FIRST-PERSON: When people

By blog, for some reason, seems to really get to some people. I hope they like this one from Thom Rainer

NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (BP)--For years I assumed that criticisms of pastors and other church
staff was just part of leadership. Indeed, no leader to my knowledge has ever
been spared the verbal or written jabs of the critic.

So my advice
has been for the leader simply to move on -- to focus more on the vast majority
who are supportive of him than the relatively few not-so-well-intentioned
dragons. Now I'm not so sure my former advice is sound. The level and frequency
of criticisms toward pastors and other leaders has increased significantly in
the past several years.

I call this
resurgence in criticisms "the Great Distraction" because it often
causes leaders to lose focus on leading their churches in the Great Commission.
And though any rationale used to explain the increased negativity is
subjective, my observations of working with churches for over 25 years lead me
to a couple of conclusions.

First, the
standards of church membership have been low in many churches for many years.
As a consequence our churches have more and more unregenerate members. Frankly,
I would be not be surprised if some of the most vitriolic criticisms come from
those who are not Christians.

Second,
church members have been unwilling to take a stand when they see and hear
unwarranted criticism toward the pastor and other leaders. This silence is
shameful and sinful. Belligerent critics remain critics often because other
church members are fearful of rebuking them. In some ways, the silent majority
is just as wrong as the constant critics.

SOME LESSONS FROM ACTS 6

The first
seven verses of Acts 6
tell the story of complaining by a group in the early church. In this case, the
concern was warranted because a group of widows was being neglected. The Twelve
appointed seven men to take care of the widows and thus, stopped the
criticisms.

Though it may
not be the central thrust of the text, we see clearly that a divided and
critical congregation was a serious concern for early church leaders. The
ministry had to continue, and the divisiveness had to stop. We also see that
the entire congregation had a stake in this issue (verse 5, "The proposal
pleased the whole company"). There was no sinful and silent majority
unwilling to tackle this issue.

A CALL TO ACTION

At least in
principle, the solutions are simple. The standards of church membership must be
held high, and the benefits are numerous beyond just dealing with critics. We
can't expect unregenerate church members to act like Christians.

Second,
church members must be willing to confront the sinful behavior of the perpetual
and ill-intentioned critics. While no church leader should be above legitimate
criticisms, the tide has turned too far in the other direction. Criticisms are
paralyzing too many good leaders.

I am aware
of some churches that actually have a formal system in place to deal with
illegitimate critics. Some of these churches utilize an existing organization
with the church, such as the diaconate, to deal with these critics. Other
churches have an informal system because they have members with theological and
moral backbones who are willing to confront the nagging naysayers.

The Great
Distraction is a real and serious problem in our churches. It can no longer be
denied or ignored. Satan undoubtedly loves the division and loss of focus it
causes. The time has come for church members to speak up. Too much is at stake.
It is truly a sin to remain silent when it is our God-given responsibility to
confront those who ultimately would hinder the spread of the Gospel with the
poison of their words.
--30--
Thom S.
Rainer is president of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist
Convention. This column first appeared at his website, ThomRainer.com.

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Lou Holtz September Sermon

September 30, 2011

Lou Holtz shared a great piece on conference realignment this past week. I thought how his statements related to the local church and rewrote it to fit. Here it is.

When you bring a group of people together that is a start,
When they stay together that is progress;
When they work together that is success.
This axiom proves true whether you are talking about a business, a team, or a church.

I went to school basically to eat my lunch, but even I can understand that there are certain people who are not working with other members of the church to make it better. They are looking out for their own interest. Now, I don’t dispute that they have the right to do this, but that does not make it right. Doesn’t anybody stop and look at the devastation that it brings on the other members of the church who are left to pick up the pieces?

People ask me, “what is the difference between church members today and 40 years ago?” I say the same difference as in society. Today everybody wants to talk about their rights and their privileges. Forty years ago people talked about their obligations and their responsibilities.

Harry Truman said, “the freedom to swing your fist ends where the other guy’s nose begins.” Your freedom to do what you want to do ends with your commitment and responsibility to other people.

Now the church’s primary responsibility is to continue the ministry of Jesus Christ to all people. We are His body and are to carry on His work with His attitude.

We would be so much better off if everyone would stop and say, “What is the right thing to do?” and then do it. The “right thing to do” is not determined by what “I think” or “I feel,” but on what God says in His Bible.

There is never a right time to do the wrong thing, and there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Losing Members Out the Back Door

A few years ago, James Merrit sent out a couple of letters dealing with retaining members. It has new meaning to me.

Dear Friends,
Recently, I was discussing the issue of membership retention with a good friend from the North American Mission Board. Realizing that churches across the nation seem to be struggling with the same issue, I decided to include an article with many of his insights in this Month's newsletter.
Every church since the very beginning has struggled with retaining members. (Remember 1 John 2:19, where we read about they that "went out from us?") But today it seems that the problem is greater than it has ever been. I know one pastor who described his membership as a "parade in motion" rather than a body of believers celebrating healthy growth.
While our pastors and churches cannot escape blame, I don't think they are the only culprits. Several cultural factors are also at play. In Part 1 of this 2 part newsletter, I want to discuss the "Why?" of the back door problem. Then in part 2 we will discuss how to stop the back door bleeding.
First, we should keep in mind that post-modern believers aren't as loyal. They are consumeristic, and choose a church like a Saturday night restaurant. Rather than joining a body to be integrated and utilized, they go where they can get fed the best for the least amount of money. So don't be surprised when some members migrate after a new, cool church opens up down the street.
We have to accept that some of our consumerist members will expect more from our church than we can deliver. Don't let yourself become so obsessed with gaining and keeping new members that you forget the simple things we must do to help mature and equip those who "remain with us" and "are of us."
Another reason we are experiencing this phenomenon is that Americans' view of leadership has shifted. When I was a kid, leaders like presidents and pastors were appreciated, honored, and respected. But times have changed. Today people believe they should hold their leadership accountable, and so we get viewed through a microscope. When you or your staff get ripped apart at home, in meetings, and over the water-cooler, your church will suffer.
Finally, we have to remember that regardless what society does, the buck stops elsewhere ... namely at the feet of the pastor. Like it or not, today's church leaders have done their part to contribute to the problem. . For example, the average tenure of a Southern Baptist pastor is estimated to be less than two years.! In other words, the leadership is joining in the migration of the membership. When the membership knows that their pastor isn't leaving they are much more likely to stay.
This picture may seem dark, but there are several ways that you can shine a bright light on the situation in your own church that we will discuss in my next letter to you. Until then, think on these things and how you can begin closing your church's back door.
Laborers together,
James Merritt

F. B. Meyer

F. B. Meyer spoke of his “anointing with the Holy Spirit” (what he called it) in his collection of messages, A Castaway and Other Addresses published in 1897. I thought you might benefit from reading it.

I had been for a long time a minister in Leicester, with a large church and of considerable influence in the city, but very unhappy. Conscious that I had not received the power of the Holy Ghost, I went up to that little village, the name of which you hear so often, Keswicki. A great number of God’s people gathered there to seek and to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and they elected to have a prayer-meeting from nine o’clock to eleven and onwards, to pray for the Holy Ghost. A great many people were there agonizing. I was too tired to agonize, and I somehow felt that God did not want me to agonize hour after hour, but I had to learn to take; that God wanted to give, and I had only to take.

Tomorrow your little girl will come down to breakfast. She is very hungry, and the bread and milk or oatmeal is on the table. You do not say: “Little girlie, run upstairs, and agonize, roll on the floor for an hour, and then come down.”

You say to her: “Little one, I am so glad you have got a good appetite. Now there is your chair, in you get, say your prayer, and start away.”

That is what God says to the soul. Those all-nights of prayer for the Holy Ghost are principally necessary to get the people who pray into a fit condition to receive the Holy Ghost; for when the people are ready the Holy Ghost will come without agonizing.

So I left that prayer-meeting at Keswick. It was eleven o’clock or half past eleven, and I crept out in to the lane, and away from the little village. The lights died away in the distance, and I stood on the hill, or walked to and fro, the stars shining upon me, and now and again a little cloud dropping a baptism of rain upon my face, as though symbolic of the refreshing my soul was to receive. As I walked I said: “O, my God, if there is a man in this village who needs the power of the Holy Ghost to rest upon him, it is I; but I do not know how to receive Him. I am too tired, too worn, too nervously down to agonize.”

A voice said to me: “As you took forgiveness from the hand of the dying Christ, take the Holy Ghost from the hand of the living Christ.”

I turned to Christ and said: “Lord, as I breathe in this whiff of warm night air, so I breathe into every part of me Thy blessed Spirit.”

I felt no hand laid upon my head, there was no lambent flame, there was no rushing sound from heaven; but by faith, whithout emotion, without excitement I took, and took for the first time, and I have kept on taking ever since.

I turned to leave the mountain side, and as I went down, the tempter said:
“You have got nothing. It is moonshine.”

I said: “I have.”

“I do not.”

“Then if you do not feel it you have not got it.”

I said:”I do not feel it, but I rekon that God is faithful, and He could not have brought a hungry soul to claim by faith, and then give a stone for bread, and a scorpion for a fish. I know I have got it because God led me to claim.”

I met a number of young clergymen, and they fought it with me. They said: “No, no, we feel, we feel to have it, and we know we have got it.”

But said I to them: “How will you do tomorrow morning when yo do not feel it? Now I, who take by faith, and independent of feeling tomorrow or any future time.”

Whilst we were talking, a young merchant who was listening, said: “I want to say a word. You parsons have been talking a great deal about the Holy Spirit. Now I know I have received the Holy Spirit when I have most of Jesus, and in my place at Glasgow, if I miss the presence of Jesus for half an hour, I go into my counting-house, and kneel down and say: ‘Holy Spirit, what have I done to Thee that Thou hast taken from me the sense of the presence of Christ?’”

“O,” we said, “when we know we have most of Christ, when we love Him most, live for Him most, we know that the Holy Ghost is within us in power.”

So, brothers, sisters, may I ask you to let this day be the time of transaction with God. Wallk to and fro, and say if you like: “I sadly need a Pentecost. As far as I know, I fulfill the conditions, in my will at least.”

Then put your hand upon your heart, and say: “I do now receive.”

Let the devil say what he likes. Keep reckoning that the Spirit of Christ rests upon you, and when you come to your Jordan, and the students are there to look on, and you might draw back,--that Jordan representing your temptation, yoiur mission, some bit of work to do, --say: “Holy Spirit, I now trust Thee to do through me Thy Pentecostal work in glorifying Christ.”

God's Rest Part 2

God’s Rest (Part 2)
Last blog I placed a good deal of Meyer’s sermon “God’s Rest” in the blog. Some have not heard of F. B. Meyer. He was born in 1847, and died in 1929. I would encourage you to read about this remarkable man of God. He was a man of “strong gentleness.” He was graduated from Regent’s Park College in 1869 and moved to New York in 1872, where he became pastor of the Priory Street Baptist Chapel. Two years later D. L. Moody and Ira Sankey ministered there. The meetings did not begin too successfully. But at one of the prayer meetings Meyer heard Moody preach on the Holy Spirit. He was so convicted that he spent the next two days wrestling with God. When he returned to the prayer meeting, he testified that God had met him and given him victory; that for two years he had preached without any special blessing. He said, “I was just beating the air.” This marked the change in Meyer’s life. In a future blog, I will share Meyer’s record of the experience.

For this week, I continue Meyer’s message “God’s Rest.”

“I will not speak now about the rest He gives—rest from the guilt of sin, rest from its penalty, rest from conviction, rest from an accusing conscience, rest from the dread and the wrath of God. That rest He gave you, beloved, when you knelt years ago at the cross-foot, and from those parched lips the dying Christ, your priest and intercessor, gave rest unto your soul, and being justified by faith you had peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I will not speak of this, but of something deeper, because I find that there are tens of thousands of Christians who have got the first rest, but have not got the second. They could look death in the face without wavering, but they cannot look panic, disaster, bereavement, pain or trial in the face without disquiet.

“You shall find rest,” but you must look for it. I want to show you were to find it, and how; in three ways, which are one, for they converge in one.

First, You must take His yoke.“Now, at first sight it appears ridiculous that those who labor and are heavy laden should find rest by having the imposition of a new yoke or burden, however light. He says, “My yoke is easy, My burden is light.” But then, even an easy yoke with a light burden imposed on laboring and weary souls would surely not give them rest. How can it be? Ah, listen! It is not a yoke that Jesus imposes, but it is the yoke that He Himself carried, and a yoke by the very nature of it includes two. He says then—standing beneath a yoke—to you, weary soul: “Come hither and share My yoke with me, and we will pull the plow together through the long furrow of life.”

I have been told that there are farms in the West so large that you may start a furrow in the morning and pursue it all day, and only finish it at night, returning the next day. Whether that be true of not I am not here to say, but it will serve my purpose. One day I was at Northfield, Mr. Moody took me to Mount Hermon school. He had a yoke of beautiful white oxen, and he told me that when one of these oxen was being yoked in, if the other happened to be on the far side of the farmstead it would come trotting up and stand beside the other until it was yoked in also. Jesus stands today with the yoke upon His shoulder, and He calls to each one, and says:
“Come and share My yoke, and let us plow together the long furrow of your life. I will be a true yokefellow to you. The burden shall be on Me. Only keep step with Me, and you shall find rest to your soul.”

It was reading this part of the message that caused me to stop and weep. For I had been attempting to plow alone. It had seemed that no one was yoked with me pulling the same direction.

First we must be yoked with Christ and allow him to bear the burden. But beyond that, we must be sure that staff, deacons, and leaders are yoked together plowing the same direction. Do we share the yoke?
More of Meyer’s sermon, “God’s Rest,” later.

SBC Conservatives voice concerns

For some time now I have been concerned that Southern Baptist are in danger of losing their distinctives. While I understand the broadening the tent, some leaders are embracing things never embraced before. There was a reason. I was glad to read this article that seems to identify some of the same concerns I have.

Posted on Jun 14, 2011 | by Norm Miller
PHOENIX (BP)--A meeting of "SBC Conservatives" June 13 in Phoenix drew about 20 pastors and laymen who lamented the current direction of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Kent Cochran, a Missouri messenger from Calvary Baptist Church in Republic who organized the meeting at the Hyatt Hotel, announced at the outset that the session was on background rules, for attendees to be assured their comments would not be attributed to them.

Such rules disallow attribution of all comments. Cochran, however, agreed to be quoted on the record.

The meeting's agenda centered on Cochran's plans to make a motion at the SBC's annual meeting in Phoenix, June 14-15. The motion -- ruled out order -- called for a "Unity Committee" to study the "perceptions and realities about impact and implementation of the GCR Task Force Report," which set forth a number of recommendations that were adopted by the SBC during its 2010 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

Cochran announced the launch of a website, www.sbcr2.com, "to be a resource center for pastors and laymen who share his concerns about where the SBC is now headed."

Attendees' concerns included the Acts 29 church planting network and relationships that SBC employees at the North American Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources and Southern and Southeastern Baptist Theological seminaries have had with Acts 29 leaders.

According to Cochran et al, Acts 29 holds views regarding alcohol consumption diametrically opposed to numerous Southern Baptist resolutions and also requires its church planters to embrace Reformed, or Calvinist, theology.
--30--
Norm Miller is a freelance writer based in Richmond, Va.

God's Rest

God’s Rest
On a recent day of retreat I took along F. B. Meyer’s, A Castaway and Other Addresses published in 1897. The pages in the old book would crumble and break as I turned each one. The binding would crack and break, yet I had to turn another page as I devoured the book at the expense of losing the integrity and possibly enjoyment of future readings.

How God used Meyer to speak to my heart. In the last sermon recorded in the book, he spoke of God’s Rest. After several months of turmoil and unrest in my life, it was as if God were audibly speaking to ME! How refreshing, how encouraging it was for me to find sermons spoken to preachers over 110 years ago by this man of God, still breathing fresh life into me.

Just a sample,

“The voice that breathed o’er Eden spoke of rest. In Gen. 2:3 we are told of the rest of God, and upon that day there fell no night, because the rest of God has no shadow in it, and never terminates. God has left open the door. It stands wide open, and every heart which He has made may share in it. A rest which is full of work; but like the cyclone, all the atoms of which revolve in turbulent motion around the central cavity of rest, so do all the activities of God revolve around His deepest heart which is tranquil and serene. And it is possible, if you and I learn the lesson amid anxiety and sorrow and trial and pressure of work always to carry a heart so peaceful, so still, so serene as to be like the depth of the Atlantic which is not disturbed by the turbulent winds that sweep the surface.

“Now this rest of God spoken of in Genesis was not exhausted by the Sabbath, or by Canaan; for after each of these had existed for many a century God still spoke of His reset as being unoccupied. And at last in Matt. 11:28, 29, a simple peasant (so He seemed,) stood up amid a number of peasants and fisher-folk and others, and said:
“On this breast of Mine is a pillow for ever heavy heart. My breast is broad enough, My heart is deep enough I offer Myself to all weary ones in every clime and age as Shiloh, the rest-giver”; for Shiloh in Him had come.

One feels that here is the accent of Deity. He says: “I am meek and lowly in heart.”
And yet He assumes to Himself the prerogative of giving rest to all that labor and are heavy-laden. How can you possibly account for the meeting of humility so great with pretentions so enormous in this meekest of men unless He be more than man, the Son of God incarnate? You will notice that as He stands there upon some mountain slope, with Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum on the land-locked lake of Galilee at His feet, He speaks of two kinds of rest which He shows us how to find. “I will give you rest,” He says, and then in a softer undertone He whispers: “Take My yoke and you shall find rest.”

More later on God’s Rest

Elder Rule and Southern Baptist Church Polity

Robert A. Wring has written and excellent article on Elder Rule and Southern Baptist Polity. It is found in the Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry Vol. 3 No. 1 (Spring 2005): pp 188-212. I suggest reading it. It can be found at http://www.baptistcenter.com/11%20Wring%20Revision.pdf

Biblical Church Polity

Which Governance Is Right?

Church polity simply refers to the structure of church government. What was the form of polity in the New Testament? Dean Stanley asserts that no existing church can find any pattern or platform of its government in the first century.

Historically, the three basic forms of church order are:
• Episcopal—governed by bishops
• congregational—places authority in hands of local congregants
• presbyterial—governed by elders of equal rank
Originally church order was exclusively episcopal, but congregational and presbyterial polities emerged out of the Protestant Reformation.

A member’s relation to the church is a reflection of a member’s relationship to Christ, since the individual members make up the body of the church which is the bride of Christ. In Ephesians 5:32, Paul is careful to tell us that his instructions concerning the relationship of the husband and wife are, in fact, a representation of the relationship of Christ with His Church.

The dominant primacy of the Holy Spirit assumes that God and humanity are in a partnership in the church enterprise. God is operating in and through the church through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not subject to human leadership or guidance. There is neither an attempt to preempt Him nor to direct, limit, or regiment His movement within the church. Christ is the Head of the church through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

As the church emerged, the need for official and appointed leadership developed. Focal congregations needed direction. New Christians required teaching. The world stood waiting for the message of eternal life. As God’s plan unfolded, leaders were selected and placed in positions of responsibility to lead in worship, to minister to the congregations, and to strengthen the witness of the church. The leaders were described with multiple titles which seem to indicate the various functions of the church’s leadership. They were called elders, pastors, teachers, and bishops. In Acts 6 a group emerged which would later be known as deacons or servants. As a result, the New Testament church developed two basic offices or leadership roles. One is the pastor (elder, bishop) and the other is the deacon.

While churches today differ in their application of these offices as they relate to church government and polity, we can be sure that Jesus is the Lord of the church and that He mediates His rule through the congregation and its chosen leaders. God’s church is therefore dependent upon the right kind of leadership, which fits the biblical pattern and develops healthy Christians within the congregation. Since church leadership is a stewardship having significant impact upon the lives of Christians, it is imperative that qualified leaders be chosen.


Notes:
Schaff, P., & Schaff, D. S. (1997). History of the Christian church. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Kurian, G. T. (2001). Nelson's new Christian dictionary : The authoritative resource on the Christian world. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Pubs.
Tidwell, C. A. (1985). Church administration: Effective leadership for ministry (22). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Believer's Study Bible. 1997 (electronic ed.) (Re 22:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Biblical Church Polity

The work of the laity

A look at the various main-line denominations reveals that there are many different organizational styles among denominations today. Which one is correct? Should a church be lead by “elders,” “deacons,” "committees,” or by the pastor? In my study I find no case for church leadership to be placed in the hands of any other than the pastor, the under-shepherd who is held responsible for the flock (see previous post).

An Old Testament passage which delineates how specific needs should be handled is Exodus 18:17-27. It is the story of Moses organization to effectively lead the children of Israel. This organizational chart was proposed by his father-in-law and is strikingly similar to the suggestion of the apostles in Acts 6. In Exodus the selection of help is for the purpose of judging. In Acts 6 the purpose of the selection is for taking care of widows who were neglected in the daily ministry.

The dissimilarities are that Moses chooses those who will serve in the Exodus, and in the Acts, the apostles set the requirements for selection, but allows the congregation to choose. Beyond that the similarities are striking. Compare the qualifications listed in each.

In Exodus the leaders are to be:
1. Men (able men). The adjective “able” is important. Not every man is “able” to lead. There are some who cannot lead themselves, let alone others.
2. They are to fear God.
3. Truth
4. They are to hate dishonest gain.

In Acts the requirements are to be:
1. Men
2. Good reputation
3. Full of the Spirit
4. Wise
5. Have authority to accomplish the work

Consideration should be made that this is God’s model for organization. If this be the case, then all of the committees of the church should have the same requirements as above. One may argue that all of the committees of the church should be sub-committees of the deacons who serve to bear the burden of the pastor in order that he may give his time to the work of the Bible Study and prayer.

In Acts, the apostles set the terms for the selection, but allowed the congregation to choose. The assumption is that if the congregation did not choose men who met the qualifications laid down by the apostles, they would not be accepted in that leadership position.

In Exodus, the leader (Moses) chose directly the men who would assist in the area of leadership, but the qualifications were very similar to those of the Apostles in Acts.

Biblical Church Polity

The role of the pastor

Three words are used to refer to the office of the pastor in the New Testament. They are all three used in one passage found in 1 Peter 5:1–3 (NASB)1 THEREFORE, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

The role of the undershepherd is described with three words:

• Elders (Gk. presbuteros) is a term that suggests the respect and esteem due a pastor by virtue of his divinely appointed office (v. 1);

• Shepherd (Gk. poimainō), used as a verb in the text, describes a pastor’s spiritual ministries—to feed, protect, guide, and pray for the flock of God (v. 2);

• Overseers (Gk. episkopos) emphasizes administrative responsibilities (v. 2).

These terms are synonymous; yet each has a distinctive nuance of meaning in describing the pastoral office.

Paul told the elders in Acts 20:28 (NASB)
28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Speaking to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 (NASB) he said,
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.

Explaining the gift of God to the Church at Ephesus Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11–12 (NASB)
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

These verses concerning the role of the pastor clearly delineate the responsibility for church leadership does not lie with the office of deacons or with committees, but with the Pastor who has been placed in the local church by the Holy Spirit. The three words used describe the distinctive nuances of the same office—that of a man called by God to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

In response the congregants are to Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)
17 Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

The shepherd of the sheep is not led by the sheep, but leads the sheep according to the directions of the owner of the sheep. In too many churches today the sheep lead the shepherd and do not allow him to fulfill the calling which God has made on his life.

I realize that this post does not address the issue of a pastor abusing the office and how to deal with that situation. That will be a later post.

Biblical Church Polity

The Pattern of the Early Church

The description of the early church in Acts 2:42-47 gives a basic outline of what God intends the church to be:
42 And they [the early church] continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The church is made up of people called by God to be His children. The Lord intended for there to be a visible church for a testimony to the world. An organization’s structure is determined by its purpose. For example each position on the football team has a particular job. It is structured to meet the needs of the purpose of the team—offensively to score, defensively to keep the other team from scoring.

The church has basically a two-fold purpose that is stated in many different ways by different churches. Purpose statements usually include something along these lines, “To glorify God by knowing Him and making Him known.” A more expanded version would be “to make disciples by growing in our relationship to God and teaching others in keeping with Bible instruction.” Whatever the purpose of the church, the organizational structure should be to undergird and facilitate that purpose.

Acts 2:42 delineates the basic ingredients of church life in the first church. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. The only other thing you can add to that was preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Everywhere they went as they had opportunity they provided witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (v. 47).
Don’t think that evangelism wasn’t important to the early church because it was not delineated. It was a “given” that each would person would share his/her faith. The purpose of the church was plainly given by Christ in what is known as “The Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20). Unfortunately in many churches it is “The Great Omission.”

The basic functions are:
Bible Study
Fellowship
Prayer
Preaching
Witnessing

We find that the first expansion of the church organization took place in response to a particular need in the church. Most are familiar with the passage in Acts 6. The need arose because the task of ministry was too great for the Apostles. Church organizational growth should be in response to the needs of ministry. Often these needs are not perceived early, resulting in conflict which will always focus attention on the need.

The twelve apostles led the early church until needs demanded the organizational structure develop and elders and deacons were trained to lead and serve. One must be careful that the church not become bureaucratic rather than functioning as a body with each member fulfilling a particular task or role. Often the pitfall of organization is that the church operates like the government rather than as a body. What are the purposes of committees and councils and are they the most efficient way to accomplish the work God has given the church to do? Are they good stewardship of His resources?

Questions that are essential for the church to ask are:
1. What is the basic task of the church?
2. Is the leadership biblical?
3. Is the church organized to efficiently carry out that task in a biblical, efficient way that is good stewardship of God’s resources?

BIBLICAL CHURCH POLITY

The fundamentals

No body is complete without a head. There is an old saying, “Anything with no head is dead, and anything with more than one head is a freak.” The Bible plainly teaches that there is structure to all relationships. The ultimate head in all relationships whether social or governmental is God. He is the one who places all heads of government in office (Romans 13:1) and He is the one who is to be the head of the family (Ephesians 5:22-26). Ultimately man must give account to God for all of his activities.

Even though Jesus and God are equal, the Scripture teaches that Christ submits to the authority of the Father. Various passages give account of Christ’s submission to the Father. One of the references is 1 Corinthians 11:3
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

The head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Ephesians Paul says, Ephesians 4:15-16 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Although we are to do everything we can in the church, it is the power of Christ that makes everything everlasting work.

Just a Word

I have not posted since last fall. I will start again and see how it goes.

Biblical Church Polity

A look at what the Bible says about local church organization
Introduction

The other day a person asked how we determined our church organizational structure. As most other pastors, my initial response was, “from the Bible.” It does not, however, take a thorough examination of the Scripture to find that much of the organizational structure as well as the polity of the typical late 20th Century church is not directly derived from Scripture. It is easy to understand how so many denominations came into being when you understand the different organizational and leadership styles.

Many believe that the church is to be a Theocracy rather than a democracy in the way it is governed. Does God’s Word give us direction as to how the church should be organized and structured? Are the instructions in Scripture sufficient for the staffing and operation of the mega-churches of our day?

I believe that there is room given for various leadership styles in the Bible. While God has given some basic guidelines for the structure of the church, there is room for creativity and variety in the organizational structure as long as the foundational principles of God’s Word are not violated.