"There are some young men that say they have given themselves to the work, who need a genuine experience in the things of God before they are fit to labor in the cause of Christ. Instead of going without the camp, bearing reproach for Christ’s sake; instead of seeking the hard places, and trying to bring souls into the truth, these beginners settle themselves in an easy position to visit those who are far advanced in experience. They labor with those who are more capable of teaching them than they are of teaching others. They go from church to church, picking out the easy places, eating and drinking, and suffering others to wait upon them. When you look to see what they have done, there is nothing but leaves. They bring in the report, 'I preached here, and I preached there;' but where are the sheaves they have garnered? Where are the souls that have embraced the truth through their efforts? Where is the evidence of their piety and devotion? Those who are bringing the churches up to a higher standard, by earnest efforts as soldiers of Jesus Christ, are doing a good work.
"Too often the churches have been robbed by the class I have mentioned; for they take their support from the treasury, and bring nothing in return. They are continually drawing out the means that should be devoted to the support of worthy laborers. There should be a thorough investigation of the cases of those who present themselves to labor in the cause. The apostle warns you to 'lay hands suddenly on no man.' If the life is not what God can accept, the labors will be worthless; but if Christ is abiding in the heart by faith, every wrong will be made right, and those who are soldiers of Christ will be willing to prove it by a well-ordered life. There are many who enter the ministry, and their influence demoralizes the churches; and when they are rejected, they take their dismissal as a personal wrong. They have not Christ in the soul, as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.
"I want to exhort those who are in positions of responsibility, to waken to their duty, and not imperil the cause of present truth by engaging inefficient men to do the work of God. We want men who are willing to go into new fields, and to do hard service for the Lord. I remember visiting in Iowa when the country was new, and I saw the farmers breaking the new ground. I noticed that they had heavy teams, and made tremendous efforts to make deep furrows, but the laborers gained strength and muscle by the exercise of their physical powers. It will make our young men strong to go into new fields, and break up the fallow ground of men’s hearts. This work will drive them nearer to God. It will help them to see that they are altogether inefficient in themselves. They must be wholly the Lords. They must put away their self-esteem and self-importance, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When they do this, they will be willing to go without the camp, and bear the burden as good soldiers of the cross. They will gain efficiency and ability by mastering difficulties and overcoming obstacles. Men are wanted for responsible positions, but they must be men who have given full proof of their ministry in willingness to wear the yoke of Christ. Heaven regards this class with approval" (Review and Herald, October 8, 1889, par. 7-9).
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Parts of the Whole
So what is the proper relationship between the individual church member and the church organization?
In exploration of this question we have presented the article series Gospel Order and several smaller items. In these we have seen that God chooses to work out His will for this world through the Church, and that order and organization are markers of God’s favor and leading. The exact manifestation of this organization will grow as needed to appropriately handle the growth of the Church. The Church, and the counsel it gives through its leaders, is a God-ordained safeguard against Satan’s attempts to deceive the judgment of individual members because there is strength in associating and counseling together. It takes work to maintain this unity, and the spiritual gifts are given to church members so that each may have their particular contribution to make in supporting and forwarding the work of the whole.
That said, not all can have preeminent leadership roles or there would be chaos; final decision responsibility must rest somewhere. Those who are chosen to take those leadership roles must use them to lead only in the direction of holiness and not seek to dominate those who follow them. Wise leaders will be open to and heed good advice from those around them. If and when disputes arise they should be decided by presenting the matters to representative higher bodies within the Church structure. Separation from the Church and established Church order is apostasy, not reform (barring extraordinary evidences that God is leading in the establishment of a replacement church, which has happened only three times throughout human history). Apostasy is also marked by attacks on Church structure, beliefs, and standards in a climate of deception, divisiveness, and personal attack.
The centrality of the Church in God’s plan is further emphasized by these statements from the Spirit of Prophesy:
“The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 11).
“During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 12).
To be effective in its purpose, the Church needs its members, “Every man is to stand in his lot and place, thinking, speaking, and acting in harmony with the Spirit of God. Then, and not till then, will the work be a complete, symmetrical whole” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 293). Every person is important; every skill is needed. But what does it mean to stand in your lot and place? Do we find here support for the theory that Church leaders should be followed and supported without question?
“It is always safe to be meek and lowly and tenderhearted, but at the same time we are to be as firm as a rock to the teachings of Christ. His words of instruction are to be strictly heeded. Not one word is to be lost sight of. The truth will abide forever. We are not to place our trust in any lie or pretense. Those who do this will find that it has been done at the loss of eternal life. We are now to make straight paths for our feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. When the lame are turned from safe paths, who is accountable but those who have misled them? They have set at nought the counsel of the One whose words are life eternal, for the works of deception originating with the father of lies” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 266).
Here we see that being a follower does not include unquestioning support. We are ever to maintain our own individual vigilance about the truth of what we believe and do. This is important not only for our own salvation, but for that of our fellow believers who draw strength and validation from our examples. “When the lame are turned from safe paths, who is accountable but those who have misled them?” Every member of a church community impacts others in that community. Leaders, by virtue of their position, certainly have the greatest impact. But even the lowliest member in the back pew influences others by their example and is accountable for that example.
“I was pointed back, and saw that in every important move, every decision made or point gained by God's people, some have arisen to carry matters to extremes, and to move in an extravagant manner, which has disgusted unbelievers, distressed God's people, and brought the cause of God into disrepute. The people whom God is leading out in these last days, will be troubled with just such things. But much evil will be avoided if the ministers of Christ will be of one mind, united in their plans of action, and united in effort” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 212).
Satan will attack the Church in any way he can, including leading members to carry good things to extremes that turn them into bad things. It is important to note here that the term “member” applies to everyone in the Church—laity and clergy. No one is immune from Satan’s attacks. The solution for avoiding this pitfall (and many others) is to lean on the collective wisdom found in the Church body; if the rest of the body cannot unite in one mind with you on a given matter, then the matter should not be pushed. This counsel is particularly directed at ministers. It is not enough for the laity alone to be seeking to act in unity with the plans of their leaders—the leaders must also be seeking unity of plan and action with their congregation, their fellow leaders, and the larger body of the Church. “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.” (2 Cor. 1:24, NKJV)
How should a member express disagreement with the course of the Church, should such disagreement arise? Or should it not be expressed at all, and merely be suffered through? This is a point Ellen White directly addressed in a context where members were withholding funds in protest over problems in a conference:
“You who have been withholding your means from the cause of God, read the book of Malachi, and see what is spoken there in regard to tithes and offerings. Cannot you see that it is not best under any circumstances to withhold your tithes and offerings because you are not in harmony with everything that your brethren do? The tithes and offerings are not the property of any man, but are to be used in doing a certain work for God; unworthy ministers may receive some of the means thus raised; but dare anyone, because of this, withhold from the treasury and brave the curse of God? I dare not. … If the Conference business is not managed according to the order of the Lord, that is the sin of the erring one; the Lord will not hold you responsible for it, if you do what you can to correct the evil. But do not commit sin yourselves by withholding from the Lord His own property” (Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, p. 74, emphasis supplied).
And again, “Some have been dissatisfied and have said: `I will not longer pay my tithe, for I have no confidence in the way things are managed at the heart of the work.’ But will you rob God because you think the management of the work is not right? Make your complaint, plainly and openly, in the right spirit, to the proper ones. Send in your petitions for things to be adjusted and set in order; but do not withdraw from the work of God, and prove unfaithful, because others are not doing right” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 249).
These statements are so clear on their own that they really don’t require any elaboration. We will simply emphasize that they provide the expectation that members with complaints can and should register those complaints and do everything in their power to correct them, while at the same time being faithful supporters of the Church in every way, including finances.
To conclude, the Church is God’s chosen instrument for reaching this fallen world, and individuals should not seek to pursue their Christian walk outside of it. (There may be special circumstances where extreme distance or other factors make participation with other believers temporarily impossible, but this is not God’s ideal.) The Church’s vitality is derived from the active contributions of its members’ skills, abilities, and perspectives. Each member should be content to do what God has given them the ability to do for the advancement of the work of the Church, without jealousy of another’s work or position. However, one task that belongs to every member is to seek and promote God’s truth, and warn those who are in error. The Lord tells us, “When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.” (Ezekiel 33:8, 9) For their own good, as well as the good of their fellow members, anyone detecting error should labor with the appropriate party or parties to correct that error, in the proper spirit of meekness and love.
“Love for Christ unites man to his fellow man in unselfish interest. This is the science of benevolence. He whose heart is filled with the love that centers in God, realizes that he must deal justly and tenderly with his fellow beings because they have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Supreme love for God leads us to seek the highest good of humanity” (Review and Herald, June 25, 1908 par. 3).
In exploration of this question we have presented the article series Gospel Order and several smaller items. In these we have seen that God chooses to work out His will for this world through the Church, and that order and organization are markers of God’s favor and leading. The exact manifestation of this organization will grow as needed to appropriately handle the growth of the Church. The Church, and the counsel it gives through its leaders, is a God-ordained safeguard against Satan’s attempts to deceive the judgment of individual members because there is strength in associating and counseling together. It takes work to maintain this unity, and the spiritual gifts are given to church members so that each may have their particular contribution to make in supporting and forwarding the work of the whole.
That said, not all can have preeminent leadership roles or there would be chaos; final decision responsibility must rest somewhere. Those who are chosen to take those leadership roles must use them to lead only in the direction of holiness and not seek to dominate those who follow them. Wise leaders will be open to and heed good advice from those around them. If and when disputes arise they should be decided by presenting the matters to representative higher bodies within the Church structure. Separation from the Church and established Church order is apostasy, not reform (barring extraordinary evidences that God is leading in the establishment of a replacement church, which has happened only three times throughout human history). Apostasy is also marked by attacks on Church structure, beliefs, and standards in a climate of deception, divisiveness, and personal attack.
The centrality of the Church in God’s plan is further emphasized by these statements from the Spirit of Prophesy:
“The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world. Any betrayal of the church is treachery to Him who has bought mankind with the blood of His only-begotten Son. From the beginning, faithful souls have constituted the church on earth. In every age the Lord has had His watchmen, who have borne a faithful testimony to the generation in which they lived. These sentinels gave the message of warning; and when they were called to lay off their armor, others took up the work. God brought these witnesses into covenant relation with Himself, uniting the church on earth with the church in heaven. He has sent forth His angels to minister to His church, and the gates of hell have not been able to prevail against His people” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 11).
“During ages of spiritual darkness the church of God has been as a city set on a hill. From age to age, through successive generations, the pure doctrines of heaven have been unfolding within its borders. Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard. It is the theater of His grace, in which He delights to reveal His power to transform hearts” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 12).
To be effective in its purpose, the Church needs its members, “Every man is to stand in his lot and place, thinking, speaking, and acting in harmony with the Spirit of God. Then, and not till then, will the work be a complete, symmetrical whole” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 6, p. 293). Every person is important; every skill is needed. But what does it mean to stand in your lot and place? Do we find here support for the theory that Church leaders should be followed and supported without question?
“It is always safe to be meek and lowly and tenderhearted, but at the same time we are to be as firm as a rock to the teachings of Christ. His words of instruction are to be strictly heeded. Not one word is to be lost sight of. The truth will abide forever. We are not to place our trust in any lie or pretense. Those who do this will find that it has been done at the loss of eternal life. We are now to make straight paths for our feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. When the lame are turned from safe paths, who is accountable but those who have misled them? They have set at nought the counsel of the One whose words are life eternal, for the works of deception originating with the father of lies” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 266).
Here we see that being a follower does not include unquestioning support. We are ever to maintain our own individual vigilance about the truth of what we believe and do. This is important not only for our own salvation, but for that of our fellow believers who draw strength and validation from our examples. “When the lame are turned from safe paths, who is accountable but those who have misled them?” Every member of a church community impacts others in that community. Leaders, by virtue of their position, certainly have the greatest impact. But even the lowliest member in the back pew influences others by their example and is accountable for that example.
“I was pointed back, and saw that in every important move, every decision made or point gained by God's people, some have arisen to carry matters to extremes, and to move in an extravagant manner, which has disgusted unbelievers, distressed God's people, and brought the cause of God into disrepute. The people whom God is leading out in these last days, will be troubled with just such things. But much evil will be avoided if the ministers of Christ will be of one mind, united in their plans of action, and united in effort” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 1, pp. 212).
Satan will attack the Church in any way he can, including leading members to carry good things to extremes that turn them into bad things. It is important to note here that the term “member” applies to everyone in the Church—laity and clergy. No one is immune from Satan’s attacks. The solution for avoiding this pitfall (and many others) is to lean on the collective wisdom found in the Church body; if the rest of the body cannot unite in one mind with you on a given matter, then the matter should not be pushed. This counsel is particularly directed at ministers. It is not enough for the laity alone to be seeking to act in unity with the plans of their leaders—the leaders must also be seeking unity of plan and action with their congregation, their fellow leaders, and the larger body of the Church. “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.” (2 Cor. 1:24, NKJV)
How should a member express disagreement with the course of the Church, should such disagreement arise? Or should it not be expressed at all, and merely be suffered through? This is a point Ellen White directly addressed in a context where members were withholding funds in protest over problems in a conference:
“You who have been withholding your means from the cause of God, read the book of Malachi, and see what is spoken there in regard to tithes and offerings. Cannot you see that it is not best under any circumstances to withhold your tithes and offerings because you are not in harmony with everything that your brethren do? The tithes and offerings are not the property of any man, but are to be used in doing a certain work for God; unworthy ministers may receive some of the means thus raised; but dare anyone, because of this, withhold from the treasury and brave the curse of God? I dare not. … If the Conference business is not managed according to the order of the Lord, that is the sin of the erring one; the Lord will not hold you responsible for it, if you do what you can to correct the evil. But do not commit sin yourselves by withholding from the Lord His own property” (Sermons and Talks, Vol. 2, p. 74, emphasis supplied).
And again, “Some have been dissatisfied and have said: `I will not longer pay my tithe, for I have no confidence in the way things are managed at the heart of the work.’ But will you rob God because you think the management of the work is not right? Make your complaint, plainly and openly, in the right spirit, to the proper ones. Send in your petitions for things to be adjusted and set in order; but do not withdraw from the work of God, and prove unfaithful, because others are not doing right” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 249).
These statements are so clear on their own that they really don’t require any elaboration. We will simply emphasize that they provide the expectation that members with complaints can and should register those complaints and do everything in their power to correct them, while at the same time being faithful supporters of the Church in every way, including finances.
To conclude, the Church is God’s chosen instrument for reaching this fallen world, and individuals should not seek to pursue their Christian walk outside of it. (There may be special circumstances where extreme distance or other factors make participation with other believers temporarily impossible, but this is not God’s ideal.) The Church’s vitality is derived from the active contributions of its members’ skills, abilities, and perspectives. Each member should be content to do what God has given them the ability to do for the advancement of the work of the Church, without jealousy of another’s work or position. However, one task that belongs to every member is to seek and promote God’s truth, and warn those who are in error. The Lord tells us, “When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.” (Ezekiel 33:8, 9) For their own good, as well as the good of their fellow members, anyone detecting error should labor with the appropriate party or parties to correct that error, in the proper spirit of meekness and love.
“Love for Christ unites man to his fellow man in unselfish interest. This is the science of benevolence. He whose heart is filled with the love that centers in God, realizes that he must deal justly and tenderly with his fellow beings because they have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. Supreme love for God leads us to seek the highest good of humanity” (Review and Herald, June 25, 1908 par. 3).
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