Antioch is an exciting church plant and a great model to follow. Most of the believers in those days were preaching to Jews only, but a few began to witness to the Hellenists (Greeks) and they began to trust in the Lord. The word about these conversions came to the ears of the Apostles in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to check out what was going on. It is important to note the interest that the Apostles have to ensure the integrity of the preaching of the Gospel. Organization is a very important part of the kingdom of God and we would do well to pay attention to it. The movement in Antioch was at the "grass roots," but nonetheless the Apostles intervened to "supervise it." The Church is built on authority and hierarchies and we can't do away with them. Doing away with them produces chaos at most and a lack of doctrinal integrity at the least.
Barnabas was the emissary of choice because he was a good man, full of the Spirit and of faith. He was able to discern what the Spirit was doing among the people ("saw the grace of God") and rejoiced with them. He was also able to exhort or encourage the brethren "to remain faithful with steadfast purpose." Barnabas is an encourager. The work of the kingdom requires people who are able to encourage others to follow Christ with steadfast purpose. I want to be a Barnabas, an encourager of God's people! A man full of the Spirit and faith able to discern God's work among his people and able to celebrate with them. What keeps me down when I know deep down that I am an encourager?
Interestingly enough, encouragement is not enough and Barnabas was well aware of it. The church needs encouragement, but it is not enough to get it through the trials and tribulations of the day. The church needs strong teaching and Barnabas set out to find it in Saul. Saul was gifted to teach and he taught for over a year at Antioch. The Word of God is very essential for the growth of a church. Encouragement combined with solid Teaching is the winning combination to create an environment conducive to growth. Am I encouraging my brothers and sisters? Am I teaching God's Word to them?
The people from Antioch were the first ones to be called Christians. Without a doubt, the name people gave the early believers is evidence that the community was Christ-centered. The encouragement was done in the name of Christ and the teaching was about the life, ministry, death, resurrection, and return of Christ. Is my life Christ-centered? Is my teaching Christ-centered? Is my encouragement done in the name of Christ?
We can't miss the supernatural work of the Spirit through Agabus - a prophet who foretold a famine in those days. And we can't miss the gracious response in giving to aid the believers in distress. Here is the other element that a healthy church needs: belief and practice of the gifts of the Spirit. A supernatural outlook on life through the eyes of the Spirit. The power of the church is in the operation of the spiritual gifts. Am I taking for granted the gifts of the Spirit? Am I using them to the max? Or am I hiding them in the closet? A healthy church will have the elements of encouragement and solid teaching as well as the operation of the gifts of the Spirit.
Father, may Faith Alliance be a church like Antioch, filled with encouragement, strong teaching, and the gifts of the Spirit. Help me be an encourager and teacher open to the supernatural work you desire to do. May our leadership team offer the gifts you have bestowed for the building of your church and the honor of your glory. Amen.
Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organization. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Acts 11:1-18 Peter Reports to the Church
The Church, though a divine institution, has been plagued with problems since its birth. Within the ranks of the faithful there was already a debate concerning how to deal with Gentiles. Some believed, those of the circumcision party, that Gentiles had to go through the Jewish ritual of circumcision to be accepted even as Christians, but others didn't. I have to fight the tendency to think and expect that the Church has to be perfect upon the earth. When sinners gather I can't expect perfection, but imperfection. We strive for it, but we have not attained it. I also have to fight the tendency to withdraw from the Church, labeling it hypocritical, because people in it don't follow the teachings of Christ perfectly. I am the chief of sinners and I can't follow his teachings perfectly, but that's why I need the Church. The Church is a place for teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training. If the Church were a Perfect Club there would be no need for all that.
These brothers criticized Peter for entering into a Gentile home and eating with them, something no Jew would do in those days and some even still to this day. Peter was following the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit and yet, he still encountered criticism. I can't expect the work of the ministry to be criticism free. It is part and parcel of what takes place in the dynamics of the Church. I need to grow up and learn to deal with criticism as unpleasant as it may be. There is no such thing as a criticism free ministry. I realize that criticism is not a fruit of the Spirit as some may think, but I have to accept that the Church is a Rehab Center for believers and the Lord is not done with us yet. If I work in the front line of the battle, I will be shot at - guaranteed! And friendly fire is not excluded!
Peter explained the events that transpired with the Gentiles and taught them what the Spirit had been teaching him through a vision. Moreover, the evidence that God was working among the Gentiles just like among the Jews was the pouring of the Spirit after repentance. Peter remembered the preaching of John the Baptist who declared the promise of the pouring of the Spirit upon all who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter declared: ...who was I that I could stand in God's way? When God is doing something new, I have to humble myself and accept his ways. True wisdom does not lean on its own understanding, but trusts in the Lord. The Word of God should always be the lamp and guide of my life. Am I listening to God's Word on a regular basis? I should never allow the status quo, even tradition to stand in the way of what God wants to do.
It is very evident that the Apostles were working together and were stationed in Jerusalem. From there, they monitored the activities of the Church as it expanded. The fact that Peter reported back to the Apostles in Jerusalem speaks clearly of an organization that is working to ensure the spread of the Gospel and also learning from the experiences that are taking place in the field. I should not object to the organizational aspects of the Church and its ministries. It is a practical way to stay in touch with what is happening in the preaching of the Gospel and also a way to ensure the proper teaching of the Gospel is taking place. Peter silenced the brothers of the circumcision because the obvious conclusion was that God was working among them as well.
Father, teach me to see the Church as a Rehab Center and not as a Perfect Club. I need your strength to face criticism even as I work in ministry. Help me to seek your Word and be sensitive to your guidance. Amen.
These brothers criticized Peter for entering into a Gentile home and eating with them, something no Jew would do in those days and some even still to this day. Peter was following the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit and yet, he still encountered criticism. I can't expect the work of the ministry to be criticism free. It is part and parcel of what takes place in the dynamics of the Church. I need to grow up and learn to deal with criticism as unpleasant as it may be. There is no such thing as a criticism free ministry. I realize that criticism is not a fruit of the Spirit as some may think, but I have to accept that the Church is a Rehab Center for believers and the Lord is not done with us yet. If I work in the front line of the battle, I will be shot at - guaranteed! And friendly fire is not excluded!
Peter explained the events that transpired with the Gentiles and taught them what the Spirit had been teaching him through a vision. Moreover, the evidence that God was working among the Gentiles just like among the Jews was the pouring of the Spirit after repentance. Peter remembered the preaching of John the Baptist who declared the promise of the pouring of the Spirit upon all who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter declared: ...who was I that I could stand in God's way? When God is doing something new, I have to humble myself and accept his ways. True wisdom does not lean on its own understanding, but trusts in the Lord. The Word of God should always be the lamp and guide of my life. Am I listening to God's Word on a regular basis? I should never allow the status quo, even tradition to stand in the way of what God wants to do.
It is very evident that the Apostles were working together and were stationed in Jerusalem. From there, they monitored the activities of the Church as it expanded. The fact that Peter reported back to the Apostles in Jerusalem speaks clearly of an organization that is working to ensure the spread of the Gospel and also learning from the experiences that are taking place in the field. I should not object to the organizational aspects of the Church and its ministries. It is a practical way to stay in touch with what is happening in the preaching of the Gospel and also a way to ensure the proper teaching of the Gospel is taking place. Peter silenced the brothers of the circumcision because the obvious conclusion was that God was working among them as well.
Father, teach me to see the Church as a Rehab Center and not as a Perfect Club. I need your strength to face criticism even as I work in ministry. Help me to seek your Word and be sensitive to your guidance. Amen.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Acts 6:1-7 Seven Chosen to Serve
One of the problems that the Early Church encountered was a lack of organization. The Apostles were trying to do everything including serving at tables to provide for the needs of the people. Pretty soon, they found they could not keep up trying to do everything. Frustration was setting in and complaints started to arise because some segment of the widows were being neglected. The effects of a lack of organization are felt throughout the whole body and something had to be done.
The body of Christ is certainly a living body, an organism, but it is also an organization. In order for the body of Christ to be effective in all its ministries and remain alive as a body, it is necessary to organize its functions properly to ensure proper execution. The Apostles were forced to set priorities in their ministry and they chose to do what they were called to do: to pray and to preach the Word of God. My priorities in ministry should not be any different - I must prioritize my call according to the gifts God has given. Understanding that serving at tables is very important, they decided to appoint capable people and delegated those functions that they couldn't do even if they tried.
Sometimes, it is not a matter of being able to do it, but able to do it well. The execution of the Apostles in the area of distribution brought criticism because they were not able to execute effectively. I'm sure that if they continued to try doing it, they would have lost many people in the shuffle. Sometimes, I neglect quality in the execution of ministry and the body suffers. One of the most important things in their efforts to organize is to establish the requirements for those people who are to execute the job. The Apostles came up with three requirements: have a good reputation, be full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom. The Church today needs to continue to enforce these requirements.
A good reputation is easy to enforce. A candidate's life and testimony should be an open book that speaks to the values and priorities of a person. But how do you enforce being filled with the Spirit??? My reading of Acts and the New Testament as a whole tells me that the essential "signs" of a person filled with the Spirit is boldness and courage to be a witness to unbelievers. This is the area of life that must be probed to determine fullness in the Spirit. Wisdom is also very evident in the life of a person. I must state clearly that it is not earthly wisdom we are looking for here, but heavenly wisdom. It is to make decisions according to godly principles in ones life and church sometimes at a great cost.
The final consideration for a proper organization is to know how many people you need for the job. In this case, the Apostles deemed it necessary to have seven men appointed for the task. I am sure that the number was the result of the need in the body of Christ. I wonder how would it have been if they had appointed only three persons. The number must be enough to cover the need.
Interestingly enough, the results of such a reorganization brought an increase in the Word of God and the number of disciples multiplied greatly. I am very quick to look at the number of disciples, but I don't think I've ever thought of the Word of God increasing as a result that I must measure. What is an increase in the Word of God? It is to saturate all of church life with the preaching and teaching of the Word. It is to have more preaching points to communicate the Gospel. It is to have more people trained to witness the good news of the Gospel. I must seek to increase the Word of God by prioritizing my work in the kingdom and organizing the efforts of the body of Christ.
The body of Christ is certainly a living body, an organism, but it is also an organization. In order for the body of Christ to be effective in all its ministries and remain alive as a body, it is necessary to organize its functions properly to ensure proper execution. The Apostles were forced to set priorities in their ministry and they chose to do what they were called to do: to pray and to preach the Word of God. My priorities in ministry should not be any different - I must prioritize my call according to the gifts God has given. Understanding that serving at tables is very important, they decided to appoint capable people and delegated those functions that they couldn't do even if they tried.
Sometimes, it is not a matter of being able to do it, but able to do it well. The execution of the Apostles in the area of distribution brought criticism because they were not able to execute effectively. I'm sure that if they continued to try doing it, they would have lost many people in the shuffle. Sometimes, I neglect quality in the execution of ministry and the body suffers. One of the most important things in their efforts to organize is to establish the requirements for those people who are to execute the job. The Apostles came up with three requirements: have a good reputation, be full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom. The Church today needs to continue to enforce these requirements.
A good reputation is easy to enforce. A candidate's life and testimony should be an open book that speaks to the values and priorities of a person. But how do you enforce being filled with the Spirit??? My reading of Acts and the New Testament as a whole tells me that the essential "signs" of a person filled with the Spirit is boldness and courage to be a witness to unbelievers. This is the area of life that must be probed to determine fullness in the Spirit. Wisdom is also very evident in the life of a person. I must state clearly that it is not earthly wisdom we are looking for here, but heavenly wisdom. It is to make decisions according to godly principles in ones life and church sometimes at a great cost.
The final consideration for a proper organization is to know how many people you need for the job. In this case, the Apostles deemed it necessary to have seven men appointed for the task. I am sure that the number was the result of the need in the body of Christ. I wonder how would it have been if they had appointed only three persons. The number must be enough to cover the need.
Interestingly enough, the results of such a reorganization brought an increase in the Word of God and the number of disciples multiplied greatly. I am very quick to look at the number of disciples, but I don't think I've ever thought of the Word of God increasing as a result that I must measure. What is an increase in the Word of God? It is to saturate all of church life with the preaching and teaching of the Word. It is to have more preaching points to communicate the Gospel. It is to have more people trained to witness the good news of the Gospel. I must seek to increase the Word of God by prioritizing my work in the kingdom and organizing the efforts of the body of Christ.
Thank you Lord for your Church, your body on earth. Help me respond to your call and prioritize my tasks according to that call and do not allow me to be swallowed up by the urgent. Help me facilitate the reorganization of your local body on earth for maximum effectiveness for the kingdom. Amen
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