Sermon Outline:
- Submit to Christ's plan for your endurance in the salvation purchased by Christ's blood
- Elders cannot escape the burden laid upon them by Christ so make it joyful
- A church is not permitted to support elders whom Christ would not
Family Discussion Questions:
Younger and Older:
- Why is Jesus described as the church's Good Shepherd?
- How are elders and pastors supposed to be a living parable of how Christ over shepherds the church?
- What kind of men are we forbidden from treating as Christian leaders?
- Why is it an honour to you that Jesus would demand some men keep watch over your soul?
Deeper Discussion:
- How does the relationship between responsibility and authority help us understand the Gospel?
- How does a rejection of the need of the office of elder show a misunderstanding about the value of the Gospel itself?
- How might the qualifications of elder be shaped by a right understanding of how a person is converted, transformed, and perseveres? Discuss how various other views of those elements of salvation would affect our view of the role and qualification of an elder?
- Consider the phrase your leaders in verse 17. Why is it beneficial that God's design for the church identifies who one's leaders are?