Elders

Part 3 - Exemplary Gospel Living

How is a shepherd to carry out his ministry among the flock of God? Acts 20:28 answers, "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." The pastor-shepherd must first of all be on guard for himself.

All pastors, teachers, elders, parents, and children must learn to take care with regard to their own relationship with Christ. Leaders, elders and teachers, must be persons of virtue. The injunction of Jesus applies. "First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:5).

There must be priority on the gospel. Paul exclaims, "O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called 'knowledge'" (1 Timothy 6:20). As the Jewish people of old, the church is now "entrusted with the oracles of God" (Romans 3:2). God's Word, His oracles, center in the gospel. The gospel was entrusted to Timothy. The gospel is a treasure. "Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you" (2 Timothy 1:14).

Guarding the gospel means knowing and embracing the gospel as the truth of God. Elders must know the gospel of sovereign grace commonly delimited "Calvinism." This means studying the Bible, studying the Confession and its biblical support, and systematically studying the great doctrines of Scripture such as depravity, predestination, the atonement, the order of salvation, and perseverance.

The objective is experimental acquaintance with the truth. For this reason Peter exhorts, "Be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men" (2 Peter 3:17). Elders must be men of principle not pragmatics. They must tenaciously hold to and embrace the teachings of Scripture. "Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life" (Proverbs 4:13).

Elders, teachers, and parents must therefore practice the precepts of the gospel. "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap" (Luke 21:34). Elders must live lives centered in Christ. Their hearts must not be weighed down with the results of sinful living, drunkenness, and anxiety. Living anxious lives is as serious as drunkenness. The practice of elders needs to be exemplary.

Another area of practice involves the avoidance of greed. "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). Elders must not crave popularity, attention, center stage, continual affirmation, or the deference of others. Abundance of life does not consist in the accolades of men and women.

Finally, the practice of the gospel means watching your tongue. The psalmist prays, "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips" (Psalm 141:3). Micah 7:5 simply exhorts, "Guard your lips." Elders must watch their tongues. A few words can be deadly to the soul. A few words can bring life out of death. James goes so far as to say, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless" (James 1:26).

"Be on guard for yourselves" (Acts 20:28). Embrace the gospel. Live by the gospel.