Leadership in the Church
From Standout Studios.Net
Who is the Head of the Church? 1. Christ is the ONLY Head of the Church.
A. Eph 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, B. Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. C. Col 1:18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Where did authorization for Church leadership come from? 1. Given to the Church by God
A. Eph 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Who are the intended leaders of the church? 1. Evangelist(Preacher) 2. Pastors(Elders, Bishops, etc.) Again, we can refer to Eph. chapter 4. And since the apostles and prophets not longer exist, that leaves the evangelist and pastors. Notice that there is no mention here of deacons or servants.
Are there shared roles of the elders and evangelist? 1. Be an example 2. Keep watch of your own life 3. Watch over the flock 4. Feed the flock 5. Watch for false teachers
What is the role specific to the elder? 1. Shepherd the flock
I. Ac 20:28-29 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. A. Oversee the Church I. 1Pe 5:2-3 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. B. Guard against false doctrine I. Refer to Ac 20:28-29 C. Pastor and teach I. Eph 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.
2. Receive and distribute money
A. Ac 11:29-30 The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
What is the role specific to the evangelist? 1. Preacher of the Word
A. Public Ministry I. 1Ti 4:13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. B. Exclaim the Message of Salvation I. 1Ti 2:5-7a For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher. C. Remind Christians of Basic Virtues I. 1Ti 4:16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. II. 1Ti 6:17-19 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
III. Tit 3:1-2 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.
D. Rebuke Unchristian like conduct I. 2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. II. Tit 1:13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith.
III. Tit 2:15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you. What is the role of the deacon?
What does the Scripture say about men's role in the Church?
What does the Scripture say about women's role in the Church?
How has the Church deviated from God's organizational plan?
What are the effects of this deviation?
How do we return to God's organization of the leadership?
Refering to Doug blog for info.
The question is, in today’s church, who are the leaders and who are the followers? We are told in the Scripture that the evangelist (preacher) is to put the church in order, and the elders are to watch over the flock, seeing to it that the church remains doctrinally sound. The role of the deacon is that of a servant, seeing to the needs of the congregation in matters other than leadership.
In today’s church however, this seems to be largely ignored. We have our by-laws that call for the congregational vote for elders, evangelists fearing for their jobs, and deacons taking leadership roles that are not authorized by God. Let’s look at these one at a time.
Firstly, where in Scripture do we find an example of a congregation voting on the members of the elder-ship? Nowhere! So how were the elders chosen? By the evangelist! Then where did the idea for voting on elders come from? Well, if it did not come from God, it had to come from man. Or, might I be so bold as to say that it originated from Satan! Why would I make such a statement? Look around. How many churches are there that have deviated from God’s truths in favor of the likes and dislikes of men? And anytime Satan can get us to disregard God’s plan for our own, he has won a battle.
Secondly, in the same sense, this is the cause for the weakening of preaching the truth. It seems that a preacher either has to compromise his convictions or face the consequences for “stepping on peoples toes”. Here you have a man who’s desire is to strongly preach God’s Word in truth and in love, but the congregation that he serves only wants to hear the “love” part. The truth just might hurt their feelings, and they might leave our church, and we can’t be having that! So preaching the truth in season or out of season can become such a trial, you can have a preacher who either begins to tickle ears or begins to see that the end of his service is near. Either way, this man, who began by wanting to do his best for his Lord, faces discouragement and, as a result, looses his enthusiasm. Satan has another victory.
And lastly, you have the ruling deacon. I really have no idea how this can come to pass, but I have seen that it does. Instead of these men being the congregation’s servants, they are given the same basic authority given to the elders. Thus, instead of the elders leading the flock, it becomes a “ruling council” with the deacons having an equal say with the elders. And the evangelist? He can sit in and maybe say something if he wants to, but his is a small voice amidst the crowd. Another victory for Satan? To this country preacher, it surely seems to be.
How about your church? Is it being operated according to God’s design or by man’s? Are your elders actively involved in maintaining Christ’s church? Do you recognize their authority? Are your deacons actually deacons or elders of a different title? And how about your preacher? Do you give him your support and encouragement, even when he calls you to the mat? Or do you want him gone because he is just too hard on you? Have you forgotten that sometimes it has to hurt to heal?
Training of men is essential for the church to be strong in the future.
The problem today in many congregations is not the women doing things they should not, it is the men not doing the things they should.
