Quote of the Day

If we could only look upon a difficult crisis as an occasion of bringing out, on our behalf, the sufficiency of divine grace, it would enable us to preserve the balance of our souls and to glorify God, even in the deepest waters. - C. H. Mackintosh

No Truth Without Love, No Love Without Truth

The church’s engagement with the culture involves a host of issues, controversies, and decisions–but no issue defines our current cultural crisis as clearly as homosexuality. Some churches and denominations have capitulated to the demands of the homosexual rights movement, and now accept homosexuality as a fully valid lifestyle.

Other denominations are tottering on the brink, and without a massive conservative resistance, they are almost certain to abandon biblical truth and bless what the Bible condemns. Within a few short years, a major dividing line has become evident–with those churches endorsing homosexuality on one side, and those stubbornly resisting the cultural tide on the other.

The homosexual rights movement understands that the evangelical church is one of the last resistance movements committed to a biblical morality. Because of this, the movement has adopted a strategy of isolating Christian opposition, and forcing change through political action and cultural pressure.

Read the entire article by Albert Mohler here.

Our Feelings and the Mind of Christ

One of the great obstacles to our spiritual maturity is our feelings!  We live in a day where feelings are often exalted as good indicators of decision-making.  Many believers have a very up and down Christian experience because they put so much trust in what they feel.

Our feelings change regularly, and our feelings can be affected by any number of things.

We feel like a friend rejected us because they did not contact us when we wanted them to, when in reality they have been wishing we would do the same.

We walk into a room and feel like everyone is negative toward us, where in reality they are all glad to see us.

We completely misread the comments or body language of a spouse and expect negativity when in fact he or she feels positively towards us.

We wake up after staying up too late and feel badly physically, emotionally, and psychologically, reading our negative feelings into the people around us.

We have negative feelings because someone else didn't meet our expectations, when in fact our expectations have been unrealistic.

I have found through the years that some people are especially prone to feeling like other people are routinely rejecting them - reading way too much into things than is reality.  For some it causes them to isolate themselves, building up high walls of protection, rarely allowing other people to get behind the wall.  Other people wallow in self-pity with a "woe is me, the world is against me" view of life.  Still others thrust themselves into perfectionism, trying to out-perform their feelings of inferiority.  Others have high-sensitivity trigger buttons that make them react negatively and forcefully when they sense feelings of rejection.

Charles Stanley has excellent notes about this subject - Victory over Rejection.

Interestingly, when you read the New Testament, you hear the apostles appealing not to our emotions as the barometer for spiritual growth, but instead to our minds.  We are challenged to renew our minds in order to walk in God's will (Romans 12:2).  Paul exhorts us to have the same mind of Christ in us (1 Cor. 2:16) - not the same feelings of Christ.  We are to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2).  And Paul exhorted Christians that those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; those who have their minds  set on what the Spirit desires the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so (Ro. 8:5-7).

The battle for the Christian life is in the mind.  We get off-track when we side-step into being buffeted by our feelings.  I have oft-learned that I have to have small, daily deaths to some feelings.  Jesus said that if I am to follow Him as a disciple, I first must deny self.  At times that means taking what I am feeling and saying, "NO!  I deny you.  I die to you.  I will not be controlled by what I feel.  Instead, I submit you to the lordship of Christ."

Feelings come and go.  They change with the wind.  It is wonderful when we feel good emotionally.  We all like to feel like a kite floating on the breeze.  But, as Christians, we should be able to keep going and functioning when the feelings go south and we have those normal, mundane days - or even the ones when we are in the dumps.

Bill Bright used to teach that if the Christian life is like a train, the engine is "truth," the car "faith," and the caboose "feelings."  Our faith must follow truth - or fact.  The train can run with our without the caboose of feelings.  You can see that illustration here on his 4 Spiritual Laws tract. 

The mature Christian is the one who consistently walks with God, exhibits godly fruit, and moves forward irregardless of the ever-changing feelings-barometer.

Fear Not, Little Flock

In his little book The Red Sea Rules, Robert Morgan shares the testimony of Darlene Rose, missionary to New Guinea.  She and her husband were both imprisoned by the Japanese in the 1930's.  When thrown into a cell, she found herself singing a song she had learned in Sunday School . . .

Fear not, little flock,

Whatever your lot;

He enters all rooms,

"The doors being shut."

He never forsakes,

He never is gone,

So count on His presence

In darkness and dawn.

(Only Believe by Daniel Reader)

Quote of the Day

"America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within." Joseph Stalin

Standing at a Distance

            All I could do was stand at a distance.   My wife had been in labor all day, and for the past two hours had pushed like a champion to no avail.  Never had I seen her so exhausted physically or emotionally.  I kept hoping and praying that our little boy would come on out and meet our world, but he stayed put.  Finally, the doctor called for a C-section.  They quickly wheeled Tracey off to the operating room.  Minutes later I stood  and watched as doctors performed the procedure on my wife.  An awesome sense of the fragility of life overcame me as I observed my dear wife  and that precious child – both in the hands of the doctors.  There was nothing I could do but watch and pray.  So, I stood at a distance and witnessing the miraculous procedure.  Finally, the nurse brought that big bundle of nine pounds and ten ounces over to me and plopped him in my arms.  As tears streamed down my face, I thanked God for the help of someone better than I at delivering babies! 

Experiencing God’s miracles at times calls us to stand at a distance.  We like activity.  Our natures thrive on doing something.  But, as Henry Blackaby wrote, God may call us to not just do something but stand there. 

Miriam faced such a situation.  This famous sister of Moses models intercession in Exodus 2.  Picture it.  The need is severe.  Pharaoh orders all of the Jewish baby boys to be murdered at birth.  Under God’s protective care, Jochebed hides her baby Moses for three months.  When circumstances demand other action, “when she could hide him no longer” (2:3), this Jewish mother hides her child in a wicker basket, setting this life-boat in the bank of the Nile river.  Entrusting the boy’s survival to Elohim, she leaves Moses’ sister Miriam, who “stood at a distance to see what would happen to him” (4). 

Providentially Pharaoh’s daughter arrives on the scene, walking along the Nile. She spots the basket, discovers baby Moses, and has pity on the child.  Immediately Miriam steps forward, exclaiming, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” (7).  The Egyptian princess responses positively, “Yes, go.”  The baby is saved, grows up in the prestige of Pharaoh’s household, and God allows Jochebed to care for her child.

Experienced intercessors learn that many times God does not allow you to take any action in a situation that deeply concerns you.  Maybe you have done all you know to do to help a loved one and God finally says to you, “Don’t do anything but pray.”  You may have interest in a new job; you want to call your friends and try to manipulate the situation; but when you pray, God tells you to just stand there and trust him. 

Faced by an enemy army, Jehoshaphat stands in the presence of the Lord.  As he and his people cry out to God, the prophet speaks this word: “You will not have to fight in this battle.  Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. . .o” (2 Chronicles 20:17).  Later in the life of Moses, cornered by an Egyptian army and a sea (there’s a cul-de-sac of trouble), this man of God challenges the Israelites, “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. . . .  The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14).

“Lord,” we say, “I don’t want to keep silent.”  I want to speak up, take action, be productive!”  But the gentle presence of God comes to us and says, “In quietness and in trust is your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

The word stand, according to Webster’s New Dictionary, means “to take or be at rest in an upright or firm position” or “to be steadfast.”  Faced with impossible situations, intercessors must learn to be at rest in the Lord as they stand and pray.  The psalmist writes, “Be at rest once more, O my soul” (116:7), and challenges us to “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him” (37:7; NASB).  How can we do this?  Because, as David writes, “On God my salvation and my glory rests” (62:7; NASB).

Miriam, watching the ripples of the Nile river rock her baby brother, entrusts his care to Almighty God while she stands at a distance.  Just as one day her brother would be required by Jehovah to lay down his rod, his only source of protection in the desert, so Miriam and her mother have to lay down an impossible situation and their ability to solve the problem.  God responds to their faith, and the rest is history.

What challenge in your life tempts you to push, yell, or manipulate circumstances?  What person close to you do you want to fix?  What impossibility evokes your desire to act when God says, “Rest and stand”?  Run to the Lord.  Pour out your heart before Him.  Rest in His nature.  And stand as an intercessor, committing the outcome to God.  Who knows? God may end up plopping the baby down into your arms.

 

 

Cooooooooool

I told my children that next week I would be at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers' Conference. I explained, "There will be some agents at the conference." My eight-year old let out an emphatic, long, "coooooooooool." I thought about it for a second, looked at him, and replied, "Not secret agents." He immediately let out a disappointed "oh." Sorry kid.

A Christian Home

As I plan for worship tomorrow, I am thinking about the many godly mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends, and godly women out there this weekend.

My wife picked out a fantastic song for our congregation to sing tomorrow - it is one called A Christian Home by Barbara Hart and Jean Sibelius.  I have been worshiping the Lord today as I have meditated on its words.  This hymn is a fantastic guide for your own praying - I commend it to you!  Oh that these words would be true in our homes again and again and again . . .


O give us homes built firm upon the Saviour,
Where Christ is Head, and Counselor and Guide;
Where ev'ry child is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that tho' his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,
Who always place their hope and trust in Him;
Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,
Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;
A home where each finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines, tho' days be dark and grim.

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,
The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;
Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,
And praise is natural speech to ev'ry tongue;
Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,
And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds of love no enemy can sever
If Thou art always Lord and Master there:
Be Thou the center of our least endeavor:
Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share.

 

Quotation

 

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  - Abraham Lincoln

Distractions and Unrealistic Expectations

I talked yesterday from Acts 6:1-7 about the subtle attack of distraction that could have sidetracked the early church.  It is ever-so easy for churches and ministries to become distracted with seemingly good things and miss the main things.

The consumer-oriented culture of America has created sub-cultures in the church that are often consumer-oriented.  We easily become obsessed with "me," which shows itself in a myriad of ways.  Churches can become distracted due to unrealistic expectations of people.

Perhaps the biggest surprise my wife and I have experienced in our 15 years of pastoral ministry is how easily Christians in our culture get their feelings hurt - and stay hurt.  In our me-driven society, even Christians will stay stuck in "they didn't appreciate me," "they hurt my feelings," "they neglected me," or, as Kent Hughes writes, they can even get sidetracked in imagined offenses (ones that in reality did not happen but they feel or perceive that they did).

One of the built-in disciplines of being a pastor is that you have to stay spiritual (or just choose to live in the flesh).  A spiritual pastor knows that he can't "do church" or "do ministry" in his own strength without the Lord.  One of the disciplines that it creates is the reality that you have to keep your heart clean and the chips off our your shoulders on a weekly basis.  I can't expect the Spirit of the Lord to anoint my preaching if I have sin in my heart towards people in my church fellowship (unforgiveness, bitterness, etc.). 

Likewise, if I have unrealistic expectations of other people (she should have spoken to me, he should have checked on me, they should have attended that special event), I have to regularly give those to the Lord.  I just can't go into a Sunday with habitual sins hanging around my neck and shoulder.

I remember a man in one church I served who taught a discipleship class once a quarter.  He said that about a  week prior to teaching it, he started being very aware of whether or not he was walking with the Lord and keeping his life free from things that displease God.  He knew that God would not work through him mightily during the discipleship class if he were walking in the flesh beforehand.

I think that is a wise practice for every believer to do on a weekly basis.  Keep your sin list very short.  Check your attitudes daily.  Lay your expectations of other people before the Lord regularly.  Who knows - while you are disappointed in something they did or did not do, they may be disappointed at one of your flaws as well!

We all need a good dose of "getting over our self" and learning to bear with one another.

While expressing love, grace, and mercy to those who are hurting, a wise church, like the church in Acts 6:1-7, will not become distracted from their primary tasks every time someone has their feelings hurt or feels neglected.

One of the qualities that made The Builder Generation great (the WWII generation) was the fact that they understood that their individual worth came from making a positive contribution to something bigger than themselves.  They were not obsessed with pleasing self as much as they were driven to be dutiful to things greater than themselves.  Sadly, since that generation, our society has become more and more obsessed with pleasing self and creating a world that thinks that the institution (family, church, government) exists to make them happy - not that they exist to serve the other.

When a church focuses on making people feel good and putting bandages on people’s hurt feelings, it becomes easily distracted from her great work of making disciples and being Christ’s witnesses.  A distracted church will become a weak church. 

Mature Christians learn to get over their hurt feelings, to overlook offenses, and to get on with God’s program!  It is a mark of immaturity to wallow in self-pity.  It is a mark of maturity to clothe oneself with Christ, forgive your brother, and let go of your past disappointments.  If you don’t, you will distract not only yourself and your family but perhaps the whole ministry.

Unrealistic expectations can distract your ministry!  Guard against getting off course just because someone had their feelings hurt or felt neglected.

Why Attend Church?

When I was a boy, we went to church every Sunday morning unless someone was sick.  If I was sick, either Mom or Dad stayed home with me, and the other one went to church.  If Mom was sick, Dad and I went to church.  If Dad was sick, Mom and I went.

 

During the school year we attended church every Sunday morning, every Sunday evening (youth choir started about 4:30), and every Wednesday evening.  There were no exceptions.  I never once remember my parents getting up on Sunday and saying, We stayed up late last night.  We don't feel very good today.  We will just stay home.  (I did not hear of that until I became a pastor!)  

 

Sporting events and other diversions did not keep us from going.  (I remember when my swim team had a lock-in on a Saturday night.  My parents would not allow me to go because it was more important to worship God on the Lord's Day than to be at a lock-in!)

 

We looked forward to going to church weekly.  It was one of the main highlights of the week.  We loved our church family, we enjoyed being with them, and we enjoyed worshiping together.

 

When I look back on that practice of my parents, I do so with no regret.  We honored the Lord on His day by ordering our lives to worship Him and be with His people.  I learned early how to sit, be quiet, and listen to a sermon, how to sing songs to God, how to listen to adults pray and give testimony.  I watched people respond to the Lord and His Word at invitation times.   I learned the Bible in Sunday School classes.  I learned about the work of missionaries on Wednesday nights in RA classes. 

 

No, I don't look back on that and think, they drug me to church!  I am glad we were involved with the church and the people of God.  I learned the discipline of regular church attendance: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:24-25).  And not just attending but getting involved.  Being an active participant. 

I don't think we have to go to church three times a week in order to be a Christian that pleases God.  However, in our day, statistics say that 40% of American evangelicals do not attend church regularly.  Many people who claim Christianity only attend on large holidays - Christmas and Easter.  And many believers are simply out of the discipline of meeting regularly and being involved with a local church.  Compare that to the habit of the early believers: Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad an sincere hearts (Acts 2:46).

 

The following is a great reminder of why we need to attend church regularly with other believers. 

I am sure that every serious Christian at times wonders, "Why do I really  need to go to church weekly?  Why can't I just stay home, worship with my family, and watch good preaching on television?  Why keep going to church when I don't always seem to get a lot out of it?  Churches are imperfect anyway." 

David Roach has some very good words with Scriptural reminders.  In our day of low commitment, of people being overinvolved and overextended, of a consumer-oriented culture, of Sundays and Wednesdays being crowded out by 100 other things to do, we are wise to read them and put them into practice.

Structuring for Growth

Acts 6:1-7

The tiniest events sometimes cause great problems.  Again and again a church has warded off a frontal attack only to be subverted from within.  Countless works for God have been hurt this way.  God blesses a work.  Then someone complains that he or she is not appreciated or is being neglected.  Acts 6 describes such a situation.  – Kent Hughes

Biblical church organization responds to needs and to what the Spirit is already doing.  Organization is never an end in itself, but only a means to facilitate what the Lord is doing in His church.  – Johnny Hunt

 

3 attacks on the young church:   Persecution (Acts 4), Corruption (Acts 5), Distraction (Acts 6)

Greek Jews and Hebrew Jews and the food distribution

Diakonia / diakonos  - primarily denotes servant; “through the dust” – leaving a ministry trail

 

1.      The need (1).  Complaints arose because of a legitimate, unmet need within the congregation.

When Satan does not succeed in stopping the church with a frontal assault, he attacks from within.  This usually happens subtly – an invitation not sent, a job unnoticed, a critical comment overheard, jealousy over something that really doesn’t matter.  Someone complains that he or she is not appreciated or is being neglected.  Perhaps in the form of a critical glance, a name forgotten, a social gaffe, or some imagined offense.  Biter dissension ignites and spreads, and the whole work goes up in flames.  When the murmuring begins, the devil smiles.  – Kent Hughes

 

When believers are unhappy and begin to murmur, the first place to look for the problem is in their own hearts.  If they feel they have just cause for criticism, by all means they should express it to the right people in an appropriate way.  But they must avoid murmuring or gossiping and must be willing to be a part of the solution.  – Hughes

When a church focuses on making people feel good and putting bandages on people’s hurt feelings, it becomes easily distracted from her great work of making disciples and being Christ’s witnesses.  A distracted church will become a weak church.

Mature Christians learn to get over their hurt feelings, to overlook offenses, and to get on with God’s program!  It is a mark of immaturity to wallow in self-pity.  It is a mark of maturity to clothe oneself with Christ, forgive your brother, and let go of your past disappointments.  If you don’t, you will distract not only yourself and your family but perhaps the whole ministry.

Unrealistic expectations can distract your ministry!  Guard against getting off course just because someone had their feelings hurt or felt neglected.

2.      The problem (2).  It was an incorrect move for the apostles to directly meet the need and neglect their priority task.

The apostles had no liberty to be distracted from their own priority task.  – John Stott

Waiting on tables would have left the apostles little time for anything or anyone else.  The apostles would have dried up spiritually under the pressure of serving meals plus all the counseling and preaching, with little time for preparation and prayer.  Furthermore, if the apostles had agreed to personally run the food program, others might have hesitated to perform the slightest ministry without apostolic direction, and that would have fostered overdependence we sometimes see today, with followers afraid to tie their shoes without getting permission from the pastor.  Delegation is at the heart of developing followers.– Kent Hughes

It was not that the apostles thought it beneath their dignity to run the errands of the church; it was simply a matter of putting first things first.  Keeping the main thing the main thing.  There was no point doing something anyone could do when they could do things no one else could do. – Johnny Hunt

 

The ministry of the Word, without prayer that the Spirit will water the seed, is unlikely to bear fruit.  – John Stott

 

The apostles’ statement tells us that more than the corporate witness was at stake.  Evidently some had suggested that the way to dispel hard feelings was to have Peter, John, and the others divvy up the widows’ goods.  Though such counsel may have appeared sensible at first glance, it actually brought apostolic principles of discipleship and delegation under well-meaning but deadly attack.  The power of the apostolic church would have been greatly diminished, and this glorious chapter of early-church history would have been sadly tamed.

 

The ill-advised suggestion must have been a substantial temptation for the apostles.  No one wants to think they see themselves as above common work.  There was also the temptation to think, “Things will not happen the way they should if I do not do them myself.”  They could not set themselves up as little gods.  – Kent Hughes

 

a)         The apostles did not get distracted by the murmur of unrealistic expectations.

b)         The apostles did not get distracted by neglecting the main thing.

c)         The apostles did not get distracted by becoming too important and fostering                                 overdependence.

d)         The apostles did not get distracted by refusing to disciple other leaders and                                         delegate  ministry.

 

3.       The solution (3).  The responsibility needed to be turned over to godly people within the congregation.

 

Their ministry was increased through spiritual delegation and discipleship.  The apostles made the people a part of the solution.

Spiritual men – godly character, full of the Spirit, wisdom, and motivation

When this church was choosing leaders it was not concerned about how much money the men had or how much management experience they had acquired, but whether or not they were wise and Spirit-filled.  The reason was that their main problem was essentially spiritual.  Therefore, it needed persons who were Spirit-filled to deal with them.  And people with wisdom.  – Boice

John Maxwell says that the first mark of a leader is the ability to delegate:

            1. If someone else can do a task better than I can, I give it away.

            2. If someone else can do a task at least 80% as well as I can, I give it to them.

            3. If someone else has the potential to do a task at least 80% as well as I can, I train them.

 

4.      The focus (4).  The apostles could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

 

The apostles were able to maintain needed spiritual discipline.  The apostles’ prayers were accompanied by the ministry of the word – preparation.  They all prayerfully poured over the Old Testament, working hard at understanding and communicating the spiritual truths of God’s Word.  This is where shepherds often fall short today.  This contrasts sharply with today’s average pastor, who according to a Christianity Today survey, spends only three minutes a day in prayer.  Unrealistic expectations, the feeling of needing to be present at every meeting and every function, and an overcrowded schedule often leaves today’s busy pastors little time for fellowship with God.

I know of no department of human activity, from the governing of a great nation to the doctoring of a little body, where the disposition is not constantly appearing to invent some sudden method or to seek some magical and concise preparation which shall obviate the need of careful, comprehensive study and long-continued application.  But this disposition is nowhere so strong, I think, as in the ministry.  – Phillips Brooks

No man is ever going to be able to fill the pulpit adequately unless he spends thousands of hours year after year in the study of God’s Word.  – Donald Barnhouse

Prayer and the ministry of the Word are inseparably linked.  Prayer must permeate a pastor’s sermon preparation.  Without both, our sermons are superficial and dry.  – Johnny Hunt

 

Every Member a Minister (everyone has a gift and a ministry)

 

God calls all his people to ministry, he calls different people to different ministries, and those called to ‘prayer and the ministry of the Word’ must on no account allow themselves to be distracted from their priorities.  We do a great disservice to the church whenever we refer to the pastorate as “the ministry.”  All Christians without exception are called to ministry, indeed to give their lives in ministry.  The expression “full-time Christian ministry” is not to be restricted to church work and missionary service; it can also be exercised in government, the media, the professions, business, industry, and the home.  We need to recover this vision of the wide diversity of ministries to which God calls his people.  – Stott

 

The apostles could have been preoccupied with the wrong ministry.  Today’s pastors, instead of concentrating on the ministry of the Word (which will include preaching to the congregation, counseling individuals, and training groups), they become overwhelmed with administration.  Sometimes it is his fault (he wants to keep all the reins in his hands), and sometimes the people’s (they want him to be a general factotum [a servant with many diverse responsibilities] ).  In either case the consequences are disastrous.  The standards of preaching and teaching decline, since the pastor has little time to study or pray.  And the people do not exercise their God-given roles.  For both reasons the congregation is inhibited from growing into maturity in Christ. 

What is needed is the basic, biblical recognition that God calls different men and women to different ministries.  Then the people will ensure that their pastor is set free from unnecessary administration, in order to give himself to the ministry of the Word, and the pastor will ensure that the people discover their gifts and develop ministries appropriate to them.  – John Stott

 

5.      The people (5-6).  Godly men are chosen and commissioned to oversee ministries.

 

They may illustrate the general principle that much of the work is carried on by the unknown, unsung individuals who faithfully carry out the tasks entrusted to them.  – John Phillips

The Bible’s evaluation of success if completely different from the world’s evaluation.  If you want to be great in God’s sight, try serving people.  - Boice

They are allowed to use their gifts.

Every Christian has at least one gift.  If you have a situation in which people are not exercising their gifts, the result is always an impoverished church.  No one person has all the gifts.  So if the gifts he [one pastor] does not have but that others have are unused, the church is poorer by that amount.  – Boice.

Healthy church – at least 60% of people engaged, using their gifts

6.      The result (7).  Evangelism, discipleship, and apologetics flourish.

 

By divinely-directed delegation, the apostles not only freed others to grow in their service to God, but they freed themselves for prayer, preparation, and powerful preaching!  Thus the spiritual ministry of the church was enhanced.  – Kent Hughes

The main thing stayed the main thing.  A unified, well-taught church will be a powerful witness to the lost world.  – Johnny Hunt

Besides being biblically obedient, the involvement of the church in ministry has many immediate benefits to the church:

 

·         Pastors and other staff members are freed to do other ministries, especially prayer and the Word.

·         The number of ministries increases proportionally to additional lay involvement.

·         Involvement of the laity in the ministry is the best assimilation method.  Those who are involved rarely leave the church.

·         Involved people are generally happy people.

·         People who do ministry are typically generous financial supporters of the church.  They see the benefits.   

-           Thom Rainer, Eating the Elephant

 

Conclusion

If the widows are being neglected, we should be willing to wait on tables.  If the Sunday school needs help, we should be ready to assist however we can.  If we see a need for a small group, perhaps we should host one.  If we see the need for evangelism, we should be willing to share Christ.  We must not just complain but must be willing to lead, to delegate, and, above all, to serve.

 

So here we see a pattern: a legitimate need leads to wise delegation, allowing church members to take responsibility and be overseers of ministries, leading to the multiplication of the church!

Healthy churches will follow their pattern, allowing people to be initiators of ministry.

 

18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children

Great article.  Read it here.

Experiencing God: A Documentary

Adrian Rogers or Charles Stanley (I can't remember which) once said that he thought that Bertha Smith, who died in 1988, did more than any other human being to orient Southern Baptist pastors to the Holy Spirit.  (Smith was a contemporary and missionary friend of Martha Franks.)

 

I believe that since Ms. Smith went to heaven, that mantle fell to Henry Blackaby.  Few resources have had the massive impact on God's people in the Southern Baptist Convention like Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry Blackaby.  I doubt if there is any one living person whose life-message has impacted people in the SBC more the last 23 years.

Lifeway Films, a new division of Lifeway Christian Resources, is about to release their first documentary - one about the impact of EG in the Southern Baptist Convention and beyond. 

 

Check out Experiencing God: A Documentary. 

Angels

I enjoyed teaching about angels in my Life Group on Sunday morning.  Angels are a fascinating aspect of the Bible and Christian history.  Billy Graham's book entitled Angels sold more than 3 million copies and includes several fantastic angel-testimonies.

My favorite "angel" story involved a lady named Thelma Gaines whom I knew for years.  She loved the Lord and walked with him for years and years.  Her husband, an alcoholic, abandoned her and her two daughters years ago.  She had kept on trucking, walking with the Lord and loving her family.  She loved to listen to Charles Stanley and would regularly ask my mother, "Did you hear what Dr. Stanley preached this weekend?"  Ms. Thelma contracted cancer in the 1990's.  I remember visiting her several times at St. Francis Hospital in 1995 before she died.  The last several days prior to her death, she went into a semi-coma and did not open her eyes nor communicate with anyone.  One minute before her body died, with both of her adult daughters in the room, Ms. Thelma opened her eyes, sat up in bed, held her arms out, and exclaimed, I knew you would come for me!  Then she fell back into the bed and her body was dead.

I hope I never forgot the reality of Ms. Thelma seeing the angels of God coming into that hospital room to take her spirit into what the Bible calls "the bosom of Abraham," the place of rest for those who have put their faith in the God of the Bible.

I eventually wrote a song about angels called Angels in this Place and included Ms. Thelma's testimony as a verse in the song.

Practical Summaries of a Congregational-Based Church

1. Congregationalism is the form of church government and polity we find modeled and practiced in the NT.  It honors the doctrines of the priesthood of the believer and the church as the Body of Christ.

2. Congregationalism will only function effectively where there is a regenerate church membership and accountability-discipline.  Otherwise, carnal men and women can sow discord.

3. Congregationalism is best practiced in the form of a representative model.  The church calls out godly leaders and the church willingly submits to their direction and leadership (Heb. 13:7,17,24; 1 Thess. 5:12-13).  We should wisely leave the everyday affairs of church life in their hands and banish forever monthly business meetings that provide opportunities for carnality.[1]

4. Following God-called leaders does not mean that there is no accountability.  There needs to be some form of close or inner circle accountability.  So the single-elder and other elders are not lone rangers; they too are in a relationship of accountability.  A counsel of godly men around them, whether they be deacons or a non-official group, is wise and needed.

5. We must affirm the biblical mandate to let the God-called leaders lead.  The church needs to submit to the leadership and direction of her pastor.  [2]

6. Strong pastoral leadership is essential to the growth and maturation of the church.  Churches that are growing numerically, according to Thom Rainer’s extensive research, accept and follow strong leadership by their pastor(s) and staff members.[3]

7. Someone has to lead.  Though many give counsel, share wisdom, and provide input, there nevertheless must be a leader.  However, when the people in the system are godly and spiritual in nature, consensus should be the goal.  Adrian Rogers said many times, “Anything without a head is dead.  Anything with several heads is a freak.

8. People must be godly, obedient to the Scriptures, and controlled by the Holy Spirit for any church system to work.  The biblical principle of submission, the model of servanthood, and the motive of love are necessary for a God-blessed church who walks in unity.  Danny Akin writes, “Any system will work if the people are godly and mature.”

---

[1] I have never met a person who said that a church business meeting was an occasion for blessing and spiritual edification.  I have met many who have said that attending one was a spiritual low that dishonored Christ, harmed the gospel, and left bruised and battered saints.  There is wisdom in calling special meetings as major items of business dictate (church discipline, establishing or changing a constitution, calling a pastor, purchasing property, constructing buildings, approving the budget, etc.).  Here the congregation should be involved.

[2] If I disagree with a decision he makes, I have the right to go to him and share my concern.  But having done this I am then to get behind him and support his leadership.  Why?   Because he is the God-called leader of the church and I am not.  God tells me plainly to remember (pray for), obey and submit to my pastor because he (1) watches over my soul and (2) must give an account to God.  God wants the elders to serve the congregation with joy and not grief.  I do my part to ensure this by praying for him and following his leadership.  This is clearly biblical and we ignore or disobey God’s command on this point only to our shame and loss (Heb. 13:17).

[3] Thom Rainer is currently the President of Lifeway Christian Resources.  Formerly he was the Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Biblical Model for a Leadership-Structure

Exodus 18:13-23

History repeats itself.  The Bible shows us a leadership-administrative problem encountered by Moses and corrected by Jethro.  The Israelite leader, wearing too many hats and pulled in too many directions, went to his father-in-law for advice.  The wise Jethro shared that what Moses was doing (his solo approach to leadership) was not good and was going to wear him out!  What he needed was to assign leaders of good character to administrate the work under him.  Moses would give attention to the big picture and problems that affected the overall operation while creating an administrative flow chart that would result in needs being met and, criticism being handled, and the freeing up of the leader to give his attention to priority issues.  As a result, more leaders were involved and given an opportunity to use their gifts.

J. Oswald Sanders write in his book Spiritual Leadership,

Jethro proposed a two-part plan.  Moses would continue to teach spiritual principles and exercise legislative leadership.  He would also decide the hard cases at court.  But much of his work would be delegated to competent, trustworthy subordinates.

Jethro spoke wisely, for if Moses had succumbed under the strain, he would have left behind chaos – no one trained to lead, no one in charge of anything. 

Moses followed his advice and realized several benefits.  He was able to concentrate on the biggest problems.  The latent talents of many around him were discovered.  Those gifted men, who could have become his critics had Moses continued alone, were now allies facing a common challenge.  People-problems were solved with efficiency.  And Moses laid the groundwork for effective leadership after his death.

The same scenario repeats itself a few thousand years later in the life of the early church.  The apostles, wearing themselves out trying to oversee all of the ministries, are neglecting prayer, Bible study, and disciple-making.  The answer lies in calling out seven men who will become administrators of the ministries while the apostles could devote themselves to being spiritual directors: to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.  The result?  “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly.”  (Acts 6:7)

Involving others in the work creates a healthier system. 

Just like a locomotive requires good solid tracks in order to run, so our church needs a sound structure to hold the blessings God intends to give.  May we build a solid structure on which He can ride!

Good Words for Fellow Pastors

Focus on the Family offers a good article for pastors: When Ministry Leaders Become Weary.  Read it with your pastor in mind!

Church Structure: Organizing Around Your Mission

Introduction

I appreciate what Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, “Any system will work if the people are godly and mature.  However, it seems fairly clear that congregationalism most nearly follows the pattern of the New Testament period.  It affirms best other essential components such as:

1.        The Priesthood of the Believer

2.        A called servant model of leadership

3.        Congregational involvement in ministry and discipline

4.        Individual responsibility of the believer to God and one another

5.        The Lordship of Christ.”[1]

 

When deciding upon a structure of offices and government for a church, we must lay aside tradition and pre-conceived ideas and instead return to the Scriptures with open eyes.  The English word church comes from the Greek word kyriakon, meaning “belonging to the Lord.”[2]  Because we belong to the Lord, we understand that we must  order or ways after His ways in His Word.  Perhaps the most challenging mountains in churches are those of tradition and control.  We humans love to cling to the familiar and have a sense of control.  Fred Powell, former Senior Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia, writes, Extra-biblical tradition is almost always contrary to truth.  This tradition is the product of man’s mind and methods, whereas truth emanates from God.”[3]  One of the most difficult challenges of pastors is to take churched people and try to get them to look at church through the lens of Scripture rather than the lens of their experience or tradition.  

Any serious disciple must be willing to look at the hard questions and ask, Lord, how do we apply what Your Word says and flesh it out today?

To begin we must acknowledge that we do not live in the first century.  We are not citizens of Jerusalem.  We do not ride the immediate wave of the apostles.  We are twenty centuries removed!  As we seek to apply what the Bible says to our church structure, we have much room for grace, creativity, and addition.  We also must differentiate between that which is descriptive in the New Testament from that which is prescriptive.  Everything that the Bible describes that the early church did is not an automatic prescription of how it must be done today.  Aubrey Malphurs explains,

The issue concerns whether today’s evangelical churches should follow the forms as well as the functions of the New Testament church.  There are those who teach that the local church is bound to follow not only the biblical functions or principles of the early church but its forms (methods) as well.  An example would be when the church meets.  They would argue that the local church should meet on Sunday because of the significance of the first day of the week and because it was the practice of some apostolic churches.  There are others who believe that the church is bound to follow only the scriptural mandates of the early church but not its practices or patterns, for the latter are cultural and relative. 

The latter view is the best solution to this issue.  The twenty-first century church is bound to follow the prescriptive passages of the Bible (commands, prohibitions, and so forth), not the descriptive passages (such as those found in Acts 20:7 or 1 Cor. 16:2).  This affects the local church in terms of its liberty and relevance.[4]

Because the Bible is our plumb line, the Lord Jesus is our foundation, and the Holy Spirit is our guide, we keep our feet firmly rooted in the first century, yet we spread our wings and grow into the twenty-first century.  In doing so we want to make sure that we adhere to basic principles, precepts, and patterns.  And then we want to build our structure and organization around our mission of how to specifically carry out the Great Commission in our particular context.

What is the purpose of any church?  To bring glory to the Lord Jesus through the process of disciple-making.  This purpose is accomplished through the following ways:

 

Exalting the Lord Jesus in worship

Energizing the world through prayer

Evangelizing the lost

Establishing believers in God’ Word

Equipping the saints for the work of ministry

Edifying the body through fellowship

Extending into the community

Engaging the culture

Everything a church does must work to accomplish our primary purpose via these eight ways.  The wise church orders her structure so as to best accomplish the task.  The throne of God is our destiny, worshiping the Lamb of God with the countless redeemed from every tribe and people.  The way we do church must be driven by this future reality. 

One other prerequisite to building a church structure is answering the question, “Who are the ministers?”  The book of Ephesians answers this simply.  Paul tells us that when the Lord Jesus conquered death and experienced victory, He distributed gifts.  Drawing from Psalm 68, a picture of an ancient wartime victory celebration, he shows that Jesus, instead of keeping the spoils of war for Himself, distributed gifts to the church.  What were these gifts?  He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, to the building up of the body of Christ.[5]  The New Living translation says it this way, He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

J. B. Phillips wrote, “His gifts were made that Christians might be properly equipped for service.” 

The lesson here is two-fold.  The church is made of equippers and ministers.  The called-out vocations, like pastors (many theologians believe that the Ephesians 4:11-12 passage is best translated “pastor-teachers” signifying that they are one), are the equippers.  Their primary function is to train the laity, who are the ministers, to do ministry, or to use their spiritual gifts to serve the Lord and others.  The New Testament understanding of the church was that every member was a minister.  Charles Stanley writes,

        I’m afraid the modern church has lost sight of this principles.  Instead

        of organizing to meet the needs of the body, we hire pastors and expect

        them to do it. . . .  God did not give pastors to the church to meet the

        needs of the body.  Pastors were given to train the other body members

        to meet one another’s needs.  A local church that does not understand

        this does not deserve to have a pastor.  Why?  Because until the

        people do, they will expect to serve as if he has all the gifts.  It’s a no-win

       situation.  The gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are what I call the equipping

gifts.  Their purpose in the body is to equip the other members to

carry on the ministry – not to do the ministry themselves.[6]

 

Sadly, most churches view the vocational staff as those who are paid to do the ministry.  And as a result churches do not fulfill their part of the Great Commission.  Powell writes, “Across America we see in most churches and denominations men who are the vocational ministers doing a myriad of things that are not God’s planned assignment.  We are told [in the Bible] that the pastor-teacher is a gift to the church and is to equip the saints for the work of ministry.  It is clear that the primary task of the pastor-teacher and other vocational ministers is to equip church members as disciples who in turn evangelize, disciple, minister and carry out sundry tasks as a part of the work of ministry.”  When this does not happen, “the saints are not equipped for ministry and souls are bound for hell.”[7] 

Scripture is clear.  The church members are the ministers.  They are called to do ministry.  So, as the church organizes a structure, she must build a blueprint that empowers the most people to do the most ministry.  George Barna wisely writes, “The ministry is not called to fit the church’s structure; the structure exists to further effective ministry.”[8]  Church structure is good only as long as that organization, biblically grounded, empowers people to do ministry.

Summarizing our introduction,

1. The Bible is our plumb line, the Lord Jesus our foundation, and the Holy Spirit our guide.
2. We must be forward in our thinking.
3. We must structure around our mission.
4. The congregation are the ministers.
5. Officers, structure, and government exist to empower people for the work of ministry. 

Church Governments

 

With that foundation, the three primary types of church government are called episcopalian, presbyterian, and congregationalism.  In his book, What Baptists Believe, Herschel Hobbs wrote, “Episcopal refers to the rule of bishops.  Presbyterian means the rule of elders.  Congregational refers to the rule of the congregation as among Baptists.”[9]

The episcopalian form, common to Anglicans, Methodists, and Roman Catholics, derives its name from the Greek word episkopos, meaning overseer and translated bishop.  The basic concept is that “authority is given to leaders called bishops.  Bishops preside over several churches and exercise their authority.”[10]  The bottom-line in this system is that the authority to make decisions lies with the bishops.

The presbyterian form of church government is based on the rule of elders.  The name derives from the Greek word presbuteros, translated elder.  The elders serve as representatives of the church.  In this system, there are two types of elders: teaching and ruling.  Akin writes, “Teaching elders are ordained by other ministers, while ruling elders are ordained by the local congregation.”[11]  Advocates for this structure often refer to the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15-16.  Elders hold the power to make decisions.

A third type of church organization is called congregationalism.  This structure is rooted in the concept that the power to make decisions lies in the individual churches: her members and her leaders.  Baptist churches often operate as congregational churches.  There is no bishop nor board of elders who rule the church.  Instead, the power to make decisions is vested in the individual members under the weekly leadership of her pastor(s) and the spiritual oversight of her staff and deacons.  Generally a single pastor is selected, though some churches will expand church staffs to include several pastors.  In such cases there is usually a senior pastor who assumes leadership.

Ernest Mosley writes, “In congregational church government the church covenant, the constitution and bylaws, the business and financial plan . . . are to be approved by the congregation.”[12]  This plan requires the participation of church members. 

 

Decision-Making and the Holy Spirit

 

The New Testament witnesses to the moving of the Spirit of God through the bodies of believers.  These bodies were known as churches.  Some have said that the book of Acts should be known as The Acts of the Holy Spirit instead of The Acts of the Apostles.  The book of Acts testifies that the Helper, the Counselor, is the One who came alongside the disciples and was the real Guide for the early church.  Jesus promised that this Spirit would enable the church to do greater works than He (Jn. 14:12), help them (16), teach them all things and bring to remembrance what Jesus had said (26), guide them into al truth, speak whatever He hears from the God-head, disclose to them what is to come (Jn. 16:13), and glorify Jesus (14).

The disciples waited for the Holy Spirit to come (Acts 1).  In chapter two, they are filled with the Spirit.  This baptism and filling changed the way the church made decisions.  In chapter one they are still casting lots (26) to discern God’s will.  But after Pentecost this method is never used again.  Why?  Because all believers are now indwelt by the Spirit.  The immediate result was evangelism and this distinctive: “everyone kept feeling a sense of awe (Acts 2:41-43).  Chapters three to four show us numerous evidences of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the church.  Acts 5 brings the accusation that two believers had not lied just to the church but to the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 6, the congregation, under the leadership of the Spirit, selects seven men to serve tables, men characterized as “full of the Spirit” (3).  Doctor Luke describes Stephen minutes before his death as “being full of the Holy Spirit” (55).  In chapter eight, Philip exemplifies a man empowered and directed by the Spirit.  Philip’s evangelistic success came from obeying the specific promptings and instructions of the Holy Spirit.  Later, in chapter thirteen, the Bible says that while the church was “ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ “  The church commissioned them, sent them out, and the Scripture says, “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down” (13:2-4).  Again and again, we see the testimony that the Holy Spirit fulfilled Jesus’ words in John 14-16 guiding, helping, teaching, disclosing, and empowering the church to do greater things and thus, glorify Jesus.

How does an individual glorify Jesus?  One way is that she walks by the Spirit.  How does a church glorify Jesus?  We walk by the Spirit of God.  Henry Blackaby writes, The church is a body with Christ as the Head.  The Spirit of God guides every believer.  His indwelling presence can teach us and help us.[13]

Blackaby goes on to discuss the early church’s process of decision-making:

 

        With the coming of the Holy Spirit on the church at Pentecost, God

        came to dwell in every beliver.  He created the body – a local church – so

        that every member needed every other member.  In the body of Christ

        every believer has direct access to God.  God can speak to any and every

        member of the body.  He can work through the whole body in revealing

        His will.  In the NT, the Holy Spirit also led the apostles as they guided the

        church.  God led the members and leaders in a mutual interdependence

        of serving and decision-making.  New Testament examples illustrate joint

        decision-making under Christ’s lordship:

·         The Choosing of Judas’ Replacement (Acts 1:12-26)

·         The Choosing of the Seven (Acts 6:1-7)

·         Peter’s Witness to the Gentile Conversions (Acts 11:1-18)

·         Barnabus and Saul Sent Out (Acts 13:1-3)

·         The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-35)[14]

Blackaby describes this pattern of joint-decision-making under Christ’s lordship (key principles of Congregationalism), in his workbook Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God.  In the unit entitled “God’s Will and the Church,” he writes . . .

        When God speaks to a person about the church, the person should share

        with the body what he or she senses God is saying.  As each member shares

        what he senses God is saying, the whole body goes to God in prayer to

        discern His will for the body.  In this time God confirms to the body what He

        is saying.  Individual opinions are not that important.  The will of God is very

        important. . . .  Pastors, church leaders, and members are to have such a

        relationship with God and the church body that spiritual guidance is the

        outcome.  When Christ is able to guide each spiritual leader and member of

        the body to function properly, the whole body will know and be enabled to

        do God’s will.

        A church comes to know God’s will when the whole body comes to understand

        what Christ wants them to do.  For a church, knowing God’s will may involve

        many members, not just one.  Yes, God often will speak to the leader about

        what He wants to do.  That leader then bears witness to the body.  The

        leader does not have to try to convince the church that this is God’s will.

        The leader encourages the body to go to Christ and get confirmation from

        the Head.  This is why a church must learn to function as a body with Christ

        as the Head of the church.  The church needs to function like a body with

        every member free to share what he or she knows or senses as God’s will.

        When God gave directions to our church in Saskatoon, He often gave them

through persons other than me.  Many of them came from the members of the body who sensed a clear direction of God and shared it with the body. 

We created the opportunity for people to share what they sensed God was leading us to be or do.  Our desire was not to find out who was for it and who

was against it.  In our business meetings we never took a vote asking, “How

many of you are for this and how many of you are against it?”  That is the

wrong question.  Every time you ask that question you have a potential church

split.  The right question is, “With all of the information and all of the praying that we have been doing, how many of you sense that God clearly is directing

us to proceed in this direction?”  This is a very different question.  It does not

ask members for their opinions.  It asks them to vote based on what they sense

God is saying to the church.

In Saskatoon, as God moved and expressed His will to church members, I guided them as their pastor to share with the other members of His body.

All were given an opportunity and encouraged to share.  Each was encouraged

to respond as God guided him or her.  This happened not only in worship

(usually at the close of a service), but also in prayer meetings, committee

meetings, business meetings, Sunday School classes, home Bible studies,

and in personal conversations.  Many called the church office and shared

what God had been saying to them in their quiet times.  The entire church

became experientially and practically aware of Christ’s presence in our midst.[15]

The result of this decision-making process is very similar to that of Acts 2:43 when “everyone kept feeling a sense of awe.”  Christ is manifest among His people. 

Baptists and Congregationalism

 

Baptists historically have been noted for their desire to base their practices on the bible instead of man-made traditions.  Christian History magazine’s edition that was entitled The Baptists: A people who gathered to walk in all of His ways describes this part of church history as “a people who dared to take the Bible seriously and specifically.”  It continues . . .

From small and rude beginnings, the people called Baptist have grown

through persecution, struggle, and misunderstanding.  Their flowering is perhaps due to, as much as anything else, their sense of freedom and

            their specific attention to the Bible as their sole authority in matters of

faith and practice.

Church Officers: Pastors and Deacons

There are two types of church officers in these churches: pastors and deacons.  Baptists have often believed that the biblical titles elder, overseer, bishop, and pastor all refer to the same officers.  Hobbs wrote, “There is the office of bishop, elder, or pastor.  In the New Testament these titles refer to the same office.  The title bishop refers to the function, elder the dignity.  Pastor is translated from the Greek word shepherd.  The three words – overseer, elder, and pastor – therefore refer to the same office.”[16] 

Mosley explains further, “In the past 50 years many churches have added staff ministry leaders according to their needs for ministry in leadership, proclamation, pastoral care.  These pastoral staff persons serve in positions such as associate pastors of music, education, counseling, etc.  This is not unlike the churches in the New Testament that had several leaders (Acts 11:30; 15:4; 20:17).[17]  The need for the plurality of pastors is obvious: organize to grow, not just maintain.

The second office is that of deacon, taken from the Greek word diakonos.  The same word is used in the following ways: domestic servants (John 2:5,9), Christ (Rom. 15:8), followers of Christ (John 12:26; Eph. 6:21), servants of Christ (1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 6:4), and those who serve in churches (Rom. 16:1). 

Jim Henry, former Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida, teaches that deacons primarily do three things: keep down murmuring and grumbling, look after the widows (oversee ministry), and relieve the pastors.  They serve three tables: The Lord’s Table, the needy, and the pastors.  When pastors and deacons fail to work together as spiritual leaders of the church, several things result:

• The pastors burn out
• The pastors neglect the Word of God and prayer
• The pulpit and teaching ministry weaken
• Leadership are less sensitive to the Holy Spirit
• Evangelism and discipleship suffer
• The congregation lose opportunities to be equipped, grow, and serve

Practices differ as to whether or not deacons should be administrators or be doers of ministry.  Larry Garner addresses that issue: “The big question remains, Are deacons administrators or ministers?  The Seven [in Acts 6] were to be responsible over the ministry needed.  The New Testament patterns is that they are to be administrators of ministry.  The Scripture states that the seven were put over the ministry to the widows.  They were responsible for seeing that the ministry was done.”[18]

Don Wilton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina, has said for years, “A church should be pastor-led, deacon-served, and congregation-run.” 

Empower People to Make Decisions

As a church grows, more people must be added to the leadership base.  Sonny Holmes, current President of the South Caroling Baptist Convention, told me that from his view, among the Baptist churches that are growing, the following transition has occurred: a de-centralizing of decision-making power to ministry teams.  Deacons and pastors work together to empower other people to do ministry instead of trying to control or dictate what they do.  Holmes also shared that the hardest transition he sees is going from a rural mindset of church, where a few people make all the decisions, to a suburban mindset, where people in the congregation are empowered to make decisions and carry-out ministry.  The lesson: empower your staff and ministry teams to make decisions and do ministry!

Bill Hull, president of T-Net International and author of several widely-read books on how churches can best make disciples, believes the average church is entrenched in administration and tradition.  Thus, the churches become monuments of maintenance:

 “The church needs to be liberated from this slavery to administrative forms and released to its biblical, ministerial functions.” He fears that churches are not “organized for growth and fulfilling their mission.”  Instead, they are “organized for security, predictability and safety.” 

Hull writes in We Must Sacrifice the Forms for the Function, he says, “The mentality of the present system is management, not leadership.  Its focus is maintenance, not mission.  And its result is restriction, not release.  The solution is to think function, not form.  If the church desires to move people toward mission instead of toward institutional maintenance, a new administrative model is needed.”  Hull advocates a “ministerial congregationalism supported by a streamlined administrative congregationalism.”  In other words, empower the congregation to do ministry while empowering appropriate individuals to make decisions in their various areas.  The balance of the system is accountability: “The three loci of power in the church – they congregation, leaders, and staff – must provide checks and balances, which facilitate mission.  I suggest this simple interface: Final authority rests in the congregation; delegated authority in the leaders; and daily authority in the staff.”[19]

Empower people on ministry teams and committees to make decisions regarding their respective areas: “Delegating decisions nurtures a feeling of ownership and openness.  It makes the church more grass-roots in practice, with those close to the action making the decisions.  Those working within their sphere of ministry are endowed with the responsibility and the authority.”  When appropriate, they too come to the congregation for input and approval.  Every decision does not have to be discussed with the entire congregation.  Instead, use congregational discussion times for sharing what they sense to be leadership from the Lord and sharing about things that affect the entire body. 

Pastors act as overseers and equippers, helping to empower people to do ministry and thus fulfill the church’s mission.  Deacons are able to help oversee ministry areas, protect the church, and lead in ministry.  Together they become a vital team, seeking the Lord together for guidance and empowerment and mobilizing the congregation towards the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.  Again, Hull shares, “The goal is to get as few as possible meeting as little time as possible for administration, so as many as possible can have as much time as possible for people ministry.”[20]

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wayne Grudem gives a helpful, balancing perspective . . .

        It must be clear, in concluding this discussion of church government, that

        the form of government adopted by a church is not a major point of

        doctrine. . . .  Where there are weaknesses that appear to be inherent in

        the governing structure, individuals within the system generally

        recognize those weaknesses and attempt to compensate for them in

        whatever ways the system will allow.  Nevertheless, a church can be

        more pure or less pure on this point, as in others.  As we are persuaded by

        Scripture concnering the various aspects of church government, then

        we should continue to pray and work for the greater purity of the visible

        church in this area as well.[21]

 

Returning to Akin’s thought, “Any system will work if the people are godly and mature.”  Godliness among the Lord’s people is paramount.  The power of the early church was greatly due to the reality that they were godly, Spirit-filled people who sought the face of God. 

 

 

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[1] Danny Akin, Christian Theology: Book IV, Eccliology, 39.

[2] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 455.

[3] Fred Powell, A Biblical Deacon Ministry for Your Church: Biblical Truth or Baptist Tradition?,  7.

[4] Aubrey Malphurs, Planting Growing Churches for the 21^st Century,  66-67.

[5] Ephesians 4:11-12.

[6] Charles Stanley, The Wonderful, Spirit-Filled Life.

[7] Powell, 8.

[8] Charles Stanley, Glorious Journey, 11.

[9] Herschel Hobbs, What Baptists Believe, 78-79.

[10] Ernest Mosley, Basics for Baptists, 72.

[11] Akin, 34.

[12] Mosley.

[13] Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God, 170.

[14] Ibid., 167-168.

[15] Ibid., 168-170.

[16] Herschel Hobbs, Fundamentals of our Faith, 129-130.

[17] Mosley, 74.

[18] Larry Garner, Developing Deacon Ministry Teams, 16.

[19] Bill Hull, 102-125.

[20] Ibid., 126.

[21] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 936.