Jesus Christ governs through the Holy Spirit
I have done a study of the Holy Spirit according to Acts of the Apostles and the epistle to the Ephesians. I have thought that the churches first business meeting was amusing from Acts one. To start with this small group of disciples were not a church as of yet, but felt compelled to engage in some business such as picking the twelfth apostle, Judas made himself unworthy of the position by being a traitor, and committing suicide. They even used Scripture to base their judgment on and gambled at that. The Person of the Holy Spirit was not in this meeting.
The next business meeting, Acts six, the real church business was performed properly. The church, apostles and the Holy Spirit were involved in the decisions, which were made. Then notice the results of that meeting in the choosing of, “Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip.” They both had a lowly beginning as deacons, but went on to a greater calling.
Another church business meeting in Acts 13 where the Holy Spirit and the church started the first missionary movement. One of these men who sent out by the church was the twelfth apostle, who was the Apostle to the Gentiles. Praise God!
I have been in the universal and the local church for 60 years. I have witnessed some bitter drag knock out fights in some church business meetings with good and bad pastors. I have been in large and small congregations. I pretty well have seen everything. Thank God for His grace and faithfulness. He blesses in spite of us, but things could be so much better on our part. We need to surrender our lives to the leading of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Get self and pride out of the way. First Peter the fifth chapter speaks of this so eloquently. I will take up this chapter later in this document.
Much of todays, Christian work has broken down strong denominationalism. I still hold to a position of a Baptist. Charles Spurgeon was an English Baptist Pastor. I believe that I’m in good company. I do have many dear friends that are saved and walking in obedience to the Lord in other persuasions.
I understand well why this swing to the people ruling themselves. During the early part twentieth century large denominations were ruling over their small congregations. Properties were owned by the denominations. All of this would be fine if these leaders would stay true to the Word of God. The schools and colleges belong to the denominations, too. These institutions of learning start out being evangelical, but liberalism creeps in, denying the very lord that bought them. Future pastors take up the new theology. This new gospel inters our churches. The laity can’t do a thing about it. Their pastor has sold out and their church buildings belong to the denomination. Back in the twenties and thirties a few pastors and congregations were still evangelical and fundamental to the Word of God. Many of these pulled out of their denominations. How would you write a new Baptist Distinctive regarding church government, if you stood in their ranks? The problem is that we tend to react to problems we have at the time. The short-term value is not always the best.
Let us evaluate this democratic form of government for our churches. The democratic form of government is all right for men to govern themselves. The American government is the best this world has to offer, today. Christian men with Christian principles founded it. Even with all our government’s faults, I praise God that I was born and live here. Is this form of government right for the church? I do not believe that it is. God’s ways are not always our ways. Now, don’t get all upset with me. Remember I have been in the church for 60 years. I also have a fair working knowledge of the Bible.
I’m going to use the words coined by the church, clergy and laity. I don’t like the words for what we have applied to them. They imply an upper and lower level of persons in the church, or a cast system. There is not to be ecclesiastical hierarchy. What is this God given government for His church? The Lord Jesus was very emphatic that the leaders are servants.
The book of Revelation calls it a lamp-stand or lamp-stands around which Christ dwells. To me that is saying that Jesus Christ is Lord over all in His church. Jesus Christ established a new covenant by His blood. The church is not an offshoot of Judaism. He is alive for He rose again from the dead and left marching orders for His body the church. This was given after His resurrection: (Matthew 28: 18 – 20” (Acts 1: 8). Jesus Christ is in charge of the church’s business. He rules through the Holy Spirit of God. I put the work of the Holy Spirit in the church as a Chief Executive Officer, CEO. Today, we put the Holy Spirit in the category of emotions and feelings in worship.
It was really Apostle Paul by his revelation of Jesus Christ that began the establishment of church government. He establish some qualifications for church leader servants. (First Timothy 3: 1 – 13). This does not declare the elder or pastor job description. A man may aspire to this position. His character to occupy this position is very high.
Review C. I. Scofield note. The functions of the elder are: to rule; to teach; to guard the body of revealed truth from perversion and error; and to oversee the church as a shepherd his flock…….Elders are made or set in the churches by the Holy Spirit Acts 20:28)……..great stress is laid in the N.T. upon their appointment (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5)……..In Titus and 1 Timothy the qualifications of an elder become part of the Scripture for the guidance of the churches themselves in such appointments (1 Tim 3:1 – 7).
The elders in the New Testament are pretty well what we have in pastors, today. There work to carry plus living almost a faultless life. That is, do nothing that would bring reproach on Jesus Christ, His church and himself.
The Lord Jesus speaks to this issue, too. This is found in John 13: 3 through 17 of Jesus washing the disciple’s feet:
“Jesus…rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded…And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.’”
Our church leaders, pastors have a large responsibility over the church of God, but the work must be done in humility. There is something I discovered about pride. We can see pride in others. But not in our own lives. Think about that for a moment. Truly, pride is a tool of the devil. Apostle Paul brings this out so forcefully in Galatians 2: 20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Let us consider the laity or the congregation of believers. We are the sheep of His pasture. After all I have said about elders or pastors that you and I in the congregation are the bosses? Where is our democratic form of government? I thought that the people rule over the church. Can you imagine the sheep telling the shepherd that they don’t like field of grass he brought them to and there is no water in sight? We need to fire this shepherd that we have. He is always hitting me with that stick he carries. Let me not be funny any longer. Let us go to the Bible. I believe that there is one major text that treats this matter of the congregation’s relationship to their pastor. It is found in Hebrews 13. The first reference is the seventh verse:
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” The next verse is the seventeenth: “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give account. Let them do this with joy and not grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (1 Corinthians 3: 1-11).
The church is not a democratic form of government. We need to let our pastors be the elders and shepherds. His job is a heavy one and he is accountable to God for it. I know of congregations that have crucified their pastors. Judgment day is coming. I may not always agree with my pastor, but he is the Elder. I need to love, respect and pray for him even if he hits me with that stick he carries around with him. The stick could symbolize his Bible sermons. It is all right to prove him when first calling him. The congregation needs to know the mind of the Lord that he is to be our pastor. When he does come to be our elder shepherd we should remember he is God’s gift for us, then let him do his job. Right?
Bob Kilpatrick is a pastor of a church here in San Jose. I was introduced to him through his wife. His wife and I worked for Valley Christian High School. Pastor Bob and I came to know about each other during the time my wife’s illness. She was in the nursing home at the time. He took a deep interest in my wife and me. We began meeting each other for prayer. He even asked me to take one of the Wednesday evening prayer meetings. There were some doctrine differences between us, but we still considered we were brothers in the Lord Jesus.
He had earlier been a Chaplin in jail ministry. He had special feelings for people with hurt feeling. He truly had a heart of a pastor.—Forest