As you look around on any given Sunday at Victory Church, you will notice the inevitable—we are out of space! Therefore, we are praying and working diligently to relocate our church. That is why I have spent several weeks writing in our Connection Paper articles about the “church.” If you have missed my previous articles on Relocation of Victory Church you can read them here on my blog. Last week I wrote about the “description” of the church. Today I would like to focus on the “ownership” of the church. Who is the owner(s) of the church?
In one congregation when relocation was mentioned, a prominent member stood up to oppose the committee with words that expressed, not only personal feelings, but also parts of his doctrine of the church:
These people want to take our church and give it to some other group of people who don’t love it, don’t know it, and haven’t earned it, just give it away like it doesn’t mean a thing. Let these people just get on out of here and go do what they want and leave us alone!
Did you read those words? “ Our church!” There is a lot of difference between feeling ownership in the sense of sharing the vision and goals of the church, and having sense of responsibility—and thinking you own the place.
Whatever the church is: Jesus bought and paid for it at great personal expense. It is, “the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28), that in and of itself established ownership; it is “His body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24). He is also the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). If it belongs to Him, then it doesn’t belong to you or me.
Here is one of the church principles our congregation here at Victory holds to:
Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and its only owner. Let no member think that long service or large gifts impart tenure in an office or control over any part of the ministry.
If Jesus owns the resources of a congregation, how then can a congregation refuse to make it available to Him to do with as He leads? Therefore, we feel 100% confident we are following the leadership of our Lord, the rightful owner of Victory, in this relocation process. Continue with us in prayer as we endeavor to take this journey of faith! It's exciting!
Pastor Jon;
I was blessed to read your article on the ownership of the church. It was refreshing to read that the Lord is the "head" of the church in a time when men preach "you are somebody."
None of us would be anything without our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and while it is true that we can do all things in him and through him we must realize that the entire word of God bears witness unto the Lord as providing what the church needs to overcome and endure unto the end.
It has been a long time since I have read where the Lord is the head of the church in matters of authority. Most want a husband or head that is some wimp that gives the wife equal rights. That of course is no part of a kingdom and his kingdom is no democracy.
Vashti lost her place through disobedience and was replaced by Esther.
The word likens disobeience to witchcraft and rebellion to idolatry.
Esther was one that only wanted that which would please the king and of course it is the Spirit of God that supplies that as it only cares to glorify Jesus.
It's hard for us who live in a democracy to see things as in a kingdom. But a kingdom it is by our Lord's own words and to try to water it down or bring equal rights to the "wife," or church is blasphemy of the Holy Ghost as the Lord said he that speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven. That Spirit is what men spake by as the word declares.
Ruth was "purchased to wife" just as the Lord purchased us with his own blood. Those types and shadows are overlooked today and played down in many mainstream churches that are afraid of offending their flocks and losing tithes.
Ananias and Saphirah sold a possession and kept back part of the price and were struck down dead in a dispensation of grace. Lying to the Holy Ghost or trying to retain part of the "purchased possession" isn't wise and the results can be eternal.
The Lord said we should be willing to forsake everything to follow him and not to allow anything of this world (family included) come before, or become a god before him.
It's a blessing to see that we are the church and tabernacle that has been purchased at Calvary and that we are not our own, but bought with the blood of Christ and therefore owned by him for his glory.
I wish you well with your move and hope that your flock will continue with you as you go from building to building.
It might not seem right sometimes where the Lord leads but then again we are not to look at things with our own understanding and one must remember had not the little maid been taken captive Naaman would not have been healed. His ways are not ours and his leading is always perfect.
I look forward to your next entry. I hope that your relocation goes well.
May God bless,
Bro Del
Posted by: Delmar F. Hagen | May 03, 2007 at 12:00 PM