Series Three: Philosophy of Ministry

The purpose of this session is to describe how truth should govern the way a church does ministry. Only then can a church can be convinced that it is truly doing ministry for God’s purposes and glory and not its own.

1. Truth must govern everything (1 Tim 3:15).
   1. The church is the “pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15).
   2. Governing principles don’t change because the truth doesn’t change.
      1. Truth is what the church stands for.
      2. Truth is the church’s “product.”
      3. Truth is upheld by the church.
      4. Truth is propagated by the church.
   3. The preferences of the culture and the church are irrelevant (2 Tim 4:3).
   • “It doesn’t matter what the culture thinks about or wants concerning the truth. It doesn’t even matter what the sheep think or want concerning the truth. They need the truth regardless of how they feel about it.”
2. The truth demands that Christ functions as the Head of the church.
   1. He gives the church its script for ministry.
   2. He accomplishes whatever results He pleases.
   3. The church trusts Him with the results.
3. When truth doesn’t govern the church
   1. Man becomes the head of the church.
      1. He makes up his own script for ministry.
      2. He inevitably becomes a pragmatist.
   2. Man becomes the center of the church.
      1. The people’s felt needs govern the direction of the church.
      2. Pleasing people becomes the primary agenda.
      3. Numerical goals are put in place.
   • “Man-centered ministries result in superficial and socially-oriented programs whereby the church will always conform its ministry to its view of success. This inevitably leads to confusing size with success (‘bigger is better’).”
   3. Results are manufactured.
   4. Bylaws dictate ministry.
   5. “Reaching” someone is redefined.
   • “According to this redefinition you do whatever you can to get them in the door and do whatever you can to keep them in the door. True discipleship never happens; rather, each ‘convert’ simply becomes part of the pragmatic program to ‘reach’ the next person.”
   6. Biblical leadership is redefined.
      1. “Type A personalities”
      2. CEO of large corporations
      3. Contrastingly, the biblical requirements for leaders:
         1. Exemplary, Christ-like character (1 Tim 3:1–13, Titus 1:5–9)
         2. Desire and ability to equip the people for the work of ministry (Eph 4:11–12), while providing a context and environment to do so
      4. Church becomes optional and no longer essential.
      5. The world takes over the pews.
      • “In light of 1 Peter 2:2, it is very telling to examine what the church today longs for. Go to the average, well meaning, duped believer in a superficial ministry; they are longing for cultural acceptance, a slice of the American dream, economic security, emotional wholeness, someone to give them their best life here and now, to give them relief from their troubling circumstances, etc. It’s anything but the Word, and the Christ of the Word that they are longing for. Yet the Scripture calls us to long for the nutrients of the Word. So when the church decides it’s going to give people what they are longing for, (anything but Christ), the problem clearly develops. It’s at odds with the Head of the church, Christ. This is how the church fills up with unbelievers and, at best, moralizes the people who are there.”
4. How truth governs the mutual assembly of believers.
   • “Christ wants to build you up, which means you need to be built up, which means you aren’t where you need to be. You don’t have the option to be an individual with your own preferences and pursuits in the body of Christ. The church should be at the center of your life, not a fringe activity you do on the weekends.”
   1. Uniqueness among members does not mean isolation. We are “individually members one of another” (Rom 12:5).
      1. We bring uniqueness, but we are never disconnected from one another.
      2. When you make a decision how you are going to live, it affects every other person in the body of Christ.
      3. Your money, work, friends, ethics, family life—it all affects others in the body.
   2. Being in a spiritual family is a gift from the Lord.
      1. It provides accountability.
      2. It provides the context for growth and building up.
   3. Spiritual gifts within the assembly
      • “Spiritual gifts are a God-given capacity through which the Holy Spirit supernaturally ministers to the body of Christ. It is a person’s unique capacity to serve the body and is the Holy Spirit’s sovereign channel to minister to the lives of His elect.”
      1. Employing them is not optional (Rom 12:6).
      2. It’s a stewardship issue (1 Pet 4:10).
      3. They are dictated by the Lord (1 Cor 12:11).
      4. All of them are invaluable (1 Cor 12:14-26).
      5. Their proper exercise ensures the health of the church (Eph 4:16).
      6. The abuse of spiritual gifts
         1. A gravitation toward the showy gifts (1 Cor 12:14–26)
         2. Leads to a deformed body
         3. Leads to arrogance and condescension

“Are you deforming the body of Christ by not using your gifts, either in the implementation of them, or the attitude of them? Behind the scenes giftedness keep us humble by not allowing the showy gifts to get out of control (1 Cor 12:21–26).”