the church
Insights
on church life
by Pastor Pete Beck III
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unpacking lordship principles
One thing I have learned over the years, (although, I sometimes forget to apply it), is that it is foolish and sometimes dangerous to assume that people understand God's ways as revealed in the Bible. Even if I have taught on a subject, it does not mean people have really understood it. Sometimes it doesn't even mean that I have completely understood it. This is the first in a new series of meditations that I hope to add to from time to time that will major on some basic and important concepts and principles relating to church life. I hope you will be blessed and the church will be strengthened. It is important that people in the church see things from the same point of view, as much as is possible, to help preserve unity and to strengthen the ministry.
So, just what is the church anyway? The Greek word is ecclesia, which simply means "assembly of called ones". We are called to belong to Christ, to love one another, to believe, to serve, to make disciples, and to obey, to name a few things. The principle I will touch on today revolves around our call to obey, which is nothing more than coming under Christ's lordship.
Christians relate to Jesus as Savior and Lord. He saves us from our sins, from the devil, from condemnation, from death, from sickness, etc. In order to know Christ as Savior requires that we recognize our need for a Savior and that we believe the gospel message from the heart. Knowing Christ as Lord, however, is another matter. In the first case, our knowing him as Savior is mainly a matter of receiving, but in the second case, lordship requires that we give something back - our obedience. The term "lordship" needs to be "unpacked", much like expanding a zip file on a computer. A hole lot is compressed into that one little world.
Obedience, despite what some may think, is not a four letter word. Its meaning is embodied in a three letter word, which is found in the middle of the larger original word itself - "DIE"! Surrendering to Christ's lordship requires us to die to our own will, a high price to pay, and one that many refuse. A Christian who has not submitted to Christ's lordship at some level is probably not the real deal. Of course, none of us is perfect in obedience, but we should be making progress. It is a lifelong endeavor.
Obedience to the Lord translates into obedience to His Word and the Holy Spirit, which most Christians understand, even though they don't always put it into practice. Much to our consternation at times, obedience to Christ also requires that we obey delegated human authority as well.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13:1-2 (ESV)
Let's use the Scriptures to lay out some principles for how the church needs to come under Christ's lordship as it relates to delegated authority.
The Principle of Ownership - God owns us by reason of being our Creator and Redeemer. He made us, sustains us and bought us back from slavery. That makes Him Lord in every sense of the word. Therefore, we are his slaves, his servants under command, who have an obligation to live in a way that displays His ownership. Paul wrote about his principle in his letter to the Corinthians:
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20 (ESV)
The Principle of Permission - Since God owns us and is Lord over us, we must operate on the premise that our lives are not ours to command. We are not "independent operators" who simply "check in with the boss" every now and then. Rather, we should seek to live as much as we can with complete reliance upon and obedience to our Lord. Jesus lived this way. How much more must we!
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. John 5:19 (ESV)
The principle of permission is transferable due to the fact that authority is representative. In the church, God has placed those who have responsibility and commensurate authority to care for God's sheep as under shepherds. The "flock" or church members are commanded to "obey" these representatives of Christ and to honor these persons "as unto the Lord". This principle, of course, also applies in the home, the workplace and to our government. But now we are only dealing with the church environment. In the church, the pastor and elders are commissioned by the Lord to watch over, govern and care for his sheep. Let's look at what the Word says about our relationship to these delegated governmental representatives of Christ.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)
To "obey" literally means to "have confidence in, trust, follow, obey". In other words, to follow Christ's delegated authority requires that we have trust, first of all in Christ, and secondly in those who lead us. Therefore, if no trust is present, things will not work. Obedience will be forced and artificial at best, or nonexistent, at worst. It takes great faith and trust in God to be a person who is "under authority" to a human delegate. Ask any wife!
To "submit" means "to retire, withdraw, submit". Here we have the idea of humbling ourselves and considering the leader as "better" than us (not in intrinsic value, but regarding roles we play and in order to demonstrate basic humility). Let me explain. Paul, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, commands us:
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:1-3 (NIV)
This principle applies to all Christians in their relationships with all other Christians; so, how much more does this apply to our relationship with delegated authority. What we are saying here is that, although human representatives of Christ are sinful and fallible persons, they carry a "mantle" of God's authority that must be treated with great respect. This is not respect so much for the human being as it is for the authority they represent. Remember that Roman centurion from Matthew's gospel? This man understood that he was able to command others because he was under the command of Caesar. Christ's delegated representatives have the right to expect obedience and respect because of Whom they serve and represent.
It is important to clarify a couple of things at this point to avoid misunderstandings.
Human representatives of Christ have no "ownership" and no right to "lord it over" those they pastor. (1 Peter 5:1-5)
Authorities in the local church are not called to micromanage the lives of those they pastor.
Submission to Christ is not an option. We must obey Christ or suffer whatever consequences our sin and/or God's chastening brings into our lives. He has the right to enforce obedience. In contrast, representative authorities in the church, have no right to demand or forcibly extract obedience from anyone. God will have to deal with those who refuse to comply in this area. However, the pastor and elders are required to discipline any church members who sin willfully and defiantly, are troublemakers or who are harmful to the other sheep. The biggest weapon in their arsenal, after prayer and counsel, is excommunication from the local church; something that is always done reluctantly and with the hope of bringing about restoration.
The principle of permission has some practical applications in the local church, too. Since the pastor and elders will give an account to Jesus for how well they oversee the church, they have been given the required authority to do their job. To put it another way, the eldership is responsible for what goes on in the church under their care. Therefore, they must know what is going on and they must oversee what takes place in the church's name.
This brings up the Principle of Limited Confidentiality. People sometimes like to share "tidbits" of gossip with others under the cloak of secrecy. The Bible says that this is sinful behavior, and, according to Proverbs, a gossip separates close friends.
A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. Proverbs 16:28 (ESV)
When we encounter this type of behavior, it must be confronted and challenged. If someone tells us something about another person that they have no business sharing, it can be a good idea that we suggest that the other person be brought into the conversation or that we are not willing to receive such remarks. We should never abet the gossiper by listening what they have to say or, much worse, by passing it on. However, how we handle gossip is not really what I mean by limited confidentiality.
The principle of limited confidentiality promotes healthy church life. It provides that if during a private conversation concerning church affairs, a person tries to bind you to strict confidentiality, you should inform that person that you will not be held to such if what they share proves to be information that the pastor needs to fulfill his duty to care for the sheep and guard the church from harm. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the awkward position of having to sit on information that could save the church or individuals from much damage. I am not suggesting that we lie to people and tell them we will hold things in confidence and then break their trust. Rather, I am saying that we should be up front about the matter. I realize this may cause people to withhold information from us, but I believe this is better than being caught in a bind. As a matter of fact, the government also uses this rule. If I, as a pastor during counseling, discover that a child is being sexually abused, I am required by law to report that to the state. This law overrides any other rules of confidentiality because the safety of the child is at stake. Different people have differing concepts of what is required by confidentiality. The key, I believe is that a local church's standard should be understood and well communicated. At Liberty, the pastor and elders believe that it is in the church's best interest if all abide by the principle of limited confidentiality.
The Principle of Communication. Common courtesy teaches us that we should communicate what we are doing to those who are responsible for the overall operation. No one is perfect at good communication, and some leaders can be very poor at it, but this no excuse for people under their oversight to fail to properly communicate. In fact, we should be guilty of over communication rather than doing less than we should. Combining this principle with the principle of permission means that we will never launch or initiate any church ministry or group without first communicating and obtaining approval from the eldership.
The Principle of Deference. Deference is the act of putting into practice the principle of considering others better than ourselves as it relates to representative authority. Ephesians 5:21 instructs us to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. This verse is given in the context of detailed instructions regarding the application. We are not to all submit to everyone else (except in a very limited sense of being accountable to God as He may speak through any other person); otherwise, authority would have no meaning. We are to submit to one another as is appropriate based on the authority structures in which we find ourselves. Wives submit to husbands, children to parents, servants to masters, and church members to the eldership. This submission means we voluntarily "come under" delegated authority and make it clear that in any given situation we will defer to their wishes, except, of course, regarding anything that is sinful. Here is a practical example. If during a small group meeting a person confesses a serious sin or problem, and an elder is present, those in the group should defer to the elder to provide ministry at that point. This is a matter of honoring the one with the most responsibility and authority before God. The elder may choose to ask another person to minister, or because of a previous trust relationship, the elder may have a tacit understanding with others in the room that in such situations they can minister freely without showing any formalities of deference. If you are not sure you have such permission, you probably don't and should always defer until told otherwise. This principle puts our humility to the test, especially if we think we have more understanding, experience, etc. than the elder or other delegated authority that is present. This takes faith. Just ask any wife!
Wow! That is a lot to cover in one sitting, isn't it? Think deeply about these things and put them into practice. You will be blessed in the doing, and God will be laying the foundation of solid character in your life. He may even be grooming you for future ministry as a delegated authority in His Kingdom!
Interact with Pastor Pete
Would you say you agree with everything written above, or do you have problems with some aspect? Explain, using the Scriptures to back up your argument.
Which principle do you think is the most foundational or important? Why?
Which one do you see being violated most often? Why do you think this is?
Which one do you personally need to work on the most? Why?
Answer one or more of the questions above.
Write your answers on an email and send to Pastor Pete.
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