Church Ordinances

People seeking the truth are looking for facts. In a “perfect world” (I write as a man) that would reward all of our fact-seeking efforts, any time we had a question about something, we could simply open our Bibles (maybe go to the back where someone has painstakingly organized doctrines by category or has included an abridged concordance of sorts), look up the topic in question, find the page(s) in Holy Scripture, read the passage(s), and discover our sought after answer. This “perfect world” doesn’t exist. As thick and informative as the Bible is, it varies greatly in its disclosure of God’s will. There are some doctrines, like soteriology (the doctrine of salvation), that are baseline primitives for all other doctrines so there is much said on those topics, specifically. However, to our human consternation, not all topics we encounter in our lives are described in such detail.

Where does this leave us? I mean, how can a well-intentioned believer live a life that is glorifying to God when there exists little or no specific guidance in particular areas of living? An honest believer certainly understands the import of walking in a manner worthy of the Lord; holy writ is clear on this.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
The point of tension I’m presenting in this blog exists between specific commands to obey the Lord, for that is what pleases Him, and any lack of specificity when a situation arises requiring particular obedience. Has the Lord God commanded us to perform a duty in the absence of the grace provision to do so? May it never be! Since all things are accomplished by His grace (ala Ephesians 2:8-9), a confused person might be missing something vital (and they are). Let’s take a specific example now. I’ll call it “church ordinances,” which for our purposes here refers to the manner a church leadership team governs and administers the local congregation of believers. In lay terms a person may refer to these details as, “The way we do things here” or “Our bylaws say this or that.”

What does the Bible have to say about church ordinances? Frankly, not a whole lot. Should this be disconcerting to a believer earnestly seeking to do the will of God? Not at all. In fact, with the right perspective, this same person may consider it a test of faith. I think we sometimes lose sight of how simple faith is.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
So, in the case of church ordinances (one of those areas where specificity is limited as far as the Bible is concerned), we must then turn to the doctrine of authority-orientation. In other words, if the Bible doesn’t specifically lay out the details of how a local assembly is to be run, the authority lies in the hands of the leadership team, which is headed up by the pastor(s). Members of the congregation are commanded to submit to the authority of these leaders (Romans 13:1; Hebrews 13:7). This means that faith in God, specifically His choice of leadership, becomes the primary concern of the sheep. As I’ve told my own congregation regularly over the years, if you don’t have faith in me and my delegated authorities (e.g., the deacons), then you need to go find a church that you can have faith in - otherwise, simply submit. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14).

Too many Christians concern themselves with church ordinances (some place higher value on this than seeking a good pastor): details like how many pastors lead a congregation, how many deacons there should be, what days of the week should Bible studies be held, how many times a month should we celebrate the Lord’s supper, or how many times a year should we schedule baptisms (if scheduling is even the right approach at all versus ad hoc). None of these everyday issues are disclosed specifically in the Bible, leaving such choices up to the leadership team that God has ordained in place.

The key question for any church-goer is, “Did God, Himself, ordain this man as a shepherd?” If/when the Holy Spirit answers in the affirmative, obedience becomes the primary concern.

As a leader, I know from Holy Scripture (and also from experience, after a decade in full-time ministry) that there will always be those who spend inordinate amounts of time picking, grumbling, and stirring up doubt, but it’s nothing more than a lack of faith in the Lord God they are showing. Sadly, these are the ones I see as the most miserable in the church. Why? Simply put, it’s because they are disoriented to the will of the Lord, concerning themselves with duties not assigned to them instead of simply submitting to the delegated authority in the church. Does this mean a person can never bring up a concern or make a suggestion to leadership? Not at all - those lines of communication should always be open. In the case of my own church, congregants are asked to follow the “chain of command,” going to the deacons first (except for sensitive personal issues that only a pastor would be privy to). This helps tremendously and it also reveals to me that whoever honors the chain of command is showing their faith in those subordinates of mine (e.g., the deacons). Members who disregard my deacons and register complaints and/or concerns directly with me have broken the ordained chain of command, revealing a lack of faith. I will typically inform them of both of these truths. A humble sheep always responds with, “Oops, sorry!” while an arrogant one responds with, “But…”

I know this may seem like a roundabout way of making my point, but church ordinance is a good “stick in the mud” representative of other topics dealt with in the Bible because of all the unspecified aspects of it (e.g., minimum age for baptism, age ranges for prep school, salaries, church expenses, fund-raisers, etc.). The issue is never, “Oh, let me see if I agree with divinely ordained authority...and if I do, then I’ll obey.” The correct attitude is, “God ordained this authority in my life for my good. I may not always understand where his decisions are coming from, but I will honor God with my obedience.” Do you see the difference in perspective here? The prior is concerned with self, the latter with the Lord. The prior lacks faith, the latter trusts the Lord (and His delegates). The prior is a potential stumbling block to others (including leadership), the latter is encouraging. Above all other considerations, the prior shows a greater love for self than for others, for in the grand scheme of things, God knows best and He is the one who ordains all authority on Earth, especially those leading His flock.

Learn to obey for obedience’s sake. This is what pleases the Lord, your Master. If you ever find the dastardly emotion of malcontent percolating up from your flesh, step back, take a deep breath, and remember that God chooses wisely, for your benefit. His decisions include those in church leadership who choose on His behalf the kinds of church ordinances which are best for their congregation. Do not take the bait from weaker individuals, taking issue with authority - that temptation is very appealing to the rebellious human flesh. Whichever church ordinances are in place in your church, thank God for His grace in putting them there. Sow this attitude and reap your peace. Oh, and by the way, your leadership team will be very grateful, maybe even inspired by you! Have a little faith and enjoy the fruit of it.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Love in Christ,

Ed Collins