Part three of Greg Gilbert’s talk on eldership given at Third Avenue Baptist in Louisville

We Are Looking for Men Who Have a Pastoral Maturity and Confidence

- A ship has ballast that keeps it from rocking too much and helps it to cut a steady course. We want men who have some obvious ballast in their lives.

- Some of that is what Paul is getting at when he writes in Titus and Timothy, “not a recent convert” and “well thought-of by outsiders.”

- There is a lot we could talk about here. But just a few points:

1. Has a Compelling Command of Scripture. People trust you with Scripture and with wisdom. They trust your counsel. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a master preacher. But even if your teaching gifts manifest themselves mostly in private, you need to be comfortable and trusted in that role. And even so, you need to have some ability to instruct the church publicly, too, even if that’s not your primary gifting or role.

2. You’re not overly complex in your teaching, but able to apply Scripture helpfully. Someone once told me that the simplicity of ignorance eventually gives way to the complexity of learning, which then eventually gives way to the simplicity of mastery. We’re looking for men who have made it over that hump a bit.

3. Has Learned to Keep Things in Good Perspective. Some people have theological landmines in their heads. You never know when you are going to hit one. KJV-only, etc. We want people who are able to see the relative importance of issues, and how Christian doctrine fits together as a whole.

4. Knows Largely Where He Stands. Being an elder is very much about applying theology and biblical knowledge to the church’s life. Learning is good—and we all are and should be constantly learning. But it is not elder-like to be in a constant mode of questioning, re-conceiving, and testing, especially on the most important matters. Elders should know where they stand and have a steady hand.

- All this is about a certain evident pastoral maturity and confidence. Ballast.

Thought-provoking article from Dan Kimball . Is multi-site the new mark of effectiveness? My thoughts mirror his below.

When we add our next gathering in our church, we will then maximize our space. We are talking about launching other gatherings at other building or “sites” in our county as our next step. If we do this, for our church community, we would never use video. Although I don’t say “never” too often, I can say “never” with pretty good assurance about us never launching video venues. For our philosophy and culture we would be training new leaders and communicators and sharing the teaching via a live team vs. video. We actually do use live video now. But it is for overflow on the church campus in a room and it still feels somewhat like everyone is together. .

Excellent article from T. M. Moore, dean of the BreakPoint Centurions Program, on reducing the Gospel of the Kingdom to Near Christianity

It’s rather like saying that the Good News is that Jesus provided an example for us to follow. Is that true? Of course. But is it the Gospel? Hardly. Or it’s like saying the Good News means you have a reason to do good works on behalf of others. Is that true? Certainly. But is it the Gospel? Not at all.

The Good News that Jesus and the apostles proclaimed is a message so comprehensive, so altogether new and radical, that it requires deep-seated, heart-felt repentance, complete surrender to the risen Christ, and whole-hearted belief leading to obedience in every area of life. It is the message of the Kingdom of God. Anything other than the Gospel of the Kingdom is not the Gospel at all, but a form of near Christianity that holds out promises germane to the Kingdom, prescribes means related to the Kingdom, but holds back on making the full vision and demands of the Kingdom clear to those who would enjoy the conditions of blessedness.

Near Christianity, therefore, leaves little in the way of Kingdom evidence in the lives and churches of those who embrace it. It leaves what it promises, and what people who embrace it desire: a sense of forgiveness, and the peace of mind that accompanies that, and a tentative hope of going to heaven when we die. As for power to transform sinful lives into beacons of holiness, goodness, beauty, and truth—well, that’s something to affirm, but not necessarily something to seek. [From Near Christianity - Prison Fellowship]

From Jordan Hylden’s article Aliens and Citizens

Hauerwas really did say it best: “The first responsibility of the church is to be the church.” It’s only when we learn to live first and truly as the body of Christ that our politics can be a witness to the city of man; it’s only when we set our eyes on the New Jerusalem that our life in Babylon can shine like a “city on a hill.”

The paradox of it can’t be let go—if for the sake of political witness or “relevance” we immerse ourselves in the politics of the world, we will wind up having nothing to say that the world has not already heard. But if our witness truly does flow out of the gospel politics of the church, we will begin to find that our words have surprising freshness and power—because finally, they will be telling the city of man about what it most needs to hear, which is the peace of the city of God.

…

But while it’s absolutely correct that the church’s gospel politics needs to come first, we should remember that the church nevertheless is the “already” in what is mostly still a “not yet” world. Paul argued that although the new age opened up by Christ’s resurrection does indeed take priority over the old age, it’s not quite right to say that the old age is simply over and done with. Paul thought that secular governments are used by God to govern the world, and that they can be a force for good, even in their coercive roles. Theologians such as Augustine, Luther, and Bonhoeffer took up Paul’s line of thought, reasoning that because God providentially works through governments, jobs, and families, Christians can and should participate in them.

It’s no compromise to believe that Christians are called to act like Christians in the many places in the world that are not the church—in our jobs, schools, communities, and governments. Involvement in secular institutions is no substitute for the gospel, of course. But it would be a small gospel indeed that could have no effect on the way they are run. As William Wilberforce showed, such involvement can make a real difference in the world and can itself be a witness to the gospel. Wilberforce would argue that it’s by no means less than Christian to “seek the good” of the Babylons where we live by participating in secular politics, as did Daniel and the rest of the exiled Israelites.

The trick is never forgetting where we come from, where our true homeland lies, and which Sovereign we ultimately serve. The second-century Letter to Diognetus described the Christian life in the world this way: “They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. … They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven.”

It’s not a bad way to put it. “In this world we have no abiding city,” as Scripture tells us—but so long as we are here, our call is to work and pray that our Father’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” That’s gospel politics.