Category: B54 1 Timothy 05

Church Elders: Why, Who, What?

2/7/2021

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Church Elders: Why, Who, What?
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Everything rises and falls on leadership
Everyone follows someone   -self, or someone else!

A leader always emerges when another leader disappears
-lack of preparation can lead to poor/wrong leaders

God has appointed Jesus to lead the church
-Jesus is the Chief Shepherd!

God calls out men to lead under Christ’s authority
-1 Peter 5:1-3 Elders, Shepherds, Overseers
-Sometimes called “Under-Shepherds”, under THE Shepherd

Local churches are led by Elders/Shepherds/Overseers

Why? The reason for elders
Biblical Reason: New Testament Pattern
-Titus 1:5 Paul instructed Titus to appoint elders in every church

Practical Reason: Someone has to lead!
-Unspiritual leaders may emerge- incompetent, unspiritual, wolves!

Who?   1 Timothy 3:1-7 qualifications (see also Titus 1:5-9)
Above Reproach- overall above average character
Faithful in Marriage- one woman man
-for sure means not married to more than one woman
-could mean not divorced and remarried, a common interpretation
-it does mean everyone agrees he is faithful to marriage!
Self-controlled- temperate, balanced life
Sensible- prudent, wise,
Respectable- the dignity and respect of his peers
Hospitable- loves strangers, isn’t into cliques, associates with all
Able to Teach- skilled at teaching, not necessarily a “preacher”
Not addicted to wine- not interested in alcohol, self- controlled
Gentle (not a bully)- doesn’t pick fights, isn’t abusive
Not quarrelsome- isn’t looking to beat people in conversation
Not greedy- money is his servant, not vice versa
Manages household well- children, home, possessions, maybe people
   -overseeing a church is similar to overseeing a family
Not a new convert- qualified leaders take time to mature
Good reputation among unbelievers

What? process of appointing elders and practical work of elders
Elders are affirmed by the church
-Elders oversee the selection process
-All church members nominate men they believe are qualified
-Elders conduct ordination interviews
-Church votes to affirm men who were affirmed by the Elders

Elders serve as needed by the church
-It is common for elders to serve for a set number of years, then rotate
-Senior Pastor/Elder serves indefinitely

Elders oversee all spiritual aspects of the church
-Preach, Protect, Pastoral Care
-Elders at St Joe serve under the authority of the whole congregation
-They DON’T micro-manage nor do all the work
    -everyone is a minister!

What Now?
Pray for and support Elders Hebrews 13:17

Support healthy accountability 1 Timothy 5:19

Nominate potentially qualified men -Give names to elders

Consider your own calling!
-if you are asked by your church to serve
-if you are led by the Holy Spirit to become an Elder

Here is the resume of a potential church pastor…

Before his conversion to Christ he was complicit in a murder

This man had been in prison frequently (Acts 16:37, Acts 24:7).

He has started more than one riot in a city (Acts 19:28).

He has been in frequent troubles with the local authorities (Acts 24).

He has frequent health issues (2 Cor 12:7).

He was not accepted and not trusted by most of the Christians early on and many were even afraid of him (Acts 9:26).

He was believed to have mental health issues by the local authorities (Acts 26:24).

He has been accused as being an insurrectionist by the local leaders (Acts 24:5).

He has been accused of being a leader of a cult or sect (Acts 24:5).

Everywhere he went, he seemed to cause problem and once he even quoted a world philosopher in trying to witness about Christ (Acts 17:28).

He was teaching doctrines that were contrary to the religious leaders of the day (Acts 24:5).

Would a man like this be affirmed by our local church??

This was the resume of the Apostle Paul!

Kids Connection

Church Covenant Message 2021, Part 3

1/24/2021

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Pastor's notes
Kids Connection

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Full worship service

Click to download copy of Pastor's Notes in MS Word format.

Church Covenant Message 2021 Part 3
We can trust that the church will never fail
Matt 16:18 “I will build my church”

But why do local churches come and go?
Society Reasons
-economics, population shifts: churches die when towns die
-cultural change- churches cling to previous cultural traditions

Spiritual Reasons
-they stop trusting the Bible as their final authority for truth
-they become a social club instead of a spiritual community
-they stop sharing the Good News consistently
-Power and popularity become more important than people

How does the Bible define a local church?
1. The Church Is A FELLOWSHIP
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer”

-A top priority in a fellowship is HARMONY and UNITY.

2. The Church Is A FAMILY
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble”
1 Timothy 5:1-2 ”Don’t rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters with all purity.”

-Our family focuses on RELATIONSHIPS not RULES.

3. The Church Is A BODY
1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.”

-We are a body — not a business!
-We are an organism — not an organization!

4. The Church Is A FLOCK
-The Church is cared for and led by SHEPHERDS.
-1 Peter 5:1-3 Elders, Shepherds, Overseers

This is why we are committed to a Church Covenant
Our Covenant defines how we relate to one another

Our Covenant is defined by on Biblical Principles

Our Four Covenant Agreements as church members
Review from last two messages
1. I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH
     ...BY ACTING IN LOVE TOWARD OTHER MEMBERS
     ...BY REFUSING TO GOSSIP
     ...BY FOLLOWING THE LEADERS

2. I WILL SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY CHURCH
     …BY PRAYING FOR ITS GROWTH
     …BY INVITING THE UNCHURCHED TO ATTEND
     …BY WARMLY WELCOMING THOSE WHO VISIT

3. I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH
     …BY DISCOVERING MY GIFTS AND TALENTS
     …BY BEING EQUIPPED BY MY PASTORS
     …BY DEVELOPING A SERVANT’S HEART

Part 1 and 2 Messages, including sermon notes, are available on our website.
-Worship Videos are on our YouTube channel
-Audio Sermons are available on many podcast sites

Today’s focus is on our final covenant commitment
4. I WILL SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF MY CHURCH
     …BY ATTENDING FAITHFULLY
     …BY LIVING A GODLY LIFE
     …BY GIVING REGULARLY

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

Philippians 1:27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel

1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of the week, each of you is to set something aside and save in keeping with how he is prospering, so that no collections will need to be made when I come.

Leviticus 27:30 “Every tenth of the land’s produce, grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.

What must we do now with this church covenant?
1. Ask God to affirm His Word in your heart

2. Evaluate your own commitment level to the local church
-Community- never/rarely attends
-Crowd- regular attender
-Congregation- member, committed to the covenant
-Core- giving yourself in practical and consistent ways

3. Enroll in our Discovering Membership Class
-A four session (3.5 hours at once usually) Bible study
-When and where?

4. Let us know how to help you!
-Connection Card, website contact page, Facebook Page

Kids Connection.

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Our Church Covenant

2/17/2019

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What is the church, and how do we relate with each other and northeast Indiana?

Pastor Greg Byman

By Pastor Greg Byman
St Joe Community Church
February 17, 2019

What does it mean to be a member of a church? Is it like a contract, where do’s and don’t are spelled out in legal detail? Today Pastor Greg Byman rolls out the Bible’s blueprint for church membership as a covenant between fellow believers in Jesus Christ. God describes his church as a family, a fellowship, a flock and a body, and the follower of Jesus Christ does well to carefully consider the implications of these illustrations for how he relates to his fellow man both within the church and in the broader community.

Ed Moy - 38th Director of the US Mint from Centered on Vimeo.

"Full time ministry is what you dedicate to the Lord in your work." Ed Moy is the 38th Director of the US Mint (2006-2011), television commentator, author, White House staffer, business executive, pastor, corporate director, and above all, a follower of Jesus. Through his story, Ed shares how service to the Lord is more than a Sunday event but an everyday working reality.

If you're interested in receiving more compelling stories from Centered, please:
1) Download the Centered mobile app for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone at get.theapp.co/c50d
2) Sign up for the Centered mailing list at eepurl.com/QKkKj
3) Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/centered

Pastor's Notes

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The Lord's Supper and Church Covenant

3/4/2018

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By Greg Byman
March 4, 2018
St Joe Community Church

The Lord’s Supper is God’s personal reminder to his church—God’s family—to proclaim salvation, forgiveness and reconciled relationships. The Lord’s Supper reminds Christ followers that God’s family is marked by covenant commitments. For example, God’s family is a fellowship (Acts 2:42); a family based on relationships, not rules (1 Peter 3:8, 1 Timothy 5:1-2); and a spiritual body with different members exercising diverse gifts to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and a flock cared for by pastors, overseers and elders (1 Peter 5:1-3).

Pastor Greg Byman delivered this sermon on March 4, 2018 about the Lord’s Supper and the importance of its implications for how the St. Joe Community Church’s body of believers relate to each other. We do this through covenant commitments in the unity, responsibility, ministry and testimony of its members.

Click "Read More" to access sermon notes, slides and transcript.

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Sermons

Church Elders: Why, Who, What?

Church Covenant Message 2021, Part 3

Sermon only

Full worship service

Our Church Covenant

What is the church, and how do we relate with each other and northeast Indiana?

Questions about this message?

Pastor's Notes

The Lord's Supper and Church Covenant

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