Ministry and Results

October 31, 2008

(For a version of this devotion that is easier to print, follow this link.)

How does God use you? What is your personal ministry? Are you excited because you have seen results? Are you discouraged from lack of results?

Consider these words from the Apostle Paul:

Romans 12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Whatever our personal ministry might be, if we see good results, we are tempted to pat ourselves on the back. We’re tempted to think, “I’m really something, given what I’ve done!” But Paul says that when we think clearly, when we think soberly, we see that our faith is all that matters – our faith in the One with all power, with all authority, who has given us whatever gifts and skills we have, and who Himself accomplishes whatever He wishes through us.

Paul elaborates on this idea in 1 Corinthians, when writing to those who were lining up behind one or another leader:

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Those God chooses to work through for His good purposes are His servants. The work they accomplish is God’s work, which He assigns. Paul goes so far as to say that the workers are nothing. The work is all of God, from beginning to end.

Consider the image of a farmer’s field. One plants the seeds. Another waters. Yet the one who plants and the one who waters are both nothing – God is the one who causes the crops to grow. He controls the sun. He controls the rain. He controls the frost. He controls the pests.

Should the farmer then talk like this? “Oh well, God is in control. So I don’t need to water. I don’t need to weed. I’ll just throw some seeds out in the field and pray that they produce a great harvest!”

No. As faithful stewards/gardeners we should plant and water wisely – because God enables us to understand what it means to be faithful. He gives us the power to be faithful. We are responsible for the way we plant and water, and should take the task seriously.

But once we have served faithfully, we should not think that the plants will necessarily thrive. God often delights to produce great crops when His farmers work wisely and diligently. But sometimes He works in other ways. Sometimes He delights to give increase when the one who waters is erratic or floods the field; sometimes He delights to give a bumper crop when the one who plants buries the seeds too deep or spaces them incorrectly. However large or small the harvest, and however wise or unwise the farming methods, the farmer in the end must thank God for his crops.

We see this pictured in the Israelite offering of firstfruits to the Lord. The farmer with the largest harvest might well have done the best job of preparing his land, planting his seed, and irrigating his ground. Another farmer, equally diligent, might have had most of his fields trampled by animals. Two other farmers might have both been negligent, yet one had a large harvest and one received almost nothing. Nevertheless, all are to offer firstfruits to the Lord. God gives the increase in every circumstance. All Israelite farmers – regardless of farming ability and effort – must make an offering to God from their harvest, acknowledging that every head of grain in every field was a gift from Him.

Just so with our areas of personal ministry. God gives us understanding of how we are to be faithful. He gives us health and energy so that we can be faithful. We must learn from errors, and work hard to be His faithful servants.

Yet any time I think, “Because of my talents and abilities, this ministry should grow, this service should succeed, this effort will produce results,” I am thinking of myself more highly than I ought rather than thinking with sober judgment. And any time I think, “I’ve blown it! This ministry has no chance!” I am, once again, thinking more highly of myself than I ought. I am considering myself – rather than God – as the key actor, as the most important determinant of the outcome.

Remember that our God uses both faithful and unfaithful servants: He took an unfaithful, angry prophet and used him to bring an entire city to repentance (Jonah); and He used the extraordinary sacrifices of the faithful Apostle Paul to start churches throughout the Roman Empire.

And remember that God at other times for His wise purposes chooses not to provide ministry “success” to faithful servants: Jeremiah proclaims God’s truths faithfully for decades, and no one ever seems to listen.

So how is God working through you these days? With obvious, encouraging results? With no results that you can discern?

Do not pat yourself on the back. And do not be discouraged. The one who plants and the one who waters are nothing.

Instead, praise Him for whatever harvest you have. Thank Him for the privilege of serving Him. Trust that God is at work even when you don’t see results. Learn how to serve Him more faithfully. And continue in faithful service, for the glory of His Name.

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Devotions, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

Why are my Pastors and Elders so Disappointing, and What Should I Do About It?

August 13, 2008

(This is a summary of the last sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on July 20, 2008. The audio is available here.)

What do you expect from a pastor?

What do you expect from an elder?

Consider this description of the perfect pastor found in various forms on the internet:

The perfect pastor works every day from 7am until midnight and is a wonderful family man. He is content with a salary of $100 a week, wears stylish clothes, drives a late-model car, buys plenty of books, and donates $100 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 30 years pastoral experience. He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings. He is enthusiastic about missions, but never encourages anyone’s child to live the rest of his life overseas. He makes 5 visits daily to members’ families, visits shut-ins and the hospitalized, spends all his time evangelizing the unchurched, never misses a committee meeting, and is always in his office when anyone calls. That’s the perfect pastor.

People tend to have high expectations of pastors - and they are often disappointed. Some end up hopping from church to church, trying to find someone who fits their ideal. Others work hard to get rid of each inadequate pastor who comes to their church, expecting to be able to find someone better. But then after a few months or a few years, the next man proves just as disappointing.

Surely God doesn’t intend us to church hop, nor does He intend us to trade in our pastors for a newer model every two years.

How should you handle disappointment in pastors and elders?

This is the last sermon in a series on church leadership entitled “God Gave Pastors and Teachers.”

Last week, we discussed how the congregation should honor and esteem their pastors and elders, imitating their faith, and submitting to them joyfully and willingly:

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,  13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

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. (Hebrews 13:17)

But we also saw that the congregation, in the end, is responsible for the church maintaining right doctrine, and is responsible for the church displaying the Gospel in its corporate life through its unity and purity.

  • How do these ideas go together? How can the congregation maintain right doctrine, and submit to its elders, if the elders are beginning to teach wrong doctrine?
  • How can the congregation maintain purity in the church and condemn sin if an elder sins and he is telling them to be quiet and submit to him?

Furthermore, what should you do as a church member if you are disappointed in an elder/pastor? You don’t think your disappointment is the result of unrealistic expectations. You realistically expected him to act one way, and now, he is acting another. When should you be quiet? When should you say something? To whom?

The Bible gives us some guidelines here, beautifully balancing our responsibility to submit with our responsibility to protect.

Last week, we briefly gave part of the answer, in saying that Hebrews 13:17 does NOT mean: “Do whatever your elder/pastor says at all times.” Instead, we summarized the right attitude toward elders with John Piper’s words:

a church should have a bent toward trusting its leaders; you should have a disposition to be supportive in your attitudes and actions toward their goals and directions; you should want to imitate their faith; and you should have a happy inclination to comply with their instructions.

We’ll explore these issues much more deeply today. Once again, there is not one passage that says it all. So we’ll be looking at a number of texts today. I encourage you to go back, look at the context of each, pray over the Word, take them all to heart.

We’ll look at this topic under three headings:

1) The Accountability of the Pastor/Elder: Five principles from 1 Corinthians 3 and 4

2) Dealing with Unfaithful Elders

3) Dealing with Disappointment in Elders

1) The Accountability of the Pastor/Elder: Five principles from 1 Corinthians 3 and 4

Paul has been discussing factions in the Corinthian church. Some folks have been lining up behind different leaders, including himself and a teacher named Apollos:

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.  6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7

Principle 1) Leaders are ultimately only important because God uses them

Leaders are useful to the church ONLY because God supernaturally takes their words and ideas and Infuses them with power. The true church is not built because of leaders’ program ideas, personalities, talents, or experience. It is GOD’s choice to work through them. So the fundamental question about any leader: Is he yielded to GOD? Is he seeking GOD’s face? Is he asking God  to work through him?

No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw–  13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.  3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.  4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.  5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (1 Corinthians 4:1-5)

Principle 2) God will test each pastor/leader’s work on the Last Day

THAT is the pastor’s primary accountability. His accountability is not primarily to the congregation (”Tell me what you want me to do!”) nor even to himself (”This is how I know I can serve best!”) but to God (”This is how Scripture describes the Gospel ministry.”)

Principle 3) Elders/pastors are servants of CHRIST, not servants of the church

This principle is closely related to the second. Elders do indeed SERVE the church - they exist to benefit the church! - but they are not UNDER THE AUTHORITY of the church. Now, that doesn’t mean the congregation should refrain from communicating to pastor or elders how they may be helpful. He may well need to listen to that advice. But both the pastor and the congregation must realize: The congregation does not have authority to tell a pastor/elder how to operate his ministry.

Principle 4) God’s judgment of a man’s ministry will depend in large measure on factors that others cannot see.

1 Corinthians 4:5 says that God will bring to light what is hidden; He will disclose heart issues, such as: Is this man seeking God’s glory or his own? Is he praying, seeking God’s power, or depending on his own efforts? Since these unseen heart issues are so important, Paul says don’t judge. God will do so, with all the information, at the proper time.

Principle 5) Pastors/elders are stewards of the Gospel - and they therefore must keep the Gospel front and center

This is what Paul means when he says they are “stewards of the mysteries of God.” Not that they have some secret knowledge they guard that no one else has. But they have the GOSPEL! And it is precious. They must make it known. In Colossians 1:26, Paul makes clear that the central mystery of God is now revealed to ALL believers. He defines this mystery as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That is: God created man for His glory, but from the beginning the first man and woman rebelled against that purpose, setting themselves up as the measure of right and wrong. They and all their descendants were therefore subject to God’s just condemnation. But God sent His Son to die on the cross to pay the penalty we all deserve for this rebellion. All those who trust in Christ’s blood alone for their standing before God are credited with the benefits of His death, and can live for all eternity, fulfilling mankind’s original purpose: To bring glory to God.

Pastors and elders must communicate the cross, the Gospel, through teaching, through preaching, through the way they live. That’s their responsibility.. That’s how God will judge them. EVERYTHING they do must be tied in to the Gospel.

Do you see how these principles free you?

In general, you are not responsible to judge your pastor’s performance of his responsibilities. It is not your responsibility to fix him, or to improve him. God may well use you in his life. There are things you may need to say to him that will be helpful.

But there’s much you don’t know. God knows all, and will judge all. Barring overt obvious sin, you are to leave the judging to God.

You are to honor, esteem, joyfully and willing submit, speak up when appropriate, live out the Gospel yourself, and trust God to work in him and through him to His glory.

2) Dealing with an Unfaithful Elders

God sets a high standard for elders:

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:  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;  3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.  4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. ( Peter 5:1-4)

He warns not only elders and pastors but all teachers:

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. (James 3:1-2)

Furthermore, we know that elders can and do fail, as Scriptures show:

(Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders) 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;  30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.  31 Therefore be alert. (Acts 20:29-31, emphasis added)

Indeed, Paul makes provision for the public rebuke of an elder:

Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. (1 Timothy 5:19-20)

Therefore, we can never say “Obey your elders, whatever they may say.” The congregation must live out the mandates discussed last week: They are responsible for the church maintaining right doctrine; they are responsible for the church displaying the Gospel in its corporate life through its unity and purity.

While the congregation not responsible for fixing or improving pastors, it IS responsible for rebuking or dismissing a pastor for clearly wrong doctrine or for clear, obvious cases of sin.

In A Display of God’s Glory, p. 40-41, Mark Dever lays out a helpful categorization of matters facing churches. He divide issues on two criteria: Importance and clarity. All issues will fall into one of four quadrants; he then asks, What is role of the congregation and the elders in each?

For those matters that are unimportant and clear or unimportant and unclear, the church is free to decide any way it likes. The matter is unimportant!

For those matters that are important and unclear - such as, Is now the time to plant another church?          What should the next sermon series cover? - there is considerable need for input and discussion, but in the end, the congregation must trust its leaders and follow them.

For those matters that are important and  clear - such as what is the Gospel? What is sin? - the congregation has great  responsibility. THESE are areas the congregation needs to be united around. If elders go astray here, the united congregation must step in and rebuke them. This should not take place over ambiguous, unclear issues or possible sins, but when there is a clear violation of the Gospel, or of the church’s statement of faith, or clear, obvious sin, the congregation must assert its authority.

Every church should have mechanisms in place to deal with such problems. Every church should have:

1) A system of financial accountability, separating pastoral and financial roles;

2) A covenant, in which members and elders explicitly agree to be subject to the church’s discipline;

3) Clear guidelines to follow on avoiding even the appearance of sexual impropriety.

If you’re a visitor, and your church doesn’t have such mechanisms, and you’re worried something wrong is going on, your first step should be to try to get accountability and transparency in place. Make that argument biblically. If the leadership is not willing to be accountable - that is, their disagreement with you is not over a specific method of accountability, but over having any accountability at all - then you should leave that church, even if nothing wrong is going on at present. That is a recipe for disaster.

But assuming such mechanisms are place: How does one deal with serious moral or doctrinal failure in an elder?

I can only mention but can’t discuss two important types of issues for time’s sake:

1)    Criminal acts: Make sure you follow the law. Don’t cover up a crime. Don’t try to handle a crime on your own.

2)    An elder who is overstepping his bounds, giving commands in your personal life, such as telling you to take a certain job, to marry a certain person, to live in a particular place.

Instead, we will focus on cases where an elder is clearly undermining the Gospel, either doctrinally through violating the church’s statement of faith, or in his life through clear, obvious, non-debatable cases of sin without repentance. In such cases, the church must rebuke the elder publicly, as we saw above in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. Consider also Matthew 18:15-17:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Note that right after this, Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” And Jesus answers, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Jesus is not telling us to avoid forgiveness. He is telling us to rebuke sin.

Note also that in Matthew 18 Jesus must be referring to obvious sin. For He assumes you are right in accusing your brother of sin. It must not be a matter of opinion. Jesus doesn’t even hold out the possibility that your brother explains what happened, and you’re now convinced no sin was involved. Jesus is here talking about cases of clear, obvious sin, such that when anyone else knows the details, they will agree that serious sin is involved.

If this sin is not so obvious and clear, or if the sin looks obvious to you, but others informed of the facts don’t agree with you, then Romans 14 come into play. The judgment is a matter of opinion:

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;  11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”  12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.  13 ¶ Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. (Romans 14:10-13)

Do you see the importance of the sin being clear? The purpose of church discipline is to communicate the Gospel. The purpose of discipline is to enable the church to fulfill its threefold Gospel purpose: to express joy in Christ, to deepen joy in Christ, and to spread joy in Christ. That purpose is UNFULFILLED if there is clear wrong teaching, or clear wrong living by an elder. So discipline is intended to UNITE the church BEHIND THE GOSPEL, not to DIVIDE the church over matters of opinion and judgment.

Thus, the church should never attempt to discipline a member or elder over a matter of opinion, or over a debatable matter of interpretation.

But when clear sin is taking place, when there is clear false teaching, when there is no repentance, then, “Let him be to you as Gentile or a tax collector.” In such cases we are to treat the guilty, unrepentant person as an unbeliever, removing him from the church - and from any church ideally - hoping to push him to repentance. That is the goal.

Many churches and elders have experience in exercising godly, biblical discipline. It is wise for any church facing such an issue, particularly concerning a church leader, to seek the help, advice, wisdom, and guidance of such experienced pastors.

What if you’re in a church where false doctrine or obvious sin are going unpunished. And you can’t get rid of the erring elder - either because there is no mechanism to do so, or because the mechanism fails? That’s the time to leave.

So pastors/elders will be judged on the Last Day by God, and are accountable to Him. But pastors/elders who clearly deviate from core doctrines, or who engage in obvious sin, must repent or be removed by the congregation.

3) Dealing with Disappointment in Elders

What if you are disappointed in an elder, but the issue is not serious doctrinal error or obvious sin? Such disappointments might arise from:

  • The direction the church is headed
  • The way Sunday School is conducted
  • Issues in the service, or in the building,
  • The way pastors/elders allocate their time,
  • Doctrinal issues not in the church’s statement of faith
  • Possible sin which is not criminal and not obvious

Three points to remember:

1) Remember as we saw that the pastor/elder is GOD’s servant, not YOURS

2) Remember your responsibility is not to fix the pastor/elder, but to help the church achieve its purpose through its staying faithful to central doctrines and through its purity and unity.

3) Remember to be humble. In particular, remember that you don’t understand your pastor’s calling, his responsibilities, and his challenge in balancing those responsibilities as well as he does. Your pastor/elder probably has thought long and hard about how to serve well. He probably knows the Word well, and has studied the relevant passages about pastoral ministry in depth. He probably is well aware of his faults, limitations, and sins, and is trying to deal with them. So be humble! Acknowledge in your heart and verbally that you could be wrong. Look again at 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 and Hebrews 13:17. Ask yourself the questions from Piper’s summary of the congregation’s attitude towards its leaders. Make sure that both in intent and in outcome you are working to build up the church.

So, having remembered those things, if you are still disappointed, ask yourself:

Is it time forbear, or time to speak? We should be more likely to speak to an elder or pastor about matters that concern us in his life than with the typical church member. For the elder should be mature, and thus should be able to take criticism, even invalid criticism, and sort through it. Virtually every pastor I know welcomes responds positively to respectful, healthy criticism.

So don’t go to your pastor/elder saying, “You need to do X, Y, and Z much better!” Or, “I’m fed up; I’m leaving.” Indeed, never leave a church without seeking the prayer and counsel of the church’s pastors/elders, and going through an extended period of time praying for the elders.

Instead, use words something like these:

“Here are some issues we’re facing. We expected X to happen. What we see is Y. Help us here. Did we have wrong impressions? Is there a gap between your own goals and reality? Can we help to improve things in this area? (Note: Sometimes what frustrates us most about church is the very area where we should be serving.) “Know that we are committed here. But this is an important issue to us - important enough that if it is not resolved, we’re going to be quite uncomfortable. We want your prayers, your counsel, and your input. ”

If the issue is specifically related to the pastor/elder’s job performance: “We know that we only have an inkling of what it’s like to be a pastor. So take this advice knowing that we trust you to hear and to put what is right and possible into effect.”

That’s a way to communicate disappointment in a humble, submissive way. Churches benefit greatly if that type of communication happens.

If you communicate in this way and, in the end, must leave the church, you most likely will go with the prayers and blessings of the leadership. And that is the best way to leave a church.

Conclusion

God gave pastors and teachers. They are His gifts to His church. They are servants of Christ and stewards of the Gospel. A church must have Gospel-centered pastors and elders if it is to fulfill its purpose of expressing joy in Christ, spreading joy in Christ, and deepening joy in Christ.

But the church is made up of wandering, stupid sheep, and thus elders will disappoint members for two reasons:

1) Because the flock is made up of sheep with unrealistic expectations for leaders;

2) Because leaders themselves are sinful, limited, sheep.

So don’t be surprised at disappointments. If you’re not disappointed with Fred and myself today - you probably will be at some point soon.

But listen carefully: Every disappointment is an opportunity to display God’s glory. We are put in community in part so that we can live out forgiveness and forbearance when we do sin. God will use even our failures, even our limitations, even our sins to display His glory through is church.

Then we will see the cross that much more clearly. Then we will display the mysteries of God that much more fully. Then the world can see repentance, and faith, and love in new, different ways. Then those around us can see that we are far from perfect, but we are forgiven - and we forgive others - through the blood of Jesus.

That’s what we want to build here: Not a group of perfect pastors, elders, and members - we’ll never achieve that in this life. But a group of forgiven sinners, continuing to sin to our dismay, but continuing to point to the cross, repenting and seeking His face together, confessing and forgiving and loving each other and building each other up - so that even through my sins and failures, even through your sins and failures, we might all be built up in love, being equipped for the work of the ministry, being built up as the body of Christ, growing up into Him who is our head, until we all attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

That’s our calling. That’s our goal. That’s our destiny.

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Sermons, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

Since We Have Elders, What is the Role of the Congregation?

August 8, 2008

(This is a summary of the fifth sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on July 13, 2008. The audio is available here.)

What roles does the congregation play in the leadership of the church?

Do the pastors/elders have all authority, which the congregation must always follow?

Or is the congregation the final authority on every issue, able to overturn any decision of the elders/pastors?

How should a member of the congregation think about the pastors and elders?

Today and next Sunday we will look at several biblical passages that shed light on this question. We will see that the Bible clearly teaches that members should honor, respect, indeed, love their leaders. And they must submit to them.

But in the end it is the congregation as a whole that is responsible that the church teaches right doctrine. Elders are sheep, and some will wander from the truth - and will attempt to lead others astray. The church not only may but must deal with an errant elder.

We’ll look at four responsibilities of members of the congregation, which will serve as our outline. Next week’s sermon on how to deal with disappointments in elders will continue this theme.

The congregation must honor and esteem the elders 1 Thes 5:12-13, 1 Tim 5:17

The congregation must imitate their elders Heb 13:7

The congregation must obey/submit to their elders Heb 13:17

The congregation must watch over the teaching, purity, and unity of the church

The congregation must honor and esteem the elders

Last week we looked at 1 Timothy 5:17:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

We said that while some subset of the elders is worthy of the additional honor of receiving monetary support, the congregation should honor them all. God has called them. They are His gifts to the church. So honor and respect is due to them

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 states this very strongly:

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

The very fact that Paul gives this command implies that we are tempted NOT to do this. Some in Thessalonica must have been failing to honor and respect and love their elders. This is a common problem in the church today - especially in the US, where we put a high value on individualism, on not being just a follower. We tend to be suspicious of authority.

But even in cultures not individualistic like ours, there is still this tendency NOT to respect elders. Why?

In part, because of the very nature of their position, as Paul details: They “are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.” As pastors preach the whole counsel of God and applying it to individual lives, some of what they say will cut and hurt. We as a rule don’t like to be admonished. We tend to attack the messenger, saying, “Who is he to speak to me that way?”

Paul says: None of that! Instead, he uses the most powerful language possible. He says not only, “Respect them,” but, “Esteem them very highly. ” The Greek word translated “very highly” is much stronger than the English phrase. One lexicon says this is the “highest form of comparison imaginable.” So we might render this “esteem them infinitely highly.”

And note what Paul commands in addition to respecting and esteeming them: “Esteem them infinitely highly IN LOVE.” You see, this is not just an issue of the head. It is also an issue of the heart. He is saying, “Hold them in your hearts. See them as God’s gifts to you. Love them dearly. Hold them up in prayer. Listen carefully to their teaching. Value their labor.”

Note: This is not Paul’s suggestion. This is biblical command, for God’s glory and for the good of the church. He says as much in the last phrase in the verse. “Be at peace among yourselves.” That is: When the congregation follows these biblical commands, when elders follow the biblical commands to them, then the local church will be at peace. There will be no factions, and there will be no friction. Then the church can be what God intends: A display of His glory for all to see. Indeed, a display of Jesus Christ through the love we have one for another.

Second command: The congregation must imitate their elders

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7).

To remember is to keep them in mind, to think about their lives, to see how God’s Word has worked in them, changing them, rooting out sin, equipping them. Learn from their lives - and then imitate them.

In 2 Timothy 3, Paul says the same:

10 ¶ You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,  11 persecutions, sufferings– what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  . . .  14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

What was the outcome of Paul’s way of life? He’s about to be beheaded! But Paul says: Imitate me. Follow me. Consider the more important outcome of my way of life: God is glorified among the nations!

Just so, the author of Hebrews tells his readers: Imitate your leaders. But he doesn’t quite say that, does he? What does he say? Imitate THEIR FAITH!

As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Learn from their faith. Focus on the good lessons from their lives. To the extent that they provide a good example of the life of faith, follow that.

He is NOT saying, “Imitate their actions, their dress, their mannerisms, or their hair style. No. Imitate their following of Jesus. Imitate their letting the Word dwell richly in them. Imitate their love and concern for others. Whatever is God-centered, Christ-exalting in them - imitate that.

Third Command: Obey/Submit to elders

Hebrews 13:17 NIV: Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Now perhaps some of you are thinking, “Oh boy, here’s the place where he tells us we’ve got to do whatever he and Fred say.” If that’s what your thinking, please listen carefully to the rest of sermon. For I’m not saying you must do whatever I say. Indeed, what I say doesn’t matter. What does God’s Word say? Listen, and I think you may be surprised.

Three weeks ago we talked about elders keeping watch over the souls of the flock, of their having to give an account. So let’s focus on the other parts of the verse.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them.” What does the word “submit” imply?

Suppose I tell my son Joel, “You must drink this Sonic strawberry limeade I bought for you!” If he drinks it, is that submission? He may drink it with a submissive and respectful attitude towards me, but his obedience is not really a test of his submission, because he wanted to drink it anyway.

But if I say: “Joel, would you please clean out the kitty litter?” And he does it - that is submission. He didn’t want to do it. He would have preferred someone else to do it. But he submitted - hopefully with joy - and cleaned it out.

Do you see what I’m saying? The test of submission comes when there is a difference of opinion about the way to proceed. Submission is not tested when you agree, or when you are eventually convinced the other person is right.

So Hebrews 13:17 is saying: “There will be times when you disagree with your elders/pastors. Submit to them. Follow them. They are there as leaders, as gifts to this church.”

Now, the author is NOT saying: “Whenever there is a disagreement, the elders are always right.” Just as in marriage: When the husband and wife disagree about the right way to proceed, the husband is not always right. Nevertheless - with qualifications yet to come - it is right, good, healthy, and God-honoring for the wife to submit even if her husband is wrong. And the same holds in the church.

We see that in the rest of the verse: “Obey and submit . . . SO THAT they might [lead and keep watch] with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no benefit to you.”

Did you catch that? The elders’ joy in their leading and keeping watch is vital for YOUR BENEFIT. It is vital for YOUR ADVANTAGE.

Now, hear me: Submission in the church as in marriage is:

  • perfectly consistent with discussion and persuasion about alternatives,
  • perfectly consistent with times of brainstorming, when everyone puts ideas on the table,
  • Perfectly consistent with times of advocating, discussing pros and cons of different ideas,
  • Perfectly consistent with creativity, and taking initiative.

But at times, a decision must be made. Leaders must lead. And if when the elders propose and lead, you are frequently saying, “No, we should go a different direction; they’re not right;” if you are frequently resisting, thereby making their leadership difficult, that diminishes their joy in their labors. Indeed, that can lead to their groaning in their labors. And that is BAD - for whom? Not just for the elders. Not primarily for the elders. That is bad, says Hebrews 13:17, for the congregation! The leaders’ joy is vital for the health of the congregation!

So the bottom line is that unity is good. Trusting your leaders is good. Respect, love, and esteem of leaders is good. Submission to leaders is good, even if they haven’t made the best decision. These attitudes and the resulting joy and unity is more important than making the best decision in any particular case.

In our vision statement, we say: “Our leaders are not lords.” A biblical leader is a servant, pouring out his life for the glory of God and the good of the people of God (Mark 10:42-45). This is a precious biblical truth, that we at DGCC have highlighted from the beginning.

But while our leaders are not lords, they are leaders. And, with the exceptions we’ll talk about in a minute, the church should joyfully, willingly submit to the leaders God gives them - for their own benefit.

Fourth Command: The congregation must watch over the teaching, purity, and unity of the church

Three brief points under this heading:

1) The Bible clearly teaches that the congregation as a whole is responsible to see that the church teaches right doctrine on major issues

Remember the opening of the book of Galatians? False teachers have arisen in the church. Paul writes this letter to counter their impact. He begins the body of the letter with these words:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. (Galatians 1:6)

“YOU are so quickly deserting.” Who is included in “YOU”? That is, who is responsible for the doctrinal purity of the church? Certainly the elders.           But the letter is addressed to “the churches of Galatia.” Then in Galatians 3:1 Paul addresses all of them as “you foolish Galatians.”

Surely had the elders lived up to their responsibilities, this letter would not have been necessary. But given that false teaching on a central issue had entered the church, it was the responsibility of every member to deal with it. And they had not done so.

The congregation is ultimately responsible for the doctrinal purity of the local church.

2) The Bible clearly teaches that the congregation as a whole is responsible for major cases of church discipline

Consider 1 Corinthians 5:4-5. Paul is discussing the case of a man who is sinning openly and publicly. The church has not yet done anything about it:

When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,  5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Once again, Paul blames the entire church, not just the elders.

We see something similar in Matthew 18:17. Again, someone is engaged in clear, obvious sin, and is not repentant after entreaties from several people.  In this case, Jesus says,

Tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector (Matthew 18:17).

As we will see next week, this discipline can and should extend to elders who clearly go wrong - for the Bible tells us that some elders will deviate from the truth, and should be disciplined.

So the congregation is responsible ultimately for the PURITY of the church, for the purity of church’s WITNESS to the world. When there is a clear case of a violation, the church as a whole must deal with it.

3) The Bible clearly teaches that the congregation has an important role in affirming leaders

Remember situation in Acts 6. The church in Jerusalem assists widows, but the Greek-speaking widows feel like they are being discriminated against. So the apostles appoint men we regard as the first deacons to organize the distribution of support.

Is that an accurate summary of the chapter? Look closely at how they appoint these men. Speaking to “the full number of the disciples” they say they shouldn’t take on this task themselves, but:

“Brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty” (Acts 6:3).

So while the Apostles appoint these men, the entire congregation is involved in the decision.

So when we read eight chapters later, in Acts 14:23, that Paul and Barnabas “appointed elders for them in every church” we shouldn’t assume that this was without congregational involvement. We don’t know exactly what that looked like. But in Acts 6 there is heavy congregational involvement, even though the apostles “appoint” the deacons. So it is no stretch at all to think there was similar heavy congregational involvement in the appointment of these elders.

Conclusion

Consider both a practical conclusion and a theological conclusion:

Practical Conclusion

How do we as church live out BOTH the biblical picture of elder authority and congregational submission, AND the biblical picture of congregational responsibility for right doctrine and for purity in the church?

While there is no prescription for how to do this in the Bible, our constitution lays out one biblically consistent way to accomplish it: The first elder was recognized by the congregation after being commended by the sponsoring church. Other elders are nominated by existing elders, but also must be affirmed by three-quarters of the congregation.

Our constitution, vision statement, statements of faith, and church covenant were drafted by an elder, then circulated and discussed with the congregation. Changes were then made, and the final versions were approved by the congregation.

At present, modifications to the statements of faith and the church covenant must originate with the elders, and then must be passed by a supermajority of the congregation. But the constitution, with proper notice, can be changed by a supermajority of the members of the congregation, without necessarily having the agreement of the elders.

This is key. If the elders go wrong, the congregation can fulfill its responsibility by overruling the elders, even getting rid of them, and bring the church back to biblical faithfulness. Church history shows that this is necessary at times, as predicted in Acts 20.

Unfortunately, it is necessary to lay out such procedures. But the main practical issue in the church is having the right heart attitude towards one another.

John Piper, in one of his sermons on Hebrews 13:17, summarizes this very well:

A church should have a bent toward trusting its leaders; you should have a disposition to be supportive in your attitudes and actions toward their goals and directions; you should want to imitate their faith; and you should have a happy inclination to comply with their instructions.

A bent toward trusting, a disposition to be supportive, a desire to imitate, a happy inclination to comply.

Why should you have such attitudes? You’ve GOT to see the theological grounding of all this discussion of elders and the congregation. Why is all this important?

Theological Conclusion

Go back to Acts 6: What is at stake in Acts 6? The unity of the body: The congregation acts in a way that will unite the church, that will avoid the creation of factions on linguistic grounds. The specific issue is how to care for widows. But the major concern is the witness to the world through the unity of the church. Thus, the glory of Jesus Christ is at stake.

This is behind all we’ve discussed today. The congregation is to:

  • Esteem/honor elders
  • Imitate them
  • Obey/submit to them
  • Watch over the teaching and purity of the church

All for the purpose of displaying Christ to the world, all for the purpose of living as ONE BODY to His glory. For that’s our calling, to:

  • Express joy in Christ
  • Deepen joy in Christ
  • Spread joy in Christ

God created mankind for this purpose: to display His glory. Yet in the Garden of Eden, the first man and the first woman rebelled against this purpose. Their sin stained all their natural descendants, so that each one of us is a rebel at heart. Each one of us fails to glorify God, and thus deserves His just condemnation. But God from before the beginning of time planned to unite a people for Himself from among these condemned, rebellious sinners - a people for Himself who would fulfill the purpose of mankind: To bring glory to His Name. So He sent His Son to live the perfect life God intended, and to die on the cross, paying the penalty that we deserve, so that all who trust in Him are united with Him in His death. Their sins are covered, paid for. And then these redeemed sinners become His church, His bride, His people - the people God intended to display His glory from before the beginning of time.

When you see the church in that light, you’re not tempted to think that you should focus on getting your way, exalting your status, or having your needs met. Instead, you ask: “How can we unite ourselves, so that we might effectively display Christ to the world? How can we live together under the leadership God gives us so that together we might spread joy in Christ?

All discussions of church leadership, church polity, and church constitutions, must come back to the Gospel: For we bear witness to the GOSPEL through what we are as a church.

We together are ambassadors for Christ. God is making His appeal through us, through His body, through His people, through His church. So we implore you - our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends, every tribe and tongue and people and nation: Together, as a church, through what we say and through what we do, we implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God!

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Sermons, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

What is a Senior Pastor and Why Do We Have One?

August 7, 2008

This is a summary of the fourth sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on July 6, 2008. The audio is available here.)

What is a senior pastor, and why do we have one?

In this series, we are exploring what the Bible says about the role of pastors and elders in the local church. These are vital truths, often misunderstood in the church today, which are key for us to understand if we are to build a church that brings glory to God.

Let me remind you of some of what we’ve seen in first three sermons:

The first sermon focused on the centrality and necessity of preaching. The most solemn exhortation in all of Scripture precedes Paul command to Timothy to preach the word. God calls men to a preaching ministry, in part because naturally we don’t want to hear the Word - instead, we want to gather teachers to tell us what we like. A man who will preach the Word faithfully in season and out of season, whether people like it and large crowds come or whether they walk out, is a gift to the church.

The second and third examined biblical teaching on elders/pastors/overseers (which are all the same office.) The Holy Spirit makes them overseers, not man. They exist to help the church fulfill its threefold purpose:

  • To Express joy in Christ
  • To Spread joy in Christ
  • To Deepen joy in Christ.

Elders accomplish this through shepherding/pastoring. So think of shepherding/pastoring in the terms of Ephesians 4:12: Equipping believers for the work of ministry so that that we all might express joy, spread joy, and deepen joy in Christ. We saw that shepherding or pastoring is a comprehensive term for all that elders do: Preaching, teaching, and exhorting are all parts of shepherding. Indeed, the emphasis biblically in direct commands to elders is on prayer and the public aspects of ministry, though it is also clear that caring for the flock as individuals is important also.

We also noted that in calling us sheep, the Bible is not flattering us. Sheep are quite stupid; they are in desperate need of a shepherd. We have that shepherd, the Great Shepherd, Jesus Himself.

We also noted that human pastors/shepherds are actually sheep too. They must depend on the Great Shepherd, or they will accomplish nothing.

Finally, the ultimate goal of the pastors/shepherds is not healthy sheep, happy sheep, or well-fed sheep. Instead, the goal is for all of us to become the kind of sheep Jesus is: a sacrificial lamb. So the central task of the elder/pastor is to prepare you for sacrifice, to prepare you for laying down your life.

So: How do elders function together to accomplish this? Are there different types of elders? Are there authority relationships among elders?

The Bible doesn’t provide us with detailed instructions here, but it does give us some necessary guidelines. My goal this morning: To look at those guidelines, to describe how Fred and I understand them, and to communicate how we as a church will try to live that out, now and in the future.

Two headings:

The Position of Senior Pastor

The Role of Senior pastor

I’ll conclude with some thoughts about how you respond to pastors.

The Biblical Position of Senior Pastor

Four biblical observations that define the role of senior pastor:

We’ve already seen the first two:

1) The centrality and necessity of preaching

2) God calls individuals to preach.

3) Paul commands the church to support preaching elders

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.  18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17-18

The word “rule” here means elder leadership; that is, doing all that we’ve mentioned: Preaching, teaching, guiding, equipping, and building up the body.

Which elders rule well? Paul primarily has one type of elder in mind: those who labor in preaching and teaching. Among elders in a local church, frequently one is especially called and gifted at preaching and teaching. What should be done with such elders?

The English translation might seem to imply that such elders should be “considered for double honor” - as if the church has a choice, and must decide whether that elder is worthy or not. But that’s not what the Greek says. We could render this sentence, “The elders who rule well must be considered worthy of double honor, especially, those who labor in preaching must be considered worthy of double honor.”

What does “double honor” mean?

All elders get honor. Some should get something more. Not more honor, but an additional type of honor. This additional type of honor is financial support, v 18 shows.

In verse 18, Paul quotes Jesus from Luke 10:7, when he sends out the 72 and says, “Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages.”

Question: If Paul means “Pay your preacher!” why doesn’t he just say that?

Because that’s NOT the primary point. Money is not primary. Honor is. Respect is. Paul is saying, “Value this ministry. Esteem it highly! Know it is central for the church!               Exhibit this by honoring the office through financial support.”

4) Most local assemblies have only one who is financially supported, who

labors in preaching and teaching

Most assemblies at this time were small. They often met in homes, as we see in verse 2 of Philemon. Although these small assemblies most often would have more than one elder, most are unlikely to be able to support more than one financially. (By the way, this is still true today, even in this country. About three-quarters of churches in the US have less than 100 in attendance on a Sunday morning. Big churches get publicity. But most churches are small, and support financially one pastor/elder, if that.)

The Bible doesn’t give a title for this elder who teaches and preaches and receives financial support.  What should we call him?

Teaching elder? - but that has specific connotations among some churches

“The pastor”? - this is misleading, since all elders are pastors

“Senior Pastor”? - In writing our constitution, this is the term we decided on.

The term “senior pastor” isn’t perfect. It too could be misleading. But we intend this term to mean the biblical position of the elder who has primary responsibility for preaching and teaching, and thus in accordance w 1 Timothy 5:17 is honored through the church’s financial support. That is the senior pastor.

The Role of the Senior Pastor

From the description of the biblical position, it’s already clear that the senior pastor does much of the preaching and teaching. This implies:

  • That he has a deep knowledge of Scripture;
  • That he not only is able to teach but is gifted in preaching and teaching;
  • That he has the main responsibility for lifting up a biblical vision of God, of the church, of our neighbors, of missions, of joy in God;
  • Thus, he has a special role in helping the church to fulfill its threefold purpose of expressing joy in Christ, spreading joy in Christ, and deepening joy in Christ.
  • Because he has this role, he often becomes the public face of the local church - representing the church with other churches and with others in the community.

Five clarifications and Implications of the role of the senior pastor:

1) Must a church have a senior pastor?

We have seen biblically that most churches will have someone in this position, whether they use this title or not. Sometimes a man will be playing this role without the double honor of receiving financial support.

But not infrequently a biblical church will have no senior pastor. Most often this will occur in months or years of transition between senior pastors. Indeed, in our church in Massachusetts in the late 1990s, there was no one in this role.

2) Though the senior pastor is the most prominent elder, this does not imply that he is the most important.

We have already said that the senior pastor is often the public face of the church. He thus is prominent. And his role undoubtedly is very important. There is no one in the church with a more important role.

However, all members of the church are important.

Consider two biblical analogies:

First, the human body. How prominent are the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder? Not at all. But if you get a tiny stone in one of those tubes, you’ll realize how important they are. Your eyes and your hair are much more prominent, but those tubes have a vital role that they need to play.

Or consider the Trinity itself. God the Son undoubtedly is more prominent that God the Holy Spirit. But does that then imply that He is more important? That is a nonsensical question.

Just so with the body of Christ, the church. Every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit; every believer is unique. There are ways that each of you can picture Jesus, ways that you can witness to others, that Fred and I cannot.

Ephesians 4:11-16 hangs as a banner over this entire series of sermons: The work of pastors and teachers is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry so that we live out verses 15 and 16:

We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

So yes, the senior pastor has the most prominent role, but he is not more important than others in the way that God builds His church.

3) There are differences in roles and thus in responsibilities among the elders

In addition to having no difference in importance, we believe that there is no difference in authority among the elders. If the elders are dealing with an issue that comes to a vote among them, every elder has one vote. The senior pastor is no different than the others. If the elders are dealing with an important issue that requires consensus among the elders, any single elder, including the senior pastor, can veto that consensus.

Nevertheless, there are differences in roles among the elders, and thus in responsibilities. Clearly the senior pastor has the primary responsibility for preaching, unlike the other elders. He and any other elder receiving the double honor of financial support rightly should have many responsibilities associated with their roles. That financial support is intended to free up their time so that they can devote more to the church. Thus with very rare exceptions, the responsibilities of those receiving double honor will be greater than the responsibilities of those not supported financially.

So here at DGCC: Fred and I have roles in building up the body that will differ from those of any future non-staff elders. These roles in part result from our positions of senior and associate pastor, and in part from the way the Holy Spirit has gifted each of us, enabling us to build up the body. As a church we should celebrate these different gifts, and the consequent different roles and responsibilities.

4) While they therefore have different roles, the elders should be one united team.

  • Those with more prominent roles should have no pride; there should be no lording it over others with less prominent roles.
  • Those with less prominent roles should exhibit no jealousy, no envy; they should feel no sense of inferiority.
  • There should be no factions, no one with an agenda, no representatives of different elements in the congregation.
  • Instead, there should be deep respect for each other, deep trust in each other. All the elders together should prayerfully seeking God’s face, praying for direction; all should use their talents, gifts, and skills to unite the body behind the biblical vision cast by the senior pastor
  • As a team, the elders should be working to live out all the different implications of shepherding the flock that we discussed previously, so that the church might fulfill its purpose by expressing joy, spreading joy, and deepening joy in Christ.

5) Given the prominent role of the senior pastor, and the importance of united, well-functioning team, his gifts/talents/skills should have large impact on the makeup of the leadership of the church.

That is: Build an effective leadership team around the senior pastor God gives you.

Thus: Different churches rightly should look quite different in their leadership.

Although this is a clear implication of biblical ideas, I had not really considered these issues until I consulted with John Bradley of IDAK Group in April, and had follow-up discussions with Fred and others in the church.

Once again, the point is not that the senior pastor is especially important. Personally, I am a sheep. And I share the sheepy characteristics of being stupid and prone to wander, just like the rest of you. But the office of senior pastor is key for the church. Having a senior pastor who fulfills his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5), who is focusing on the exercise of his particular gifts, who is guiding a united team of leaders who are all pulling the same direction, is vital if a congregation is to fulfill its purpose.

So, it makes sense to set up structures in the church to take advantage of the senior pastor’s strengths, and that don’t require him to operate most of his time in areas of weakness.

For example: Here is one insight gained through the analysis I went through in April: I’m an initiator, a vision caster, and a preacher. I am not a manager. When new ministries start in the church, I should be involved, helping to cast vision, to ensure we are all on the same wavelength. Once the ministry gets going, it can then run smoothly without my management. But suppose this church had a different senior pastor who was not an initiator yet had high management skills. He might well find helping to initiate ministries tedious, and say, “Just do it! Start the ministry! I’ll meet with you and make adjustments as things go along.”

The point is this: Because of the unique biblical role of the senior pastor, it is important to consider his gifts, his strengths, and his talents, and design leadership structures to best take advantage of those gifts.

Conclusion

Some thoughts about how you respond to a church’s senior pastor:

A number of pastors and leaders of churches give this impression: “We really know what we’re doing - we’ve got church figured out. Come and join this well-oiled, well-functioning machine.”

I hope the pastors and elders of DGCC never give that impression.

I look at the goal of the church in the New Testament - everyone serving, everyone spreading, everyone growing - and think it’s impossible to achieve. There’s no human technique, no manmade system, that will bring that about. Nor is there a plan within Scripture for bringing it about other than devotion to prayer, preaching the Word, reading Scripture, loving, encouraging, admonishing, teaching, and singing to one another.

Furthermore: Look at the leaders:

Right now this church has two men named as elders/pastors/overseers/shepherds: Fred and me. We have something to say to you this morning: We’re really sheepy shepherds. We see our limitations and our sins very clearly. We are on our faces every day, looking to the cross, turning to God, seeking wisdom.

We praise God for the gifts and talents he’s given us. But, frankly, we see our sins and weaknesses more clearly.

So: Don’t choose a church because you think the senior pastor or the associate pastor is particularly talented and skilled. Choose a church because you think pastors and elders are following Christ, are dedicated to glorifying Him, are full of joy in Christ.

Don’t come to this church to follow Coty or Fred. Don’t come here because of any human accomplishment, personalities, or skills we may have. For those human skills, on their own, will not lead you to green pasture.

Yes, it makes sense to build a leadership team around whoever holds the office of senior pastor - the office is important; the office should be protected and guarded and used well.

But Fred is just a sheep in the office of associate pastor, and I am just a sheep in the office of senior pastor.

Come to this church - to follow Jesus Christ. Fred and I, by God’s grace, will point you to Him.

For every one of us has rebelled against our Creator. Every one of us, though created for His glory, has chosen to delight in the things of this world more than in Him. Every one of us deserves his just condemnation. But He sent His Son Jesus to live a perfect life, to die on the cross, to pay the penalty on our behalf, so that all who turn to Him, all who trust in Him, might be united with Him - and, as part of His body, might express joy in Him, spread joy in Him, and deepen joy in Him.

This is what every church should be about: A group of sinful, wandering sheep, led by sinful, wandering sheep, who by God’s grace and by His power are daily becoming more like Jesus the Lamb of God laying down His life, and less like self-centered sheep.

He is our shepherd. By His grace, He will lead us, through pastors and elders He raises up; He will equip us; and we will become the glorious bride of Christ - to the praise of His glorious grace.

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Sermons, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

What is Shepherding and Why Must Elders Do It?

August 7, 2008

(This is a summary of the third sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on June 22, 2008. The audio is available here.)

What is shepherding and why must elders do it?

When you read in Acts 20:28 that the elders are to shepherd the church of God, what images come to your mind?

What tasks that pastors or elders do constitute shepherding?

Since this is a serious biblical command, we had better understand it well.

To understand it well, we need to look at how the Bible uses the term

What is shepherding, biblically?

Last week we considered: What are elders and why do we have them?

We saw that the purpose of the church can be summarized in three expressions: We are to:

  • Deepen joy in Christ: Edification
  • Express joy in Christ: Worship
  • Spread joy in Christ: Evangelism/Missions

God gave elders to assist the church to fulfill that threefold purpose.

  • We also surveyed the specific commands given to elders in the Bible, including: Profit/benefit
  • Keep watch
  • Pay careful attention to, guard,
  • Protect
  • Equip, build up
  • Shepherd
  • Pray
  • Teach/preach

We saw that shepherding encompasses all of these other tasks - that’s why the term pastor/shepherd is applied to elders.

Today: We’ll start with the image of the shepherd, and deepen our understanding of the role of elders through the way that picture is applied in the Bible.

So: What images does the Bible present of shepherds and sheep?

There are about 450 verses in the Bible that refer to sheep, shepherds, shepherding (sometimes translated “feed,” “tend,” or “care for”), or lambs. Over the last few weeks I have looked at all these verses. In the rest of the morning, I will summarize those parts of this study that help us answer the question: What is shepherding and why must elders do it?

Three  headings:

  • Observations about sheep and shepherds
  • Five prominent biblical images
  • Four key lessons for shepherding by elders

Observations About Sheep and Shepherds

Four observations about sheep:

1)      They are stupid. They even need to be led to food - they will not find food on their own.

2)      They are unable to defend themselves - they are slow, and have no significant teeth or claws.

3)      They are easily lost. If separated from the herd, they will not find their way home.

4)      Why do we keep sheep? Not because they are cuddly, cute, or warm. In fact, most are ugly. We keep them as a source of meat or wool and, in some cultures, for sacrifice.

Given these characteristics of sheep, what are the tasks of a shepherd?

The shepherd must watch out for and care for the sheep or they will starve, be killed by predators, or wander off. Shepherds must guard the sheep, lead them to pasture and water, keep the herd together, and bind up those who are injured, in order that the sheep might fulfill their purpose: providing wool, meat, and animals for sacrifice.

Five Prominent Biblical Images:

1) Images comparing leaders of God’s people to good shepherds

God Himself is often pictured as a shepherd of His people who brings delight to His sheep: Psalm 100.

Other prominent leaders are often called shepherds of Israel: Moses, Jeremiah, and most prominently, David.

The prophets promise that a future son of David will come and shepherd God’s people: For example, Ezekiel 34:22-23.

This prophecy is clearly fulfilled in Jesus. He is called the good shepherd, the chief shepherd, the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. He has sheep not of this fold who is gathering them all into one flock.

2) Images comparing leaders of God’s people to bad shepherds

When the leaders of Israel take advantage of the people for their own benefit, they are bad shepherds. Ezekiel 34 takes this image and extends it in powerful ways.

Ezekiel 34:2-6 Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep?  3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.  4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.  5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.  6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

3) Though Israelites ate meat and used wool, there are very few references to these uses in the Bible. The sacrificial image predominates.

Instead, there are many references in Scripture to the use of sheep or lambs as sacrifice.

4) We all are like sheep: Wandering, helpless, lost

This is far from a flattering image.

Psalm 119:176: I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Isaiah 53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Thus we need the Gospel. We need to acknowledge that though we were created to give God glory, we instead have spurned Him. We thus deserve judgment.

5) Jesus is the Lamb of God

After all I’ve said, this has to be startling. We are sheeplike because we wander and are helpless and lost. Jesus is sheeplike because, like a lamb, he lives in order to die. He lives in order to offer Himself as a sacrifice. He takes on Himself the penalty we deserve for failing to live up to the purpose of our creation. The benefits of that sacrifice accrue to everyone who trusts in Him.

Key verses on this theme include, John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, and Revelation 5:12.

Four Key Lessons for Pastor/Elder Shepherding

1) The shepherds are sheep!

They too have gone astray! They too need to have their iniquity laid on another.        They too have all the problems of sheep - they are stupid, they tend to wander.

Think of this image: The Chief Shepherd takes two sheep out of a hundred, and says, “OK, you serve as shepherds in my absence: Guard the flock, lead them to pasture, keep the other sheep from wandering.”

Will that work? No. Those sheep will fail in the task. They can’t do it. They are sheep!

But that’s NOT the biblical image. Jesus does NOT leave the flock. He is present - working through sinful, inadequate shepherds, showing His power in our weakness to His glory.

2) A key component of shepherding is public teaching, warning, preaching, and exhorting, serving the flock as a whole.

Jeremiah is called a shepherd of Israel (Jer 17:16), and his ministry reported in the Bible was public, not private.

  • David and Moses are called shepherds of Israel, and their main actions served the  nation as a whole, not individuals.
  • Even most (though not all) of what a literal shepherd does serves the flock as a whole, rather than sheep as individuals.

Jeremiah 3:15 is a key verse in this regard. In the surrounding context, God is condemning the shepherds of Israel who were turning from God and taking advantage of the people: “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

Mark Dever, speaking to pastors in a recent interview, summarizes this biblical point:

Your main job in order to reach the world for Christ is to know God yourself, to know his word, to faithfully preach and teach that word to your people, and so be used by God to create a community that does far more than you could ever do.

Thus: Right now, I am shepherding you though preaching. When I am writing the devotion for the weekly email - I am shepherding you. When I am reading about winds of false doctrine affecting the church so that I can teach you, warn you, and protect you - I am shepherding you.

The teaching of the Word, including applying it to our specific cultural context, is a key part - indeed, biblically, probably the most prominent part - of shepherding.

Some other aspects of biblical shepherding also have to do with serving the flock as a whole: Designing worship services so that we might express joy in Christ corporately, praying for the flock as a whole.

So, biblically, the most prominent aspect of shepherding is serving the flock as a whole.

3) This care for the good of the entire flock is coupled with care for the sheep as individuals

Jesus is perfecting His bride as a whole, but each individual within the bride is loved by God, is special, is chosen.

Ezekiel 34 once again is helpful. This chapter condemns the bad shepherds for not caring for individual sheep: Binding up the injured, bringing back the strays, seeking out the lost. Jesus then speaks of the shepherd rejoicing after he seeks and rescues the one lost sheep.

Pastors and elders therefore must care about, love, and watch over individuals, as well as the entire flock.

How are they to do this?

Their responsibility is not necessarily to provide the individual care themselves. David could hardly do that for the nation. Delegation must play a large part in this care for individuals.

We see this in Acts 6. The Apostles acknowledge that the needs of Greek-speaking widows are not being met. They take responsibility to ensure that those women are served, but they don’t do the ministry themselves. Why not?

“It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.  . . . 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2,4)

4. The goal of shepherding is the goal of the creation of mankind: The Glory of God among the nations!

The goal is not happy sheep, healthy sheep, well-fed sheep, or comfortable sheep.

The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep NOT so they can have what He doesn’t - but so they can have what he HAS - so they too can lay down their lives for the glory of God.

Note carefully: The shepherd is actually preparing the sheep for slaughter! The shepherd is raising sheep so they can die.

Romans 12:1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [as a sheep on the altar,] as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

The goal of all shepherding is to transform stupid, wandering sheep into the sheep likeness of Jesus: Sacrificial lambs.

So:

  • My job is not to make you prosperous. My job is to protect you from prosperity
  • My job is not to help you have a good life. My job is to exhort you and to challenge you and to help you to lay down your good life for the glory of God and the joy of all peoples.

That’s why the Holy Spirit makes men overseers, elders, pastors:

  • To deepen joy in Christ: That is, to edify the church, so each can say, “Earth has nothing I desire besides You - YOU are the pearl of great price, worth selling all I have to gain, YOU are the treasure hidden in the field, that out of my joy I give up all else to obtain.”
  • To express that deepened joy in Christ publicly, corporately, as we say together in worship,

This world is empty pale and poor
Compared to knowing You, my Lord!
Lead me on and I will run after You!

  • And as a consequence of this deep joy in Christ, to spread that joy in Christ to those in our culture - that’s evangelism - and to those in other cultures - that’s missions - so that our great God might have all the glory

That’s why we exist as a church.

That’s why God called Fred and me as pastors, as elders.

That’s why God calls YOU as His sheep, His follower, His disciple.

So that you, a wandering, stupid sheep, might become like Jesus: A spotless lamb, laying down your life, for your greatest joy, for God’s glory throughout creation.

Do you hear the call?

Will you follow?

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Sermons, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

What are Elders and Why Do We Have Them?

July 25, 2008

(This is a summary of the second sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on June 15. The audio is available here.)

Why do we exist as a church?

The glory of God is our goal. This is the reason we exist.

We as a church are not able to glorify God in some ways:

  • We won’t create galaxies or planets
  • We won’t raise up kingdoms and bring them down

But what can we do, by His grace, through His power?

Basically there are three ways we glorify God:

1) We worship God corporately: proclaiming and singing and delighting in the glory of God

This gives God glory DIRECTLY

2) We proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who don’t know Him

  • Through Missions: Reaching ALL NATIONS with the Gospel of the glory of God
  • Through Evangelism: Reaching our neighbors with the Gospel of the glory of God

3) We build up the body of Christ

  • In knowledge
  • In love
  • In faith
  • In Christlikeness
  • In perseverance

We can summarize these three ways in short phrases: We glorify God through:

  • Expressing joy in Christ
  • Spreading joy in Christ
  • Deepening joy in Christ

Thus, elders exist to help the church fulfill the reason for its existence.

  • Through worship
  • Through outreach
  • Through edification

God gives pastors and teachers as gifts to the church, so that the church might become what He intends it to be. The growing, strengthening, thriving, worshiping bride of Christ.

What are Elders

Elders play a role in leading the nation of Israel from ancient times - as early as the exodus (around 1400BC), but at least at times had a very negative impact on the nation, as they used their position for their own benefit rather than the benefit of the people (Ezekiel 34, for example).

Again, during the time of Jesus, the elders of the Jews opposed Jesus.

Nevertheless, there were elders in the early Jerusalem church (Acts 15).

Furthermore, Paul appoints elders in his Gentile churches even on his first missionary journey (Acts 14:23).

Three main ideas about elders from the epistles

1) The words elder, pastor, and overseers (bishop) all refer to the same office

We see this from Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:1-2.

2) The Holy Spirit makes men overseers (Acts 20:28)

Our job is to recognize what the Holy Spirit has done.

3) Biblically, it is normal to have more than one elder in a local church.

James 5:14, Titus 1:5, and Acts 20:17 suggest this.

Why do We Have Elders?

In the rest of this sermon and in the next, we will look at the biblical commands that concern elders and describe their impact. Today: 9 points:

1) Elders are to pray for the congregation. James 5:14. Acts 6:4

2) Elders are to keep watch over the souls of the congregation Hebrews 13:17

3) Elders are to benefit the church Hebrews 13:17

4) Elders are to be on guard for the flock Acts 20:28

5) Elders are to care for or shepherd the church Acts 20:28

6) Elders are to teach and preach the Word Ephesians 4:11, 2 Timothy 3:16-4:5, Acts 6:4

7) Elders are to equip the saints so that the saints might do the work of the ministry, thereby building up the body of Christ Ephesians 4:12

8 ) Elders protect the church from prevalent false winds of doctrine by means of the previous two commands Ephesians 4:14

9) Elders thereby help the church to grow to maturity, to Christlikeness, to a well-functioning body giving glory to God as each member does his or her part. Ephesians 4:13-16

Consider, then, seven of these commands:

  • Profit/benefit
  • Keep watch
  • Pay careful attention to, guard,
  • Protect
  • Equip
  • Help to grow
  • Shepherd

Aren’t all of the first six summarized in the last, to shepherd? Doesn’t a literal shepherd perform all these tasks for his flock of sheep? And, indeed, the other two commands - pray for the flock, teach them the Word - are clearly ways that elders benefit, protect, equip, and help the flock to mature.

Shepherding is thus a comprehensive picture of all the duties of elders. That’s why the word “pastor” (which means “shepherd”) is used as an alternative title for elder or overseer.

In next week’s sermon, we’ll look at the shepherding image throughout Scripture, to get a deeper understanding of the meaning of this wonderful image.

Conclusion

Consider again the threefold purpose of the church outlined in the introduction.

The Holy Spirit raises up pastors/elders/overseers in each local assembly, empowering them to shepherd the church

  • Through preaching and teaching
  • Through guarding, watching over
  • Through edifying and building up

So that our joy in Christ deepens, and overflows in worship and in outreach.

For the elder, for every member of the flock, this is key:

  • We do not exist in order to go through religious rituals
  • We do not exist in order to appease an angry God
  • We do not exist in order to please the society around us
  • We do not even exist in order to help the poor or heal the sick

We exist as a church to give glory to God, and we CANNOT do that unless we have joy in Christ, unless we see Him as the most important, the most loving, the most powerful, the most beautiful One in all the universe, and thus have joy in Him.

So: Do you have this joy? Isn’t the Gospel message one that creates joy?

Is your joy deepened through hearing the Gospel?

Are you ready to spread that joy of the Gospel?

Can you now express that joy in worship, as you contemplate the Gospel?

This is why we exist. This is why I am your pastor. This is more important than anything else in life.

So delight in Him. Rejoice in Him. Believe in Him - to your everlasting joy.

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Sermons, church leadership | Leave a Comment 

What is Preaching and Why is it Important?

July 25, 2008

(This is a summary of the first sermon in the six-part series, “God Gave Pastors and Teachers,” preached on June 1. The audio is available here.)

The title of this sermon series comes from Ephesians 4:11-14, which says, in part:

He gave the . . . pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Note that God gives pastors and teachers to the church.

  • They are His gifts, His presents, tokens of His love for the church.
  • They play a key role in equipping God’s people to minister as God intends.
  • They play a key role in guarding the church from waves of false teaching.
  • Thus they play a key role in enabling the church to become the interdependent, smoothly functioning body of Christ Paul describes in Ephesians 4:16.

Five main points:

1) The Word is Central!

2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

We exist to know God and to display what He is like.

We can know Him ONLY BECAUSE He reveals Himself to us.

Today He reveals Himself through His Word.

2) Preaching is Central!

2 Timothy 4:1-2a: In the sight of God and Christ Jesus who will certainly judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly charge you: Preach the Word!

The most solemn exhortation in all of Scripture precedes the command to preach the Word.

This is my paraphrase:

“Timothy, as I am about to die, I am giving you a command. This is your responsibility. And God sees whether or not you will fulfill it. Christ Jesus Himself sees. I am laying this responsibility on you, and if you shirk it, if you turn away from it, if you pretend to fulfill it but instead replace it with something else, He will know. And remember who Christ Jesus is – not some namby-pamby guy with long hair who wouldn’t hurt a flea. He is the judge. And judgment is certain. He is the one coming back to renew all things. He is establishing His kingdom – THROUGH ME AND YOU by His grace. He is King. His has all authority in heaven and on earth. So In His sight, for His glory, to advance His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: Preach the Word.”

Why? What makes preaching central? Let’s look at its nature.

3) The Nature of Preaching

2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and earnestly exhort, with great steadfastness teaching all doctrine.

God chooses preaching as His central means of proclaiming His Word.

Many ways are important; this is vital

Preaching must include teaching, but must do more: Preaching must display God as glorious. The preacher not only proclaims the truths of the Word, but rejoices in the Word.

That is the nature of true preaching: expository exultation.

4) The Need for Preaching: Why is an expository preaching ministry so vital?

2 Timothy 4:3-4: Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and earnestly exhort, with great steadfastness teaching all doctrine. For the time will come when they will not put up with sound doctrine, but will surround themselves with teachers to satisfy their own desires, to scratch their itching ears. They will turn their ears away from the truth, and to myths they will be turned aside.

Calvin on 4:3: “As there is an unsatiable longing for those things which are unprofitable and destructive, so the world seeks, on all sides and without end, all the methods that it can contrive and imagine for destroying itself; and the devil has always at hand a sufficiently large number of such teachers as the world desires to have.”

When others don’t want to hear the Word faithfully preached:

Don’t get angry. Don’t get frustrated. Don’t quit.

Just keep doing expository exultation. Just keep proclaiming the cross.

Bit by bit, week by week, book by book, teach ALL DOCTRINE. Teach the WHOLE counsel of God. As long as you are not forced to leave your position, preach the Word. Delight in the Word. Proclaim it all.

BECAUSE PEOPLE DON”T WANT TO HEAR THE WORD, YOU, preacher, must be faithful to it.

Preaching is vital because the time is coming, and now is, when many do not want to hear the Word.

5) Preaching the Gospel is Central

2 Timothy 4:5: But you, be clear-headed in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of a preacher of the Gospel; fully accomplish your ministry.

Paul is restating the command of v2, “Preach the Word”, with a slightly different nuance.

In v2 he says: Preach the Word! Herald the Message from God! Proclaim and delight in God’s Revelation!

Then in v5 he zeroes in on the one theme that permeates all of God’s Word: The Gospel, the Good News.

As he says in v2, Timothy – and all preachers – are with great steadfastness to teach ALL doctrine. They are to teach the WHOLE COUNSEL of God.

But the whole counsel of God concerns the GOSPEL!

The cross is at the center of the whole counsel of God!

Conclusion

God gave pastors and teachers for the glory of His Name and for the good of His people. Preaching of the Word is a key part of their ministry.

In every local assembly, preachers must proclaim:

  • The glories of the Gospel;
  • The glories of God’s working in History, His eternal plan of redemption;
  • The glories of God’s character;
  • The dangers of false teaching, of the winds of doctrine that sweep through this world.

So, to those of us gathered this morning, hear the commands of God:

  • You, Coty Pinckney, Andrew Shanks, Fred Balbuena: preach the Word.
  • You, DGCC members, see to it that the Word is preached in this church.
  • You, attenders, connect only to a local church where the Word, all the Word, is faithfully preached.

This is number 1! This is the most profound exhortation in all of Scripture.

This is key. Make this happen.

Posted by Coty Pinckney | Filed Under Blog, Sermons, church leadership | 1 Comment