THE LOCAL LEVEL
1. One of the choices we get to make is where we should bank.
2.
Even in a community such as
3. Credit unions, big banks, little banks, banks in stores such as Wal-Mart and Meijer.
4. The competition for customers causes banks to advertise.
5. One of the points made by some banks is localized control of things such as loans.
6. There are financial organizations which will approve or reject a loan at their branch.
7. The paperwork does not need to be sent elsewhere—perhaps out of state—for approval.
8. The local control of decisions on financial matters appeals to people.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NEW TESTAMENT WE FIND A LOCALIZED CHURCH GOVERNMENT.
A. Church questions and problems were handled by people in the local congregation.
B. Last week we looked at some information from Acts 6.
C. We studied a growing problem in the first century church.
D. Certain widows were being neglected and this created tension.
E. The benevolent problem of widows may have been larger than we realize.
F. In Acts 4:4 the Bible says the “number of men” (males) was 5,000.
G. Between Acts 4:4 and Acts 6 there were additional conversions.
2. Acts 6:1 says the disciples were “multiplying.”
3. The number of widow who needed fed could have been in the dozens or hundreds.
4. There were many women who needed to be fed each day.
5. This task by itself would have been immense.
6. The problem worsened because some who should have been fed were being overlooked.
7. This was a problem and it was taken care of “in house.”
A. The
apostles did not seek help from a church headquarters in
B. The men who were in the midst of the problem solved it.
C. There can be no other conclusion when verses 2 and 3 of Acts 6 are read – READ.
D. The disciples “called the multitude of the disciples to them.”
E. Verse 3 says “look ye out therefore brethren from among yourselves.”
8. The local people solved a pressing problem.
9. This is not the first time the book of Acts tells us this was done.
10. The previous chapter describes a Christian couple that lied.
11. There was a problem with Christians who were deceitful.
12. The Bible says this was also handled on a local level.
A. The leadership of the church (apostles like Peter) met with this husband and wife.
B. The leaders gave this couple a chance to talk, and by implication repent.
C. When the couple persisted in their lie, they were punished.
13. In Acts 4:35 we see the local congregation taking care of local problems once again.
14. There were Christians who had “needs.”
15. The apostles were able to address this matter on a local level.
16. Local Christians got together, sold items of value, and used the prophet to help fellow saints.
17. This is the picture in the book of Acts again and again.
18. I want to offer some quick references which you can jot down for reference.
19. Each comes from the book of Acts and points to local leadership.
A. The first is Acts 11:29-30.
B. There were Christians in “Judea” who needed financial assistance.
C. Fellow brethren collected funds and the monies were sent “to the elders.”
D. Why send the money to the elders?
E. This question is answered in the earlier portions of Acts.
F. Elders are the leaders in local congregations so they are the point men for this type of relief effort.
20. The next reference is Acts 15:2, 4.
21. There were questions about circumcision.
22. This question had been answered several chapters earlier.
23. Peter had his experience with Cornelius and learned the Gentiles were acceptable “by faith.”
24. There was no need for circumcision.
25. Yet, false teachers (Acts 15:1) said circumcision was necessary.
26. The elders and the apostles got together to discuss this matter.
A. There are religious groups who use this passage to say this was a church conference.
B. It is further alleged that those at this meeting decided church doctrine.
C. The doctrine had already been decided by God in Acts 10 and 11.
D. When the discussion took place at Jerusalem, Peter spoke of his experience with Cornelius.
E. Acts 15:15 said this was the fulfillment of what had been predicated in the “prophets.”
27. The elders and the apostles got together to talk about good ways to stop the false teachers.
28. This was a job for local church leaders and this responsibility still exist.
29. Tit. 1:9 says elders are to “convict the gainsayers.”
30. Acts 15 is further proof that local leadership is God’s plan.
A. In Acts 21:18 we find Paul having a conversation with “all the elders in Jerusalem.”
B. The elders, being the leaders of the congregation, then made a request of him.
31. If you want a simple way to demonstrate local church leadership use the book of 1 Pet.
32. This illustration uses the first and last chapters in this book.
A. 1 Pet. 1:1 tells us who the book was written to.
B. This apostle wrote to “sojourners.”
C. There were people who lived in several different places.
D. These areas were Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
33. Peter wrote to all these people and some have seized upon this fact.
34. This verse has been used to allege that church leadership is not local.
35. Peter was not a member of all these congregations, but he exercised leadership in all of them.
A. When we look at Peter we need to remember he wore two hats.
B. One the one hand he was an apostle.
C. The apostles had an amount of authority that stretched throughout the church.
D. 1 Pet. 1:1 is written from the standpoint of Peter’s apostleship.
36. If Peter had not been an inspired apostle, he would have had no right to write this book.
37. Peter did write this book, and one of the congregations which received it was very close to him.
A. Let’s look at 1 Pet. 5.
B. We want the material in verses 1-2 – READ
C. The congregations Peter wrote to had elders so Peter gave some general instructions.
D. Here we also find Peter was an “elder” at one of the congregations listed in 1:1.
E. We do not know which one it was, but he was an elder.
F. Peter is an ideal illustration of church leadership.
38. The apostles were able to exert leadership on a universal level.
39. This is seen in many of the passages I cited from Acts.
40. If an apostle were an elder (and Peter was), he was also involved with leadership on a local level.
41. This leadership is described as “tending the flock” and “exercising the oversight.”
THIS SYSTEM IS IN COMPLETE CONTRAST TO WHAT IS OFTEN FOUND IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.
A. Some might say this form will not work.
B. If we do not have qualified elders, we need some other form.
C. The Bible addresses this issue as well.
D. Tit. 1:5 tells us that elders were “lacking” in congregations on the island of Crete.
E. Paul didn’t tell these Christians to set up a board or vote in a new kind of arrangement.
F. Neither did he tell them to have decisions made by folks from Jerusalem.
G. He said, “appoint elders.”
H. Work on creating and installing qualified men so the church will have local leadership.
2. The advantages of local leadership should be obvious to all.
3. Local leadership is so useful, it is a marketing tool for banks and mortgage companies.
4. It is a feature which is even being employed in the health care industry.
A. Quite often people must undergo medical tests.
B. After the test we want to know the results as soon as possible.
C. If the results can be processed locally instead of being sent and delayed, faster is better.
5.
Local
church government, like we saw in Acts, 6, allows problems to be addressed by
those who understand them.
6. People who care about us are the people who make leadership decisions.
7. I hear about congregations which get together and vote on various matters.
8. Everything from church admission to the budged is voted on.
9. This is decision making but it is not leadership.
10. Anybody can cast a vote. Not everyone is qualified to lead, and especially lead the church of God.
11. God’s pattern for church leadership is a plurality of qualified men known as elders.
A. This is not a conclusion limited to those within the churches of Christ.
B. I did a little looking on the net.
C. Other religious groups have web pages which make points similar to what I have expressed.
D. If the New Testament is carefully studied, we will come to the same conclusion about leadership.
12. One such man is Dr. Steve Cowan.
13. In 2,000 a Baptist church hosted a seminar entitled “Would Jesus join your church?”
14. Dr. Cowan defended a “plural eldership in the local congregation.”
A. Someone called me up the other day and asked about 20 questions about the church.
B. It appeared he saw our sign and wanted to check what he was being taught.
C. One of his question was “How come people see the Bible differently?”
D. The answer to this question is pre-conceived ideas.
15. Religious people outside the church come to the same conclusions about items such as leadership.
16. The truth is in God’s word and we need to follow it.
17. Tonight we trust you are here because you want the truth and you want to obey it.