Embracing Suffering and Humility in Church Leadership
Summary
The sermon begins with the speaker emphasizing the importance of preaching the gospel to everyone, regardless of their background or experiences. The speaker prays for the congregation, asking God to help them understand their role as elders and to continually convict them of their sin, leading them to repentance. The speaker then discusses the concept of suffering for the sake of the gospel, citing examples of pastors in China who are expected to serve time in prison for their faith. The speaker suggests that when elders are unwilling to suffer, it poses a danger to the church, as it may lead to avoiding difficult conversations, neglecting the right thing to do, and causing harm to others.
The speaker reflects on their role as a pastor and expresses their doubts and concerns about their ability to serve in that capacity. They question whether a good pastor would have so many confused and angry people in the church and wonder if there might be someone better suited for the job. However, they also express gratitude for the previous pastors who endured difficult conversations and left the church in the right way. The speaker then discusses the importance of suffering with others and entering into their pain. They share a conversation between a younger pastor and an older, more seasoned pastor, where the older pastor emphasizes that caring for others in their suffering is part of the calling of being a pastor.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of humility and selflessness in serving as an elder in the church. They reference the words of Jesus, who taught that we should give more than we receive. The speaker highlights the need for elders to serve with humility and tears, rather than exploiting their positions for personal gain. They also mention the essential role of suffering, teaching, carefulness, and caring in the life of Jesus, who serves as the model for elders.
The speaker explains the importance of teaching through the entire Bible and not just focusing on safe, easy, and popular passages. They mention that there are certain passages they personally wouldn't preach, but they recognize that it is good for the church. The speaker also discusses the structure of their teaching, starting with Acts and then moving on to the Old Testament during the summer. They emphasize the importance of diving deeply into the Bible, Systematic Theology, biblical theology, church history, and Christian living during the equipping hour.
The speaker discusses the role of elders in the church and the importance of their personal conduct. The speaker mentions that being an elder is not based on merit, value, or authority, but rather on the time they are able to dedicate to the work. The speaker acknowledges that some elders may be financially freed up to serve full-time, but emphasizes that they are still just one elder among others. The speaker then highlights the history of pastors in Orlando who have disqualified themselves and the negative impact it has had on both themselves and the church.
Key Takeaways:
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of preaching the gospel to everyone, regardless of their background or experiences. This is a reminder that the gospel is for all and that everyone needs the same grace and gospel that leads to the inheritance of Jesus himself. [35:27]
- The speaker suggests that when elders are unwilling to suffer for the gospel, it poses a danger to the church. This highlights the importance of elders being willing to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel, as avoiding difficult conversations and neglecting the right thing to do can cause harm to others. #!!07:22!!#
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of humility and selflessness in serving as an elder in the church. This is a reminder that elders should serve with humility and tears, rather than exploiting their positions for personal gain. They should model the life of Jesus, who served with suffering, teaching, carefulness, and caring. #!!34:01!!#
- The speaker explains the importance of teaching through the entire Bible and not just focusing on safe, easy, and popular passages. This highlights the importance of diving deeply into the Bible, Systematic Theology, biblical theology, church history, and Christian living during the equipping hour. #!!49:33!!#
- The speaker discusses the role of elders in the church and the importance of their personal conduct. This is a reminder that being an elder is not based on merit, value, or authority, but rather on the time they are able to dedicate to the work. Elders have a greater responsibility in leading the church and should maintain good habits and spiritual maturity. #!!25:14!!#
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Acts 20:22-24 (ESV)
> "And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
2. Ezekiel 33:6 (ESV)
> "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand."
3. 1 Timothy 4:16 (ESV)
> "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Paul say awaits him in Jerusalem according to Acts 20:22-24?
2. How does Ezekiel 33:6 describe the responsibility of a watchman?
3. What does 1 Timothy 4:16 instruct elders to do, and what is the outcome of following this instruction?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Paul emphasize the importance of being willing to suffer for the gospel in Acts 20:22-24? How does this relate to the role of elders in the church? [07:22]
2. In Ezekiel 33:6, what are the consequences for a watchman who fails to warn the people? How does this apply to the responsibilities of church elders? [10:56]
3. According to 1 Timothy 4:16, why is it crucial for elders to keep a close watch on themselves and their teaching? How does this impact the church community? [25:14]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you avoided a difficult conversation for fear of conflict. How can you apply Paul's example of willingness to suffer for the gospel in your own life? [07:22]
2. How can you support the elders in your church to ensure they are teaching the full counsel of God and not just focusing on safe, easy, and popular passages? [49:33]
3. In what ways can you practice humility and selflessness in your service to others, following the example of Jesus and the teachings of the sermon? [34:01]
4. Think about your personal conduct and spiritual habits. What steps can you take to ensure you are maintaining good habits and spiritual maturity, similar to the expectations for elders? [25:14]
5. How can you enter into the suffering of others and provide care and support, as discussed in the sermon? Share a specific example of how you can do this in your community. [09:39]
6. Identify one area in your life where you can dive deeper into the Bible, Systematic Theology, biblical theology, church history, or Christian living. What practical steps will you take to grow in this area? [49:33]
7. Reflect on the importance of accountability in your spiritual walk. How can you create a support system that helps you stay accountable in your faith journey? [25:14]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Gospel's Universality
The gospel is not exclusive to a particular group of people, but rather, it is for everyone, regardless of their background or experiences. This universal nature of the gospel is a reminder that everyone needs the same grace and gospel that leads to the inheritance of Jesus himself. [35:27]
Romans 10:12-13 - "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
Reflection: Reflect on your interactions with others. Are there people in your life whom you've unintentionally excluded from hearing the gospel because of their background or experiences?
Day 2: Suffering for the Gospel
As followers of Christ, we are called to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel. Avoiding difficult conversations and neglecting the right thing to do can cause harm to others and poses a danger to the church. [07:22]
2 Timothy 2:3 - "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
Reflection: Are there difficult conversations or actions you've been avoiding because of potential suffering or discomfort? How can you courageously face these situations for the sake of the gospel?
Day 3: Humility and Selflessness in Service
Serving as an elder in the church requires humility and selflessness, mirroring the life of Jesus who served with suffering, teaching, carefulness, and caring. Elders should not exploit their positions for personal gain but should serve with humility and tears. [34:01]
Philippians 2:3-4 - "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate humility and selflessness in your service to others today?
Day 4: Comprehensive Biblical Teaching
Teaching should not be limited to safe, easy, and popular passages of the Bible. Diving deeply into the Bible, Systematic Theology, biblical theology, church history, and Christian living during the equipping hour is essential for spiritual growth. [49:33]
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
Reflection: What is a challenging or unfamiliar passage of the Bible that you can study this week?
Day 5: The Role and Conduct of Elders
Being an elder is not based on merit, value, or authority, but rather on the time they are able to dedicate to the work. Elders have a greater responsibility in leading the church and should maintain good habits and spiritual maturity. [25:14]
1 Peter 5:2-3 - "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Reflection: How can you support and pray for the elders in your church in their role and personal conduct?
Quotes
"Paul had some special knowledge that they were going to be wolves in sheep's clothing that they were going to come in that they were going to cause spiritual danger and he's telling these Ephesians you need to be watching out for these wolves some of them are going to come from your own number here and so he's adamant that they must protect this church." #!!15:50!!#
"When Elders compromise our own walks with the Lord when we take our own sin lightly often the result is we're going to take everybody else's sin lightly too and we're not going to push people the direction that God wants people to be pushed in the way that you know appropriately we're not going to encourage and support and have hard conversations sometimes because if we're taking sin lightly in our own lives often the result is that we take it soft elsewhere." #!!26:23!!#
"There is a special type of danger for the church when Elders are unwilling to suffer for the gospel. The church suffers when we avoid suffering, when we avoid hard conversations that have to happen that are good for the church." #!!07:56!!#
"If we are ever humanly speaking receiving more than we're giving we have fundamentally disqualified ourselves from serving in this capacity." #!!32:00!!#
"There was a season many of you remember where three pastors disqualified themselves public pastors within one year and of course it cost all of them their jobs it cost two of them their lives and there was about a 5 to 8ye period where you couldn't you couldn't not find somebody who would say I used to go to church but then so and so happened." #!!23:51!!#
"I'm really thankful for that and then there's the real suffering of suffering with other people of entering into other people's suffering... brother that's the call like this is what you signed up for as an elder as a pastor you don't get to have the title without the role." #!!09:39!!#
"At the core of his message we see in verse 21 it is repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ... Paul says therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." #!!10:56!!#
"I know a number of things I don't want to but I know it's good for the church so when we walk through passages we do and and we you know the reason that we take acts and stop say it Advent is because we want to do the same thing thing with a gospel Every Spring we want to be in the Old Testament during for parts of the summer so during the course of the year we want to have been able to have drunk from all parts of scripture." #!!17:36!!#
"Paul is saying that the the elders first and foremost they need to pay attention to their own walks with the Lord their own prayer lives their own families they need to make sure that they are walking toward God and they are not beginning to embrace or fall into certain habits that are going to disqualify them from the office that they have been called to." #!!21:26!!#
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