“As an expression of Christ’s universal church, the local church is the focal point of God’s plan to mature his people and save sinners. Therefore, all Christians are to join themselves as committed members to a specific local church. A true church is marked by the faithful preaching of the Word, the right administration of the sacraments, and the proper exercise of church discipline. Even true churches are imperfect: they often contain a mixture of unbelievers hidden among the true flock and are vulnerable to theological error and moral failure. Yet Christ is unwavering in his commitment to build his church and will surely bring it to maturity.”
“The Local Church” in We Believe: A Statement of Faith
“It is the Spirit who opens our eyes and hearts to the glory of the gospel of Christ. The Spirit distributes a diversity of gifts, revealing his powerful presence in the life of every believer. This very diversity is designed to effect a rich interdependence among believers, unifying us as members of Christ’s own body. The conclusive mark of the Spirit’s work is the love he engenders in the hearts of believers, which in turn provides the key criterion for applying our pneumatology. Armed with love, we are then positioned to pursue spiritual gifts, which are gracious bestowals of God’s enabling power for life and ministry. Finally, the purpose and goal of these gifts is not mere experience, much less self-indulgence or self-aggrandizement, but building up others believers for the glory of Christ.”
Jeff Purswell, The Spirit and the Church: Priorities from 1 Corinthians 12-14
“The religious landscape of American evangelicalism—I say this with great sadness—is filled with unhappy pastors in part because they do not know the encouragement, the obedience, the submission, and the support of their local congregations. That is a serious issue that hinders the body of Christ, the local church in particular, from being as effective as God intends. And I believe it grieves God as well. I want to thank you for your commitment to make your pastor happy. This is biblical. Every member, myself included, should ask themselves this question: Am I a joy to pastor? And by the way, don’t confine your evaluation of this to yourself. We should be a little more suspicious. We should want to broaden the evaluation and participants. Consider asking your pastor, ‘Am I a joy to pastor? And if not, would you please tell me why not? Because I am submitted to Holy Scripture. And I want pastoring to be fun. Am I fun to pastor? Do I bring you joy?’
“I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the text says this is to your advantage. It’s as if God is appealing to self-interest here. It is in fact just another illustration that God’s commands are always for our good. If I bring my pastors joy, it will be to my benefit. And if we don’t do that, it would be of no advantage. It’s for your good. Ultimately, it will make the church more effective.”
C. J. Mahaney, “The Happiest Place on Earth,” collected in Continue in What You Have Learned: Sermons from C. J. Mahaney that Shaped a Family of Churches
“If churches are troubled today, the realism of the biblical portrait of the church should encourage us. As the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith says, ‘Even true churches are imperfect: they often contain a mixture of unbelievers hidden among the true flock and are vulnerable to theological error and moral failure.’ Sadly, churches and pastors do sometimes fail people. More than a few Christians have been hurt by the church.
“We should be honest about our own sin and the imperfections of the church. At the same time, we should respond the way Christ does—with unwavering love and commitment to the church. The church’s imperfections shouldn’t cause us to distance ourselves from the church, since they don’t cause Christ to distance himself from the church.”
Jared Mellinger, Encouragement: How to See and Celebrate Evidences of Grace
“Over the long term—15 years, 30 years, 50 years, beyond—I believe that together we will bring [God] the most glory and bear the most fruit, not by planting the most churches, not by entering the most countries, not by publishing the most materials, not by training the most pastors, not by having the largest conferences, but through our faithfulness to God’s Word and the doctrine it delivers, and the gospel it proclaims, and above all, the Christ it magnifies.”
Jeff Purswell, Watch Your Doctrine: A Call to Theological Fidelity
Excerpt from Jared Mellinger, Who Governs the Church: What the Bible Says About the Roles of Pastors and Congregations
Christ in his kindness has given his people a model of governance that he intends to endure until he returns. The New Testament teaches that local churches are to be elder-governed, diaconally-served, congregationally-engaged, and ecclesiastically-connected. However, it’s not enough to have a biblical polity position on paper. Healthy churches are the result of pastors and members working together to faithfully live out their God-given roles.
It’s important to remember that God’s good design in appointing elders to rule is for the flourishing of the entire church. Pastors are called to lead for the benefit and advantage of the flock. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
In that verse, there is a word to pastors and a word to congregations.
A WORD TO PASTORS
Brothers, govern with joy and not with groaning. As you shepherd the flock, as you keep watch over the souls that have been temporarily entrusted to your care, as you preach and lead, as you make governing decisions—do it all with joy. Rejoice to have so great a chief Shepherd in Christ, rejoice in the many ways God is at work in the flock, rejoice that God has called you to this work, and rejoice that your name is written in heaven. Labor in the gladness and hope of knowing that “when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet. 5:4).
A WORD TO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION
Remember that your role is vital to the health and mission of the church. Take seriously the full range of responsibilities you have as a church member to love and serve the church. In particular, seek to make your pastor’s work a joy, knowing this is ultimately to your advantage. That is the teaching of Hebrews 13:17. Churches are blessed when they experience joyful elder-rule, and members of the congregation serve the mission of the church when they cultivate happy pastors.
So, love your pastors just as they love you. Pray for your pastors and for the church, just as they pray for you. Follow your pastors and do what you can to add to their joy, just as they labor for your joy. God promises that this will be to your advantage. As pastors and congregations faithfully, humbly, and gladly labor together for the gospel, the purposes of Christ for his church are fulfilled. May God continue to equip our churches to that end, for his glory alone.