The Character of An Effective Chruch
Notes
Transcript
What makes some churches effective and what makes some churches seem to languish and not prosper.
Today we are going to start looking at the attributes of effective churches.
We are not necessarily talking about numbers but effective ministry.
Spiritual Leaders (v 1)
Spiritual Leaders (v 1)
Effective churches always have strong godly leaders.
God puts a premium on spiritual leadership.
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.
11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
9 And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Here Luke breaks the leaders into 2 groups:
Prophets
Prophets
Prophets played a significant role in the apostolic church.
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Like the apostles, they were preachers of God’s Word and were responsible in the early years of the church to instruct the local congregations.
Sometimes they received new revelation from God, as in Acts 11:28
28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).
10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ”
Both of those incidents record that the prophets, in contrast to the apostles, received practical, not doctrinal revelation.
The prophets’ function as receivers of divine revelation ended with the cessation of the temporary sign gifts.
Even their office, like that of the apostles, was replaced by pastor-teachers and evangelists, who were the elders and overseers.
Teachers
Teachers
Theirs is the ministry of giving others a clear understanding of biblical truth.
The distinctive of the ministry of teachers is its emphasis on pedagogy rather than on proclamation.
That they are somewhat different from preachers seems apparent in texts that discuss both, though the same gifted man can sometimes perform both functions, as Acts 15:35 indicates.
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
The chruch here in Antioch had 5 of these men, It was through their ministry that the church was built up in the faith.
Spiritual Ministry (v 2a)
Spiritual Ministry (v 2a)
The responsibility of spiritual shepherds is spiritual ministry.
The leaders at Antioch understood their spiritual mandate clearly.
What does the word minister mean?
In genreal it means to hold an office of public service.
In Scripture, however, leitourgeō means more than public service; it describes priestly service.
In the Septuagint it described the priests who ministered in the tabernacle. Ex. 28:41
41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
Serving in a leadership role in the church must be viewed as an act of worship to God.
Such service consists of offering spiritual sacrifices to Him Heb. 13:15–16 including prayer, oversight of the flock, studying, and preaching and teaching the Word.
15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
The Bible frequently connects fasting with times of vigilant, passionate prayer.
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
13 But I, when they were sick— I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
Believers may become so concerned with spiritual issues that they lose the desire to eat, or they set aside food to concentrate on intense intercession.
Those who know little of fasting perhaps know little about such concern.
Scripture nowhere commands believers to fast, but Jesus assumed His followers would do so Matt. 6:17
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
In sharp contrast to the showy, hypocritical fasting of the Pharisees, believers’ fasting is for God’s eyes only Matt. 6:16–18
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
