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Dripping Springs Weekly Bulletins
Elder's Responsibility to the Church
Today we are seeing an illustration of the biblical continuation of the kind of leadership authorized by God. The church was in the mind of God from before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 3:9-11, and He knew how vital it would be for that church to be under the guidance and oversight of godly men. Many forms of leadership were available to Jehovah, but He chose to authorize men with specific qualities to be appointed as shepherds and overseers of His flock. He described those qualities in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, together which enable Christians to have leaders who will maintain the purity and purpose of His church.
It is also made clear that these men must:
- “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock,” 1 Peter 5:2-3.
Note that their responsibility was to the “flock... …among you,” and was not to be extended to other congregations. Also, their leadership was not to be characterized by power, “being lords over the flock.” They were to “take the oversight thereof,” but by means of example rather than force. Therefore, they had sufficient authority to lead and “superintend,” but not the authority to lord it over their brethren.
The biblical qualities they possess provide a leadership that serves the best spiritual interests of every Christian, not just a designated few. The wisdom of this arrangement should be obvious to all, and is especially seen where such qualified leadership is not present. Elders are to feed, watch, oversee, instruct, protect, warn and exhort their flock, just as the term “shepherd” indicates. Not only are these “bishops” to oversee and shepherd, but they will be required to “give account” for their responsibility as pastors. The task, therefore, is one that should be taken seriously by those who serve as well as those under their oversight, “that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you,” Hebrews 13:17.
The Church’s Responsibility to Elders
Scripture is not silent about an individual’s obligation to those who “watch” for their souls. It has already been stated that elders/bishops/pastors are not to be “lords” over their flock, but this does not diminish the responsibility of each of us to have the proper attitude toward those men. Again from Hebrews 13:7 and 17:
- “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation… Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
Here it is clearly seen that qualified, godly men, serving in their authorized capacity, are to be respected and honored in their tasks. They do not have authority to make new laws or modify biblical doctrine, but in areas of judgment and expediency they must lead and direct the congregation. Elders/shepherds are God’s appointees to decide who will teach the classes, preach the sermons, and when and where these activities take place.
In their role as shepherds, the “flock” is to respect their decisions, follow their example and willingly submit to their leadership. Scripture is very bold on this, using words like “obey…submit” to describe the attitude of those under their responsible charge. Those terms mean just what they appear to mean: “yield; listen to; be persuaded; obey,” and “yield to their admonition; give way.” Other terms such as “rule,” “oversight,” and “rule well” are used in this connection as well. Read Acts 20:26f, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, and 1 Timothy 5:17 for other passages related to this principle.
This willingness to submit/obey is conditional upon the leaders’ faithfulness to scripture and God’s authority. No one should blindly follow anyone else, but as long as truth is respected and honored by their leadership, we are all obligated to follow and encourage our shepherds in their work. That’s because God said so—not man.
The elders in Dripping Springs exhort each of us to “seek first the kingdom of God” in our lives. In so doing we will be the church you read about in the Bible; truly peaceful, purposeful and prosperous.
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“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
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The Ultimate Sacrifice
There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it. A switchman sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.
One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was about to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard.
He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength.
Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. "Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son. Either many people on the train-or his own son-must die.
He took a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.
Now, if you comprehend the emotions which went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?
When was the last time you thanked God for the sacrifice of His Son?
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