“But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus.”–Matthew 27:20 As I was reading the account of Christ’s passion this morning, I was burdened by this phrase. What a contrast in persons! Barabbas had stolen from their tables, he was a thief. Jesus had fed them with bread and fish, he was…
Christian Joe Posts
Ever wonder why churches, which are comprised with a majority of Christians, have seemingly insurmountable problems and constant battles with flesh and world? I was reading a book by F.B. Meyer, Changed by the Master’s Touch, and was challenged with something that I have known before, but was refreshed in today. Meyer is pretty good with words, so I will…
“Forgiveness is not leaving a dragon with something to live down but offering to live through the situation together.” -Marshall Shelley (note- dragon is a difficult person in the context) True forgiveness is a difficult discipline in the life of a Christian, but it is important to remember that true saints will forgive. A mark of a false-Christian is an…
The rules are simple–without the help of google, yahoo, or any other such trickery guess who said this statement and upon what event. “There are many doctrines of a less essential nature … In these we may think and let think; we may ‘agree to disagree.’ But, meantime, let us hold fast the essentials…” I will comment with the answer…
I had the great opportunity to be in Ely, NV, last Saturday, Monday and Tuesday to be some assistance in our beloved Wally Higgins’ efforts to hold evangelistic meetings in that small town. The current population of Ely is about 4000 people. The demographic of Ely is mostly Caucasian (about 89%) with some Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Hispanics rounding…
Responsibilities of Pastors to the Church
God’s organized organism is the local church. The local church is made up of sinners who have placed their trust in Christ alone for forgiveness and restoration of relational worship with God having become saints. God has placed leadership over his church to guide her and protect her, not to lord and control the church’s saints (I Pet. 5:1-4). God gave the church two categories of gifted leaders both to form the structure and to facilitate growth and expansion of the church (Eph. 4:11-13). God’s ultimate intent is glory in and through the church (Eph. 3:21). God’s glory in building his church is accomplished when God’s leadership and God’s people function in harmony with each other. There is a Biblical pattern for how this is accomplished.
Formative Gifts (Eph. 4:11)
Originally, God gave Apostles to form the structure of the church, this was the job of the twelve, Paul calls himself one born out of due time, and the least of the Apostles. In other words, he recognized that the original twelve were apostles, and he was the exception to the rule. God used the Apostles to give Spirit led structure and teaching to the church. As the Apostles died off, so did their gift, but their teaching remains in the NT which really is God’s teaching as he led each one specifically in his writing (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:20-21). Prophets were other individuals God used along with the Apostles to form doctrine and correct understanding of God’s Word—Mark, James, Jude, Luke, were examples of Prophets. As the Word of God was completed and the Apostolic age came to a conclusion, the prophetic gifts also ceased to be necessary for the church. The Apostles and Prophets were used of God to form his church, and God used the next two gifted leaders to expand and lead his church.
Expansive Gifts (Eph. 4:11)
Evangelists or literally, gospelizers, were those individuals who were led by God to expand the ministry of the church by preaching the Gospel and organizing together those who accept the Gospel into local churches. I believe many have misunderstood the gift of evangelists and have characterized them as itinerate preachers who travel in RV’s doing week long revival meetings. I hardly believe that is what Paul had in mind when he told Timothy, the young pastor, to do the work of an evangelist. The fourth tier of leadership God gave is called Pastor/Teacher.
That as true followers of Jesus Christ, Christians, we are chosen foreigners, scattered according to God’s fore-ordered purpose to sanctify us through the Holy Spirit leading us on toward submission by means of the consecrating power of Christ’s bloody self-sacrifice? That we have been regenerated because God is abundantly merciful to us as sinners, and we are looking toward our…
My heart is full this morning. My purpose in life is see God grow bigger in the eyes of his created humanity, and yet how can we do that in American Christianity when our focus on God and his glory and plan is so dim. We are so inundated with Christianity and have been so blessed in this country that…
I think G. K. Chesterton is one of the most quotable authors of the 19-20th century. I wish that I knew the spiritual state of Chesterton, for his writing is much like his life, full of paradox. Chesterton was formally accepted by the Catholic religion toward the end of his life, but much of what he writes is of general…
As I continue to grow in God’s amazing grace, I am overcome with a sense of my own unworthiness to teach and preach the Word of God. I am also amazed at my unworthiness to lead God’s people. God’s sheep are so precious and I take them for granted so often. Pastors, beware not just the wolves that might hurt…