INTRODUCTION--Ever try to beach a boat in a storm?
JESUS IS GOD'S LIGHT--THE LIGHTHOUSE
WE MUST BE A "LOWER LIGHT
HOW DO WE BECOME "LOWER LIGHTS?"

We have had several questions in the "question box" in recent weeks concerning leadership in the Church. Like a lot of things, leadership takes time to build. Historically we know that congregations were established and functioned without elders during the first century, but the apostles dealt with that through their authority. In Acts 14:21 Paul and Barnabas worked with congregations in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. In verse 22 we read that teaching and exhorting was done with these fledgling congregations, and later in verse 23 we see Paul and Barnabas "ordaining elders in every Church." In Titus 1:5 Paul instructs Titus to ordain elders in every Church--so Churches were functioning without elders until God led them to the spiritual level required for elders to be secured. In Titus 1:7-9 we read about Titus being told how to recognize a man qualified to be an elder. In Timothy similar instructions are given in 1 Timothy 3, and in 1 Timothy 4:14 the laying on of hands of the presbytery (or elder) is referred to as a gift that Timothy had to meet that need.

We are not told how these infant congregations functioned without elders before elders were appointed, but it appears that their size made shepherds unnecessary. Elders are not business managers, CEOs, dictators, or corporate decision makers. Elders are shepherds, spiritual doctors, Bible scholars, teachers, encouragers, examples, and are charged with the spiritual health of the congregation. In a congregation as small as this one is, all of these things have to be done by the group, and for the most part we do it well here.

One thing elders are charged to do is to lead the congregation in evangelism, in promoting the gospel of Christ in the world around us. When we do not have elders, that leadership has to come from within all of us. In the past two weeks we have encouraged everyone who is a member of the Church here to give some thought and prayer to how we should do this. We cannot justify our existence if all we are doing is to maintain a nice physical structure for ourselves and our families. God has blessed us with some very talented people in our midst. We have half a dozen women who have nursing skills and training. We have five or six men who know about motors and engines and repairing problems in a house. We have a dozen members with good culinary skills. We have a dozen members capable of conducting meaningful classes for all age levels. Please write down your ideas and thoughts of where we as a congregation should go and this afternoon let us listen to each other's ideas.