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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1TIMOTHY 3:14-16
LESSON #11
CHURCH UNITY AND THE CHAIN OF COMMAND
MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 59:14
- IN OUR STUDY WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF ELDERS, AND THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF DEACONS. HOW DO ALL OF THESE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS FIT TOGETHER?
- READ 1TIM 3:14-16
- VERSE 15 IS A KEY VERSE IN THIS BOOK AS WELL AS A KEY VERSE FOR OUR SERIES ON ORDER IN THE CHURCH. THIS VERSE TELLS US WHAT IS THE MAJOR PURPOSE OF A CHURCH WHICH ALL THE PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES, AND PREACHINGS MUST PERFORM?
- PAUL TELLS US THAT THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD.
- THE CHURCH HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT GOD IS LIVING HERE IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE.
- WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
- READ GAL 5:22-23
- THE CHURCH NEEDS TO BE A PLACE WHERE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT CAN GROW AND MATURE.
- READ 1COR 2:4
- THE CHURCH NEEDS TO BE A PLACE WHERE THE POWER OF GOD CAN OPERATE TO CHANGE LIVES.
- READ EPH 4:3-6
- THE CHURCH NEEDS TO KEEP INTACT THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT.
- ALSO, PAUL TELLS US THAT THE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH.
- THE PILLAR IS THAT WHICH HOLDS UP THE ROOF OF A BUILDING. THE GROUND IS THE FOUNDATION ON WHICH THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED.
- THE CHURCH MUST BE ESTABLISHED ON THE TRUTH OF THE WORD OF GOD AS ITS FOUNDATION. ALSO THE CHURCH SHOULD PREACH, TEACH, AND LIVE BY TRUTH. IN THAT WAY, THE CHURCH WILL BE ESTABLISHED AS THE PLACE WHERE GOD DWELLS WITH HIS PEOPLE.
- PAUL USES THIS PICTURE OF A TEMPLE BECAUSE TIMOTHY WAS IN THE CITY OF EPHESUS WHERE THE PAGAN TEMPLE OF DIANA WAS THE CENTER OF THE CITY. IT HAD 127 PILLARS, EACH ONE A GIFT FROM A KING. EACH PILLAR WAS MADE OF MARBLE AND STUDDED WITH JEWELS AND OVERLAID WITH GOLD.
- WHAT IS TRUTH? (16)
- PAUL ANSWERS THIS QUESTION IN VERSE 16.
- 1. GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH = THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST JOH 1:1,14 PHI 2:6
- 2. GOD WAS JUSTIFIED IN THE SPIRIT = THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST 1COR 15:44
- 3. SEEN OF ANGELS = THE ANGELS IN HEAVEN OBSERVED THE COMING, THE DEATH, AND THE RESURRECTION OF GOD IN THE FORM OF JESUS CHRIST.
- 4. PREACHED UNTO THE GENTILES = AFTER THE DAY OF PENTECOST, THE GOSPEL WENT OUT TO JEWS AND GENTILES.
- BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD = MANY PEOPLE CAME TO KNOW JESUS AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR AND ARE STILL COMING TODAY.
- RECEIVED UP INTO GLORY = JESUS CHRIST SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER AS OUR HIGH PRIEST. HEB 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-15
- PRINCIPLE #29
ALL PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP MUST HAVE THE UNITY OF PURPOSE TO SUPPORT OTHER LEADERS IN ORDER TO UPHOLD THE TRUTH OF THE LIVING GOD
- LEADERS NEED TO SEE THEIR JOB AS A PART OF THE WHOLE. THE TENDENCY IS TO GET SO WRAPPED UP IN ONES OWN MINISTRY THAT YOU FAIL TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF OTHER LEADERS AND THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE.
- WE HAVE SEEN WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH AND WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ALL MINISTRIES WITHIN THE CHURCH. WE NEED TO LOOK FURTHER AT THE IDEA OF UNITY OF PURPOSE.
- 1COR 12:14-27
- PAUL TELLS US THAT WE ARE MANY MEMBERS BUT ONE BODY. THAT NOT ONLY REFERS TO INDIVIDUALS IN THE BODY OF CHIRST BUT ALSO TO MINISTRIES IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.
- ALL MINISTRIES WITHIN THE LOCAL CHURCH BODY SHOULD WORK TOGETHER. HOW IS THIS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED?
- IT IS DONE BY THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT.
- THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE LOCAL CHURCH:
- WHAT DOES UNITY OF THE SPIRIT MEAN?
- USUALLY WHEN WE THINK OF UNITY IN AN ORGANIZATION WE THINK IT MEANS WE MUST ALL CONFORM TO THE SAME IMAGE. WE MUST ALL LOOK ALIKE AND HAVE THE SAME FEELINGS AND THE SAME IDEAS. THAT IS NOT UNITY OF SPIRIT. THAT IS CONFORMITY. THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE TO CONFORM OURSELVES TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. WE ARE NOT TO CONFORM TO EACH OTHER.
- PAUL GAVE US 1COR 12:14-27 SO WE WOULD UNDERSTAND THIS DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONFORMITY AND UNITY. A HAND DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AN EYE. THESE TWO DO NOT DO THE SAME THINGS. THEY DO NOT PERFORM THE SAME FUNCTIONS, AND ONE IS NOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER. BUT THEY WORK TOGETHER. CHRISTIANS CAN HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, AND IN DIFFERENT LEVELS AND AREAS OF AUTHORTY BUT THEY CAN STILL BE IN UNITY.
- THEREFORE, WE CAN SAY THAT THERE IS DIVERSITY IN UNITY. EACH ELDER AND EACH DEACON PERFORM DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS IN THE CHURCH BUT THEY WORK TOGETHER FOR ONE PURPOSE, TO LIVE OUT TRUTH IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
- THE UNITY OF SPIRIT AND THE CHAIN OF COMMAND:
- IT IS THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION THAT HOLDS THE UNITY OF THE ORGANIZATION TOGETHER.
- IN THE LOCAL CHURCH, EACH LEADER PERFORMS HIS JOB IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS CHAIN OF COMMAND.
- WHAT IS THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WITHIN THE LOCAL CHURCH?
- GOD
- THE PASTOR
- THE ELDERS
- THE DEACONS
- DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY FLOWS FROM THE TOP DOWN. HOWEVER, COMMUNICATION FLOWS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
- THE GREATEST BREAKDOWN IN UNITY OF THE CHURCH OCCURS IN THE AREA OF COMMUNICATION. FOR EXAMPLE: THE VISION OF THE CHURCH MUST BE COMMUNICATED BY THE PASTOR AND ELDERS. THE ELDERS AND DEACONS MUST COMMUNICATE THIS VISION TO THE MEMBERS UNDER THEM.
- THE ELDERS AND DEACONS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SEE THAT THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE UNDER THEM ARE COMMUNICATED UP THE CHAIN TO OTHER ELDERS AND DEACONS AND TO THE PASTOR.
- PRINCIPLE #30
DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY FLOWS DOWN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WHILE COMMUNICATION FLOWS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
- SOME TRUTHS REGARDING CHURCH ORGANIZATION:
- CHURCH ORGANIZATION SHOULD STAY AHEAD OF MINISTRY.
- IN OTHER WORDS, A CHURCH GROWS ONLY AS IT IS ABLE TO EXPAND AREAS OF MINISTRY.
- CHURCH EXPANSION OF MINISTRY MUST BE FULLY STAFFED BY COMMITTED BELIEVERS BEFORE IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
DELEGATION OF WORK AND GOOD COMMUNICATION ARE THE KEYS TO A WELL-ORDERED ORGANIZATION
HOMEWORK
1TIMOTHY 4:1-16
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
- AS YOU HAVE CONSIDERED MODELS OF CHURCH ORGANIZATION, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOUR OWN POSITION IN THE CHURCH?
- READ 1TIM 4:1-16
- OF WHAT SHOULD ALL CHURCH LEADERS BE AWARE?
- WHAT DOES PAUL TELL US IS THE ANSWER TO THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM?
- MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 4:13
