A WORD TO LEADERS
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD,(from New Dictionary of Theology)
The Biblical idea of God’s sovereignty includes all that is involved in the divine kingship and this means at least three things.
OWNERSHIP All things are God’s.
AUTHORITY God has an absolute right to impose His will on all His creatures.
CONTROL God is master of His universe.
Most, if not all Christians embrace this awesome truth, expressed so clearly in Rom.8:28 NKJV And we know that ALL things work together for GOOD to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
We sure don’t understand all that is going on at this time in relation to the pandemic, but what a COMFORT to know that God has it all in hand FOR A PURPOSE.
As my Greek Scholar friend reminded me recently that Paul’s teaching on the whole armour of God in Eph.6:10-18 was to the Church as well as the individual, so Rom.8:28 is also a glorious word to the Church as well as to the individual.
As I was praying this morning and asking the Lord what I should blog about, I was reminded of the TRUTH & PRINCIPLE we see firstly in the O.T. where God said to Moses and King David, that He wanted them to build Him a house (Tabernacle/Temple) but it must be ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN found in the Word of God.
The New Testament especially the Epistles are especially written to Believers and local churches to challenge and encourage them to build their house (our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19) and the local church ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN OF THE WORD OF GOD.
You will have noted the title of this blog is “A word to Leaders” and it could sure become a series,(but that is not my intention) but I want to encourage Leaders to see that God wants to use this pandemic for GOOD, not only that we take the opportunity to look at our personal lives and see if there needs to be adjustments made to make sure our lives are aligned with the “pattern of the Word of God”. Also that Leaders use this God given opportunity to see whether we are building the Local Church ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN OF THE WORD OF GOD.
Church History confirms that over the centuries the church numerous times got away from the PATTERN and God used Men of God and circumstances to cause the church to come back to the Biblical Pattern.
Would you be open to looking at every aspect of your local church’s life, and see if there needs to be adjustments to re-align it to a more Biblical Pattern.
May I suggest you don’t do it on your own, you may have to realise afresh that the local church in the New Testament was led by a TEAM OF LEADERS (WITH A CAPTAIN) as none of us have all the Gifts & Graces required to build a local church, and that EVERY member of the Leadership team has God given gifts to contribute to see that you are building “according to the pattern”.
In the Old Testament Moses and King David obeyed the Lord and built the Tabernacle and Temple “ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN” GOD HAD GIVEN THEM, what was the result ? The CLOUD OF GOD’S GLORY came.
What a glorious promise IF WE BULD GOD’S WAY WE WILL GET GOD’S RESULTS, I am sure you want the Glory of God manifest in your local church more and more, so I pray this will be a word in season to you. AMEN.
