Today we are looking at the fifth mark of an alive church: Committed Leadership. In the days, weeks and months to come, you will find it necessary to have committed leaders. You will also find times when you will question their leadership. It is vitally important that you trust those whom you have elected to lead, because you must trust that they are working very hard to know and do the will of God, as they serve the people of this church.
We can find all kinds of references to the qualities of an elder throughout the New Testament. Today, I want to look briefly at some of those qualities. Then I want to come back to our text and speak about two important qualities Paul mentions there as he writes about the church in Colossae that we are using for a model of an alive church.
Bear in mind that I am speaking today primarily about the Elders who will lead the church in the coming months and years. But, as you prepare to elect a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC), you should be thinking about these qualities for those who will serve on that Team, as well.
Paul, in his letter to Titus, states a number of positive attitudes and actions mentioned for church leaders. In the first chapter of that letter, he says, "He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong." (Titus 1:8-9 NLT)
One is that an Elder must be hospitable (enjoy having guests in his/her home.) The word in the original language is one which means one who is open to and loves strangers. This can mean many different things; but in particular, it means that such a person would reach out to strangers when they visit the church. They would readily greet these new people and introduce them around. They would not ignore them and let them make their own introductions. They would call on them in their homes. In addition, the Elder would be hospitable toward other Christians in their area, opening their homes to them for a place to stay, to provide a meal or to provide a meeting place. This hospitality must also apply to those who serve in pastoral capacities with you during this interim period.
Next the Elder should be one who loves what is good. In looking at the root of this word, we find that it refers to unselfishness. It refers to people as well as actions. Thus, William Barclay suggests that this church leader is the person "whose heart answers to the good in whatever person, in whatever place and in whatever action they find it." Not only must they answer to it, as Barclay says, they must respond to that good by returning good to others. Further, they must seek to bring out the good in others - even when those folks may be difficult to deal with.
The third quality is one which we might call prudent. The version I read this morning calls it a "disciplined life." R. C. Trench defined this quality as "the entire command over the passions and desires, so that they receive no further allowance than that which the law and right reason admit and approve." The Greeks said that this was the person "whose thoughts were saving thoughts."
The next quality Paul points to is what the New Living Bible calls "just." The Revised Standard Version calls it "upright." This is saying the leader should strive to accept and respect every person, not pre-judge for any reason. This person will also always stand in reverence before God.
Then comes the quality called "devout." Others versions may call it holy or pious. The word used here does not imply what we think of today. In this modern age, we think of the pious person as the one who would want us to think that they are more Godly than any others. The word used in the text, however, is one which refers to a person who upholds the fundamental rights and decencies of the individual.
The final quality he mentions is discipline. Other versions call it self control. This is one of the fruit of the Spirit. It implies a complete mastery of oneself. As Barclay points out, "Any person who would serve others, must first be master of themselves."
You see, the leaders, whether they be your elders or your PNC members, must strive to be truly serving God. If you remember, Jesus had a real problem with the Pharisees - the Jewish leaders of His day. He accused them of being so perfect and polished on the outside, but rotten on the inside. You want your leaders to be close to God and seeking always to serve Him, rather than just giving that appearance or promoting their own agenda. As someone has said, "God would rather have someone with a sweet, wonderful heart toward Him, who makes mistakes, than somebody with a slick performance, who is rotten inside." Tony Evans put it this way: "Leadership in the local church should be determined by spirituality, not notoriety."
Before Paul closes this section of his letter to Titus, he writes about the faith and trust of those who would be leaders. The first thing he mentions is that leaders must be people who will encourage the members of the church, rather than discourage them. They should be men and women who will help the members grow, rather than berate them for their lack of growth. Thus, a leader should be a person who knows God, spends time with God and trusts God to lead them. They should be a serious student of God's Word - even hunger to know and understand more fully what He is saying to us in the Bible.
Second, Paul says that these leaders should be able to give sound instruction in the doctrines. In other words, they should be studying what the doctrines of the church are and why they have been established. They should be able to tell others about these doctrines and help them understand and believe them. The best way to do that is to pray over and study the Book of Confessions on a regular basis. These two things are especially important while you are without regular pastoral leadership. But having an Interim Pastor, or once you call the next installed pastor, doesn't mean the leaders no longer need to study. It is vitally important to the welfare of Gulf Prairie Presbyterian Church that your leaders always be "in the Word."
There is one more thing that Paul mentions to Titus. Using this same teaching and understanding of the faith he has been talking about, the leaders need to be able to rebuke opponents of the faith. But Paul does not suggest that they simply put these opponents down in a degrading and shameful way. He says they need to rebuke them in a way that makes them see the error of their ways and correct it without being hurt or humiliated.
Now, this is all very pertinent to those of you who may serve on the Pastor Nominating Committee. You will need to know your Bible and your Presbyterian doctrines to test those candidates you consider for your future pastor. As some of you know, I serve on the Presbytery's Examinations Committee. We test every pastor who wants to come into our Presbytery with a pretty deep oral evaluation. As a matter of fact, we just examined one man yesterday. Friends, there are times when we reject a candidate or send them back to study some more before we will admit them to serve here in New Covenant Presbytery. I tell you this because it is important that you check out your candidate before sending them to our Committee. That way, there will be no snags or problems or hurt feelings.
Having shared all of these words from Paul to Titus, I want to come back now to the passage from Colossians. Paul wrote, "You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ's faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you." (Colossians 1:7-8 NLT)
There are several points to note in Paul's words about Epaphras. First, Paul says he is a "beloved co-worker." Whatever capacity you serve in the life of the church, may the people you serve refer to you as beloved. Those of you who have been ordained to the office of Elder, as well as those who may be elected this Fall, may recall that one of the ordination vows says, "Will you seek to serve the people with energy. intelligence, imagination, and love?" Please remember, that whether you serve on the Session or the PNC or both, all four of those qualities will be needed in great supply.
Paul also calls Epaphras a "faithful servant." Friends, I hope you look upon me as a faithful servant. I have given all I have to give over the last eleven years. But now, as you move into this new phase in the life of the church, I hope you will be calling your elders and those you elect to your PNC, faithful servants. They will be giving more than before. They will need your support and encouragement. Those on the PNC especially will need your encouragement. Please don't bug them with the question "Why is it taking so long?" It always takes a long time to find a new pastor in the Presbyterian Church. Instead of bugging them, pray for them and let them know of your prayers. Encourage them - they will need it before the process is over.
Paul closes this section with a very telling comment. He says, Epaphras " has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you." What a powerful statement about a group of Christians! As you move into this new phase of life for Gulf Prairie Church, work extra hard at showing the love of God to others. There is nothing that shares the Gospel message more powerfully than that. I know it's not always easy to love others. Some people are just plain hard to love. But when you do show the love of God to someone else, it speaks volumes about the church and about your faith. So get busy practicing that kind of self-giving love on one another. Then, when you are out in the community or at work or at school or on vacation this summer, show that love to others. That will open the door to tell them about your faith in Jesus and to invite them to church.
I want to leave you with one important thing to remember. In the Presbyterian Church we have a representative form of government. That means that once you elect Elders, or PNC members, they are your representatives. They do their work on your behalf. It is important that you submit yourselves to their leading. Sure, there will be times when you question a decision they make. Please, don't talk behind their backs about your concerns. Go and talk with one (or all) of them.
Most of all, keep all of these elected officers and the PNC members in your prayers. They need it! They need those prayers now and every day throughout their appointed term of service. One of the marks of an alive church is committed leaders. But they need the support, prayers and encouragement of the rest of you if they are to fulfill that commitment and experience the joy of serving our Lord Jesus Christ.
I read about a church in Raleigh, North Carolina that wants those who participate to think of themselves as owners, not members. The idea of membership gives people the feeling that the church is, "Here for my consumption. I pay my dues and take from the club the things I like, use the facilities I need at this time in my life." Ownership means more. As an owner, you invest your time and money and energy, and do so to make the organization more productive and growing. That's a good analogy. Think for a moment about your future owners (members.) Ask yourself "Am I doing all that I can to help and encourage those people to come and invest in our church?" For a starter, think about a store where you enjoy shopping. What is it you like about that store? Friendly helpful staff? Wide range of products? People who know the business and are willing to take the time to help you find what you want?
Now, apply that thinking to the church. Are you doing all that you can to make visitors (let's call them future investors) want to keep coming back and give of their time, money and energy? If the answer is "No," ask yourself what you need to do to change that attitude. You, who are leading the church, need to be particularly vigilant about helping the rest of your "investors" cultivate that atmosphere.
Let me leave you with three verses that will serve you well in the months ahead. The first relates directly to developing and maintaining that atmosphere. "Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)
The next passage points to the struggle you will have and reminds you how to deal with it. "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT)
The final passage reminds you how to work together to accomplish what God wants you to do. Paul writes to the Ephesians, "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all." (Ephesians 4:2-6 NLT)
Prayer:
Father, you have built an alive church here at Gulf Prairie Presbyterian. Over the years, we have
sought to know and do Your will. Hold each member, each owner, close and help them to
continue building this congregation even as they seek new pastoral leadership. May they always
keep You at the center of every discussion and every decision. May all they do honor You and
lift Your name high before the people. Continue to bless the ministry they bring to this area in
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Sermon December 2, 2007
Sermon December 9, 2007
Sermon December 16, 2007
Sermon December 23, 2007
Sermon December 24, 2007
December 30, 2007 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon January 6, 2008
Sermon January 13, 2008
Sermon January 20, 2008
Sermon January 27, 2008
Sermon February 3, 2008
Sermon February 10, 2008
Sermon February 17, 2008
Sermon February 24, 2008
Sermon March 2, 2008
Sermon March 9, 2009
Sermon March 16, 2008
Sermon March 23, 2008
March 30, 2008 - Transcript not available
April 6, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon April 13, 2008
April 20, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
April 27, 2008 - Guest speaker, transcript not available
Sermon May 4, 2008
Sermon May 11, 2008
Sermon May 18, 2008
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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