True Male Spiritual Leadership III

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True Male Spiritual Leadership (III)
Role, Qualifications and Selection of Elders
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Role of Elders

• Guard, Oversight, Shepherd, Teach, Lead

Acts 2017
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to
him the elders of the church. "Be on guard for
yourselves and for all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd
the church of God which He purchased with His own
blood.
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Role of Elders

• Guard, Oversight, Shepherd, Teach, Lead

1 Pet 5.1-3
Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as
your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings
of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that
is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God
among you, exercising oversight not under
compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the
will of God and not for sordid gain, but with
eagerness nor yet as lording it over those
allotted to your charge, but proving to be
examples to the flock.
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Role of Elders

• Guard, Oversight, Shepherd, Teach, Lead

1 Thes 5.12
But we request of you, brethren, that you
appreciate those who diligently labor among you,
and have charge over you in the Lord and give you
instruction.
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Role of Elders

• Guard, Oversight, Shepherd, Teach, Lead

Heb 13.7,17
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word
of God to you and considering the result of
their conduct, imitate their faith.Obey your
leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch
over your souls as those who will give an
account. Let them do this with joy and not with
grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
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Role of Elders

• Guard, Oversight, Shepherd, Teach, Lead

• As seen by the terms describing their office

• Elder (prebyteros) Stresses dignity and
  position wisdom and experience

• Overseer (episkopos Bishop) Stresses
  authority and function

• Shepherd (poimaino Pastor) Stresses caring
  concern Watching out for the souls feeding,
  protecting nourishing

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Qualifications of Elders

• A Target to Shoot For

Phil 312-15
Not that I have already obtained it or have
already become perfect, but I press on so that I
may lay hold of that for which also I was laid
hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not
regard myself as having laid hold of it yet but
one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and
reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many
as are perfect, have this attitude and if in
anything you have a different attitude, God will
reveal that also to you
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Qualifications of Elders

• A Target to Shoot For

Mt 1926
And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With
people this is impossible, but with God all
things are possible."
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Spiritual/Moral Qualities
Hospitable Loving What is Good Not Given to
Wine Not Pugnacious Gentle Uncontentious Free
from love of money
Above Reproach Temperate Prudent Not
Self-willed Respectable Just Devout Self-controlle
d
Gifts or Talents
Able to Teach Lead
Christ-Likeness
Qualifications of Experience
Not a New Convert
Husband of One Wife Manages Household
Well Faithful (believing) Children
Family Qualifications
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How Elders Are Chosen

• Chosen by the congregation -- E.g. Acts 6.1-6

Acts 6.2-6
So the twelve summoned the congregation of the
disciples and said, It is not desirable for us
to neglect the word of God in order to serve
tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among
you seven men of good reputation, full of the
Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge
of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to
prayer and to the ministry of the word. The
statement found approval with the whole
congregation and they chose Stephen, a man full
of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip,
Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas,
a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought
before the apostles and after praying, they laid
their hands on them.
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How Elders Are Chosen

• Chosen by the congregation -- E.g. Acts 6.1-6

• Appointed by an apostle or evangelist -- Acts
  14.23 Tit 1.5

• Developed by the Holy Spirit -- Acts 20.28

• All accompanied by prayer and fasting Acts
  13.2-3

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Our Responsibility Toward Elders

• Submit from the Heart Heb 13.17

Heb 13.17
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they
keep watch over your souls as those who will give
an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with grief, for this would be unprofitable for
you.
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Our Responsibility Toward Elders

• Submit from the Heart Heb 13.17

• Know, Appreciate and Esteem Highly in Love 1
  Thes 5.12-13

1 Thes 5.12-13
But we request of you, brethren, that you
appreciate those who diligently labor among you,
and have charge over you in the Lord and give you
instruction, and that you esteem them very highly
in love because of their work. Live in peace with
one another
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Our Responsibility Toward Elders

• Submit from the Heart Heb 13.17

• Know, Appreciate and Esteem Highly in Love 1
  Thes 5.12-13

• Imitate Their Faith Heb 13.7

Heb 13.7
Remember those who led you, who spoke the word
of God to you and considering the result of
their conduct, imitate their faith
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Spiritual/Moral Qualities
Hospitable Loving What is Good Not Given to
Wine Not Pugnacious Gentle Uncontentious Free
from love of money
Above Reproach Temperate Prudent Not
Self-willed Respectable Just Devout Self-controlle
d
Gifts or Talents
Able to Teach Lead
Christ-Likeness
Qualifications of Experience
Not a New Convert
Husband of One Wife Manages Household
Well Faithful (believing) Children
Family Qualifications
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How Elders Are Chosen

• Chosen by the congregation

• Appointed by an apostle or evangelist

• Developed by the Holy Spirit

• All accompanied by prayer and fasting

Our Responsibility Toward Elders

• Submit from the Heart

• Know, Appreciate and Esteem Highly in Love

• Imitate Their Faith

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