40-Disputations on the Reformed, Evangelical, Christian and Orthodox Eldership Revealed in the Unaddable Scriptures

Mike Petillo

Also Seen At My Other "Site" at Rock of Offense Ministries at rpmin.blogspot.com

 

 Work, for the night is coming;
Work through the morning hours;
Work while the dew is sparkling;
Work 'mid springing flowers;
Work while the day grows brighter,
Under the glowing sun;
Work for the night is coming,
When man's work is done.
Work for the night is coming,
Work through the sunny noon;
Fill brightest hours with labor,
Rest comes sure and soon;
Give ev'ry flying minute
Something to keep in store;
Work for the night is coming,
When man works no more.
Work for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies,
While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies;
Work till the last beam fadeth,
Fadeth to shine no more;
Work while the night is dark'ning,
When man's work is o'er.  (TH, 728).

 

1.     An equal plurality among the eldership in the Reformed local church is better than a single elder and bishop.

2.     The Reformed elders should be married with one God-fearing woman, those entering the Reformed eldership should be pursuing a God-fearing wife and it is possible to be a godly, upright, moral and set apart man of God in a single lifestyle if God does not allow outward foredetermined means but marriage is normative, encouraged and furthered for the Reformed eldership with children.

3.     The Reformed eldership should be opposed to homosexual leadership whether elder or deacon.

4.     The terms “bishop” or “elder’ or “pastor” are interchangeable, but refer to the single and same office of a preaching, teaching, counseling and praying Reformed elder.

5.     The Reformed leadership should be opposed to a female eldership or pastoralship or bishopship, because Adam was formed first.

6.     A Reformed elder should use the method of self-accusation in the preaching ministry through public repentance in pursuit of his verse-by-verse sermon, because it is better than being removed from preaching ministry by two or three witnesses.

7.     There is a higher standard among Reformed elders: namely, in what context because we are all sinners and conceived in original sin?  I am not saying we are not sinners, but we have a higher calling in the preaching office with a deeper sense than anyone that we ought to be more like Jesus Christ in light of a public ministry.

8.     The Reformed eldership will never allow high titles, because of the doctrine of Christian humility.

9.     The Reformed eldership should never deny the historic Confessions, because it is a subordinated standard to the Christian faith.

10. The Reformed eldership in a Baptist church should allow a Presbyterian elder to preach, but in a Presbyterian church it should allow a Baptist to preach.

11. The Reformed eldership should allow communion every Sunday with unleavened bread with wine for adults or grape juice for children, but anyone with health problems touching the older widows (grape juice is preferable).

12. The Reformed eldership should allow a fellowship meal at least once every four weeks that is prepared by the members of the local church in the friendship of peace, because Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior taught lessons during meals and there can be real fellowship, friendship and good talks over food and drink for the things of God.

13. The Reformed elder and deacon should teach and preach everyday.  How?  They should preach everyday online through a free blog account, but also post the audio and video online of the same sermon.

14.                        The Reformed eldership in teaching and preaching is 99% perseverance, but 1% ability.  What do I mean?  “Take up the concordance and write a sermon!”

15. Presbyterian preachers should preach like CH Spurgeon and John Bunyan.  How?  “Take up and read.”  Than “take up and write.”

16. Baptist preachers should preach like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards.  How?  “Take up and read.”  Than “take up and write.”

17.                        Instead of the “Southern Baptist Convention” we should have “The Reformed Fellowship, Friendship and Convention among Presbyterians and Baptists.”

18.                        The Reformed eldership should have a spiritually sensible approach to hymns during the fellowship service, but also instead of different instruments there should be the preference of the piano to cut down on the problem of entertainment over worship.

19.                        The Reformed eldership could advocate a time of the use of musical instruments like angels on harps in heaven, but this could be during the week and also on a special occasion outside of Sunday worship.

20.                        The leaders of the Reformed church should have morning and evening worship.  Why?  Is it not good to proclaim a holy Triune God twice instead of once?  How?  Persistent determinations in light of the written Word, but accommodations are also possible.  In what way?  It is possible through a shorter duration of time due to health or a longer duration of time due to better health. 

21.                        Reformed elders should set aside time to pray every day on their knees for all kinds of good things, but most importantly the edification of the people of God through the conviction of sin by the mortification and crucifixion of the flesh in repentance unto remission.

22.                        A holy Triune God uses the Word preached with the Spirit better than any secondary cause can muster, because God’s Spirit-based Word never comes back empty, void or useless.  Shall we not use the best we have (the Word) and most often (everyday)?

23.                        Calvin preached everyday.  Shouldn’t we take his example and imitate him as best as we can?  How?  Read his sermons and write your own.

24.                        Calvin had communion every Lord’s Day.  Shouldn’t we take his example and imitate him as best as we can?  How?  By remembering the Lord’s death in communion.

25.                        Why should we have communion every Sunday?  The Word preached goes best with spiritual presence of Christ in communion.

26.                        Do we become like Rome if we have communion weekly?  How do we become like Rome unless we have an idolatrous material understanding of the Eucharist?

27.                        The historic confessions on the Eucharist only share in the Reformed unity of the Eucharist in a non-idol approach in a spiritual teaching of the partaking of the incorporeal presence of Christ.

28.                        What could be better than to remember the Lord’s death every Sunday when it is because of a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection?  We should remember the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus as much as we can.  That is, Jesus’ death made death die but His resurrection turned death backwards.  It turned death backwards because spiritual and eternal life is gained through death that is not the end but the beginning.

29.                        The Reformed leadership should allow deacons to preach and teach in Reformed Bible Studies, but the deaconess should teach women in a women’s fellowship.

30.                        The deaconess is a godly woman always up to good things but should not teach as an elder in the church, but it is like a crown before the time to cast at Jesus’ feet for He is worthy to also sing hymns before the people of God in Christ.

31.                        There is nothing wrong with setting aside Lord’s day or during the week the Scottish Psalter for the worship of God through hymns among the fellowship of God’s people in Christ.

32.                        Why shouldn’t we remember the Lord in communion and preach the Word as often as the Lord would to honor Himself, seek excellence and glorify His name’ sake?

33.                        Warning:  use caution when preaching everyday means a greater chance at error, but if you keep the game plan simple it will avail you.  Remember:  God draws a straight line with a crooked stick.  What does it mean?  He uses sinners to handle His unchanging written Word.

34.    What’s the basic game plan?  Take it coast to coast by Luther’s disputations, or Spurgeon's paragraph-based sermons.  Whatever the case, mix it up or choose one according to a variation-driven preference that best persuades you at the time.

35. All should never ever be involved in sexual immorality, the appearance of it or unwilling willing abuse, but remember the saints especially the eldership engage in the lifestyle of 2 Timothy 2:10.

36.   Those who are separated among the Reformed eldership in terms of a wife, because of the group of the end times should not be provoked to leave the eldership but work with twice the perseverance.

37.   If work for the Reformed eldership increases, it does not mean you do not have time for leisure in light of it as being our right.

38.    Caution:  do not seek to be novel because there is nothing new under the sun, but seek to present the old gospel truths of the written Word.

39.   The Reformed eldership should not allowing speaking in tongues, because it ceased in the time of the Book of Acts.  Rather allow the Word preached.

40.    There is nothing wrong with the people of God under the ruling eldership to proclaim the gospel-centeredness of Scripture in a non-star approach to Revelation 12:11: namely, by the Lamb’s blood and a Christian testimony.  That is, this is a way to encourage God’s people and glorify Jesus.  Main goal:  stay true.

 

     Revive thy work, O Lord,
Thy mighty arm make bare;
Speak with the voice that wakes the dead,
And make thy people hear.
Revive thy work, O Lord,
Disturb this sleep of death;
Quicken the smould'ring embers now
By thine almighty breath.
Revive thy work, O Lord,
Create soul-thirst for thee;
And hung'ring for the Bread of Life
O may our spirits be.
Revive thy work, O Lord,
Exalt thy precious Name;
And, by the Holy Ghost, our love
For thee and thine inflame.
Revive thy work, O Lord,
Give pentecostal show'rs:
The glory shall be all thine own,
The blessing, Lord, be ours.  (TH, 297).