What is that burden on my Pastor’s Back: A glimpse into the life of an Elder.

In many ways, there is no more complex job than that of a pastor/elder. The role of the elder demands that he be above reproach (not able to be rightfully accused), that he be absolutely dedicated to his spouse in every way, and that he be temperate (meaning alert and watchful). They must be men who examine EVERYTHING with a keen eye, understanding the days in which they live.
 
They are to be sensible or prudent (meaning "well-disciplined" and able to order priorities well). This describes a man who is serious about the spiritual nature of his role. There is no room for nonsense in his ministry because of the weight of the role.

He is to be respectable (meaning orderly). He is to have an ordered life, and the church is at the center of his life, never neglecting his other roles as husband or father. His own life must be ordered; otherwise, how could he be expected to keep the church's life in proper order? He is to be hospitable (meaning he has a love for strangers). His home must be open, hospitable, warm, and inviting to those around him. He realizes that what he has is to be in service to the Master. He is a steward, not a sole owner.
 
Lastly, the Scripture tells us that he is to be able to teach (he is to be skilled at teaching). This is the primary function of those who hold the title "elder" or "pastor." To be "able to teach," the man must possess a deep knowledge of doctrine. His role requires that he be able to reprove, rebuke, exhort, and teach. (2 Timothy 4:2) This is vital because if one is not adequately equipped in doctrine, he cannot fulfill the role of an elder. Instead of being a benefit to the flock of God, they will unknowingly bring harm.

On top of those things is the spiritual weightiness that is impossible to understand apart from being an elder. There are restless nights where you weep for the souls of those in the congregation who believe they are saved but are not. There are nights of heavy burden in prayer that the congregation would come to grasp Christ's beauty and would desire to be truly obedient. There are all of the difficult situations you must help people navigate biblically. There is a constant thought about how to help the congregation grow in their holiness and love for Christ. It is not an 8-5 job. The elder rarely stops thinking about the church from the time he wakes until he rests his head at night.

Paul expressed something of this weight in 2 Corinthians 11. He begins by speaking of the physical hardships he endures, and most elders sacrifice quite a lot to shepherd their people. Many make far less than the equivalent of their role in the world, often with no retirement, no insurance, and a meager living. He doesn't complain, grumble, and isn't bitter because he knows the task is worth it. People's spiritual lives are at stake. He trusts God, even as he often goes without. Of course, like Paul, sometimes there is abundance, but often there is lack, and he knows that is part of the role. Paul speaks of all of his physical difficulties, and then, in verse 28, he writes, "Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches." The elder feels the pressure of tending to the souls that God has entrusted to him; this is a weight only a good elder will know.

In addition to all of the above is the constant need to keep up with the world's dangers to the church. Is the music what it should be in the church, not according to preferences, but is it God-honoring worship? There is always the need to know what music groups are promoting, who they fellowship with, and what they teach outside of their songs. Is the group behind the song a threat, in any way at all, to the body? Beyond music, there is the challenge of knowing what social media has to offer those in the congregation in terms of temptations, false doctrines, dangers such as dangers to their marriages, dangers to their friendships, dangers to their worship, dangers to their doctrine.
 
There are a million avenues in today's world in which one can stumble onto genuinely terrifying heresy and just as dangerous, subtle encouragements to apathy. This is the burden of the faithful elder. He must know what trends may become a threat and diligently and wisely plan to combat them. What trends in general, what trends in media, what trends in academia, what trends in politics, schools, denominations, etc. Anything that may endanger the fold of God must be diligently guarded against, and this is the role of the elder because, as Hebrews 13:17 says, "for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account." The elder must know that he will stand before a holy and just God one day and give an account for those whom the Lord entrusted him with for safekeeping. This is the blessed and great burden of the elder. To accomplish this, the elder regularly reads, studies, researches, watches, and does whatever is necessary to appropriately keep up with what is going on in the world, and above all, bathes himself in the Word and in prayer.
Of course, the elder has the burden of the Lord's Day assembly. Every single detail he will answer for on the final day: the orderliness of the service, the music, the Scripture reading, the qualifications of those participating in the service, and the manner in which things are done. This is the Lord's day, and his burden is two-fold: firstly, to make sure everything that happens is pleasing to the Lord, and secondly, that the people grow in their knowledge and faithfulness in true worship. Of course, a primary focus is preaching the Word of God. And it must be preaching.

In other words, the sermon is more than just a lecture and more than just academic intellectualism spouted from the pulpit, nor is it to be a counseling session. Preaching well requires a life dedicated to studying the Word of God and constant care in learning how to better communicate the truths of God to the people of God. Preaching is meant to explain the text with the original author's intended meaning in such a way that it is understood by the congregation and can be applied to their lives. The sermon should cause the people to consider their own lives in light of the truth of the text and raise their affection for Christ. It should reprove at times, rebuke at times, exhort at times, and call people to greater faithfulness, all while increasing their dependency on Christ. This is the burden of the elder.
We constantly hear of men who were once faithful and who capitulated to the world. Perhaps they gave in to LGBTQ or made excuses for why they sang songs that shouldn't be sung in corporate gatherings, or maybe they didn’t address sin that they knew was happening in the church out of fear it might disrupt things. The need for the elder to be 100% sold out to the Word of God aboveall people, all opportunities, and all other things cannot be understated, but this requires great diligence on top of the many other responsibilities. Never can an elder let emotions or relationships become more important than truth.

Now, he must learn how to bring the truth in a loving and caring way, but he can never let truth take the backseat. While there are many ways to guard against this, the primary way is that he remains accountable to Christ. He must be a man of "the Book." And in all of this I've written above, the elder must know that he can not do it alone; he must have God's help. He must be totally and utterly dependent upon God himself, or he will fail and maybe even fall.

To Elders

I would encourage you brothers to evaluate yourself honestly before the Lord. Some of you need to step up and take your role more seriously. The people in your congregation depend upon it. If you care for your people, perhaps some of you need to step down and find a different role. Maybe you realize you aren't qualified, at least at this time. Perhaps you are better suited somewhere else, but heaven help you if you aren't qualified and, because of pride or arrogance, refuse to step down and have to be judged in the end. James 3:1 says, "Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment." For others of you, you are faithful, striving to run the race well, and need a reminder that Christ is indeed with you, strengthening those of you whom he has called particularly to the office of elder. Keep running well, brothers.
 
Christians

To you, I encourage you to pray for your elders now that you have what is truly a small glimpse of what it is to be called to the office of an elder. They desperately need your prayers and support. Do not make shepherding you a difficult task for them. They weep over you, pray for you, constantly think of your spiritual well-being and growth, and let them do so with joy. Support them in whatever way you can, and use your gifts to encourage and love them, not only as elders but as fellow heirs of the promise. Do good for them, serve in the church, let them know you are growing in the Lord, and let them see your love for Christ and others. There are a million practical ways to support and encourage your elders. Think through some and do them occasionally. You are just as important to them as they are to you. You need them, and they need you. The work is a spiritual battle, be their greatest cheerleader.
 
I pray this short article will encourage some, perhaps lovingly rebuke others, but will ultimately strengthen your local church, whether you be an elder or a member, by helping you contemplate the realities of the calling of elder.