In
the current meditations we reflect on the question: is the full armour of God
of which Paul talks in Ephesians 6:10-17 only meant for individual Christians
or also for the local church as a whole? Does God’s armour only protect
Christ’s life in us personally against Satan’s assaults? Does it equally
protect Christ’s life within the local church which is the Body of Christ? So
far we have seen that Jesus wants to manifest His life in our churches through
our passionate love for God and for each other. We have realized that God’s
Spirit is well able to produce this Christlike love in our hearts and in our
congregations. However, the question remains: how do we protect Jesus’ life in
our churches against Satan’s attacks? The apostle Paul encourages the church in
Ephesus (Turkey) to “be (or: grow, become) strong in the Lord...” (Ephesians
6:10**). In the present meditations we ask ourselves: how does a church that
wants to grow strong ‘in the Lord’ practically look like?
In
Meditation 133 we read that a healthy congregation is in all likelihood a mix of
Christians from different age groups and different cultures, with different
characters, different likes and dislikes, different educational backgrounds,
different professions, different skills, different gifts, different
experiences, different ‘levels’ of faith (from new converts up to mature
believers), different degrees of commitment, etc. Hopefully, such a church will
welcome interested outsiders in their midst as well.
In
Meditation 136 we saw how pure Christlike love, produced by God’s Spirit, practically
looks like in a church. I finished that Meditation with the question: how could
true Christlike love ever permeate a church completely as every church on earth
consists of ‘saved sinners’? Is that not an unrealistic church concept which is
not worth trying to achieve?
I
think that if a church wants to grow ‘in the Lord’ and in mature Christlike
love, there are several factors which need to be in place:
(1) Firstly, it needs a vision
given by God’s Spirit. In Meditation 64 I wrote: “Without a Spirit-given vision
on a certain matter, based on the knowledge of God’s Word and shared by the
whole church, there is no Spirit-given unity on that matter, even if there are
plenty of Bibles around.” Therefore, I believe that our churches are in need of:
A clear corporate vision seen from God’s eternal vantage point.
(a) God’s Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom
Our churches need
to be aware of the fact that God’s Kingdom is not a promised reality for the
future only. God’s Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom. It always has existed and
always will exist. God’s revealed Word, i.e. the Bible, contains innumerable
texts that speak of the eternal dominion of our Triune God. Here are three
examples:
-- “Your throne, O LORD, has
been established from time immemorial. You Yourself are from the everlasting
past.” (Psalm 93:2*)
-- “Your kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations.” (Psalm
145:13**)
-- “About the Son (Jesus
Messiah) He (God the Father) says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever
and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of Your kingdom.” (Hebrews
1:8**)
(b) A short history of ‘God’s Messianic Kingdom
People’, saved by the sacrificial death of Jesus Messiah
In Romans 8, the apostle Paul
teaches the church in Rom about God’s eternal plan for His people that exist of
messianic Jews and Gentiles. God has called and saved them by His grace out of the
bondage of sin to follow His Son Jesus Messiah as their Saviour and Lord. God’s
plan started with His eternal covenant and promises to Abraham and was finally executed
by God’s Son Jesus Messiah. God’s ultimate goal is to see His people being
transformed into the likeness of His Son and receive their inheritance which is
God’s eternal Kingdom. Here are some verses that speak of this eternal plan of
God:
-- “We know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
(Romans 8:28-30***)
-- “The promises
were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to
seeds", meaning many people, but "and to your Seed", meaning one
person, who is Christ.....
You are all sons
of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were
baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ
Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:16 and 26-29**)
--
“Long ago, even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ
to be holy and without fault in His eyes. His unchanging plan has always been
to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.
And this gave Him great pleasure. ... He is so rich in kindness that He
purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven...
God's secret plan has now been revealed to us; it is a plan centered on Christ,
designed long ago according to His good pleasure. ... Furthermore, because of
Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us from the
beginning, and all things happen just as He decided long ago. ... And now you
also have heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you
believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit,
whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us
everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. (Ephesians 1:4.5.7.9.11.13.14*)
-- “... Christ loved the
church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the
washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant
church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
(Ephesians 5:25-27**)
-- “We are citizens of heaven,
where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return
as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them
into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use
to conquer everything, everywhere.” (Philippians 3:20-21*)
-- Then the King (Jesus) will
say to those on the right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the
Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34*)
-- “We (the apostle Paul)
pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way
that God would consider worthy. For He called you into His Kingdom to share His
glory.”
(1 Thessalonians 2:12*)
-- “Yes, dear friends, we are
already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when
Christ returns. But we do know that when He comes we will be like Him, for we
will see Him as He really is.” (1 John 3:2*)
So, as far as the presence and future
of our churches are concerned, we learn from these texts that:
-- God’s eternal plan consists of
transforming our multifarious churches by His Spirit into the likeness of His
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ!
-- God intends all good and bad things
that ever could happen to our churches to work together for bringing about that
Christlike transformation.
-- All church members who are
saved by Christ’s sacrificial death and reborn by His Spirit have been called into
God’s eternal Kingdom to share His glory. That has been God’s eternal plan and
is His promised inheritance. What a vision!
(2) That leads us to the second requirement.
If a church wants to grow ‘in the Lord’ and in Christlike love, it needs a
clear corporate acknowledgement that the entire Bible is God’s revealed Word.
It is only this Word that His Spirit uses to transform our church into the
image of Christ:
A clear corporate acknowledgment that the entire Bible is God’s
revealed Word, i.e. the Truth.
There
are hundreds of Bible verses that testify to the fact that the Bible is God’s
revealed Word. Here are four examples that not only attest that God’s Word is
the truth, but also that it has the power to change our churches into
Christlike communities:
“All Scripture
is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us
realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do
what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for
every good thing God wants us to do.”
(2 Timothy 3:16-17*)
“The Word of God
is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep
into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.” (Hebrews 4:12*)
“Everything that
was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and
the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4**)
“(Jesus
Christ) is the One who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility
is to equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the Body of
Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son
that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature
of Christ. Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds
about what we believe because someone has told us something different or
because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.
Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way
like Christ, who is the head of His Body, the church.” (Ephesians
4:11-15*)
We
have spoken about the necessity of a clear corporate vision seen from God’s eternal vantage point and the importance of corporate
acknowledgment that the entire Bible is God’s revealed Word.
(3) A
third requirement
for our churches to grow strong ‘in the Lord’ and in Christlike love is the
need for Christlike leaders who are bearers of God’s vision and exemplify
Christlike love for and obedience to God’s Word. It is clear that Christlike
leaders never will be perfect, sinless people. Like all church members, they
are Christians who know the daily need for God’s forgiveness and grace. Yet,
they have learned how to devote themselves to be close to God, like His
mouthpiece Jeremiah says: “Their leader will be one of their own; their
ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close
to Me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to Me? declares the LORD.”
(Jeremiah 30:21**)
Church leaders who are bearers of God’s vision and exemplify
Christlike love for and obedience to God’s Word.
Meditation
65 deals with the importance of Spirit-guided leaders in the church who are
bearers of God’s vision and exemplify Christlike love for and obedience to
God’s Word. Without such leaders our churches will miss a unified and clear
vision of God’s purpose for our churches. Equally, they will miss the example
of Christlike love for and obedience to God’s Word. I think that the question
how to form such Christlike leaders is of utmost importance to all churches,
Bible seminars, theological faculties and Christian organisations.
I think that the following hallmarks
are characteristic for Christlike church leaders:
(a) Christlike church leaders are solely appointed
by our Triune God:
The Bible is clear about the fact
that God Himself appointed the leaders of His people Israel in ancient
times. Here are 2 examples:
-- “... I took
the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to
have authority over you.” (Deuteronomy 1:15**)
-- “I will give you leaders
after My own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah
3:15*)
In
his letter to the church in Ephesus (Turkey), the apostle Paul testifies that God
the Son nominates the leaders to God’s people: “He (Jesus Christ) is the
one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the
evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11*)
The apostle Paul declares in Acts
20:28 that God the Holy Spirit appoints the leaders of God’s people: “Keep
watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers.” (Acts 20:28**)
(b) God wants Christlike church leaders to care
for God’s people like good shepherds:
God calls the leaders whom He has
chosen for His people shepherds: “I will appoint responsible shepherds to
care for them..." says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:4*)
The apostle Paul charges church
leaders with the following words: “Be shepherds of the church of God, which He
(Jesus Christ) bought with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28**)
The apostle Peter implores church
leaders to care for God’s people like good shepherds care for their flock: “To
the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow-elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings
and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's
flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but
because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but
eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples
to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown
of glory that will never fade away.” (1 Peter 5:1-4**)
(c) Christlike church leaders model themselves on
our Triune God who is ‘the Good Shepherd’:
David testifies in his famous 23rd
Psalm that God cares for him like a good shepherd: “The LORD is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.” (Psalm 23:1*)
Isaiah
prophesies that God the Son, the promised Messiah, will care for His people as
a good shepherd: “The Sovereign LORD is coming in all His glorious power. He
will rule with awesome strength. See, He brings His reward with Him as He
comes. He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His
arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep
with their young.” (Isaiah 40:10-11*)
God promises by mouth of His
prophet Ezekiel to save His people from harm like a good shepherd would do: “I
will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep
and rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on that dark
and cloudy day. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will
bring them safely home again. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the
weak. ... I will feed them, yes-- feed them justice!” (Ezekiel 34:12 and 16*)
Jesus Messiah, who is God the
Son, testifies of Himself: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep. ... I know My own sheep, and they know Me”
(John 10:11 and 14*)
The book of Hebrews as well as
the apostle Peter point to Jesus Messiah as the good shepherd:
-- “May the God
of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all
you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus
Christ, all that is pleasing to Him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep
by an everlasting covenant, signed with His blood. To Him be glory forever and
ever. Amen.”
(Hebrews 13:20*)
-- “Once you
were wandering like lost sheep. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the
Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25*)
(d) The Church should follow its Christlike
leaders:
A church that desires to grow in the
Lord and in Christlike love, will obey and imitate their Christlike leaders:
-- “Remember
your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that
has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do.” ( Hebrews
13:7*)
-- “Obey your
leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must
give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for
that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17**)
-- “Dear
brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord's work. They
work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of
them and give them your wholehearted love because of their work. And remember
to live peaceably with each other.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:12-13*)
Obviously,
there are more factors that need to be in place if a church wants to grow ‘in
the Lord’ and in mature Christlike love. Yet, I think that the earlier mentioned
requirements are of the utmost importance.
Let
us close this meditation with some challenging questions:
1. Does my church family have a clear divine
vision on what it means to grow together in Christlike love?
2. Does my church have leaders who are bearers
of God’s vision?
3.
Does my church family acknowledge that the entire Bible is God’s Word and
therefore divinely revealed truth?
4.
Does my church family have leaders who exemplify Christlike love for and obedience
to God’s Word?
5. Are the leaders of my church family solely appointed by God?
6. Do the leaders of my church family model
themselves on our Triune God who is ‘the Good Shepherd’?
7. Do the leaders of my church family care for
our congregation like good Christlike undershepherds?
8.
Does my church family follow her Christlike undershepherds?
I
wonder if a church is able to grow strong in the Lord and in Christlike love if
the earlier mentioned requirements for growth are not entirely met.
Translations: * New Living
Translation; ** New International Version; *** New King James Version
About
“Who is the Holy Spirit and what is His ministry?”, see meditations 27-33.
About “God's major project: Transforming me and my church into the likeness of Chris”, see meditations 44-48.
About
“Personal, Christlike love for God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ”, see
meditations 56-62.
About
“Corporate, Christlike love for God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ”, see
meditations 63-99.
About “The Church as a
‘Corporate Personality’, see meditation 63-65.
About “The two Tracks of Maturing in
Christlikeness”, see meditation 100.
About “How to overcome the power of sin in my life?”, see meditations
101-130.
About “How to overcome the power of sin in my church?”,
see meditations 131-136.
