Personal Responsibility and Group Leadership

Coaching my son’s soccer team had a great many learning moments for me. One thing that I remember clearly was that each player had their own strengths:

Chris was a speedy and powerful forward, Omar was a great defender who could work down the angle to block a shot, and Elijah was good at running around and getting the ball. I also learned that when these talents were combined together in the right way, it brought victory.

What about the body of Christ? Is it good enough for just one player to be a “superstar,” or do we need each other? And who is to tell us how to “play” properly?

Our heavenly Father shows us that carrying out our own personal responsibility is important, and so is working together. He provides leadership in the body of Christ to help us win against our adversary, the Devil, and his forces.

Ephesians 4:11,12:
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

Each team member is to do their all. In the body of Christ, every member has something to give that will bless the rest of the body. Together we grow up into the head, Jesus Christ—our lord and savior!

Joined Together

Ephesians 4:15,16:
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint [ligament] supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ligaments connect bones to other bones. For example, you can think of the bones of your leg as a chain made of individual links. The thigh bone (femur) is a link and the lower leg bone (tibia) is another link. Ligaments in the knee joint link these two bones together. Just like in a chain, the individual links move freely, yet they stay in the same order and don’t move apart. This allows the freedom to move, but it also protects from any bone being dislocated.

Ligaments help to provide freedom and safety! They also provide great stability. You can’t bend your knee “backwards,” and that keeps your leg bones where they need to be for maximum efficiency. Ligaments help the whole body to work properly.

The same is true in the body of Christ. When each member is in fellowship with our heavenly Father and doing what is needed, the whole body is edified.

I Corinthians 12:18,27:
But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

At times to keep the spiritual unity we have from God (Ephesians 4:3-6), we need leadership provided by the head of the body, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:19:
…holding [being strengthened by] the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Doing It God’s Way

When Jesus Christ ascended, he gave gifts to men.

Ephesians 4:8,11:
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

These ministries include apostles (sent by God), prophets (speaking for God with comfort, encouragement, and even confrontation at times), evangelists (preaching the good news of God and His Son), pastors (caring for the people of God), and teachers (making known the heart of God by His Word). They are all needed for the perfecting of the saints, those who are born again.

As each individual member in the body of Christ is taken care of with God’s supply of these ministries, the members can effectually carry out what God would have them each to do. This helps build up the body.

Ephesians 4:12:
For the perfecting [complete furnishing or mending] of the saints, for [with a view toward] the work of the ministry, for [with an ultimate view toward] the edifying of the body of Christ.

Now what about the team members? Can we “shine” individually? Carrying out our personal responsibility is important. Ants provide an interesting example of individual importance.

Proverbs 6:6-8:
Go to the ant…consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

The ant has been known throughout history for its amazing social habits, planning ahead, economy, and hard work. Ants work together to collect their food in the right season. God built into them the instinct to bite off the ends of grain so that it doesn’t germinate before the ants can use it. Then they put this prepared grain into storage areas until it is needed.

Ludwig Büchner in Mind in Animals mentions Proverbs 6.

“The most trustworthy observers unanimously agree with the sentence quoted from Solomon, that the ants, like the colonies of bees, wasps, etc., have no chiefs, overseers, nor leaders, and that one is as good as another. The consciousness of their duty alone keeps them orderly and at work.”

Like the ant, we can give our all to do what God wants. We each offer our unique abilities out of love for our heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. As we read scriptures addressed to the body of Christ, we become ever more conscious of our “duty” to support one another. Working together with the leaders provided when Christ ascended (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers) helps us keep things orderly as we work together in love.

God Provides Leadership that Meets the Need

Biblically, a “bishop” is one who “looks over” what God would have him to do. He cares for God’s people and works with “deacons,” those who run to serve believers on a local level. Both bishops and deacons are necessary leaders provided by God.

I Timothy 3:1,13:
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Many times these first-century leaders served from their own homes and visited local churches. Paul met at Miletus with such a group of local leaders from Ephesus.

Acts 20:28:
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers [same Greek word as “bishop”], to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Paul sent a letter of joy, love, and encouragement to the wonderful believers at Philippi. He encouraged them to work together and carry out their individual responsibilities and also to work with the leaders that God provided them (Philippians 1:27; 2:1-4; 4:1-3,9). The bishops and deacons were in Philippi to bless the believers and to help them live together as one body in Christ.

Philippians 1:1:
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.

The Bible gives many admonitions on how to carry out our personal responsibilities. Psalm 15 speaks of walking uprightly, working righteousness, speaking the truth in our heart, and also warns of things not to do. Micah 6:8 sums it up this way: “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Jesus Christ more than anyone showed what it means to walk humbly with God and carry out personal responsibility.

John 5:30:
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

He also showed what true leadership is all about.

Mark 10:44,45:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

We Each Do Our Part—Together

Today, each believer in the body of Christ is to “prove his own work” (Galatians 6:4) and to “study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands” (I Thessalonians 4:11). Like Jesus Christ, we delight to do God’s will.

Psalms 40:8; 143:10:
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Our heavenly Father teaches us the way to go as we carry out our personal responsibility with all our heart and work with leaders provided when Christ ascended on high. What a wonderful joy to be part of the body of Christ!