ICS Daily Devotions
Churches Need Strong Spiritual Leadership
Just as the top box of a Lego set shows what the finished product looks like, the vision statement of the church is like the top box of the church. All of us selected a church for various reasons but one of the reasons should be that you agree with what the church is doing. Every one of us is like one Lego piece that makes up the entire model. Therefore, we need to be fitted in the right place for the right purpose with the correct gifting.
Philippians2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
The epistles of Paul contain all the important teachings and instruction to the churches that he had planted. One of the many purposes of writing the epistle to the church in Philippi was to address some division or discord in the church there.
Paul loved the church just as Christ loved the church. A church is a body of believers who are called out to congregate and worship the living God. If you have decided to worship with ICS then this is your home church. It is a place where you worship God on a weekly basis, to serve him and to make Him known through this body of believers.
The word ‘fellowship’ in verse 1 is koinoinia, which means the deepest fellowship with God and fellow believers. The Holy Spirit binds us together with the love of Christ that flows out of our hearts. There will be an absence of strife when we are in deep communion and partnership. Koinoinia is not a platonic relationship but an agape level one. It does not matter which denomination or nationality we belong to; we are in koinoinia. Because we are in Christ, we are one big family, loving one another and laying down our differences with the love of Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Paul knew that he could not fulfill his calling alone and he needed people to be working with him.
Ephesians 4:11-12 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
God has put in place the fivefold ministry in order for the church to be strong, stable and well equipped. The Pastor is entrusted to lead the church because of their gift and their love for their flock.
1 Timothy 4:13-15 “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.”
Timothy was set apart for ministry. It was a gift given to him by God and the elders ordained him through the laying on of hands. He was to provide pastoral care, leadership and teaching to the church in Ephesus. This is the model for ministry in the local church.
The local church has a mandate from God to fulfill her calling in the city and the country. It must be like an aircraft carrier that is on a mission commissioned by God. Jesus is the captain of the carrier. everyone in the local church is like an aircraft on a mission or holding a position in the carrier, and the Pastor is the chaplain nursing those who are hurt back to health.
Sermon Series: United for a Common Purpose
