[0:00] We're going to read God's Word in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20, we can read at verse 17.
[0:40] And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said to them, You know that from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the line in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
[1:24] And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
[1:42] But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
[1:58] And now, behold, I know that you all, that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
[2:10] Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
[2:23] Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood.
[2:35] 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.
[2:53] Therefore watch, and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn you, every one, every one night and day with tears.
[3:03] 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.
[3:16] I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, you yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
[3:29] I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you are to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
[3:42] And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more.
[4:00] And they accompanied him unto the ship. Amen, and may God bless to us that reading from his own holy word. We're going to sing in Psalm 66, from the beginning of the psalm, Psalm 66.
[4:17] Down to the end of verse 5, Psalm 66, from the beginning.
[4:44] All hands to God in joyful sounds, aloft your voices raise. All hands to God in joyful sounds, aloft your voices raise.
[5:10] sing forth beyond the end of this sin, and glorious in his face.
[5:26] Say unto God the heaven, in a All on the earth shall worship thee, they shall thy praise go there.
[6:16] In strong stations in cheer for thee, and to thy holy name.
[6:33] Command the words that God hath formed without marriage on sea.
[6:50] In swiping to the sons of men, most terrible is he.
[7:05] Let us now turn back to the book of Acts, chapter 20, and the chapter that we read together.
[7:16] Amen. And we want to draw some thoughts from the passage that we have here before us.
[7:43] Now, the Church of God is a society of people who come together to worship the Lord. And as they come together, they come that they might receive teaching on how to worship the Lord.
[8:01] And once they receive that teaching, how they might reach out to those who are yet lost. Now, in order that his people might accomplish this God-given mission, the Church must have rulers over him.
[8:27] Somebody has to give direction. And they have to have authority in order to give that direction. Otherwise, there would be nothing but confusion and chaos and strife, as everybody would seek to make known their own point of view and contribute to how they think things ought to be done.
[8:56] Now, the Lord is not the God of confusion. And therefore, he has appointed elders to rule his church here in this world.
[9:11] And that's what we want to consider this morning. We want to consider the office of the elder, because we hope to ordain Torquil later on in the service to that office.
[9:26] The first thing I want to consider with you is the various titles that are given to elders in the New Testament. And to clear up any confusion that some people might have concerning these titles, there are three titles given in the New Testament to elders.
[9:50] The first one I want to consider is the reference that is made to the office as pastor.
[10:01] Now, a pastor means a shepherd. And as you all know, shepherds are responsible for the care and the protection and give direction to the flock.
[10:17] And that's what they do in the Church of God. Elders are shepherds. Now, the title pastor is often given to the teaching elder.
[10:32] And that's what the minister is. He's just an elder. The only difference between him and the rest of the ruling elders is that he is the teaching elder.
[10:44] There is no such office as a minister. I'm just an elder like all the other elders that make up the Church. The only difference is that I'm a teaching elder.
[10:57] Now, the name or the title pastor is very often given to the teaching elder.
[11:09] But as we find it in the New Testament, it refers to all the elders. It's not just to the teaching elder that the title refers.
[11:19] It's used to refer to all of the elders. The second title that's given in the New Testament is the title of bishop.
[11:33] Now, that title is often used, especially in other branches of the Christian church in this world, to denominate a clergyman who stands over and above other clergymen.
[11:51] It's another tier in the office of the eldership. Now, that is a wrong application of that title.
[12:04] When Paul, on his way to Jerusalem, as we read here in chapters 20 at verse 17, he came from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church.
[12:23] Now, he called the elders of the church and he gave them instruction. And in verse 28, we read that he said to them, Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over.
[12:42] Now, there again is the reference to them caring for the flock because they're pastors. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers to feed the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood.
[13:06] Now, it's that word that's translated there, overseers, that's translated elsewhere in the New Testament as bishops. But overseer is a more accurate translation.
[13:23] The Greek word is episkopos. And it refers to those who are overseers. So it's not referring to people who are higher up in the offices of the church than the eldership.
[13:43] They are all elders. In other words, there's no such office as the office of a bishop. There are only two offices in the New Testament church that we learn of in the New Testament.
[14:01] The office of deacons and the office of elders. Elders are pastors and elders are bishops.
[14:14] It refers to the same body of people. It refers to the same body of people, just different titles. And just as we learn throughout Scripture, different names give us an indication of the role that that person fulfills.
[14:33] It's the same concerning God himself. It's referred to by different names. And when he's referred to by a specific name, it's to indicate for us the specific teaching that's given to us of God in that context.
[14:50] So when elders are referred to as pastors, it's in order for us to understand that elders are the shepherds that watch over the flock of God's people.
[15:05] When elders are referred to as bishops, it's in order for us to understand that they're the overseers of God's people.
[15:16] The word translated elder is presbyterous. And the presbyterous body of people are those who rule in the church of Christ.
[15:34] They are the ones who are to make sure that everything is done in a way that is God glorifying and in a way that's going to be edifying to the people.
[15:52] Now, we might think that an elder is somebody who is an older man. But as it's used in the New Testament, it has absolutely no reference to age whatsoever.
[16:08] Elder implies dignity, maturity, sober-mindedness, experience and wisdom. And very often that is found in older men.
[16:20] But not necessarily confined to older men. Because we all know older men who are not very wise. Who are not sober-minded.
[16:32] Who are not very mature in their actions and in their thinking. And who show absolutely no sign that they've learned through their experiences.
[16:46] Now, an elder mustn't be a novice. Paul teaches us that nobody who's newly converted or nobody who is a novice should be put in the office of the eldership.
[17:08] Writing to Timothy, he tells us, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word and conduct and love and spirit and faith and in purity.
[17:24] So, Timothy was a young elder. Teaching us that young people can be very mature.
[17:37] Young people can be very spiritually minded. Young people can show more wisdom than older people. So that young elders shouldn't be despised because they are young.
[17:53] But young converts ought not to be put into the office of eldership. And the reason for that is so that they might not fall into the same trap as Satan did.
[18:10] Because he fell as a result of becoming proud. And if a young convert was put into the office of the eldership, the danger is that he might exalt himself and become very proud of himself that he's been given this privilege and that that honour has been bestowed upon him and he might end up making shipwreck of his faith.
[18:41] But these are the titles that are used to give us an indication of the kind of people that ought to be ordained into the office of the eldership.
[18:55] Secondly, I want to briefly look at the work of the elder. Now, usually church members regard ruling elders with less honour than they give to ministers.
[19:14] Now, that not ought to be the case. Because a minister is just an elder. The same as the rest of the elders in the session.
[19:31] Although, Paul does say that those who preach and teach are to be given double honour. But that doesn't mean to say that the elders that don't preach and teach aren't to be given any honour.
[19:51] There's a danger that we don't give the elders the honour that is due unto them not because of themselves but because of the office that they occupy in the church of God.
[20:08] Now, frequently the work of the elder and the minister overlaps. Because the ruling elder as he goes about the flock of God will sometimes have to exhort the people from the word of God as he goes from house to house as Paul mentions in chapter 20.
[20:32] He didn't just go about preaching the gospel he also went about teaching it from house to house. the ruling elders as they go about the flock of God will have an overlap because they'll be able to exhort people from the word of God and they'll be able to correct those that might have wrong ideas of God and the way that they should be living their Christian lives and in that respect they're fulfilling the office of being the shepherds the pastors and the overseers of God's people and Paul exhorts them to do that as we read there in verse 28 to take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers to feed the church of God now that applies to all the elders not just the minister they are to feed the flock of God so there's an overlap between the ruling elders and the teaching elders he is to teach as well as to have a spiritual oversight for their spiritual needs now the office that the elder fulfills is a very important office and with all the responsibilities that are placed upon elders it's a difficult office to fulfill but one of the harder duties that befall the elders as they come together as a church session is that they're responsible for discerning who should be accepted into church membership and who should be rejected or disciplined if they live in sin now that responsibility requires a lot of wisdom it requires a lot of grace and it should be performed by elders with fear and trembling because elders cannot look into the hearts of men they can only judge people from their outward lives and from their own profession whether they understand the scriptures and what it is to be a member in the church of
[23:37] God now a person's lifestyle might appear to be very circumspect and a person might know all doctrinal answers to saving faith and yet that doesn't mean to say that that person is a child of God and that he should be admitted into membership in the church on the other hand there might be those whose lives aren't quite so clear and who might not be able to explain the doctrines of grace but who might very well be a child of God now they have to examine them to try and discern whether they ought to admit them into membership or not so it's not an easy task for them to do that they need wisdom and wisdom is something that we don't have naturally yes we've got worldly wisdom naturally but we haven't got spiritual wisdom naturally this is something that comes from
[24:56] God himself the elder must ask God for that spiritual discernment that spiritual wisdom that will enable him to be a faithful pastor a faithful overseer over the flock of God and one of the onerous and not so pleasant tasks that is committed to the elder is that of church discipline when a member of the church falls by the wayside and they are to seek to discipline that member in order for that member to be restored back into the spiritual fellowship that he ought to enjoy as a member in the church of
[25:57] God and the final thing that I want to consider is the qualifications given in scripture concerning an elder the primary qualification for an elder is godliness it's not whether he's successful in business it's not whether he is popular with the people it's whether he's godly whether he has a close walk with his God in his first letter to Timothy where Paul gives a list of the qualifications that ought to accompany those that are ordained into the office of eldership most of these qualifications fall under the heading of godliness in first
[27:00] Timothy chapter three reading at verse two he says a bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy or filthy lugger but patient not a brawler not covetous and so on incidentally where it says there that he must be the husband of one wife that refers to polygamists because polygamy was tolerated in the early church as people were converted from paganism who maybe have several wives then they weren't to dismiss all their wives they had to remain married to the wives so there were many people who were converted who had several wives but what
[28:06] Paul is making clear none of these people with several wives ought to be ordained into the office of the eldership and you can understand why because it could create many problems and later on as they came under the teaching of God's word it was expected that anybody that was marrying for the first time was marrying for the last time because God's word makes it clear that we're only to marry one woman and not several so it was tolerated because it was necessary in the early church but it's not something that's approved of in the word of God but a Christian virtue on which scripture puts special emphasis as a requirement for the office of the eldership is humility just because the office is so exalted and honourable only a person who is humble is fit to occupy it because anybody else is in danger of being overcome by pride and this is the verse that
[29:38] I was referring to earlier where Paul gives the advice that it's not to be a novice lest being lifted up with pride he fallen to the condemnation of the devil that was the devil's downfall and it could be a novice a newly converted person's downfall if he's exalted too quickly into the office of the eldership so it's for people who are humble that the office of the eldership is reserved Peter admonishes the elders in his own letter to do their work not as lords over those who are entrusted to them but by examples to the flock so elders are not to think that they're more important than the people that they're ruling over they're not to lord it over them but they are to give them an example of how they should live as
[30:57] Christians every elder should have a good knowledge of scripture and a good knowledge of the doctrines of grace otherwise how is he going to correct those that err when he seeks to counsel them if he himself doesn't know what the scriptures teach elders must be wise and it's for good reason that James says in his own letter if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask God that gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given to him because wisdom is something that is exceedingly rare it is more precious than rubies we're told in scripture but it's more scarce than rubies now we know that rubies aren't in abundance well wisdom is less abundant elders are to possess wisdom and we are to pray that we will be given wisdom now ruling elders need wisdom because the task that's assigned to them is not an easy task and you ought to understand that that you are to respect them and honour them and to recognise that they're fulfilling their duties for your benefit even if they have to rebuke you acknowledge them and accept them and if they can show that the rebuke that they're given is because what you're doing is contrary to the teaching of
[33:14] God's word then you are to accept the admonishment you are to accept their chastisement if they have to do that hopefully that won't be called for very often but if they give you guidance and instruction it's because they care for you they have a concern for you because they're looking out for your spiritual welfare now we're told in scripture that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom elders are to be God fearing people every Christian should be a God fearing person but godliness is the essence of wisdom and ruling elders should possess it in abundance and when we consider the responsibility that's placed on elders we could very well say with
[34:28] Paul who is sufficient for these things no elder should feel himself adequately equipped to fulfill the responsibilities placed upon him and if any elder feels that he deserves to be in the office of the eldership because of all the qualities that he possesses then let me assure you he shouldn't be in the office because the person who's in the office and who takes his responsibility seriously is the person who will say with Paul who is sufficient for these things and that's why we need as elders to be diligent at the throne of grace and you as members in the church ought to be diligent in praying for the elders of the church because they have a heavy responsibility placed upon them because they're the leaders of the church they're the ones who ought to guide the church they're the ones who ought to look after the church and they're the ones who ought to have a concern for your spiritual welfare and therefore they will find themselves in need of your prayers and in need of being in prayer themselves because nobody in this office feels himself to be sufficient to fulfill the duties that are placed upon them may
[36:22] God bless to us these thoughts let's pray our father in heaven we give you thanks for the willingness of Thorkil to serve in the office that he's now been called to fulfill we give you thanks for the eldership that make up the Kirksession of this congregation that they were willing to take office when they took office and we commit the Kirksession to your care knowing the needs that they all have of your wisdom of your guidance of your enlightenment in your scriptures so that they might be able to edify your people because that's the responsibility that you've placed upon them as shepherds that they would feed and guide your sheep Lord we pray that you would be pleased to bless them that you would be pleased to bless us all as a congregation and that you would help us to give due honour to those to whom honour is due lead us to these ends and have mercy upon us for our sins for we ask it in
[37:42] Jesus name Amen now I'm going to give a narrative of the steps that were taken before we reached the point that we've reached this morning on the 16th of September 2021 the Kirk session agreed that Torquil Campbell would be asked if he would consider taking the office of elder in the congregation at a further meeting of the Kirk session on the 6th of January 2022 the session were informed that Mr.
[38:25] Torquil Campbell had agreed to accept the office of elder and at a further meeting on the 3rd of March 2022 it was agreed by the Kirk session to ordain Mr.
[38:38] Torquil Campbell to the eldership of the congregation at the morning service on the 10th of April 2022 an edict to that effect was to be read to the congregation two Sundays prior to his ordination the Kirk session have been constituted prior to this service and opportunity has been given to anyone who may have any objections to the life and doctrine of Torquil Campbell no objections having been received the Kirk session now moved to the admission and ordination of Torquil Campbell to the office of eldership could I ask you to stand Torquil and I'm going to ask you the questions that we have set out for us before a person can be ordained to the office do you believe the scriptures of the
[39:44] Old and New Testament to be the word of God and the only role of faith and manners do you sincerely own and declare the confession of faith approved by former general assemblies of this church to be the confession of your faith and do you own the doctrine therein contained to be the true doctrine which you will constantly adhere to do you own and acknowledge the Presbyterian church government of this church by Kirk Sessions Presbyteries Provincial Synods and General Assemblies to be the only government of this church and do you engage to submit there to concur therewith and not endeavour directly or indirectly the prejudice or subversion thereof Do you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ as King and Head of the Church has therein appointed a government in the hands of church officers distinct from and not subordinate in its own province to civil governments and that the civil magistrate does not possess jurisdiction or authoritative control over the regulations of the affairs of
[41:04] Christ Church and do you approve of the general principles embodied in the claim declaration and protest adopted by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1842 and in the protest of ministers and elders commissioners from the presbyteries to the General Assembly read in presence of the Royal Commissioner on 18th May 1843 as declaring the views which are sanctioned by the word of God and the standards of this church with respect to spirituality and freedom of the church of Christ and to subjection to him as her only head and to his word as her only standard do you promise to observe uniformity of worship and of the administration of all public ordinances within this church as the same are at present performed and allowed do you accept the office of elder of this congregation and promise through grace faithfully diligently and cheerfully to discharge all the duties thereof
[42:26] I'll now invite you to go and sign the formula side and help Let us now bow our heads in prayer.
[43:12] Our Father in heaven, we come before you as the sovereign ruler over all of your creation, both in the realms of the spiritual world and in the realms of the physical world in which we live.
[43:29] We acknowledge you as the one who has the right to appoint the one who is the head and king of your church, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the one through whom we come to acknowledge that you're the God who has made it possible for us to be reconciled to yourself, that you're the God who has revealed to us through your own word the directions in which we ought to move in this world in order that we might glorify your name.
[44:07] And we pray, O Lord, that as we have ordained Tarkil to the office of eldership, which is our ruling office in your church, an office that gives him great responsibilities, that you would be pleased to endow him from on high with the necessary gifts, which he has already displayed he possesses, but that you would continue to enable him to use these gifts, and that he himself would continue to be a frequent visitor at the throne of grace in order to receive grace, so that he might carry out his duties cheerfully and diligently for the spiritual welfare of this church.
[44:55] We commit him to your care, and we pray that you would accept this church as a branch of your church, and that you would be pleased to bless them together, pouring down your own Holy Spirit upon them, so that they might do all things decently and in order, worshipping you in spirit and in truth, and seeking the furtherance of your kingdom.
[45:25] Lord, we pray that you would lead them all to these ends, and that you would have mercy upon us all for our sins, for we ask it in Jesus' name.
[45:36] Amen.