As I stated in my post last week, a misapplied truth is still a truth. And when it comes to the qualifications of elders and the role of elders, there has been quite a bit of misapplication. But the truths of 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5 still hold true. God has called qualified, gifted men to serve His church through leadership. I thought Dave Quilla did a great job explaining the qualifications for an elder/pastor/overseer on Sunday.
I thought I would take this post to explain the responsibilities of an elder and talk about areas of overreach where elders need to be careful.
A Broad Overview:
As Dave mentioned Sunday, a quick survey of the NT shows us these interchangeable words: overseer, elder, and pastor. They are 3 different Greek words that describe the same office, yet all 3 terms describe a different function of the office.
- An overseer describes a sense of leadership.
- An elder describes a sense of maturity and wisdom.
- A pastor describes a sense of care, compassion, and protection.
This broad overview gives you a 30000-foot view of what an elder is to do. They are to lead with wisdom and maturity. But they are to care with a sense of protection and be watchful. So, the church needs mature, measured, experienced, gifted men for this role.
Knowing that Paul told Timothy that elders must be able to teach us that elders must be able to handle God’s word accurately, and they must be able to equip God’s people for the various works of ministry that God’s people will do. We see this in Ephesians 4:11-16 more clearly.
A Specific Heart:
But I must admit that the responsibilities of an elder do not concern me as much as the heart of the man. Perhaps there’s no better place to ponder this than Peter’s words to elders in 1 Peter 5:2-4. Here’s what Peter wrote: “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; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
You’ll notice a few things that speak to the elder’s heart: “exercising willing oversight”…this man does not need to be pushed to serve God’s people because he does it willingly and eagerly. This means that an elder is a guy who is already “eldering,” and he’s glad to do without being noticed. “Not domineering” but “an example”…an immature man will ‘push’ people, but a mature man will lead by example and ’show’ people. A true elder is patient, kind, compassionate, and willing to get ‘dirty’ with the people he leads. “When the chief Shepherd appears”…this man leads for his King. King Jesus has called, so this man responded. King Jesus directs, so this man does.
Do you see the heart of an elder? You can’t stop a man like this from serving God’s people. He’s a “church-man” in every sense of the word. He’s got the people for “whom Christ died” in his heart.
But you can also see misapplication in this text. “Under compulsion,” “not for shameful gain,” “not domineering,”…show us eldering gone bad. Some of the misapplications I’ve seen and done are more in the “domineering” point. Too often, church leaders can overstep their bounds, or they try to use ‘personality force’ to get people to respond. However, Jesus is a much better shepherd of His people than any elder could ever be. And the sooner each elder remembers this, the better they will lead. As Dave Q said Sunday, “no bullies are allowed.” I’ve also seen the ‘under compulsion’ come into play when elders refuse to step in when they should. Failing to confront false teaching or sin harms the church. Elders should willingly put themselves into the fray of hard things for God’s church.
A Little Too Early:
I must confess that when I read the qualifications, responsibilities, and heart of an elder, I have quite a bit of regret for the way I led people early in my ministry life. I was given lots of responsibility at an early age (19). My immaturity often came out with a selfish desire for ambition, a lack of compassion, and a misunderstanding/lack of faith in the power of God’s word. It aches me to say that I didn’t lead very well. I was gifted, but my character didn’t match my gifts.
I read something by one of the Reformers years ago that changed me. I can’t remember who wrote it, but they wrote, “I’d rather have 10 years of great ministry with 40 years of training than 40 years of mediocre ministry with 10 years of training.” The patient, plodding, maturing process is real. I wish that I had the patience to hear these words and adjust when I was younger.
The transformation came into my soul about 3 years into our church plant of CLF. I don’t remember what I was preaching about. On that Sunday evening, the Lord made it clear that these were the people He had given me, and I needed to change. I needed to love His people because He sent His Son for them. I needed to pray for them and have them “on my heart.” I needed to stop ‘pushing’ people and start believing that God was working in them as His word was faithfully and compassionately preached. I needed to start “eldering.” I was changed. There have been moments here and there where my ugly “old man” rises up, but by God’s grace, He has changed me. And I firmly believe it’s because He loves CLF more than I do, and He wanted CLF to be led by a changed man.
And honestly, it’s why at CLF, we’ve learned from this saying: “it’s easier to put someone into leadership than it is to take them out of leadership.” We’re very deliberate in the “laying on of hands,” and we’re very cautious as we add people to our community. Most of this comes from experience (much of my own), which comes from wisdom from God’s word.
CLF Elders:
When I heard Dave Quilla preach Sunday, I was so thankful for the men I serve alongside at CLF. Each man has unique gifts, but they have wonderful character. They serve our church with joy and are willing to ‘get dirty.’ They’re not afraid of hard topics, tough conversations, or standing in front of our people to protect and serve. They love Jesus, their families, and our church. I’m a grateful pastor for serving alongside men who have been patient with me, who have confronted me, who have encouraged me, who have equipped me, and who have deeply loved me.
I started this post by talking about misapplication and the sadness that comes from leaders out of alignment. But the flip side of this is true as well. When elders lead well, it’s a joy for the church. At CLF, I think we feel this joy right now and it’s a pleasure to be a part of it.
This Coming Sunday:
This week we will study through 1 Timothy 3:8-16. We will look at deacons in the church.
From the Cheap Seats:
- Baseball is in full swing! I really enjoy the group I have this season, and I’m excited to see how this season turns out.
- Great baseball story…on Sunday, two young guys (Cooper and Wyatt Cornutt) brought me a unique gift. This past winter, I invited those 2 youngsters to our open hitting sessions so that I could give them some hitting lessons. On Sunday, they brought me a fungo bat (think coach’s bat) in Doc Stewart’s orange and UVC gold, with blue highlights. It was engraved with Isaiah 40:29-31 on it. It was a fantastic gift. Thanks, guys!
- My dad grew up in the hills of North Carolina. Ever since I was a young sprout, he taught me the history of Carolina basketball. I watched Michael Jordan hit the game-winner against Georgetown in 1982. I remember Eric Montross getting bloody against Duke. And now, our Tarheels made the Final Four! And who do they face?? Duke (or Puke, as we like to say). Some have said, “it will be so cool for Coach K (Duke’s retiring coach) to go out with a championship.” My reply: there would be nothing sweeter than for Coach K’s last game to be a loss to North Carolina! Let’s go ‘heels!!
Enjoy your week.
In Christ,
Dave York
