Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 6 September 2001 — Page 40

The Muncie Times, September 6, 2001, page 40

RELIGION

On earth minister is head of the church

“I change thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the Word; Be Instant in Season. Out of Season; Reprove; Exhort with All Longsuffering and Doctrine (ETimothy 4:1-2). A charge goes beyond a commandment in that it carries with it a personal obligation to follow through in explicit obedience. Paul was giving his son in the Lord, Timothy his last will and testament before his martyrdom. This text only uses one definite article in the Greek so should have been translated, ‘before our God and Lord, Jesus Christ’ (refer to St John 20.28). This same charge is to every God called preacher and is witnessed to be so by He who will judge the world at his appearing. It is a charge of the utmost responsibility There is no greater office of importance than the office of the minister. The preacher deals with more than life or death. (He deals with eternal souls). The Calling There are so many men today who have entered the ministry as a professional vocation. Others have entered the office by seffimotiviating wills. But there are a few who are genuinely called by the Lord. The anointing of God will tell the true story Some have been called but because of desire for self-esteem or monetary gain have abandoned their responsibility to preach truth. Others have compromised the message simply because they have been worn down by pressure. Few there are who is actually God called and preaching truth In fact there are only two kinds of preachers. There are Holy Ghost preachers and somebody’s preacher). Either they are following the leading of the Holy Ghost in their rrinistnes or they are preaching to tickle the ears of those who own their ministries. (II Timothy 434). He either belongs to God or men

God called Jeremiah from the womb of his mother (Jeremiah 1:4-5) Timothy’s calling revealed to him as a youth (I Timothy 4:12). This is true about most God called men in the Bible. It is my belief that a man if called to preach is called from brith although, like Moses, may not realized it until much later. True God cafled ministers are responsible to God and not any Church or Deacon Board. Ihave no idea where this generation ever got the thought that the Deaom Board is for running the preacher. This absolutely is not Bible and not God This mistake in Church government is why so many churches are weak and milk fed Tlrey salary and control the pulpit. God should control the pulpit and his messenger or he is not tire messenger of God The minister is the watchman on the wall, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman . .therefore hear the word of my mouth,” (Ezekiel 3:17-21). He was to say what God told him to say to both the wicked and righteous. If he did not speak the very words that God said then that wicked or righteous would be lost and the preacher also woqjd be lost. Where are you getting your messages and who is influencing what you preach? “Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves: for they watch for your soul, as they must give an account” (Hebrews 13:7,17). Preacher you must preach what God tells you Abu are going to give an account before God for every soul you have ever preached or ministered to. This is a tremendous responsibility. How can so many take it so Ikht heartecfly? The Ministry “And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors arH teachers; for the working of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11,12). Thejobcfthe church is the “working of the ministry” to save the lost. The job of the preachers is to “Perfect the

saints.” This scripture didn’t say for the pastor only to perfect the saints. Many pastors have gotten the big head when they think that they alone, can perfect their church, they cannot The Bible gives the five-fold ministry for “the perfecting of the saints.” This includes not only the apostles and prophets but also evangelists and teachers. The Bible doesn’t say evangelists are to onfypreach to sinners. Infect, it doesn’t say they have to preach to sinners at all but to saints. The local church pastor is the highest, office in that local church Even the apostles, after starting the chinches and appointing elders (Ads 14:23; Strongs Greek #4244-presbysters from #4245Sanhedrin council who were all Levites which were priests and absolutely not laitybelder ministers were the pastors, elders) would not go above their office but through their office to the local churches (Acts 11:30). All ministries and church offires are under the authority and supervision cf the local pastor but that does not mean that onfy he is to “perfect the saints.” The fivefold ministry is for “perfecting the saints.” A bishop is “overseer and superintendent” (Strongs Greek #1984,1985) also (see PastorsStrongs Greek # 4165-66-Shepherd), supervisor, rule) and that this office is over and different from deacon (Strongs Greek #1247-attendant, wait upon, serve, host, be a friend, menially) (I Timothy 3:2,8). Titus declares an elder and a bishop as one and the same (Titus 1:5-7). Again scripture says, ‘Remember them that have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word cf God.. .obey them that have the rule” (Hebrews 12:7,17). The word rule in Revelations 227 is token from the word polmen (#4166pastor). Nowhere ever in scripture did laity rule Gods messenger. Gods messenger always was authority over laity always (God destroyed Korah for trying to rule the ministry-

Number 16, and God destroyed Tbbiah for sofering and ruling the ministry Nehemiah 13).. ‘How shafi they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14)? God directs his church through the preacher. When lie delivers a message to man he never delivers it directfy himself but he goes through a preacher (Acts 96,17,18; Acts 10:5,6; 829,30). The message that God sent to all seven churches in Revelations was “to the angel cf the church” (Rev cbptrs. 2 & 3). That word “angel” is the same word used when John spot “messengers” to ask if Jesus was the Christ (Luke 724; 9:52). (Strongs Greek #32-angel, messenger, pastor). God speaks to the church and to mankind through the preacher God never bypasses the ministry to tell saints what to do. Saints who say God told them to do something, without consulting the ministry have bypassed God given authority and is out of Gods will God speaks through the ministry and always it has been that way God has never left saints to pastor themselves. He has always given them a leader. Moses, Samuel who pastored kings, (Jeremiah 17:14-16), James the pastor of the first church at Jerusalem who pastored the apostles (Acts 15:13, 19; 21:18), and so on God has a pastor for everyone. He who cannot be pastored cannot be saved (Hebrews 12:6-9, II Timothy 42). Peter said to the elders, who he also claimed to be, “Feed the flock which is among you, taking the oversight thereof. neither as being lord over God’s hertiage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:14). Again here the elder is a preacher who is to feed the flock and a shepherd taking the oversight under the authority cf the chief shepherd He is to feed the flock or, as Paul said, “preach the word’ (It Timothy 42). Some you must feed milk and others strong meat (I Cur. 32; Hebrews

5:12,13). Again elders are seasoned preachers and no laity board members. In feet, getting real picky, deacons are young preachers, as Stephen and Phillip were (Acts 6:1-7; 6:8; 7:59; 8:5). Laity does not oversee the church The preachers do. Laity does not feed the flock but preachers have this responsibility It is sad but there are congregations which are several years old in God but are still bottle-fed instead of meat feed. This is because the preacher has become a hireling to some unhiblical church board, instead of God’s messenger and overseer. The ministry is “charged before God” to preach the wad, perfect the saints. It is an awesome responsibility. Each preacher will give an account to God for every message he ever preaches and every counsel he has ever given It would be wise for him to make sure he is preaching Gods message and not tickling ears for self-esteem The pfcgrchey God told Ezekiel, “all my words that I shall speak unto thee, receive in thine heart, speak unto them, and tell them, thus saith the Lcrd Gcxl; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear” (Ezekiel 3:10, 11). Mfeaiah said, “as the Lord liveth, even what God saith, that will I speak’ (II Chronicles 18:13). The preacher is to hear fium God and preach whatever God tells him whether it be good or bad, whether it be blessing or judgement, or whether it be encouragment a reproof “Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” 01 Timothy 2:4). He is to reprove (Strongs Greek #1651rebuke, convict, tell a fault, reprove). He is to rebuke (Strongs Greek #2008-rebuke, forbid, straightly charge, to tax upon). He is to exhort (Strongs Greek #3780-to call near, invite, invoke, by imploration or consolation, beseech, call for, entreet, exhort).