How Do You Build A Church?
And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:23 ESV)
Prayer and fasting, elders and ... Commiting them to The Lord. That's the plan.
Elders. Elders are essential. They must be a part of every church. Right away here we are introduced to the subject of submission. Every church needs someone or some group of people they must submit to. This is a lost art in America. If we don't like one church we'll scoot over here to the next church until we feel important and powerful. It's church on our terms and its disgraceful to the body of Christ. A Church needs Elders who keep watch and to whom others submit in humility.
Prayer and fasting. Not programming, prayer and fasting. Not production, prayer and fasting. This is a church builder. Prayer must be the undercurrent beneath the program and production. But it can never be the additive. Prayer MOVES God. God wants us to pray. Jesus told us to pray for more laborers. This is a non-negotiable reality in the book of Acts and the life of Christ. Prayer breaks the back of the enemy as we call on Jesus to do what only He can do - build His Church.
And finally...
Committing them to the Lord. You can't start a church around a personality or on someone else's grace. It has to be The Lord's house from the beginning. It has to be left in His hands. Every pastor, no matter how noteworthy or gifted will someday leave the flock behind. Paul didn't want to wait for death, there were too many other people to reach with the Gospel. He left a pattern for us all, commit them to the Lord.
I am amazed at how little we tend to trust the Lord with His own house. What if that person leaves? What if this person should retire? Does not the builder know His business? Why we we fret when some come and others go? I've had people leave telling me they feel sorry for us. I tell them stop! The Lord is watching over His house and it will be fine. It's the state of life, constant change and new faces in different places but the one consistent attribute of every church is The LORD knows those who are HIS.
As a Pastor, it is a regular reminder to me, these people are not "my sheep." They belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll watch over them with His Word, not mine. I'll pray for them to receive His Spirit, not emulate my personality. The Lord loves His Church far more than I do. I didn't die for it, He did. I don't wash it, He does, I am simply serving the body as He sees fit.
PRAYER:
Father, thank You that Jesus is building His church. Thank You for the privilege of being a part of it. Thank you for choosing to use me in whatever way You see fit. I ask you for more laborers in the harvest fields of my region and community. I pray for the skill and wisdom to teach and train others. Amen.
Elders. Elders are essential. They must be a part of every church. Right away here we are introduced to the subject of submission. Every church needs someone or some group of people they must submit to. This is a lost art in America. If we don't like one church we'll scoot over here to the next church until we feel important and powerful. It's church on our terms and its disgraceful to the body of Christ. A Church needs Elders who keep watch and to whom others submit in humility.
Prayer and fasting. Not programming, prayer and fasting. Not production, prayer and fasting. This is a church builder. Prayer must be the undercurrent beneath the program and production. But it can never be the additive. Prayer MOVES God. God wants us to pray. Jesus told us to pray for more laborers. This is a non-negotiable reality in the book of Acts and the life of Christ. Prayer breaks the back of the enemy as we call on Jesus to do what only He can do - build His Church.
And finally...
Committing them to the Lord. You can't start a church around a personality or on someone else's grace. It has to be The Lord's house from the beginning. It has to be left in His hands. Every pastor, no matter how noteworthy or gifted will someday leave the flock behind. Paul didn't want to wait for death, there were too many other people to reach with the Gospel. He left a pattern for us all, commit them to the Lord.
I am amazed at how little we tend to trust the Lord with His own house. What if that person leaves? What if this person should retire? Does not the builder know His business? Why we we fret when some come and others go? I've had people leave telling me they feel sorry for us. I tell them stop! The Lord is watching over His house and it will be fine. It's the state of life, constant change and new faces in different places but the one consistent attribute of every church is The LORD knows those who are HIS.
As a Pastor, it is a regular reminder to me, these people are not "my sheep." They belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll watch over them with His Word, not mine. I'll pray for them to receive His Spirit, not emulate my personality. The Lord loves His Church far more than I do. I didn't die for it, He did. I don't wash it, He does, I am simply serving the body as He sees fit.
PRAYER:
Father, thank You that Jesus is building His church. Thank You for the privilege of being a part of it. Thank you for choosing to use me in whatever way You see fit. I ask you for more laborers in the harvest fields of my region and community. I pray for the skill and wisdom to teach and train others. Amen.
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