Philosophy of Ministry

A Philosophy of Ministry:

A Biblical Approach to Church Ministry

Introduction

People often ask the question, “How should a pastor do ministry?” or “How should a pastor run a church?” There have been tons of books written by qualified men trying to answer these questions. Many have said that the church needs to have a mission statement. Many have said that the church should be run as a business finding metrics to measure the success of the church, even being willing to cut programs if they fall out of popularity. Many have said that the church has become out of touch calling it an ancient institution trying to find its place in the 21^st century. Many have stated that the church’s purpose has become lost, calling for a new definition of what the church should look like. 

As a result, churches look extremely different from one another. People are creating churches that cater to personal desires, such as an emphasis in community making the church a social club. Some organize meetings for members to come together to meditate on a single word to have a “spiritual experience”. Some people only come to have a spiritual experience through the worship service where they only sing about themselves worshipping God. I have even seen a church that was founded in the belief of atheism stating organized religion is a detriment to society but they still want to have the communal benefits of being part of a church. 

This is why before one can ask the question, “How should one go about doing the ministry of the church?”, or even, “How does one measure success in the ministry of the church?”, one should first biblically answer the question, “What is the church?”. This is why I have organized this essay in the following manner. Each point is a logical and biblical growth of its preceding point. 

However, in order to answer any of these questions, one must be able to do so using the original textbook, the Bible. This cannot be stressed enough. I have seen men who come up with a philosophy of ministry using some wild schemes and then try to use the Bible to justify their efforts rather than using the Bible to influence their methods. There are plenty of churches who participate in or host events that seem harmless, but if they were asked to give an answer from scripture for hosting a harmless event they would be silent. My point is simple but extremely important; the entire basis for the church, everything from why it exists, to what the church should look like, can only be found in the New Testament. Do not bother to look at other social clubs to see what is attracting people to adopt schemes to get people in the door. Do not even look at other churches to try and figure out why so many people fill their sanctuaries to model after them. Only look to the men who wrote to the first churches. Only look to the New Testament. This is the only place you can be assured you will find the correct answers. Answers that are still just as relevant today as when they were first written.

What is the Church?

As I stated earlier, one must Biblically understand the definition of the church before moving forward with how to conduct the ministry of the church. If one does not know what the church is, then one will never know how the church should function. 

Whenever one comes across a new device the first question is always, “What is it?”. A name will describe the purpose of the device or its function. If a person saw a mobile phone for the first time, that person would be confused as to what the purpose of the device is, especially if one saw a modern day smart phone. Yet, once a person knows the name, he can start to assume its purpose. If I know it is a mobile phone, then I know it is mobile device that can make phone calls. 

The same goes with an understanding of what the New Testament calls the Church. Conduct a word study on the word “church” in the New Testament and a lot can be learned. The word “church” is translated from the Greek word “ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia)”. This Greek word actually means assembly and is translated “assembly” in Acts 19:32, 39 and 41. In this particular passage the word describes a group of people that gathered together to have Paul thrown out of the city of Ephesus which is later described as an “unlawful assembly”. However, in most other cases, ἐκκλησία refers to a group of believers that were gathered together to fulfill the Great Commission given by Christ (i.e. the seven churches in Revelation 2-3). 

Of course there is more to be said about the church than where its name is derived from. One must ask the questions, “When was the church founded?”, or “Who started the church?”. The rest of this section will answer these questions to help us understand the setting for when the church was founded.

Founded by Christ

The church was founded personally by Christ Himself. No other institution or establishment can say that it was founded by such Divine means. This is why the church should bare such a large role in every believer’s life. The church was not created by man so that men could enjoy each other's company but rather the church was created by Christ so that we might glorify God. 

The first passage to help us understand that Christ personally established the church can be found in what is known as Peter's confession found in Matthew 16:15-18.

¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”

This passage is significant for multiple reasons. The first reason being that Christ states that the church is, “My church”. This shows Christ having ownership over the church. Also, this passage is important because it demonstrates that Christ will build the church with people who confess that Jesus is the Christ just as Peter had also confessed this belief. This confession of believing that Jesus is the Christ does not happen by someone being just simply convinced or persuaded, but a person believes because God in heaven wills this to happen. This demonstrates how,  through and through, the church is God working on earth so that He may be glorified. The last verse in this passage is also encouraging. As the church goes forth preaching the gospel, the church cannot be stopped. Not even the gates of Hades will be able to stop the church which is exactly what the church is fighting against; death itself. 

Christ also commissioned the disciples to go build the church after His resurrection. Each of the gospels make mention of this. The passage with the most influence is known as the Great Commission. The Great Commission was given by Christ to His disciples just before He ascended into heaven. This is found in Matthew 28:18-20.

¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This passage is to not be taken lightly and will be discussed at length later on. For the intention of this section, understand that Christ is commanding His disciples to go preach, teach and baptize. This command is found again in Acts 1:8 where it is written, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth”. 

The apostles understood that Christ established the church. Paul teaches this numerous times in his epistles. In Ephesians 2:20 Paul wrote that, “Christ Jesus Himself [is] the corner stone”, meaning that Christ’s commands were the foundation that the church was built upon. Paul also wrote in his epistle to the church at Colossae that, “He [Christ] is also the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). 

Started at Pentecost

The start of the church can be pinpointed to a single day. The day the church was to start was hinted at in Acts 1:8. The disciples were first instructed about this day by Christ in a post resurrection meeting, found in Luke 24:44-49.

⁴⁴ Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, ⁴⁶ and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ “You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The disciples became witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! They saw the crucified Savior alive! They saw the beginning of the end of death! I would think that they would be extremely excited to go tell everyone that Jesus is alive. Yet they were commanded to wait in Jerusalem so that they would be “clothed with power from on high”. The disciples were promised by Jesus that He would send them the Helper (John 15:26). Acts 1:8 explains it further by stating that, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”. 

The Holy Spirit came to the disciples during the Jewish festival called Pentecost and thus marked the start of the church. This was fifty days after Christ's death. The event is recorded in Acts 2:1-4.

¹ When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

The Holy Spirit was working in a way that had never happened before. The saints of the Old Testament may have been filled by the Holy Spirit, but they never had a permanent indwelling like we do today. These men were being caused by the Holy Spirit to speak in other languages; an outward sign that the Holy Spirit had come. People who were there and witnessed the men speaking in other languages were confused as to what could cause this to happen. Peter then stood up from amongst the crowd and explained that it was the Holy Spirit that was causing these men to do this. He then told the crowd about Christ saying, “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:32-33). Peter finished his sermon with a call to repentance and a promise saying, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself” (Vv. 38-39).

Believers today still share in this promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God?” (I Corinthians 6:19; cf. Romans 8:9). We have the Holy Spirit within us today. Therefore Christ is keeping the promise He made when He said, “And lo, I am with always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). 

From this point forward, the church grew with the speed and strength of a fire. Three thousand people came to know Christ on the first day upon hearing Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:41). Not long after that, Peter preached another sermon adding a total of five thousand people to the church (4:4). There was no shadow of doubt that the Holy Spirit was using these men to spread the great news of the gospel. As it is written in Acts 4:31, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness”.

Understand by stating that the Church began on the day of Pentecost means that the Church is not the same as the nation of Israel. There may be multiple similarities but they are still two distinct institutions. Paul explained that the Church was not even something that was previously made known to the prophets of the Old Testament when he wrote Ephesians 3:4-7. 

⁴ By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; ⁶ to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ⁷ of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

Paul wrote about this again in Colossians 1:25-27.

²⁵ Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, ²⁶ that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, ²⁷ to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Clearly one can see that Paul taught that the church was a new institution and different than Israel. This has several implications. One of them being that one must not be hasty to apply instruction given to Israel and say that it also applies to the church or vice versa. This does not render the Old Testament useless; there is a lot to learn by properly understanding its principles. One example of a difference between the two is that the church does not observe the Sabbath like the nation of Israel was commanded to do in Exodus 20:8-11 (one of the Ten Commandments). Instead we see the church worshipping on the first day of the week to remember the resurrection of Christ (cf. Acts 20:7; Revelation 1:10). 

Established by the Apostles

The word “apostle” was transliterated from the Greek word, “ἀπόστολος (apostolos)”. The word was used in two ways in the New Testament. In its simplest terms, apostle meant one who was a commissioned messenger with a special message. However, the authors of the New Testament used the word “apostle” in a greater sense than this. They used this word to describe a special office of the church. To the authors of the New Testament, an apostle was a man who carried authority, confidently proclaiming new revelation that was used to help believers understand God’s plan for the Church. 

One of the qualifications that was required to be an apostle was that he had to have been a witness of the resurrected Christ. The Luke 24:44-49 passage, that was quoted earlier, is a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus Christ. Christ essentially changed these men from disciples to apostles during that meeting (cf. John 20:21-22). The apostle Paul also explained how he is a witness of the resurrected Christ by seeing Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22). 

From the day of Pentecost onward, the apostles were passionate about preaching the Word of God so that the lost could hear about Christ. They preached in open public areas and were chastised by the Jewish leaders of the day being told to stop preaching about Jesus Christ. However no threat, imprisonment or beating would stop the apostles from preaching about the salvation that Christ provides from His death on the cross. All of the apostles, with the exception of the apostle John, were eventually martyred for their faith in Christ. 

Paul establishes this idea that the apostles helped to build and start what Christ founded, that is the Church, when he wrote in Ephesians 2:19-22.

¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

The epistles of the apostles became pieces of instruction for the new churches that were being started everywhere they went.

Who are the People of the Church?

It should make sense that the next question one asks about the church is, “Who are the people of the church?”. The very word used in the New Testament that is translated to “church”, ἐκκλησία, refers to a group of people. After all, I have not written anything yet about buildings, steeples or pulpits but only people. 

Members

I am afraid that too many churches today do not stress the importance of membership. Yes, if a person is genuinely saved then he is a member of the body of Christ or the universal Church. However, there is a precedent set in the New Testament that people went further and added their names to a membership roll. New Testament believers chose to do more than to just say that they believed in the death and resurrection for a means of salvation; they chose to be visibly identified with a local church. The church started practicing membership on day one. In Acts 2:41 it states, “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls”. The point is that somebody must have went around and found the number of people that believed. This happened again in Acts 4:4, “But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand”. To put it simply, one cannot know if another person is saved unless he tells someone that he believes. All these people who heard the message and believed must have told someone that they decided to believe. At the end of chapter 4, the reader can see that these members are working with each other to help one another in hard times, evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their life.

Qualifications

It may seem odd at first to think that there are qualifications required of a person in order to become a member of a local church. It would beg the question, “Isn't the church accepting of everybody?”. However, before I answer that question, remember that not everybody who attends a church service is a member of the local church. So, the answer to that question would have to be “No, the church cannot accept just anyone to be a member”. Anyone is welcome to hear the preaching of the Word of God if they wish but the New Testament shows a precedent that there are requirements for a person to meet before one joins in membership with a local church.

The first qualification is that the person must be a genuine believer in the gospel of Christ. This is a simple requirement, but it is extremely important. A person will never truly be a member of the local church if he is not first a part of the body of Christ. A believer should be able to explain his salvation story. Paul was always eager to give his testimony to explain how he came to know Christ. He even did this multiple times before officials in court. Peter encouraged believers to be ready to give a testimony when he wrote, “Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (I Peter 3:15). Also, there should be evidence of the Holy Spirit working in the believer’s life. Paul states in Galatians 5:16-26 that if a person is saved, others should be able to notice.

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

The application is simple, if a person believes in Jesus Christ, then there will be evidence of it in his life. The believer may struggle with a few sin issues but recognizes them as sin and desires to rid himself of it. 

The second qualification for a person to become a member of a church is that one must have participated in believer’s baptism by immersion. This requirement comes as part of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20 and from the precedent that is set all throughout the book of Acts. Acts 2:41 states that, “Those who had received his word were baptized”. This is also seen when the people in Samaria believed, “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike” (Acts 8:12). More will be explained later in this essay about the significance of baptism.

The third and final necessary qualification for a person to join the membership of a local church is that a person must agree to be continually separating himself apart from any heresy or any worldly desires. Paul warned Titus of deceivers teaching heresy that can come into a church (Titus 1:10-16). Paul even pronounced that such men should not be a part of the church (cf. Galatians 1:6-9; I Timothy 1:18-20; II Timothy 2:16-18). The church at Corinth was instructed to have a person that was choosing to sin on a regular basis to be cast out of the church (I Corinthians 5). The whole point of such encounters is always to be seeking the repentance of the one who is caught in sin as it states in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness”. 

Role

The importance of the role of a church’s members cannot be overstated. Every member of the church needs to be participating in the ministry of the church in some way, shape or form. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Christ said it Himself, “The harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Luke 10:2). Paul described the church as a body in multiple epistles. He emphasized the importance of every person taking part when he wrote, “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” (Ephesians 4:16). Every member needs to be doing the work of the service.

There is a lot of work to be done in the ministry of the church, but Jesus Christ did not leave the saints unprepared to get the job done. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit that enables us with gifts. The ultimate purpose of these gifts can be found in Ephesians 4:11-15.

¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴ As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.

Gifts are given to every believer so that the church can fulfill the Great Commission given by Christ. The end result of every person using the gift that they were given is maturity, making the church steadfast. There are other passages as well that list other gifts that are still in use for the church today; these include: teaching, administration, service, faith, mercy, giving and exhortation. They are listed in Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:8-10, 28; Ephesians 4:11; and I Peter 4:11. 

Each of these passages encourage believers to exercise their gifts so that the church can grow into unity and this growth happens in a unique way. I Corinthians 12:4-13 talks about how each member is unique but each member helps the church become one body.

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. ⁸ For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.  ¹² For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

We may all be different and be exercising different gifts but we are worshipping and serving one God. There is only one Spirit that gives the gifts. There is therefore no need for factions within a church which can cause the church to be distracted from its one purpose and calling. 

The members of a church are also responsible for making decisions for the church. This is opposed to the idea that the leaders of the church or an external governing body makes decisions without the consent of the congregation. The churches in the New Testament used a congregational type government. There are two simple examples of the congregation making decisions. The first is when the Jerusalem church chose the seven men who were to be responsible for the feeding of the Hellenistic widows found in Acts 6:2-5. 

² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ The statement found approval with the whole congregation.

It was the congregation that chose the men to take care of the task. This is a big difference compared to the last time the disciples appointed someone. Last time, the disciples threw lots to see which man should fill the role that Judas Iscariot left empty (Acts 1:26). The second example comes from when Paul rebuked the church at Corinth in I Corinthians 5 for allowing immorality to continue in their midst. Paul did not rebuke the pastor or leaders of the church but the entire church for being too complacent about sin.

Pastors

The New Testament teaches that there are only two offices in the church today. A pastor is a person that fills one of the two offices. Pastors are often the most visible and vocal parts of the church because of the burden that pastors take upon themselves. In the New Testament this office is called by multiple names which include pastor (ποιμήν [poimēn]), elder (πρεσβύτερος [presbyteros]), overseer (ἐπισκοπος [episkopos]) and bishop (ἐπισκοπος). The various names help explain the nature of this office. The word ποιμήν actually refers to a shepherd (i.e. Mark 14:27). This gives the picture of how much the pastor should care for the members of the church; with the same amount of passion that a shepherd would care for his sheep. The shepherd leads the sheep to healthy feeding grounds and keeps the predators away from the sheep. The word πρεσβύτερος refers to an older gentleman who was marked for his knowledge of wisdom. Pastors need to be able to apply godly wisdom that is found in Scripture (II Timothy 3:15). The last word, ἐπισκοπος, refers to a guardian, supervisor or keeper. 

Qualifications

There are two passages that must be discussed if one wants to be a pastor of a church. The first passage comes from I Timothy 3:1-7. 

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.

I must point out that one of the requirements of this office is that he must be able to teach. The reason why I point this out is because of a previous passage in I Timothy 2:12 where Paul writes that, “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man”. This would mean then that one of the qualifications is that the person must be a male. This could also be said from the fact that one must be a male in order to be married to a woman. The second passage listing the qualifications of a pastor is similar and is found in Titus 1:5-9.

⁵ For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, ⁶ namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. ⁷ For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, ⁸ but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, ⁹ holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

The list of qualifications in Titus really emphasizes that the pastor must be able to teach well and to teach correct doctrine. The pastor needs to know what the Word of God states about beliefs and practices so that he can correct those who are in error. 

These two lists of required qualifications combined set a high standard for any man to have to follow. However, the point of the qualifications is to create a model of maturity for every Christian to follow. Christ Himself set an example by living a sinless life while He was on earth for everyone to observe and follow. By having a pastor follow the qualifications listed, other believers can see and follow what godly living looks like. 

One of the most contested qualifications listed for a pastor (or for a deacon), is that he is to be “the husband of one wife”. Many people today have differences of opinion as to what this qualification means. I personally believe that being a “husband of one wife” means more than just one wife at a time. I believe this qualification means that a man cannot have been divorced. This is a hard pill to swallow when half of the marriages in the United States end in divorce. However, Christ taught that marriage was for life. This can be seen when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. “He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly” (John 4:16-18). Jesus considered the woman's multiple marriages to be the same as having multiple husbands, thus a pastor cannot be one who was divorced and remarried.

Role

The role of the pastor in the ministry of the church is simple but makes a profound impact. The pastor is the one who teaches the members of the church to grow in the knowledge of Christ so that they might become mature Christians while modeling a Christ-like life and then having them teach others to do the same. The best account of what a pastoral ministry looks like is found in Acts 20:17-21 and 25-35 when Paul is saying farewell to the pastors of the church in Ephesus.

¹⁷ From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. ¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, ²¹ solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁵ “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. ²⁶ “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. ²⁷ “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. ²⁸ “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹ “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. ³² “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothes. ³⁴ “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. ³⁵ “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

A book could be written about the example that Paul has set and what he is asking of the pastors from Ephesus. Paul states twice that he did not shrink back from teaching the whole purpose of God. This is a huge task for pastors. Pastors need to be eager to teach/preach anything and everything that is between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21. There is so much truth in Scripture and only so little time to teach it. One can also see how personal Paul's ministry was with the church. He would preach/teach both publicly and in the homes of individuals. Paul finishes his farewell message by warning about men who will deceive and that the pastors need to protect the church from any men of deception. Keep deception out of the church and feed the church the truth of God that saves from sin. Paul was willing to say that he had no guilt on his hands because he had preached all things unto all people. Paul knew that everyone was presented the gospel. He did his part. This is the job of the pastor: to be bold to preach all of God’s truth unto all people.

Deacons

As I stated before, there are only two offices for the church today. The second office is the office of the deacon. The word “deacon” comes from the Greek word “διάκονος (diakonos)” and is usually translated “servant” but can also be translated “minister” or transliterated “deacon”. The word deacon is the least used word for translation. However, the New Testament still clearly teaches that this is an office of the church. 

Qualifications

Just like for the office of a pastor, there is a list of qualifications that is given in order for a person to become a deacon in a church. The list of qualifications for the deacon is found immediately following the list of qualifications for the pastor. 

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… ¹² Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus (I Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13). 

Both of the lists of qualifications look extremely similar. There is good reason for this. Both of the lists of qualifications ask for a person who is mature in his faith. Both offices require that the man be above reproach. Both require that the man not be addicted to wine. Both require that the man not be a lover of money. Both require that the man is able to manage his household. Christian maturity looks very similar between individuals because the goal in maturity is to become more like the same person; Christ. The only big difference between the two lists is that the list for deacons does not require that they be able to teach. 

Role

The role of the deacon can easily be found in the name of the deacon that was discussed earlier. The deacon of the church is to help serve the church. The deacon takes care of things that help the church continue in its ministry or possibly removes obstacles that are preventing the ministry of the church from being accomplished. A good example of this in the New Testament is found in Acts 6:1-7.

¹ Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. ² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. ⁶ And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.  ⁷ The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

This complaint that came up in the church could have easily caused the church to split. The church was comprised of multiple ethnicities and there may have been a language barrier as well to contend with. Because of possible racial differences, Hellenistic widows were not getting any food. Someone needed to make sure that this mistake would not continue but the apostles were busy preaching the gospel to the city and the church. If the apostle personally took care of the problem they would be distracted from their preaching. This is the reason the office of the deacon was created. The congregation chose seven men to be in charge of this operation. The job was delegated out to men who were capable. This must have been effective because the author, Luke, states that, “The word of God kept on spreading” (Acts 1:7). The apostles were able to keep on preaching the word of God. 

The next two chapters in the book of Acts are dedicated to the ministry of two of the seven deacons that were chosen demonstrating how they were very capable men. Stephen preached in Jerusalem and was stoned for telling his audience that they disobeyed the law of Moses when they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Philip fled to Samaria and preached the gospel while he was there. Philip came to be known later on as Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8).

What are the Goals of the Church?

The disciples always wanted Christ to set up His kingdom on earth. After Christ resurrected from the grave but just before He ascended into heaven, the disciples asked Jesus about the kingdom. 

⁶ So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; ⁸ but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)

Jesus did not give the disciples the answer they wanted to hear. Instead, He redirected their attention to a more important task that they were about to take on. He commanded the disciples to be witnesses of His death, burial and resurrection preaching that Christ was the Messiah. This is when Christ gives what is known as the “Great Commission” to the disciples to fulfill just before He ascends into heaven found in Matthew 28:16-20. 

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” 

Christ commands the disciples and every believer that was present to do what He asked. He begins by stating the fact that He has the authority to give this command. 

From the Great Commission we get the goals for the church. These goals are actually something that can never be fully achieved but we are still commanded none the less to pursue them wholeheartedly.

Evangelism

The first goal of the church is to go make disciples. In order for someone to become a disciple, he must first believe in the death of Christ as means for salvation. But notice the first word of the goal. “Go”! We are not called to a place of complacency where we keep our beliefs to ourselves. We must go! We must intentionally leave where we are comfortable and go to the unbeliever so that they may hear the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Philip the evangelist went to Samaria so that those who were discriminated against could hear the good news. Peter went to Caesarea so that Cornelius could hear the good news. Paul traveled the majority of the Roman world so that the Gentiles could hear the good news. Paul said it best when he wrote, “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”” (Romans 10:14-15). Christ even prayed that His people would go out into the world, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). This is our job to do. No one else will do it for us.

Not only are we to go share the good news of Jesus Christ, but we are to go unto all nations! Every person in every nation in every language needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. The whole reason why Christianity spread so quickly was because there were so many that were willing to listen to the command of Christ and go to all the nations. Thomas made it all the way to India. It is possible that Paul may have traveled as far as modern day Spain, possibly further. 

Of course, the last part of this command is to make disciples. This starts with being able to communicate the gospel. This is a serious question to think over: are you able to communicate the gospel to a person who does not know Christ so that person may also believe? Every believer has this responsibility to be able to communicate the gospel. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Every member of the body of Christ needs to be able to give the word of Christ so that the lost may find grace just we have.

Sanctification

The second goal of the church is that the entire church be sanctified so that it would be blameless. Christ asked on several occasions that a person would sin no more (John 5:14). God wants us to separate ourselves away from sin. This is why this subsection is called sanctification. To sanctify means to set apart. A believer in Christ is often called a saint in the New Testament which comes from the word “ἅγιος (hagios)” meaning one who is holy. Paul also talked about how Christ wants the church to be blameless. “Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-28). 

Christ also prayed about sanctification for the church in another area, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth,” and “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (John 17:17, 19). Christ wants us to sanctify ourselves in the Word of God. He does not want us living in lies that will lead us down the wrong path. 

By setting ourselves apart from sin and any lies, we become more mature. There is always more room to mature. There are always more ways for our faith to increase. There are always more ways to rid ourselves of sin in our lives. Once we overcome one sin struggle, we always find another one that we didn’t know we had before. Our goal is to allow God’s grace to continually change us. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away” (II Corinthians 5:17).

Worship

Jesus Christ always accepted worship. Just before the ascension the disciples worshipped Jesus. The disciples were able to worship by standing in the presence of Christ. Christ is eternally owed our worship for numerous reasons. The first reason is just simply because He is God. No one else even comes close to be deserving of worship. The second reason He deserves our worship is because He loves us. God displayed His love toward us by sending His Son to die on the cross so that we would not have to endure eternal torment. There are numerous passages of Scripture written solely to glorify the name of God. My personal favorite is found in a prayer written by Paul in Ephesians 3:14-21 concerning God’s boundless love. 

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.  ²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

There is just so much vast majestic glory and love within the fullness of God that we will never be able to comprehend how great God is while we are still alive. 

We may not yet have the ability to worship Christ by standing in His presence, and I cannot wait for the day for when I can, but there are still ways that we can worship Christ. One of them is to sing songs of praise. Another is to show our obedience to Christ. Christ stated that, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Ultimately, every time we share the gospel we are glorifying God by praising His love that He lavishes upon us.

What Are the Practices of the Church?

Now that we know what the goals are for the church, the next question to ask is, “How does the church go about accomplishing these goals?”. The answer to this question is in the practices of the church. As I mentioned earlier, the goals of the church are ends that can never be fully accomplished. This means that the church is always continually working. This is why I have labeled the practices with gerunds, to emphasize the continuing work within the verb. The goals explained the direction every church needs to be meeting and the practices of the church explain how the church is working towards those goals. 

Walking in Holiness

This point was stressed earlier but as an end goal. The work of becoming blameless though is a continual work. It is the Holy Spirit that is continually changing you to be more like Christ; which is God’s desire for our lives. Paul states that, “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (I Thessalonians 4:3). Paul also talked about the struggle between dealing with fleshly desires but at same time wanting to walk in holiness so that he may please God. 

²¹ I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. ²² For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, ²³ but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:21-25).

Unfortunately, there will always be that conflict of the two natures that wages war within us; one to please ourselves, the other to please God. But we are still commanded to, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the flesh... ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16, 25). 

We should be encouraged though. For we know that, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Paul also wrote about how God will continue to work in us when he wrote, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Therefore do not lose heart and know that His grace is sufficient to overcome any sin that we may be struggling with. 

Singing Spiritual Songs

Singing spiritual songs is one of the most unique practices of the church and sadly it is one of the most overlooked or underestimated practices. Yet the disciples sang a song with Jesus at the last supper (Matthew 26:30). The disciples even sang praises to God in the most unusual of places, while in prison for preaching the gospel of Christ (Acts 16:25). Paul also commanded the church at Colossae to sing praises by writing, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). 

However, this practice of singing spiritual songs has caused a lot of factions to form in churches because of the contemporary Christian music movement that brought in non-traditional instruments. I am not one to criticize the contemporary Christian music movement or the instruments that are used. I only ask that we closely examine all of the songs used for the purpose of worship to make sure that we really are bringing glory to name of God. I am afraid there has been a lot of music that has infected the church that is mislabeled as worship music. If the subject of every sentence starts with “I”, then there is a good chance you are singing about yourself and not about God. The Psalms are always about God’s holiness and the response should be a confession of His holiness. For example, Psalm 19 is about God revealing Himself through His creation and the response from the author is a prayer that he will stand blameless before the Lord because of God’s Word.

Partaking in Communion

Communion is one of the two ordinances of the church. This ordinance was started personally by Christ when He celebrated Passover on the very same night that He would be betrayed by Judas Iscariot. The disciples understood the significance of this ordinance from the very start. In Acts 2:46 it states that, “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart”. “Breaking bread” did not refer to having a meal together but to the action that Jesus performed at the last supper. It is even mentioned that they shared meals demonstrating that these were two different actions. 

Paul explained that he, “Received instruction from the Lord”, concerning the Lord’s supper and instructed the church on to how to properly approach this ordinance (I Corinthians 11:23). Paul further explained this by writing, 

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgement to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. ³⁰ For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. ³¹ But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. ³³ So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgement. (I Corinthians 11:27-34).

The church at Corinth was abusing the Lord's table and not taking it seriously. Some of the members of were disciplined by God for their disrespect to the ordinance. 

The whole purpose of communion is to remember Christ's work on the cross and it signifies the church’s union with Christ. The church was purchased by Christ with His own flesh and blood (Acts 20:28). Communion is a symbol of the church being recipients of Christ's flesh and blood that was given at the cross. This is not an action that bestows grace to participant but only a practice to help us remember the price that Christ paid in order for the church to be redeemed.

Baptizing New Believers

Baptism is the second of the two ordinances of the church. Baptism, just like communion, was commanded by Jesus Christ that we observe this ordinance. Jesus gave the command just before He ascended to heaven saying, “baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The disciples recognized the command that Christ gave and were obedient to it from the very beginning. When Peter preached his first sermon at Pentecost he called the audience to, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38). A large portion of the audience responded favorably to the invitation of the gospel that was presented; “So then, those who had received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). This was a practice that the church followed with eager commitment and there is evidence of it seen through the entire New Testament. 

The purpose of baptism is to signify the spiritual washing a new believer receives through salvation and also shows a desire that the person wants to be associated with the church. Ritual spiritual washings by immersion were common in the Old Testament. By the time John the Baptist was preaching, calls for repentance and baptism were not uncommon. So it was not a big surprise when Christ commanded the disciples to continue the practice. However, the baptism the disciples practiced was marked as different because the baptism was to be done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 19:1-7). 

Unfortunately, this ordinance has been shaped into a few different forms due to errors of men that are not diligent of what the Bible prescribes. Nowhere in Scripture is there an example or a command given for an infant to baptized. The only people that should be baptized are individuals who have made a confession of faith. A good example is when Peter heard the Holy Spirit come upon the audience at Cornelius’ house. They believed his message and Peter responded by saying, “‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’ ⁴⁸ And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:47-48). Also, some people teach that baptism is a sprinkling of water. However, the Greek word “βαπτίζω (baptizō)” means to submerge and is transliterated to “baptize” rather than being translated.

Discipling Other Believers

Scattered everywhere throughout the New Testament are examples of believers being labeled as disciples. The word “disciple” is translated from the Greek word “μαθητής (mathētēs)” which meant a person who was considered a follower or a student implying a close relationship for learning. 

This kind of a relationship starts with the commands to love one another. John instructed believers when he wrote, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (I John 4:11). Paul described what loved looked like in I Corinthians 13 so they would act lovingly toward one another. From there we need to encourage each other by bearing each other’s burdens. We are also instructed to, “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). Like I stated before the whole point of the gifts is for the building up of the church in maturity in Christ. 

The best example of discipleship is Christ with His disciples. He ministered to them on a regular basis teaching them from Scriptures so that they might understand. His relationship with His disciples was personal but at the same time He desired to be seen as their teacher. Paul also discipled other believers. A couple of Paul’s disciples became pastors. Paul called Timothy his “true child in the faith” (I Timothy 1:2). 

Praying Without Ceasing

From the very start, the disciples were marked by a constant devotion to prayer. This was more than just individuals praying by themselves but believers gathering together for prayer. “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). The believers were not just praying when they were in need but were constantly devoted to prayer. 

The New Testament teaches that we are to “Rejoice always; ¹⁷ pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16-18). Paul also wrote to “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). It becomes obvious that prayer is a continual and habitual practice for any believer.

Why would any believer not want to pray? Prayer is an opportunity to bring our concerns to the Creator of the universe. We are not writing letters to a representative in the government hoping that the letter will be read and possibly be considered. We are given the opportunity to come before almighty God at any time of day and we know for sure that our prayers will be heard. We even have help with our prayers. It is written in Romans 8:26-27 that, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”. So why would any believer even hesitate to come to God about a concern? There is no reason. “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).

Dedication to the Word

When Christ rebuked Satan, He quoted Scripture. “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). This passage doubly stresses the importance of dedicating one’s self to the learning of the Scripture. First because Christ used Scripture to pass a test from the tempter. Second, the passage that Christ quoted talked about how man grows on every word that proceeds out the mouth of God. Nothing that God says will ever do any harm. God only speaks truth (Titus 1:2). Every single word of His truth is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. The Bible is a light unto the path that leads us unto righteousness. We learn by carefully reading the Scriptures because, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). Yet how are we to learn if we do not read the Scriptures? The only way to grow in the knowledge and righteous of Christ is to dedicate yourself to the reading of the Scriptures.

When the apostles and disciples wanted people to repent of their sin and become believers of the gospel, they would preach the Word of God. If they wanted someone to grow in maturity in Christ, they would preach the Word of God. If they needed to correct a false doctrine that was causing divisions in the church, they would preach the Word of God. 

Individual members of the church need to learn what their Bible says and learn how to learn the Scriptures as well. It is not good enough if someone tells you what the Bible says about a particular topic. One must learn to be able to study the Bible for himself. Paul came to the town of Berea saying that they, “were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Learn to be a Berean and learn to accurately handle the word of God (cf. II Timothy 2:15).

Proselytizing to the Lost

I wrote earlier about how the church is supposed to go into all nations making disciples and how this is one of the end goals of the church; that every person on earth hears the gospel. However, this section is dealing with the fact that proselytization is to be a regular reoccurring practice of the church. Christ commanded us to be a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Not a city that can be seen one night but not the next. The city shines every single night. This means that every day we are to be sharing Christ with the people that we come across. Do the people you see every day know that you are a Christian? Have they heard you say that Jesus Christ died for your sins so that you can be forgiven and have an eternal life with God? If you are answering no, then you are not being the salt of the earth that Christ has called you to be. Sharing Christ with other people needs to be our lifestyle. 

Sure Peter and Paul came across interesting opportunities to share Christ in an open setting but they did more than that. They had a lifestyle that always talked about the gospel. The Philippian jailer heard Paul and Silas praying and singing hymns all night and knew that they were different. Paul and Silas took advantage of an opportunity when the jailer feared and asked what he must do to be saved. Paul and Silas responded by giving the gospel and the jailer placed his faith in Christ that night. Also his entire household believed (Acts 16:25-34).

What Is Success in the Church?

This is the million dollar question. What is a successful church? First, I want to give an example of what I think a successful church looks like. 

⁴¹ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. ⁴² They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… ⁴⁶ Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 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 2:41-42; 46-47).

There is so much information to learn from in this passage. Sure, this was an exciting time because the Holy Spirit had just come to indwell in believers but there is so much more going on. These believers are continually devoting themselves. They were baptizing new believers like Christ commanded. They were continually devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles. They were getting the word of God directly from the authors; how cool is that! They were continually devoting themselves to fellowship. They were continually encouraging each other and admonishing one another. They were continually devoting themselves to the breaking of bread; that ordinance called communion established by Christ. They were continually devoting themselves to prayer. 

The results of this continual devotion are that people are united. It is hard to find united churches today. Too many churches care about distracting matters. But everyone in the Acts passage was focused on being a part of the body of Christ. Everyone was devoted. Another result of all this devotion was that the church gained favor with all the people. Other people outside the church noticed that something amazing was going on in town. The church was being the city on a hill. And also another result was that the church grew. The church grew daily. New people came to the saving knowledge of Christ because they saw the church. 

So to answer the question, “What is a successful church?”. A successful church is when every member is continually devoting themselves to the practices of the church. It is never about how big the budget is or how many people are there on a Sunday morning. A successful church is  a church that is continually devoted. 

Whenever someone asks me what my personal philosophy of ministry is my answer is very simple. Just do church.