Why We Do What We Do: Appoint Leaders.
| Spiry Tee
"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit."
Hebrews 13:17 NLT
God gives us leaders in the house of God. And there are different kinds of leaders in the church structure who serve different needs in the body of Christ. It is right and scriptural to have leaders in the church.
First, we see Christ giving the church awesome leadership gifts in Ephesians 4: 11, "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers." (Ephesians 4:11 NLT). What was their purpose? Verse 12 reveals; "Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12 NLT).
And what is the end game? "[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him." (Ephesians 4:13 AMPC).
The ministry gifts are meant to bring us to the standard height of Christ's own perfection. It is possible to have perfection this side of heaven, otherwise the Spirit would not utter such a lofty ideal if it was an impossible one. Christ's perfection means sinlessness, fearlessness, agelessness, health and deathlessness.
We must listen to the leaders God gives us whether they are ministry gifts, elders, deacons because they help make the body of Christ be built to perfection. Church is not a democracy where everyone has a voice. The kingdom of God is a theocracy where God's Word has the final say.
SPEAK LIFE.
I am being built to perfection by the Word through the ministry gifts and leaders given to the church by God. I submit to them as they are led by God's Spirit through the Word.
"Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit."
Hebrews 13:17 NLT
God gives us leaders in the house of God. And there are different kinds of leaders in the church structure who serve different needs in the body of Christ. It is right and scriptural to have leaders in the church.
First, we see Christ giving the church awesome leadership gifts in Ephesians 4: 11, "Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers." (Ephesians 4:11 NLT). What was their purpose? Verse 12 reveals; "Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12 NLT).
And what is the end game? "[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him." (Ephesians 4:13 AMPC).
The ministry gifts are meant to bring us to the standard height of Christ's own perfection. It is possible to have perfection this side of heaven, otherwise the Spirit would not utter such a lofty ideal if it was an impossible one. Christ's perfection means sinlessness, fearlessness, agelessness, health and deathlessness.
We must listen to the leaders God gives us whether they are ministry gifts, elders, deacons because they help make the body of Christ be built to perfection. Church is not a democracy where everyone has a voice. The kingdom of God is a theocracy where God's Word has the final say.
SPEAK LIFE.
I am being built to perfection by the Word through the ministry gifts and leaders given to the church by God. I submit to them as they are led by God's Spirit through the Word.
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