Why would anyone want to be an elder in a local church? It can be a tough job. In good times, it is a joy, but when it gets tough, it weighs heavily on the mind, emotions, spirit, and even takes a toll on the physical body. It can be thankless. It invites criticism. Misunderstanding. By its nature, it involves carrying a burden that never goes away. An elder is charged with confidentialities and difficult decisions which often invite even more criticism and misunderstanding. An elder, together with other elders, pastors, and overseers, is charged with shepherding the sheep. Feeding, leading, protecting, and caring for the people. Even when the people don’t like it, don’t appreciate it, don’t understand it. So, again, why would anyone want to be an elder?

The short answer is calling, gifting, and passion. A man wants to be an elder because God calls him to the office (and this is affirmed by the church), has gifts in keeping with the office, and has a passion to lead. It isn’t so much that anyone would want to be an elder as much as God prepares a man to be one, and so, in humility and submission to God, he becomes one. Sometimes that’s the only thing that keeps an elder in the office through the difficult seasons.

This Sunday, in our study of 1 Timothy, part of “the good fight” is battling to have and keep good elders who oversee the church. The Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy because one of the issues being faced in Ephesus was accusations being leveled at elders. Having earlier described the characteristics of those who would hold the office of elder, Paul now lays out, in 1 Timothy 5:17-25, some principles to guide the church with respect to honouring elders. We’ll work our way through the passage on Sunday and see what those principles are. This message is for the entire church to know how to support our elders according to the Scriptures.

Series: The Good Fight (1 Timothy)
Message: 14 – Let the elders
Text: 1 Timothy 5:17-25
Todd Dugard
Harvest Bible Chapel
July 27, 2025

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
- Winston Churchill

Elder governance is the worst form of church government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

My part in supporting our elders is to...

...go beyond in honouring them (v. 17-18)

How to honour the elders and pastors:
1. Encourage them
2. Pray for them
3. Show up
4. Be growing
5. Obey and submit to them

Hebrews 13:17

...be cautious in accusing them (v. 19-20)

…exercise diligence in choosing them (v. 21-22a, 24-25)

Titus 1:5

…take care of myself (v. 22b-23)