Easter Sunday!
We are so excited to celebrate the resurrection this coming Sunday. Sure, it won’t be on the field the way we like it to be, but we WILL be having two services of open seating. You can RSVP for the early, social distance service, or you can ‘come as you are’ to the other two services.
I am so happy to see our Covid case numbers drop so low in the State of Georgia. Here is the official graph as of this past Thursday:
As you can see, our numbers have really fallen off.
You can have a look at the latest/greatest GA data on the DPH website yourself at any time right here:
I took their numbers, and I just put them on a different chart. This is the SAME data from the front page of the Covid status report page, viewed in a different way:
Seriously.. Do you see that?
Imagine if these were employment statistics. How would our government be reacting if we were at 0.0001% unemployment?
Now is the time for us to change our response as well. We should be very happy about where we are in this pandemic, and live accordingly. AND NOW MORE THAN EVER we should be bringing people with us to our Easter celebration! Why? Because the SIN infection rate is at 100%.
The result of sin is death for EVERYONE around us.
BUT we have the cure! The ONLY cure!
YET, for some crazy reason, a study shows that the gospel is NOT present in over 95% of Christmas and Easter services. What???? Why in the world do you think that is the case?
We WILL ALWAYS present the bad news and the good news of the gospel at The Orchard. It is the ONLY cure. For all of us. Even if you have the cure, we always need another booster shot!
Let’s be part of the cure and bring people with us to Easter Sunday. Who are you bringing?
We have new elders!
Every organization has leaders. Government, business, community, church… Why do we even need leaders?
What types of leaders do we have in the church?
Can/should anyone be a leader?
The Apostle Paul was definitely a leader. Paul, maybe more than any other human, is responsible for shaping the purpose and the direction of the church. Like any good leader, Paul had a disciple, someone he was investing in and bringing along behind him. Here is what Paul writes to his disciple, Timothy:
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
1 Timothy 3:1-7 NLT
A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.
So, Paul writes about church leaders. Of course, Paul is specifically talking about a certain kind of leader here. The Greek word for “church leader” here is ἐπίσκοπος (episkopos), which means pastor, bishop, or elder. Paul describes this as an “honorable position.” Why is this honorable?
When we felt God calling us to start a church here in Ellijay, Sherry went into a pretty deep depression. She really, really hated the idea of being the “pastor’s wife.” The idea of being put into the spotlight and having to fulfill everyone’s expectations of that position was more than she could handle at the time. She fought this for a long , difficult time. Thankfully, she has brought her own personality to that role, and our church is loving and gracious to her, rather than putting her on a false pedestal and being judgmental.
Why do you think there is so much importance and pressure put on those most highly visible church leaders?
Notice that in 1 Timothy, Paul doesn’t give a real job description for elders. Instead, he describes the elder’s character. So, look back through that passage to see the characteristics are we to expect from our leaders. Talk about the things on this list that surprise you. Are there things you think are just common sense?
Thinking about Paul’s description of these guys.. Why is it important for us to always be praying for these leaders?
Are church leaders “superchristians?” Should we expect them to be?
What happens when they let us down in some way? What is our responsibility?
Paul also wrote to another of his disciples, Titus, giving him good instructions on appointing elders in the church…
Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.
Titus 2:2-7 NLT
Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.
Again he is talking about elders here. But isn’t he also talking about all of us? Aren’t we all supposed to have the characteristics listed here, and in 1 Timothy, above?
In Paul’s mind, church should never be simply a place you go for comfort and peace… He believed that church is a leadership factory, cranking out a peculiar people, lighting the world and leading others to Jesus. Is that the church today?
Is that you and me?
Maybe we are all in this journey together. All of us have room to grow and become more of what Christ has designed us to become.
Do we hold our leaders to unrealistic expectations? SHOULD we hold them to higher expectations?
What can THIS GROUP do to encourage & build up our leaders?
Would you please pray for your pastor, elders, deacons, church staff, and other leaders as we continue to fight this good fight?