- God has an image for His church and she is to wear that image. The image of that church is that she is to have elders. Titus 1:5 “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. Acts 14:23 “And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.”
- The church is to be sowing the seed. The seed is the word of God Luke 8:11. Elders are to be a part of this. Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” 1 Timothy 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach.”
- God wants His church to have the strength to carry out the battles that lay before her. Titus 1:9-11 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision; whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.”
- God does not want His church to change. The elders are charged to watch over the flock to make sure that change does not take place. Acts 20:29-31 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased to warn every one night and day with tears.
- Spiritual leadership. Elders had the spiritual leadership over the flock in which God has placed them. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you, and 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. Hebrews 13:7 “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
- Another reason the church needs elders is so that it will be strong. The elders are to watch for the souls of those in the flock Hebrews 13:17. He is to stop the mouths of those who are unruly, vain talkers and deceivers Titus 1:10-11. He is to be apt to teach 1 Timothy 3:2; this would allow him to teach the flock the correct identification of every wolf that comes along Acts 20:29.
- Singularity of purpose. The church is to have one purpose, i.e. to seek and to save the lost. Without elders the church has no directions, has no plan and does not know in which directions she is going. Elders plan so that the church will go in that directions
- Solitary of worship. There is only one God and we are to worship Him correctly. We are to worship Him in the way He has directed. John 4:23-24 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and it truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. We are to worship God in truth, i.e., according to His word. We cannot change the worship of God and elders would ever be watchful to see that the worship to God does not change.
- The elders need to make sure that the church has the right kind of spirit. In the KJV it would be called virtue. The courage to stand with God and for God.
- Elders’ will leads us in the stand for what is right and to stand against the devil. We are to follow their faith (Hebrews 13:7); they will be men who will take a stand against all that is wrong and stand for all that is right.
We need elders for all these reasons and more. Let us not give up in our growth processes. When growing, struggle, sting, and smarting are all involved. Let us not give up because we are going through these hurting and growing processes. As a child we had these difficulties and as adults we still struggle with them as we learn and do what God desires.
Love, Keith
