Acts 15:22) Wrote a letter to another church (Acts 16:4) Met to discuss their work (Acts 20:17) Made plans to avoid problems (Acts 21:18) “Gave gifts” to (or appointed) men (I Tim 4:14) Prayed for & anointed sick (James 5:14)

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Advantages of Overseer-ship

• Efficiency• Initiative• Direction

– Not all things are helpful or edifying.(I Cor 6:12; 10:23)

– There must be Priorities in Church’s work. (I Tim 5:16; Acts 6:2,4)

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Flock-Shepherding Duties (Examples)• Make reactive decisions & responses

– Settle ‘arbitrary’ issues & squabbles – Service benevolence needs/requests– Service evangelism needs/requests– Handle unexpected ‘events’ in Worship

• ‘Take heed’ to flock—set strategic directions– Solicit & collect information/perceptions– Watch the outside world– Sense current & potential dangers (interpersonal, moral, doctrinal, judgmental)– Predict likely events, resource changes, demographics, etc.– Weigh the value of uses of resources

• Make/explain/implement/oversee plans– Set guidelines & priorities for use of resources (e.g. deacons, budgets)– Guide the use of collective resources– Define (& assign) specific member/deacon duties and objectives– Direct & approve activities & expenditures– Encourage giving by teaching and explaining the work to be done– Make preemptive decisions, esp. when possibly divisive

• Solve divisive problems (Euodia/Syntyche; Factious men)

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Flock-Shepherding Duties (Examples)• Provide spiritual food

– Select & guide a preacher– Select & guide teachers & worship leaders (e.g. Acts 11:25 – recruiting Saul)– Select topics & timing for teaching– Set/guide objectives for teachers– Plan or approve special events (e.g. meetings, workshops)

• Provide exhortation & motivation– Express expectations, corrections, encouragements, endorsement, praise (Tit 1:9)– Plan or approve special events (e.g. special lessons or events)

• Lead congregational discipline – (Matt 18:17; I Cor 5:4,5)• Provide for edifying worship

– Determine & manage the process, & approve the selection of leaders – Set guidelines for worship (who leads, what order, what standards)– Remedy unscriptural, non-edifying, or disorderly circumstances

• Correct doctrinal error (Tit 1:9)– Watch for trends & errors (within the church & from outside influences)– Provide protective & preventive teaching against current/potential errors– Address specific false teaching as it occurs

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Eph 4:11-1611And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

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Collective Goals

IndividualGoals

Goals of the Church’s Work (Eph 4)

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Gifts8 (Pastors)11 Equipping

for Ministry12

Edifying the Body12

Knowledge Perfect Man13

(Protective) Not tossed14

(Progressive) Grow up15

Knit Together by Participation

& Love16

All to Unity of Faith13

Shepherding the Flock

• Misconceptions• Great leadership• What a church does• A church leader’s work• Flock support of this leadership

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A Church Leader’s WorkActs 20:17-35

• Paul was their example.18 – “you know … what manner I always lived with you”

31 – “watch & remember”

35 – “I have shown you in every way”

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Goals of the Work(Acts 20:17-35)

• Survival of the Flock“I am innocent of the blood of all men.” (26)

“…after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” (29)

• Growth/Health“Which is able to build you up…” (32)

“You must support the weak” (35)• Destiny

“Give you an Inheritance among all the sanctified.” (32)

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Shepherding the Church(Acts 20)

20 – Proclaimed everything helpful(publicly & from house to house)

27 – Declared the whole counsel of God28 – Take heed to self (weaknesses & example)28 – Take heed (learn, watchout for) the flock29 – Protect from external threats (wolves)30 – Protect from internal threats (false teachers)31 – Watch & warn night & day33 – Provide for own needs & needs of others35 – Support the weak

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Shepherding the Flock

• Misconceptions• Great leadership• What a church does• A church leader’s work• Flock support of this leadership

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Flock Support

• Shed worldly views of church & leaders

• Share the vision of the church

• Esteem elders highly (I Thes 5:13)

• Obey & Submit (Heb 13:17; I Tim 5:17)

• Reserve criticism (I Tim 5:19)

• Have a mind to work (Neh 4:6)

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