Two Questions Every Church Leader Should Answer
June 15, 2010 - 10:39 AM
This week I'm at the National Pastor and Staff Conference for Great Commission Association of Churches.
Here's a challenge from last night that I think is applicable to every pastor and house church leader.
As you consider how and what you should be doing with your church God's church under your care, start with answering the following 2 questions
1. What did Jesus intend the church to be when he said, "... I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18(
2. What did Jesus teach and build into 12 men, so that in 3 years he could turn the world over to them?
I'm looking forward to hearing others thoughts on these questions and to thinking deeply about them myself.
- Nathan
My answer to question 1. 1. Jesus intended the church to be people filled with faith. If we "fight the good fight", and our faith isn't "shipwrecked", we will prevail. He intends to build our faith in Him.
1) Matthew 16:17-19 NKJV 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Well, putting the half-verse you quoted back into context, we can see that Christ is building His church on the rock of faith and the movement of the Holy Spirit in believers such as Simon Peter. Peter had just acknowledged Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God," and that revelation came from God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us power and knowledge against which hell and death cannot prevail. 2) I am amazed that Jesus was able to teach those guys the faith and spiritual maturity they needed to become teachers on their own. I always look at the arc of someone like Simon Peter, going from "Ye of little faith" to the rock upon which Christ would build His church, and then Peter himself going on to that fiery sermon on Pentecost. It's hard to see the Galilean fisherman in that leader of the church, but he's still there, just more mature in his understanding of God in Christ. http://pastorgadget.wordpress.com