We're turning to 1 Timothy chapter 3. We were here last Lord's Day, 1 Timothy chapter 3. We're just reminding ourselves of what we have here in the opening seven verses of the chapter. So we want to read the seven verses and then preach the word after prayer. So it's 1 Timothy chapter number 3. The Apostle Paul said by inspiration, this is a true saying, if a man desired the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. The 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 of filthy liquor, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, less being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. We'll end our reading at verse seven. Let's just pray. Our loving Father, we come before Thee again. This is Thy word, O God, Thou has given us. O God, these verses, these portions of God's word to direct us, to instruct us, with respect to those who are to hold office within thy church. Thou art the sole head and king of the church. Thou art the one who governs thy church. And Lord, we come and submit ourselves to now the teaching of thy word. Come and help in the preaching. Help us in the hearing. Let us, O God, be aware that God is speaking to us all. Oh yes, these things are required in the life of a bishop, of an elder, but how they are as much required in our own lives as we live out the gospel and as we represent thee in the world. Help us, O Father, in the areas where there are deficiencies. Help us to be honest and frank, O God, with ourselves. Help us to be those who say in the words of the hymn writer, search me and try me. Master, I pray. Oh, may the spotlight of thy word. Lord, we pray by the sword of thy spirit that thou will prize open all of our hearts and that we'll submit even to what we have before us. We offer prayer in and through Jesus precious and worthy name. Amen and amen. Well that's Lord's Day. We did begin by looking at the biblical qualifications of the man who desires the office of an elder or the office of a bishop within the church of Jesus Christ. Such has been described in the opening verse that it is a good work, it is an honorable work, it is a work that we should desire, those of us who are men within the body of Jesus Christ. And those qualifications are set forth in two portions of God's Word. We have read them together, Titus chapter 1 and 1 Timothy and the chapter number 3. Now last Lord's Day, we focused our attention entirely upon the qualifications that we have in 1 Timothy chapter 3. And just to refresh your mind, we noticed that there is a threefold division with respect to the qualifications that we have with respect to eldership. In the verses 2, 3, and 6, Paul deals with a man's personal character. And then he goes on to speak about a man's home life in the verses 4 and 5. And then he concludes by speaking about a man's testimony within the community at large in the verse number 7. And we only got as far as looking at some of the personal characteristics that a man is to have if he is to enter into the office of eldership. We thought about how a man is to be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker. And that's where we had to leave our considerations last Lord's Day. What we want to consider We want to continue to consider the man's personal characteristics, and then we want to think about his home life, and then we want to think about his testimony in the world at large. So we want to take up where we left off last Lord's Day. Now we thought about the first line, so we're coming to the tenth. The tenth qualification of a man who desires the office of an elder. He is not greedy of filthy liquor. Verse number three, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy liquor. Now the word liquor points us to money gained. And whenever the adjective filthy is added and attached to this word a looker, the phrase indicates money that is gained in a dishonest way, sordid money, shameful gain. This is what is being referred to in this phrase filthy looker. You see the man who seeks to become an elder should not be motivated by greed for money. He should be a man that is free from the love of money. For the love of money has brought many a man into a snare. His business affairs, if he is an employer, or even if he is an employee, ought to be guided by principles, biblical principles. What are those principles? The principles of honesty and integrity. This is how a man is to guide his business affairs. You see, how men get and invest their money, I believe is a very telling thing about their character, if a man gets his money dishonestly. If he's a man that's involved in what we would term as under-the-counter deals, if he's a man that lies on his self-assessment form, if he is a man who provides misinformation on his benefits form, then that reveals to us the character of the man. It reveals to us that that man is a dishonest man and his life is motivated by greed for money, a greed for money. The office, can I say, of eldership is never to be used by anyone who wants to advance their business interests. That happens in churches. Individuals who have their business and they think to themselves, well, if I could only get in to the office of eldership, that'll do well within the community and it'll advance my business interests. But the office of eldership should never be used to advance your business interests, but rather it should be used to advance the name and the cause of Jesus Christ and his church. Spiritual, not material wealth. should be utmost in the mind of the prospective elder. He is not to be a man that is a greedy individual, not greedy of filthy liquor. Now we read of individuals who were motivated by such things. We read in the verse 11 of Titus chapter 1, speaking about individuals that came in, those of the circumcision, these are speaking about Jewish prophets, Jewish teachers, and they came in to this little island of Crete, and they started to preach something that was unbiblical. Verse 11, Paul says, "...whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert all houses, teaching things which they ought not." And why do they do it? What was their motivation and do it? They were doing it for filthy looker's sake, in order to gain money. They decided to preach a message that just wasn't the right message. These were men that the salary was more important than sound doctrine. And how within churches there are individuals, ministers. I heard of a minister recently, a minister that was well known. And he held to the A.V. version. He would have been preaching concerning the A.V. version, but he has now taken up a pastorate. And within that church, the A.V. version has been thrown out. That man has compromised in his stand with respect to the faithful translation of God's word. Why did he do it? I'm not sure, but I hope that it wasn't for filthy looker's sake. Because that is a road to disaster. or that man spiritually speaking. And there are those within the church of Jesus Christ and they don't want to upset their congregation. And so they keep silent about things, and they allow things to drift, and they allow standards to drift. I pray that that will never be the case with this preacher, and it'll not concern me about whether I lose my salary or not, but that we would be faithful to sound doctrine and to biblical teachings. But elders need to be those men who are not motivated by money, not motivated by money. The third, or the eleventh qualification, moving quickly on, we have plenty to say today. The man who desires the office of an elder is to be patient. He is to be patient. We're in 1 Timothy chapter 3 again, with respect to this, verse number 3, but patient. An elder is to be a man of great patience, one who displays great gentleness, Great meekness when dealing with others. The word patient, it means to be considerate, forbearing, gracious, gentle. He should be a man of a mild and of a kind demeanor, just like his Savior. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. And the office of an elder and the man who fills that office is to be a man who is mild and who is kind and who is gentle. And that is understandable when you start to consider all that is involved in the role of being an elder. Is it not the case that such patience is required? When someone does go out of the way, when someone does backslider, or the backslide in the restoring of the fallen, how patient the elder must be in helping the young convert, how gentle he must be in bringing the young lambs along and speaking to the sinner, how gracious he must be. And therefore, a man that is rash, a man that is impatient, a man that lacks grace in their dealings with others has no place within the eldership of the church of Jesus Christ. They are to be patient. And so every brother, you need to ask yourself the question, am I a patient person? Am I a person who forbears? Do I suffer long? When wrong, when falsely accused, am I willing to pardon and forgive that individual? Do I display great patience when dealing with other believers? Such a man is suited for the eldership of the church. They are to be patient. The twelfth qualification for the man who desires the office of an elder is that he is not a brawler, not a brother. That phrase simply means that he is not to be contentious. He's not to be contentious. He's not to be a quarrelsome man, but rather he is to be a peaceable individual. The Greek that we have here of this word, it literally translates, not disposed to fighting. Not disposed to fighting. You know, there is nothing more difficult in the work of God than to have someone in its leadership who just likes to quarrel about everything and about anything. Brethren and sisters, we are exhorted in scripture to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Hebrews chapter 12 and the verse 14. We are to be peacemakers, not peace breakers within the church of Jesus Christ. Blessed are the peacemakers. We're to follow peace and we're to live at peace with one another. Now there are times within the eldership, there are times when we need to speak up whenever we have a contrary view than others. We are not to be simply yes men within a session, but we are not to be of a disposition that others within the session dread to go to the meeting of the church session because they know that so-and-so is going to argue about everything and anything. They are not a brawler. They are to seek peace within the church. And so if you're an individual who's hard to get on with, An individual that is of such a disposition that you argue about everything and anything, you're not suited for the eldership of the church of Jesus Christ. But there are times that you'll have to speak up, times that you'll have to reprove the preacher, times whenever you'll say things that are contrary, but not of such a disposition that everything and anything causes contention within the body of Jesus Christ. The 13th qualification for a man seeking to be elected to the office of eldership is that he is not covetous, not covetous. Now Paul has spoken about not to be greedy or filthy looker and really that's speaking about a man's attitude to money. But Paul is, by inspiration, he's spreading the net out a little wider. He's not just talking about money, but he's talking about everything in this world whereby we could become covetous, things that other people have that we do not have. We read there in the 10th commandment, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, the house, the manservant, the maidservant, or anything that is thy neighbor's. And really this is embracing this very thought within the 10th commandment. The individual, the man who is to be placed within the eldership, he is not to be of a covetous nature. He isn't to be craving after the things of this world. No, instead he is to be a man that is to be of a generous spirit, a man who is to be liberal, A man not liberal, let me just say, not liberal with respect to doctrine. I speak about liberality with respect to generosity within the church of Christ. He has to be a man that is hospitable, a man that is charitable, ready to help in all occasions according to the ability to which God has prospered that individual. He is not to be covetous. The 14th qualification of a man And that we find here that desires the office of a bishop is that he is not a novice, not a novice. You'll find that presented, we're skipping down to the verse number seven, or sorry, to the verse number six. Not a novice, as being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. The word novice, it translates to mean newly planted, newly planted. It's simply referring to the young convert, someone who has just been saved by the grace of God. Paul says, by inspiration, that such an individual is not to be placed into the office of the eldership. Just imagine that happening. It would be disastrous for the church, yes, but also for that individual. Pride would enter their hearts. Here I am, I'm only recently saved. And now I'm in position of an elder within the body of Jesus Christ. And as a result, that person will become inflated with their own ego. And they would exercise that within the body of Jesus Christ indiscriminately and unwisely. And so Paul, he says, not one who has just been newly planted into the vineyard of God, but rather someone that is spiritually mature. You see, there's something that God hates in all of our lives. It's pride. God resists the pride. We're told that in Peter. God resists the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. I was reading just a verse this morning, and how it reminds us that the Lord is high. The Lord is high, the psalmist said, but he hath respect unto the lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off. He knoweth afar off. God hates proud. And he realizes, and it's as where he's fencing. The old Scottish Presbyterians, they talked about fencing the table. Well, God is fencing his church here. He's protecting his church. And he's saying to those within the church, do not put into office a novice. Do not put into office someone who has recently converted, because that individual will be lifted up in pride. if such happens. You see, this really, this thought brings to our attention two things. Not a novice, it brings to our minds the thought that the man is to be spiritually mature. There is a spiritual maturity. That's the first thought that comes to our mind. Someone who is able to exhort the gainsayer, someone who with sound doctrine is able to oppose those who oppose the gospel of Jesus Christ, a novice can do that. They're only new in the faith, they're only feeding off the milk of God's Word. But a man who's got on to the meat of the Word of God, a man who understands the Scriptures, yes, one who is spiritually mature, that's the individual that is to take up the office. So it brings to our minds the thought of spiritual maturity, but it also brings to our minds the thought of humility. Humility. because the man who enters the office will be humbled by it, to consider the weight, the responsibility that rests upon that man's shoulders with respect to the body of Jesus Christ and the church of Jesus Christ. I tell you, you'll not be lifted up with pride. It'll humble you to consider that God would so choose in his providence and sovereignty to set you into such an important role and office within the body of Jesus Christ. There's the thought of humility here. And so let me address those in the congregation who are not long saved, not long saved. This office is not for you. It is not for you. It's not for you, at least at this time, in your Christian life. It's not for you. You may meet all the criteria, but this one disqualifies you for the election to eldership. But don't you be discouraged because of that. Rather, continue to walk with God. Continue to serve him within the church. Continue to grow in grace. Continue to acquaint yourself with God and to inquire a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ. And who knows, next time, Maybe next time, with respect to eldership, your name may be placed before the congregation as a candidate for eldership. So continue to grow in grace. God may have something for you just ahead. And for those men who will stand this time and not be elected, I want to speak to you. It may be that God would have you to serve as an elder. But it may not be just at this point of your life. It may not just be now. It might be next time, or the next time, or the next time. Maybe not this time. But don't be discouraged because of that. Now when I went to Bible college, I first made my approach to Bible college, I just thought that God had called me and that his time was now. And I went before the board and they said that I had to wait a year. And that really took me back. I thought, well, God has called me, surely it is this year. But I find in their wisdom and in the leading of God that those men were right. You see, I thought it was for now, but though I knew the disappointment of it, I was willing to submit to the sovereignty of God in the whole matter and go as God led in the next year. And I find myself to be there in the very center of God's will, even with respect to my age. And so you may stand, but you may not be elected. But if that happens, Don't be throwing up the head to use a colloquialism. Don't be leaving the church as a result of it. And don't be creating havoc within the body of Jesus Christ. I have said this and I repeat it again. The lot and the disposing of the lot is with the Lord. And brother, you should be of such spiritual maturity to realize that. That God is sovereign in these matters. And God is providential in these matters. And God knows what is ahead for you and your family. And may realize that this may not be the moment. So you need to prepare your own heart for that, and you need to prepare the heart of your family for that. Because it happens. Men stand, they're not elected, and they're left. They leave the church. You need to prepare your heart for God to sovereignly work in this matter. It may not be just this time, but you're to continue to walk with God, and you're to continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you would have thought, having come to speak on the What was it, the 14th qualification? You would have thought that we have ended these personal qualifications. Well, not so. Because as I mentioned to you at the beginning of these series of messages, there is a considerable overlap between what we have here in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. But there are a number of other, we would say, extra qualifications that Paul brings to our attention in Titus chapter 1. So let's turn there, and we're going to think about some more personal qualifications within the life of the individual. We're looking at especially the verses 7 and 8. For a bishop must be blameless. Well, we've thought about that. as a steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, we've thought about that, no striker, we've thought about that, not given to filthy liquor, we've thought about that, but a lover of hospitality, we've thought about that, a lover of good men, haven't thought about that, sober, just, holy, temperate. So let me bring to your attention now the 15th qualification. The man who desires to be elected to the office of eldership is not self-willed. In other words, they're not to be concerned about their own will. To be an individual that is consumed with the will of God. What is God's will? It simply means, this word self-willed in verse number seven, to have a self-loving arrogance. To be consumed with yourself. seeking your own way, your own satisfaction, your own gratification to the point that you disregard others. To use modern day language, we would say that a self-willed person is a headstrong person or someone that is stubborn. Stubborn. Now the world looks for such people. You go out into the world today, that's the type of people that a business wants to employ. They want to employ a self-willed individual, especially if they are going to head up a multinational company. If they're seeking someone, they're going to seek someone who's consumed with themselves and consumed with the business and will have their own way and will drive the company forward. or such individuals are used or searched for in order to head up maybe some multi-billion pound building project. They need someone at the head that's going to take the lead as it were. The world looks for such self-willed individuals, but there is no place for such men in the church of Jesus Christ. No place whatsoever. The man who is fitted for eldership is a man who says, not my will, but thine be done. Speaking about God's will, not my will, but thine be done. He will be a man who will seek to know the mind of God in every matter. And he will desire then that will to be done in his church here on earth. So let me ask you, brother, is it your way or no way? Is that the type of man you are? My way or no way? Are you an individual who disregards the opinions and the counsel of others? Are you stubborn? Are you unyielding? Are you obstinate? Well, if so, then eldership is not for you. Note the elder's not so angry, verse seven. But I believe we've dealt with that in comments with respect to the qualities of no striker, impatient, not a brawler. So let's move to the 16th qualification, namely, that an elder is to be a lover of good men. An elder is not only to be a good man himself, but he is to be a man who loves good men, and he is to love good things. The word literally here is translator, a promoter of virtue. a promoter of virtue. By his life and by his ministry he is to promote virtue within the body of Jesus Christ. What is virtue? It is behavior showing high moral standards. Moral excellence. This is what the man is to be a promoter of. He's not to be a promoter of worldliness, but he is to be a promoter of virtue within the body of Jesus Christ. And he is to love good men. He is to associate himself with good men. We tell a lot about a person by the company they keep and by their associates. And so a man who associates with the ungodly, The man who prefers the company of sinners is certainly not to be a man who should take the office of eldership in the church or any church. The elder is to be a man who loves good men. Good men. The 17th qualification. Notice verse 8. He is to be just. He is to be just. Just in relation to God. He is to be a justified man. He's to be a saved man. He's to be born again. He's to be converted. He's to be changed by the grace of God. There's no place in the church for an unsaved man. As with respect to the offices, there is no place for a man who is not saved. They are to be just, they are to be justified. But he is also to be just in relation not only to his God, but to his fellow man. An elder is to be righteous in his dealings. with men upright and sincere in his life, faithful in his counsel, his admonitions and reproofs. Thayer translates this word just to keeping the commands of God. That's what it is to be just, a man who keeps the commands of God. And so it's very simple, the individual who disregards the commandments of God is not suitable for eldership. God commands us to remember the Sabbath day. God commands us to labor six days and on the seventh day the man is to rest. Now do you keep that commandment? Because if you do not, you are not suitable for eldership in this church. You're not suitable. You're to be a man who obeys, and I've told you what the Greek is, keeping the commandments of God. God commands us to remember the Savior's death at the communion table. This do in remembrance of me. Now let me ask you, are you an individual that does that? That's a very clear command of God. He commands us to love the brethren. Do you have love for your brethren? Is there bitterness or hatred in your heart for another Christian? Then you're not suitable. You're to be just. You're to be right. In your dealings with God and your dealings with men, it is a just man. The 18th qualification, he is to be holy, sober, just, holy. Verse number eight again, he is to be holy. Just that qualification, it's speaking about my relationship with my fellow man. I spoke, yes, about our relationship to God, but primarily it is our fellow man. But this qualification that a man is to be holy, it focuses on my relationship with God. Brethren and sisters, we read in Psalm 93 verse 5 that holiness becometh God's house. Now it only stands to sense then that the officers of the church are to be holy. They're to be holy. It only stands to sense that the officers are to be holy men, a man who is devout to God. one who is consistent with the religious exercises within his closet, within his family, within the church, one who lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this world. Do you strive after holiness? You see, a holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin and will keep the commandment of God. A holy man will strive to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, a holy man will long for purity of heart and of life. Are these things evident in your life? Are you holy? Be ye holy, God said, for I am holy. I am holy. In 19th qualification, he is to be a defender of the truth. Titus 1 verse 9, we didn't read it, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught. Having believed and received the truth of God himself, a prospective elder is then to hold fast the faithful of God's word and defend it against the gainsayer. The word is literally the disputer. And so the elder must be a man who clings tenaciously and uncompromisingly to the word, the faithful word of God, even in opposition, and even when there is a temptation to abandon it for something that is more palatable, for something that is more ear-tickling. And how relevant that is and how needful that is, this quality of a man who can hold fast to the Word of God, a defender of the truth, how needful that is within the religious atmosphere in which we live today. A man who will stand by the truth and will support the minister in doing so. Faithful to the Word. And I also say the elders elected to this church need to be men who are fully convinced with respect to the stand of this denomination and its distinctives. Let me remind you of them. We are reformed in doctrine. We are Protestant in conviction. We are separatist in practice. We are Presbyterian in government. We are biblical in worship. We are sanctified in behavior and evangelistic in our outreach. I also remind that every man or man who is elected to eldership must subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith and to the subordinate standards, the Articles of Faith of the Free Presbyterian Church. And as an elder, you must vow before God that you will oppose apostasy the apostasy of the Irish Presbyterian Church, and also the apostasy at large within the province and further afield. That's what you will vow before God. So you need to be acquainted, brother, with the Westminster Confession of Faith, and with the Articles of Faith, and you must be willing to take such a vow before God, as I was when I stood before a congregation in Ballymena nearly five years ago. So we make it very clear. So we're all reading off the same page. You should know the vows. You've been at enough ordinations, I trust, and installation services. You should know the vows that a man makes. An elder will make the same vows or almost the same vows as what a minister will make. So I trust that you're aware of that. I trust that, first of all, you'll defend the truth of God's Word. For all these are subordinate. The confession, the articles, they are subordinate to the teachings of God's precious Word. That's the 19th. Well, that brings us to the end. Let's go quickly. The elders' home life. The elders' home life, we turn back to 1 Timothy 3. Be patient with me, I want to try and get this done today, please. The verses 4 and 5, an elder is to be one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity, for if a man know not how to rule his own house, How shall he take care of the church of God? It is essential for anyone in church leadership not only to have an exemplary personal life, but also an exemplary home life. The word ruleth, it translates to mean to preside, to have authority over, to stand before, to be the guardian and protector of. That's what you are to be as a man. That's what you are to be as a father. You are to be a man who presides, who rules over, who's a guardian and a protector of your home. The home of a church elder ought to be a well-governed home. How is that possible? Well, it's only possible when that home is governed by the word of God. A man who seeks eldership is to be one who properly presides over and governs his own family and does it well. Notice that it is he is the one who is to rule well this house. It's not the wife. If he is to be married, the wife is to be submissive to her husband's leadership within the home and the children of the home, if there are any, are to be in subjection to their father's rule. John Charles Elcott made this Comment on this particular qualification, this will be at least a good test of a man's fitness to rule the large family gathered together in the form of a congregation. If his own home is gently yet firmly ruled, the wife a patterned Christian lady, the children growing up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, you see the home becomes brethren the proving ground whether a man's administrative leadership capability, it is there that it is nurtured, it is made visible, and it qualifies or disqualifies that man from spiritual leadership. How he governs the home, how he handles his assets, how he administers his possessions is critical, critical. Can I say concerning the children of the home, by your non-submissiveness to your parents, by your disrespect of their authority, by your insubordination to their rule, that may simply mean that your father is disqualified from holding office within the Church of Jesus Christ because of your behavior. Because Titus chapter one says that the man or the children of the home, if there are children, and that is if there are children, they are not to be accused of riot or being unruly. That simply means being disobedient or insubordinate. Now it does say that they are to be faithful. And some would suggest, well, that means that only a man whose children are saved. Well, that's not so because that word faithful, it simply means that they are well-trained. They are well-trained in the things of God. They are catechized. They are taught the things of God. When a child leaves home and sets up home and goes their own way, it grieves our heart, yes. But here we have this thought, they've been well trained, they've been brought up in the things of God, they've been trained up in the ways that they should go. The question arises, how is a man to rule his house well? Well, that's a different message, but let me give you three ways. A man is to rule his house well, and when he does so, he will rule that house with authority, with authority. When a father speaks, a child ought to obey. And failure to do so must carry then from that father some form of discipline. It is not to be left for the woman to carry out the discipline. Fathers, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath. This may not be very politically correct, but the scriptures declare, Proverbs 13, 24, he that spareth his rod, hateth his son. But he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. Now the world has turned that on its head. If the world was writing that, they would have said, he that spareth his rod, loveth his son. And he that loveth him will spare the rod. That's what the world says today. But the scripture says that the man who loves his child will exercise some discipline upon that child if they continue to be unruly and undisciplined within the home. And whenever you think of that little microcosm, and you bring it out into the church of Jesus Christ, you know there is discipline that will be brought to members within the body of Jesus Christ. And if a man has not been able To learn how to discipline his own children at home, how will he ever discipline within the body of Jesus Christ? So there is to be authority, there is to be wisdom. Wisdom to rule the home, we need heavenly wisdom in governing any family, wisdom in every decision made, guidance must be and received from the Lord, the God of wisdom in relation to every choice, such wisdom is needed in the administration of the affairs of the church of Jesus Christ, so it is to be done with authority, it is to be done in wisdom, but most of all it is to be done with love. That's how you'll rule well your house, you'll rule it well with love. When a child understands a father rules his home by law, that will enable that child to be in subjection to his authority. They will simply delight to honor and obey the father who dearly loves them. When people understand that then it is love that guides the eldership within the church, then they'll come to understand that these things may seem harsh and hard to me, they are only doing it in love. Doing it in love. One preacher summarized it this way. If a man is going to lead in the church, he must have demonstrated in the home that he can exercise authority that makes it advisable to obey, wisdom that it makes it reasonable to obey, and love that makes it delightful to obey. You know, we're all aware of the statement, as the home goes, so the church, and as the church goes, so the home. How true it is. The home must be right if the church is to be right. So let our prayer be then, O give us homes built firm upon the Savior, where Christ is head and counselor and guide. Let me close very quickly, the elders' testimony within the community. Verse seven, moreover, he must, 1 Timothy 3, seven, moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, as they fall into the snare of the devil. The word report, it simply means testimony. It refers to the fact that the man is to have a good testimony, a virtuous testimony, an honest, a commendable, an honorable testimony. Now, where is he to have that testimony? Within the church. Well, brethren, sisters, you all know that it's very easy to pull the wool over the eyes of our brothers and sisters, isn't it? But that's not where this testimony is to be. This good testimony is to be those that are without. Simply speaks of those that are without the church, without the visible church, without the church of the firstborn, within society at large. And so when it comes to this point, you as communicant members, you need to start asking these questions over the next number of weeks. The man that I'm going to vote for, what is that man's testimony within the community in which he resides? Is he a reputation of being an honest, godly, righteous, truthful, gracious, patient, Christ-like man? Is he a man of his word? Is he a man of integrity? Is he a man that is well respected? Is he a man that is known to be a Christian seven days a week and not just on a Sunday? Is he a man of biblical convictions? Is he a man of whom the ungodly would say, you know, I don't agree with that man's Christian beliefs, but there's one thing about that man, he's a man of character. He's a man who lives out what he believes. We're not going to do this. But I believe it would be very interesting if we did. It'd be very interesting if we were able to bring to the pulpit the unsafe family members, the unregenerate work colleagues, the unconverted neighbors of every man who was seeking eldership within this church and allow them to give testimony of how they really live outside their Sunday best. That would be very interesting. See, brothers and sisters, we're all under the world's microscope, and we should all have a good report of them that are without. Philippians 2.15 sums up the kind of testimony that we should have, that we should be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world. I close with this. I put it as simply as I can as the minister of this congregation. The election of a man or man from this congregation to the eldership of this church should not raise eyebrows in this community. Each man ought to have such a testimony in this community that the people who hear of your election should be unsurprised concerning it. They should be unsurprised. They shouldn't be raising their eyebrows and saying, oh, is that the type of man? If only they knew. If only they knew. Time is away. But I trust that what I've brought over the last couple of weeks, and we've been quick in our last considerations, but I trust that it will help you as a Communicum membership in choosing the right man to serve as ruling elders. Now I want to bring a final concluding message. I don't plan to be as long, God willing. I don't plan to be that, but I want to bring a concluding message. I want to give some general remarks at the end of that message. But I trust that God will lead us biblically in the matter that lies before us. And if there are deficiencies, may God help us to put those deficiencies right. May He put them right by the Spirit of God. May God give us good and godly men. men that have a testimony in their home, men that have a testimony within the church, men that have a testimony in the world at large. And I believe that if that is the case, then this work will go forward from strength to strength. May God lead you and guide you as a congregation in coming days. Let's seek the Lord in prayer. Our loving Father, we come before thee. O God, we are. We find ourselves short of this standard. God, forgive me. Help us to put things right in our homes and in our families, we pray. In our own personal lives, give us a testimony beyond the four walls of this building. Now God, save us. and knowest me altogether. Lord, you know us through and through. Thou art the God who is omniscient. Thou art the God who is omnipresent. There is no hiding from thee. We run to the blood of Christ. We seek fresh cleansing for where we have failed thee. Help and guide, O God, this congregation. Help us all to have an open heart to Thee, and an open ear to Thy voice. Bless every home. Take us safely to our homes even now. Bring us back for the gospel service. For we pray these, our prayers, and through Jesus' precious name. Amen and amen.