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pt.6 Fathers, Elders and Churches (Covenantalism)

 Covenantalism pt.6:

Fathers, Elders and Churches

In this message we will be looking at the family structure as it is integral in establishing the Church of God, we will look at the various offices of ordained men and their calling and their attribute which make them eligible as heads in the church. We will also be considering how leadership of families in a covenantal bond is needed to move the families with in it as they construct the nation and move it into action.

With our church government bound in a covenantal way, founded on faithful men from faithful families which build up to a holy nation, no tasks or accomplishments can be affected in times of Joy or trouble. 

 

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Delivered on 4-22-2022 / grego. 8-19-2022

 

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com


Covenantalism pt.6

Fathers, Elders and Churches

Tit_1:5  For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
Tit 1:6  If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
Tit 1:7  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Tit 1:9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

If you would recall, many weeks ago I pointed out that there was 2 major points that distinguish all churches, especially all protestant churches and these points are points of Church Government and Worship.

How to distinguish if our worship leads to church government or government teaches worship is to no avail at trying too distinguish, if we admit it is part of our worship to God by faith to believe in the Scripture, and that is taught us then the two are most intertwined.

But every protestant denomination has an answer for this text and the text to come in this message, while our belief here is to utilize the Law as the Apostolic rule for establish the Christian structure in Church Government, and other choose to use the NT alone, both systems lead a denomination, and all denominations differently to give an account for the office of Presbyter or Elder, Bishop or Over-seer and Deacon or Minister / Servant. And all who hold the bible as the truth of God must give an account for these things o thy are no Christian.

And while I believe our theonomic way of understanding the Apostles by the Law of the Pentateuch as delivered by GOD to Moses is the only truly biblical approach to an accurate understanding of the NT words understoos in a decent and orderly way, I also recognize that God despite our ignorance of divine law has given men of ministry to help the church in every system.

As for us, let us consider these verses for ourselves:

Let us go back to the text we read as we will also go to other texts today and look at some of the importance of having presbyters (plural) and a bishop (singular), and from where they should come and who they are.

Tit_1:5

  • For this cause left I thee in Crete,
  • that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting,
  • and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

Here is how:

Tit 1:6

  • If any be blameless,
  • the husband of one wife,
  • having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

 

Among the presbyters a bishop or over-seer is taken

Tit 1:7

For a bishop must be

  • blameless, as the steward of God;
  • not selfwilled,
  • not soon angry,
  • not given to wine,
  • no striker,
  • not given to filthy lucre;

Tit 1:8

  • But a lover of hospitality,
  • a lover of good men,
  • sober,
  • just,
  • holy,
  • temperate;

Tit 1:9

  • Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Notice Paul following the biblical pattern no different than that of Moses:

“in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city”

Exo_18:21  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:

Honor of Parents and heritage and people

Exo_20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Lev_19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man  and fear thy God: I am YHWH.

Purity of heritage 

Deu_23:1  He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
Deu 23:2  A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

Faithfulness required to be and to be taught to the men of the church by the Heads appointed

Num_30:1  And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
Num 30:2  If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Heads

 

The general need for headship in Government of a multitude

 

Deu_1:9  And I spake unto you at that time, saying, I am not able to bear you myself alone:
Deu 1:10  The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
Deu_1:11  (The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!)
Deu 1:12  How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?
Deu 1:13  Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.
Deu 1:14  And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.
Deu 1:15  So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.
Deu 1:16  And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
Deu 1:17  Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

The office of a bishop / over-seer who is judge and head of a unite of 10, 50, 100, 1000

1Ti_3:1  This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1Ti 3:3  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1Ti 3:4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
1Ti 3:5  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
1Ti 3:6  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1Ti 3:7  Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

the office of deacons / ministers / servants
1Ti 3:8  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1Ti 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
1Ti 3:10  And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1Ti 3:11  Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

1Ti 3:12  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

1Ti 3:13  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

1Ti 3:14  These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

 

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

We see clearly some very important things her in this establishment of Chrurch government

Now, let me be clear.
Church government is carried out in different ways by different churches, but nearly all churches with confessions or standards affirm 2 basic elements of that government Elders and Ministers.
As a presbyterial church, we are to have a jury system comprised of the men of the congregation, and these have a pastor of Elder appointed from among them.
Almost all churches have a representative, the Pastor, some churches have no stable singular pastor, but even with a plurality of men who teach, one might be selected.
The way we use church government and rally around it as families, and specifically husbands and fathers is what helps to bring about what ever denomination one falls into.

And churches that have no place for a head of the congregation, one to help in doctrine and judgement and to assure the faithful preaching of the Law and Gospel, simply is disobedient to all clear scripture. Even a family of a few children has a father to lead as the prominent head in worship and guidance in the wilderness. And when families and individuals come together in one place and a one time and are bound in a confession of that one time (sabbath), government is immediately required to keep those people together. And a Pastor or Shepard is needed to look over the sheep, guid the sheep to green pasture, assure they are drinking living water (gospel), and fix and repair the fences (teaching the law of God as confessed by the congregation).

Without headship, and faithful headship the sheep will not respond to word of God the master and Lord of the sheep.

Yes, this will affect how we understand the law and this government will be affect by how we believe in the use of the law, and this will also denominate a difference in the congregations, but nevertheless, with the most basic and rudimentary elements of church government the cells of that body have oversight and guidance.

Now, yes, I believe most churches have strayed far from Israel’s law of church Government, and I believe the restoration of the familial and kindred church is a needed covenantal renewal, but when we are at a point where this is lost, I still believe God sent the gifts of the ministry to accomplish this restoration though it is begun in an imperfect form: But unto  us is given the gift of Christ to help us in these troubled times.

Eph_4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Eph 4:14  That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Eph 4:19  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 4:20  But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

 

 

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About JS Lowther

Foremost I know that I am a chief sinner saved by Grace. I am a servant of YHWH Almighty the one true God Who is Father, Son and Spirit. I believe in God's only begotten and perfect Son Jesu(s) Christ whose redemption power of my soul I have Faith in and testify of. Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ, I wish to no longer spend my time in the lusts of the flesh and of this world, but to promote the Gospel of the Kingdom by means of the knowledge of the New Covenant, a reNewal of the Covenant God made with his people Israel in the blood of Christ (Jer 31:31 and Heb 8:8) whereby He writes His Law upon the Heart and Mind beside the forgiveness of sin and transgressions. I believe Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God as the WORD made flesh, and the son of man born of the virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit: I believe Christ Jesus Lived a perfect life for us as a living sacrifice as well as a pattern of the Sanctified newness of life a believer has in Him, I believe Christ Jesus died a cursed death on the Cross for His people of Covenant who are sinners, and I believe in Christ Jesus who Resurrected with power from Death from the grave to Justify the offenders. This is the same Jesus who is indeed the Son of David and king of Israel, who is both LORD and Christ over all the kings and dominions of the earth! In the fullness of time YHWH will regather his people under the Head of the Church, Jesu(s) Christ to affect his will according to the Lord's prayer, Psalm 2, 8 and 110 as well as Genesis 1:26. The focus of my administration of the Gospel is like unto my Lord's who said "I have come not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.."(Mathew 15:24), and so I have come to my European kinsman according to the flesh. It is my mission to show the Israel of God the Salvation which is taught by Scripture Alone and offered in all ages by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in the work of Christ Alone to the Glory of GOD Alone. As a modern day Puritan separatist it is my goal to purify the church of Christ with Faith heretofore stated. I am studying to show my self approved, if you have any questions just ask!

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