Tag: church

Sermon Idea: A healthy church shares the work of ministry so that neither the Word of God nor the people of God are neglected. 

Introduction: God delivered Israel out of Egypt and brought them across the Red Sea, but he did so by the hand of Moses. It was Moses who demanded that Pharaoh let the Israelites go, and it was Moses whose staff was raised as the Red Sea parted. When Israel saw the mighty works of God, they also saw Moses. 

It is no wonder, then, that Israel would pursue Moses’ time to understand God’s statutes and laws. If there was a need, Moses was the man the people went to, and Moses took the time to minister to them. The problem was that there were a lot of people and only one Moses. 

He would sit and listen to the people from morning until evening. Jethro, his Father-in-Law, took note of this and was not only troubled by it but also offered counsel in light of it.

17 Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice…look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.” (Ex 18:17–23)

The burden of ministry is too heavy to rest on the shoulders of one man. Jethroe’s advice was wise. Moses maintains leadership, but his leadership will be shared by qualified and competent men who will serve over a particular number of people. 

The vision of ministry taught in the Bible is a shared ministry. 

In Acts 6, we see this vision of ministry continue into the early church in response to a problem that arises within the Jerusalem church. The Hellenistic widows were being neglected and were not being adequately cared for. The apostles receive this complaint not as a trivial matter unworthy of their concern, but as a serious matter worthy of a careful response. 

What I want to do this morning is provide three reasons ministry should be shared (points 1, 2, and 4) and speak to the importance of sharing ministry wisely (point 3). 

As we do so, I hope to teach us that a healthy church shares the work of ministry so that neither the Word of God nor the people of God are neglected. 

I.) Share the work of ministry because the needs are significant (Acts 6:1)

The first reason churches should share the work of ministry is becasue the needs are significant. As the church has grown in number, so have the needs of the congregation. 

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. (Ac 6:1)

Hellenistic Jews were those who spoke Greek and were culturally distinct from the Hebrew/Aramaic-speaking Jews. The complaint is that the widows of the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected in their benevolent ministry of food distribution. To ignore the needs of widows is a serious matter in both the Old and New Testaments. 

17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Is 1:17)

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (Jas 1:27)

This is a pivotal moment in the life of this early church. Responding poorly to these issues would not only weaken the church’s health but also harm its witness for growth. Our church will only be as healthy as the care we give to our most vulnerable members. 

This is why we have two references to growth that bookend the conflict. 

Vs. 1, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number…”

Vs. 7, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied…” (Ac 6:7)

Matt Smethurst sums it up well, “…Luke structures the story to make it plain: the joy of verse 7 rarely comes without the work of verses 2-6. Indeed, how our churches react to conflict can make all the difference in whether our gospel witness is obstructed or accelerated. Acts 6 is a story of church conflict handled well.”

How is it handled? They encourage the church to identify seven high-character men to see to the need. Given the significance of this need and the necessity to preach the gospel, others must help share the load. 

In our context, widows are not as dependent on the church as they were in the first century, but we should still see that they are cared for. One of our sisters testified just this past Wednesday evening about how a member of our church checked on her and, while there, discovered a gas leak. She is not dependent on us as a widow in the first century, but it is good to see to their needs. 

Beyond that, given Waldo’s size, there will be more spiritual and physical needs than one man can bear. Pastors, deacons, and church members are all meant to share the load of ministry respectively in a way that God has prescribed in His Word. 

There is a reason why there is no example in the New Testament of a church led by a single pastor. The church is to be led by a plurality of pastors/elders/overseers who oversee the spiritual needs of the congregation. 

There is a reason why the New Testament prescribed a plurality of deacons to serve churches. The physical needs of the congregation will be too significant for one man. 

There is a reason why a primary task of elders in the life of the church is to “… equip the saints for the work of ministry.” (Ephesians 4:12)

Ministry is to be shared becasue the needs are too significant to rest on the shoulders of one person or one group of people. There are the spiritual needs of the congregation, which are met through the ministry of the Word of God, and then there are the physical needs of the congregation, which are met through time, labor, benevolence, and other means. 

A healthy church shares the work of ministry so that neither the Word of God nor the people of God are neglected. 

II.) Share the work of ministry because the Word and prayer are central (Acts 6:2-4, 7)

If the complaint reached the apostles, why didn’t they address this need themselves? They are the ones being asked, they know the situation, and they have the ability. Surely, they can handle the daily distribution of food to these widows. 

They can meet this need, but they shouldn’t, at least not on their own. Why? Because the Word of God and prayer are central to the church’s health and growth. 

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. (Ac 6:2–4) 

At this particular time, this is especially important because it is so early. The most important thing for the apostles to do is to preach the Word of the gospel, so that they can bear witness that Jesus is the Christ. This is God’s plan for church growth. He is saving sinners and building his church through the proclamation of the Word of God. 

If the apostles stop to see to this need themselves, it won’t allow them the time needed to preach the Word and spend time in prayer. This has nothing to do with the apostles being above caring for widows. Far from it. It is about the centrality of the Word of God in God’s redemptive work. 

These apostles demonstrate good leadership by delegating an important ministry, allowing them to devote themselves to the ministry Jesus called them to. 

There is a vast difference between apostles and pastors, but what is similar is their devotion to the ministry of the Word of God. 

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:13–16)

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. (2 Ti 4:1–2)

This is the ministry to which pastors are called. We are to be men who immerse themselves in the ministry of the Word and prayer. There is a great danger in being a busy pastor. We don’t need busy pastors. We need devoted ones—those who embrace the life of stillness, contemplation, prayer, and studying the Word. We want pastors who spend time in communion with God, preparing to minister to the communion of saints. 

For this to happen, deacons and church members must help shoulder the burden of ministry. Pastors cannot tend to the Word and counsel the flock if they’re overwhelmed with administration, facilities, or even minor conflicts that don’t require pastoral intervention. 

It is worth quoting Smethurst again, “…a church whose ministers are chained to the tyranny of the urgent, which so often shows up in ‘tangible problems’—is a church removing its heart to strengthen its arm. It’s a kind of slow-motion suicide.”

Deacons and church members bless the pastor and protect the church when they believe in the centrality of the Word and prayer, and then do all they can to ensure he can be devoted to it. 

We are to share ministry becasue the needs are significant and the Word is central, but we are to do so wisely because character matters. 

III.) Share the work of ministry wisely because character matters. (Acts 6:3, 5-6)

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

The seriousness with which the apostles approach this problem is evident in the emphasis on qualification. Not any old body will do, but those of good repute, full of the Spirit, and or of wisdom. Just as Jethro instructed Moses to find men of high character to share the burden of ministry, so the apostles asked the church to find men of high character to assure these widows were cared for. 

Those whom the church chooses are men filled with the Spirit and qualified to meet the needs of the widows. It’s also worth noting that scholars tell us these are Greek names. They not only find qualified men, but those from among the Hellenists themselves.

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. (Ac 6:5)

Here we have a designated group of people, set apart to serve the church after the laying on of hands and prayer. These men will assist the apostles to serve the church, so they can be free to devote themselves to the Word of God and prayer. 

You can see why many have read this passage as the origin or beginning of the office of deacon. This has been a prominent interpretation throughout church history, dating back to the second century. 

Even those who may not see a direct correlation admit, “Acts 6 does provide a paradigm that seems to have been continued in the early church.” – Benjamin Merkle

What we see here in seed form in Acts 6 grows into a full bloom later in Acts and the epistles with the teaching on elders and deacons. God has given the church two offices to share the burden of ministry. These offices are distinct from one another and have particular functions related to their specific roles. We see both offices listed together in Philippians 1:1. 

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons (Php 1:1)

Pastors/Elders/Overseers are those whom God sets apart to lead the church in the ministry of the Word, shepherding, and prayer. They are the leaders becasue the church takes its direction from the Word. That is why, in 1 Timothy 3, a qualification for an elder is the ability to teach. 

Deacons are those whom God has set apart to serve the church in practical matters, so that the elders are free to teach and shepherd. Deacons do not have the qualifications to teach, and so, by definition, they are not the leaders of the local church. They do lead, but they lead by serving the congregation based on the physical and practical needs present in the church. 

God institutes both of these offices for the good of the church, and both should be viewed with reverence and gratitude. They are not in the same office, and so they do not have the same function. 

Healthy churches have both qualified elders and deacons, along with members who understand their distinct biblical roles. If these offices become confused or treated as the same, we risk weakening the church’s health and the ability to ensure that neither the Word of God nor the people of God are neglected. 

In light of Acts 6, how might deacons serve the church today? 

1. Deacons serve the church by meeting the practical needs of the church. 

By being aware of the practical needs of the church, deacons not only serve members but also the pastors. 

In the game of football, one of the most critical positions on the team is the offensive line. They block the defenders and protect the quarterback, allowing him the necessary time to do his job. When the offensive line is poor, your quarterback’s play is going to suffer. In 2002, David Carr was sacked an all-time high 76 times in one season. That is nearly 5 times a game. That year, the Houston Texans went 4-12 and were in last place in their division. 

This is why Matt Smethurst calls godly deacons who serve well the offensive line of the church. They protect pastors from being overwhelmed by practical needs, so that they can faithfully execute their role as shepherds of the flock throughout the Word and prayer. 

2. Deacons serve by seeking to preserve the unity and peace of the church.

Notice that those being neglected were Hellenist widows. That is, they are Greek-speaking Jews. The language barrier contributed to their neglect, but one can only imagine how this difference could lead to division and disunity. By faithfully attending to this need, these servants preserved the peace of the congregation. 

Deacons similarly serve the church. Deacons can look out for potentially divisive situations and gently seek resolution by offering a solution to any problems that may arise. This problem was easy to solve; it simply required godly, qualified men who would give themselves to that need. Deacons can be a godsend to local churches through service, so that no one falls between the ministerial cracks. 

Deacons can further preserve the unity of the church by their voice and example. 

“You don’t want people serving as deacons who are unhappy with your church. The deacons should never be the ones who complain the loudest or jar the church with their actions and attitudes. Quite the opposite. The deacons should be mufflers or shock absorbers.” – Mark Dever

3. Deacons serve by supporting the pastors and assisting them in executing their vision for the church. 

As servants of the church, godly deacons assist in the ministry of the church by supporting and helping to execute the vision of the pastors. That is, there will be a variety of needs that arise to accomplish the church’s ministry, and deacons come alongside pastors as they seek to fulfill that ministry. 

When it comes to specific ways deacons serve, we need to allow for flexibility based on the church’s individual needs. Deacons should serve the church according to its needs.

IV.) Share the work of ministry because church membership matters (Acts 6:3, 5) 

A church is not only healthy because of its offices—elders and deacons—but because of its members. There is a subtle, but essential part of this decision-making process. The servants are chosen and affirmed by the members of the church. 

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. (Ac 6:3)

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, (Ac 6:4–5)

This is one of many texts that reinforce the idea that it is the congregation under the Lordship of Jesus Christ that serves as the governing body of a local church. The apostles don’t choose the servants here, but the church does. 

Church membership should be meaningful because it is a responsibility given to us by God to serve as a final court of appeals regarding doctrine, leadership, and membership. 

It is the church that serves as the final court of appeal in Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 regarding matters of church discipline. It is the church, according to Paul, that has the authority to recognize the true gospel and curse even an angel who preaches a false gospel. It is the church in 2 Corinthians 2 that, by a vote of a majority, brings a repentant member back into membership. 

Local churches are supposed to be elder-led, deacon served, and congregationally governed. 

To be a healthy church that shares ministry as God intended, it must have a high view of the church offices and a high view of membership.

Application

1. View your church membership as a vital part of Christian discipleship. 
2. Pray for God to give his church qualified elders and continue to give his church qualified deacons. 
3. Embrace and love the biblical model of shared ministry: Elders lead, deacons serve, the congregation governs under the Lordship of Christ. 

After four years of trying to have a child, my wife exited the bathroom with tears in her eyes. The crushing blow of a miscarriage accompanied our first sign that she could conceive. I remember crying, holding one another, grieving, and praying. What I also remember is still gathering with God’s people, attending our small group, and being vulnerable with the church about our situation. I remember they prayed for us, loved us, and provided support for us. Most of all, I remember gathering in the presence of God and his people to be reminded of the grace of the gospel and the true nature of Christian hope.

Like all of life, Mother’s Day is a mixture of joy and sorrow. Life in a fallen world does not let us enjoy the former too long before we must face the latter. To be sure, churches can handle this poorly by not acknowledging both realities. It is not loving to acknowledge the oldest mother or the one with the most children without also grieving with those waiting in a season of infertility or mothers grieving the loss of a child. Having said that, we don’t want to overreact and wrongly believe motherhood isn’t worth celebrating. We can and should do both. 

The potential pain that Mother’s Day acknowledgments can bring may tempt some women to avoid their local church gatherings altogether. As this day approaches, I want to encourage these struggling sisters gently. I want to admonish those who may be tempted to avoid gathering with their local church to decide now that they will do so. Why should you commit to gathering despite the sorrow it may induce? 

1. Go to testify to the sufficiency of God’s grace. Gathering on this difficult day testifies to the church that the grace of God is sufficient for the Christian life, even in suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to take away his thorn in the flesh, God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9). Coming to church in weakness directs people away from ourselves to the power of Christ that rests upon us.

2. Go to display and receive love from your fellow members. Gathering with the local church allows us to obey God’s commands to love one another. We are told in Romans 12:15, Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” In Galatians, Paul encourages the church to “…do good to everyone, and especially to those who are in the household of faith.” It’s a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a grieving woman celebrate the blessing of another sister in Christ. It is a glorious testimony to the gospel of Christ to watch a mother with reasons for joy choose to weep with a sister in waiting or grief. Jesus told us the world would know us by our love for one another, and Mother’s Day presents a unique opportunity to love as a testimony to the power of the gospel in our lives. 

3. Go to exemplify how the local church is central to Christian discipleship. The local church is God’s primary means for maturing disciples of Jesus Christ. Gathering with God’s people on the Lord’s Day is a command, and it is for our good (1 Cor. 11:17-22; Heb. 10:25). When a grieving woman gathers with God’s people, they exemplify an appropriate fear of the Lord born out of God’s loving grace to her. She exemplifies a belief that God’s commands to his people are good and that those commands are not optional based on how we feel at any given moment. 

4. Go to testify to the nature of Christian hope. Gathering with the local church testifies to the true nature of Christian hope. All of us will suffer and struggle in some capacity. The Christian’s hope is not centered on the best version of our life now but is centered on Christ, who has promised to return to judge the living and the dead. He has promised resurrection life, and eternal blessedness in his presence. He has promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes and that sin and death will one day be no more (Revelation 21:1-5). Committing to gather with the local church testifies that Christ is our only hope in life and death. 

If you’re still waiting, grieving the loss of a child, or simply missing a dear mother whose long been with the Lord, sorrow will accompany your gathering with God’s people. It is because this is true that grieving sisters have all the more reason to gather with their church this Mother’s Day. Let us weep with you.  

Sermon Idea: God builds the church up by his grace through ordinary means: the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and singing. 

Introduction: On September 12th, 1983, the Scottish pastor William Still reflected on thirty years of pastoral ministry before fifty ministers. His reflection was a testimony of God’s work in his church and his experience of that work through conversions, maturing Christians, and lasting fruit. Of course, ministers and most Christians long to experience the work of God in their midst, so a testimony like this is worth listening to. You can imagine ministers listening and perhaps asking themselves a series of questions. 

What secret had Still discovered? What method did he employ to reach such results? Can they be reproduced in our own context? Can we find the secret to unleash the work of God in our midst? What is the plan that must be implemented to see church growth? 

To those who would ask those questions, Still’s testimony would be a bit of a disappointment. That is because it is a testimony of God’s work through ordinary means: the Word of God, prayer, and the ordinances. 

Years later, reflecting on Still’s testimony, one pastor summarized the takeaway from such a testimony. I want you to listen carefully to his quote because it captures what I want you to embrace with joy over the next several weeks. 

“When it comes to the stewardship of the Gospel, there are two basic choices before the Church of Christ. Either the Church will be content to apply itself to God’s ordinary means and trust him for their extraordinary ends; or, the Church will pursue extraordinary means and content itself with ordinary ends.” – Craig Troxel 

I want us to reflect on how God builds up the church by his grace through his ordinary means. In doing so, I want us to cultivate a deeper conviction in God’s promise to work through the means he has given us. 

If this language is new to you, ordinary is not intended to connote boring or uninteresting but to the regular means that God uses to strengthen our faith by his grace. It refers to what has been ordained by Christ for this purpose. You can hear the word connection between ordinary and ordained.

To say something is a “means” is to say it is an instrument or a medium through which something is accomplished. You might think, for example, of the news media, which is meant to be a means for learning about the news and events worldwide. 

What means specifically are we referring to? We are starting here in Acts 2:41-42 because we see the early church observing what was later called the ordinary means of grace. This is a remarkable passage that gives us insight into the worship priorities of the early church fresh off the extraordinary wonders of Pentecost. 

The church gathered regularly, and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Ac 2:42)

Devoted communicates persistence and perseverance. The church was committed to observing these things as they worshipped because this is Christian worship. Baptism brings people into the church and once added, there is a shared commitment of fellowship around the gospel. That is what the apostle’s teaching means—a commitment to the gospel and the way the gospel fulfills God’s promises. 

They were devoted to breaking bread, which in this context most certainly means more than a simple shared meal but refers to the Lord’s Supper. Similar language is used later in Acts when Paul describes gathering with the church on the Lord’s Day. 

⁷ On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. (Ac 20:7)

As followers of Jesus, they were committed to prayer. This probably included frequently reciting the Lord’s Prayer and other prayers. 

Major confessions of faith throughout church history have identified the ministry of the Word of God, Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer as the ordinary means of grace. 

The grace of faith…. is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.- Second London Baptist Confession 14.1 

This morning, I want us to recognize that God builds the church through His grace via ordinary means: the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and singing. 

We’ll do this by reflecting on three aspects: God saves the church by grace, God builds up the church by grace, and God builds the church by grace through ordinary means. 

In conclusion, I want to offer a few points about why this is important. 

I.) God saves the church by grace 

We often use “grace” but don’t define it because we assume a basic knowledge of it. But what do we mean by grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor, where he lavishes the blessings of salvation on the believer through faith in Christ. 

To say that it is unmerited is to say that we cannot and do not contribute anything to gain access to God’s grace. It is given to us as a gift. 

As you know, it’s Girl Scout cookie time. That’s not good because I’ll eat them all, and I don’t need to (tip: put the thin mints in the freezer). When you are a member of the Girl Scouts, you can earn merit badges, which are worn on your uniform. Those merit badges signify achievements and accomplishments. The wearing of that badge is based on the merit of the Girl Scouts. You earned the right to wear it.

The grace of God in Christ is not like that. We don’t deserve it and do nothing to earn it, but grace is given to us in Christ. It is offered as a gift by the sovereign grace of God, first for His glory and second for our benefit.

The church is what it is, and Christians are who they are solely because of God’s grace in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 captures this truth as well as any other place in Scripture. 

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:8–9)

Not only is grace unmerited favor, but it involves the outpouring of the blessing of salvation on the believer through faith in Christ. Paul says this in Ephesians 1:3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Did you hear the depth of that verse? In Christ, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing. We do not need to search for another source of grace. The work of God in Christ through the Spirit is all we will ever need. 

It is crucial to understand that grace is not only for the beginning of the Christian life but for all of it. In theological terms, God saves us by grace, sanctifies us by grace, and glorifies us by grace. From beginning to end, we are creatures of God’s grace. 

If that is the case, then the church must grow by God’s grace so that God can strengthen, nourish, and edify it in this life and in preparation for the next. 

This brings us to our second point: God saves the church by grace and builds it up by grace. 

II.) God builds the church up by grace 

During Paul’s encouragement to the elders in Ephesus he commends them to God and says that the Word of God’s grace has the power to build them up. 

³² And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Ac 20:32)

This passage is really insightful because it teaches us that God builds us up and reveals that God uses means to do so. In this case, the means is the “word of his grace.” In this context, this phrase refers to the gospel, but by extension, it also includes the Word of God in Scripture.

As believers hear the gospel afresh through faith in the reading and preaching of the Word, God, by his grace, increasingly nourishes and strengthens our faith. 

God has not saved us and left us to ourselves, but he promises his grace to build us up. 

We can also consider 2 Peter 1:2-4, where we learn that grace can be multiplied in the church’s life so that they come to a deeper understanding of God’s grace in Christ. 

² May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. ³ His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Pe 1:2–4)

So, to have grace multiplied to you is to have your faith nourished and strengthened in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, who has granted us all things pertaining to life and godliness. 

Here is what is interesting. As we read the Bible, we see God builds up the church through ordinary means. There are regular, ordinary means through which God has promised to build the church up by his grace. 

Sure, there are many things that God can use to bless and edify believers, but there are certain things that God definitely uses, and that matter a great deal. 

In a very helpful book on this topic, pastor J. Ryan Davidson says it this way. 

“It is quite possible for the Lord to use anything in the life of a believer. Many could attest to the fact that God often utilizes things outside of the ordinary means of grace; however, there are certain things that He tells us He will definitely use, and that is the main difference. That is why we labeled them the ordinary means of grace. They are the things that the Scriptures have said are instituted by Christ through which we can expect a blessing, thereby making them a “means of grace.”

So, the ministry of the Word, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and prayer can be called means of grace because they were all instituted by the Lord Jesus and are accompanied by a promised blessing from God.

We do not believe these things operate in their own power. Without faith, Baptismal waters are hardly different from a bath. Without faith, the bread and cup don’t unite us with Christ. However, as we come to them by faith, they are means of grace God uses to bless and strengthen the church by his Spirit. 

When believers participate in these means through faith, God works through them to bless the church. So, what are the promises associated with these means of grace, and why is this important for the life of the church? 

III.) God builds the church up by grace through ordinary means 

1. Ministry of the Word 

¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Ti 4:13–16)

¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Ti 3:16–17)

2. Baptism 

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19–20)

3. Lord’s Supper 

¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. (1 Co 10:16–17)

4. Prayer 

⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6–7)

 ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. (1 Jn 5:13–14)

5. Singing 

¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)

Application 

1. The ordinary means of grace give churches a biblical philosophy of ministry. 

2. The ordinary means of grace cultivate humility and dependence upon God in worship.

3. The ordinary means of grace raises the cost of neglecting to gather with the church.