Why I Affirm The 2026 SBC Resolution "On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer"

Introduction:

    In my last post I wrote about what Scripture teaches on male headship and the equality of men and women here Growing Christian Resources: What Does Scripture Teach On Male Headship and Equality of Men and Women? 

    In this post I want to narrow down the overall Biblical worldview I presented last time to one singular subject: the affirmation of Biblical teaching about male-only Pastors and Elders at the recent 2026 SBC in Orlando, Florida. I then will summarize why I hold to that position. 

The recent discussion and debate about the offices of pastor /elder and men and women in the SBC

    We travel back to the 2022 SBC convention in Anaheim, California, where discussion ensued over whether women ought to be ordained as staff pastors. A proposal to censure Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church was discussed over his May 2021 ordination of three women on his staff. After much discussion, the issue was tabled until the 2023 convention. Consequently, Saddleback (along with a handful of SBC churches) were expelled by the Convention, however the discussion was far from over.

    We fast forward to this year's Southern Baptist Convention, wherein Al Mohler presented what he called "The Truth and Unity Amendment" here Truth and Unity Amendment - AlbertMohler.com. 

    The goal was to add the amendment to the constitution of the SBC. Its addition would reinforce the convention's position on the matter as spelled out in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Further, the amendment would give a mechanism for holding churches accountable that ordain or appoint women to the office of pastor / elder or any ordained staff positions. 

    The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 in Article VI on "The Church" states the following on this subject:

"Its two scriptural offices are that of pastor/elder/overseer and deacon. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor/elder/overseer is limited to men as qualified by Scripture."

    With these things in mind, the convention convened last week in Orlando Florida, approving Mohler's proposal. According to convention by-laws, anytime a change to the constitution is proposed, passage requires two successive convention meetings to make it permanent. 

    Consequently, from that discussion came forth a resolution which spells out the details about male-only pastors / elders here On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer - SBC.net  I would encourage readers to read over the resolution. According to the SBC, a resolution "has traditionally been defined as an expression of opinion or concern, as compared to a motion, which calls for action. A resolution is not used to direct an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention to specific action other than to communicate the opinion or concern expressed." This resolution on male-only pastors and elders, coupled with Mohler's "Truth and Unity Amendment" brought forth this year clearly states where Southern Baptists land on this subject. 

    The resolution as I read it is clear, concise, and provides a good summary of what I would affirm myself as an SBC pastor holding to this Biblical position.

Why I advocate male-only pastoral leadership

    Over the years I've tried to read books and journal articles by those who promote men and women equally serving in the roles of pastors and elders. In reading the literature, the basis for both genders serving in pastoral / eldership roles (called “egalitarianism”) arises from pragmatic, rather than theological considerations. 

    When I say “pragmatic”, I mean churches that avow female pastoral leadership for sake of perceived beneficial outcomes for the church and for women. Pragmaticism as an approach to church ministry suffers from the weakness of “the ends justifying the means”, rather than starting out with sound, Biblical principles. 

Those who argue for the Biblical and historic case for male-only pastoral/eldership are called “complementarians”. This position states that men and women are equal in God's sight as His image bearers while having distinct roles assigned to achieve God-ordained functions in the family and church. I’ll list four reasons below why I affirm this view as it relates to male-only Pastors/Elders.

1. Pastors/elders are men because the pattern in creation involved male headship. Genesis 1:26-28.

2. Pastors /elders are men because the pattern of redemption involved Christ becoming the second Adam.  Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. 

3. Pastor/elders are men because the pattern of the church involves Christ’s Lordship over the church. Ephesians 5:22-33.

4. Pastor/elders are men because the pattern of the new heavens and earth will involve Christ as head of His kingdom. 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Revelation 21-22.

The above reasons fit along similar lines I argued for in the last post. There are four key doctrines represented by the above four points represent: creation, redemption, church, kingdom. These four key doctrines are expressed by the complementarity and biologically-based binary genders and the specific way Scripture lays out men as the only office holders of the ordained positions of pastor and elder.

    Observe also that male-only pastoral leadership stems from Divinely ordained “patterns” we see in these doctrines, rather than human preferences or pragmatic reasons. When we blur the truth, whether purposefully or unwittingly, the net effect is the same – decline. 

    We note how this pattern of equality of dignity and distinctiveness of position is revealed by God through Jesus Christ. With reference to His position of authority as Lord over His Church, Jesus Christ as God-in-the-flesh exercises authority by His Word and Spirit to nourish, love, preserve, and unify His Church (Ephesians 5:22-33). The Lord revealed that men are to occupy the Pastoral office to remind themselves and the church body of Christ's Lordship (Ephesians 5:22-26; 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

     Simultaneously, with respect to equality of dignity shared by men and women, the church is a coheir with Jesus Christ in union with His humanity. She as His bride, composed of those adopted and regenerated in saving faith (Romans 8:14-17, 28-29; Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8-9) will reign alongside Christ in His Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-3) and for eternity (Revelation 21-22). 

    This second principle of "equality of dignity" reminds each local church of the invaluable way God has gifted women to serve in the church (with the exception of the pastoral and elder offices, along with the office of Deacon, with which I take 1 Timothy 3:8-13 to speaking of "deacon's wives" rather than "deaconesses). In all, the complementarian understanding of male leadership is grounded in the God of the Bible revealed in Christ, for His church. 

Final thought: What I hope will happen at the 2027 SBC Convention

    As I close this post, my affirmation of male-only pastoral / elder leadership is meant to express my desire to see the SBC Convention approve once and for all the measure set forth by Dr. Mohler and expressed in the above linked resolution. As an SBC pastor, it is vital for churches to hold to the pattern clearly set forth by Scripture for the sake of fidelity to the Gospel and the Biblical teaching on the office of the Pastor / Elder in the local church.  

What Does Scripture Teach On Male Headship and Equality of Men and Women?

Introduction:

    Last week (June 7-13, 2026), The Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. In such meetings there are proposals voted upon and resolutions made that express Southern Baptist opinions and concerns on current issues. One such matter, which has been a major discussion for years in SBC life had to do with whether men alone ought to be Senior Pastors, ordained pastoral staff, and Elders. , Bishops, as well as Pastoral staff; or whether such offices ought to include women as well. 

    The resolution put forward by Al Mohler Jr. and passed by a 75% affirmative vote on June 13, 2026. Readers may access the entire resolution here On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer - SBC.net. What I want to is outline why I whole heartily agreed with this amendment. 

    To the point: what does the Scripture teach on male headship and equality of men and women? Is male headship in head-on collision with maintaining equal dignity of men and women? To answer such questions, we need to keep before us four lenses when discussing a Christian worldview of gender roles in marriage and the local church: Biological lens, Theological lens, Ecclesiological lens, and an Eschatological lens. 

Biological lens to define "maleness" and "femaleness".

    Genesis 1:26 states: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We could define gender as follows: a God-given property (i.e. characteristic which makes a thing what it is) in the biological design, nature, and purpose of humanity. Gender makes possible relationships, marriage, reproduction, creativity, and illustration of God’s purposes revealed in Jesus. The Biblical understanding of gender is expressed as God’s gift in the BFM 2000: “The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God’s creation.” 

    Masculinity and femininity points to the creative expression of God Himself (see Genesis 1:26-28). For humans, the terms "assigned gender" and "gender identity" are not two independent categories as secularists contend. Rather, they are mutually dependent. Gender’s basis is biological. Even the secular American Psychological Association (APA) recognizes this point by its definition of gender: “gender refers to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person's biological sex.” 

    Gender expression refers to how culture views what is appropriate to each gender. The SBC ERLC (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) notes: 

"So, on the one hand, our gender is given (Gen. 1). And, on the other hand, the particular expression it takes varies culturally and relationally." 1

    It is this first lens that Christians use to affirm that men and women are equal in God's sight as it pertains to bearing His image as individuals and as a collective species (Genesis 5:1; 9:5-6).2 

Theological lensing reveals the complementary roles of men and women while maintaining their equality of dignity.

    Biology and the image of God showed the equal dignity men and women have before God. To say "theological lensing" means to draw together the relevant Biblical passages and doctrinal development into a coherent systematic expression of doctrines that flesh out details on a given subject (like what we're currently discussing). 

    When we apply the theological lensing of Scripture, we begin to not only see this continued equality of men and women on the one hand, but also their distinct roles on the other hand. The doctrine of creation revealed that Adam was to transmit God's revelation of Himself and commands on how to live in the Garden to His wife (Genesis 2:16-17). This headship of Adam was a covenant headship, meaning he bore the responsibility to love, cherish, and lead his wife in godliness while clinging to her in preference over his parents (Genesis 2:24-25; 1 Timothy 2:14-15). 

    The spiritual headship of the man over his wife was not to be a tyrannical headship, but a protective, cherishing, and nurturing one where he and her would exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28; Matthew 19:4-6). 

    From the doctrine of creation we come next to the doctrine of redemption. God's relationship with His people, whether Old Testament Israel or the New Testament church, was to be illustrated by the husband and wife relationship. God the Father redeemed the Israelite people to be as a wife unto Him (Ezekiel 16; Hosea 2). He redeemed them (Exodus 12-15), provided for them (Deuteronomy 8), loved them (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), and pledged His covenant love to them (Genesis 12:1-7; 2 Samuel 7:13-16; Jeremiah 31:31-34). 

    In the New Testament, we find that the Father had a bride in mind, the church, as a love gift to the Son from all eternity (John 17:6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; Revelation 9:7-10). The headship of Christ over His church is asserted in the metaphor of marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Christ as the head of the church is in His humanity a co-heir with His church (Romans 8:14-17; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 21:2, 22-27; 22:17). Thus, we see the headship of the husband and the equality of husbands and wives expressed by this theological lensing.

Ecclesiological lensing of men and women in the local church.

    Ecclesiology is that area of Bible doctrine that studies the nature, offices, and life of the local church and the church the world-over. Without those first two lenses (biological and theological lensing), the whole matter of male headship in the pastoral office would appear as it does to uninformed people: arbitrary, bigoted, and random.3 The equal dignity of each gender and the complementary roles each have is necessary to maintain the overall Biblical understanding of leadership and life in the local church. 

    When Christ came to redeem men and women, He recovered the equality of dignity and complementarity of the genders as Divinely envisioned. His incarnation as a man affirmed the Divine desire to redeem men who with Adam were responsible for the entry of sin into the world and on the human species (Romans 5:12-21). 

    Christ as the Second Adam in earthly ministry elevated  women to their original equality of dignity with men, treating them with respect, honor, love, and giving to them areas of service (Luke 10:38-42; Mark 10:9). Outside of the pastoral and elder offices in the local church, women can serve as missionaries and in any non-ordained office in the church. Although women are not allowed to exercise authority of Biblical teaching over men (1 Timothy 2:15), they nonetheless can exercise their gifts and teach God's Word to women who need uplifted and discipled (Titus 2:3-4).

    The foregoing Scriptural teaching stands behind why in the local church, the leadership of Pastors, Elders, and ordained staff is to be men (1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). This is not bigotry, but rather God's original plan to convey the Lordship of Christ over His church and God's authority over creation.4  This same pattern holds what is true of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:22-33).  

    The dignity of women in the church and congregation is also asserted by the Bible's teaching on women in the local church. In the resolution I mentioned earlier "On the Office and Function of Pastor/Elder/Overseer", one of its "whereas" statements summarizes well this point with prooftexts:

"WHEREAS, Scripture teaches that women are equally created in the image of God, gifted by the Holy Spirit for meaningful service, and valuable in the work of the church (Genesis 1:27; Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 11:5, 12; Titus 2:3-5)."

Eschatological lensing points to where redeemed men and women will spend eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Eschatology is the Biblical, doctrinal study of "last things", which includes life after death, Heaven and Hell, Christ's return to earth, His Kingdom, final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth. Popularly called "Bible Prophecy", eschatology reminds us that the Gospel not only deals with the past and sin, but it also holds the promise of what God will accomplish in bringing about His redemption of the cosmos and the completion of the salvation of all who have trusted in Christ by faith (1 Corinthians 15:23-28; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 4-20). 

    Passages such as Revelation 19:7-10 reveal Christ's return to earth with Christians as His "Bride", for whom He had already rewarded for their faithfulness to Him in this life (see also Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The "Bride of Christ" theme is as much a redemptive truth pictured by marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33) as it is an eschatological reality in the ages to come (Revelation 21:1-2).5 

Closing thoughts:

    In today's post I aimed to give four lenses through which we can grasp the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. These two ideas are not contradictory but complementary truths. Biologically, God had from creation made men and women equal in dignity. Theologically, we saw through the doctrines of creation, redemption, and Christ's incarnation that the genders are equal image bearers and distinctly assigned roles that fulfill God's original design for creation and salvation. The ecclesiological lens or "church-wise" view of things reminded us that male-only pastoral leadership and that of Elders model the foundational truths of our biological and theological understandings of humanity from the Bible. Then eschatologically, we're reminded of how such teaching telegraphs God's ultimate plan to bring about the New Heavens and New Earth for His redeemed people. This, I hope, has clearly conveyed the Biblical teaching on male headship and equality of men and women. 

Endnotes:

1. God's image refers to the spiritual, rational, and relational properties that uniquely makes a human being human, created and endowed by their Maker, who imprinted such uniqueness into the biology and psychology of each human being.

2. To blur the distinctions between biological gender and the expressions of it leads to the confusing psychological condition known as “gender dysphoria”. Since gender is a biological property, a person cannot choose their gender, since it is inherent to who they are as a person. Put another way, it is invalid to say that gender is somehow obtained by psychologically identifying with a different gender, since it blurs “what kind of human being one is” versus “what they would feel better in being”.  

2. I have noticed over the decades that those who argue for an "egalitarian" model of church leadership, which asserts that the pastoral office is serviceable by women as well as men, typically do not devote attention to those first two lenses.

4. Binary patterns such as these safeguard God's people against the tendency of secular and paganized systems to erase such patterns. This pattern of male spiritual leadership in the church returns us to the creational pattern of male spiritual leadership originally in the Garden and in marriage.

5. The male headship of Christian marriage and male pastoral leadership in the local church telegraph this potent eschatological / prophetic reality. When Christ came, He introduced the forthcoming Kingdom of God in preview form (Mark 1:15). Each local church is to function as an embassy of Christ's coming kingdom, composed of born-again ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). The equal dignity of men and women who are co-sharers of the vision of God through Christ in the New Heavens and New Earth is also to be conveyed in marriage and the local church. 

An Antidote For Defeating Double-Mindedness In The Christian Life - Revelation 2:18-29

Revelation 2:18-20 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."

Introduction: 

There was a very sad news story that made headlines just this past week. A woman was walking her little dog near a lagoon adjacent to lush golfing resort community at Hilton Head, SC. She was on a get-away with her husband at their vacation home. Everyone who lives in that resort area are aware of the alligators that lurk in the water hazards around the golf course. The lady went out to walk her dog one morning, when suddenly, both she and the dog were confronted by an alligator.  Despite her best attempts to defend her dog, the poor lady ended up losing her own life. She thought she was safe. She was aware of alligators, but took the risk. The tragic result was fatal. 

This sad story got me to thinking about the situation we read about concerning the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. When we attempt to court sin, it's like the situation with the alligator. When we tolerate what we know is not right, we feel we're safe. After all, we often will say to ourselves: "since its not hurting anyone now, how bad can it be?" But then, at a moment we don't expect, the jaws of sin catch us. If were not vigilant enough, our cravings will attempt to pull us under sin's chilly waters. As the old saying goes: 

"sin will keep you longer than you intended to stay, cause you to lose more than you intended to pay."

Summary of today's post 

There are points throughout Christian experience where a Christ-follower can stand at certain crossroads. The choice we must make is this: 

"go forward with Jesus or choose the lesser path". 

Whenever we’re tempted to “straddle the fence” or “be double-minded”, such enticements can spell much danger. Today’s aims to equip readers on how to avoid a double-minded life. So, where do I get this phrase "double-minded"? James 1:5-7 informs us of the sort of mindset that we see lurking in Thyatira: 

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” 

The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:2 uses a different term (i.e. "carnal") to convey the danger of such compromises:

“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able.”

How can the follower of Jesus Christ avoid double-mindedness? Consider the following thoughts as we tour through Jesus' fourth letter in Revelation 2:18-29.

1. Turn your eyes on Jesus. Revelation 2:18-19; 25-27

There is a villain afoot at the church of Thyatira by the name of Jezebel.  Now we won’t focus too much on this N.T Jezebel, since we want to focus our attention on Jesus. Like her O.T counterpart, the N.T. Jezebel's name means “without honor”. Interestingly enough, whenever you compare these two Jezebels, their respective bios mirror one another: 

A. Both sought evil. (1 Kgs 16:31; Rev 2:20).

B. Both celebrated evil.  (1 Kgs 21:25; Rev 2:21-24).

C. Both suppressed God's word. (2 Kings 9:7; Rev 2:20)

D. Both were self-centered.  2 Kgs 9:30; Rev 2:20).

Is it no wonder that things were such a mess in this first-century church. The church at Thyatira was located in the smallest city of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and yet, Jesus issued the longest of the seven letters we find in Revelation 2-3. Jesus is devoting such attention because of the precarious position of the double-minded church. Thyatira was in the smallest city, yet she has the most words from Jesus. We're reminded of the fact that Jesus only sees churches, not how "big" or "small" they may be. This little letter also has the most space devoted to Jesus (next to Philadelphian and Laodicean letters).

So what's the point? When we’re in spiritual high-cotton (like the church at Philadelphia, Revelation 3:7-13), we’d better look to Jesus. When the ship is sinking (like the church at Laodicea, Revelation 3:14-22), we’d better to look to Jesus. When we're double-minded (like at the church of Thyatira, revelation 2:18-29), we need Jesus. What about Jesus enables us to break free of the rut of double-mindedness?

A. Support of Jesus. Revelation 2:18 

When we slip, Jesus is there ready to catch us and supply firm footing. Psalm 94:18-19 reminds us:

"If I should say, “My foot has slipped,” Your lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up. 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” 


B. Supremacy of Jesus. Revelation 2:18

When sin looks good, focus on Jesus, who outdoes all. Consider how Revelation 2:18 describes the Lord Jesus Christ....

i. Jesus is omnipresent. Revelation 2:18  “eyes like fire”. This attribute corresponds with what we see described of God in 2 Chronicles 16:9a 

“For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.”

ii. Jesus is omnipotent. Revelation 2:18 “Son of God” and “feet of bronze”. This metal was used in the Old Testament temple’s construction of the brazen altar. Daniel 10:6 has similar description, wherefore Daniel encountered Yahweh, hence reinforcing the truth of Jesus' deity.

iii. Jesus is omniscient Revelation 2:19. “I know”. Jesus knows all things, including our trials, our thoughts. 
Hebrews 12:1-3 reminds us of the benefits of focusing on Jesus. 2 Peter 3:18 commands us to know Jesus better. In terms of the emphasis on Jesus in the New Testament, we can summarize as follows: The Gospels = show who Jesus was. Acts and Epistles and Rev 1-5 = show who Jesus is. Revelation 6-22 = show Jesus to come.

So if you and I are going to defeat double-mindedness, we need to focus on Jesus in order to show the folly of our compromising with sin. But now lets consider the second main point of Revelation 2:18-29....

2. Trust Him For Your Future. Revelation 2:25-29

Why is it we find compromise so easy? Why do Christians find the trap of "double-mindedness" so enticing? One word: "distrust". We simply waver in our trust of God. We somehow get convinced that He may not have our best interest in mind. Worse yet, we may think our way is better than His. Two areas of trust are covered in Revelation 2:25-29 that urge us to trust in Jesus...

A. Trust Him for tomorrow. Revelation 2:25

Lamentations 3:22-24 reminds us: 

"The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

The Lord gives the believer enough grace for today. All sorts of mercies are laid out by God at the beginning of each day. We have what we need to accomplish whatever comes across our path for today. Once today is done, tomorrow begins with a new set of mercies. 

b. Trust Him for beyond tomorrow. Revelation 2:26-29

We can trust Jesus for the short-term of today and tomorrow. But what of the long-term? Matthew 6:33-34 quotes Jesus own words:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

How many of us can say "amen" or "I agree" with Jesus' statement? A great follow-up text to these point comes from the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 - 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Closing thoughts:

In today's post we discovered ways in which we can defeat "double-mindedness" or that Christian propensity to "straddle the fence" when it comes to moral and spiritual matters of life. We discovered from Jesus' letter to the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29 the following antidote:

1. Turn your eyes on Jesus
2. Trust in Jesus for tomorrow

Marks Of A Great, Godly Church - 1 Peter 5:1-14

1 Peter 5:12-14  "Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ."

Introduction: Meet A Great Godly Church

The Apostle Peter wrote two epistles that are placed near the end of the collection of 27 books we call the New Testament. Peter's purpose in writing his short letter was to exhort his readers to "stand firm in the grace of God" (see 1 Peter 5:12). In the final chapter of his letter, we find the blueprints for a great, godly church. In today's post I want to briefly look at what it takes to be a great, godly church. What follows is not exhaustive, but instead summarizes the overall message we find in 1 Peter 5:1-14. What traits or qualities distinguish such a church? 

1. Devoted Pastors.  1 Peter 5:1-4

1 Peter 5:1-2 states - "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness." 

A church that is favored by God will be a church that loves to feed on the word of God.  Peter's commands to pastors is to "shepherd" or "feed the flock" the word of God. This is apropos for Peter, since Jesus, in John 21, had re-commissioned Peter to "feed His sheep" some thirty years prior to Peter's composition of 1 Peter.  Shepherding a church and leadership go hand-in-hand. Such pastors will exercise leadership in four ways:

a. Lead by God's will. 1 Peter 5:1-2a. 

b. Lead with God's passion. 1 Peter 5:2b

c. Lead with God's integrity. 1 Peter 5:3

d. Lead for God's approval. 1 Peter 5:4

As noted already, these words from Peter's pen echo what he heard from Jesus' lips some 30 years prior as recorded in John 21:16 "He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”  

Paul too gives similar instruction to the Ephesian elders to feed the flock as devoted pastors in Acts 20:28.  Why? Devoted pastoral ministry is included in God's design for the church to sanctify the church by the Word (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26); encourage the church (Hebrews 4:12); enlighten the church by Spirit-empowered preaching and teaching (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) and mature the flock as the Spirit sees fit (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:1-2). No man can do any of these things apart from the Holy Spirit's empowerment and the call of God.

Christians who regularly feed on the Word of God will grow in maturity - knowing good from evil.  God's hand of grace will be on a church that feeds from the scriptures preached and taught by God-called men. But notice a second trait of a church that is a great and godly church...

2. Dependence upon God. 1 Peter 5:5-10

Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:5-7 "You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." 

Next to love, humility is the number one trait that demonstrates Christ-likeness (see Philippians 2:1-5).  In the realm of our attitudes and actions, humility is the most royal of virtues as it serves others. Passages such as Philippians 2:1-5 urge us to have this same mindset as was found in Christ Jesus - humility. When I yield myself over to another for the sake of relationship - I am demonstrating the communicable attribute of humility that is germane to God's own nature. A church body that serves others and has within it service to one another is a church that will abound in God's supernatural grace and power. 

To summarize Peter's point on the necessity of dependence on God, we can note the following:

a. Waiting on God. 1 Peter 5:5-6

b. Trusting God. 1 Peter 5:7-8; Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:34

c. Persevering in God. 1 Peter 5:9-10; Jude 1:3; James 1:3-4.

So a church that is a great and Godly church will have devoted pastors and dependence upon Him. But notice thirdly...

3. Determination to Follow the Lord.  1 Peter 5:9-14

1 Peter 5:9-10 states - "But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you." 

In 1 Peter 5:9 the NASB renders the opening phrase as "stand firm in your faith". Though the pronoun "your" could very well be implied in the passage, other English translations handle this passage better in bringing out the emphasis of "The Faith". This reference to faith has to do with the objective Christian faith, the "capital 'F'" faith within which my "small 'f'" personal faith in Christ resides. The HCSB renders this passage as: "Resist him and be firm in the faith...", with the KJV and NKJV following suit.  

The emphasis on "The Faith" reminds us of Jude 1:3 "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."  

The Christian's personal faith rests in the gifting of faith granted by God in His grace and persists. To summarize Peter's point here, we can note three realizations to keep in mind when exercising determination to follow God as a great, Godly church...

a. Realize, you're not alone. 1 Peter 5:9

b. Realize, you've got a Heavenly home. 1 Peter 5:10-11

c. Realize, you have His favor (i.e. grace) 1 Peter 5:12-14

Closing thoughts:

This brings us to the close of Peter's letter and the chief point for which he wrote it. The whole theme of Peter's first epistle is that of "standing firm in the grace of God." Certainly in the final few verses of Peter's letter we see God's grace weave its way throughout the verses. As Peter closes out this epistle, he urges the churches to which he writes to be great, Godly churches in the following ways...

1. Have devoted pastors. 1 Peter 5:1-4

2. Depend upon God. 1 Peter 5:5-10

3. Determine to follow the Lord. 1 Peter 5:11-14

Defining A Discipleship-Making Process In A Local Church

Luke 14:26-27  “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Introduction:

In their landmark book: "Simple Church", Eric Geiger and Thom Rainer note the following observation about churches that have defined how they make disciples:

"Churches with a simple process for reaching and maturing people are expanding the kingdom. Church leaders who have designed a simple process to make disciples are effectively advancing the movement of the gospel. Simple churches are making a big impact."

The church where I serve is a remarkable church. God is doing exciting things. One thing I pray for and am compelled to lead God's church where I serve to understand is Christ's designated process for making disciples. Put another way: how can our church become more effective than ever in leading people to pursue a closer relationship with Jesus Christ in their spiritual growth? Now in a moment I will define what I mean by the word "disciple", but first, let's look at what Jesus says on this topic.

The above opening text in Luke 14 is one of two main chapters in Luke (the other being chapter 9) that lay out Jesus' master plan for discipleship. As we look closely at what Jesus taught, we discover that his disciples would take His teachings and expand them into the early church. The church in the Book of Acts grew because it understood its main task: make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

So what is discipleship or a disciple? 

Discipleship is a God-centered lifestyle that pursues learning to live like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, a disciple is a person that pursues such a lifestyle. This act of embracing comes about in the reception of the Gospel by trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior, Lord and Treasure. As we follow Jesus' core teaching on this subject in Luke 14:26-33, we can note the following three traits of a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ:

1. Dying to self. Luke 14:26-27

2. Counting the cost. Luke 14:28-32

3. Radical follow-thru. Luke 14:33

Daniel Lim has written a wonderful book on church leadership entitled: "No Silver Bullets". In the book he lists out eight defining traits of a disciple that I find particularly helpful:

1. Bible engagement. 
2. Obeying God and denying self
3. Serving God and serving others
4. Sharing Christ
5. Exercising faith
6. Seeking God
7. Building relationships
8. Unashamed (Transparency)

Imagine a church that has this as the centerpiece of all they do. I myself as a Christian desire to develop in my walk with the Lord. I cannot do it without that God-called community of the local church. I thank God for the wonderful church family he has placed us with to serve. All of them together and individually spur me on to want to know Jesus better. 

At the church where I serve, we ought to be about the primary task of helping people grow wider and deeper in this process. Just as a lumber yard has a well-defined process for making boards and just as a pizza-place has a well-defined process for making pizzas - churches in turn must know how to execute Jesus most fundamental command "to make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20).   

Discipleship making is the engine that must drive the automobile of vision

At our church, we spent a year working on a vision statement. A vision is God's preferred future that motivates His people to get from where they are to where He wants them to be. Every Sunday I recite the following statement as a way to welcome new people and to remind our people why we are together and where we are going: "Our vision at New Hope Baptist Church is living life together to bring new hope in Jesus to all people."

As I think of Jesus' Great Commission to his church "to go make disciples of all nations", the execution of the command must involve a well-defined process.  The engine that must drive this vision is our process to equip people in their journey towards knowing Jesus. This process is called “the discipleship-making process”.

Below are some thoughts that I plan on communicating to the church about our discipleship making process. One of the underlying assumptions is that our church has all it needs to achieve what Christ has called it to do. We have a complete Bible, the Holy Spirit and a godly group of converted persons ready to do God's bidding. The thoughts below are but a sample of how the process for making disciples at our church may unfold. Other churches will envision it slightly differently in the details. The underlying "big-ideas" can be cross-pollinated to other contexts.  

What ought to be the discipleship process at New Hope Baptist Church?

Hunger for God ignited by key gathering times. Lk 14:15-24

Whenever we read this opening parable told by Jesus, we find people making excuses as to why they cannot follow Jesus. Discipleship is a call. 

When I envision this first tenet of "hungering for God", I primarily think about our worship services, Sunday School and small groups as key moments that should motivate people to hunger more for God. When New Hope Baptist Church worships together – the desired outcome is to ignite a hunger for God. Our Sunday morning and Sunday night services represent the main places where this first element of “hunger for God” begins. We could also include Bible studies and prayer gatherings. Some good biblical texts that speak on this first point are Psalm 63:1-3 and Ephesians 1:18-20.

Ongoing Discipleship/Evangelism generated by Sunday School, small groups and mission opportunities. Lk 14:25-33

We've already defined discipleship at the beginning of this post. Discipleship and evangelism go hand-in-hand. Evangelism has been defined as: 

"Communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God."

So whenever we have gathered together as a church body to hear God’s Word and sing God’s praises  – hunger for Him ought to result. But how does one feed that hunger? Sunday school or any small-group is where relationships are developed. This component of the discipleship-making process generate life application in our church and 
community. A good sample of texts that illustrate this thought are: Acts 2:38-42; Hebrews 10:24-25

Prayer/Proclamation reinforced by corporate prayer-times, conferences and resources. Lk 14:34-15:3

In this third aspect of what I would classify as our church's discipleship-making process, we emphasize the need for prayer and the dispersion of God's Word through various methods. As we hunger after God and participate in ongoing discipleship and evangelism, what comes next? Prayer
and proclamation. Are we inviting others and going to others for the Gospel’s sake? Prayer is the greatest tool in the disciple’s arsenal. 

Proclamation takes the discipleship process outside the church walls. To reinforce prayer and  proclamation, we will emphasize prayer, conferences, print, video and audio resources. Colossians 4:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Exaltation of Jesus expressed through unity events, music and the Word. Lk 15:4-32

As we round out the discipleship process that I pray will become even clearer at the church I serve, we consider exaltation of Jesus. This last leg of the process brings us full-circle. As we hunger after God and participate in ongoing discipleship and evangelism, as well as prayer and proclamation, where does the process end and begin again? Exaltation of Jesus. This is expressed through unity events. Hearing God’s Word, music, celebrating the Lord’s Table, working together in outreach/evangelistic events or baptizing new converts are examples of unity events. This goal feeds back into our hungering for more of God. I find it interesting that in the three main parables told by Jesus in Luke 15:4ff, all of them contain thoughts of "celebration" and "rejoicing". Whenever God is exalted, the joy of God's people spills over into wanting to hunger more for Him. As this cycle repeats itself over time, the church's influence and spiritual growth can only expect to deepen and broaden. Appropriate scriptures for these thoughts might be: Matthew 22:37-39; 28:18-20; Hebrews 12:1-2

Closing thoughts:

If the reader might take a second look at the above four points, each starting letter of each point spells out the word h.o.p.e, hence: hungering for God, ongoing discipleship and evangelism, prayer and proclamation and exaltation of Jesus. Jesus' most important command in Matthew 28 was to make disciples. Would it be that every church and all its members work together with their respective church leadership to do the bidding of the Master by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Why The Christian Needs Church Body-Life

Ephesians 4:4-6 "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."

Introduction:

As a runner, I have to make sure my body is working properly. The effect on how I run is felt whenever aches and pains appear. A sore muscle or painful joint can cause missteps or slower times. One of the things I have learned about the human body is how certain parts of the body will compensate to cover for a weak or malfunctioning part. 

In running, reference is made to what is called "the kinetic chain", which runs from the base of the neck; down through the spine, across the back; arms and all the way through the chest; abdominal core; down through the legs and bottoms of the feet. All parts of this chain must be exercised to ensure pain-free running. Amazingly, if one has sore knees, it could be due to a strained muscle in the middle of the back. Why? Because the knees are having to take on extra work to compensate for that weakened muscle. 

The body-life analogy as applied to the church

Whenever the Apostle Paul uses the analogy of the human body to describe the church - the organic relationship between parts of a physical body captures what ought to be the spiritual interrelationships between Christians in a local church.  Elmer Towns writes about this Biblical analogy of the church as a body in his book: "Theology For Today", page 636:

"The picture of the body is the most used analogy of the church. The Bible represents Christ as the head, and the church as the body. The members of His body are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head (Eph. 4:15). In the husband-wife relationship, Christ is the head of the church, the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23). Christ is to be placed first in all things because He is the head of the body, the church (Col. 1:18). Paul's sufferings for the Colossian Christians were done on behalf of Christ's body which is the church (Col. 1:24). Christ is also the source and supplier of all growth to the body (Col. 2:19). Christians are part of the body and part of one another." 

Towns goes onto describe other metaphors which are used to describe the church in the New Testament: body, building, bride, flock, garden, family and priesthood. All of these serve to highlight a particular function of the church under the purposes of God as He empowers it by His Spirit to point others to Jesus Christ in the Gospel.

The need for body-life in the life of the Christian

Ephesians 4:1-16 is one of several verses in the New Testament that stresses the importance of body-life. Why is church body-life (that is, the ministry of the local church as so composed of truly regenerate church members who have followed through with believer's baptism) so important?
Jesus was the first to tie together the organic unity of Christians unto Himself. In John 15:5 we read: "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." 

Jesus lays out the blueprints for His church in Matthew 18 and prays for her unity in John 17. To say the local church is important to Jesus is the greatest of understatements. Truly we know the church is important to Jesus, since He paid for her by His blood (Acts 20:28). 

When we consider Paul's statements about the importance of body-life in the Christian life, we can note three reasons from Ephesians 4:1-16, as seen in the brief outline below:

1. God calls all Christians to body-life. Ephesians 4:1-6. 

Three times in the opening verses of Ephesians 4:1-6 we find reference to body-life as being a "calling" (see 4:1 and twice in 4:4). When God calls us, that means it is not optional - its required! But notice secondly why church body-life is important...

2. God calls all Christians to minister in body-life. Ephesians 4:7-12

We find in this section of Ephesians 4:7-12 three types of ministries to which the Christian is called to do in the body of Christ:

a. Minister by the over-flow of His presence. Ephesians 4:7-10

b. Ministry of attendance to His word. Ephesians 4:11-12a

c. Minister to bless others. Ephesians 4:12b

This means then that there is no room for a "me, myself and I" attitude in the local church. Then notice a third reason why church body-life is important for the Christian....

3. God calls all Christians to mature by body-life. Ephesians 4:13-16

This particular part of Ephesians 4 details the ways in which Christ has designed the local church to mature us in our faith. Note how we are to mature by church body-life:

a. Maturity in our doctrine. Ephesians 4:13 cf 1 Timothy 4:13-16

b. Maturity in our discernment. Ephesians 4:14 cf 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 and Heb 5:14

c. Maturity in our conduct. Ephesians 4:15

d. Maturity in our relating to one another. Ephesians 4:16.

Closing thoughts:

The point of church body-life is to help me mature in my faith by what I know, where I go, how I act and how I treat others. We've observed three reasons why the Christian needs church body-life:

1. God calls all Christians to church body-life

2. God calls all Christians to serve in church body-life

3. God calls all Christians to mature by church body-life