Jump Start # 1681

Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

  The plan and desire of God was for congregations to be overseen by elders. These gifted and spiritual shepherds would not only help each soul, they would set the course and direction for the church. In the amazing shepherd Psalm, Psalm 23, the shepherd knew were green pastures and quiet waters were. He led the flock to those places to be nourished and helped.

What is so remarkable about our verse today is that elders were appointed in every church. The “every church” refers to the cities of Lystra, Iconiumn and Antioch. Paul had just returned to those cities. Even more remarkable is that we find Paul first going to these cities at the beginning of this chapter. He’s there and through his preaching, congregations are formed. By the end of this same chapter, he’s back and is now appointing elders in these churches. Understand, decades have not passed. We are talking about a couple of years possibly, at the most, probably, even less than that. How can a congregation go from just starting to having elders within a couple of years? Wouldn’t those new elders still be new converts? Obviously, many of these elders were from the Jewish background and had a solid faith and righteous practice to begin with.

There are a few things we need to consider here:

1. These men who were appointed as elders wanted to be part of God’s amazing kingdom. They saw the value and the importance of shepherding God’s people. The work of elders is people work. It’s guiding, teaching, and helping brethren on their journey with Christ. Sometimes that work is messy because of the problems we get ourselves into. Sometimes it’s heart breaking when some no longer want to continue with Christ. Paul found, not just in one city, but in all the churches, men who were willing to work with God.

Why is this so difficult today? Some congregations will literally go decades and decades without elders. Some currently have no elders and the present generation doesn’t look promising. Why is it this way? Do we find satisfaction in doing things differently than God’s arrangement? Do we like each of us, spiritual or not, having a say in the direction and the future of the church? Do we not like working in the kingdom? Have we seen the ugly side of things and we want no part of it? Are we too selfish and we do not want to devote the time nor the work to help God’s people? Shame on us for ignoring this amazing work. Shame on us for not developing men to see the joy and greatness of working in God’s kingdom. Shame on us for sitting on the sidelines of life, because we just don’t want to. I have heard far too many times, “A man must desire the work, and I simply do not desire it.” WHY? That’s not good enough. Get up. Get engaged. Don’t be satisfied sitting by when you could and you should help the people of God. Don’t bury your talent in the ground. Don’t hide behind “I have a family and just can’t,” or, “My work is really busy.” Paul found men in every church. Could he find men in your congregation?

2. There must have been a pool of men to draw from. I been to some small congregations and there may only be one or two men. That would really limit the opportunity for that church to have elders. To be able to appoint in every church, implies that there were many men in every church. This here and alone ought to kick the legs out of the idea that some have of keeping a church small. “I like a small church,” some say. “I don’t think a large church is good.” Those opinions are not Biblical. To keep a church small, means pulling the plug on evangelism. It means we will not interact with the community. It means we will not get the message out in every available media possible. Keep the church small and chances are there won’t be future elders.

3. These men that Paul chose to be elders had a great spiritual understanding. A person has to in order to be an elder. They didn’t just show up on Sunday and sleep through the sermon. These men were gifted, spiritual and growing in the Lord. They understood Bible warnings. They understood how the church operates. They knew what their mission was. Intensely interested. Knowing Scripture. Loving people. Realizing how they were gifted by God. These things are what enabled Paul to appoint men as elders.

4. The congregation found men that they would follow. Too often, the process of looking for elders turns into a character assassination and a witch hunt. The process begins with the idea, “we must find something wrong with these men.” If and only if, we can’t find anything wrong, then they will be elders. What a sorry attitude and wrong spirit to begin with. Why should the process of appointing elders be so negative and hard? Why is it that some will get so upset that they will leave? Something is terrible wrong with us. One of the greatest days in a congregation’s history ought to be the day that elders were appointed. It ought to be a fun and joyous occasion. The trouble is, men are chosen who can’t and don’t know how to lead. They may be nice guys. They may be our friends. But before all this elder talk, these men were always in the shadows. They were not the ones who were teaching classes, visiting folks. These were not the ones who had Bible studies in their homes. These were not the ones who were very involved in the church. They came, but they didn’t do much. Now, someone thinks that they ought to be an elder. Now, righteous folks scratch their heads. This guy lead? He never has before. Does he understand? Does he know what’s going on? That’s the problem, we are looking for good guys and friends, rather than natural spiritual leaders. It doesn’t seem that Paul had trouble find men to be elders. It doesn’t seem that those congregations were divided and split over the process of putting in these men. When this is done right, it’s a great occasion. Everyone is on board and everyone feels good about this.

5. Too often, we give little thought about finding elders unless a dire circumstance takes place. A current elder decides to move, and now the church is in panic mode to find his replacement. Everything buzzes about elders. The preacher will march through the verses found in Timothy and Titus so everyone can be getting ready. Finally and too often, reluctantly, one man is found. He is made an elder. A great sigh of relief falls over the church. And now things settle down and nothing is ever mentioned about elders again until the next crisis. Does this sound familiar? Does this look good? Why not offer a quarter class for all the men in their 20’s and 30’s to study shepherding, not the qualifications. We spend so much time talking about qualifications that a person still doesn’t understand what an elder is supposed to do. Study Psalm 23. Study Ezekiel 34. Study Acts 14. Study people. Study leadership. Study vision. Study nourishing. Study discipline. Study communicating with others. Get folks ready. Develop men now. So many congregations will bring in a young man who wants to preach to be mentored by an experienced preacher. He may spend two years in a program helping him understand the work of preaching. But when it comes to elders, nothing like this is done. A name is presented. If that man survives the process, he is now called one of the elders, but he is clueless as to what he is supposed to do. Why not bring men into elders meetings so they can witnesses what goes on? Why not take one along, as elders go and talk with people? Mentor and train men, so they will understand the work.

Paul found men to be elders in every church. Wouldn’t that be great if that could be said in our land and in these times! Too many churches are drifting with no one at the helm. Too many churches are stuck doing nothing and going no where. It’s time to rise up and get serious about the work of God.

Roger