2\nTimothy 4:2: Preach the word;\nbe ready in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long\nsuffering and doctrine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We tend\nto focus upon the challenges facing our local church. Often, they seem to consume us to the point\nof great distraction. Yet the Apostle\nPaul very matter of factly counsels Timothy that challenges are part of any\ncongregation\u2019s growth, turning what would normally be viewed as a negative into\nan affirming part of maturity. In fact,\nScripture identifies ten things healthy churches do well. Can problems or criticism actually be used of\nGod to transform a fellowship? For the Scriptural answer,\nwe examine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00d8 Scriptural Comparison: A point of Paul\u2019s instruction\noften missed is the fact that we, as a fellowship, ARE going to experience\nchallenges. This should come neither as\na surprise nor a destabilizing factor. \nIn fact, Scripture identifies no less than ten aspects of a healthy\nchurch when challenges arise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCount it\nall joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, <\/em>3 <\/em>for you know that the testing of your faith\nproduces steadfastness. <\/em>4 <\/em>And let steadfastness have its full effect,\nthat you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.\u201d<\/em>– James\n1:2-4<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any growing body will\nhave its share of aches and pains. In Acts 6, the Jerusalem church had been basking in the\nsunshine. All was well. God had sent miracles, new believers were arriving\ndaily, and a sense of contentment settled in upon the leadership. Suddenly,\nfrom inside the family, a groan went up. Then it swelled into a chorus of\ncomplaints. In the distribution of food for the congregation, the widows\nreceived priority. But for some reason, Hebrew widows were getting the lion\u2019s share\nto the neglect of the Grecian widows. Did someone there say, \u201cOh no! We have a\nproblem! What are we doing wrong?\u201d Did they panic? Did anyone jump ship because\nthe presence of a problem must indicate they were failing God? Not that we can\ntell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any church will have the\noccasional challenge. Like a growing child, a lively family, or a thriving\nbusiness, challenges arise within growing enterprises that have to be dealt\nwith. Not only is it not bad, it could be an indication we are doing something\nright. Either way, reaction is a barometer as to where a fellowship is in\nrelation to challenges of any sort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steadfastness\nin the Greek carries with it the characteristics of constancy and endurance; a\nbeliever who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose or his loyalty to faith\nand piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings. This being true, a mature believer does not\ncower in the face of challenges, but understands that God walks with us through\nissues as, in God\u2019s economy, the Holy Spirit is at work accomplishing a number\nof things simultaneously. The reaction\nto \u201ccut and run\u201d simply is not a Biblical concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The healthiest family\nwill run into a problem from time to time that results in unhappy campers\nneeding to speak up. People who gripe do not think of what they are doing as\nundercutting their leadership and demoralizing the troops. They are just\nregistering their displeasure at the way something is being done in the church.\nThere is, of course, a healthy way to express concerns, and there is a type of\ncomplaining that is like a cancer in its deadliness, a knife in the cuts and\nwounds it inflicts, or a slap in the face for the abrupt wake-up it\nadministers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A wise believer will not\npanic when he learns someone is criticizing. \u201cConsider the source\u201d is always\ngood advice. If we incorporate structures into the church organization so\npeople can register their concerns and suggestions, we will curtail the\nmurmuring and bellyaching which drive the leadership to distraction. Notice in our text the appropriate reaction\nis make inquiry, search it out and be diligent in the process. An inquiry should be directed to a member of the\nstaff who can guide the process along. \nThis is both respectful and orderly, honoring to God and respectful of\nthose involved and the congregation as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the differences in\nhealthy and sick bodies is in their promptness in responding to an infection.\nMost problems that arise should be dealt with by specific action. A healthy\nchurch will either already have a way to deal with problems, criticism, and\ntrouble-makers, or it will find a method quickly when the need arises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some years ago, the\nchurch I was attending received a letter on a Monday morning from a medical\ndoctor and his wife. They had visited our services the previous day, they said,\nbut would not be back. He said we had failed to provide security in the nursery\narea of the church. The father said, \u201cAfter church, I walked up to the window\nand pointed out my child and said, \u2018That one,\u2019 and the lady handed her to me.\u201d\nHe said, \u201cAnyone could have done that. She would have given that child to\nanyone who pointed out my baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That same day, a meeting\nof the leadership was called to deal with that letter. Everyone agreed the\ncouple had identified a serious need. No one left the meeting until everyone\nagreed upon a plan for instituting safeguards and a parental-identification\nsystem for the nursery. Then the Pastor called on the young family and assured\nthem of our appreciation for their letter. They joined our church and became\nvaluable members of our fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point is not to delay\nwhen issues arise. Reasonable people are\nwilling to wait for a process to run its course as long as the process is\nunderway and a conclusion is shared will all involved. Promptness reflects genuine interest in both\nthe issue and its resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe twelve summoned\nthe multitude of the disciples and said\u2026\u201cSeek out from among you seven men…\u201d<\/em>– Acts\n6:3<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preachers do not have to\nhandle every issue themselves. In an unhealthy church, they may have to.\n\u201cThat\u2019s what we pay them for,\u201d we have all heard someone say. Actually, this is not what we pay them\nfor. Granted, some ministers are unable\nto turn over jobs and feel their authority is being undercut if they ask\nsomeone else to do anything. This is not authority but a sickness. God does not\nsend His pastoral servants to do everything themselves, but to assist others in\nfinding their spiritual gifts, their calling, their place of service and\nexercising such. Problems that arise can provide ideal opportunities for such\nministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a Pastor asks\nsomeone, \u201cJoe, such-and-such has arisen and we need to jump on this. Can you\nget with the teachers in that department and deal with this?\u201d Absolutely. He\u2019s trusting his leadership to exercise their\ngift, demonstrating confidence in the Holy Spirit to enable one to rise up to\nthe task. He\u2019s doing what he should\ndo\u2014finding the right person and delegate the responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is not desirable that we should leave the\nword of God and serve tables… We will give ourselves continually to prayer\nand to the ministry of the word.\u201d<\/em>– Acts 6: 2, 4<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a healthy body, the\nhead (not the divine \u201cHead,\u201d but the overseer\u2014episcopos<\/em>) does not stop\nits activity of receiving information, of thinking and studying, or of learning\nand analyzing in order to pull another part of the body out of trouble. It\nstays with its priorities. After all, some other part of the body\u2014an arm, a\nhand, fingers\u2014is better equipped to respond than the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One reason so many\npastors meet themselves coming and going is that they have misplaced their\npriorities. They end up printing the bulletin, contacting nursery workers, and\nfilling in for absent teachers. And we wonder why they burn out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fact is that denying\nothers to assist with the ministry of the fellowship is detrimental not only to\nthe ministerial staff, but to the fellowship as well. On the other hand, members of a fellowship\nwho choose not to engage their spiritual gifts are just as derelict and\nnegligent. The Biblical standard is that\nevery gift has its definition and place. \nA healthy church has employed every gift appropriately and consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026seven men of good\nreputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom\u2026\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Acts 6:3b<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing speaks to the\nhealth of a church like the quality of the people it chooses as its leaders.\nTake deacons. I\u2019ve seen churches choose able-bodied, mature men of integrity\nfor this work. And I\u2019ve seen churches where the congregation chose men on a\npopularity basis and ended up with well-liked but weak men with no Biblical\nfoundation. Pity the pastor who is sentenced to work with leaders who see\nthemselves as big-shots sent to rule over the members and order the ministers\nbut who don\u2019t have a clue as to the spiritual and practical precepts of the\nWord. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a typical church, the\npeople will know who the godly men and women are and who does not qualify. As a\nrule, the pastor will not need to give guidance in the selection of such. What\nhe may need to do, I hasten to add, is to ensure that the process of selecting\nsuch leaders is not a popularity contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My point is very simple:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once good leaders are\nchosen, the congregation should get out of their way and let them do the work\nthey were assigned. Invariably, they\u2019ll come in for criticism at some\npoint\u2014it\u2019s the nature of leadership\u2014and will need two things: their pastor to\ndefend them and the congregation to reaffirm their trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when we do not agree\nwith a decision our leaders have made, affirming that they did their best is\nstill wise. The injunction of Ephesians 5:21 to \u201csubmit to one another\u201d has to\nmean something: Even when we disagree with each other,<\/em> we are still\ngoing to be supportive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The church which insists\non making every decision, great or small, in its monthly business meeting is\nsentencing itself to dwarfism and its leadership to misery. We need to be\nreminded that the church is not culturally bound but heavenly minded, keeping\nfaith with the Word of God and the authority of its leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the above, there\nis nothing in this injunction that for a moment would require Christians to\nsubmit to unfaithful, unsound, sinful, or deceived elders; and it must be taken\ninto consideration as a fact that some occasions arise when the faithful\nservants of the Lord should separate themselves from any group of overseers\nwhose leadership clearly moves away from Biblical norms and in sinful and\nunrighteous directions, in which case, not merely a soul is lost, but a church!\n(3 John 9 & 10). “If the blind\nlead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” \u2013 Matthew 15:14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd the saying\npleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and\nthe Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas,\na proselyte from Antioch,\nwhom they set before the apostles….\u201d<\/em>– Acts 6:5, 6<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n In his commentary on this\npassage, John MacArthur writes, \u201cThe seven men chosen by the church all had\nGreek names, implying they were all Hellenists. The church, in a display of\nlove and unity, may have chosen them to rectify the apparent imbalance\ninvolving the Hellenistic widows.\u201d I think I\u2019d have said it even more strongly:\nThey chose them for that very purpose!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Those raising concerns\nneed not be viewed as agitators or \u201cthe problem\u201d, but rather made part of the\nsolution. We need to emphasize that if\nthis is to work, the group must be mature and godly \u2013 modeling Christ in His\ncare and concern as well as directing all parties to the Word which\nspecifically addresses a church\u2019s makeup and ministry; otherwise it\u2019s a\ndisaster in the making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c Then the word\nspread and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests\nwere obedient to the faith.<\/em>\u201d \u2013 Acts\n6:7<\/p>\n\n\n\n The outside world was\nwatching. When a problem arose within the membership, some held their breath.\nThis would tell the tale on the Christians. Would they panic and self-destruct?\nWould the leadership impose a cult-like autocratic rule over the membership? Or\nwould they handle this legitimate issue in the love which they preached?<\/p>\n\n\n\n They got it right. They\ndid it so well that the outside world\u2014lay and priest alike\u2014said, \u201cWe like what\nwe see. We want what you have.\u201d No challenge which results in this kind of\nharvest is bad. Any problem which causes the church\u2019s leadership to forget who\nthey are (and \u201cWho\u2019s\u201d they are) and to adopt the world\u2019s way of problem-solving\ncan not be expected to be blessed. We\nare instructed to reason together based upon the Scriptures which is the basis\nof all truth, including our relationships one to another and to the world from\nwhich we derive God\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever God\u2019s people do\nthe hard thing in the Lord\u2019s way\u2014when we love the unlovely, when we forgive our\nattackers, when we love our enemy, when we soldier on in the face of adversity,\nwhen we maintain our joy in the midst of disaster and retaliate with love\u2014twelve\nthings begin to happen from that moment:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anything that can achieve\nall of this in one motion has to be considered a blessing indeed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word; be ready in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.\u201d We tend to focus upon the challenges facing our local church. Often, they seem to consume us to the point of great distraction. Yet the Apostle Paul very matter of factly counsels Timothy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[530],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. \nThey handle\ncriticism well.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you\nhear in one of your cities, which the Lord your\nGod is giving you to dwell there, <\/em>13 <\/em>that\ncertain worthless fellows have gone out among you and have drawn away the\ninhabitants of their city, saying, \u2018Let us go and serve other gods,\u2019 which you\nhave not known, <\/em>14 <\/em>then you shall inquire and make search and\nask diligently.\u201d<\/em> \u2013 Deuteronomy 13:12-15<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
3. \nThey deal with\nproblems promptly.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPay\nattention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents,\nforgive him\u201d \u2013 <\/em>Luke 17:3<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
4. They depend on their\nlay leadership.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
5. The pastoral\nleadership stays with its divinely-given priorities.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
6. The congregation\nchooses good and godly leaders.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
7. The congregation\nsupports their leaders and trusts them to do the job.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObey\nyour leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as\nthose who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with\ngroaning, for that would be of no advantage to you\u201d<\/em> \u2013\nHebrews 13:17<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
8. Solutions model\nChristlikeness.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
9. Problems are dealt\nwith so well that the world is impressed.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
10. In God\u2019s mercy, twelve\nother things happen immediately. <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with\nloving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;\nso that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s\u2026. He hath not dealt with us after\nour sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities”<\/em> – (Psalm 103:4-5, 10).<\/h5>\n\n\n\n