Have respect for God’s arrangement.

• Acts 14:23
• Titus 1:4-5
• Acts 6:3
• The local church should follow the elders, not whoever complains the loudest.
• Hebrews 13:17

Esteem them highly.

• Hebrews 13:17
• I Thessalonians 5:12-13
• I Peter 5:1-5

Take responsibility instead of just blaming the elders.

• I Thessalonians 5:14 – Brethren are the ones being urged to action here – not just elders.

Remember that they are humans, not superhumans.

• I Timothy 3:2-7
• Titus 1:5-9
• We must be careful to not be too lenient or too strict with God’s qualifications for elders. After the many mistakes that Peter made, he was an elder!
• I Timothy 5:17-22

Free up the shepherds to shepherd.

• I Timothy 3:8-13 – Qualifications for deacons.
• Acts 6:2-6 – Were these men deacons? It’s not clear. Either way, their job was to free up the apostles to do their work.
• Not just deacons but all members should do their part to serve.