below is another article from a fellow blogger concerning church leadership………..
You have heard it said to those of old, “The priests, the Levites, shall approach the Lord and not all the people” (Numb. 18:22-23), but I, Jesus, say unto you: “You are all kings and priests before Me, offering spiritual sacrifices, holy, acceptable…” (I Peter 2:5&9; Rev. 1:6, 5:10; Rom. 12:2-3) Our first parents, Adam and Eve, enjoyed open – unrestricted fellowship with their Creator. Before sin entered, their communion with God was plain, even face to face. Sin broke this! Sin creates separation. Sin required sacrifice. Sacrifices are performed by priests. And God distanced Himself, of necessity, for He is “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…” (Heb. 7:26 in part) The entire Gospel message speaks reconciliation between God and man. Our loving Creator seeks to once again commune openly and freely with man. In Christ we have been brought near by the blood of Jesus. (Eph. 2:13) But before faith came we were kept under guard by a system which the Holy Spirit makes clear was temporary. (Gal. ; Heb. ) While the tabernacle of Moses stood, the way was not made manifest into the true Holy of Holies of God’s Presence. Let’s take a closer look at this Old Covenant era of God’s dealing with mankind: God had to be appeased. Atonement. Numb. 1:51; 3:10; 3:38, 18:7 King Uzziah. Veil stood as a silent witness to the barrier between God and even the best of the chosen of Israel. Stone warning sign. Yet contained within this old covenant are these words: Jer. 31:31-34. This covenant, a new covenant, will not require a priest to explain God. One mediator will provide access between God and man – the Man Christ Jesus. (I Tim. 2:5) By the Spirit of God we have real access to the Father (Eph. 2:13) Each of us individually have this Spirit which enters the Presence behind the veil (Heb. 6:19-20) Jesus said: “I do not say that I shall pray the Father for you , for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from God.” (John 16:26-27) We have yet to accept fully how much God loves us – and how fully He has opened the way through the veil that is His flesh (Heb. 10:20) (See sermon, “Behold What Manner of Love…) The world is religious, that’s for sure. Yet every world religion has it’s special spiritual people who claim to have special access to God for their devotees. As we have seen, the Old Covenant had the priestly class. Today Jewish rabbis stand as God’s mouthpieces. Muslims trust their E-mom to relate God’s (Allah’s) will. Hindus have Gurus on every corner, Buddhists have hoards of clean-shaven monks chanting Me Oh Ho La Gay Cho. Christianity should be different, shouldn’t it? But the vast majority of Christians in the world operate under an elite hierarchy. The Pope in Rome, the so-called Vicar of Christ, claims to be the Bishop over the Universal Christian Church. His authority is total over the millions of faithful Catholics. The Greek Orthodox Church exalts one called the Patriarch. His title is: “The first among equals.” Yet he rules completely over the Orthodox irregardless of Scripture. Lesser Christian denominations follow after the Roman Catholic model: The Episcopals appoint a man as Rector over the congregation; the Jehovah’s Witnesses have an elite Anointed class in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Mormons have an infallible Prophet in Salt Lake City, Utah; Seventh Day Adventists still revere the words of one prophet, Ellen G. White; Christian Scientists, Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy, (and talk about control from the grave – she has written every sermon they will ever hear forever!); etc., etc. So while Biblical Christianity grants us direct access to the Father, institutional Christianity has mirrored more Old Testament ways or even the world’s methods more than our Master’s own instructions. As the Israelites, called for a king over them, so has the church installed a system where one man rules each local congregation. In many evangelical churches this man is the Pastor. Let’s now take a look at the “leadership model” Christ Jesus desires His body to operate under. Can we be agreed that the way Christ leads is best? Must we ask again, Is the New Testament our Covenant? Let me ask! If we are not to use the teachings of Christ as our practical guide as to how to organize His church where can we turn? Even in this matter, how a church should operate, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And whoever keeps His Words is like a wise man who builds his house upon the Rock. But here we build not our own house but His! No other foundation can anyone lay but that which is laid, which is Christ. Let’s begin. While Jesus Christ was visibly present on earth He appointed twelve to be equal leaders in the first local church begun in Jerusalem. Mark 3:14 “appointed twelve” Mt. 19:28 “will judge Israel” on 12 thrones Mt. 26:20 twelve share passover (Mk. 14:20) John 6:70 chosen special Acts 2:43 apostle doctrine (Luke 6:13 “12 = apostles”) 4:35 & 37; 5:2 alms to apostles feet summon the body together Acts 8:1 Even after persecution, these stay in Jerusalem This first local church in Jerusalem, to which believers were added daily (Acts 2:47) to which great fear fell upon (Acts 5:11) and against which a great persecution arose (Acts 8:1) was governed by twelve men hand-picked by our Lord to be His church. “You are Peter” and on this rock (His good confession: “You are the Christ”) I, Jesus will build My Church. (Matt. 16:18) A local church in Jerusalem lead by twelve men of equal authority. How do I know this? The words of Jesus leave us no other possibility. Jesus taught the twelve not to call anyone among them superior to the others. Matt. 23:1-12. When John and James asked for special priority seating in Christ’s kingdom Jesus said: Mt. 20:20-28; excersise authority? #2634 used 4 times Mt. 20:25; Mk. 10:42; Acts 19:16; I Pet. 5:3. Kat-ak-oo-ree-yoo’-o. similar word used: see Luke 22:25! Same in II Cor. 1:24! Paul here states that we (who?) do not have dominion (i.e. authority) over your faith but are helpers. Used 13 times #4904 esp. I Cor. 3:9! “The reference here is to the use of power as such (not it’s misuse), and to the associated outlook” Kittles Vol. 3: pg. 1097! (#2961) Luke 22:24-30 Argued about who was greatest. So… what was the “authority” of the apostles if it isn’t as Gentiles? ECHOES Mt. 28:19-20 Mt. 16:16 & 18 Binding only that which has been bound. John 14:26; 15:26-27;16:13-15 Jesus spoke only as the Father spoke (John 12:49; 8:28; 6:38) Christian “Leaders” at their best follow Jesus’ example. They refuse to speak on their own authority but rejoice to be faithful echoes of Christ’s own words. So how are Christ’s leaders to lead? By being faithful echoes of Christ – “teaching and admonishing one another”. Some might be tempted to throw up their hands in the air and say: “Well, this teaching – admonishing – warning – persuading method may work with spiritual Christians but what of those in our churches who are carnal? They need a knock on the head once in a while.” Right? Wrong. Are we suggesting the Way of Christ won’t work? “Well ‘sure’ it will work on those who are spiritual but honestly the church isn’t perfect.” Are we then to use some of Christ’s methods and some of the worlds? What happened to “Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed?” (Rom. 12:2) The true church is the body of born-again believers. “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ is none of His.” (Rom. 8:9) If persons are members of a local body of believers, they are convicted of their sins by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. They grow by giving heed to the Word, obeying it through the Spirit’s empowerment. Jesus declared: “The Spirit gives life the flesh profits nothing.” John 6:63 “The words that I speak to you”, Jesus assures us, “are Spirit and they are life.” Truly, as Christ said, “He who is of God will hear the words of God.” (John 8:47) If these persons within our churches will not heed the words of God, what coercion will be placed over them creating Christians out of them? Must we admit we need to use worldly pressure because our churches contain worldly people? Then this church which resorts to such methods isn’t Christ’s Church but a fleshly religious institution teaching another gospel, another spirit, and a counterfeit Jesus! Of Christ’s Church Jesus declares: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27) Menno Simons quote: “We tell you the truth and lie not. If not one under the canopy of heaven can show us from Scripture that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty God, the eternal wisdom and truth, whom alone we acknowledge as the lawgiver and teacher of the NT, has commanded one word to that effect, or that His holy apostles have ever taught or practiced the like, there is no need of an attempt to compel us by tyranny or torture. Only show us God’s Word and the question is settled.” While some may not be comfortable in openly questioning Jesus’ own hand-picked church organization, maybe this Jerusalem church was unique and not to be used as a universal model. Surely every specific doesn’t apply. ( ) But in early ‘Acts’ we are reading the inspired record of Christ’s apostles putting into practice His teachings as guided by the true Holy Spirit. Jesus promised them that the Spirit would lead them into all truth. He said He wasn’t able to teach them everything while He was bodily present with them because without the indwelling Spirit they couldn’t handle it but later He would teach them more thoroughly by the Holy Spirit. In this He assured, “…and lo I am with you always even to the end of the world.” Nevertheless some endeavor to search the later portions of the NT for possible support for other church organizational examples. It amazes me at what lengths people will go to defend the status quo. Yet remember…someone somewhere adopted a new practice which now we call “the-way-we-do-it”! Of course, the Roman Catholics see in Peter’s position in the first church of the New Covenant evidence of a single pastor rule. Protestants universally reject this for the following reasons: Nowhere does Scripture say as much. Jesus plainly teaches against preeminence of anyone among the twelve. Peter doesn’t assume a pastoral role as we know it in Acts 1 – 15. In his two epistles no hint is given that he considers himself as gifted in a unique office of “senior pastor.” Paul’s Galatians’ letter refers to Peter as but one of the pillars along with John and James. Nevertheless, many Protestants yearning to find such evidence turn to James in Acts 15 instead. The arguments for James preeminence run along the same logic as the R.C. method. He makes key speeches, is listed separately from rest of apostles, and has a unique revelatory relationship to Jesus. In this case, His literal half-brother. But the evidence fails to make its case. (See my paper – was James the Pastor of the Jerusalem Church.) Another early local church described in Acts is the church in Antioch. Acts 13:1 describes, apparently, the leadership structure in this fellowship. Listed are five called prophets and teachers. Paul is included in this list so we know the designation that: certain “prophets and teachers” is not an exhaustive description. Here Christ is seen clearly as the present-active Head of this fellowship. For we read that as they prayed and fasted the Holy Spirit spoke to them (note the plural!) saying, “Separate unto Me Paul and Barnabas…”. Exactly how this revelation was received by the church we are not told but wonderfully Christ fulfilled His promise to guide them into all truth and to be with them (His disciples) until the end of the world. Another early local church described in Acts is the church in Ephesus. In Acts 20 Paul calls for the elders of the church. He exhorts them to “shepherd (Gk. =pastor) the church which Christ (God) purchased with His own blood, serving as overseers (Gk. epishoper = BISHOP).” Hence the terms elders, pastors, and bishops are used interchangeably with reference to a local churches organizational leadership structure. Some have suggested that this was a gathering together of several church’s from the Ephesian area, therefore the elders, pastors, and bishops may be representing several small local churches. This is possible. Yet such a conclusion is not required from the text itself. We do know of the Jerusalem church there were at least 8,120 members who met in Solomon’s Porch, and from house to house maintaining the twelve apostles as their basic leadership structure. Probably the homeowner acted as church host moderating the gatherings of the saints in their homes. See “Going to Church in the First Century” . Also Aquila and Priscilla seemed to have fulfilled this role. See . As for the Ephesian Church gathering in Acts 20 being a group of Ephesian churches, was the angel of the church in Ephesus in Revelation the pastor of one Ephesian church or of all the Ephesian churches? (If indeed these Revelation angels are actually “pastors” which seems doubtful.) The epistle to the church in Philippians chapter 1 verse 2 describes the letter being addressed to the deacon and bishops there. Again, this doesn’t fit with our concept of one bishop per region. In Philippi there are bishops. Could it be that our present day system of church organization isn’t found anywhere in the New Testament? Should this concern us? Another question: Do we feel our way is the only way the church will succeed? Does each congregation need one person with the ultimate authority to do as he feels lead? If the early church (indeed churches) advanced God’s kingdom effectively without a single pastor exercising authority over them, can we fairly maintain that ours is the only system that will work? We may feel that our organization is crucial to success, yet who will dare suggest that the Jerusalem church was less effective for lack of a simple pastor as head? We read in Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Thessalonica, and Berea that these churches did have an active, real, tangible head who directed their church affairs – Christ Jesus our Lord. While the church gave heed to the “apostles’ doctrine” they heard One Shepherd. While Antioch heard prophets and teachers they yielded to One Spirit. While Ephesus was guided by elder, pastors, and bishops they were equipped by One Lord. All this requires the church to be comprised of Christians. If Christ is not dwelling in each one’s heart through faith by His Spirit the body will be severed from its true Head – Christ. And a body with no head is also without spirit. In fact, it is dead and ready to be buried. Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15) Well, we can do something – we can hold to a form of religion and yet deny the power thereof. For without Christ in our midst we are . If you yearn for this relationship with Christ…If you desire that the Father and Son would come make their home with you…If you earnestly seek that fountain of water that would spring up from your inner most being…then bow your head and pray with me – Lord, we have come here before, over and over we have sat before you as people do yet we still feel cold inside. Lord we feel we are just going through the motions but Heavenly Father, holy, separate from sinners hear us, we pray. Son of David, have mercy on us. Unless the Lord builds the house we labor in vain. And unless we build on the Rock and by the Rock our efforts are so much wood, hay, and stubble ready to be purged away. But Lord, how can we understand these things? Lord, help us to be the church that pleases You, honors You, exalts You. Fill us with Your true Holy Spirit. Unless You go with us we will mirror those Israelites and wander back and forth and keep being tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. Deliver us Our God – - Arise let you enemies be scattered! In the precious name of Jesus Christ our true King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.
