At the beginning of each year, we sometimes ordain, always install and sometimes recognize those who are continuing on the Session. We also recognize those who are going to serve on the Board of Trustees. So, today is a very important Sunday in the church year. Therefore, I believe it is important to refresh our memories each year about the character and duties of a church leader and how our system of government works in the Presbyterian Church.
Today, we are recognizing Katherine Serna in the 9:00 service. She has been willing to continue on the Session for another term. She will be taking over the responsibilities of Christian Education for our church. In the 11:00 service, we will ordain and install Barbara Lettiere as an Elder. She will be taking on the responsibilities for Fellowship in the life of the church. In the 11:00 service we will also recognize Doug Finlayson, as he continues on the Board of Trustees.
May I say at the outset, that they, as well as the rest of the Elders, need all of you to support them and pray for them. They may be calling on you to help them accomplish their tasks - after all, to be effective in this work to which the Lord has called us, we must all work together. It is imperative that all of you do your part in helping the Elders do their work and in making suggestions for new programs, as well as how to improve the current programs. There will also be times when they need your support as we let go of something that we have done for a number of years, but is no longer serving the Lord in a meaningful way.
When we think about church leadership, we come to discover that the Bible says a great deal about those whom God has called to lead His church. Both Peter and Paul wrote letters telling the churches about the character of a leader, as well as the duties. So this morning, I want to take a look at some of those qualities. I shared with you two passages, one from Peter's general letter and one from Paul to Titus. This morning, I want to highlight a few of the specifics in the brief time we have today.
One of the important things to remember is that the Apostles, as they shared their guiding thoughts to those early churches, had one primary thought in mind. That thought was that the leaders should be people who represented Christ effectively. They were more concerned with character and integrity than they were with Bible or theological knowledge. So, please remember, if you ask any one of us, myself included, a Biblical or theological question, our answer may be: "I don't know the answer to that, but I will find out and get back to you."
One of the things that Peter mentions, as a task of an Elder, is caring for the flock. That in itself is a huge job. Even in a small church like ours, there is so much that needs to be done to "care for the flock." Here alone is the whole range of ministerial duties required. For when he says care for, Peter is not only talking about making sure that the church members are cared for in the spiritual sense, but also in the physical sense. The church leadership must see to it that your needs are met. Sometimes that may mean being there for you and with you when you are going through a difficult time or struggling with a particular temptation. It may mean helping you find or start a Bible study group that meets your particular needs.
But you know what? If we don't know what it is that you want the church to provide, we can't very well read your mind. So feel free to go to any of the Elders, or come to me, and talk about what you would like to see the church do or offer. I can't promise that we will do everything you ask for, as our resources are limited. But we will do the best we can to help as many of you grow in your faith and your knowledge of God's Word. Friends, it is vitally important for your spiritual health that you be involved in regular Bible study - at least every other week and preferably weekly. Listening to a brief sermon once a week is not enough to supply your spiritual needs.
When caring for the flock, we must all participate to a certain degree. It is important to help make members and visitors alike feel welcome and wanted. It is essential that we care for the whole flock, discerning their individual needs and abilities and helping them grow in the Lord and in their service to Him. We must not pay special attention to some who seem to be more friendly, more knowledgeable on the Bible, wealthier, or because they are a nice family. Likewise, we must not pay less attention to some because they seem poor, poorly educated, aloof, less friendly, etc.
It is also important to realize that all of you have a responsibility to care for others in the flock. This is not something that only the Elders are allowed to do. If you learn of a need, you can meet that quietly and confidentially, or you can contact me or one of the Elders and let us know that help is needed. The Bible says, "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:1 RSV)
Another thing that Peter says is that church leaders are to serve willingly. He uses the typical Hebrew writing style where they say something and then say it again in different words. First, he says, "Watch over the flock willingly, not grudgingly...." Then he repeats himself and says, "Not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God." (1 Peter 5:2b NLT)
The Psalmist says, "Serve the Lord with gladness." (Psalm 100:2 NKJV) In other words, be happy that God has called you to serve. Remember that it is by God's call, exercised through the Nominating Committee and the congregation, that God has called each of you who are serving as Elders. If you love the Lord, you are grateful for his grace, and that means you will want to share it with others. It also means that you are happy to be serving, according to God's call. Jesus promised, "The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me." (John 12:26 Msg) The Bible also says, God "will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians." (Hebrews 6:10 NLT) If you are not joyful in your service, ask yourself about your love for the Lord. This applies to all members of the Body of Christ, not just the leaders.
Sometimes we in the church leadership get frustrated with those of you we are trying to lead. We ask you to help and get no response. We warn you of the dangers of living like non-Christians and feel disappointed when you go about that lifestyle anyhow. Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that we are not God and therefore, we are not responsible for being God. Thus, we are not responsible for the actions or decisions of others. We leaders are responsible for telling you about Jesus. As someone has said, "As long as you are faithful, you don't have to play God."
Those to whom you minister may not always perfectly understand what you say, but they will soon know whether you love them or not. The secret of many a successful Christian worker is not that he/she is skilled, knowledgeable, and has endowments which are superior to others, but that those to whom they minister know that they really care about them. Not in some abstract way, or from sense of duty, but wanting with all his/her heart the best that God wants for them. That, you see, is serving willingly - simply wanting the best for those whom you serve.
Sometimes you will set in motion a class, program or activity, that you feel God wants our church to have. Yet, no one, or very few, will participate and reap the benefits of it. You will wonder if you mistook your own desires for God's leading. If you have prayed it through with others, and feel confident in your decision, it is important to understand that it is not a bad decision, it is that the people have not prayed through their responsibility. Now, given that word to the Elders, let me repeat what I just said for the rest of you: "It is your responsibility to pray seriously and often about God's will for yourself - whether He wants you to participate in some class, activity or program we are offering.
When we think about our church leaders, we think about the qualities they possess. Some of you may think of this Elder or that and say to yourself, "They really know their Bible" or "They are so creative." Those are good qualities to recognize in your church's leaders. But the one quality I would most like to find in the leaders is that they are people who spend a great deal of time in prayer, not just for their own needs, but also for the people they are called upon to lead. I also would like them to be people who know and rely on the power of God.
Last week I was reading a commentary on Psalm 46. That particular Psalm starts out reminding us that, "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble." (Psalm 46:1 NLT) It ends by stating that, "The Lord of Heaven's Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress." (Psalm 46:11 NLT) The commentator, Lloyd Ogilvie, pointed out that in reading this Psalm, we are reminded that "God is on our side, that He is by our side and that we can have His peace inside." It is important for church leaders to recognize that - and live by it. For there will come times when we feel we are doing what God wants us to do, yet we will feel all alone in making it happen. There will come times when we feel the congregation we are trying to lead is going in some other direction or is openly opposing what we feel God has called us to do. Those are the times when we, the leaders, will need to be even more consistently in prayer and more willing to trust God for His leading.
When a Church leader looks for role models, he/she need only look to our Leader, Jesus Christ. Here was a man who stood for His principles. Here was a man who was always up to meeting a challenge. Here was a man who made tough decisions. Yet, here was a man who clearly modeled the servant-leader style. We are told that one of His final acts before going to the cross, was to wash the grimy feet of His disciples. Then He said to them, "Since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet." (John 13:14 LB) That is a true servant, one who is willing even to wash the feet of those he knows may let him down.
As Christian leaders, we may face many awful and embarrassing messes. Our people may often let us down. They may rebel against us. They may leave us for another flock. But Jesus has already shown us what we must do in that situation:. We are to love those people anyhow, then forgive them and love them some more. Remember how Peter denied three times that he even knew Jesus? Following the resurrection, Jesus came to Peter and forgave him three times. Three times Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to express his love for this wonderful leader, whom he had followed for three years. That is why Peter can write such encouraging words to us about being leaders in the life of the church.
In the Presbyterian Church, when a person is ordained to an office, whether it be Elder or Minister, that ordination is for life, not just for some given term of office. (First service): [I would like to ask all who have been ordained as an Elder to come and stand with Katherine when we recognize her ongoing service on the Session.] (Second service) [When we ordain and install Barbara in a few minutes, we will call upon all ordained Elders to come and lay hands on her.] As you will see, there are a good many who are already ordained and have served the church in this way. Today, I want to call upon all of those who have been ordained to be in prayer and study for our church and its current leadership, as well as for themselves. We will spend the rest of our lives striving to emulate the example which Peter and Paul have laid down.
There is one more thing to remember. Now that we have a new Elder and one continuing on for another term, you, as members, must submit yourselves to their leading, along with that of the Elders who are already serving. Together, with God's leading through these people and with His help, we will build an even more exciting, dynamic congregation that is helping many people both here and around the world, to become Christians.
Prayer:
Gracious and loving God: We call upon You to guide and lead us in this New Year. Open our
hearts and minds to Your will, that we might do what You want us to do and go where You want
us to go. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might always sense Your presence and know that
when we seek Your will and work diligently to follow it, You will bless our efforts. May we
always give You the praise and glory for everything that we as Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Church
accomplish. In Jesus name. Amen.
__________________________
July 22, 2007 - Guest preacher, transcript not available
Sermon July 29, 2007
Sermon August 5, 2007
Sermon August 12, 2007
August 19, 2007 - Youth Service, transcript not available
Sermon August 26, 2007
Sermon September 2, 2007
Sermon September 9, 2007
Sermon September 16, 2007
Sermon September 23, 2007
Sermon September 30, 2007
Sermon October 7, 2007
Sermon October 14, 2007
Sermon October 21, 2007
Sermon October 28, 2007
Sermon November 4, 2007
Sermon November 11, 2007
Sermon November 18, 2007
Sermon November 25, 2007
Sermon December 2, 2007
Sermon December 9, 2007
Sermon December 16, 2007
Sermon December 23, 2007
Sermon December 24, 2007
(Please note: At this point in time, we are only able to keep the last few weeks' messages available. As a result, links to
earlier sermons on previous sermon pages may not work.)
If you have questions about this message or wish to contact Dr. Kile for further information, feel free to e-mail him at pastor@gulf-prairie.org