THE BODY OF CHRIST
THE
WORK OF THE BODY OF CHRIST – PART 2
How the
Body Accomplishes its Work –
Christ’s
Guidelines for this Work:
Predicated
on the understanding principles divulged by the Apostle Paul (Ephesians
4:11-16), with the intent that they were given to establish the
Body of Christ in just these
principles of purpose, we will look into the work of the Body by these rules
of order:
1.
Nothing the
Body of Christ engages in can
rend asunder the unity of the Spirit (one body, one Spirit, one hope, one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God).
2.
There can
only be the order that Jesus the Christ established within the
Body of Christ (this demands
that there cannot be a human organization or institution established apart
from this) –
Vs.
11.
3.
The work of
the Body of Christ is ordained
only by its King, and must not fall prey to the whims of what men think are
good works –
Vs.
12.
4.
Finally,
the work that the bodies’ Head has given for it to accomplish, can only be
accomplished by the Body. No saint can dismiss their responsibilities, as
given by their King, on any other organization or institution by proxy. Each
and every member of the Body of
Christ must complete; themselves, the growth and edification of each
Body in love!
Each
Local Body of Christ is Authorized to do:
Save the
Lost –
In the
context of our study text (Ephesians
4:11-16), we once again draw attention to
Vs.
12; “Edifying the Body of
Christ”. This not only included, as we discussed in our previous study,
the establishment of the Body; but additionally, the enlargement of the
Body.
Predicated
on the guidelines for this work, we see that this is
NOT accomplished by an
organization (world ministry service, institution, etc…); but by the local
Body of Christ.
If we take
a look at Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi, we can see an active
and approved pattern showing this very thing.
First,
Paul prayed and gave thanks for their fellowship in the Gospel of Jesus
as Christ from the beginning to the time of his writing to them (Philippians
1:5). Fellowship, by definition (and biblical application), is
‘joint participation in a common
enterprise or goal’. Paul was writing this from confinement in Rome (Acts
28:30-31); however, after Paul left these Christians in the 2nd
journey (Acts
16:40), they sent to his needs in the field time and again (Philippians
4:15-17). Not to a sponsoring Body or to an evangelical
organization, but directly to him!!!
This
allowed them to be in true fellowship with Paul in the Gospel, knowing that
he only preached according to His commission (Acts
26:17-18; which demonstrates that they had to be able to know
this in order to be in fellowship while supporting him).
Second,
in no way does this dismiss their responsibility to save the lost! They
could NOT be in fellowship with Paul in the Gospel, no matter how much money
they sent, unless they were themselves engaged in spreading the Gospel in
their own community.
By this
pattern, we see the Lord’s method for saving the lost. Each local
Body of Christ teaching and
preaching the Gospel in their own communities, then supporting qualified men
in the field directly, to preach and teach the Gospel in other areas.
2 Timothy 2:2
“And the things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others
also.”
Note:
This pattern shared by Paul in this letter to the Christians at Philippi,
fulfills every one of the guidelines of the Lord!
1.
The unity
of the Spirit is protected!
2.
The order
of the Body of Christ is
protected (King – local shepherds), versus boards of directors, etc…
3.
The wisdom
of the Lord is simply followed!
4.
Each and
every saint in the Body of Christ
is engaged and none have passed their responsibilities off by proxy!
In
addition, when the local Body of
Christ is creating by sound doctrine a membership that is active and
engaged, there is a since of joy within the
Body of Christ in fulfilling its
purpose (this is the overlaying theme of Paul’s letter to these Christians).
“But our
members won’t teach or preach to the community?”
Some may say.
When this
was the problem among Christians, did Paul throw the Lord’s wisdom out the
window for human wisdom? No way!
Titus 1:5
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should
set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every
city as I commanded you”
Titus 2:1-10
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for
sound doctrine:
2 that
the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in
patience;
3 the
older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not
given to much wine, teachers of good things—
4 that
they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their
children,
5 to
be
discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the
word of God may not be blasphemed.
6 Likewise,
exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in
all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in
doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8 sound
speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed,
having nothing evil to say of you.
9 Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.
Only true
order and doctrine, as established through the
Doctrine of Christ fixes the
problems (not introducing human wisdom). In fact, one of the greatest
impairments to the local Body of
Christ today, is the pew occupying Christian. Not that they should not
be at worship services, but the strange idea that they have somehow met a
quota of service by just being there.
In fact, it
must be instructed often and enforced by example (shepherds), that this
collective work of saving the lost (as well as each item we look into), must
be something we are working on both in the
‘how too’, and the
‘performance of’, every single
day of our journey here on earth.
If the
Apostles of Jesus Christ, having been given the Great Commission, had not
reproduced many more followers of Christ with the same understanding of this
great work, the commission would never have disseminated to our benefit (Matthew
28:18-20). When we look around and see the attrition of the
Body of Christ and wonder what
the evangelist is doing about it, or the elders; there’s the problem.
No, we don’t need another organization to do this; the Lord needs true
servants to do this!!!
Next: “Making Evangelists, Preachers, and Youth
Ministers?”