Ephesians 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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. (NIV)
Almost every elder (with a couple of real exceptions) I’ve worked with has been a sincere, honest, and faithful man, with a profound sense of responsibility toward God and the church he has led/served. So, let none of what I say, suggest to you that I’m criticizing the character of the good men who serve God with a full commitment.
We don’t grow up in a cultural vacuum, and ours is a Western culture where business leaders bear financial responsibility. That is, the buck stops with them. I completely understand that the elders in American Restoration churches see themselves as those where the buck stops. Yet, I must ask, is that their Biblical calling? Have we allowed our culture to turn elders into an administrative board?
As I pointed out, last week, our leaders are the Messiah’s gifts to His people. Yet, for what purpose? Paul didn’t leave us wondering: “…to equip the saints for works of service…” In my experience, budgets, buildings, and staff concerns have crowded out this critical, Biblical calling.
Shepherds are called to know their sheep; know their sheep’s gifts of service; equip them for their work; and give them both the charge and explicit permission to do that mission. It should involve ordaining each servant with prayer and laying their hands on each, asking the Holy Spirit to empower them. That’s a full plate for shepherds and much too important to neglect.
For all of us, it means that we see ourselves not as mere congregants, but as ministers with gifts and callings. We are the body of Christ, not consumers looking for the best “church experience.” Being committed to the Lord means being committed to a particular body of believers, where we serve.
And what is our common goal? It is to be built upward into the “fullness of Christ.” Two of Paul’s favorite images for the church are the Temple of God, and the body of Christ. First, we, Jews and Gentiles together are God’s Temple:
Ephesians 2:21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (NIV)
That’s the building project we are given the grace to join. Second (and here the images merge), we are the body of the Messiah, who is Himself God’s Temple. Our goal is to build toward being fully Him. For the Bible, the church is not an organization with organizational structures. Instead, it is the living organism filled with God’s presence. This does not allow for low trivializing views of the Church. Of course, congregations can be criticized, as Paul frequently needed to do, and as I did a little of here. But the Church is to be cherished. For her, we work and press on until we are mature and reach “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
I am grateful for our shepherds (everyone of whom I love and respect) and their emphasis on discipleship. This is an important step in a very good and faithful direction.
Tim Kelley
Given the joy of preaching on 10/22, I will take a week off from writing this blog.