The biggest factor in house church health is healthy and effective house church leaders. We cannot make any person grow, but we can have enormous spiritual influence on those who are open to God’s Spirit. Just think of house church leaders who influenced you!
Assuming that God grants us more souls, at least some house church members must aspire to become house church leaders (1 Timothy 3:1). One key factor in this is that their house church leaders believe that being a leader is an exciting privilege. Conversely, if their leaders serve as dutiful, ungrateful, resentful slaves, those whom they lead will almost certainly not aspire to play this role. It is disturbing to hear this sentiment from many house church members: “I’m glad our house church leaders serve in this capacity, but I would never want to be in that role.”
This paper examines two critical big-picture aspects of Christian leadership. Like a camera with a defective lens, these tend to go out of focus. And unless we correct our perspective, they take our leadership off-course.
In 1 Corinthians 3:5-15 and 4:1-5, Paul describes (among other things) the relationship between leadership faithfulness and results. In essence, he teaches that Christian leaders should focus on faithfulness and depend on God for results.
On the one hand, only God causes the growth of his church (3:6b,7b). Paul specifically rejects the idea that even the most gifted leaders can cause growth. It is God’s gospel that saves people and enables them to grow. It is God who gives us our gifts, and provides the opportunities to use those gifts. Growth comes by God’s power, in God’s timing, and in the amount that God deems best. Thus, the growth of the church is mysterious (Mark 4:26,27), eluding all attempts to reduce it to a formula yielding predictable results. (For more on this theme, see Psalm. 127:1; Matthew. 16:18; John. 15:4,5. In addition, Luke emphasizes that Jesus sovereignly grows his church in Acts 2:39,47; 3:26; 5:14; 11:24; 14:27; 16:14; 18:10,27).
What happens if you forget “God causes the growth” and take personal responsibility for the results and the growth? This is a form of legalism—what one Christian leader calls “taking possession of your ministry.”
How would you know if you were erring in this direction? Here are some symptoms:
Many of us recurrently go down this path, usually because of our desire for self-glorification. This requires a humbling and a reawakening to God’s part in ministry.
On the other hand, we have a role. God works through human agency — he has decided to build his church through us. We are his servants, his fellow-workers, stewards of his gospel — and it is required that we be faithful to God in our service (1 Corinthians 4:2). Our faithfulness cannot cause growth—but our unfaithfulness can prevent growth (see also Galatians 6:9,10; 2 Tim. 2:3-6).
God will one day evaluate us for how faithful we were in our service (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 4:5). This should both sober us and encourage us. It should sober us because God will bestow or withhold eternal reward (not eternal life) based on the faithfulness of our service to him (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). It should encourage us because God will reward every faithful service we render (1 Corinthians 4:5), and because we can serve free from the bondage of ultimate human evaluation (1 Corinthians 4:3-4).
What happens if a leader uses the truth that “God causes the growth” as an excuse to neglect the importance of his or her own faithfulness? This denigration of human agency can appear spiritual to some, but it is in fact a false spirituality.
The following are symptoms that might suggest a leader is erring in this direction:
It is not uncommon for leaders to head down this path in an over-reaction to a former life of legalism. This requires a re-commitment to grace-motivated faithfulness!
As Christian leaders, we should be actively faithful in playing the part he has given us, and humbly dependent on God to grow his church. This is a tight-rope that every Christian leader has to walk. Maturity is not never falling off the tight-rope; it is catching yourself sooner, getting back on sooner, and helping one another and your people to do the same. If you do not wrestle with this, you are probably not seriously engaged in ministry!
When Paul wrote to the Colossians (a church he had never visited), he wrote as a spiritual leader who loved them and was committed to their maturity in Christ (Colossians 1:28b,29a). Let’s survey this letter, and notice what he emphasized to this end.
In Colossians 1:3-3:4, Paul focuses almost entirely on the gospel – the message of God’s grace. Paul is absolutely intent on reminding them of and expounding the gospel (the Person and work of Jesus), because it is the power that comprehensively saves (Romans 1:16). Notice how he does this:
Do you really believe that the gospel is the engine that empowers real personal change and effective ministry?
In Colossians 3:5-4:6, Paul urges them to respond to the gospel, to actively cooperate with the transformation and growth that the gospel is working to effect in their lives. He unpacks the maturity he mentioned in 1:28, describing it as growth in three relational directions:
1. It is growth upward, in their vertical love relationships with God. This upward growth includes ethical obedience (3:5-11), thankfulness (3:15b,16b,17b; see also 2:7), and prayerfulness (4:2).
2. It is growth inward, in their love relationships with one another (Colossians 3:12-17)—growth into real Christian community. This inward growth includes practicing real biblical love for one another (3:12-14,16;), and actively functioning as a Body (3:15; 2:19).
3. It is growth outward, in their love relationships with people in the world (Colossians 3:17-4:6). This outward growth includes being aware of their roles as ambassadors for Jesus in all of their interactions (3:17), a commitment to represent Jesus well in all of their social roles (3:18-4:1), and a commitment to pray for and take advantage of opportunities to share the gospel (4:3-6).
Are you committed to and creatively active in urging your people to respond to the gospel in all three of these ways? Here are some questions to consider as a leader:
This is what we should be focusing on—getting the gospel more deeply into our people, and urging and facilitating development of relationships with God, other believers, and those outside the church. Let’s focus on being faithful to these things, and trust God to grant the growth in his degree and timing!
Table: Responding to the Gospel in Three Key Areas
“Upward” – Our love relationship with God
Characteristics of a church that is strong in this area:
Awareness of how God is working, and an expectation that He will work
Confidence that He will respond to every legitimate need
The inclination to pray spontaneously and at scheduled times much more than fret, complain or even plan
Prayer that includes gratitude, confession and intercession;
Openness to God speaking in specific, personal ways to the church (with appropriate discernment)
“Inward” – Our love relationships with one another
Characteristics of a church that is strong in this area:
Practice the Biblical teaching on loving one another, and remind each other of these teachings
Regularly scheduled and ad hoc gatherings to minister, pray, enjoy one another
An ethos of affection and appreciation as well as challenge and correction
Intentional discipleship (one-on-one, or small group) and Christ-centered friendships
Mutual support and service
Honesty about sin and weakness
“Outward” – Our love for those outside Christian community
Characteristics of a church that is strong in this area:
Evangelistic efforts directed toward neighbors, family, workmates, and others
Regular service to the wider community with an eagerness to credit God in response to every “thank you”
Helping other outreach ministries outside the house church;
Global missions awareness and involvement
