Christ's Gift for your Spiritual Growth
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· 3 viewsMinisters of the Gospel are the prime example of how God gifts the Church for growth and unity.
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God intends for every part of His body to be healthy and flourish in unity. He has given a spiritual blessing, in order for this to take place, he has gifted the Church with gifted men. It is impossible (or at least very unlikely) that a congregation will ever grow to be unified and to be spiritually mature without gifted spiritual leaders. We see their importance for unity and maturity here.
Lets hold to the Balance of Every Member ministering and Pastoral Leadership at the same time. Spiritual Leadership is the God ordained means for growth and maturity while along side of every member ministering.
These two are to be held in balance. Just because we have bad examples of leadership does not negate this example.
Spiritual Leadership as the Premier Example
Spiritual Leadership as the Premier Example
Pastors aren’t the only gifted ones in the body, but they are to be the premier example to and of the body.
Pastors aren’t the only gifted ones in the body, but they are to be the premier example to and of the body.
Spiritual leaders aren’t all the same, but they can work together for the same goal and purpose.
A Pastor is to set the example for his people. He is to set the pace, embody, not perfection, but Christian maturity and soundness of mind and life.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
Paul does this also in He uses Apollos and Himself as examples in teaching. He in other places says, imitate me.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
Obviously this is often abused.
SBC Sex Abuse Scandal Spring 2019
250 Leaders Alleged to have commited abuse over the last 20 years.
Over 700 congregants reported to have been affected.
Asserted that dozens of Churches knowingly hired sex offenders, silenced victims, neglected to fire sexually abusive leaders and declined to report cases to secular authorities or even document them.
Law experts say that the reported number is always low.
Application:
Church, pray that God would raise up mature men to lead his Church, and that he would expel wicked men from leadership!
This is why the choice of Church leadership is never a process to be entered into lightly. It’s not a popularity contest where we elevate our buddies to positions of authority. The guy that everyone likes. Rather, Is that guy a man I can follow, does he have a tested and proven character, can I submit to him, to his leadership, does he set the pace for our congregation (not perfectly, but in maturity)… One of the greatest travesties that can ever happen to a congregation is for unqualified, undisciplined, unrighteous men to be given the leadership of God’s people.
One of the greatest travesties that can ever happen to a congregation is for unqualified, undisciplined, unrighteous men to be given the leadership of God’s people.
Spiritual Leaders as Christ’s Gift
Spiritual Leaders as Christ’s Gift
vs. 11 “he gave” … to who? THE CHURCH
Ministers are God’s sovereign gift to the Church
Ministers are God’s sovereign gift to the Church
They are His Sovereign gift. He calls/He gifts
They exist for the Church.
Spiritual leadership is not for those who are hungry for power, but for those who are hungry for service.
What these different leaders are
What these different leaders are
Apostles and Prophets: From McArthur Commentary
Apostle: was someone sent on a mission, or witness. These were specially comissoned witness of Jesus Christ.
The qualifications were: to be called by Jesus personally, and to be a witness of the resurrected Christ.
Therefore, we have no apostles today.
Prophets: Not the same as the gift of prophecy, they sometimes spoke revelation from God, or interpreted revelation already given.
These disappeared when the New Testament was written.
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
These disappeared when the NT was written.
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
They formed the foundation of everything we believe.
2. Evangelists and Shepherd Teachers
Evangelist: a person who is to preach and explain the Gospel to those who aren’t yet believers. (Phillip in Acts)
This is the same as a missionary or Church planter today. Someone who goes from place to place explaining the gospel to un-saved men.
Shepherd-Teachers (Pastor Teacher): these are those leaders in the Church with the responsibility of caring for the spiritual needs of the flock and for teaching them. They have the responsibility to preach and teach at a congregation. They are the spiritual overseers of the Church. They settle doctrinal issues and they proclaim the truth to the congregation.
Pastor-Teachers are to Preach
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:13-
b. Pastor-Teachers are to Oversee
-Determine Church Polity
-They Oversee the Affairs in General
-They ordain others
-They rule, teach, and preach
-They exhort and refute
-They act as shepherds and set an example
These are the spiritual leaders Paul identifies as gifts to the Church.
-Timothy was a mixture of both.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
A Church should have a mixture of both
Every church should be led by a combination of evangelists and teaching shepherds—men gifted to bring the lost in and men gifted for feeding believers and leading them in the Word to build them up.
Application:
1. Appreciate your Leaders
Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Pastors and Teachers
Every believer today is indebted directly or indirectly to these specially gifted men God has given to His church. Through their preaching, teaching, writing, exhortation, and other ministries, they lead the lost to Christ, enrich our knowledge of God and His Word, and encourage us “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which [we] have been called” (4:1). They are “worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).
Andrew Fuller Quote on Ministers as Gifts
Ministers are received for and are given to you by Christ.—As men, and as sinful men, ministers are as nothing, and wish not to make any thing of themselves; but as the gifts of Christ it becomes you to make much of them. (1.) If you love Christ, you will make much of your minister, on account of his being his gift. A gift designed to supply Christ’s absence in a sort. He is gone, (“ascended,”) but he gives you his servants. By and by you hope to be with him, but as yet you are as sheep in the wilderness. He gives you a shepherd. (2.) If you fear God, you will be afraid of treating your pastor amiss, seeing he is the gift of Christ. God took it ill of Israel for despising Moses. . He is my servant.
2. Submit to Them
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Submitting to God ordained authority is God’s means for blessing you.
The Role Spiritual Leaders
The Role Spiritual Leaders