How to Treat Elders in the Church

Printing 1440 but do all things decently and in order.

Some say it's the highest Presbyterian maxim is to do things decently and in order to have a way to do everything but as were going into this passage. What were going to see is Timothy is going to be instructed on the decent and orderly way to interact and treat elders in the church we've seen already in the first two verses that were to treat one another like family were to have a mutual understanding and mutual respect with one another.

Last month we focused on widows and how to treat widows and honor them. Now we are looking at how to honor elders in the church while you talk about giving pastors who labor in ministry as a vocation. While our denomination calls a teaching elder or a pastor in the church how to treat them how to look out for them care for them and how to approach church discipline on elder in the church. I want to give an illustration that might frame our perspective on what an elder is a man went to a business convention for his company. He was a keynote speaker. It was this big international convention where people work coming in all over the world. There were millions of dollars poured into this convention.

So as the keynote speaker when he arrived at the airport. His ticket was already booked. We flew into the city holding the can. The convention he got to ride first class was plane landed, there was a man there with a car to take him to the hotel. Arriving at the hotel.

He was already checked in. He they rented a car for him. This is already taken care of, so he drove himself to the convention center and he gave the speech and after his speech.

They wrote them a check for his services to give the speech the next year they let someone else to be the keynote speaker. He wasn't the president of the company or anyone notably was just one of the employees so it was a great honor. The year before to be able to be the keynote speaker, but now he was in a be a simple attender with everyone else when he arrived at the airport. There was no ticket ready for him so he had book on himself and realizing had to pay himself. He booked a coach ticket instead of first class when the plane landed, there was no one waiting for him at the airport so he had to go to the car rental and rent a car for himself at the convention. People would recognize him and say your you are the keynote speaker last year, say yes yes I was. And they say great great will the keynote speaker this year is about to start.

Let's grab a seat and will listen so he would grab a seat with everyone else started to question where is the honor I had so much last year with the plane ticket in the car and everything was already scheduled and plan for where is the owner and he realized that the honor that he receive the year before was not for him the honor that he received was due to the position that he held that convention.

He was the keynote speaker this year. He's just one of the attenders and so he got to witness the honor that given to the keynote speaker as a attender that year.

He thought back to how nice it was to have a plane ticket in a rental car and everything already planned for him, but this year he was not honored and that way he was an employee just like everyone else, and he realized that that honor really just belongs to that position. He only received that honor the year before because he was in that position and as he left that position the honor would go on to the next person I would tell you tonight that is a lot like what being an elder is elders are Christians, we are regular members of the congregation. We are men that wake up every single day and pray Lord, your will be done. We fight sin in our lives. We put sin to death just like any other Christian. We want to honor Christ. Just like every other Christian in the honor that we have as elders is not ours. It's not because of anything in us or anything, and how we communicate. The honor is because Christ has given the position of elder honor we receive a great honor to be ordained in the local church and we serve God in the office that Christ has established within his church because Christ has done this because he has built this foundation on the prophets and the apostles and himself being the cornerstone and is Christ now currently reigns in heaven. He gives us his word and instructs us. The elders have the responsibility to teach and preach within the church in that role of teaching and preaching. Paul tells us that as elders are in this role, honor the men that fill the office. The honor is for the position of elder as men are in that position they are honored as elders begin at 17 and 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.

Elders used five different times in the pastoral epistles that's first and second Timothy and Titus is also used in acts to refer to church officers and can be used in a more generic way like we see in verse one of chapter 5, but here in this passage is clearly linked to those that labor in preaching and in teaching Timothy and Titus would be two examples of men that are teaching elders within the church that they are called to serve certain regions. Certain areas Timothy serving Ephesus here in first Timothy and then when he sees men of qualifications as we see in chapter 3 he calls Congregational ruling elders out of the congregation to rule well in the church but here the focus is on those who labor in preaching and teaching. Your translation may say word and doctrine which word referencing, preaching, and of course doctrine referencing teaching, but the grammar in the original language actually implies that this was already being established back in Paul's day back in next chapter 20 when he was in Ephesus. Paul already laid this groundwork with that church and so now Timothy is seeing this reinforced in this letter that it would be established in the church of Ephesus that elders would rule well both in family and in church and as they fulfill disqualification of elder they are worthy of double honor this phrase. What is double honor and context. This concept of honor sort of has a double meaning as well as it means double in amount. First, the obvious meaning of honor is referencing respect and due to the man in the office that Christ has given his churchmen in the office of elder are called to preach to teach to communicate God's truth to God's people. We are ambassadors to the truth, all those that are visiting and lost.

We are calling them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ were encouraging them to look to Christ and believe on him. But secondly, the word honor comes from the original language here with the word is team a which does mean compensation or stipend or what us ministers might call an honorarium to reference back to the passage on widows.

They are to be honored as older women in the church, but there also when they're added to the number they are given an honorarium. Their given amount to live on within the church and as ministers are overseeing not only the congregation and the widows. There is a responsibility on elders that there saying Paul is basically saying there is a double honor. There's a double amount of compensation for those who teach and preach well within the church.

But as I think back, you know, in seminary as opportunities to preach. Sometimes a pastor might be out of town and you get to do what's called pulpit supply they*the school. Does anybody seem unavailable on Sunday they can come and do pulpit supply. What that means is you get an opportunity preach as a student and one time I heard a student yell out. Is there an honorarium and I wanted to say shut up it's you be happy to get an opportunity to preach, you know, this is Christchurch. It is a matter if they pay or not. But an honorarium is little check for hundred dollars $200.

They're basically paying you for your labor. They want to honor you for doing the work and again incidents and honor greatly appreciated among students to be able to bring the word of God to God's people and as a minister.

If you get to work full-time or part-time as a minister in the church.

It is a great honor. I know some denominations some different different religions and of the Mormons of pride themselves on paying no one in the church say almost implying that sort of wrong or immoral to pay ministers and I guess there's us, form of humility.

There were there saying were not here for the money and they might point to cases like Kenneth Copeland or many of the prosperity gospel is that Doug mentioned this morning.

Yes, they are definitely in it for the money but at the same time. This is just not a biblical way of thinking. We look at God's word. To clarify this issue. We go back to the law of Moses. We go back to Jesus himself. We have quotes clearly in Scripture that those who serve God's people in vocational ministry should be supported. Scripture says you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out grain. This is a reference back to Deuteronomy chapter 25 verse four somewhat self-evident, but the ideas that the oxen is leading the farmer out as the farmer is sowing seed. Naturally, the ox will see this seed on the ground and feed off the sea that's being poured out on the ground so the farmer might or more seed to farm. Yet at the same time as the ox works he feeds he is provided for so this is a principle that goes all the way back to Moses Paul in his second reference is not referencing the Old Testament the referencing Christ himself. We see in Luke 10 verse seven remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide for the laborer deserves his wages.

He says a variation of this in Matthew 10 verse 10, the laborer deserves his food. Notice here if you want to make yet another case for the Bible, and yet another case to unbelievers about the sufficiency of Christ of God's word, seeing both the Old Testament being referenced and the New Testament we see that Paul is putting together old and New Testament references to clearly illustrate were not just limited to the old were limited to the new.

This is tying together these passages Paul makes it clear though that ministers can be and should be supported in their labors. First Corinthians 9 verse nine reference written in the law Moses same verse do not muzzle the ox.

Verse 10 does not certainly speak for our sake he saying that verse is looking out for ministers if we have sown spiritual things among you, that is spread the word and preach the gospel. Is it too much. If we reap material things from you as receive payment or compensation or to be covered vocationally as a minister Paul makes another argument for this in Galatians 6. Let the one who is taught the word share in all good things with the one who teaches Paul in Philippians 4 of that I seek the gift but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit, Paul is seeking the result of this ministry that goes out sometimes missionaries were Ligon your ministries are some minister will say will you partner with us this year by giving a donation or giving a small ties to our ministry. The idea of partnering. I thought is that biblical is that language in Scripture will yes that's yes it is. The idea here in I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.

The idea is that Paul is seeking out this precious souls that will be added to the church in our missions as money goes out to different countries. Going out to Greece going out to Prague going to demand more as we go out and labor as you donate to these things.

You are contributing to the labor that goes out and gets us on a plane gets us in front of people that have not heard Christ we communicate that truth and we strengthen the local church and precious souls are added to the local church in these countries and so in one sense you're either going down you're going down into the well or you're holding the rope at the top and as you donate your at the top holding the rope for our missionaries to go down into the well. Going further in two spread the gospel. That's the concept here so is the local church will encourage everyone to fund missions fund and support those that go out and labor in the great commission. Secondly we see in verses 19 and 20. How to treat an elder accused of sin and automatic charge against an elder, except on the evidence of two or three witnesses for accusations against an elder Paul is giving a certain criteria accusations must not be immediately received as truth but proven to be true.

Through investigation how easy it is for anyone anywhere to say anything about anybody else and slander someone we must have criteria here in what Paul is saying if one person comes forward with one claim it's as though they can't get support from anyone else. Don't listen to them, do not admit the charge as he says here but that's only because we have these two problems number one, they do not follow Matthew 18 Matthew 18 says if you have an issue or a sin against someone you go to them individually if they reject your word you bring witness and then you the two of you might go to this person. If he rejects the word of two then you bring the session in the leadership of the church to come in and to judge or rule over this issue. The idea secondly is that there must be a corroborating witness. There must be someone that can backup the original accusation were not operating on simple gossip. But we must have evidence and other witnesses to testify to the truth of this claim. That's the air that Paul wants to avoid here is gossip is slander in the church without any substantiating claims without anyone to support the original claim. That's all.

This will be his gossip the same time. All sin with two or three witnesses must be taken very seriously. If we can get the witnesses if we can get evidence to come forward we must as elders of the church take this extremely seriously. Years ago the resignation of Pope Ratzinger. Aside from his health and many other issues.

There were many claims where there were corroborating evidence in two or three witnesses came forward of abuse in the church and it was viewed as an oversight. They didn't they didn't. They overlooked things was the way they put in the news, but the ideas that they did not deal with the sins of their bishops and their Cardinals in the Catholic Church and they had the witnesses they had all the evidence stacked against them and still it was simply overlooked by its leadership.

This is a moral failing in leadership in the church that these men would go unpunished.

Christ's honor the protection of the church is at stake.

So all gossip must be avoided at all costs. We must also have two or more witnesses that can verify and corroborate the truth of the situation and we must investigate what happens when the elder is guilty and yet they do not repent, follow me. In verse 20 here for as those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

In the case that an elder is found guilty of an accusation and must be publicly announced. Thankfully, in our denomination. This doesn't happen often. The goal is to have elders that do not get brought upon church charges and grievous sins but the purpose of that public announcement to stand in the pulpit and to announce to God's people why this happened is to promote a healthy fear of sin and a healthy fear of the consequences of sin, which are excommunication to be unrepentant in sin and in leadership is to be expelled from your role as elder being cut off from the body of Christ that ought to shock us not to alarm us that we might be cut off from the body of Christ due to war hard hearts in our unrepentant sin communicates to the congregation. Also that no one is above the law of God, not even elders are found guilty. Everyone is equal.

At the foot of the cross which leads me to my third point here.

Do not be prejudice or show partiality should be in the presence of God in Christ Jesus. The elect Angela charge you keep these rules without prejudging do nothing from partiality. Paul is calling on Timothy here any citing God to be a witness, Christ Jesus to be a witness and all the elect angels that are in heaven, he is bringing the biggest charge against Timothy that he can when you get ordained. One of the positions in the ordination process someone to preach the homily and someone to bring the charge and the charge is out of a call to action to the new minister. So Paul is giving Timothy here this charge with God and all the angels in heaven as a witness to him you must be just, you must show no partiality, you cannot. As it says prejudging literally.

It's prejudicial partiality is your inclined to show favor to one of the other in a church discipline case, we must be very clear on what's going on not listening to the gossip hearing the two or three witnesses, we must look at all the facts you must uphold the ninth commandment must rule rightly in Christ's church member. The last words of David in second Samuel 23, the God of Israel, said the got the rock of Israel spoke to me. He that rule with over man must be just ruling in the fear of God King David. Dead yet he speaketh rule justly rule with righteousness. Paul is telling Timothy the same thing here.

Be faithful in your ruling as a local church elder, do not prejudge don't bring in any prejudice opinion against the person that is involved in the case. Don't let that sway what is good what is right what is true.

Do not be unjust, show no partiality.

Do not let what you like or dislike about person sway your opinion.

There are some men in church history that were excommunicated because people just simply didn't like the guy that was an unjust ruling by an unjust elder session group of bishops, whatever it may be, we must look at the case for what it is, not let our emotions and our opinions that preceded the court case within the church guide us in the wrong direction. We don't declare anyone guilty 40 things and say we don't declare anyone innocent before anything has been said, we let the case speak for its self. This passages describing sort of a courtroom and the leadership is to be a jury that is to decide what is this what's going on here.

What is is is this real sin occurred or not we need to entertain all things and make a judgment call. Elders are simply just not afforded the opportunity to be unjust.

We represent Lord Jesus Christ and our position in our role. We must be faithful as Christ is faithful.

One commentator said do not treat any men any man in religious matters. According to the rank he holds in life, or according to any personal attachment you may have for him.

Every man should be dealt with in the church as he will be dealt with at the judgment seat of Christ. Verse 22.

How to treat potential leaders in the church.

Look at verse 22.

Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands or take part in the sins of others keep yourself pure. Paul is talking now about sort of preventative measures to take so that an elder isn't brought up on charges. One way to avoid an elder being brought up on charges is picking the type of elders that don't get brought up on charges laying on of hands. Here is referring to ordination. So he says don't be hasty. Don't be urgent to do this, don't rush to do this this happen sometimes in churches there is some churches grow exponentially.

Some of these big churches will grow in oh 20 4000 a week. Some churches have exploded and you have 3000 members and the ideas that we need more elders to look after God's people. So the sort of an urgency within the church.

We had to get more elders fast and Paul is saying don't feel any sense of urgency call elders to the eldership as they present themselves within the congregation.

If you have a future elder in the church they might be young they might be a recent convert, give them time. Just as we see in chapter 3, Paul tells Timothy that it is an elder is not a recent convert, give them time with time, there will be agent growth and sanctification and a deepening of their faith. There will be less of a chance that they will be brought up on charges they be less of a chance that they would fall into any sort of sin that would result in church discipline, but also take no part in the sins of others keep yourself pure great essay by Charles Spurgeon that I would recommend not just the fellow ministers but to anyone is a minister's self watch. This is in his book lectures to my students. Very helpful. Elders must protect themselves against sin. We must guard ourselves.

Paul says in first Corinthians 15 verse 33. Do not be deceived. Bad company corrupts good morals that applies to all of us prevent church discipline charges and leadership by being very deliberate and careful in who you choose. Verse 23 we see Paul's medical advice to Timothy in my ESV it's actually in parentheses. I imagine might be in yours, no longer drink only water, but use only a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. Water and ancient world was dirty. It was filled with bacteria could cause disease and illness. We don't know exactly if Timothy was the abstain from alcohol. Perhaps the amount of water he was drinking brought in a certain amount of bacteria that made him sick. Maybe he was in leadership so we wanted to abstain from alcohol to be a good example to certain members. He may have drank water only because he liked the Nazirite vow and thought that's a good idea. Now I'll do that we don't know we have no idea why he did this, but Paul is saying don't just drink water. Have a little bit of wine alcohol content within wine might be able to kill some of the germs that exists in the water. Looking back in church history. Martin Luther used to drink beer with his students because the water wasn't clean through the brewing process for beer through the fermentation process for wine. This can clean the water and so you might even be denying himself. Like in chapter 4 the asceticism where he wants to cut off every self-indulgence, and perhaps Timothy wanted to cut off wine as well where the case may be. Paul encourages him to use wine instead of just water to help with his illness he is using it here as medicine filing verses 24 and 25 difficulty in detecting sin and good works. The sins of some people are conspicuous going before them to judgment of the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous and even those who are not cannot remain hidden some of the church there sin is obvious, it's conspicuous conspicuous meaning visible evident it. It proceeds them there almost known for it and and that's unfortunate because we as elders need to detect where we can encourage members of the church and point them to obvious conspicuous sin issues. Paul is saying, be aware of these men on the topic of electing elders. Be aware of it and others there and hide there sin. Nothing is hidden from God ultimately God is all-knowing. He knows our hearts knows our actions and as her private actions, we must use his word as elders in the church we use God's word to see the qualifications to see what Paul is laying out for Timothy. We prescribed these things that we might be able to add elders to the session to the leadership of the church also good works in one sense, right elder is the elder the doesn't come out and tell you how great he is right elder is the elder that secretly privately does good works. Jesus tells us in the sermon on the Mount don't pray to be saying, pray privately to the Lord, the Lord will honor this seek out good elders. We as the church. If you want to be led well.

We must seek out men of character within the local church and we must find out who are these great men of God. Thinking back, though the beginning of our text Paul wants the church to honor elders, but as an elder myself. I want to say to you the congregation. It's a great honor to serve you as an elder of the honor is mine.

I think about award shows.

When I go I'm honored to be nominated, no, let alone win or I'd just like to be a ticket holder and it's an honor to be among you.

It's an honor to serve the church on the speaker tonight and I'm honored to do that as well. But thinking back to that convention I mentioned in the intro. We all have a convention to attend one day we will all be at a heavenly convention that we can look forward to and we will want to be the speaker at that convention, because in heaven will be greatly honored to be in a tender in the greatest speaker that we could ever ask for.

Will be there.

That is the Lord Jesus Christ and he will reveal all things to us. You will be the greatest preacher. He will reveal the greatest truths from Scripture be the speaker that we didn't deserve will be thankful to hear his word and for him to reveal his truth to us in the honor, even just to simply be at the convention to convene with the Lord to be present with God will be a great honor as it is an honor simply to believe to be called be justified to be sanctified to be glorified. One day in heaven to be present with the Lord is a great honor.

We will be thrilled just simply to be in attendance.

Let us look to that final convention in heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ spray heavenly father we come to the name your son and we as elders feel the particular burden of leadership we know that as we preach and teach that precious souls are hearing the truth they are coming to faith and it is a saver under life or the reject the word may step away. We pray that we would have a love for Christ. It is undeniable.

We pray that we would maximize the glory of Christ, that we would point out the loveliness of Christ. We point out the greatness of God the father to send the son into the world of that the spirit would indwell us in our hearts that we tell them of the bread of life.

We tell them of life giving message of the gospel. We ask that you would write this truth in our hearts that we would love the Lord, all the more we pray for our leadership. Grace Church we pray for our denomination.

We pray for the church throughout the world. They would be led faithfully by faithful men sons and we pray