Today´s Sermon Notes

2016.12.04                              Second Advent

Isaiah 9: 2,3                                John 6: 21-59

              From Darkness to Light and Joy

Isaiah 9: 2,3                                  NKJV slt 2000

2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

1 Das Volk, das in der Finsternis wandelt, hat ein großes Licht gesehen; über den Bewohnern des Landes der Todesschatten ist ein Licht aufgeleuchtet.

2 Du hast das Volk vermehrt, hast seine Freude groß gemacht; sie werden sich vor dir freuen, wie man sich in der Ernte freut, wie [die Sieger] jubeln, wenn sie Beute verteilen.

Good Morning everyone… It is great to be here with you this morning… This is the second Sunday in Advent… During this Advent season… We will focus on Jesus… He came to bring Light and Joy and hope… Remember that John wrote His Gospel to reveal Jesus to us… All through this Gospel of John we are being given the Divine perspective of Jesus… Jesus was born in lowly circumstances… Born in Bethlehem… born in a manger… And although he does not give the account of His birth like the other Gospels… He is giving us a wonderful account of the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus… He presents Jesus to us as He begins his ministry and is Baptized by John the Baptist… John focuses on the Signs and Teachings of Jesus… It is in this Gospel that we see the Baby Jesus presented as God come in the flesh… In the beginning was the Word… And the Word was with God… John 1:1… John did not start with the geneology of Jesus… He started with the witness of the first prophet to arrive in more than 400 years… He was declaring that the time of Darkness had ended… The Light is now shining… He wanted to make sure that they knew… And that we know… This Jesus is come down from God… and is God come in the flesh… The Incarnation… Immanuel… God with us…

John records for us signs that proved that he is God…

John quoted the Words of Life that Jesus spoke… He is the only one who tells us of His great and important I am statements… His hearers knew that when he did that… Jesus was saying I am God… In John ch 6 we see the first of these… I am the Bread of Life… He says this  2  times in this chapter… And then in verse 33… He connects this idea to the incarnation... I am the true bread come down from heaven… John uses simple ideas to point to eternal truths… Darkness and light… Life and bread… Bread because that was their main food…. Bread kept them alive… Ch 6 begins with the miracle of the feeding of the 5000… Only God can do that… They remembered the miracle of Manna in the wilderness… In this Gospel we see that every miracle points to the Lord Jesus… They testify that Jesus is God… As we pick up our text today…

Jesus has now crossed the Sea of Galilee and rescued his disciples… Remember that they had been alone in a storm…  They were very afraid until Jesus showed up… Although he id not calm the storm this time… He said to them don´t be afraid… Verse 21 says that they joyfully received him into the boat… As we pick up the text… Jesus is with the disciples in the Synagogue in Capernaum… Many of the people who were at the Feeding of the 5000 are there… He knows their hearts… He knows that most of them really want more free food… We will pick it up at John 6: v26…

John 6: 26- 33                      NKJV   slt 2000

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6: 26- 33                      NKJV   slt 2000

26 Jesus antwortete ihnen und sprach: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Ihr sucht mich nicht deshalb, weil ihr Zeichen gesehen, sondern weil ihr von den Broten gegessen habt und satt geworden seid.

27 Wirkt nicht [für] die Speise, die vergänglich ist, sondern [für] die Speise, die bis ins ewige Leben bleibt, die der Sohn des Menschen euch geben wird; denn diesen hat Gott, der Vater, bestätigt!

28 Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Was sollen wir tun, um die Werke Gottes zu wirken?

29 Jesus antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Das ist das Werk Gottes, daß ihr an den glaubt, den er gesandt hat.

30 Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Was tust du denn für ein Zeichen, damit wir sehen und dir glauben? Was wirkst du?

31 Unsere Väter haben das Manna gegessen in der Wüste, wie geschrieben steht: »Brot aus dem Himmel gab er ihnen zu essen«.

32 Da sprach Jesus zu ihnen: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Nicht Mose hat euch das Brot aus dem Himmel gegeben, sondern mein Vater gibt euch das wahre Brot aus dem Himmel.

33 Denn das Brot Gottes ist derjenige, der aus dem Himmel herabkommt und der Welt Leben gibt.

v27… You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled… They were trying to find Jesus…  they asked when He went to Capernaum without them…  but Jesus didn't answer that question... Instead He shows them their hearts… He tells them why they came…  because they wanted more "miracle bread" from Jesus… They were not moved by His words of Life…  it was only a desire for more…. More miracles and more free bread… v27b…

v27a… Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life… Stop worrying about such unimportant things…. Seek true life… I can give that to you…  They immediately wanted to know how… v28…

28… "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?... They thought that if only Jesus told them what to do… they could please God by their works… But like every Prophet who ever lived… Jesus had the same message… Judgment is certain… Repent… The kingdom of Heaven is at hand… v29…

v29… This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent… Genuine faith always presupposes obedience… God wants our obedience to grow out of a relationship of loving trust…. This is exactly what we look for from our own children… Oder?..

Application

If the work God wants us to do is to believe in Him whom He sent… Does it mean that God does not care what we do for Him? No… Faith is not a substitute for works… Faith is the necessary foundation for all works that really please God... James 2: 14-26… Quiet times…

Back to the text… scroll back up to v30… They ask Him for another sign… This is where they were going all along… They wanted to see the miracles…. Especially ones that would benefit them… Like free bread every day as in the days of Moses… They even quote Scripture to Him… He gave them bread from heaven to eat", Psalm 105:40… This is a teaching moment…  Because Moses did not give them that bread…  Look at verse 32,33…

v32… My Father gives you the true bread from heaven… It is as if Jesus is saying, "What miracle will I do? This is the miracle… look at v33…

v33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus is saying I am the miracle… I am come down from heaven to give you the Word of God and to offer Salvation…

Let´s look at the next section… v34…

John 6: 34-40                       NKJV   slt 2000

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

34 Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Herr, gib uns allezeit dieses Brot!

35 Jesus aber sprach zu ihnen: Ich bin das Brot des Lebens. Wer zu mir kommt, den wird nicht hungern, und wer an mich glaubt, den wird niemals dürsten.

36 Aber ich habe es euch gesagt, daß ihr mich gesehen habt und doch nicht glaubt.

37 Alles, was mir der Vater gibt, wird zu mir kommen; und wer zu mir kommt, den werde ich nicht hinausstoßen.

38 Denn ich bin aus dem Himmel herabgekommen, nicht damit ich meinen Willen tue, sondern den Willen dessen, der mich gesandt hat.

39 Und das ist der Wille des Vaters, der mich gesandt hat, daß ich nichts verliere von allem, was er mir gegeben hat, sondern daß ich es auferwecke am letzten Tag.

40 Das ist aber der Wille dessen, der mich gesandt hat, daß jeder, der den Sohn sieht und an ihn glaubt, ewiges Leben hat; und ich werde ihn auferwecken am letzten Tag.

v34… Give us this bread always… They think that they understand Jesus… But Jesus is talking about Eternal truths… Now Jesus says the first of His great I am statements… v35…

v35… I am the bread of life… In Jesus' answer… He tries to lift up their eyes from bread and earthly things… He wants to help them focus on spiritual realities… Unless they repent… They will die in their sins... If they repent and turn from their sins He will give them Eternal Life…

This is the offer of Jesus… He is the only one who ever could offer eternal life to them… They should have repented from their hearts and cried out to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness… v36…

v36b… you have seen Me and yet do not believe… Sadly as we read… They did not repent and believe… in verse 37 Jesus explains why… v37…

v37… All that the Father gives Me will come to Me… and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out…

In verses v 37-40… We have a picture of God´s divine and wonderful plan… It is God himself who gives us as gifts to Jesus… The wonderful result is that we are redeemed forever and given the gift of Eternal Life… look with me at the next section...  v41..

John 6: 41-46                       NKJV  slt 2000

41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father

41 Da murrten die Juden über ihn, weil er gesagt hatte: Ich bin das Brot, das aus dem Himmel herabgekommen ist, 42 und sie sprachen: Ist dieser nicht Jesus, der Sohn Josephs, dessen Vater und Mutter wir kennen? Wie kann dieser denn sagen: Ich bin aus dem Himmel herabgekommen? 43 Da antwortete Jesus und sprach zu ihnen: Murrt nicht untereinander! 44 Niemand kann zu mir kommen, es sei denn, daß ihn der Vater zieht, der mich gesandt hat; und ich werde ihn auferwecken am letzten Tag. 45 Es steht geschrieben in den Propheten: »Und sie werden alle von Gott gelehrt sein«.6 Jeder nun, der vom Vater gehört und gelernt hat, kommt zu mir. 46 Nicht, daß jemand den Vater gesehen hätte; nur der, welcher von Gott ist, der hat den Vater gesehen.

v41… they complained about Him… Sounds like us some days… Who does He think he is…  We know this guy… And He says that he come down from heaven… No way they said… Although they had seen the miracles… They refused to believe the possibility… Remember he is just a few miles from Nazareth now… Many of the people in the crowd were pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the feast… But some were locals… And as the scriptures say… A prophet is not welcome in His own Town…. Jesus comments on their doubt and unbelief with these words… look at v44..

 v44… No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him… You see the Jews thought that they were all chosen by God because were descendants of Abraham…   But Jesus makes it clear that God must draw them before they can come to Him... Here is a point of application for witnessing to the lost… We present the Gospel to everyone we can…. But God alone changes hearts…   He calls and we come… He takes out our hearts of Stone… He gives us hearts of flesh…. He puts His Spirit in us… Ezekiel ch 36… That is the Miracle of the new birth…    Here is another very important point from this text… There is only 1 way to Heaven…. Only one way to God…. His Name is Jesus…. And God has commanded all men everywhere to repent and believe… Acts 17: 30,31…

Here is another point… Everyone who responds to the Father will respond to the Son… You cannot say that you love God… and refuse to repent and believe in the Savior That God has sent…  In the next section… Jesus explains the wonderful results of believing on Him…  v47…

John 6: 47-59                     NKJV slt 2000

47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

47 Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Wer an mich glaubt, der hat ewiges Leben. 48 Ich bin das Brot des Lebens. 49 Eure Väter haben das Manna gegessen in der Wüste und sind gestorben; 50 dies ist das Brot, das aus dem Himmel herabkommt, damit, wer davon ißt, nicht stirbt. 51 Ich bin das lebendige Brot, das aus dem Himmel herabgekommen ist. Wenn jemand von diesem Brot ißt, so wird er leben in Ewigkeit. Das Brot aber, das ich geben werde, ist mein Fleisch, das ich geben werde für das Leben der Welt. 52 Da stritten die Juden untereinander und sprachen: Wie kann dieser uns [sein] Fleisch zu essen geben? 53 Darum sprach Jesus zu ihnen: Wahrlich, wahrlich, ich sage euch: Wenn ihr nicht das Fleisch des Menschensohnes eßt und sein Blut trinkt, so habt ihr kein Leben in euch. 54 Wer mein Fleisch ißt und mein Blut trinkt, der hat ewiges Leben, und ich werde ihn auferwecken am letzten Tag. 55 Denn mein Fleisch ist wahrhaftig Speise, und mein Blut ist wahrhaftig Trank. 56 Wer mein Fleisch ißt und mein Blut trinkt, der bleibt in mir und ich in ihm. 57 Wie mich der lebendige Vater gesandt hat und ich um des Vaters willen lebe, so wird auch der, welcher mich ißt, um meinetwillen leben. 58 Dies ist das Brot, das aus dem Himmel herabgekommen ist; es ist nicht wie das Manna, das eure Väter gegessen haben, und sind gestorben; wer dieses Brot ißt, der wird leben in Ewigkeit! 59 Dies sprach er, als er in der Synagoge von Kapernaum lehrte.

v47… Truly… truly… I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life… That is the promise… That is the miracle that comes from the true Bread that comes down from heaven… That is why Jesus repeats… in v48…

v48… I am the bread of life… He is saying… I am… God… We don´t hear that… but they did….

v50,51a… I am the living bread which came down from heaven... If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever… Jesus repeats this again in v 58…

v58 This is the bread which came down from heaven… He who eats this bread will live forever.”

He says I am Come down from heaven… I am Life… v59…

v59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

2 fotos… This area of Capernaum and the Synagogue there is where Jesus often taught…The Synagogue in Capernaum and the stone carved pots of Manna that were above the door posts… v59… Capernaum was the home town of Peter… It became his adopted Home town… Jesus lived there during much of his earthly ministry…

Conclusion and Application

Let´s return to the theme of this Advent season… We began with it this morning…

From Darkness to Light and Joy…  All of the prophets pointed to Jesus… They show us Jesus Immanuel…. God with us… The Light of the World… Let´s apply this to our lives… look with me at Matthew ch 5…10-16…

Beginning in verse 10 Jesus explains something to us… He says that the world will hate us…

Everyday that goes by… The Words of Jesus ring true… Christians are becoming the most hated of all people…. It is because we stand with Jesus… And that even though they will persecute us and hate us… We are blessed…

Then the Light of the World tells us that we are the salt of the earth… He tells us that we are here to Minister to a lost and dying world… 

Then the Light of the World says this…   Reading from v14…

Matthew 5: 14-16                      NKJV   slt 2000

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

14 Ihr seid das Licht der Welt. Es kann eine Stadt, die auf einem Berg liegt, nicht verborgen bleiben. 15 Man zündet auch nicht ein Licht an und setzt es unter den Scheffel, sondern auf den Leuchter; so leuchtet es allen, die im Haus sind. 16 So soll euer Licht leuchten vor den Leuten, daß sie eure guten Werke sehen und euren Vater im Himmel preisen.

We … us…. me…? Unfassbar…

Remember we red from the Prophesy of Isaiah as we began today… Look at it with me again… Isaiah ch 9… v… v2 1 in German…

Isaiah 9: 2,3                                  NKJV slt 2000

2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

1 Das Volk, das in der Finsternis wandelt, hat ein großes Licht gesehen; über den Bewohnern des Landes der Todesschatten ist ein Licht aufgeleuchtet.

2 Du hast das Volk vermehrt, hast seine Freude groß gemacht; sie werden sich vor dir freuen, wie man sich in der Ernte freut, wie [die Sieger] jubeln, wenn sie Beute verteilen.

This is the Glorious Good News of the Gospel! Yes there is great darkness… But a light will shine…. It will shine out into eternity…. His name is Jesus…. He will bring great Joy…. Joy for all who will repent and believe the Gospel… This is the time for each of us to be salt and light my friends…Let´s spread the hope and the Joy That Only Jesus can bring! Let us stop wasting our time and our lives… Let´s pray…

Today´s Sermon Notes

2016.11.27              Acts  14&20        Titus 1&2

     The character and responsibilities of Elders

Good morning everyone…. It´s great to be here with you this morning…. As most of you know, we go through the Bible verse by verse…This morning we are going to take a detour from the Gospel of John and talk about Elders… You will remember that Paul and Barnabas were sent out as missionaries from Antioch… As they went… They made disciples… They planted Churches… And they appointed Elders in every church… Why?   

Because they knew that these young believers were weak and needed to be fed and cared for…..   Because the Great Commission is not only to make people genuine Christians… it is to make healthy Disciples… look me at Titus ch2..v1…

Titus 2: 1,2 & 7                              NLT    Neues Leben

1 As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.

2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.

1 Was immer du sagst, soll der gesunden Lehre entsprechen.

2 Lehre die älteren Männer, selbstbeherrscht, vorbildlich und besonnen zu leben. Sie sollen einen starken Glauben haben und liebevoll und geduldig sein.

7 Und du selbst sei ihnen in allem ein gutes Vorbild und ein Beispiel für die Glaubwürdigkeit und Würde deiner Lehre.

In this text Paul reminds all godly leaders of our responsibilities… Teach self-control… be worthy of respect… live wisely… be full of faith and filled with love and patience…

Paul and Barnabas appointed Elders to teach and shepherd the disciples... That is exactly what we see in the early church… Look with me at Acts 14… v21-23…

Acts 14: 21-23                         NKJV   slt 2000

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 14: 21-23                      slt 2000

21 Und nachdem sie in dieser Stadt das Evangelium verkündigt und eine schöne Zahl Jünger gewonnen hatten, kehrten sie wieder nach Lystra und Ikonium und Antiochia zurück;

22 dabei stärkten sie die Seelen der Jünger und ermahnten sie, unbeirrt im Glauben zu bleiben, und [sagten ihnen,] daß wir durch viele Bedrängnisse in das Reich Gottes eingehen müssen.

23 Nachdem sie ihnen aber in jeder Gemeinde Älteste bestimmt hatten, befahlen sie sie unter Gebet und Fasten dem Herrn an, an den sie gläubig geworden waren.

Here we see great examples of Godly Leaders… They were making disciples…

Making disciples

1 strengthening the souls of the disciples… v22

2 exhorting them to continue in the faith… v22

3 They appointed elders to pastor and shepherd the people after they had gone… v23

4 commended them to the Lord… v23

Look at point 3… 3 Elders and pastors are a necessary part of God´s plan to nurture and care for His people… Here we are Blessed to have a great group of leaders… We have a leadership circle of 12 men that meet regularly with me… All of them will become elders or Deacons in time… They are men who love and serve and care for the church… We have so many that we think we will soon be able to send out church plants as we pray and seek the Lord to give us wisdom…

The Word of God is the pattern that we use for life and ministry… What do we learn from the Bible about Eldership?

Eldership

1 Biblical Eldership….. is church Leadership that follows the scriptures

2 Pastoral Eldership….. shepherding and protecting the flock 

3 Qualified Eldership…… There are several scriptures that show us the qualifications of men to become Elders

4 Appointed by God… The Holy Spirit appoints them… We seek to know the Lord´s will as we look to appoint Elders… It is not a popularity contest…. We look for Godly servant hearts

5 Elders lead the church… This is done best by a group of qualified elders

These five principles will help us to understand Biblical Eldership more easily…

Let's look at point number one...

1 Biblical Eldership is eldership by the book……. Men of God…. men with servant’s hearts…  Men who lead and serve and protect the church…

We believe that Biblical Eldership represents accurately and fairly what the Bible teaches about eldership…... The Lord appoints some men to lead and serve and care for his people…

2 Biblical Eldership is Pastoral… Elders are shepherds… Paul and Peter both use this word to speak of the role of Elders in the early church… They take care of the brothers and sisters in the body… The role of the elders to Pastor… To shepherd the flock is a very common way of looking at what the Lord expects His “servant leaders” to do… Their motto is to serve and protect… When we speak of Elders then… They are Shepherds, Teachers and  Pastors… All of them servant-leaders…

We can learn a lot about the forming of The leadership of the early church in the Acts and the Epistles… I put up a picture from Ephesus at the beginning of the sermon today because we learn a lot form Paul´s ministry to the Elders… Here is the picture again…

Look with me to Acts 20… v28… As we look at this text… Paul knows that his time is short… and he calls for the Ephesian Elders to come to him…  He exhorts them with these words…     

Acts 20: 28-32                                      NKJV  

28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to 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. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 20: 28 -32                               sch 2000

28 So habt nun acht auf euch selbst und auf die ganze Herde, in welcher der Heilige Geist euch zu Aufsehern gesetzt hat, um die Gemeinde Gottes zu hüten, die er durch sein eigenes Blut erworben hat!

29 Denn das weiß ich, daß nach meinem Abschied räuberische Wölfe zu euch hineinkommen werden, die die Herde nicht schonen;

30 und aus eurer eigenen Mitte werden Männer aufstehen, die verkehrte Dinge reden, um die Jünger abzuziehen in ihre Gefolgschaft.

31 Darum wacht und denkt daran, daß ich drei Jahre lang Tag und Nacht nicht aufgehört habe, jeden einzelnen unter Tränen zu ermahnen.

32 Und nun, Brüder, übergebe ich euch Gott und dem Wort seiner Gnade, das die Kraft hat, euch aufzuerbauen und ein Erbteil zu geben unter allen Geheiligten.

Paul spent more time with this church and these elders than most…. He said…. Look out…. Be careful…. Protect the flock… The role of the elders is to Pastor… To shepherd the flock… That includes protecting from false Doctrine and from wolves… They requires Godly leaders…

There are several scriptures that show us the qualifications of men to become Elders… We will not have time for all of them…

Let´s take a look at what Paul told Titus… take your Bibles and turn to Titus chapter 1… V5…

Titus 1: 5-9                               NKJV   sch 2000

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,

9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Titus 1: 5-9                                  sch 2000

5 Ich habe dich zu dem Zweck in Kreta zurückgelassen, damit du das, was noch mangelt, in Ordnung bringst und in jeder Stadt Älteste einsetzt, so wie ich dir die Anweisung gegeben habe:

6 wenn einer untadelig ist, Mann einer Frau, und treue Kinder hat, über die keine Klage wegen Ausschweifung oder Aufsässigkeit vorliegt.

7 Denn ein Aufseher muß untadelig sein als ein Haushalter Gottes, nicht eigenmächtig, nicht jähzornig, nicht der Trunkenheit ergeben, nicht gewalttätig, nicht nach schändlichem Gewinn strebend,

8 sondern gastfreundlich, das Gute liebend, besonnen, gerecht, heilig, beherrscht;

9 einer, der sich an das zuverlässige Wort hält, wie es der Lehre entspricht, damit er imstande ist, sowohl mit der gesunden Lehre zu ermahnen als auch die Widersprechenden zu überführen.

Here´s the list of Elder qualifications from this text:

Elder qualifications

1 Blameless

2 a good steward of God

3 Husband of one wife

4 Having faithful children

5 Not self-willed

6 Not quick-tempered

7 Not violent

8 Not greedy for money

9 Hospitable

10 Soberminded

11 Just, holy, self-controlled…  

Let´s take a closer look…

1…Blameless….. that does not mean perfect…… It means that the brother must not have any constant sin issues in his life…. He must not be living a life of unrepentant sin…. blameless: This word literally means "nothing to take hold upon." There must be nothing in the life of the leader that others can use to attack his life or the church….. No one could stand up and rightfully accuse the man of grievous sin……

2…a good steward of God… He knows that everything he has comes from the LORD…. This is important, because he was a steward of God's house…. The greater the master is…. the more faithful and responsible the servants are expected to be……

3… Husband of one wife… The idea is of "a one-woman man…. It does not mean that a leader must be married….. If that were the case, then both Jesus and Paul would be disqualified from leadership. Nor is it the idea that a leader could never remarry…..   The idea is that the leader has his focus upon one woman -   his wife….. He is not a womanizer……

4….Having faithful children…. The leader must have raised his children well…… here the submission of the children to discipline and restraint is emphasized…. 1 Timothy 3:4…says… having children who respect and obey him… seine Kinder ihn achten und ihm gehorchen…

In other words… Not children who are wild and out of control….

5….Not self-willed: Not one who is determined to have his own way in everything… Selfish people are disqualified from leadership… They show their self-willed nature in arrogance… stubbornness… and pride…

6…Not quick-tempered: Those who are quick to get angry….. are also disqualified from leadership…..

The ancient Greek word used here (orgilos) actually refers more to a settled state of anger….. than the flash of an occasional bad temper…… It speaks of a man who has a constant simmering anger…… A man  who nourishes his anger against others….. close to the idea of a bitter man…..  

7… Not violent: "The Greek word includes not only violence in action, but also violence in speech… The word came to mean one who browbeats his fellow-men…  

8… Not greedy for money: Especially in the last days… men will use “godliness” as a way to get money… 1 Tim 6: 3-6… For point 9 -11…  We are Looking at v8,9…

Titus 1: 8,9                               NKJV   sch 2000

8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

8 sondern gastfreundlich, das Gute liebend, besonnen, gerecht, heilig, beherrscht; 9 einer, der sich an das zuverlässige Wort hält, wie es der Lehre entspricht, damit er imstande ist, sowohl mit der gesunden Lehre zu ermahnen als auch die Widersprechenden zu überführen.

9… But hospitable: A leader among God's people must be gracious and welcoming… and one who loves what is good… Men who continue love the things of this world… are not yet qualified to be leaders among God's people…

10… Soberminded: This describes the person who is able to think clearly and with clarity… They know how to deal with serious subjects in a serious way…This does not mean he has no sense of humor… It means that he knows the value of the things of God… And he does not cheapen the ministry or the Gospel message by foolish behavior….

11… Just, holy, self-controlled: A pastor or leader in the church must be just (right toward men), holy (right towards God), self-controlled (right towards himself). These are all related to each other… Scroll down for v9…

V9… After listing the qualifications of elders…..

Paul ends the list with this statement….. the candidate for eldership must…

v9… hold fast the faithful word…Holding on to and faithfully teaching the Word of God…  so that he will be able to… This assignment to shepherd God´s people has many responsibilities... I would like for us to look at 4 general areas…

Responsibilities of Elders

1. Teaching… the Word of God… everything that pertains to a Godly life…Teach sound doctrine… rightly diving the Word…

2. Exhorting… Encouraging… Do the right thing … You can do it…  Sometimes in the strongest of terms… Stop it… to encourage us to obedience and trust… and be able to

3. Protecting the flock….. Refuting false teaching and resisting false teachers and wolves…resist those who contradict the truth…  In other words an Elder must know the Bible… He must be able to communicate and teach it to others… He must be able to recognize false teachers and stop their poison from harming the sheep…

Paul said to the Ephesian elders… wolves are coming… guard the flock… so this is again something the elders have to be able to do… teach, protect and warn…

Number 1 is teaching… It is a very important part of the Elders responsibilities… Many of you…. I hope all of you are leading and teaching and encouraging and protecting… In the home and in Children´s ministry… Older women discipling the younger… etc… Teaching does not necessarily mean standing up here… But it does mean helping all of us to look to The Word of God for answers… To help all of us to think Biblically… To make disciples…

To summarize…  For Elders we see… a very strong emphasis on character and on teaching… but there is another very important part of the ministry of Elders… it is number 4 in our list…

4. Leading and managing… This includes ministering to both the spiritual and practical needs of the church…

Is it necessary that all Elders stand up front and teach the Word of God….? no it is not… Are there Elders who lead and manage and serve the church in other ways?... I think the answer is yes… Turn with me to 1 Timothy 5….v17….

1 Timothy 5:17             NKJV   sch 2000

17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.

17 Die Ältesten, die gut vorstehen, sollen doppelter Ehre wert geachtet werden, besonders die, welche im Wort und in der Lehre arbeiten.

The Greek phrase here is saying that Elders who rule well are worthy of double honor….Especially if they also preach and teach… So It is possible for a man of God to know his Bible and display the Godly character of an Elder…. But focus on leading and running the more practical affairs of the church as his main ministry focus…. He is focused on this fourth function of Elders…

4. Leading and managing…. they help lead the church   forward….. by example and in very practical ways…. For example in the many practical aspects of caring for people…..  praying for and counseling people through their problems….. providing the training, tools and environment that is necessary for the ministry….  

We began this morning by looking at the description of Biblical Eldership…  We have looked at the Qualities of Elders and the responsibilities of Elders… I am reviewing these things this morning… because the time has come for us to begin to Appoint Elders to serve and lead our congregation…

We seek to know the Lord´s will as we look to appoint Elders… It is not a popularity contest… We look for men with Godly, servants hearts… As we have seen… Elders need to be morally spiritually qualified… they must have a good reputation… they must be examples to the flock….

Pastoral oversight of the church… Is best done by a group of qualified elders… Ideally… There should be at least 2 or three elders….. Because this is a new church….. I have been under submission to the Elders who sent me here to start this church…

We have also had The Elders of other Calvary´s here in Germany help me serve and lead CCW… It has always been the goal to appoint Elders from this church to lead and serve the believers here… And we are preparing to do that… For about 4 years I have been meeting with the Leadership circle of men in this church… We pray and serve this church… They are those who are already serving and leading… Even though they do not yet have the title of Elders and deacons… They are already serving these functions and they are doing them well… This morning I want to present to you three of these men… We want you to pray with us over the coming weeks as look to appoint them as the first of several elders and deacons that we hope to raise up… Please pray for us as we look to follow the Lord´s will as we choose the Elders and deacons in the coming weeks and months…

Let´s pray…