I Will Build My Church (Part 2)
God Equips the Church
Once you begin to honor God and keep His word, God will begin to build the church. Look at Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ -- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Let’s break down this wonderful passage and examine it further. What is the purpose of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers? All of these leadership roles God provided to the church serve a three fold purpose. 1. Equipping the saints for the work of ministry. 2. Edify the body of Christ (or church). 3. Bring us into the unity of the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Equipping the Saints
How forgotten this concept has become in the modern, Mega Church movement. Notice that we are not called to be equipped for happiness and personal fulfillment. We are equipped for the work of ministry. Every saint has a call of God on their lives. If people are not being equipped for the work of ministry, then the leaders in the church have not fulfilled their ministry and calling. The bulk of this problem has come through the slow shift of the focus of the church through traditions which have come to fruition in this common era. Now the pastor is expected to do the work of ministry and the congregation only expects to be fed and inspired week after week. Obviously seminaries are not equipping the leaders for the pattern continues to go as it has been going. I have seen churches state publicly that every Christian is a minister, but unless the saints are being equipped to work in ministry through complete discipleship, these mottos mean nothing. In fact, the church with the pastor I spoke of earlier had this very statement as a motto.
We must depart from the feel good gospel and teach each believer to obey all that is commanded in scripture. Ironically, the end result of obedience is peace, joy, and all the things that the seeker sensitive movement promises to give but cannot deliver to its members. Nothing builds your self-esteem greater than knowing that you are walking in harmony with God and standing upon the authority of His word. Knowing that all things in this life are rooted in the goodness and love of God gives great confidence to the believer – even during hardship. Look at this amazing promise found in Psalm 36:7-10
7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
There is not a seeker sensitive church on earth that can provide this promise. What do we desire that is not fulfilled in this promise? You cannot obtain this promise by claiming it; it is only to those who trust under the shadow of God’s wings and walk upright in heart. If you do not surrender yourself to the Lord Almighty, you cannot have the promises of God and the best you can hope for is what the church can give through its programs.
Edifying the Body
The second purpose of God ordained church leadership is the edifying of the body. The word edify comes from the Greek word ‘oikodome’ which means: building up or the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom. This is a powerfully descriptive word. A leader who has been appointed by God is equipped to build up the faith of the congregation. If someone is not equipped to do this, either they are not called by God or they have lost sight of scripture. Many do not have any concept of what wisdom is in this modern church era. Read the book of Proverbs and you will begin to understand wisdom.
A church leader must teach the congregation about the word of God and how to apply it to their lives. The word makes us clean, changes our hearts, and renews our minds by the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the word, there is no wisdom other than the wisdom of this world that is at war with God. Look at 1 Corinthians 2:4-8
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The wisdom of God will almost always conflict with the wisdom of the world (or this age), but will always direct our steps toward fulfillment of God’s plan in our lives and the church. The words of God’s wisdom are taught to those who are mature in the faith. Through the doctrine of scripture, we know that the church leadership must bring the congregation into maturity in the faith so that the members can be taught the wisdom of God and walk in that wisdom. If the congregation is immature in the faith, they are still grounded in the world. Those whose heart is still in the world will see the wisdom of God as foolishness just as the world does. Therefore, God has ordained and equipped leaders within the church to mature His people so that they can understand the truth and grow into the wisdom of God.
Till We Come into Unity
Unity is a misunderstood concept. If you stand upon the word of God, it will create unity between you and those who are disciples of Christ but disunity between you and those who are in rejection of the word. People say they love the Bible but the worldly Christian or the one who thinks they are a Christian will only tolerate the scriptures that comfort them but not the ones that challenge their life in this world. When the Bible commands us to have unity, it is always based on obedience to the scriptures. We are to first and foremost be in unity with the Spirit of God and then any who are also walking in unity with God will be unified with us. This is why the passage we read in Ephesians says that teachers and preachers are to edify until we all come into the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Our unity is based on accurate knowledge of the ways of God. If someone is not walking with God, there can be no unity. If you hold fast to the word of truth, you will be criticized for being divisive to those churches or church members who want a different way. Disobedience, not faithfulness to the word is the cause of divisions. Look at Romans 16:17-18
7 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Who causes divisions? The one who holds to the scripture? No, the one who walks contrary to the doctrine learned from scripture. I cannot count the number of times I have been rebuked by someone for ‘not having unity’ because my message was intolerant – though it is not my message but it is the scriptures that challenge our lifestyles. It is the word that causes some to stumble as it calls us to holiness. If you hold to the word, it will divide you from what is not of God. This subject comes up constantly. What the Emergent Church and the Seeker Sensitive Movement teach (and this has filtered into many churches) is that we should have unity at all cost. The Bible is sharper than any two-edged sword and divides (Hebrews 4:12). The scripture divides the followers of God from those who serve their own desires.
At a church I once served in, the senior pastor invited an ‘anointed’ prophet and his prophetess wife to teach the congregation how to follow the ‘new move of God’ that they had written a book about and were teaching in many churches. One of the first things they taught when they arrived was unity. They claimed to be quoting Deuteronomy 28. They stated that God proclaimed in Deuteronomy 28 that, “If you have unity, you will be blessed in the city, in the country. If you have unity, God would bless your land and you will be fruitful…” They went on to quote all the promises of blessings and claimed that the Bible said that each promise was based solely on unity. They then claimed to quote from the curse of Deuteronomy saying that God warned that if you do not have unity within the church, “Cursed will be you on your going out, coming in, cursed will be you in the city, in the country, etc.” It was then taught that the blessings or the curse was based solely upon the unity of the local church.
If you read Deuteronomy 28 you will see that the actual command is to obey all that God has commanded. These ‘anointed ones’ were liars. In order to teach many doctrines that contradicted the Bible, they first sought to make the congregation commit to absolute unity and even stated that anyone who causes unity was a threat to the church. This placed people like myself squarely in the gun sights of the church. Suddenly I was the divisive one. I had unity before the ‘anointed ones’ came in and turned the congregation away from scripture. After this, the ones who were unwilling to follow blindly were considered a threat to the church.
The Bible teaches and commands that we should separate ourselves from those who walk contrary to scripture. In the passage we read above in Romans, we are commanded to avoid those who walk contrary to the doctrine delivered through the scriptures. In 2 Thessalonians 3:6 we are commanded to withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and is not obedient to scripture. In 1 Timothy 6:5, we are commanded to withdraw from teachers whose message is contrary to scripture. The Bible teaches that we are to have unity with the body of Christ and the body of Christ are those who are in Christ. According to 1 John 2:4, anyone who claims to be in Christ and walks contrary to scripture is a liar. This is strong language but it makes an unmistakable point. Unity in the faith is walking together in love as we walk with Christ. Also look at 1 John 4:20-21
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Anyone who does not love those who are abiding in Christ is also a liar if he claims to love God. Anyone who sees his brother following a doctrine that will draw him away from his walk with Christ and does not warn him does not love his brother. So in reality, it is not those who love truth that are causing disunity, but those who walk contrary to truth. Those who abide in Christ will be evident because they love the brethren who are also abiding in Christ. Anyone who shows hostility toward those who love truth are revealing that they do not know God.
Church leaders, through teaching accurate knowledge of the doctrine of Jesus Christ are truly building unity in the faith. Those who are teaching contrary to the Bible are creating divisions and are drawing themselves and the congregation toward condemnation. It is you, the church leader who God has given the power to create unity by standing upon and teaching the truth of scripture.
Growing into the Head
Abiding in Christ is the highest goal of every Christian and it is also the purpose of all the work of Christian leaders. Abiding in Christ is why we are able to have unity or as Ephesians 4:15 says, that we “may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ”. Jesus Christ is the head of the church and the reason why we teach, obey and instruct according to biblical doctrine so that each member may grow and be joined to Him. If you are not attached to the head and joined to the body, you are not of the body and there can be no unity. Ultimately what those who preach worldly unity and unity of religions are asking us to do is to detach from the body and be joined to them. Only the body of Christ is eternal; all else is under condemnation. Proverbs offers a strong warning to this false unity in Proverbs 11:
21 Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished; But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
So while those who teach that obedience to the gospel is intolerance and threatens their unity, the Bible warns us that the unity of the godless world will not save them. It is only those who stand upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ that have a future and the hope of eternity.
God raises up and equips His saints to edify the local church so that the individual believer can be equipped for ministry, come to unity in the faith and firmly grow into a strong, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. If the church does these things and does not allow things to distract us from this purpose, God will build His church and raise up leaders within the local body to fulfill His call and complete His work.
Conclusion
If you do not see the individual Christians being tightly joined to Jesus Christ and walking in the knowledge of the word, the time has come to pour out our hearts before the Lord so that He will first change our hearts and then the local body of believers. There are churches that reject the commandments of God and have no desire to live in obedience. The Bible says that we are to withdraw ourselves from those who do not serve the Lord Jesus. I believe that we are to first try to impact those around us and give them the opportunity to return to the Lord first. Often times people are walking in disobedience out of ignorance. Until we hear an error challenged, we may not even think about it and assume that what is being delivered to the church is true. Once someone makes it clear that the tradition (even if it is a new tradition) is more valued than the word, it is time to withdraw.
Our focus should not be on numbers. Our focus should be on fulfilling the call of God so that one day when we stand before God, we will have finished the work God has called us to do according to the word He has given us. God stated that unless a runner competes according to the rules, he cannot receive a crown. We also cannot receive our crown unless we run according to the commandments God has given us through His word (2 Timothy 2:5, Revelation 3:8-11).
If you take care of the things that God has shown to be dear to Him, He will take care of our church. The Bible makes this clear in Isaiah 58:6-12
6 " Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
If you take care of the things God has called the true fast He desires, He will raise up leaders to build up, restore and repair. If your church spends more money on basketball or recreation than on reaching out to the needs of the poor and those in bondage to sin, can you expect God to build up the church? If we neglect God’s call, we cannot expect God to answer our call.
So we can see the call of God to His church is twofold. We are to equip people for ministry and then to go out and minister. Being equipped encompasses discipleship and personal spiritual maturity of each member and the work of ministry is how we put our faith into practice. This is further explained in our final scripture for this study. Look at James 2:14-18
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
God does not commend those who have a dead faith. He gives us faith and then equips us to put our faith into action. If you see the needs around you and you have no compassion to meet those needs, your faith is dead and worthless. As you grow into Christ, you will also begin to see what you were once blinded to. While we are living in the flesh, our eyes are upon our own comfort, needs and desires; however, when the Spirit begins to be our focus, God opens our eyes to see beyond our selfish world and see the needs all around us.
If you edify the church and teach the congregation to walk in the truth of sound doctrine, people will be equipped for ministry. God will raise up from among you those who will do His work. As you walk in obedience, you will see God raising up repairers, restorers and builders as you also see God begin to produce your righteousness as the noonday and He will keep your soul watered and refreshed in His Spirit. There are those who equip God’s people to minister and those who God equips to go out. We must stand firm in the call of God and not allow ourselves to be distracted or overburdened with the things that God has not called us to do.
Walk in obedience and then pray that God will send laborers into the harvest.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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