Biblical Eldership: An Introduction


(Click here for an audio version.  The intro and conclusion are from 'Godpleaser' by Petra.)

‘And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,  [5]  you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  [10]  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY,
but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.’
1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10

‘And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,  [12]  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;  [13]  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  [14]  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;  [15]  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,  [16]  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.’
Ephesians 4:11-16

(All Scriptures quoted are from the NASB, New American Standard Bible)

Isn’t it amazing?  God has not only birthed His Church, His people on earth, through Christ, but He has created and placed each individual in His Church for a specific purpose.  Jesus Christ is the Source, Sustenance, and Goal of the Church!

Because that is so, it is an act of worship and obedience to Him as His disciples to follow Him in His design for His church, to experience, ‘a growth which is from God’ (see Colossians 2:19).

We want nothing less for ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

I have had the honor of serving in church leadership most of my adult life.  I am currently in a season of unexpected transition which has given me and my family an opportunity to reflect and reset, and to seek the Lord for His will for this next stage of our journey.  God has provided some unexpected opportunities to teach His word with some new friends.  One of those opportunities was to unfold God’s word with regard to spiritual leadership, and in particular biblical eldership.  The audience was a group of young men who are either part of a church plant or in transition.  The common thread for most of these men was that they could see clearly from God’s word the primacy of biblical eldership, but had yet to see it to any depth in practice.  Perhaps this has been your experience as well.

My goal was simple: to reassure these men that God’s word was indeed clear on biblical eldership, and that it could be and was being practiced. 

Biblical spiritual leadership can seem like a unicorn, but in reality it is more like an albino deer.  It does exist, but it is also rare!

The purpose of this series is for us to be able to process the reality of our past experience in light of these truths, and to pursue in faith God’s will for us.  It is my fervent prayer that God will use this to enable us to further experience His presence, power, and love as we pursue Him.

This is a broad topic!  The flow of our lesson is as follows:
·      God’s Purposes in the Gospel
·      God’s Design for His Church
·      God’s Purpose for His People
·      God’s Image Reflected in His People
·      God’s Will in Present Reality

‘He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him  [10]  with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him  [11]  also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,’
Ephesians 1:9-11  

Let’s go on a journey together!

In His Grip,

Mark Twombly
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