About Elders 1/31/2014

"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your  fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." 1 Peter 5:1-4

Very recently, our congregation, by the will of the Holy Spirit, installed two new elders.  They are both men of good report, qualified according to Scripture, leaders, servants and hard workers in the vineyard of the Lord.  We praise God for them and for the work they have voluntarily undertaken.

There are three men, however, who were already in this capacity who have served the congregation for many years.  And while we are thankful for our new servant leaders, our gratitude for those who have stood for so long is overflowing.

Beloved, being an elder in the church can be daunting, thankless, heart wrenching, unpopular, difficult, time consuming and even dangerous.  This is so because they are charged with oversight.  They are often analogized as shepherds of the sheep.  And if you know anything about sheep, you know that they (we) can be unruly, obstinate, combative and subject to wander off.  The task is made particularly difficult in this day and age because so many believers treat the church as some sort of quaint organization with flexible rules and leadership that you can choose to observe or not.

Of course being an elder is not all doom and gloom.  There are an exceeding number of positives associated with the office and function.  First, it is a special calling from God for men who have the capacity and desire to accomplish it.  The joy of leaving the 99 to successfully bring back the one who has wandered off is unsurpassed.  Being with members in their time of need can be very fulfilling.  And simply doing the will of God in all of its definitions and permutations provides purpose, peace and rewards.

So today, special recognition and thanks is given to Grant, Charlie and Gary for all that they have done, are doing and, as they continue as elders, are yet to do.  With the help of God, as elders, shepherds, overseers, presbyters, pastors and bishops (all Scriptural synonyms for the office), you have guided our congregation through times that have been both challenging and prosperous.  We would not be where we are or who we are as a body without your efforts.  On behalf of the entire congregation, thank you for all of your efforts.  You are an amazing and valuable gift.

And as a church family, we look forward to what John and Ron, our new elders, will add to our spiritual lives.  We know that the new team will lead us even closer to the Throne.  May the Lord bless all of you, your wives, your families and all of us.  The journey begins anew.

One,

Lee

Follow the Leader 11/19/2013

“'Watch me,' he told them. 'Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do.'" Judges 7:17

The story of Gideon is famous because God once again proved that he could do everything with almost nothing. You will recall that God instructed Gideon to whittle down a gathered force of 32,000 men to 300 in order to fight 135,000.

For many reasons, Gideon is an example of a great leader, though not everything he did was positive. God selected him from all of the people of Israel despite him being the least in his family, who themselves were of the weakest clan (Judges 6:15). Gideon also put God to the test in his famous request to keep a fleece dry while the dew wet the surrounding ground and then again when he asked that the dew wet the fleece while the surrounding ground was kept dry. Even on the eve of the great battle, God told him that if he was afraid to go to battle that he should sneak into the enemy camp and listen to the things they had to say. Even though the Lord had sent home 22,000 men for being afraid, Gideon took Him up on his offer and went.

Beloved, despite what we might consider as negatives or challenges regarding our leadership, we would do well to have Gideons lead us. Consider the following:

• Gideon was selected by God and was not a man who desired fame, fortune, attention or power.
• Gideon was a thoughtful and careful man who wanted to be sure that it was God who was leading and directing him.
• Gideon followed God's instructions to the letter.
• Gideon did not share his own thoughts, ideas and philosophies with his followers, but the word and the instruction of God.
• Gideon did not sit back and direct others but lead from the front and by example.
• Gideon had great compassion for his people.
• Gideon was a regular guy who, with the help of God, rose to the task and saved a people.

Let us be sure to seek leaders with these qualities. Further, let us seek to be great followers of God's leaders, not because of the individuals themselves but because of the God we all serve.

Committed,

Lee

Be Careful How You Treat God's Leaders 4/25/2013

“Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision.  I shall speak with him in a dream.  Not so, with My servant Moses.  He is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord.  Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?”  Num 12:6-8

This passage may seem familiar to some of you in that I referenced it in yesterday's posting.  I'm keeping it in front of us today because it is central to another point discussed in last Sunday evening's bible study.  The extracted lesson was that we should be careful how we treat God's chosen leaders.

Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, were upset that he had married a Cushite (a person of African descent) and began to not only speak against him but advance themselves, saying that the Lord had spoken through them as well.  God heard this and immediately called the three of them together.  During the conversation, God outlined His relationship with Moses and made it crystal clear that Miriam and Aaron had made a grave error.  Their mistake was so significant that Miriam was struck with leprosy on the spot.

It is no secret that I serve God by serving His people in the capacity of minister (which literally means servant).  However, the point here is not as self serving as you might think.  God has given us everything we need to spiritually succeed in life.  Among the gifts he provides are leaders whose roles are to equip, support, serve and care for His people.  There are three important things the bible teaches us about our appointed leaders.  First, Jesus told those who aspired to lead that they, "must be the very last and the servant of all," Mark 9:35.  Second, it is written, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly," James 3:1.  Lastly, leadership of God's people is seen throughout the bible as a dangerous and life threatening calling.  They must face not only threats from non-believers, but more often than not, those who are believers but disagree with the message and/or the individual.  How many times were the apostles jailed and beaten?  How many lost their lives through terrible forms of death?  How many prophets were killed by God's own?

Beloved, it is not about elevating the man of God but appreciating the gift of God.  It is not about putting anyone on a pedestal, but respecting the call and the called of God.  It is not about whether or not he is "just a man" or "just like anyone else" but that God has equipped and positioned that particular leader by His will for your benefit.  Despite the fact that King Saul was after David's life, David did not lay a hand on him when he could have because Saul was God's anointed.

In a display of true compassionate servant leadership, it was Moses who appealed to God on Miriam's behalf that she be cured of the leprosy she brought on herself by her mistreatment of him.  Further, it was Moses who sought mercy for the people when God wanted to destroy them all for the heinous sins.  Let us love and respect those who have dedicated their lives to serving God by loving and respecting us.

Committed,

Lee

Appreciating the Gift-9/21/2011

"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another." 1 Thess 5:12-13

God has given us great earthly gifts to help us and guide us on our journey toward heaven. "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints..." Eph 4:11-12. He has placed these men among us and before us to lead us in our spiritual walk. They are worthy of our respect and appreciation, if not for their own sake then for the fact that they are chosen of the Lord.

Beloved, in every aspect of our lives, there are authority figures. We have them on our jobs, in our schools, in our government, in our neighborhood associations and even in our families. In every case, we respond to leadership through abiding by laws, statues, ordinances or directions for the greater good of society and ourselves. Much more should we then respond to those whom God has sent to guide us in areas that supercede the temporal. Whether you refer to them as elders, bishops, presbyters, shepherds, overseers or pastors, their responsibility is to first be men of God. In so doing, they are to be examples of Christian virtues. They are to teach us in order that we may better know God and His will for our lives. They are to minister to those who are in need through whatever means God has gifted them individually. They are to protect the flock from all threats, particularly those that are spiritual. They are to serve God through serving the church.

It is a tragedy that some find it as easy to disrespect and disregard these men as they do the far more distant and much less personally impactful President of the United States(whoever that may be at any given point in our lives). Because it is perceived by some that our elders are not tied directly to our ability to sustain ourselves and our families, some find it easy to discount and, by extension, disrespect them.

Consider these two situations. In Numbers 12:1-16, we are shown the consequences of Aaron and Miriam in particular, speaking against God's annointed, Moses. It did not go well for Miriam, but it was Moses who prayed for her restoration. Secondly, it is well known that Saul constantly sought the life of innocent David. In 1 Sam 24:1-10, David has the opportunity to take Saul's life but said, "I will not put forth my hand against my lord for he is the Lord's anoninted."

Let us be sure to thank God for his amazing gift of earthly leadership. Let us thank Him for equipping us through those whom He has placed among us. Let us honor God by honoring our elders. They are indeed worthy.

Loving Like Jesus,

Lee