Poster | Thread | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Are you seeking great things for yourself? | | (J. C. Philpot, "Israel Blessed and Kept" 1852)
"Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don't do it!" Jeremiah 45:5
Ministers often seek . . . great gifts, great eloquence, great knowledge of mysteries, great congregations, great popularity and influence.
_________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/5/22 8:19 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: Are you seeking great things for yourself? | | (John Angell James, "Christian Fellowship" 1822)
"I will build My church." Matthew 16:18
The power of a church is simply a right to put their own interpretation upon the laws of Christ, and to obey His laws, in the way which they think will be most agreeable to Him.
This is neither understood nor remembered with as much distinctness as it should be. Hence it is a very usual thing for churches to consider themselves as met to make laws, and set in order the affairs of the spiritual kingdom. A great deal is said about "our church," and "rules that we have established in our church." OUR church?! When did it become OURS? The church is Christ's! The rules WE have established?! The sole right of making laws, is with Him to whom the church belongs!
The church is a kingdom, of which Christ is sole monarch! The New Testament is His spiritual code, and all the power we have, is to execute the laws which He has already established!
In the whole business of church government, we are to acknowledge His authority, and consider ourselves as doing His will. Nothing is left . . . to our will, to our wisdom, to our caprice; but in all things we are to be guided by the law of Jesus, as laid down in His Word!
In the choice of officers, in the admission of members, in the exercise of discipline--we are not to act upon views and principles of our own. We are to be guided by those we find in the New Testament. We have no power to legislate; but merely to interpret the His law--and obey.
When we meet, Christ is in the midst of us, not only by His essential presence--but by His revealed will. Every authoritative voice is hushed--but that which speaks to us from the sacred Word of God.
When a new member is proposed, we are not to ask, "Is he such a one as we think will add respectability to our church? is he of long standing in the ways of God? is he peculiar in his habits?" Our only question is, "Is he one who Christ has received as His child?"
When a new measure is submitted for our adoption, we are not first to inquire into its policy; but whether it is in exact accordance with the general principles and spirit of the New Testament.
Every act of church government must be an explicit acknowledgment of the authority of Jesus, as King of HIS church, and an act of obedience to HIS laws!
It is impossible for this sentiment to be stated too frequently or too forcibly. It lays the axe to the root of all the errors on church government, which have crept into the world. _________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/5/22 8:20 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: | |
"being examples to the flock." 1 Peter 5:3
"He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church." 1 Corinthians 4:17
They expect to see our descriptions of piety copied into our own conduct; and happy the man who having set forth true godliness in his discourses, in all its beautiful proportions and all its glowing colors, shall constrain the audience to exclaim, "The painter has delineated his own likeness!" Happy the man who, when the people shall ask, "What is true religion?" shall be not only able to reply in reference to his pulpit, "Come and hear," but in reference to his life, "Come and see!"
He alone is an honor to his pastoral office, who lives the gospel which he preaches, and adorns by his conduct the doctrines which he believes. But the unholy minister is a disgrace to Christianity, and the worst enemy of mankind! He is the most powerful abettor of infidelity, and does more to wither the eternal interests of mankind than the most malignant and pestiferous treatises that ever issued from the press. If he perished alone in his sins, our feelings might be those of unmingled pity. But when we view him ruining the souls of others by his example, we unite abhorrence with our compassion, just as we would at the conduct of the shepherd who first drove his flock over a precipice, and then dashed himself upon the rocks below!
(J. A. James, "Character & Reward of the Faithful Minister")
_________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/5/22 8:22 | Profile | hmmhmm Member
Joined: 2006/1/31 Posts: 4994 Sweden
| Re: | |
We can do nothing without a godly ministry. Of all the curses which God ever pours from the vials of His wrath upon a nation which He intends to scourge, there is not one so fearful as giving them up to an unholy ministry.
I trust our churches will ever consider piety as the first and most essential qualification in their pastors, for which talents, genius, learning, and eloquence, would and could be no substitutes. It will be a dark and evil day when personal godliness shall be considered as secondary to any other quality in those who serve at the altar of God.
No ministry will be really effective, whatever may be its eloquence, which is not a ministry of . . . strong faith, true spirituality, and deep earnestness.
(John Angell James, "An Earnest Ministry" 1847)
_________________ CHRISTIAN
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| 2008/5/22 8:25 | Profile |
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