Understanding the Rulership of Elders

Eldership in the Kingdom of God
Today’s Focus: Understanding the Rulership of Elders
Scripture: Mark 9:33-35

Greetings Kingdom Citizens
The reason we use the word rulership in this sense is because we are in the Kingdom of God. Kingdoms rule. But our rulership is very unique as compared to what the world sees as rulership. The world views rulership as domination but in the Kingdom of God, rulership is based upon being a minister or serving. Jesus is the greatest example of this in the fact that here is God on Earth in the flesh but He does not exalt Himself yet He comes to serve us so that we can have the right to be restored and reconciled back to the Kingdom and House of God. Knowing the mindset of mankind, God knew that the view of rulership would be distorted due to the separation from the Father and Jesus came to correct that mindset of the orphan and transform it to the culture of the Son. Hence you have people, who are of the orphan mindset, fighting for position. We see that today in the Body of Christ. Everybody wants to be the pastor because the viewpoint of a carnal or immature believer is that the pastor is where the power is and that is not true. The power is in Jesus Christ and when you mature properly in the fullness of time, He will delegate that power to you in the form of a spiritual gift but let’s look at the words of Jesus:

Mark 9:33-35: And He came to Capernaum and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, WHO SHOULD BE THE GREATEST. And He sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Now the reason the disciples were disputing who was the greatest because previously they could not cast out the devil out of the young boy. So the question arose then who is the greatest or who possess the most power to cast out the devils. Now Jesus obviously knew what they were disputing about and He knew their mindset would shift toward power being synonymous with being greatness and Jesus completely destroys that notion. Jesus said if any man desire to be first (greatest or leader), the same shall be last of all and servant (minister) of all. So to be great in the Kingdom of God requires you to serve others. Oh boy this is where it gets ugly with some of these pastors. They want people to wait on them hand and foot but they do not want to serve the people in discipling them and bringing them into maturity for the prosperity of their souls. The true elders of the Kingdom of God understand that they are to serve the Lord among the people and are always mindful that the Lord Himself served everyone.

The elders who lead are to be an example of the mature way of walking that everyone else is being called to do. Serving the people of God, as unto the Lord sets the foundation and pace for how people need to walk.

In the next message we will look at the some of the duties of the elders to the Body of Christ.

At Our Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.