GENERAL SUBJECT:
CRUCIAL PRINCIPLES FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH
Message Eight
Serving Ones in the Church
Scriptures Reading: 1 Tim. 3:5; 6:2-4; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; 1 Cor. 12:28
I. The service and coordination of the co-workers and elders in the church—1 Tim. 3:5; 1 Pet. 5:1-2:
A. The service of the elders—Rom. 12:8; 1 Thes. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17:
1. Taking care of the church and bearing responsibility for the administration of the church—1 Tim. 3:5; 5:17a.
2. Teaching and shepherding God’s people—5:17b; 1 Pet. 5:1-2.
3. Bearing the responsibility for and serving in only one Locality—Acts 14:23a; Titus 1:5.
4. Attending to some other useful ones to produce useful serving ones.
B. The service of the co-workers:
1. Laboring in spiritual matters in coordination with the elders to build up the church, the Body of Christ.
2. Being like the five prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch—Acts 13:1.
3. Being sent by the Lord to do a spiritual work in other places—vv. 2-3.
4. Taking care of the needs of all the churches.
C. The elders and co-workers need to have thorough prayer together, being learned in the truth and able to teach people and finding ways to perfect the saints.
1. Having long-term prayer; the more they pray, the stronger and more open they will be in spirit, the more they will be in harmony with one another, and the more they will be one in spirit; this is the genuine coordination.
2. Helping them in three ways: they should teach them to pray together and be blended in spirit, they should teach them to study the truth, and they should gradually give them opportunities to speak a message, preach the gospel, or speak a brief word in the district group meetings; after their speaking, the co-workers can give them critique.
3. The exercise of the spirit requires patience and the paying of a price; studying both the simpler and the deeper truths.
II. The relationship, responsibility, and learning of the co-workers and elders in the churches—1 Pet. 5:1-3:
A. After establishing a church and appointing elders for its administration, the apostles still are responsible for and having authority concerning the church.
B. Because the church’s administration is not independent of the apostles the elders need to administrate the local churches according to the leading of the apostles.
C. The apostles lead, support, adjust, and build up the churches instead of controlling them—5:2-3.
D. The appointment and reordering of elders is based upon the level of life, without a tenure of office.
E. In the service everyone needs to be in spirit and not cares for position.
F. The problems and learning among the elders and co-workers
1. Respecting the arrangement of the senior brothers and not making independent decisions.
2. Always turning to the spirit to be clear about our position and weight.
3. The apostles appoint, helps, and supports the elders.
III. The responsibility and service of the elders and deacons in the church—1 Tim. 6:2-4; 1 Cor. 12:28:
A. The service of the deacons—visitation, taking care of miscellaneous matter.
B. The relationship between the elders and the deacons:
1. Having no distinction of order or rank.
2. There are not bosses or subordinates.
3. Having responsibilities without rank, having different functions but being members one of another—Rom. 12:4-5.
IV. The church is the Body of Christ, and Christ is the one Head; in the Body no member can come forth to rule over other members; instead, the many members in the Body are coordinated, and each member operates according to its measure and function.—Eph. 1:23; 1 Cor. 12:14-22.
