Highlands Reformed Church

The Rev. Brian M. Abshire, BA, MA, Th.M., Ph.D.

Introduction

What do you want from a church? Over the last three decades, I have noticed what amounts to an almost incredible “disconnect” between what Christians SAY they want from a church, and what, after reflection and analysis, they REALLY want from a church. Now, it is not that what Christians REALLY want is necessarily wrong, evil or unlawful; however it can compete with what we SHOULD want from a true church of Jesus Christ.

If we have God’s Holy Spirit inside of us, despite our flaws, failings and futilities, at heart, we want to obey God (Jer 31:33-34). We want to reflect His glory, honor His name, and grow in grace, wisdom and godliness. Sometimes though, we do not always KNOW what it means to be godly or wise. Sometimes, we may even substitute man-made rules and expectations for the ones that God Himself laid down for us. And, sometimes, whether they can articulate it or not, MOST evangelical Christians today expect the church to give them a certain FEELING. Now, the feelings we want the church to generate within us vary with the individual; some may want to feel especially close to God and seek this through well-orchestrated worship services with music that “moves” them. Others may expect the church to remind them that God loves and accepts them just as they are (and they do not have to do anything they are not already doing!). And for some, they want to be moved intellectually and academically with knowledge of the great doctrines of the faith.

It is not as if any of these desires are inherently sinful or wrong; however, notice that all these expectations share in common an emphasis on the church making the individual FEEL a certain way; either through comfortable conformism, ecstatic, transcendental experiences of the Divine, or just intellectual assurance. Yet, is this truly what the church is supposed to provide? Sadly, over the decades, it appears to me that precious few people actually ask this question. Instead, they begin with an assumption about what the church should be, and what it should do, and what THEY want, but never take a step back and ask, “Is this what God wants?”

Therefore, all of us need to haul out our most basic assumptions about the ministry of the church and examine our expectations in the light of Scripture. And when we do, we often find that what God wants us to do in the church, and what He expects us to receive from the church, can differ considerably from what WE want to do.

Her Task Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19-20 is commonly called the “Great Commission.” There, Matthew records some of the last words of the Lord Jesus where He says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” Most Christians are familiar with these verses in the context of missionary or evangelistic work; however, in reality those are only applications of the underlying meaning. The Christian gospel begins with the confession of faith that “Jesus is Lord” (Rms 10:9-10). Jesus is the “Christ,” a Greek word that translates the Hebrew term “Messiah” which means “Anointed One.” The Messiah was God’s promised King over the earth (Psalm 2). Thus, when we say “Jesus is Lord” we are not simply ascribing to Him a title of respect but rather acknowledging that all authority has been given to Him, in Heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). We are proclaiming that “every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).” Thus, the heart of the Christian gospel is the declaration of the total sovereignty of King Jesus over every area of life.

Yet, most Christians miss this when they think about Matthew 28:19-20. They focus on the word “Go” and therefore emphasize missionary or evangelistic work. Furthermore, they reinterpret the Great Commission to mean something like “Go tell people that if they trust in Jesus they won’t have to go to Hell.” While personal, individual salvation is certainly an important PART of the Christian gospel, it is not really the essence; the Lordship of King Jesus is.

You can see this from the Great Commission itself. Jesus did not tell the Apostles to “Go and evangelize the world” but rather to “make disciple of the nations.” Again, most Christians unconsciously reinterpret this phrase to mean something like “make disciples IN the nations;” in other words, something like “make some converts.” But that is not what it says. The term “nations” (Greek “ethnos”) refers to all the pagan, unbelieving peoples in the world. Thus, whole nations, people groups, races, etc., are to be “discipled.” And just in case we missed the importance of what He meant, he even added a comment at the end “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Notice Jesus did not say “teaching them to BELIEVE” all that I commanded you, but rather “observe” which means “follow” or “obey.” Clearly, one of the marks of a true King is His righteous authority to compel our obedience. In the Great Commission, Jesus claims just such authority and commands His Apostles to spread His Word that He and He alone is Lord. They are to go, to “teach” the people of the world that Jesus is Lord and to bring every area of life and thought into submission to His sovereign rule.

Thus, the fundamental purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ as found in the Great Commission is to declare the Crown Rights of King Jesus. Now, clearly, if Jesus is Lord of all, those who profess to follow Him must daily work to bring every area of THEIR lives into conformity with His will even as they call on all men, in all nations, to submit to His rule as well. And therefore the most basic ministry of the church SHOULD be teaching all people, both Christian and non-Christian what it means to obey Jesus.

Granted, in the Great Commission, Jesus also requires His Apostles to “baptize” in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism is what we Reformed types call a “sacrament” which comes from the Latin term “sacramentum,” the “oath of allegiance” a Roman soldier took when joining his legion. Thus, the church not only DECLARES the lordship of King Jesus, but also administers the solemn oaths and vows which are signs and seals of His grace to us.

Usually, when we think about the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, we do not think of them as oaths - but that is certainly one legitimate way to look at them. In baptism, we confess that Jesus is Lord and that we trust Him to save us from the righteous wrath of God. In the Lord’s Supper, we again make an oath that we trust not in our own empty works but that Jesus’ death in our place perfectly satisfied God’s righteous wrath at our sins (and in one sense, perhaps God is also reminding us of His solemn oath to forgive us our sins because of Jesus).

And yes, there is far more to the sacraments than this one aspect we have noted here. However, the essence of the gospel is that the Lord Jesus, in His death, resurrection and ascension, is comprehensively reversing the stain on God’s creation caused by Adam’s sin. Adam did not want God to be “lord” for he wanted to determine good and evil for himself, apart from God. As a result, sin and death entered the creation, causing all the misery and pain that has afflicted the world since. Now that Jesus has come, the debt has been paid. The Father, then, has given Him all authority in heaven and earth so that all things can be renewed and restored (Rms 8:18-23). Therefore, if Adam’s sin was one of rebellion against God’s righteous rule, salvation MUST include submission to that righteous rule. And it is that submission to God in Christ that we find inherent within the Great Commission.

Thus, according to the Great Commission, the task of the Church of Jesus Christ is to proclaim the utter sovereignty of King Jesus to all men, in all lands, in all ages. In one respect, our task is to deliver the terms of the King’s peace treaty to His rebellious subjects; if they lay down their arms, repent of their rebellion and acknowledge His rightful rule, they can be forgiven and restored. This peace is possible only because the High King’s own Son has satisfied His holy justice by dying in their place. However, clearly, this submission cannot be one in “name” only; if rebels claim to submit to the King, then therefore they must live accordingly: honoring His name, respecting His laws, and following His commands.

Her Method: Colossians 1:28

In Colossians 1:28 the Apostle Paul, talking about his own ministry says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man, with all wisdom, that we might present every man, perfect in Christ. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” As an apostle, Paul certainly had both unique gifts and a special calling. Yet, when he describes his own ministry, it does provide us with a divinely inspired model to follow in our own. After all, he is the same person who said, “The things you have seen and received and heard in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9). Therefore, if we want to know HOW the church is to implement the Great Commission, then we can follow Paul’s own methodology.

First notice, that Paul’s method BEGINS with “proclaiming Him.” The Lordship of King Jesus is not imposed from above through force of arms, political activism, or social engineering. Instead, Jesus is “proclaimed” or “declared.” Some translations (AV) use the word “preach” here and that is certainly in mind; however too often we impose on the word OUR definition of “preaching” and do not fully appreciate the nuances of what the original word actually meant. To “proclaim” or “declare” something means to “announce officially or publicly” especially in a “solemn and emphatic” manner.

Paul said his ministry was about “proclaiming” Him- now what is it about Jesus Himself that needs to be “declared?” Well, how about that Jesus is Lord? Again, going back to the Great Commission, the heart of the Christian message is that God has sent His Anointed One (Messiah or Christ) into the world and that all men, in all places MUST acknowledge His lordship. Thus, the preeminent ministry of the church is NOT to hold worship services, do charitable work, provide hope and comfort for the afflicted or any of the one hundred and one other things that so many Christian fellowships do. Our PRIMARY, most FUNDAMENTAL task is to “proclaim” the total sovereignty of Jesus as the Christ.

Now granted, all these OTHER things can and should be done as an application of this proclamation; after all, Jesus as King commanded us to worship God in Spirit and Truth, to care for the poor, to encourage, support and love one another. However, these can all become ego-centric and misguided if we forget that our ultimate goal is, always, to declare His reign over every area of life.

Paul then goes on to develop his methodology by saying that he “admonished” and “taught” every man. The word “admonish” means “warn” but the Greek word here is actually better translated as “correctively counsel” people. The word “counsel” today has been subverted by humanist psychology but in its original sense it meant to help people understand what they are doing wrong, and what they need to do right. In other words, Paul was saying that he not only declared the authority of King Jesus, but he also helped people to understand what they were doing contrary to His Lordship and how to bring their lives into submission to His will.

He also uses the word “teaching” which as I have argued elsewhere, probably does not mean just intellectual, academic or theoretical information (though these things may well be included) but rather practical instruction in living life according to Jesus’ commands (Jn 14:21). The word “teaching” is probably to be understood as the positive aspect in contrast to “admonishing.” When we “admonish” someone, we tell them what they have done wrong. When we “teach” someone, we tell them what they should do right. Thus Paul declares that Jesus is Lord and then teaches and counsels people in how to make that lordship REAL in the way they live; the way God would have them serve Him, the way they treat their spouses, raise their children, conduct their business, resolve their problems, etc.

This is clearly what he had in mind because he says that his purpose in proclaiming, teaching and counseling was to “present every man perfect in Christ.” Paul knew nothing of “easy believism” wherein people make a profession of faith and then continue to live life according to their own rules. Believing the Christian gospel is more than simple intellectual agreement with certain philosophical or theological propositions. As James says, “…even the demons believe, and tremble…” (Jas 2:19). Paul’s gospel declared Jesus as King and his ministry was to then help people learn how to live humbly before Him. The goal of proclaiming Christ was to change people, from rebellious sinners to faithful subjects of the High and Holy King of Heaven and Earth.

Thus, the church’s ministry ought to follow the same model. Her task is to proclaim to the world as well as her members, that “Jesus is Lord” and then work, with all the power that God graciously gives, to help people understand and apply that lordship. This means that sometimes, a faithful church will tell people things that they would rather not hear; it will often make them uncomfortable by taking stands against a wicked and depraved culture. Declaring the Lordship of King Jesus will often make a faithful church unpopular, even amidst some of its own members; after all, its one thing to point out the sins of the world, but something different when its OUR sins being confronted!

And a faithful church will instruct its members on how to live according to the King’s royal law. Sure, that may well mean teaching people how to be gracious and kind to one another, how to let love cover a multitude of transgressions, how to speak the truth in love to one another, etc. Yet, even here, our ultimate goal is always to let God’s revealed will determine good and evil, not ours. It means, like Jesus in the Garden, learning how to say, “Not my will, but THY will be done” (Matt 26:39) even when it is inconvenient, embarrassing, humbling or contrary to the way we think things should be done.

Her Officers: Ephesians 4:11, 1 Tim 5:14

In Ephesians 4:11 the Apostle Paul wrote, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ…” The Lord Jesus did not give His Great Commission to an amorphous, chaotic group of people and say, “Get on with it.” Instead, He gave the church certain men who were entrusted with the responsibility to organize and govern their affairs. Without getting side-tracked by different ecclesiastical structures, most Christians agree that the apostles and prophets were special men necessary for the first century church but whose “office” has since passed away. However, evangelists, pastors and teachers remain.

Please, notice that, according to Paul’s divinely inspired writing, their PRIMARY duty is to “equip the saints for the work of service;” NOT to do all the service that needs to be done. Evangelists are those who START churches by proclaiming the lordship of King Jesus in an area and gathering together those who heed the call. The word “pastor” means “shepherd” and refers to someone who guards and feeds the flock. There is some variance between sincere believers whether pastor and teacher are two distinct “offices” or two aspects of the same one. While we cannot enter into this discussion here, the important point to note is that God wants His church governed in a particular way by certain men He called and gifted.

Collectively, we call these men “Elders” (Greek “presbyteros”) or “Overseers” (Greek “episkopos”); two names referring to the same basic function: those responsible for the spiritual wellbeing of the church (Hebs 13:17). By “spiritual” the Bible does not mean some upper-story, supernatural type thing, but rather helping individual Christians work out in their own life the lordship of Christ. Biblically speaking, to be spiritual is not to be removed from this life, or, in some sense, “higher” than this life, but rather living in this world in accordance with the Divine will.

One’s elder ought to be friendly and kind, but not necessarily your “friend.” That may sound a bit radical so let us develop the idea a bit. A “friend” is someone we like, someone who shares similar interests (even values) or whose company is enjoyable. However, your elders are NOT your “friends” but rather men who are committed to LOVING you, teaching you and even admonishing you, even if it means losing your friendship as a result. Often, our friends value their relationship with us more than our own holiness. Most people do not like to tell their friends things that they would rather not hear. Granted a “true” friend will always speak the truth in love, regardless of the consequences, but let us be honest, such “friendships” are rare.

However, elders are supposed to LOVE their people and do what is BEST for them according to the King of Kings, EVEN if it means they risk losing their friendship. Christianity is inherently a relational faith; the two great commandments are to love God and to love one another. But Biblical love has little to do with our feelings for either God or each other; it is about doing what is right regardless of our feelings. Granted, the elders may not always get it right, they too sin and fall short of the glory of God; but their most basic motivation is to faithfully admonish and teach those whom God has entrusted to their care, regardless.

And of course, ONE of their primary duties is to help individual Christians develop their own ministries (their “work of service”). Most Christians today seem to think they pay their elders to have a ministry wherein the Biblical model is that the pastor’s ministry is to help Christians discover THEIR own ministry. Thus, most of the real “work” of a faithful church will happen OUTSIDE of the walls of the local meeting place as individual families develop their own callings and ministries. Many modern day churches are often, what I call, “ecclesio-centric” in that they assume for anything to have true spiritual value, it must happen within the confines of recognized ecclesiastical structures, programs and policies. I have argued many times that this is a hold over from the medieval church and is not the way God wants things done. Instead of the local “church” (meaning organized body of believers) having to run every “ministry” instead, the people of God need to be encouraged, trained and equipped to take personal responsibility to declare the crown rights of King Jesus in whatever situation they find themselves.

For some, it may mean having discovery Bible studies in their homes wherein they invite friends, neighbors or co-workers to investigate the claims of King Jesus. For others, they may be involved in social or political activities declaring the will of God to the broader culture. Some Christians may have a heart for missions, or providing a sound, Biblical education for children through private or home-schools. The list is as varied as the individual gifts and callings of each and every Christian. The elders’ task is not to organize or run any and all of these ministries, but to give the people of God the equipping they need so THEY can do the work of service.

So, how do the elders accomplish this? Well, generally speaking, Jesus gives at least two basic tasks to His elders in 1 Timothy 5:17; “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” First, the elders are to rule or govern, which means judging and adjudicating. The New Testament elder is directly descended from the Old Testament judges that were to be appointed over every ten households. Their task was not to micromanage those households, but rather to settle disputes and resolve conflicts because of their superior understanding of the Law. Thus, the New Testament elder “governs” the church by helping people apply Biblical principles in their own lives and families. Eldership should not be an intrusive kind of ministry, sticking noses where they do not belong (for God makes a man the head of his own household); but the elders should encourage, exhort and assist heads of households in fulfilling the Great Commission in THEIR area of responsibility.

Secondly, there are certain elders who are especially gifted at teaching. These men have been granted grace not only to understand the word, but also to be able to communicate it effectively to the broader church. God values their work SO much, that He says they are especially worthy of receiving a “double honor” which most commentators believe means that they should be paid. In Presbyterian churches, when a man is called to be the “teaching elder” of a particular ministry, his covenant with the church includes a salary package so that he might be “freed from worldly cares.” His work is considered so valuable and necessary to the health and wellbeing of the church that he is to be relieved of having the burden of trying to run a business, manage a shop or work in a factory so that he can focus his time and attention in teaching the church how to submit to King Jesus.

Now sadly, we all know of certain “preachers” who, how can we say this graciously, had more enthusiasm than talent. Furthermore, we all know of “preachers” who declared, not the will of God, but rather that which would please men. Sometimes, these men become quite successful and have thousands of people attend their churches. And yes, sometimes, those of us who pastor LESS than successful churches can accused of being envious of the success of others.

However, the man who preaches to please other men will have his reward here on earth - and will face a holy, righteous God one day Who will demand an accounting of his stewardship (1 Cor 3:10-15). A pastor’s one, over-riding concern ought to be whether or not God approves of his ministry. Wealth, power, popularity is nothing compared with the rewards, or chastisement that every minister will one day face. In the end, there is only ONE person we ever have to please: Almighty God. Thus, the officers have to constantly ask themselves some hard questions; they are responsible not only for their own souls, but the souls of others. They are given authority and the position to influence a great many people - but if they fail to faithfully declare the crown rights of King Jesus, they WILL be held accountable. It is this immense responsibility they bear, which the average Christian does not, that justifies paying them.

Just for the sake of completeness, let us mention in passing the work of the Deacons. Just as the Elders have responsibility for the spiritual wellbeing of the church, the Deacons have responsibility for the physical wellbeing of the congregation. God calls Deacons to make sure that everyone is fed and clothed, that monies are received and spent wisely, etc. Hence, a faithful church will have some sort of effective diaconal ministry where physical needs for food, clothing, housing, etc., are met.

The Church GROWS by the Providence of God

Now, if all the above does not seem to describe the average Christian church (regardless of denomination) in your experience, join the club. In fact, the utter dichotomy between what the Bible teaches about the life and ministry of the church, and what we so often encounter, convinced me as a young Christian that “church” was for religious folks, while Christianity was for believers because I saw no necessary connection between the two. Most churches, in my early experience, were like exclusive religious clubs where people hung out who wanted to keep Jesus at arm’s length but feel good about themselves while doing so.

Now, admittedly, I was a young Christian, and did not understand very much, but the discrepancy was real. Christianity, especially in America, has a certain cultural appeal to a lot of people. And like most things, where there is a market, an enterprising American will find a way to commercialize a product. Thus, in America, many “Christians” have built huge churches where they will NEVER be held accountable to do ANYTHING that they haven’t already decided to do anyway. In fact, in one of the evangelical seminaries I attended, we were TAUGHT in preaching classes NEVER to make ANY definite statements in sermons, lest in doing so we make somebody feel “guilty.” Thus, for example, you mustn’t ever preach against adultery, sodomy, abortion, or anything else because undoubtedly there would be people in the congregation who were engaged in those sins and by preaching against it you would be making them feel bad. “And people don’t come to church to feel bad.”

So, if a church WANTS to be faithful to the Great Commission and diligently handle her affairs according to the principles we discussed, won’t that just drive most Christians away? Well, sadly, that is probably true - at least at the present time. “Christians” in America have been taught now for multiple generations that God loves them and accepts them, just as they are and they can continue living their lives pretty much as they please and God does not mind. They believe in the very deepest parts of their being that all God expects from them is to show up on Sunday morning and MAYBE toss a few bucks in the collection plate. They have been propagandized into believing that how they FEEL during the worship service is infinitely more important to God than what they believe about God, what they do for God or how they live for God once they leave the sanctuary. Am I being overly cynical here? Well, just look at the research done on Christians by groups such as the Barna foundation that shows just how closely contemporary Christian values and beliefs mirror those of our secularized, paganized society.

So, should Christians who want to be faithful and true to their Lord just content themselves with tiny little churches, weak and impotent as the world counts such things? There are several answers to this, but first, let us remember that the Christian church STARTED with just such a small, insignificant group. After commissioning His church, the Lord Jesus ascended into Heaven-leaving them with about 150 believers in the ENTIRE world (Acts 1:15)! Yet, Jesus had not forgotten His promises and within just a short time, added three thousand new believers (Acts 2:41). From there, the faithful and TRUE gospel went on to Judea, Samaria and the remotest ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). It then conquered the pagan, perverted Greeks, and converted the Roman Empire. It evangelized and won the heathen tribes of Europe and spread as far as China and India. In other words, the KEY to a growing Christian church was NOT compromising with the world, but faithfully declaring the Crown Rights of King Jesus.

The gospel of Jesus has power; He will honor His Word. Therefore, we need to get our focus OFF results, but instead learn to trust in God. For in the end, ANYTHING we do that has eternal value is the result of God’s grace. It is He Who grants repentance (1 Tim 2:23-24) and we must never lose heart, or give in to temptation to compromise the gospel to see “results” (2 Cor 4:1-2). After all, some men plant, some water, and others may gather the fruit-but it is God Who does the work (1 Cor 3:6-9).

Therefore, in the end, the “success” of a church may have little to do with how many people attend its weekly services, how much money it takes in, or the number and variety of programs it maintains. Instead, there are two basic criteria by which a church is measured: (1) the faithfulness of the officers in diligently proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus, teaching, governing and shepherding the congregation and (2) the faithfulness of the congregation in growing in grace, godliness and wisdom (sanctification). We really do need to learn how to see beyond our own lives, careers and even ministries. We Christians stand today as the inheritors of two thousand years of spiritual capital which godly men and women, willing to die before denying the Lordship of King Jesus, entrusted to us. We have a duty to retain that inheritance and if possible, add to it, before passing it on to future generations. If we do not see great increase during our lives, then, so what? Do you really think that on the day of judgment, when we all stand before Jesus, that He is going to hand out awards for who had the biggest church, the most interesting programs, built the biggest buildings? Or is He going to be more concerned about whether we faithfully proclaimed His Lordship and then helped each other to live it every day of our lives?

Basic Biblical Principle of Church Growth

There is a certain degree of truth today that doctrinally sound churches are often small and struggling. Maybe this is due to the current spirit of the age that is in rebellion to God, and maybe we Reformed pastors are just not very good at what we do. Or, perhaps, we Reformed pastors have sometimes forgotten the most basic principle of dominion that the Lord Jesus gave; Mark 10:43 “but whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant…”

Jesus said that “greatness” would come through “service.” Whether we realize it or not, one of the reasons why so many people flock to certain types of churches is that in SOME way, those churches ARE serving their congregations! OK, we might say that they ought NOT to be offering those kinds of “services” (which often revolve around exalting the self, providing emotional experiences, etc.) but they ARE serving.

However, what if we took the Lord Jesus here seriously and small churches began to brain-storm godly, Biblical ways of SERVING people? Now, that is part the problem. Many of the folks that I know who attend serious, doctrinally sound churches are quite proud of the fact that they are the “elite.” In other words, sometimes the BEST churches are offering services for spiritual snobs! Therefore, if we want to see God bless our efforts, we may need to do MORE than just preach the truth, we may have to step outside the confines of Sunday morning services and reach out in love. This is where diaconal ministries, social and cultural ministries and discovery Bible studies all come into play. Each of these are ways that “good” churches can SERVE people while not compromising the truth. However, the elders cannot do this ministry; generally speaking, it must come from the congregation being SO convinced of the Lordship of King Jesus that they are willing to declare that Lordship to friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. And if they DO, they WILL risk rejection, slander, and lose some friends (friends who liked them because they were really, nice people who NEVER tried to “impose” their religion). Such Christians may not always get invited to parties and barbecues and the like. However, since ultimately, anything we do that has any eternal value is a result of God’s providential grace, all we have to do is be faithful.

Serving people means loving them. It might be something as simple as baby-sitting a neighbor’s kids (for free), helping them with a home-improvement project or just being willing to listen to their problems and troubles with a sympathetic ear. However, it also requires learning HOW to introduce the Lordship of Christ gently, sensitively and effectively because, ultimately, ALL their problems have their solution in Him.

God is pleased to bless His people when they trust Him, when they walk in humility before Him, and when they attempt to apply His Law. And because God IS sovereign, because He will NOT allow His Word to return void, we can confidently plant the seed, water it with the full expectation that someone else, someplace else, may harvest the crop. All we need to do is love God and one another, reach out and serve and, eventually, “every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord…”