Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Whose church is it anyway?

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Church-of-the-Resurrection_thumb.jpgIn Matthew 16:18, after Peter makes his inspired confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus claims ownership of the church when he says, “upon this rock, I will build my church.”

In Greek, the order of the words can allow for emphasis to be put on one of the words. In this phrase, the emphasis is on the word my. It is Jesus’ church. It is not Peter’s church, nor Paul’s church, nor does it belong to any mega-church pastor or denomination. The church belongs to Jesus. Jesus began the church and he maintains the responsibility for its growth and health.

Below are five implications that can be drawn from Jesus’ ownership of the church.

  1. It is Jesus’ responsibility to build the Church. Yes, good preaching plays a role. A vital youth group can play a role. Exhilarating worship may also play a role, but the ultimate responsibility is on Jesus. It is Jesus that brings people into relationship with himself. We can only make the introduction.
  2. All of the “church building” methodologies should be reexamined for their faithfulness to what Jesus taught us either directly or through the Biblical authors. We should not confuse building attendance with building the church. Gimmicks such as the “Toronto Blessing,” motivational talks in lieu of sermons and trendy worship music may build attendance, but do they build the church? Do they bring people into solid relationship with Jesus Christ?
  3. We need to guard against a cult of personality built around a gifted preacher or teacher. When I lived in Southern California, we attended a congregation pastored by a well known radio preacher. On the Sundays when the preacher was out of town there would be a significant drop in attendance. Is this a healthy church or is it a gathering of consumers who want to get their weekly fix of “spiritual” entertainment?
  4. Pastors need to be careful about assuming too much responsibility for the growth of the flock they lead. As under-shepherds, they rightly feel responsibility to minister to those God brings into their care, but that responsibility should not be an excuse for attempting to control all that goes on in the local congregation. I attended one church where the pastor made all the decisions and gave little freedom for others in the body to be led by God in their ministries. His strangle hold actually inhibited growth by driving away people who understood their own gifting. They moved on to another congregation that valued their gift.
  5. The leaders need to be sensitive to where God is leading the congregation. True Biblical leadership allows for God to orchestrate how the various gifts and talents work together for the building of his church. Even a casual reading of 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12 shows that God is the one in control of bringing together the various gifts that are necessary for the health of the local body of Christ.

The church is initiated and maintained by Jesus. Jesus commissions elders and deacons to maintain order and oversee the care of the congregation but they are to do so in a way that is consistent with Jesus’ direction. Jesus is to remain in control.

When that control is wrested from the hands of Jesus, the local congregation becomes less than what it should be. It then becomes a social organization at best and a cult at worst.

The LORD and the LORD alone is my shepherd

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We need a shepherd

Shepherd to still waters

Because we live in a fallen world, we have disappointments. Others let us down and we sometimes let others down. It is especially troubling when we are disappointed by leaders. Too often we set them up for failure by having expectations that they cannot fill. To be human is to be tainted with the Fall; we are far from perfect. Perhaps this is why many of us find comfort in Psalm 23.

God is the shepherd

David begins by making a declaration that the LORD, Yahweh or Jehovah, is his shepherd. David is the king who is shepherded by God himself. In other words, David is acknowledging that he needs to be lead.

When David wrote this psalm, he was at the top of the food chain and arguably one of the most powerful men in the world. Even though he occupies such a lofty position, David knew he needed God. It is the LORD and the LORD alone who was David’s shepherd. Contrast this with current notions of self made men who need input from no-one.

 A Lesson for Leaders

If David, arguably the greatest king in Israel’s history, needed God as his shepherd, as leaders we would do well to keep in mind our own need. Christian leaders, while filling the role of under-shepherds, need to remember that we are still sheep that are prone to wonder off and get lost.

Many Christian leaders have fallen into sin or error by believing their own press clippings and forgetting or ignoring their need for God. When this happens, it turns out badly for everyone involved.

The result of following

What is the result of looking to the LORD as my shepherd? David says, “I shall not want.” It is on the basis of acknowledging God as my shepherd that I can begin to experience contentment. Jesus said,

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

The rest of the psalm describe what “not wanting” looks like or foundation upon which David is content. The shepherd leads him. David understands that because of God’s character, David can expect good things from God such as green pastures and still waters. David knows that the shepherd has David’s best interest in mind.

Like David, our understanding and our practice can be two different things. David understood that his contentment comes from God, yet his affair with Bathsheba shows that, like us, he sought to find his contentment outside of God’s provision.

Without God we may at times find green pasture and still water. In a limited sense we may have some soul restoration through music and the arts. Yet it is only through the Good Shepherd, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, that we can be truly be guided into the paths of righteousness. It is only through that relationship with Jesus Christ that we can walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear. It is only a relationship with God through Jesus Christ that will allow us to dwell with God forever.

It is God and God alone that can provide all these benefits. The emphasis is on the character and nature of the shepherd. God is the only shepherd we can completely trust.

We let others down. We let ourselves down. Others let us down. Yet through it all God remains faithful as David reminds us in Psalm 23.

What I look for in a church

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Church

I recently had an article published at Till He Comes, the blog of Jeremy Myers. In hindsight, I could have worded the introductory portion of the post better than I did.  Here is how I would like to have written the introduction:

I find myself at a time in life where I am looking for a new church fellowship.

During the time when I was considering leaving my previous church, I began to reflect on what is important in a fellowship. The result of my contemplation of what the church should be and how I should function within it, I came up with the following things that I will consider as I look for a new place of worship.

I had good reasons to leave my former fellowship and I did not make the decision to leave without counsel from mature Christian men that I trust. But, in no way should this be construed as a list of things I found deficient in that church.

No church does all of these perfectly. But if there is not the acknowledged desire to do them well, it is likely that the fellowship will suffer.

The full original article can be found here.

Power and authority in the church – Choose who is in control

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When Herod was questioned by the Magi (Matthew 2:2), he was presented with a choice. He could recognize a greater authority and submit to it or he could seek to maneuver into a position above that authority. He chose the latter and his kingdom suffered for the choice.

Church leaders are faced with the same choice today. Either God is in charge and He is working in the individuals in the church, or the pastor is in charge and arranging the events to his satisfaction. There is no middle ground.

The danger for church leaders is that we can start believing our own press about our ministry. We can start believing that we have a better handle on God’s word and God’s plan than those we lead which is not necessarily the case.

A. W. Tozer which speaks to this issue:

“I believe it might be accepted as a fairly reliable rule of thumb that the man who is ambitious to lead is disqualified as a leader. The true leader will have no desire to lord it over God’s heritage, but will be humble, gentle, self-sacrificing and altogether as ready to follow as to lead, when the Spirit makes it clear that a wiser and more gifted man than himself has appeared.”

It takes wisdom to know the role that God has for a man and wisdom to stay within that role. I have seen pastors who have felt the need to do it all who struggle to empower people in their congregations to minister under the direction of the Holy Spirit. I can think of a few potential reasons for the lack of empowerment:

  1. A need to control which results in micromanagement of the church. The root of this is lack of trust in God and a deep seated insecurity. This leader has an inflated sense of responsibility and is often more concerned about his own reputation than he is of that of Jesus Christ.
  2. Feeling pressured as the “full time” minister to do it all. This is rooted in an inability to say no or to ask others to step up. The congregation bears some responsibility in this situation because some churches have this expectation of their pastor.
  3. A feeling of superiority because of talent or training. This is rooted in an inflated sense of self worth and an inability to receive feedback. This leader is often critical or suspicious of those he leads so people do not step up to take on aspects of the ministry.

Leaders need to keep in mind that we are all equal before the Cross. Yes, God gives the leader increased responsibility and a different role to play but this does not make the leader superior or of greater value. The leader cannot usurp Jesus’ authority by feeling the need to lead and control all of the activities of the church.

The process of making disciples requires that leaders recognize the gifts that God gives to those in the leader’s care. After those gifts are recognized, the leader needs to turn those people to use their gifts as God leads.

Allowing people to be led by the Spirit is scary and requires much faith in God. Yet for the health of the body the leader needs to know when to lead and when to relinquish control and do it all graciously and in love. To do this well requires Supernatural wisdom, a wisdom that God promises to provide if we ask for it.

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