Month: June 2015

June 17, 2015

Three Realities of Church (Pt. 3)

In this installments to this blog, I intend to present the third of three realities of church work that deserve a quick reminder. As you, the reader, remember these truths, I trust they will renew your readiness to serve in your local church.

“Calling versus Coercing”

Another very important aspect regarding God’s work and our place in it speaks to the way the person knows his or her direction. There are people on both sides of the table that believe that coercing is the same as calling. Some leaders believe that they must twist the arms of the worker in order for them to follow God’s direction. Some workers are just as bad. These believe that unless their arms are twisted, there is no real reason to do anything. But there is a difference between the calling of God and the coercion of church leaders. Both the leader and the worker need to understand this. If it takes coercion for someone to follow God’s direction, there is something else that needs attention. That individual is not ready to serve. On that same note, the leader that believes that it is necessary to brow beat and harasses the worker into submission is not ready to be a leader.

This is a “never should be” attitude. When this is the attitude that is leading the church, the church will be bogged down in personality issues and arguments over polity rather than the vital work of evangelism and disciple making for which the church has been instituted.

From one leader to others, Peter writes, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3). The leadership role here is clearly described. The leader is responsible to be both a provider of care for the sheep and direction for those sheep to be productive. He is NOT to beat them into submission. Peter makes it clear that it is the task of those who are to follow to, “submit yourselves to your elders” (Vs 5). If every person knows his role and does it, there will be no need to coerce or force the work.

If the leader will take on the “Mind of Christ,” and will in his work strive to “make himself of no reputation,” He will be a leader that others will want to work with. If he will view himself as a servant, obedient to his Lord even “to the point of death,” and perhaps that of the cross with all its implications, he will be a servant true to his Lord. If he will not wear this attitude, his chore has very little chance of being done effectively and the work will suffer.

© 2015 Dr. SF Gallagher

June 9, 2015

Three Realities of Church (Pt. 2)

In this installments to this blog, I intend to present the second of three realities of church work that deserve a quick reminder. As you, the reader, remember these truths, I trust they will renew your readiness to serve in your local church.

“Chore versus Career”

There is also the thought of “Chore versus Career”. It should be understood that change is a part of the reality of all that God has placed on this earth. The fact that you felt a real and secure direction from God to teach that class or lead that committee or whatever your chore might have been in a time now past, this may not be a life long calling. This is even true for the person who is absolutely chosen by God for lifelong career ministry. Every church chore, whether high profile or behind the scenes, should be viewed simply as a chore. It is a necessary, vital, has to be done, no room for error chore. It is a chore that must be done; a chore to be done to the Glory of God; a chore that calls out, “You are the one who must do this thing.” But also remember that God could have chosen someone else to do that chore, and may choose to replace you any day He chooses.

 

The chore is not “Yours” to own. The chore is “Yours” to do. But only yours until it is time for someone else to have the same chore in the same room with the same seat covers and the same dishes. There is only one eternal thing to which God calls us. This is salvation, and this places every bondservant of God in the same place.

 

© 2015 Dr. SF Gallagher

June 4, 2015

Three Realities of Church (Pt. 1)

 

Over the next few installments to this blog, I intend to present three realities of church work that deserve a quick reminder. As you, the reader, remember these truths, I trust they will renew your readiness to serve through your local church.

 

“Role versus Rank”

One of the most important things to understand for every church worker is the concept of “Role versus Rank”.  The reality is that there is no “Rank” in the church except that which is due to God. No pastor, nor deacon, nor elder, nor long time or charter member, nor rich person, nor mean person, nor angry person, nor educated person, nor person with a long Christian lineage – this list is too long now so if you want more, make them up yourself- has any higher importance than any of the other people on or off this list. Even though there are “Roles” that necessitate an amount of leadership and authority, there is not a single person in the church with the place of the dictator. Responsibility absolutely exists, and a lot of it. The proper submission to that place of responsibility also absolutely exists. Many problems ensue very quickly though when either party overdoes his or her part of this equation.

 

In probably every church in the world, there are those who are extremely demanding. It is their thinking that every thought they have is divinely inspired and thus everyone must follow whatever they want. They think they are always right and anyone who does not agree with them must therefore be wrong and should get right with God – this being measured by their agreement with and submission to the thoughts and directions they support. The reality is that these people need to get a right understanding their place in God’s kingdom work.

 

There are others in most churches. These are those who have no opinion whatsoever. Perhaps they have been beaten down so many times that they feel that there is no value in the fight any longer. They may be quiet, jello backed people who think so little of their opinions that they refuse to assert any part of them.  It is also possible that these are simply so apathetic that they really don’t care, feeling that what and how the church goes about her task are plainly unimportant.

 

Both of these people need to gain an understanding of how God intends His church to operate.  It is God’s intentional plan that His church operate with order and with leadership. He gave us the roles of leadership, and the roles that follow His leaders. Knowing which role God has given an individual, and working within that role, will remove many dissentions in the church.

 

© 2015 Dr. SF Gallagher