In 'Elders and Authority, Part 4,' Jeff Pollard addresses the controversial topic of church polity concerning elders and their authority. He underscores the importance of examining Scripture, specifically passages like Hebrews 13:17, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:6-9, to understand the qualifications and role of elders. Pollard emphasizes that elders are appointed by Christ and must meet biblical qualifications, which do not demand perfection but identifiable qualities such as being blameless, faithful, and able to teach. Elders exercise God's authority through His Word, and their leadership should be recognized and supported by the congregation. Members are encouraged to understand the qualifications of elders, participate in their appointment, and pray for them. The sermon also stresses the importance of humility, obedience, and support towards elders, recognizing their role in watching over the souls of the congregation and guiding them in spiritual matters.

Well, I deeply appreciate Scott's kind words. I'm sure any of you that have looked into this subject know that this is a highly controversial subject and I urge you to be Berean and to examine the Scriptures to see whether these things be so. If you would pray with me once again, I appreciate Scott's prayer and I just want to add. Father, we know that This very subject has ignited feelings of every sort throughout the history of the church and many congregations that would be viewed as evangelical Christians do not always agree on these matters of church polity for those who do believe in a plurality of elders, pastors. Lord, not all agree at every point, but I think, O Lord, we can look at the exposition of this morning as sound.

I trust and I pray that we will be able to build off of it. Do your people good, Lord, and help me to stay on track with Thy Word. I pray it that Christ and the church for which he shed his blood would be exalted. We pray it in thy name. Amen.

Okay, in part one, we considered in some detail the important passage that has been set before us, Hebrews 13-17. Elders and pastors have real authority in Christ's congregation, not because it is anything inherent in themselves, but because they have been appointed by Christ, the head of the church, to their sober and weighty role of preaching, modeling, applying God's Word to God's people. So God's authority is to be exercised by the elders, but it is God's authority as revealed in His Word. Now I hope that is clear. For this reason, the elders of any biblically functioning congregation must, and that truly is imperative, must be qualified according to God's Word.

Jesus Christ, the head of His blood-bought churches, has spoken. He has told us through Paul how to identify the men that Christ has equipped for the task. And that's what a church should give its mind and heart to. You don't nominate someone to be an elder because you just like him and think he's a great guy. He's wonderful to go bass fishing with, and he's a square-deal guy.

That has absolutely nothing to do with the picture being painted. It's fine if he's those things. But he can be none of those things and be qualified. It must be Christ's way. It's never to be a good old boy network, and eldership can become that.

But it is men who are qualified, which means God has appointed them and gifted them, administering the Word of God to God's people. None of them will do it perfectly. None of them. None of them. Some can do it well.

So, Jesus has told us how to identify. Now, because Christ is the Sovereign Lord, His churches must never appoint elders by human standards. Never. Especially by feelings, but by the apostolic qualifications alone. When we take 1 Timothy 3, 1 through 7, 2 Timothy 2, 24 through 26, Titus chapter 1, verses 6 through 9, Acts chapter 20, verses 18 through 35, and a few other passages.

When we take these together, a detailed image of an elder appears. He must be a mature Christian man. He must be a mature Christian man who is blameless. Now, a lot of churches hang themselves on this particular word. When they read the word blameless, they read perfect, meaning they're never going to find an elder that will qualify.

And I've seen churches do it. We have to understand these words. If I can say it this way, I know I'd be shredded if I don't say this right, there is a certain biblical flexibility with these qualifications. What do I mean by that? Jesus Christ could perfectly fill every one of these perfectly, perfectly.

No human being can. So the thing is, at the very least, every one of these qualifications should be identifiable in him, even if he is not perfectly in full bloom with everything here. I hope that makes some sense to you. You have to stop and think about the fact that Paul is giving these kind of qualifications to former pagans. They've been pagans living hellish demonic lives all of their lives.

How's a man get blameless like that? What do you mean by that? And so that that's a long discussion in and of itself, but I'm just saying to you, I know churches that have gone to the point of breaking up because they could never find a leader, because they were looking for all of these words in a virtually perfect sense, And every man at some place or another is going to fail at some level of these high qualifications. John Newton. Do you think he was blameless?

Well, he was blameless in Christ and proved himself to be a mature Christian man. But could people dredge up stuff from his past? He was a whoremonger. He was a slave trader. They sure could.

So you have to understand what those words like blameless mean. He must be faithful to his wife, and that should be apparent. He can't miss on that one. He must be a man with faithful children. That doesn't mean they won't get out of shape from time to time.

The issue is how does he deal with them? He must manifest an ability to preach and to teach the inspired, infallible Word of God effectively, with skill, and in the obvious power of the Spirit of God. Lots of guys come out of seminary being able to put together a virtually letter-perfect sermon, but, you know, people were asleep in 15 minutes because God has not called him to preach. You can put together a sermon perfectly. That doesn't necessarily mean it'll be used of God.

Can he effectively preach and there be an obvious power of God's Spirit owning his work among men. He must manifest a skill in delivering the Word of God. People can stand in the pulpit and say what's true, and We can all look to Spurgeon's conversion when a man who wasn't even the pastor got up in the pulpit and said, Isaiah 45, 22, look into me and be saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else. He called down Spurgeon, said, young man, you look sad. And he said, Look, look to the living God.

Look, anybody can look. And Spurgeon was converted. That doesn't necessarily mean he should be the next pastor in the congregation. God took a man on a day when the pastor couldn't show up who stood and just said what the Word of God said and commanded people to believe it. And that can be good preaching.

It was certainly converting to Spurgeon, but that doesn't mean he's an elder. So all of these things must be looked at carefully in their context. They must be looked at in light of what we see unfolding in the New Testament and understand them carefully, knowing that human beings never live up perfectly to the standards that we have, but the standards must be met in clear and identifiable ways. If he can't preach, he's not apt to teach. He might make a wonderful deacon, but he might make an unqualified elder.

How he governs his home must come under careful observation. Why? Because his home was his first and important mission field. How does he deal with his family? Not does he have a perfect family.

You generally won't find those either. It's how does he deal with that family? When his children need to be disciplined, does he discipline them? If his wife needs to be corrected, does he know how to sit down and correct his wife in a way that's honoring to the Lord and ultimately, might not be at that moment, but ultimately at a fine to her? But does he ignore his family?

There are things that have to be considered wisely, carefully, in the light of all the Scriptures and human human experience as it's being worked out. He must not be overbearing. He must not be quick-tempered, but he must be gentle to all and patient. I've known people that if a pastor ever loses his temper, even though he profusely repents. There are people in the congregation who go, ah, well, you know, you're not blameless anymore.

This is ridiculous. People have to sit down and understand that every good elder probably regularly in his life has to repent of how weak a vessel he is regarding these qualifications but they're there in his life and they're obviously operative That's what we're talking about. Does a man repent when his failings are made clear? Biblically defined failings, not personal buttons that some people have. He must not be given to drunkenness nor violent.

He must not be greedy of material gain, but he must be an example of self-control. Can any pastor have a bad day? He sure can. But is the general tenor of his life one of reigning in his emotions as he has to deal with the difficulties of the pastoral work. Is that clear?

Is that obvious? Can people see that? He must be hospitable. There are lots of guys that like to preach their message and disappear, and just go live their life for six weeks and then show back up to preach. Remove him.

He must be hospitable. He must love good men, like the fellowship of men, and talk with them about the things of God. And he must be exceptionally cautious about his fellowship with women. I think everybody needs to hear Carlton MacLeod's wonderful message from the marriage retreat. He's got some marvelous practical exhortations regarding that very matter.

He must love what is good, he must love what is upright, he must love what is holy, and he must be disciplined. There are people who have greater skills at self-discipline than others, and that's among elders. But is it clear that the man has an identifiable self-discipline that you can count on? And these things don't come by having a 25-year-old come and preach in your pulpit five times. You have to know these people.

I mean, today churches, you know, are like predators, you know. Uh-oh, we lost our pastor. Let's put together this little group that'll go over to their church and take theirs. And then you get him and find out you didn't get a prize, but you had a better package than the church you stole him from. I mean, these are the kind of things that utterly destroy churches.

Finally, as a faithful steward of God's house, he must cleave to the pure word and the gospel, pointing God's people to Jesus Christ, the head of the church, and teaching them how to walk with Christ. And perhaps some of you are thinking, well, I'm not going to be an elder. What interest do I have in all this? This just sounds like church technicalities. I understand that response.

It's just not a good one. Why is all this important? Number one, because they, the elders, watch over your souls. They've been appointed by Christ to do that. They're not there just to preach because they want to preach, and they want to be the next Spurgeon.

It's not going to happen. God makes Spurgeons. All right. Number two, because as Christ's eternally loved people, you play an important role in recognizing and appointing your elders. You have a responsibility for the well-being of your brothers and sisters in the congregation To know what those qualifications are have a really good functioning notion of what these things mean and then Use that when you're considering candidates for eldership, because you're going to vote on that person and say, yes, I'm going to obey you who will have the rule over me and submit to you.

If you can't do that, don't vote. Give reasons why you don't think this man is qualified. Number three, because as Christ's blood bought people, you may have to remove an elder who is no longer qualified. That's an unfortunate thing, but it does happen in congregations. People who appear to have been qualified, And then as they begin to walk in that office, they prove they can't handle the authority.

Or they prove that they can't really get down in the trenches and battle out the gut-wrenching stuff that happens to churches all the time. And people change. All of a sudden You have a fellow that was humble and wonderful to work with, and the next thing you know, he's a raging tyrant barking at everybody. That could be for any number of reasons, but if it becomes a clear pattern of unrepentant sin, he's no longer qualified. That doesn't mean an elder cannot become sinfully angry but repent.

Does this make sense? Do you understand the distinctions that we're talking about here? I hope this connects. What was true of kings in the Old Testament is certainly true of elders in the New Testament. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.

But when the wicked bear through, the people mourn. Number four, because as members of Christ's body, you need to be certain that qualified men are preaching the only message that saves sinners and leads to a holy life. Number five, as Christ's set apart people, you must cultivate these Christ-like qualities in your own life and household. It's quite remarkable that very often the people in the congregation sit in judgment upon their elders because somehow they've had a flaw in the midst of their otherwise obviously being men qualified and effectively used of the Lord Jesus Christ. And yet their own houses are not in harmony with the high standards for the average Christian.

That's amazing. That is truly amazing. Why are the elders to be this? Why are the elders to model this for you? Because that's what you're supposed to be.

This is maturing and mature Christianity. I'm not saying that everybody is qualified to be an elder. I'm certainly not saying that every man in the congregation can be taught these things and become an elder, but his life should reflect the Christ-like qualities that are all here. You say, well, I'm not apt to teach and I didn't go to seminary. You have a Bible and you have a responsibility to open it up in your home and say to your children, This is the Word of God.

I'm going to read this chapter tonight. And I don't understand everything in it, but the things that we do understand we're gonna walk in because it's God's Word. And these things that I don't understand we'll go ask our elders, our pastors, and get some answers. You husbands and fathers are to administer the Word of God in your home in family worship. You don't have to have a seminary degree.

You just have to have good teaching, good resources, and do it. So the thing is, you are all, all of us are in that beautiful work of sanctification that God does in each one of us to become like our Savior. We know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. He's the goal. He's the model for all of us.

So the elders have to show forth, at least in some identifiable way, the clarity of these kinds of qualifications so that they can be nurtured in your own heart. The elders are modeling what mature Christianity looks like so that my life, your life may conform to the biblical counsel, the biblical pattern. John Calvin puts it this way. He says Paul, quote, exhorted all the Christians to behave themselves in such sort that soberness, justice, holiness, modesty, and all those things which he speaketh of here may be general virtues common to them all." All I'm saying by quoting Calvin, he's not authoritative, I'm just saying that men who've handled the word of God well throughout history, understand what these qualifications are for and why the elders are to be what they're supposed to be. Leaders that lead in the path of Christ.

Number six, because Christ, the prophet, priest, and king of his people, accomplishes his prophetic office in his churches through his elders by his word and spirit to God's glory, world without end. Many of us don't think of pastors very often in that way, But brethren, it is the fulfillment of Christ's present activity in his office as prophet, priest, and king. He's the prophet. And he does so through the word and spirit when faithfully handled by the men he's appointed." That's awesome. That's staggering.

And any man who understands himself knows that it's fearful. So then, with these things in mind, we come to a few applications of this particular passage. By the way, I didn't give time to this. I was running out of time, but the verse ends with, for that is unprofitable for you. In other words, according to God, if you're not obeying and walking under the rule of the elders and submitting yourselves, you're doing something that's unprofitable.

If you are making their work grief rather than joyful, you're doing something that's unprofitable. He puts it in economic terms. There's no spiritual wealth in this. Well, that's sobering, isn't it? It's certainly sobering to me.

Well, here's application number one. With humble hearts, let us be sure that we have a biblical understanding of the vital matter of authority. That's what we have to begin with. With humble hearts. Remember, Jesus Christ said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you." That was rabbinic language. Students would yoke themselves to their master. Jesus says, no, take my yoke. And he says, and come learn of me. That means come learn from me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.

Once again, I would say, especially in modern-day Christianity, meek and lowly is not something that cottons to most people. They see those words like the pagans used to as of characteristics to avoid. We want to be triumphant, victorious, but in the kingdom, you don't go up until you've gone all the way down. Blessed are the poor in spirit, They shall inherit the kingdom of God. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. We see all these things at some level in our Savior. There's the perfect model. The King of glory was born to two poverty-stricken Jews. He made himself low.

He had brothers and sisters who didn't believe in him. They didn't believe him. And his parents were constantly perplexed about him. The eternal Son of God come in the flesh. Well, brethren, the kingdom is always backwards in the eyes of the world, And so we see it here.

We need to be meek and lowly, we need to be humble, and then make sure that we really understand this issue of authority. Number one, our sovereign Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is and possesses all authority. He is the origin, the source of all authority in the universe. Any authority that anyone has in this world is delegated, whether the person exercising it realizes it or not. Number two, the Father has given all authority in heaven and earth to Christ the Son, the head of the church.

God has appointed Christ with all authority as the sovereign, especially as it applies to his rule over his blood-bought bride. Three, Christ manifests his authority by his Spirit and his Word. These are the final authority in all the churches of Christ. If you weren't here for the first message, we've tried to make the point. Authority is not in the elders in some magical, mysterious way.

They are delegates. They are representatives of the living God as they administer His Word to God's people. So the authority in every church is the Word of God. That's why you should listen to the qualified men that Christ has appointed who administer His Word to the people and submit yourselves to them. Number four, qualified elders and teachers exercise delegated authority in the churches, which I just said, as Christ's representatives, no inherent authority in elders.

They're appointed administrators, And we must keep this in balance. The elders must administer the Word of God in the power of God's Spirit to God's people. Number two, If we understand how authority plays out, then you're beginning to understand something about life as God intends it in the kingdom in this world. A husband's authority is not because somehow males are just inherently authoritative. There are enough passive men in the world to prove that's not so.

The husband is working out a role appointed to him by Christ, and therefore his authority is because God has appointed him. And so it is in the churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. A wife is not an inferior being. It's not a master-slave relationship. It is king and queen.

So we have to keep those kinds of things, in my opinion, very much in balance before us. Number two, with humble hearts, let us obey and submit to our pastors as they faithfully preach, model and correct according to God's Word. Obedience and submission are not weaknesses any more than the submission of a wife to her husband is a weakness. A voluntary submission is a strength, and it takes faith to walk in that situation. Everybody here every day of his life in some way or another is going to live under imperfect authority.

We want to do it with strength, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this, of course, is why Christ appointed elders labor in their studies and in prayer. They must study to show themselves approved of God, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. For this reason, elders that rule well should be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor, toil, work hard at doctrine and the word." The word labor here really actually literally means to exert oneself physically, mentally, to exert oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually, work hard, strive, struggle, toil. When a man is identified that way, the church should recognize it and honor him.

Not because of who he is in and of himself, but it is clear that God is at work within him. For this reason, elders should be counted of double honor when they toil. They must cry out to their heavenly Father. They must exalt the crucified and risen Lord Jesus, and they must depend entirely upon the Holy Spirit in their preaching. Why?

To feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Again, feed the flock of God, says Peter, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof. For this reason, my friends, we need to take these matters deeply, seriously. Good preaching does not simply say, the Bible says this, rather good preaching says, this is what the Bible says, this is what the Bible means, and this is how we apply it to ourselves and walk in it. In the Scriptures, The Bible and your life are inseparable.

You don't take the parts out of the Scripture that you kind of like and kind of try to do that. Every word of God is pure. Make sure you divide the word of God properly. Understand the difference between the Old Testament and the New, what it required of New Testament believers, etc., etc., etc. But your heart, if you're born of God's Spirit, wants a life in harmony with this book.

Why? Because day's going to come when the end of the journey is going to end with you being like Christ, and that's by your life being conformed to this book. If you can do without the Word of God, you are not born of God's Spirit. Do you believe that? It's true.

The child of God, born of the mighty Spirit of God, loves the Word that the Spirit of God inspired. It's not just for eggheads. It's not just for the guys that kind of think they want to be preacher boys. It's for every child of God. First church I pastored, there were several men in their seventies that had grown up in the truth.

Not one of them called to be an elder, but one of the greatest joys of my ministry there was to sit on a Lord's Day afternoon and talk with these men about the Scriptures. I mean, they were like fine wine that had been fermenting for decades, learning how to live out the truth of God's word in their lives, and it was just beautiful. It was because there was life in them, and their lives, they vibrated to the truth of God's Word. Well, It is vital for us to understand that when God's people hear God's word preach, they're hearing God, not the man, but they're hearing God. God is speaking.

Pay attention. The Lord God Almighty, the sovereign creator, the gracious redeemer. And we hear this in Paul. Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead, in his place, be you reconciled to God.

That's what every elder should be doing. He should be calling those in darkness to the Savior on behalf of the living God, and they should be calling God's people, those professed believers, to walk with their master in his place. Now, why did he choose that? Wouldn't it just been better if the Lord had show up in every church, every Lord's day and give us a perfect sermon? He didn't do it that way.

He just gave us his book and then he appoints men to preach it. Well, in his Word God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the one true and living God. In this way alone can we distinguish the true God from all false gods. In this way alone, God reveals his glorious salvation in Jesus Christ.

Sinners must repent of their sins and believe on the God man, Jesus Christ. Sinners must repent of their sins and believe on that Holy Person, fully God, fully man, and believe that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no man comes into the Father but by Him. In this way alone, God reveals His will for His worship. That's important, friends. The Lord is not necessarily honored by everything you cook up to offer Him.

He tells us in His book the way He should be worshiped. We should be worshiping him that way. It is in this way alone that we learn the will of God for our lives, what we should embrace, what we should reject. Every congregation then must know the qualifications of an elder and then recognize and appoint faithful men. By obeying and submitting to such men, we will bring glory to God and do good to their souls.

It will be for their well-being. Number three, with humble, obedient hearts, let us pray earnestly then for our pastors. That's an important application. Our pastors watch for our immortal souls. I'm encouraged and I'm strengthened of heart knowing that that there is a group of people in Pensacola that have been praying for me for weeks, just for this meeting.

Our pastors watch, I repeat, for our immortal souls. Can there be a more important task on earth? If you were about to have brain surgery, would you ask some folks to pray for you? Would you say, pray for the doctor, pray that he's skilled, pray that God will guide him, that all will go well as he gets into this important part of my body Well, that'd be worth asking for prayer about Now do you pray for the one who's supposed to stand before you and bring you the word of the sovereign God of heaven and earth, do you? I mean, regularly cry out to God for your elders.

They will give account to Christ for what they think about, say about, and do to God's bride. Is there a more solemn accountability in the kingdom of God? We should ardently, faithfully, and unfailingly pray, one, that they will remain faithful to the Lord and to his word Two that they will be filled with the Holy Spirit the power of God Three that they will give themselves continually to the word and prayer all the distractions that come to pastors unreal Four that they will govern God's people according to the word and not their own whims Five that God will protect them from secret sin. Six, that God will protect them and their family from the snares, devices, and attacks of the devil. You know, your elders, you should be praying for their wives.

You should be praying for their children that God would preserve them from the foul attacks of the enemy who lives by division. Seven, that they feed the flock of God and watch diligently over the souls of God's people. Eight, that they may finish their course with joy. Have you ever prayed that for your pastors? Lord God, we know that our brothers labor in the word, and we thank God for them.

Help us, help this congregation to live in such a way as that they might be joyful when they see the blessed fruit of the Spirit growing in our lives, and that they may finish their course rather than with regret and sorrow and wondering why they ever did such a thing. But they would finish when they closed their eyes in death, that it was a joyful thing to serve this people. Well, remember even the Apostle Paul asked the Thessalonians, brethren, pray for us. He said again to the Thessalonians, finally brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you. And again, pray for us, for we trust we have a good conscience and all things willing to live honestly.

Do you pray for your elders? I hope it's so. Pray earnestly for them. Number four, with humble obedience and prayerful hearts, let us give ourselves to helping our pastors undertake their oversight with joy, not grief. This does not mean you cannot agree with them, disagree with them.

There may be times when you strongly disagree with them, but do you know how to act like a Christian? Do you know how to use your tongue in a way that's honoring to the Lord? Are you imperious, walking in to straighten them out as if you were the Holy Spirit? Or can you go to a brother who has served you and speak to Him as one that you love and walk with, and reprove Him. Some of the people in our congregation reprove me just by their conversation with me.

Just their lives, the things the Lord is teaching them. When I see a flash of Christ's Spirit working in their lives and it pierces my own heart to see the beauty of what's happening there. Some of our people have rebuked me soundly without even realizing it. But we can go in and say, I disagree with you. I'm not sure about the way you handle that passage.

Can we talk about that? Can we look that over? Now realize, if you've been studying something for like 27 years, you've spent your life on the internet dragging up every particular item on something, and then you sit down with him and maybe it's something that's never particularly been a big issue for him, that he's not going to give you an answer right away that makes you happy. If you knew what elders have to wrestle through every day, you could still bring all of your concerns to him, but do it with a heart of love and thoughtfully and willing to wait if he's not ready to answer you just right then. For many pastors they're kind of like the spiritual emergency room.

Everybody that comes in thinks their deal is the biggest deal on the planet and that their burning conviction is the most important thing happening. Just be wise, gracious, be Christian, loving, and disagree. When we think of the weak vessels, these feeble vessels of dust that Christ appoints to be elders, let us give ourselves to a careful and exuberant pursuit of making their oversight a joy to them. Now if they are in unrepentant sin, well, then you must be gracious, wise, and relentless in pursuing in the hopes that they might repent. Unrepentant sin in an elder is a very serious thing.

But be prepared, they might not always believe that your case has been made. Not just because they're trying to protect themselves, they're just times when it's like, I know how you're reading that, but that isn't what happened. And I'm sorry you heard it that way. That's not what I meant. Husbands and wives, that ever happened to you?

There's reality here. All right, May we give ourselves to making sure that our elders can say with John, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Walk in truth and make your elders just joyful. Matthew Henry says, quote, The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth. The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth.

The best evidence of our having the truth is our walking in the truth. Good men will greatly rejoice in the sole prosperity of others. And they are glad to hear of the grace and goodness of others." Close quote. So, can there be a better goal really regarding our elders who have taught us our Savior's will and how to walk with Christ to the glories of heaven, then to help them finish their course with joy. They must give account to Christ for their work, but we will give account regarding praying for them and how we have walked under the clear command that we've been considering since this morning.

Obey them that have the rule over you and submit to them, for they watch for your souls as those that must give account." My dear friend, don't forget that Romans 14-12 says, every one of us shall give account of himself to God. I urge you with all my heart, if you have never read it, and you can get it from Chapel Library, free. Jonathan Edwards' Farewell Sermon. And here how that godly man talks about the relationship between members and elders and how both will give account in the day of judgment. For your own soul's sake, you should read it and think it through very carefully.

So, my brethren, the Apostle has told us in plain and simple language, obey them. Them that have the rule over you, submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you." If God says it's unprofitable for you, You don't want to go in that direction. This is not to say you cannot reprove, rebuke elders. Those that sin, Paul tells Timothy plainly, should be rebuked publicly. This is not to get anybody off the hook.

But before you go there, make sure that you're obeying the things on your end. Maybe the way you're viewing a situation will change if you obey what's laid out before you in this text and the ones we've considered. When Christ calls us out of this world and we give account to him for our lives as believers, may we be able to say in that day, Lord, as feeble and weak as I am in this world, thy grace did give me the power to obey thee in obeying and submitting to those that thou has appointed to guide my soul unto this very day with thee. Amen. Father, I thank thee that we could consider these matters again.

Father, elders all over the world are weak and feeble vessels. Lord, that every every truly appointed elder struggles before thee with his weaknesses, his limitations, and even sometimes failing. None of us desires to fail Thee, O head of the church. We pray that Thou would forgive us of our many sins and failures. But Lord, if thou hast appointed us, own our preaching, own our labors among thy people, bear fruit to thy great and glorious name, and advance thy kingdom.

Lay it upon the hearts of thy dear people here to take these matters seriously. And, Lord, I pray even more that the elders will take these things very seriously. And may we all humble ourselves before Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.