Lewis lived in a time and place in desperate need of hope. He offered that hope by articulating the truths of the Christian worldview. Lewis did not bring novelty to the people of Britain during the war. He simply brought the truth and communicated it in a way that could be understood and applied. 

In the tumultuous era of World War II, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, Clive Staples Lewis offered a voice of reason and faith to a nation under constant threat. The BBC asked Lewis to give a series of radio broadcasts in response to the pressing need for moral guidance and spiritual reassurance. From 1941-1944, Lewis gave a total of 25 of these radio addresses, the last of which aired 80 years ago this month. These talks were later compiled into the bestselling and beloved book, Mere Christianity. 
The reach of Lewis expanded beyond his radio broadcasts. He is perhaps most well-known for the fictional children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia, published between 1950-1956. These delightful stories depict the Christian story of the world. In fact, among the most consistent themes in all of Lewis’s writings is the truth and relevance of Christianity for all people and all times. 
Lewis recognized that the truths of Christianity held the key to the moral dilemmas and existential questions of his time. In his broadcasts, Lewis presented Christianity not just as a set of dogmas or rituals but as a worldview that could withstand scrutiny. With typical clarity, he articulated the timeless truths of the Christian faith in a way that appealed to both believers and skeptics. His approach was marked by clear writing, logic, and a deep understanding of human nature. He had a way of making complex subjects simple without being simplistic, perhaps seen best in his ability to confront logical fallacies with good humor and common sense. 
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The Christian elder in the first century church had responsibility to serve under Christ’s authority, caring for the people of Christ, providing Godly conflict resolution, decision making, teaching, preaching, administrating, praying, serving the sick, and diligently working up a Christ-like sweat while seeking the good of Christ’s people. 

Last post we began to discuss how the New Testament speaks about elders. This discussion was prompted by a great question during a recent congregational conversation: “What are elders?”
Here in written format I’ve begun to answer that question with a simple survey detailing the instances that the word “elder” comes up in the four Gospels and the book of Acts. Today, our discussion moves from the mostly narrative driven accounts of the Gospel and Acts, to the letters written by various Apostles to individuals, and churches in the rest of the New Testament. I’ll continue with the “survey” format, simply citing a passage and giving a brief statement.
In 1 Timothy 4:14 the Apostle Paul was writing to his “true son in the faith” (1:2). As Paul gave instructions to Timothy, he presented a reminder about Timothy’s own ministry which began with the involvement of elders. From this we see that elders are involved even in the training and launching of others into Christ-honoring ministry:
4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 
Later on in this same letter to Timothy, Paul describes the work of Christian elders (5:17), the compensation of Christian elders (5:18), dealing with accusations against elders (5:19-20), and strictly forbids any sort of preferential treatment towards elders (5:21).
5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. 
Timothy wasn’t the only person the Apostle Paul wrote to regarding Christian elders. Titus was one of Paul’s missionary team who was given instructions regarding Christian elders. His task was to carry out the work of appointing Christian elders in the church at Crete. We see included in Paul’s initial instructions to Titus a reminder of his mission to appoint Christian elders (1:5), and a description of qualifications accompanied by reasons for these qualifications (1:6-9).
1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
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In today’s culture, too many pastors are giving the sheep what they want, not what they need. What is needed today is truth—not a post modern truth, but biblical truth. Feeding the flock a steady diet of biblical preaching is the only true spiritual food. It’s popular to be trendy YouTube-celebrity pastor, but avoid such temptations. Just preach the Word of God—feed the sheep the Word, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, so they will get the nourishment they need.

Sheep need a shepherd. Wandering sheep are a danger to themselves. Jesus had compassion upon the multitudes of people following Him: “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus helped multitudes of people—those with illnesses, blindness, lepers, demon-possessed, and even raising the dead. Yet, all these are temporary. Jesus saw beyond their physical ailments; He saw the deep spiritual need. Physical healings, no matter how miraculous, are temporal.
The compassion Jesus felt was genuine, not figurative. Yes, healing was happening, but emptiness still was there. He identified the reason for it: they had no shepherd. The spiritual need for healing far exceeds the physical. One can be healed physically, and yet still die without Christ.
Jesus looked beyond the temporal. He saw them distressed and dispirited. The ESV says, “harassed and helpless,” and the NKJV reads, “weary and scattered.” No matter the rendering, the fact is they were confused and wondering. Even after all the physical miracles, there remained a grave concern—their spiritual condition.
The very ones responsible for being their shepherds were the ones causing confusion and hopelessness. Jesus identified the hypocrisy of these false shepherds: “Therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger” (Matthew 23:3-4).
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