Title: What Should We Expect From Church Leaders?
Series: Discovering God’s Special Gifts
Text: Ephesians 4:11-16
Theme: Leaders in the church must know their spiritual gifts, and how to use them effectively for the kingdom.
Introduction - Define Reality
Max DePree gets to the heart of things with this succinct formulation: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” Leaders need to have a good picture of what is really going on around them. And they need to help others take an honest look at this reality. (Uncommon Decency, Richard J. Mouw, p. 117.)
Position of Leadership
Don’t take a position of leadership in church unless you are prepared to be honest, pure, and loving in your lifestyle. Leadership is a privilege, and with privilege comes responsibility. God holds teachers of His truth doubly responsible because we who lead are in a position where we can either draw people toward Christ or drive them away from Him.
This is illustrated in the life of the famous author Mark Twain. Church leaders were largely to blame for his becoming hostile to the Bible and the Christian faith. As he grew up, he knew elders and deacons who owned slaves and abused them. He heard men using foul language and saw them practice dishonesty during the week after speaking piously in church on Sunday. He listened to ministers use the Bible to justify slavery. Although he saw genuine love for the Lord Jesus in some people, including his mother and his wife, he was so disturbed by the bad teaching and poor example of church leaders that he became bitter toward the things of God.
Indeed, it is a privilege to be an elder, a deacon, a Sunday school teacher, or a Bible club leader. But it is also an awesome responsibility. Let’s make sure we attract people to the Savior rather than turn them away. (http://www.bible.org. Source unknown.)
I. JESUS CHRIST GIVES GIFTS TO EVERYONE WHOM HE HAS CALLED INTO THE MINISTRY. (Ephesians 4:11)
Illustration: Two Ministers
A Baptist Minister and a Presbyterian Minister are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to NY. The Presbyterian leans over to the Baptist and asks if he would like to play a fun game. The Baptist just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The Presbyterian persists and explains that the game is real easy and a lot of fun. He explains “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5. Then you ask me a question, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $5.”
Again, the Baptist politely declines and tries to get to sleep. The Presbyterian, now somewhat agitated, says, “Okay, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50!”
This catches the Baptist’s attention, and he sees no end to this torment unless he plays, so he agrees to the game. The Presbyterian asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?”
The Baptist doesn’t say a word, but reaches into his wallet, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the Presbyterian.
Now, it’s the Baptist’s turn. He asks the Presbyterian “What goes up a hill with three legs, and comes down on four?”
The Presbyterian looks up at him with a puzzled look. He takes out his laptop computer and searches all of his references. He taps into the air phone with his modem and searches the net and the Library of Congress. Frustrated, he sends e-mail to his church— all to no avail. After about an hour, he wakes the Baptist and hands him $50. The Baptist politely takes the $50 and turns away to try to get back to sleep.
The Presbyterian, more than a little miffed, shakes the Baptist and asks “Well, so what’s the answer?”
Without a word, the Baptist reaches into his wallet, hands the Presbyterian $5, and turns away to get back to sleep. (Bits and Pieces, http://www.bible.org.)
A. He Gifted Some To Be Apostles.
1. The apostles are the 12 who had seen the risen Christ, including Matthias, who replaced Judas. (Acts 1:21-22)
2. Later, Paul was set apart to become the apostle to the Gentiles when he miraculously encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. (Acts 9:1-9; Galatians 1:15-17).
3. The apostles were given three basic responsibilities.
a. To lay the foundation of the church. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
Note: As important as they were, it was not them personally, but the divine revelation they taught, as they authoritatively spoke the word of God to the church before the completion of the NT, that provided the foundation.
b. To receive, declare, and write God’s Word. (Ephesians 3:3-6)
c. To give confirmation of that Word through signs, wonders, and miracles. (2 Corinthians 12:12)
Note: The term “apostle” is used in more general ways of other men in the early church, such as Barnabas (Acts 14:4), Silas, Timothy, (1 Thess. 2:6) and others (Rom. 16:7; Phil. 2:25). They are called “apostles of the churches” (2 Cor. 8:23), rather than “apostles of Jesus Christ” like the 13. They were not self-perpetuating, nor was any apostle who died replaced.
B. He Gifted Some To Be Prophets.
1. These were not ordinary believers who had the gift of prophecy, but specially commissioned men in the early church.
2. The office of prophet seems to have been exclusively for work within a local congregation.
3. They sometimes spoke practical direct revelation for the church from God or expounded revelation already given.
4. They were not used for the reception of Scripture.
5. Their messages were to be judged by other prophets for validity (1 Cor. 14:32) and had to conform to the teaching of the apostles (v. 37).
Note: These two offices were replaced by the evangelists and teaching pastors. There is no mention of the latter two gifted offices replacing the first two, because in New Testament times all were operative. But the fact is that, as they continued to serve the church, the evangelists and pastors and teachers did pick up the baton from the first generation apostles and prophets. (Ephesians 2:19-20)
C. He Gifted Some To Be Evangelists.
Illustration: Make Them Thirsty
The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he lamented, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink." The manager replied, "Son, take my advice: your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty." So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with Christ that they create a thirst for the Gospel. (http://www.christianglobe.com/illustrations, Preaching, November-December 1985.)
1. Evangelists are those who proclaim the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to unbelievers.
2. They are a proclaimer of salvation by grace through faith in the Son of God.
3. New Testament evangelists were missionaries and church planters who led people to faith in the Savior, taught them the Word, built them up, and moved on to new territory.
4. Every church should consider this ministry as high priority.
5. Every church should raise up evangelists, to send some as missionaries, and to have others remain permanently in the church fellowship.
6. Every church should be led by a combination of evangelists and teaching shepherds; men gifted to bring the lost in and men gifted for feeding believers and leading them in the Word to build them up.
D. He Gifted Some To Be Pastors And Teachers.
1. This is best understood in context as a single office of leadership in the church.
Note: The Gr. word translated “and” can mean “in particular” (see 1 Tim. 5:17).
2. The normal meaning of pastor is “shepherd,” so the two functions together define the teaching shepherd.
3. Pastors do all for the church that a literal shepherd does for sheep:
Illustration: Andrew Carnegie
At one time Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in America. He came to America from his native Scotland when he was a small boy, did a variety of odd jobs, and eventually ended up as the largest steel manufacturer in the United States. At one time he had forty-three millionaires working for him. In those days a millionaire was a rare person; conservatively speaking, a million dollars in his day would be equivalent to at least twenty million dollars today.
A reporter asked Carnegie how he had hired forty-three millionaires. Carnegie responded that those men had not been millionaires when they started working for him but had become millionaires as a result.
The reporter’s next question was, “How did you develop these men to becomes so valuable to you that you have paid them this much money?” Carnegie replied that men are developed the same way gold is mined. When gold is mined, several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold; but one doesn’t go into the mine looking for dirt—one goes in looking for the gold.
That’s exactly the way we pastors need to view our people. Don’t look for the flaws, warts, and blemishes. Look for the gold, not for the dirt; the good, not the bad. Look for the positive aspects of life. Like everything else, the more good qualities we look for in our people, the more good qualities we are going to find. (http://www.bible.org, Source unknown.)
a. Feed them.
b. Nurture them.
c. Care for them.
d. Protect them.
4. A shepherd’s task is not to acquire sheep.
5. However, if he does what a shepherd is supposed to do, he will have healthy sheep and his flock will grow.
Note: One who holds this office is also called an “elder” and “bishop”. Acts 20:28 and 1 Peter 5:1, 2 bring all three terms together.
II. THERE ARE TWO PURPOSES FOR THESE GIFTS. (Ephesians 4:12)
A. Equipping The Saints For The Work Of The Ministry.
Note: Some translations use a comma to divide “for the equipping of the saints” and “for the work of ministry” into two separate functions. The context seems to better indicate that this should be one phrase. The implication is that rather than performing all functions of ministry, the job of the leadership is to prepare others in the fellowship for performing ministry tasks.
Note: “Equipping” refers to restoring something to its original condition, or its being made fit or complete. In this context, it refers to leading Christians from sin to obedience.
Illustration: Do What You Can Do
An elderly widow, restricted in her activities, was eager to serve Christ. After praying about this, she realized that she could bring blessing to others by playing the piano. The next day she placed this small ad in the Oakland Tribune: "Pianist will play hymns by phone daily for those who are sick and despondent--the service is free." The notice included the number to dial. When people called, she would ask, "What hymn would you like to hear?" Within a few months her playing had brought cheer to several hundred people. Many of them freely poured out their hearts to her, and she was able to help and encourage them. (http://www.christianglobe.com/illustrations, Source unknown.)
B. Edifying Of The Body Of Christ.
Illustration: Christian Cooperation
Sometimes Christians can be so ridiculously uncooperative that their behavior actually becomes humorous. In the late 1800s there were just two deacons in a small Baptist church in Mayfield County, Kentucky. These two deacons hated each other and always opposed one another. On a particular Sunday, one deacon put up a small wooden peg in the back wall so the minister could hang up his hat. When the other deacon discovered the peg he was outraged that he had not been consulted. The church took sides and the church eventually split. To this day, the story goes, you can find in Mayfield County, Kentucky, the Anti-peg Baptist Church. (http://bible.crosswalk.com/SermonHelps/AutoIllustrator/, New Life For Your Church, Doyle L. Young, 1989, p. 63.)
1. The exercise of these gifts should serve to nurture and develop the body of Christ.
2. When used properly, the result will be numerical and spiritual growth.
III. USING THESE GIFTS EFFECTIVELY WILL PRODUCE SPIRITUAL GROWTH. (Ephesians 4:13-15)
A. Spiritual Growth Will Result In Unity Of Faith.
Illustration: Peanuts
In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy demanded that Linus change TV channels, threatening him with her fist if he didn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asks Linus.
"These five fingers," says Lucy. "Individually they’re nothing but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold."
"Which channel do you want?" asks Linus. Turning away, he looks at his fingers and says, "Why can’t you guys get organized like that?" (http://www.christianglobe.com/illustrations, Charles Schultz.)
1. The ultimate goal of the church begins with unity of faith.
2. When believers are properly taught, when they faithfully do the work of ministry, and when the body is edified, unity of the faith is the inevitable result.
3. Unity is impossible unless it is built upon the foundation of commonly believed truth.
4. God’s truth is not fragmented and divided against itself, and when His people are divided it simply means they are to that degree apart from His truth.
5. But there can never be unity of faith without doctrinal integrity.
B. Spiritual Growth Will Result In Knowledge Of Christ.
1. This is referring to a deep knowledge through a relationship with Christ that comes only from prayer and faithful study of and obedience to God’s Word. (Philippians 3:8-10)
2. Growing deeper in knowledge of the Son of God is a life-long process.
3. This is the knowing of which Jesus spoke about. (John 10:27)
4. He is speaking of knowing them intimately, and that is the way He wants His people to know Him.
C. Spiritual Growth Will Result In Spiritual Maturity.
1. God’s great desire for His church is that every believer come to be like His Son.
2. The church in the world is Jesus in the world.
3. We are to radiate and reflect Christ’s perfections, walking in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:6)
D. Spiritual Growth Will Result In Sound Doctrine.
1. Spiritually immature Christians are in constant danger of falling prey to every new religious fad or novel interpretation of Scripture that comes along.
2. Because they are not anchored in God’s truth, they are subject to every sort of counterfeit. (2 Peter 2:1-3)
3. This is the basis from which every cult is formed.
E. Spiritual Growth Will Result In A Genuine, Compassionate Testimony.
1. Mature believers whose lives are marked by love will not be victims of false teaching.
2. They will be living and proclaiming the true gospel to a deceived and deceiving world.
3. The church whose members are sound in doctrine and mature in their thinking and living is a church that will reach out in love to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
God gives spiritual gifts for the edification of the church. Those who are leaders in the church must know their gift, and find a place to use it effectively for the kingdom.
