Sometimes we have young people's meetings and then come for listen. A, but listen for L. And this doesn't mean you say the young people can't listen. It means that someday you're going to be old and give you something to aim at. What God will expect you to be when you become a senior citizen. But I hope that possibly it will have another benefit. You'll be able to judge. Are those in the chapel who you can respect in the capacity of an elder? To return over to Acts chapter eleven for the first text, I want to say a few things before we get to it. That is, message of this kind could be preached more frequently than it is. I don't know when I ever spoke to an elder before in my life, but recently I've been burdened about it, so I'm going to speak about it. Christian need to know what constitutes an elder, a leader, a ruler, a guide in the church, one to whom you can go with confidence, with assurance, with esteem, with respect, and ask for counsel and for advice. All these things are found in the word of God concerning an elder in a church, Lord and Overseer. The word elders found in the New Testament, not including the Revelation. In the book of Revelation, there were elders found many times, but that's in heaven. And so we'll not be speaking about elders in heaven. There's perfect there. That's quite evident, and certainly we're not yet in that stage in heaven. We're still on earth, and therefore that we're subject to imperfection. So we'll not speak on the elders in heaven. We'll speak on the elders, but the elders are first. There are different words used concerning an elder. There's the word bishop or only bishop off, and also the word overseer and the word elder. Now, the word elder, as I mentioned already, twenty-six times, and the word episcopal or bishop six times in the word overseer Christ. And that they all refer to the same person. That means thirty-four times in the New Testament you read about an elder in the church. An elder refers to the man, his age, his maturity, he's grown up. He's not enough. The Bible says an elder is not to be enough. An elder is to be a mature man, a man who's grown up, who's got some experience behind him. So the word elder has to do with the man, but the word overseer has to do with the work of the man. He oversees the super change. things in the church. So I trust those new remarks will help you to understand what the word elder means. Now the first text I want you to notice is in chapter eleven and verse thirty. Verse thirty of chapter eleven. This is very interesting in verse thirty, chapter eleven. I think this is the first time you'll find in the Acts, in connection with the church, the word elder. And in verse twenty-nine. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send a leap unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea, with also they did, and sent it to the elders, by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. Now there were snakes that sprout down in Jerusalem, and the Christians were without food and necessities of life, and so here they're going to send help to these Jews. And they're sending this food and raiment and things of that kind by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. And all these things were sent to the elders down in Jerusalem. Now Pentecost was thirty years before this. And so those people saved of Pentecost, and many of them were priests. And when they were saved, Jewish priests, they became elders. Well, it takes about that length of time to develop an elder who's mature. Sometimes one may develop in ten or twelve years, but that's a rare thing. But a lot of these early Jewish elders, no doubt they developed rapidly because they were saturated with Old Testament Scripture. Now and again you'll hear that you on the radio, and it's amazing how he can open up the Word of God because of the vast knowledge he had of the Old Testament Scripture. Then when he got saved, the New Testament, the person of Christ is the key to open up all the Old Testament. And so some of those early Jewish converts They grew rapidly once they found the Savior, the Messiah that was coming. And the Old Testament just opened up to them. And I say today the reason that younger men are not developing more is because they're lacking the spiritual, religious background that young men had fifty, sixty, seventy years ago. A lot of young men were raised up to become preachers in the South. far more many years ago than they are today, because back in those days, just about every home had a family altar. Just about everyone went to church, and there was a godliness. There was a reverence. Grace was there at the table. Sunday was indeed a day of rest. And there was an atmosphere in the land. There was an atmosphere of reverence for the things of God. And a lot of young men and young women were brought up in godly Sunday schools with a godly Sunday school people. The word of God was taught. And there's the groundwork for development. The day you find a young person gets saved, you ask them to turn to the cook of John and you'll be looking for it over in Genesis. He doesn't know the first thing about the Bible or where the books of the Bible are, let alone their content. And there's the advantage of young people being brought up In godly homes and godly churches where the Bible was taught. As for myself, I knew how to be saved before I was a sinner. I was taught it. Right from as long as I can remember, I was taught a sinner. And I remember one time, I several times, I had to take some of my buddies to hear the gospel in a little chapel. I wasn't saved, and they weren't saved, and they had never gone to worship. Right here. And I was sitting beside them and the preacher said, well, folks, you've got me born again. I don't know if they know what that means. And I want to tell them what being born again was, my own buddy. And as the preacher has gone along, I want to explain to them what the preacher was saying. And I want to say, in other words, I had learned these. So when I did get saved, I had a headshot. And here's the plan. You have mothers and fathers who have taken, bringing up their children in the looks and admiration of the Lord, laying that foundation. Then when they get saved, they've got the soil, their roots are already deep in the soil, and they develop. So you find here that these elders evidently develop rapidly in the early days. And here is the first mention of the elders in the New Testament, that is the church elders. Now the next one is in chapter fourteen, and verse twenty-three. Fourteen and twenty-three. And when they had ordained, I don't know who's being ordained in here. The Apostle Paul and them had been outspeeching, and it says in verse twenty-two, they were confirming the souls of the disciples. Now, you don't find anything in the Bible about confirming children, twelve years of age, or anything like that. You're only confirming babies in their sins. Here is confirming the disciples. You don't find anywhere in the New Testament about confirming babies or confirming children. Three times the word confirm is found. He confirmed the churches. He confirmed the apostles. He confirmed the disciples. Adults are being confirmed. Confirming the truth. Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. And that means we must do much to the nation. Then he went to victory in his cross. And when they had ordained them elders. In every church, when they prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed. I'll show you how small this gathering was. They're going to ordain elders. They even passed. They went without need. Just to pray and spend that time and prayer before God. They wanted to have the mind of God. They're going to ordain these elders. and these men had to be qualified before they could take that offer, and you'll see that later on, and here they come together on this solemn occasion to attain elders, not people, to ordain elders with everything, and pray the pastor with the commendation of the Lord on whom they believed. They were believing elders. Now notice what two of the next chapter. When therefore Paul and Barnabas have no small dissension and dissertation, then they determine that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders. The elders are associated with the apostles. About this question, and you'll notice in verse four, and when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders. and David declared all things that God had done with them. I want to point out to you a business meeting. This was likely the greatest business meeting in the church's history. They've got something to discuss. It's a serious matter. It's a subject of whether Gentile Christians should be circumcised like the Jews. And here they come together, these gifted men, and I go to discuss this subject. And there's no chairman here. There's no one supervising, no master of ceremonies. Now I want you to notice how different ones take part. And you'll notice as we read down in verse six. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider this matter. And again there had been much disdain. Peter rose up. No presiding elder here. Peter rose up of his own accord, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, but the Gentiles by my mouth would hear the word of the gospel and believe, and God which know of the heart, hear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them through refining our hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempteth God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples that he that our fathers and that we were able to bear? He's making references to Scripture. And he says, But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they. Then notice the next reading. Then all the multitude kept silent and gave audience Barnabas, and Paul. Now Barnabas first, I believe he was the first speaker, and then he was followed by Paul. What are they going to do? Declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their feet, they were true, shame, answers day. Men and brethren, ark them unto me. Simon had declared, how God is a first, if this is a Gentile, to take out of them a people for his name, and to disagree the words of the prophet, as it is written. After this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down, and I will build again the ruins of Lot, and I will set it up. Very clear, very plain, as you read about this meeting, that this is a meeting. It was not arranged. The Spirit of God was leading either one of these men to speak on this subject. For instance, take our worshiping. I've known strangers that come into some of these big worship meetings. Where there are gifted men, and even in the meetings here, I've noticed it. And they couldn't believe that that meeting wasn't arranged beforehand. Because a brother gave out a hymn and made reference to the blood of Christ. Or it may be making reference to the coming of the Lord Jesus. Or it may be in connection with the love of God. The brother who had been led to get up and take part in worship, he would mention the same theme. Maybe something about the blood. Another brother gave up and released something on a scripture about the blood of Christ. Another gave out a hymn in the same line. The same theme. And all the way through the meeting there was one theme. Maybe the blood of Christ. Maybe the love of God. Maybe the coming of Christ. And I've had people say, do you need to tell me that that wasn't Paul arranged beforehand? No? Well, it went on so smooth. Everybody seemed to contribute. They said, that's the leading of the Spirit of God. And that's the way of business leaders, certainly not. Elders coming together over the Word of God, and there's enough time to prepare and study. They'll be able to turn to the scriptures as always. We've noticed in chapter fifteen. They made quotations. They reprinted the word of God, bearing on the subject of pain. And that's the only way you're going to have a meeting under their control, not of a child, but of the Spirit of God. Now notice again some other verses here. Verse twenty-two. verse twenty to the same chapter. Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, the same chosen men of their own company, to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas, namely to the surname Bartholomew and Silas, chief men among the brethren, and they vote lepers by them after this matter. The apostles and elders, and brethren sent weeping unto the brethren which are of the ten thousand Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. For as much as we have heard that certain went out from us having troubled you with words subverting your soul, say ye must be circumcised and keep the law for whom we gave no such command. And I'm not going to read the rest of the chapter, because here is the conclusion of that business meeting and the letter that was sent by the elders along with the apostles. There's another scripture in reference to the elders. I think it's over in chapter twenty. Chapter twenty. Chapter twenty. Notice verse sixteen of chapter twenty. For Paul had determined to scale by effortless because he would not spend the time in Asia for he hated it were possible for him to be a Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. And from Melita. He sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. There's no one elder. He's called the elders of the church. All is in the plural. And our Lord is verse twenty-eight, and I want you to get a hold of this. He's talking now to these elders. Take thee therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost have made you overseer. Think of that. The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers or elders to do what? To feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. That's very certain there. Take heed. Talk to the elders. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to call upon which the Holy Ghost hath made you unolder. Here's a man singled out by the Spirit of God to be an overseer, an elder. Not something decided in some big flushed office with a few of the high octaves of denominations, saying, Who's to do this and who's to do that? Here is the Spirit of God, selecting these men for eldership in the Church of God. And the first thing you notice they are to feed the Church of God, not fleece them. They're to fleece. not leave them of their money, but bless them with the word. And this is very clear and very important. So you find the elders and the responsibility that rests upon them. I want to say when the Spirit of God makes an elder, he will only make a man an elder when that elder or that man fits into the path that God gives us in his word, and it's very plain and we'll be speaking on that as we go on here, to show you the pattern, the requirements, the qualifications for a man that the Spirit of God will lay his hand on, and say, that's your plan to follow, to listen to the follow, and to go to for help and for help. One that God has distinctly laid his hand upon for being an elder. Think of verse thirty. Why is this so important? Verse thirty is just. Also in verse twenty nine. For I know this, that after my departing shall previous bulls enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Paul knows that in his absence there are going to be people from without that are going to destroy that church or that assembly. So you're going to have to have some strong men killers who are going to be able to meet that offense or that attack from without it. But he says there's going to be something else more here. Verse thirty. Also of your old smell shall men arise, speaking perversely to draw away the cycles after them. Trouble from the dead. Men rising up and trying to discard the people of God. speak discouragingly, and cause of the division, and distraction, and dissatisfaction, with one object to get disciples following. And what is the word of God's day? He says in Romans sixteen and seventy, I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions among you, and will tempt this from carry to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. This is God's warning. changes from the doubt, and changes from within. And here's where there's the need for elders to be able to defend the truth of God and meet these attacks upon the testimony. Now I've given you the word of God, but there's much more. And I'm not going to turn to all these scriptures. Time will not permit, but I don't want to point out too big. The attitude of Christians or the saints of God toward elders. And then the attitude of the elder toward the sick. First of all, what is the attitude of a child of God or a saint toward an elder? This is it. Hebrews verse thirteen, seven. Remember them which have the rule over you, and that's the elder, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follows. If a man has spoken unto you the word of God, you can follow him. If he hasn't given you the word of God, don't follow him. If he's given you tradition, don't follow him. But if he's given you the word of God, you can follow him through faith. And that word faith is an entity. It means what? He says the faith, whatever the limit of the sin, be faith, the definite out of it. deep faith, what does that mean? It means the whole body of the view of faith. There is one faith, one baptism. Oh, the world says there are many faith, but all kinds of denominations under this. No, not in the church. There's only one faith that's not recognized. One faith, that one faith whatever delivered to the church. And so here you find these men, and they are preaching the word, whose faith The whole body of revealed truth. Paul says, I have not shunned the betrayal unto you. The whole counsel of God. There is peace. Whose faith followed? Considering the end of the conversation, what is it? Jesus Christ, who said yesterday, the day and the day. That's the end of the object of an elder. For anyone who's handling the word of God, The end of object of his ministry and his example in life is Jesus Christ. He's saying yesterday, today, and whatever. Then another text in chapter thirteen of Hebrews, verse seventeen, the one I've just given you, is verse seven. Now listen to this. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourself, for they watch for your soul. as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with greed, for that is unprofitable to you. Not unprofitable to the elderly, but unprofitable to you, if you do not submit to the Scriptures and the Word of God and the Principles that they present to you. Now there's the Word of God. O pay, then, that has the rule over you. believe something, he doesn't have the word of God to back it up. But an elder can't present the word of God clearly and plainly. Well, then it's up to this brother to pay that. They watch for your soul, and they must give an account. If I give you counsel, if I give you advice, and I give you scripture for it, I've got to give them a counselor. In that day, if I'm wrong, you're going to be right if you obey what I said, even though I was asked. You obey what God said, obey them that has the rule over you. In other words, if I'm giving you the word of God, and there it is for you and for me, you follow what God says you're to do. Obey. But if anyone is founded in the Scriptures and founded in the Word, he's not going to do it. He's got to give an account for these. And that's a serious response to that. Obey them that have the room over you and submit yourself. For they watch for your soul. They are interested in your spiritual welfare, as they that must give an account, and that should make every elder careful. Give an account. You've got to give an account for everything you preach and everything you talk, that they may do it with joy and not with joy. Yes, I've been free many, many, many times. Trying to give advice and counsel and give all kinds of guidance, they both believe. And you agree to think of how they'll turn down the plain teachings of Scripture. It's right to you. Nevertheless, all our elders can do is present the word of God as God has given it to him. People don't accept me. He discharges not responsibility. I would rather do it with joy and not with pleasure. But it's unprofitable for you, not the elder. It's grieving to him. It's unprofitable for you. And then another thing, there should be recognition and appreciation of an elder. In First Thessalonians five, twelve, thirteen, and we beseech you, brethren, to know them. which labored among you, and I want you to underline that word, labor, which know them which labor among you. Being an elder means labor, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. Verse thirty, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake and be of peace among yourselves. If there were that objection and submissive to the words of God, then there would be peace among us. And I trust you. You take these things in. Here is God's word, and God wants us to accept it. I may not think it's right, but there is a slip. I'm going to bow to it. I'm going to obey it. God said it, and I believe it. And so instead of a cohabit that Jesus criticized me, God has seen them very highly in love for their work today. I'll tell you one thing. It's not a pleasant job sometimes to try and help them lead and guide all God's people, just like a true shepherd. If you look at a shepherd out there caring for his flock of sheep, there's a beautiful meadow and lovely flowers around, wild flowers, a lovely lake in the shade of a tree. Oh my, it must be wonderful to be a shepherd. What a peaceful life. Out there in that lovely weather, in that lovely meadow, feeding those sheep in the sun is shining, the birds spinning, the flowers are blooming? Yes. That's one sign. But at night, a while, these stuff, maybe seven, or maybe a robber's stuff. And that shepherd's got to fight for his sheep. He's got to meet the changes. He puts his life on the night. It may be going through the rocks and the hills at night and lightning and thunder, so to seek a sheep that's gone astray. That's the others. It's pleasant for them. It's painful for them. To be a shepherd, to be an angel. Among God's people. Then it says further, to honor, respect, and trust. Here, first Timothy, five, seventy. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. Think of that. Double honor. Especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. And again in verse ninety. Against an elder received not an accusation. Now that's something that offers something. Against an elder received not an accusation. Before two or three were confident. practical sympathy as you have in James five forty. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church. And let them pray over this, munching in oil in the name of the Lord. And here is a sympathetic understanding, elder, or elder, willing to go and visit the sick. And this is a good minute for the elders of the church. Several times over the years, I say more than that, and I didn't want to go away. I did to this home. And when they knew I was going up north, going away, I'm sure you're going out to the new hospital there. I was looking forward to these visits. Well, I'm sure it's you. I'd like to be here. I'll take you a visit. I've asked this question. You may be right in this audience now, I asked this question. I said, when I'm not here, Who would you call the faithful? Who would you ask to come and see you and visit you and read the scriptures with you and pray with you? I've had two men named, mentioned them all by light and all by. I'm not going to mention their names. Two men in this assembly who came to me, to me, there are your elders. There are your elders. God's people recognizing these men in that capacity. Now the attitude of the elders toward the saints. The elders are to care for the saints. He the flock of God. They are to exercise control and oversight, as you read in first Peter five and two. And it says not lording over them. In other words, not taking advantage of God's people. You've got to be firm as a father. But just as loving as a father, an elder that's soft and pliable and gives in to anything, he's not much of an elder, he's got to stand tall at times. My father was firm, very firm. I thought he was cool sometimes. The older I've got, the more I reveal and respect the memory of my father. He was the thought sort of me when I was sixteen and I was bigger than he was. I'll tell you that I look back now. I thank God for my father. I love him. I love him the older I get. And so there has to be firmness at times. It's got to put your foot down. But that doesn't mean to say you don't love the people of God. You love him. The very fact you do that is an evidence that you love him. And so not as lording over God's people are taking advantage or acting as a dictator, but to be as firm as a father. And as loving as a mother, if you want to put it in. And then he says you're going to be an example. First Peter, five, three. An example to the flock. In other words, younger people can say, well, I want to be just like that man. That's the kind of Christian I want to be when I grow up. That kind of man. Nice when they just say that about the elder ladies, isn't it? And there's something in the Bible that you speak on that sometimes, elder women. the elder men and the elder women and what the younger people are to respect some elder women and what the elder women are to do for the younger women. So here we're talking about the elders, the masculine. And another thing, an elder is to practice self-control, patient and not be quarrelsome and not a brawler. Where do you get that? Titus, one, seven to nine. For an elder of bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self-will, rather be strict to will. I know by nature I serve. I know by nature I am stubborn. I know not all my life. But I'll tell you this, when I get the word of God behind me, I'm twice as stubborn. I'm twice as stubborn. And when you've got the word of God, you can be firm. You don't have to sit around the book. And sometimes God needs a man who's got some fire, and he's going to get anything done. But here's what God says about elders. For a bishop or elder must be blameless as the steward of God, not shalt, he is not soon angry, lowering their sacks over little things, not given to wine. no striker or brawler, not given to filthy losers, no loving for money, greedy for money, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, 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 game set, able to teach, to condemn it, skillful in teaching the word. And the scripture says, able to convince the adversary, able to take the word of God and unusually fit it and qualify to take the surgery. This is an elder I'm talking about, not a full-time minister. This is an elder in a local church. Sometimes the Lord very graciously gives some of those who Plant an assembly, I think, a position and a title above an L. To me, it's more warm and affectionate. That's a problem. Here at Corinth, and I was amazed, I said, I've never read it. I've never heard it before. I've never discovered it in the Scriptures. I couldn't find the word elder in the two epistles of Corinthian, verses, second epistle. Sixteen chapters in the first epistle, thirteen in the second. Thirty-nine chapters. No mention of an elder. You turn over to where Paul went into court, and the church was begun in court. No mention of an elder. And yet in that church there were a lot of gifted men. No mention of an elder. But in that church there was a lot of squabbling going on. In that church there were four little clipps. In that church there was a lot of talk under Paul. And Paul went there. And he uses authority. He rebuked them for their calling and their division and their lack of power. And he said, you seek authority, my authority for doing this. He said, I'll give you my authority, your very existence. For that's a power that I begot you through the gospel. I'm talking to you as a father, not an elder. That was how Paul assessed the church's moral. And he was right through the ground. Now to sum this up. And now there's a man who feeds the flock, guards the flock, guides the flock, leads the flock, cares for the flock and sickness, knows what it is to restore someone who's backsliding with the spirit of meekness, and also to exhort the sick. Blameless in the world, blameless in the essence. I read this before, come to me tonight, I thought, to not be possible. Blame. With God put something in here that's not nothing, I began thinking of some men. One was Mr. Reaver. I knew him ever since I was saved. He died about six or seven months ago at the age of ninety-nine. Wonderful old man. He had been a soldier. He died at ninety-nine, and he was an elder in the church at Windsor, Ontario. He wasn't much of a speaker. But he knew the book. And I'm going to tell you, he ruled out of suddenly like a father, love and wisdom and understanding. And his life was so godly and outstanding that I think everybody admired Mr. Lee. I think about two years ago, a young lady and her husband were tripped ill over his courtier, and they come to the hospital here. I'll tell them on our back, and I'll do your attention to it. And when they were on the oil in the ambulance, he was coming for a deal. He said to the husband who changed the street, says, I believe Leicester. It's somewhere around this area, isn't it, Albany? When he got to the hospital, he said, I looked up my name, couldn't get through the crook, but he found out, too long distance, and he called me at the house. And when he talked to me over the phone, I couldn't believe it. I went to the hospital, and she was seriously old. But the first thing I said, how's your father? He's certified. But since then, she died. He was ninety-nine. And I spoke to her about her. So here it can be. I've known several others. I think it's Jimmy Chapel, North Carolina. A wonderful man. He had one or two thoughts, but my, they were insignificant compared to how he excelled as an elder. Dare to be spiritually mature. And godly in character, says just and boldly. Having a knowledge of the word of God, able to teach. to be recognized, esteemed, remembered, obeyed, and supported, and trusted. And I want to say this, not to be rebuked by a younger man. The Bible says, if you want it, in First Timothy, five, one, Paul says to Timothy, rebuked, not an elder. Now, this is something. Timothy was to be Paul's successor. So he was no ordinary young man. He was very gifted. He was very qualified. And Paul says, Timothy, you're going to step into my shoes. You're going to take over this great responsibility. I have no man like mine. And the first thing he says in his farewell epistle, Timothy, don't you rebuke another. But his treatment was fine. And yet I know what is every young fellow rebuke me. Well, I know one thing. He's been out of the will of God, for the Spirit of God never leaves contrary to the Scripture. And the Scripture says, Reduce, not an elder. I didn't say it, God says. And it says this, an elder should be the husband of one wife. Maybe that's a little house tree. Do you know what the original means? A husband of one wife. Now, in that day, I know who was polygamous. And Paul and John are referred to that too, to be a husband of one wife. But in the original, there's this force. He must be married only once. That's what the Bible says. So here are the qualifications of another. And there to be men of accomplishment. They've accomplished something. They've lived. They can point to something. Yes, there's the truth of their life. To be an elder is to have a wonderful office, but it costs. It costs. Anyone who can take this office out of love to God and Christ and out of love to God's people and spend the time studying the Word of God that he might be able to help them with the Word in their problems, in their circumstances, and in their sorrow, and in their sickness, in their belief. to be able to comfort the saints of God. Yes, that's what God wants men to do. It's not an easy job. It's a job that requires a lot of power, a lot of study, a lot of prayer. If you're going to be in hell, that's what it will tell you that God's people can lean upon and put their trust and confidence in you. These are scriptures. I've given you a host of them tonight. I've given you just about as many more. But if people won't believe two verses, they wouldn't believe a thousand. Here they are. They're for you to accept thy trust and obey. There are two things that's very clear in the Bible that God does not want. He doesn't want his servants to be controlled by money or controlled by votes. That's been the ruination of too many churches. A man has a salary, and the Lord pulls that club over. You do, Eloah, you do to the light, or we'll tighten up on the purse strings. Well, thank God no one's ever had that power over me. I went out forty-three years ago to preach the gospel, and God told me as long as you preach my word, I'll take care of it. And he's done it ever again. And no one's ever held a club like that over me. And the wonderful thing is, God has met my need at times when some stop. And when one stop, two or three, were raised up by God in their stead. And God has never been. Never been. Because I'm not looking for man for my support. I serve the Lord twice. And he says, Be ye not the servants of men. That's something that God will never commit, his service, to be controlled by the person. Another thing, the book. I read an article not too long ago in a Baptist magazine, written by Mr. Palmer, here in Mr. Palmer, and there was an article in there by the editor. He said there were more churches being ruined today by unqualified deacons, running off good men, a few deacons. There may be two or three godly men. Godly elders. But there'd be more who weren't Godly. But they would carry the vote. God never intended that. In fact, I don't know a place in the Bible where the vote would be. God's pattern is simple. It's for men to give themselves, in the study of the scriptures, give themselves the prayer. And I'll tell you with a few pillars, if you're a real elder, you'll have much to lay awake there. said a few years ago. Some of those trained physicians in the church, they go home and fall asleep like a baby. Well, but you can't do that. If you have a look at God's gift, you go home and you'll toss and you'll turn and you'll think about it. You'll get out of your bed and get on your knees and pray for them. This is some of the fright of being an act. Only when you've got that warm sympathetic understanding and touch, are you going to help them? These are the qualifications of God. And I trust our younger men. We'll go into this. But I'll tell you one thing, there's going to be a great reward for the elders. And they're going to deserve over there. A great reward. A lot of elders are going to get more in the way of reward than a lot of preachers. Some preachers, they go around the country preachers. Have a week's meetings here, a week's meeting there, a month's here, a month's there. Say, don't know anything about what it is to be an elder. Stay there in one place. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, at the beck and call of people, going and getting acquainted with their troubles and scowls and helping them. A priest who did go to the suitcase. He doesn't have any local response. But if all he takes, well, he's got to preach tonight, that's all. Wait for the next time. He's got a handbook, four books, and a bag full of sermons. Easy, run around. There's no sense. You can't do that when you're an elder. You've got a job to take care of. You've got a whole to provide. A family to look at. And then, the people of God, I've got to get in this book that I'm going to help you. I've got to spend time on the need. It's a full life. What is a breath of life. And I think many an elder will get a greater reward than many a preacher. Because it's a man they land. It's a life that costs. the delight that will pay in eternity. But, Lucas,