Chapter 5: The Church and the Churches
The Church and the Churches
It is imperative to our study of the local church that we understand the difference between the "Church" and "Churches". The Church, when it refers to the universal body of believers, speaks of god's general overall plan as given in the message of Ephesians. The church, when it refers to a local body of believers, speaks of tangible, real manifestation of His body in a given locality.
The "Church" is mystical, invisible, universal, and general. Jesus was referring to the church when he said, in Matthew 16:18, "…upon this Rock, I will build my Church." It is singular, for God has only on "Church". It is the same Church in the past, present, and future.
The "churches" are real, concrete, visible, local and specific. Matthew speaks to us of a specific local group of believers when he writes, "Tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church," (Matthew 18:15-17). It is the "Universal Church," as it is taking on local or temporal form. Revelation chapters 2 and 3 were written to specific local churches, as were numerous other epistles such as Ephesians, Galatians, I and II Corinthians, Philippians, I and II Thessalonians. Thus we see that it is the local church with which we have to deal and that all local churches are part of the universal church.
he word "Church," Greek "Ekklesia," means, "to summon forth" or, "to call out the people". The equivalent in Hebrew is "Qahal" which is often translated "Assembly" or "Congregation." It is used 70 times in the Old Testament in such scriptures as Psalms 22:22 when David writes: "…In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee." In the Old Testament it has the connotation of summoning forth for the purpose of hearing from God.
In the New Testament the word "church" also included the thought of being called for an purpose-- even for a town meeting. This usage is seen in Acts 19:32-41 when the town clerk of Ephesus spoke to Demetrius and his followers of the necessity of solving town problems in a lawful assembly which precluded the necessity for individuals taking matters into their own hands.
In our study of the word "Ekklesia" we will be considering it in the context of a local body of believers gathered together for worship and fellowship. "Church" was a common word in use in New Testament times. It was frequently used in speaking of a gathering, and , as always, Jesus and the writer of the New Testament used words as familiar to their hearers.
As we consider the "Ministry" of the church we must recognize that it consists of REAL people, with REAL needs, in a given locality. Thus, as seen in I Corinthians 11:29-32, we must properly discern the Body of Christ and its needs. If we are going to have any REAL MINISTRY, our vision must not only be in the MYSTICAL REALM. We must relate tot he local body as an active organ or member of that body.
No man is an Island unto himself. To separate ourselves from the local body is unscriptural. It is the same as a man choosing to live his life without any national affiliation. We are all parts and joints of the same body. Paul teaches this in Ephesians 4:16 when he wrote:
""For whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which, every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.""
The effectiveness of our ministry, individually or collectively, depends upon the spiritual health of each member and their relationship to each other. Not on of us is to be independent of the others.
In our day there is a lack of emphasis on the necessity for any form of local structure, which requires local leadership. Today, many do not seem to realize that the local church is God's permanent order for this, the Church Age. The structure of the local church mat vary with size or locality, but, none the less, it is still God's order fro this age. The local church is God's pattern for evangelizing the world and bringing his people to maturity.
Violation of God's ordained order is the main cause of confusion and of much wasted effort within the Body of Christ. A man, or woman, who refuses to join themselves to a local body of believers often feels like they are wasting their effort just as the children of Israel must have felt when they wandered in the wilderness. The unaffiliated believer may also feel the same confusion as the children of Israel felt when they were in captivity in Babylon. It is God's plan and purpose that each member of his universal Body be joined to a local Body of Believers.
Church order and leadership were clearly seen in the Old Testament. Aaron and his four sons, the Tabernacle Officers, was a type of the fivefold ministry seen in the New Testament. Aaron and his sons and the New Testament Elders were given responsibility for the spiritual oversight of God's people. Many of the leadership positions held by those in the Old Testament are types of the positions held by New Testament leaders.
The Levites of old can easily be compared to the Deacons of the New Testament. Both the Levites in the Old Testament and the Deacons in the New Testament were responsible for the physical, temporal duties within the local body of believers.
Within the tabernacle itself, there was to be a designated place of worship. The believer was not to remain at home to worship. He was to gather with the Local Body in a designated place of worship:
"there shall be a place which the Lord you God shall choose to call his name to dwell there…Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest.(Deuteronomy 12:11, 13)"
There is no scriptural basis for remaining at home to worship while the local body is gathering even if you do enjoy the Electronic Evangelist more than the Local Elders. This type of spirit is a rebellious and independent spirit and is contrary to the clear teaching of the Word of God.
The WATCHMEN on the walls of the cities of Israel are a type of the leaders of the New Testament Church who are watching for our souls. In Hebrews 13:17, believers are urged to:
"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they "WATCH" for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you."
Just as the life and welfare of the city and its inhabitants depended upon the alertness of the WATCHMAN, so the life and welfare of the Body of Believers depends upon the alertness of the Elders. It is the responsibility of the Elders to guard against those who would steal in unawares, with erroneous teachings and charisma, to destroy and to kill.
The SHEPHERDS upon the hillside of Judah and Israel were a type of God's chosen leadership for his church today. Today's leaders are not only the leaders of God's spiritual flock. They are not only entrusted with the care and guidance of the flock but also with the responsibility of feeding the flock of God with wholesome and nourishing spiritual food.
If God's present day "SHEPHERD" will grow good green pastures to feed the flock sufficiently, he will amply provide for the needs of the flock God has given him. He may even notice that some sheep from less fertile pastures will break through the fence and feed in his pasture. God will add to his flock in the most unusual ways.
God uses the terminology of the shepherd when making reference to his people and leaders in the New Testament. Paul, in Acts 20:28, warned the Elders of Ephesus to:
""Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with his own blood.""
Various terms such as "Feed," "Pastor," "Shepherd," and "Father," are used to make reference to those who have oversight of His flock.
In the Old Testament the office of PROPHET was very important in the spiritual aspect of leadership. The PROPHET was to speak to the people fro God more often than not. The call to be a prophet was accompanied by the call to a holiness walk before the Lord.
A study of the lives of the Old Testament Prophets reveals that this was not only a very lonely ministry but also a physically dangerous one. It was, however, a very rewarding ministry spiritually. A good example of the way in which God rewards His prophets can be seen in the manner in which God called Elijah home:
""…there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven," (II Kings 2:11)"
In these last days, the ministry of the Prophet is to be restored in a vivid fashion. As we look around, the need for the ministry of the prophets is ver evident. Will you answer the call to the Prophetic Ministry?
It is time for us to look at church Leadership specifically in the context of the New Testament. First and foremost is the teaching concerning the fivefold ministry, which is found in Ephesians 4:8-15.
The fivefold ministry is referred to as "GOD'S GIFT" to the church for the purpose of bringing her to maturity and unity. God has often chosen the "SPOILS" of the battle--men who were base, uncouth, and crude--to sanctify and fit for leadership positions. What precious gifts the fivefold ministry is to the church!
Just as the individual members cannot function properly unless they are in the context of the local body, men called to the fivefold ministry were given to the local church. In order to function effectively in their given ministry they must join themselves to the local body and move in and out from the local body.
The New Testament carries a stronger emphasis upon spiritual leadership then does the Old Testament. The New Testament is the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament leadership, which we have previously studied.
The book of Acts offers a good pattern for studying strong leadership in the local church. It offers the workable illustration of the teachings of the Epistles. In the early chapters of Acts we see a very simple form of government, beginning with only Apostles, then adding Deacons and finally Elders in all the churches. Elders included all of the Fivefold Ministry and not just the Apostles.
The book of Acts also shows the development of the local churches. All of the Epistles were to a local church or to an Elder within the local church. There were about 25 to 30 Local Assemblies mentioned in the New Testament. The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were written to the messengers (Angels), or pastors, of each of those local churches. In the early church, Angels were spoken of as "WATCHERS". We might see these letters to the church as Christ's message, through the prophet, to the pastors of the churches.
Strong leadership is the clear teaching of the New Testament. Even though the New Testament mandates a strong leadership, the structure itself is always kept simple, the simpler the better. Simplicity eliminates the power struggles, which occur so frequently among leadership ministries today.
A spirit of antichrist, nothing new to human society, seems to prevail in our day. It was present in the apostle John's time (I John 4:1-4), and is seen even more strongly today. As believers, we need not fear this spirit but we need to be watchful, those of us who are called into leadership ministries must be especially vigilant. We must always remember that He that is within us is greater than the spirit of antichrist, which is in the World.
The spirit of antichrist is vividly manifested today in the breakdown of authority seen on every hand. It has touched every facet of life--"civic", "secular", "military", "domestic", and has even effected the "church". Scriptures exhort us to emphasize the necessity of submission to those in authority in the church, the home, civil government, on the job, and in the military. We must earnestly contend for this truth lest the enemy gain an advantage over us. Don't allow a rebellious, unsubmissive spirit to control any phase of your life. This spirit will surely bring destruction.
The spirit of antichrist is endeavoring to coerce us into denying that Christ "IS COME" in the flesh. Christ is very present in his body today and he will continue to be present throughout this age. Are we not the body of Christ here on earth and does he not dwell in that body in a ver real way? Paul answers this question in Colossians 1:27 when he speaks of: "…Christ in you, the hope of glory," and again in II Corinthians 4:10,11 when he writes: "…that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."
The enemy of our soul is trying very hard to bring the believer to a point where he no longer recognizes the salvation given him by Christ's death in redemption and his continuing salvation experience. If the enemy can bring us to the point where we no longer properly discern the body of Christ many of us will experience sickness and some will even die prematurely as is indicated in I Corinthians 11:29,30. Foolishly, we frequently seem to tempt God as we blatantly and boldly strut about as though these verses did not exist in God's Holy Word.
In establishing proper authority within the local church, the Holy Ghost will never violate the priesthood of the believer. He will not hinder the effectiveness o the ministry of the individual as he functions in the body. Proper Scriptural leadership doesn't bring bondage. To the contrary, it brings liberty. God's work isn't moved forward b men's opinions but y men's obedience to God's established pattern as it is found in His Word. All that God has established in his Word brings liberty when properly put into practice.
Just as in the days of Jeremiah, a major concern of our Lord today is the restoration of both Flocks and Shepherds. In the Old Testament God promised that he would restore both if His people would:
""Turn, O backsliding children---And I will give you pastors, according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding," (Jeremiah 3:14,15)"
This promise is repeated in Jeremiah 6:2,3.
In His Word, God offers a pattern fro the formation of local churches. Nowhere in Scripture does God teach a denominational type of church government. Each local church is to be a sovereign body, even though they are to enjoy fellowship with other local assemblies. This was practiced in New Testament times.
Now, let's look at the specific pattern that God has offered for the formation of local churches. First, he directed believers to assemble together in given locations:
""Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much more, as ye see the day approaching," (Hebrews 10:25)."
Next, He ordains where to establish a local church and often where not too. God may indicate the right location for a church to an individual via vision, witness of the Spirit, or in some other manner (Acts 16:6-10).
God puts in place the leadership ministries He would have in each local assembly. The Lord gives each local church the leaders they deserve and/or need. Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, recorded the responsibility of Senior Elders to assure that those being placed into leadership meet theScriptural qualifications:
"…When they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed," (Acts 14:23).
Though most in the body recognizes that God designates leaders, they don't give much thought--pro or con--about the fact that God also brings in members. Paul writes, in I Corinthians 12:18, that: "…now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him." We should carefully consider God's placement of members in the best church fro them--especially in this day of running to and fro by may church members. It is recorded in Job that:
"The Lord said unto Satan, whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it," (Job 1:7).
Going to and fro in the earth is the business of our adversary. If God sets us in a particular church as members or Leaders, we must remain there until God moves us and not before.
Just as some believers come and go at their own beckoning, others whom God would move out remain with a bad spirit and bring disunity. He gave the fivefold ministry to watch, warn, instruct, rebuke, and pray to the best of their ability under the leadership of the Holy Ghost.
They should be sensitive to any spirit of disunity in the congregation and they should act against it.
We regularly see that some will leave who should have stayed, while others will stay whom God would lead to further and richer ministries. Each individual stands or falls to his own master. God will not force us against our wills. He may, however, make us wish we had obeyed His voice when he directed us to move or to stay.
Never! Never! Never! should we move because we have been "offended".
We must always make right what was wrong before leaving the nest, even if we are moving at the direction of God. If we make a wrong move, there is, generally, opportunity to make corrections and get back into the will and purpose of God for our lives. God still allows U-turns
God is well able to equip and enable us to accomplish whatever ministry He places upon our lives. Our goal is to edify, encourage, and comfort one another. The Holy Ghost is given that we might do this effectively. God equips both leaders and members to accomplish their several ministries within the body: "But the manifestation if the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal," (I Corinthians 12:7).
There are some basic principles of church government, which we must observe if we want to fully follow God's pattern. The church is first to be a spiritual "organism" and then to be an "organization". However, we cannot ignore either "life" or "structure" if we desire spiritual strength and maturity as a body of believers.
Good church government will not produce spirituality. When God created Adam, there was structure before there was life. However, in the church of the living God, there must be life before structure. After there is life good structure in the form of church government will HELP to maintain life and will assist each organ to effectively relate to the other members. Don't depend on good church management to produce what only a healthy ministry of the Word is capable of producing.
God is looking first for good shepherds, and feeders, and then for good administrators. If we dedicate ourselves to feeding, He will help us to administer. He can anoint us with the gifts of "Ruling and Governments," or he can anoint others in leadership to assist along these lines. In the two portions of Scripture, (Romans 12:4-13; I Corinthians 12:7-11) dealing with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, we see that God made provision for the ruling and governing of His flock: Romans 12:8, "He that ruleth with diligence," and I Corinthians 12:28, "God hath set some in the church--helps, governments."
In II Chronicles 12:9,10 the Scripture tells us that while Rehoboam was in a backslidden condition the King of Egypt came and carried away the shields of gold which Solomon, Rehoboam's father, had made for the purpose of going before him as he entered the house of God. Rehoboam in this sad condition took it upon himself to replace these with shields of brass. Brass in the Scriptures speaks to us of judgement. So we see instead of going into the house of God with the divine blessing upon his life he is entering under the condemnation of God's judgement. How far do we have to go in the wrong direction before we have only a form of godliness left? Let's never specialize in substitutes, not when we can have the real thing.
It never pays to take the service of God into our own hands, God insists that we do things his way and not our way. The entire church, each member and each leader, must be a vital organ, alive and functioning effectively in the body. Until this is put into practice it only theory and is unprofitable.
As we consider the foundations of spiritual church government, there must first be quality, then procedure; first condition, then method; first organism, then organization. As we look at quality, the elders and deacons, must be qualified Scripturally. As a family requires parents, and as a flock requires a shepherd, so the household of faith requires spiritual leaders. We need the fivefold ministry so that we may come to maturity within the body.
Leaders can't give you what they don't possess. They must meet the Scriptural qualifications seen in I Timothy 3. If we lower the standards (qualifications) of God's Word, it will show up in the quality of the work produced. This brings frustration for both the shepherd and sheep alike.
Church leaders must be firmly established in present revealed truth and be able to convey it to the body of believers. It is essential that feeding be the heart of any ministry. Good government cannot exist without good feeding. Without good feeding, all types of disease and complications will set in and eventually the church will die though you may still have the skeleton (FRAME).
A common error today is the belief that we don't need men to lead us, that "we have the Holy Ghost to lead us--don't we?" The Spirit leads and governs the church through human vessels (Hebrews 13:17). To bypass everyone and seek leading only from God is usually a sign of a rebellious and independent spirit. These people often use a verse of Scripture out of context, such as I John 2:27:
""But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath aught you ye shall abide in him,""
to justify refusing submission to God-anointed and God-called teachers. He gave teachers. The reason for this is given in Ephesians 4:8-15 where we are told that all of the fivefold ministries, including teachers, are given to the church to bring her to perfection, unity, and maturity.
If we desire to go our own way instead of accepting the truth of God's Word, he will permit us to take a scripture out of context to support any error we choose to believe. This will be to our own destruction (II Thessalonians 2:10-12). If we choose to reject the teaching that God has ordained a strong oversight ministry within the body of Christ, God will permit us to find isolated Scriptures to satisfy our rebellion and independence.
God appoints leaders and directs them to set the house in order. They must, as in Old Testament times, walk in the Spirit of unity and submission to one another. It was commanded, in Isaiah 52:8, that:
""Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing; for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.""
There is to be no power struggle within the body of believers, the Elders are to flow together in unity. By following the Scriptural pattern of plurality of Elders, there is a balance between those who would be harsh and those who would be permissive. In the past I have seen this balance work wonderfully in they Body of Christ. Strangely, God seems to give an unusual blend of ministries to each local church. Ministries compliment one another and bring a balance that edifies the whole body. In order to have this supernatural blend of ministries, each leader needs to be quickened to the fact that God only governs through men to the degree that He is able to GOVERN THE MAN HIMSELF. If God can't govern you, don't be mistaken in thinking that He can govern through you. He cannot.
The leaders of the local church are not to "lord" it over the flock nor to make decisions independent of them: "Neither as being Lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples unto the flock," (I Peter 5:3). A true theocracy is God leading through men who are called and ordained by God, who recognizes the scriptures as the final voice of authority.
Every leader must ask himself if he is a dictator or a theocrat. Leaders must be well acquainted with the scriptures and be able to lead the body into a life which compliments scriptures. Their authority is delegated from God in accordance with scripture. Authority does not come from man--neither from others nor from the leaders themselves.
In a thorough search of the scriptures, you will not find a single instance where the Elders were voted into office by the people. The possible exception to this is found inActs 1:26. Even if we consider that God allowed lots to be cast in order to choose the twelfth Apostle, it is not this practice which we frequently see in churches today. In many churches politics and personalities become heavily involved, and carnal nature often is the deciding factor. Senior ministers always appointed theElders after the individual's ministry had been proven and confirmed by God. Even then no appointment was made until the Scriptural qualifications had been met.
The Elders work was always spiritual work and the true people of God willingly submitted to them because of the Divine call upon their ministry. Their ministry both proved itself and made room for itself: "A man's gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men," (Proverbs 18:16). There was never any coercion from either the people or the individual to get a man into office.
The choice of the twelfth Apostle by lot has, throughout the Church Age, been an issue of much controversy. In this instance we do see that two were chosen but it is not clear whether they were chosen by ballot as is common in our democratic society. Lots were cast. You could say that this vote was by chance. However, we do see that they did pray and ask God which of the two He would choose to take part in this great ministry.
The people chose Deacons when men were found who were qualified for the work. Next, they were presented to the Elders for approval and ordination. This is first seen in Acts 6:1-8. The Apostles saw the rationality of being released from the temporal tasks within the Body of Christ. They called upon the body to choose qualified men. After the nominees were presented to the Apostles, they prayed and laid hands upon the Deacons, setting them aside for their work.
As leaders of God's heritage we are not to rule without considering the flock. If we try to lead with an independent spirit we will eventually lose the respect and cooperation of the flock and may even drive some into rebellion. An example of strong leadership and response, of cooperation between followers and leaders can be seen in the relationship between Jonathan and his armourbearer:
""And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine hear: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy hear," (I Samuel 14:7)."
This is also illustrated in the relationship between Ezra and the Israelites as seen in Ezra 10:4: "Arise: for this matter belonging unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage and do it."
Let's follow the Scriptural pattern. It is God, who established the Scriptural chain of command, so why shouldn't He work though it? However, leaders must be extra sensitive to the moving of the Spirit since it is an important part of their ministry.
Before there can be any lasting spiritual growth in the body there must be unity and fellowship.
Leadership must teach this by example and precept.
Only when we are in one accord can God flow freely through the body.
When there is division and carnality even the gifts and ministries are unable to edify.
Let us examine the Corinthian church, as seen in I Corinthians 1:5-12, for one example of unedifying worship and ministry. This church excelled in the gifts of the Spirit. However, due to division, strife, and carnality within the church, the gifts were not edifying to the body. Therefore, Paul saw the necessity for exhorting them, in I Corinthians 12-14, concerning the operations of the gifts.
A genuinely heaven sent leader will produce love and unity among the believers. Unity and love is necessary for body ministry to function effectively.
Both Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 emphasize body ministry and both go on to stress the necessity of each member relating properly to all the other members.
There are foundations that need to be established if we want to develop true unity in the body.
First there must be a Christlike attitude at all times, in all things. A good motto would be: "What would Jesus do in this situation?"
Secondly, our speech must always be such that it edifies and minsters grace to the hearers. Don't use someone's ears as a human garbage can and don't let anyone else use yours as one either.
Thirdly, there must always be a loving spirit, even when we have been spited.
Fourth, the truth must always prevail in our words, actions and in the impressions we leave with others. If there is really going to be unity, others must be able to trust and believe us.
Last but not least, we must have a submissive spirit, to God, to our leaders, and to each other. Let's not let the spirit of rebellion against authority grip our hearts and lives.
God led and ordained leaders will do all that is within their ability to create strong cooperative prayer and worship in the body. This is the very hub and life of the church.
It is not "organization," but life flowing from on member to the other.
If there are no gifts or ministries in operation in the body there is no need for governing. We need spiritual "motion" before we need spiritual "government".
Only after there is spiritual motion can spiritual government guide unto spiritual growth.
The "Body Ministry" must be taught, contended for and practiced.
It is only through this ministry that the body receives exhortation, edification and comfort as seen in I Corinthians 14:3: "He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."
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