Tag: Leadership

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Exhortations to 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:” (I Peter 5:1).

For the next several days we are going to examine the biblical doctrine concerning the church office of elder. We are going see what the word “elder” means in relationship to the church. We will also identify the biblical qualifications of elders with not only what are the elder’s responsibilities, but also what are the church’s responsibilities to its elder leadership? Are full-time pastors the only ones who may hold the office of elder or may qualified men who are not pastors serve as church lay elders? We will not only seek to identify what church elders are to do, but also what they are not to do?

I Peter 5:1 begins with the statement, “So I exhort the elders among you…” The Apostle Peter wants to exhort (παρακαλέω; parakaleo) or continuously and actively appeal to and encourage the elders who were among the people to whom the apostle was writing. This was an earnest request by Peter to the elders in particular.

Notice that the elders were among the church. They were part of the church. It could even be said that the elders belonged to the church. They were not detached from the local church but actively involved in leading it.

What does the word “elder” mean? First of all, notice that the noun elder in I Peter 5:1 is in the plural form. This means that there was more than one elder to the group of Christians receiving Peter’s letter.

The word elder comes from the Greek word πρεσβύτερος; presbyteros. It is probably obvious to you that our English word Presbyterian comes from this Greek noun. The word’s root meaning is an old, or an older man. We observe that the word is in the masculine gender, meaning that Peter was referring to a man or men.

Elder also means a person of responsibility and authority in matters of religious concerns. This was not only the case among the Jewish nation, but also the New Testament Church, which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles.

One commentary explains that, “Elders, older and wiser men skilled in judging cases, ruled in most Israelite towns in the Old Testament. In the New Testament period, “elders” held a respected place in the synagogues, from which the churches took over this form of leadership.”

The Book of Acts, along with several New Testament Epistles, consistently refer to the presence of elders within the early church.

  • “And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23
  • “And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.” Acts 15:2
  • “When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.” Acts 15:4
  • “The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.” Acts 15:6
  • “As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.” Acts 16:4
  • “Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” Acts 20:17.
  • “On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.” Acts 21:18.
  • Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.” I Timothy 5:17-19.
  • “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—“ Titus 1:5.
  • “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:17.
  • “The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth,” 2 John 1.
  • “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.” 3 John 1.

We see that the existence and presence of elders is conspicuous in the New Testament church. We see that they occupied positions of spiritual leadership within the church. We also conclude that these men were older and wise leaders who God used within various local congregations.

When next we meet, we’ll begin to see what else the Scriptures say regarding the qualifications of church elders. Until then, encourage the elders, pastors and or church leaders that are within your local church. Let them know you are praying for them and appreciate them. Do so today!

Soli deo Gloria!

 

 

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The Word, The Gospel, & Preaching

“And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25).

The Apostle Peter was concerned with three primary things, according to I Peter 1:25, for the believers to whom He was writing. So should the church today. These three things were the Word, the good news of the gospel, and preaching.

The Word is the Greek word ῥῆμα, rhema, which is a particular portion or unit of Scripture. Peter was adamant that the source of our preaching/teaching must be a portion taken from the Bible. In the context, the word which literally belongs to and comes from the Lord, which refers us to Isaiah 40.

The particular portion, or topic, to which the apostle was concerned was the good news of the gospel. The phrase “good news” (εὐαγγελίζω; euangelizo) is the good news that God exists, sin exists, One Savior exists and salvation exists by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

This good news is to be preached. Inherent in the word euangelizo, or good news, is that this gospel is to be announced. Its message is not to be changed or altered in anyway and is to be communicated with our entire being. This is the message for which Peter, and the Apostle Paul, among many others were martyred. It is the treasure for which God has entrusted to our care (2 Corinthians 4).

May these three primary components of the early church be found in our churches, beloved. It anything else becomes the reason for which we do ministry, we have lost the biblical vision from God.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Good News

“And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (I Peter 1:25).

Whether you are a pastor of a local church, a missionary serving the Lord where He has called you, a Sunday school teacher who faithfully prepares each week to deliver a lesson to children or adults, a youth volunteer who drives a bus for an activity, or someone involved in another facet of church, or para-church ministry, God has called each of us to communicate God’s Word. The Bible is to be the focus of all we do for the Lord.

Recently, ministries have tried various ways to attract various numbers of people. High energy music will build a church some say. Others opt for sensational and exciting events to draw a crowd. Zip lining anyone? Still others maintain the fog machines, dark walls in the auditorium, elaborate platform lighting and pastors dressed in skinny jeans and t-shirts is what ministry is all about.

I have recently spoken to several friends of mine who are involved in traveling music ministries. These people are committed to having a Bible based ministry. Yet, they have told me that throughout the country, they see churches making decisions which trouble them. They have seen crosses removed from church auditoriums and various other things I have already made mention for the singular purpose of attracting more people. In short, the philosophy of ministry has become “the ends justify the means.”

Even more than the change in architectural or worship service styles and activities, many church leaders are moving toward a philosophy that the Scriptures no longer are the primary focus of ministry. Whatever is done does not have to be in submission to Scripture. Therefore, services are held, and decisions are made by church leadership, that may even be disobedient to the Scriptures.

The Apostle Peter was concerned with three primary things, according to I Peter 1:25, for the believers to whom He was writing. So should the church today. These three things were the Word, the good news or the gospel, and preaching.

May these primary components of the early church be found in our churches, beloved.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Remaining Forever

24 “for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” (I Peter 1:24-25).

The truth Peter shares is not solely from his inspired mind. The apostle in vs. 24-25 echoes what the Prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 40:6-8.

Perhaps this epiphany occurs at different times for different people, but as I entered  my sixth decade on this planet I realized that the time I have yet to live on earth is less than that what I have already lived. Sobering thought. The lyrics from the Broadway Musical Fiddler on the Roof rush to the forefront of my mind: “Sunrise, sunset, Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years.”

The Prophet Isaiah heralds the message from God that all flesh or life, may be compared to the grass or flowers of the field. No matter how hearty or beautiful they are, they both wither and die. So it is with people; no matter who they are.

The turning point to this humbling, stop me in my tracks, realization is that there remains on this earth one certainty. That certainty is that “the word of the Lord remains forever.” Every promise God has made, every truth He has revealed will never falter or fail. They will endure because God endures, and because God endures, all those who are in Christ will also live for eternity with Christ.

This life here on earth will soon come to an end for all of us. The only question is where, when and how. But for those in Christ, the conclusion of life here on earth translates to the commencement of life forever in heaven. This is what God has promised and His word stands forever.

May this cause each of us to live today with eternity in view.

Soli deo Gloria!

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Born Again Through the Living Word

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God”(I Peter 1:22-23).

Holy living requires a heart which desires purity. Psalm 119:9 says, ““How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.” You cannot have one without the other. It is cause and effect. Obedience to God and His Word results in purity and holiness of soul and body. This is to be a daily discipline.

The reason for this discipline Peter speaks of in vs. 22 is because God has regenerated our souls, vs. 23. We have been born again (John 3:1-8). God has given us a new birth through the preaching of the gospel (John 1:12-13). The cause for any real change in our lives is because God has given us a spiritual re-birth.

This is not a mortal or physical birth which eventually results in physical death. Rather, this is a spiritual birth which is imperishable (ἄφθαρτος; aphthartos) or immortal. It will never die.

Lest there any confusion as to how this new birth occurs, Peter makes sure we understand that our new birth is only by or through the living and abiding word of God. God’s Word, or truth, is actively alive and eternal (Hebrews 4:12). The Apostle Paul declared that faith in Christ came by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

Our entrance into the kingdom of God is solely a work of God. Our obedience once we are a member of the kingdom is a cooperative work between us and God. In either situation, God receives all the glory (Galatians 6:14; I Corinthians 10:31-33).

Soli deo Gloria!

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Obedience

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God”(I Peter 1:22-23).

Holy living requires a heart which desires purity. Psalm 119:9 says, ““How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.” You cannot have one without the other. It is cause and effect. Obedience to God and His Word results in purity and holiness of soul and body. This is to be a daily discipline.

One pastor writes, “As trials refine faith, so obedience to God’s Word refines character. One who has purified himself by living according to God’s Word has discovered the joy of obedience.”

Obedience (ὑπακοή; hypakoe) is paying attention to the truth. God’s Word (John 17:17). Much like guarding your heart (Proverbs 4:23-27), holy living by obedience to God is our responsibility. Thankfully we are assisted by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:12-13). It is a cooperative effort, but we must not be slack or uncommitted to our responsibility.

Commitment to obedience results in brotherly love (φιλαδελφία; philadephia) or an affection for a fellow believer. Sincere (ἀνυπόκριτος; anypokritos) means that our love is to be genuine. This means a lack of pretense or show. God calls us to love one another sincerely and to not pretend to do so. We are also to love earnestly (ἐκτενῶς; ektenos). This means eagerly and continuously.

Unfortunately, Christians hurt Christians. It happens. Perhaps, it even happens a lot. However, while we may not have any control over other Christians hurting us, we certainly have control of whether or not we hurt other Christians. If we want to be pure, we begin by being obedient to God’s Word which results in holy behavior.

Let’s begin today!

Soli deo Gloria!

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Faith & Hope in God

20 “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:20-21).

In today’s world, all roads lead to God. Religious pluralism says that all religions are equally valid and therefore true. The prevailing worldly wisdom is that it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you have a faith which is sincere. However, the Bible teaches otherwise.

The Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Salvation is exclusively through the person and work of Christ. His person refers to His eternal existence as God (John 1:1-3), and His virgin birth (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25). His work focuses on His sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), His substitutionary death on the cross (I John 4:7-11; Romans 5:1-10), and His resurrection from the dead (I Corinthians 15). Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:5).

It is through Christ that we see the Father (John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-4; John 6:46; 14:9). It is through Christ alone that we trust, depend, are committed to, and worship God the Father. It is God the Father who Peter says raised Jesus from the dead as did the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:1-6).

As one pastor has written, “It is through Christ, whom the Father resurrected (cf. v. 3) and glorified in His Ascension (John 17:5; Heb. 1:3) that people may come to know and trust in God. As a result of God’s eternal plan and priceless payment for sin, faith and hope can be placed in Him.”

There are but two religions in the world. First is the religion of human achievement and there are many religious systems which are under this category. The second is the religion of divine accomplishment and this solely focuses on the person and work of Jesus Christ who reconciles sinners unto God.

Where is your faith? Is it in what you can accomplish, or rather what Jesus Christ alone has already accomplished?

Soli deo Gloria!

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No Plan B

20 “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:20-21).

We must never presume that the death of Christ on the cross for sinners was an afterthought by God following the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). The atonement was not a Plan B.

Rather, God tells us through Peter that Jesus Christ’s virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary and sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection was foreordained or predetermined by God before the world was even created. Christ was chosen as the Redeemer of the elect in eternity past (John 17:24). This is an additional motivation for believers to live their lives for the Lord’s glory.

As one commentator writes, “Redemption was no afterthought, or remedy of an unforeseen evil, devised at the time of its arising. God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:28-33; 9:6-26; 11:5-28; 16:13; Colossians 3:12; I Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 1:1).

In these last times, which is always referring to the days between the first and second coming of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2), the person and work of Christ is revealed to all. We are to make Him and His work known (Matthew 28:19-20). Why? Because there is eternal life in none other (John 14:1-6; Acts 4:12).

Charles Wesley described the eternal plan of God through Jesus Christ in these words.

He left His Father’s throne above—
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!                                                                      Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Soli deo Gloria!

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The Motivation of Gratitude

“And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (I Peter 1:17-19).

What should be the predominant reason we serve the Lord during our time here on earth? For many, it is because they are convinced that if they don’t, they will lose their salvation. They become entrapped on a performance treadmill that is spiritually and physical exhausting with no hope in sight that one has done enough.

Biblically, our motivation to serve the Lord should be one of gratitude. Our gratefulness originates from the understanding that God purchased, redeemed and set us free from our empty and useless life we inherited from those who lived before us.

How did God do this? Peter reminds us that it was not with what the world considers valuable. The most precious metals in the world, silver and gold, could never hope to buy what God possesses. As valuable as gold and silver is, it ultimately perishes (I Peter 1:7). Our human wealth and sincere works can never enable sinners to acquire the gift of salvation.

Our redemption was accomplished through the costly and highly valuable sacrificial and substitutionary death for us by Jesus Christ on the cross. Peter compares Jesus to the Passover Lamb (I Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 12:3; Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29). As God redeemed Israel from their bondage in Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb, so too does God redeem sinners by the precious blood, or violent death, of the sinless Lamb who is Jesus Christ.

As hymn writer Twila Paris wrote:

Oh, Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God
I love the holy Lamb of God.
Oh, wash me in His precious blood
My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Let us all live and honor the Lamb of God today. He is truly worthy.

Soli deo Gloria!

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God is Holy

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile” (I Peter 1:17).

God is holy (Isaiah 6:1-7; Leviticus 11:44; I Peter 1:16). This means that He is absolutely different or apart from His creation and that He is absolutely pure. As Dr. R.C Sproul comments, “The saints of Scripture were called saints not because they were already pure but because they were people who were set apart and called to purity.”

While it is true that God is our heavenly Father (I John 1:12-13) and that He has adopted us as His children (2 Corinthians 6:18; Psalm 68:5-6; Galatians 4:4-5; Romans 8:14-17), believers will still be judged and rewarded for their good works before God (Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:12-15). Augustine called this “God crowning His own gifts.”

Therefore, we conduct ourselves while we live on this earth in fear. We must still approach God with humble reverence (Psalm 34:11). We must not approach Him in worship, in prayer, or in service with a flippant or casual attitude of indifference. We serve Him, and not the other way around.

Recalling I Peter 1:1, Peter once again refers to the believer’s time here on earth as one of exile. Our status in this fallen world is that of aliens, strangers and pilgrims. We do not seek to be like the world, but rather to be distinct from it, as befitting our status as belonging to God’s kingdom. To his first century audience, this took on not only a spiritual meaning, but also a physical one. It may also for many today.

Man’s chief end, according to the Westminster Catechism, is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. May we do so today!

Soli deo Gloria!