The Church of Jesus Christ: Organization Part 2

Review:

2 Sermons:

Sermon 1: The Inception of the church

Sermon 2: The Organization of the church

I. Made for the Lord Jesus

John 10:29 “29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

John 6:39 “39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

II.The Master of the Church

1 Peter 2:25 “25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

T: We have considered the purpose of the existence of the church and the Lord who rules and leads the church, now let us look at the makeup of the church.

III. Makeup of the Church

A. As Regenerated Sheep

John 10:24–29

“24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Since the beginning of the church and all the way until the end, there will be unbelievers apart of the visible church. When we say the visible church, we are referencing that outward church gathering and even membership. This is so because the visible church and its leadership can never know for certain the condition of a person’s heart in relation to surrender to Christ. Because this is so, people exist in the visible membership that are truly regenerate or born again.

In John 10, Jesus possess the ability that church leadership do not possess. He can look into a person’s very soul to identify who belongs to God in faith and who does not. He demonstrates this in John 10 when speaking with the Jews at the temple. The question which they ask Jesus about his identity as the Messiah implies that at the very least they are skeptic of Jesus. We are not told these are the pure opponents of Jesus such as the religious leaders, but they could have been in the mix. Regardless of not knowing their identity, Jesus knows them and he is able to identity them clearly as not belonging to the regenerate membership of the flock that was given to him.

He acknowledges that they did not believe the words he spoke with authority and the works that he displayed his divine power. Both of these display a lack of faith in Jesus as the promised king. Jesus qualifies those who belong to him as those who do possess things:

hearing the Jesus’ voice

following Jesus

receiving eternal life

Now this verse is not giving some timeline or order of the salvation process. Instead, it is affirming that to belong to the sheepfold of the Lord Jesus, you must be born again. You will be born again at the precise time that the Lord ordains your salvation and in that salvation, he will grant you not only eternal life but also the capability to follow him. Ask yourself this question: How does a blind and deaf person follow a guide through a cave? He cannot see the light ahead of him and he cannot hear the instructions of the guide. a better question would be how does a dead person follow anyone if he is not first awakened to new life.

Therefore, Jesus gives eternal life to all his genuine sheep, they hear his voice and follow him in His supplied power. These regenerated sheep are those who make up the church of the Lord Jesus. This is what we refer to as the TRUE CHURCH because only those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit can truly belong to Jesus Christ. Only by the Spirit’s power can they have faith to believe, to demonstrate true obedience to his commands, to display the spiritual gifts given for the church to function.

Ask yourself, have you been born again by the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you have genuine faith in Jesus Christ and repentance from your sins? If not, then you cannot belong to the sheepfold of God and exist with him in eternity with God’s people.

B. As a United Body

Ephesians 4:15–16

“15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Unified for Christ

As God saves his people from their sins, he does not leave them in isolation. They are isolated from God and in conflict with one another because of sin. God’s grace that is given in Jesus Christ resolves that conflict and unites all of God’s people into the body of Christ. Therefore, Christianity has always been designed as an “ASSEMBLY” of God’s people together. This is what the term ECCLESIA means which is translated “church” or “assembly” of God’s collective sheep.

Because God’s people are called to assemble together in commonality, then it is understood that with that assembly comes common practices towards God and towards one another. Our activity towards God and the Lord Jesus Christ is rooted in our worship of our Trinitarian God. We preach and hear his words proclaimed. We remember through ordinances his great works of deliverance, salvation and blessing. We celebrate and praise Him as the One true God.

Our activity towards one another contains accountability and responsibility to the body of Christ. As we assemble, we understand that as Eph 4 states, we are all working together to achieve the goal of “growing up in all aspects into Him who is the Head, even Christ.” Therefore, we assemble together and we partner together in this journey of spiritual imitation of Christ in our lives. Our commitment to one another is best realized in what is called…regenerate church membership. We already talked about how those who belong to the church are truly regenerated sheep who belong to the Shepherd. But why is church membership important?

Jonathan Leeman states, “church membership is a formal relationship between a church and a Christian characterized by the church’s affirmation and oversight of a Christian’s discipleship and the Christian’s submission to living out his or her discipleship in the care of the church.” Now many Christians want to push against the formal nature of church membership stating that it is not found in the bible. But clearly at the church’s beginning, it experienced growth that included a numerical assessment and formal accountability.

Acts 2:47 “47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Acts 9:31 “31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

Acts 16:5 “5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”

Garrett Kell writes,

“The New Testament provides a vision for the centrality of the local church in a believer’s life. Followers of Jesus are assumed to know one another, hold each other accountable, and submit to qualified local leaders who will give an account of them to God (Hebrews 13:17). Local churches keep lists of members who need care (1 Timothy 5:9–12), bear responsibility to address hypocrisy (1 Corinthians 5:1–13), and consider one another when partaking of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:18–34). Churches don’t have to call their approach to these practices church membership, but it’s nearly impossible to argue that the concept itself is unbiblical. All over the New Testament, we find this intentional, committed, accountable love that affirms and encourages one another’s devotion to Jesus in a local congregation.”

2. Authorized by Christ

The formal aspects of church membership are simply centered around the truth of the authority of the church and other believers in our spiritual journeys. If we believe in the church’s purpose on this earth, we cannot deny its legitimate impact on every believer in Christ. Jesus tells the disciples in Matthew 18

Matthew 18:18–20 “18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.””

Now Jesus is confirming the authority of the church as representatives of heaven. Specifically this is in relation to the church calling out sin in the life of a believer and calling him to repent. That act as first individuals and as the church is authorized by heaven. In the “name of the Lord Jesus” I plead with you to repent of your sins is like hand deliviering a letter from the King, sealed by the royal seal to that person. You are speaking the words of the King with all this authority backing you. This is the same when the church collectively “considers the unrepentant sinner a tax-collector and Gentile.” What this means is that the church as a collective whole comes together on a local assembly level and decides when a person should be considered an unbeliever. How is that possible? It is not done flippantly or carelessly. Instead, it is done with Scripture as the guide and it’s necessity is for the health of the body of Christ.

Therefore, the members of a local church come together and are united as one striving for the transformation into the likeness of Jesus. We formally unite as members of one another and that formal union begins with the church assessing a person’s profession of faith. This is where formal church membership involves careful and not careless initiation.

**Side note: this Matthew 18 passage has been used to affirm the erroneous authority of a universal church such as the Catholic and Greek Orthodox church. In these beliefs, there is one universal church that has leadership that governs over the whole. For the Catholics, it is the pope who, in their erroneous beliefs, holds some apostolic authority whereby the CHURCH universal is authoritative over all Christians. This is not what Jesus is teaching. It is clear he speaks in Matthew 18 as local and autonomous institutions dealing with those in that local church, not some global universal one. Yes all Christians belong to the invisible church but it is local autonomous churches that are authorized by Christ to carry out the mission in its local context and across the globe.

It is impossible to consider people as members of a church if they are not carefully examined for some fruits of genuine faith in the Lord Jesus and repentance from sins. Some churches may receive as many as come forward down the aisle for membership with only a simply question… have you trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have you been baptized by immersion. But those pastors will be held accountable for such choices. Some have wide open doors for quick membership but they reap the consequences of large masses of unbelievers leading and serving in ungodliness among the body. This is disfunction of the body of Christ.

1 John 4:1–3 “1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.”

3. Gifted For Service

Romans 12:4–6

“4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;”

In connection with this membership, comes the responsibility of its members to the greater body. We all are called to contribute to the work of the ministry for the glory of God. This includes serving the body, giving financially to the work of the ministry, caring for each other in troubles and joys.

In the local churches all across the globe, the Spirit has systematically assigned those who are to lead over the church and those to serve the church with individual, spirit-given gifts.

v6- Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 “4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Paul states that the gifts of the spirit come as a unified distribution. All believers are given gifts to serve the local church. No true believer in Christ is left out or neglected from the spiritual gift distribution. The fact that all believers are gifted by the Holy Spirit with unique gifts, shows the importance of each individual member, which Paul will make clear in the verses that follow in verse 12. This means that individuals do not have gifts of lesser importance or value to the church.

With all believers receiving gifts from the spirit, those gifts are meant to be used and not wasted. Paul states in 1 Cor 12, that each one is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. The phrase “common good” actually could be translated for profit or for profitability. That does not mean that the gifts of the spirit given to believers are intended to be profitable for their individual gain or prosperity but instead, they are to be profitable for the church and its mission.

The Spirit has given us these gifts and so much of the church body across the evangelical landscape does not serve the church and use their gifts appropriately. They are like unused tools, sitting in a garage, still in the box they were purchased in. Its truly despicable to waste such a gift. Why is it wasted? The devil has done a splendid job of confusing the church to think that the body of Christ is to be served by the leadership while they sit back with their cocktails at the church poolside relaxing! But Scripture teaches something different entirely.

How are you gifted to serve the local body of Christ where you are a member? What are you doing to use those gifts to serve? Do you treasure the importance of regenerate church membership that is practiced at RCC?

T: With those gifts and callings of the church, let us consider briefly how the church is managed or administrated by its people.

IV. Management of the Church

1 Timothy 3:1–11

“1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”

We come now to the administration of the local church. Who is to lead? Should there be a hierarchy of leadership? We have already established that Jesus is the head of the church, the Chief shepherd, but under his leadership, the Lord desires faithful and qualified men to lead local churches. This passage in 1 Timothy spells out for us that spiritual mature men are called to pastor God’s people. Paul was instructing Timothy to consider the spiritual characteristics needed for me to lead churches. He does not highlight popularity, social or economic privilege. He does not teach the need physical stamina, electic personalities or emotional strength. The Lord maps out a man with spiritual qualities that reflect the person of Christ. He must be faithful to his personal relationship with Christ, faithful to the marriage of one wife, faithful to care for others. We talked in our men’s bible study that these qualities are required of all godly men in the church. When you have Christlike men living out these qualities in the church, you have a healthy church and a pool of men to choose from as elder candidates from within the church.

Peter gives a similar spiritual resume to consider

A. Led by the Male Elders

1 Peter 5:1–5 “1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The Lord gives men a desire to pastor/shepherd and preach but with that desire comes an affirmation of the gifts needed to pastor from others and an opportunity to do so. The Bible calls the leaders of the church Elders. Three synonymous terms are used in 1 Peter 5 and all of them describe the office of elder and his care for the flock that the Lord has placed in his care.

Women cannot be elders because from the start to the end of the bible, the story of God places men as head over what God is doing. This is true in the home and its true in the church. There is no denying that God uses women to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God and he does so without having to place them as heads of homes or the church. God can do the impossible.

Elders are also best served, if possible in plurality.

Acts 14:23 “23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Acts 20:17 “17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

A plurality of elders not only makes logical sense but it is demonstrated from the Scriptures. A plurality of men who serve the church equally are men who will not wrestle with CEO mentality. All the spiritual qualities listed for elders is strengthened when a group of men lean on one another to bear the load of shepherding.

Phil Newton writes,

No one man possesses all the gifts necessary for leading a congregation. Some men are endowed with strong pulpit gifts, but lack pastoral skills. Others excel in pastoral work of visiting and counseling, but are not strong when it comes to pulpit exposition. Some have unusual abilities in organizing and administrating the ministries of the church, but fail in pulpit and counseling skills. A plurality of elders should aid a church by rounding out the pastor's gifts, making up for some of his defects, supplementing his judgment, and creating support in the congregation for decisions, leaving leaders less exposed to unjust criticism. Such plurality also makes leadership more rooted and permanent, and allows for more mature continuity.

Newton, Phil A.. Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership (Function). Kindle Edition.

B. Served by the Deacons

Secondly, the role or office of deacon exists in the church to serve the elders and the body. In Acts 6, we see the first example of what would eventually be called deacons who were appointed by the church and who served the needs of the body so that the elders could devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. I know many of us have come from churches where deacons served on a board and that board had meetings and made decisions for the church. This is an unbiblical model for the church in every way.

Deacons were never given that authority in the Scriptures and churches who have such leadership need to ask the same questions we are asking: is our church following the pattern of NT teaching.

Here, because deacons are appointed servants over different needs of the church, we believe that deacons can be men or women. This would allow the ladies of the church to serve in different ways without displaying a leadership over men. our passage in 1 Tim 3 speaks of this by listing qualities of men who lead as elders, and men and women who serve as deacons.

C. Approved by the Congregation

Lastly, it is important to state that the administration of the church is best served in a congretaional way. We are a congregational church which means that decisions are made by the congregation as a whole and only by our congregation. We alone appoint and dismiss leaders. We alone welcome and bring discipine on members. We alone vote on budgets and major changes for the church. The elders lead, the deacons serve but the congregation approves. This also highlights autonomy which means no other church dictates what we do here as a local body.

This is different than some church where the elders make all the decisions and bring those results to the body in a form of announcement. That would be elder ruled. We are elder led because the elders bring issues to you and you vote. We see this congregationalism in a couple places in Scripture.

For example, in Matthew 18 again,

the process of church discipline starts individually but it ends corporately. “tell it to the church” means that the church is the last step of discipline before the church decides to consider a unrepentant sinner an unbeliever. Paul states in 1 Cor 5 to the church as a whole

1 Corinthians 5:1–5 “1 It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Also, when money was given to Paul to bless his church planting ministry it is said to come from the churches at Phlilipi. The body as a whole decided to send finanical aid to the apostle.

Philippians 4:15–18 “15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. 17 Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. 18 But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.”

In all these things, congregationalism is the act of congregational approval and it rests in the idea of the church consists of individual Holy -Spirit filled believers who all act in unity and in accordance with the mission and purposes of Christ.

Let me conclude today with this quote from RC SPROUL:

What Is the Church? Chapter Nine: The Marks of a True Church

It is only when we understand our true purpose that the church will shine in all of her beauty. United in truth as we hold to the Apostolic faith, we will declare and demonstrate to an p 69 onlooking world that our triune God is worthy to be worshiped and served. As the called-out ones of the Father, this is our greatest joy. This is the church: a people for His own possession who live together to glorify Him.