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Written by Paul Anderson-Walsh
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Wednesday, 13 February 2008 |
I was reminded this weekend on the sage words of Warren Wiersbe who said that a church does not grow by addition, but by nutrition. As a Christ Planter who has embraced the call to grow a church by grace alone that speaks volumes to me. Back in 2000 when the Lord first spoke to me about growing a church by grace alone, all he said to me was “You grow good grass and I will send some sheep!” The new work in the East of London has reignited my passion for “growing good grass”. And this week I have been reflecting on a passage from the Pastoral Epistles and was struck by these verses that seem so pertinent.
“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
That one sentence seems to capture the entire rationale for the Apostle Paul wanting to write the letter. As I read and re-read I wondered how the average Grace-Cadet would instinctively respond to a statement like “How you ought to behave!>?!” Surely Paul is not about to start shoulding on us is he? Perish the thought. But he does want those of us to realize is what the church really is and consequently why what those who lead it model for those who are growing in it is so vitally important. Listen again to what to the Apostle says the church is:
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The household of God
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A loving family – a band of brothers
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An ekklesia
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Called out ones
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A pillar
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Prop or support; backbone.
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A buttress of the truth
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The support that keeps the building in tact.
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So if we are to grow good grass we need to raise some healthy workers. Safe people know how to behave in the household of God because they are mature (and that is an important caveat, the Pastoral Epistles is a letter written to spiritual teenagers, The Apprentices, not spiritual children.) so when the apostle speaks about behaviour he has in mind three things I think:
• Our walk & conversation
• Our life & character
• Our relationships
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 13 February 2008 )
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paul franklin
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