My Kingdom is Not of this World (Part 1)

When Jesus was arrested, he plainly declared that his kingdom was not of this world. If it were of this world, his servants would fight. What did he mean by this? Here is the passage.

[Jhn 18:33-37 NKJV] 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered him, "Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say [rightly] that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."  

Christ has a Kingdom

Christ’s kingdom is a real one. It has a king - the Lord Jesus Christ. [Isa 9:6-7 NKJV] 6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of [His] government and peace [There will be] no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. In fact, in this same conversation, Jesus told Pilate, "You say [rightly] that I am a king.”  

Elders are a Means of Grace (Part 2) - Application of this Means of Grace

[Heb 13:7 NKJV] 7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of [their] conduct.

In part one of this topic, we examined the fact that elders given to a particular local church, to the specific members of that church, as a means of grace in their lives, for their equipping and maturation in Christ, for the work of ministry. We also saw that a "means of grace" is a particular biblical way God blesses us or brings grace into our lives. To read this post, go HERE. 

In this post we will examine how to employ elders in our lives, in biblical ways, so that we benefit (by grace alone) by this particular means of grace. 

Elders are a Biblical Means of Grace (Part 1)

[Eph 4:11-16 NKJV] 11 And He Himself gave some [to be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Elders and teachers are given to a particular local church as a means of grace to the members of that particular church. (The use of the term "teachers" will not be addressed in this post.) It is not the man, and his own abilities, that matters, but rather God's means of using that man in biblical ways to bless his people by his word and Spirit.  

By "elders" God means the actual men raised up in a particular local church, made up of particular individual Christians, and given to the members of that particular church only. There is no such thing as a "universal" elder. Elders are called to shepherd the flock that is among them. (1 Peter 5:2) They are not called to lead members of other local churches.