[Since an overseer] manages God’s household…
Summary: There is a lot required to manage our own households. How much more is needed to manage God’s household? The answer depends on how serious we are about serving God.
Think, for a moment, about all the things it takes to keep your household going. I realize that this will be a different experience for each of us, but there are some commonalities.
Each household needs a place to live. Then we need basic utilities; power, phone, electricity, water, and sewer. We need food to eat and utensils for cooking and eating. We need clothing and personal items. Then there are questions of transportation, entertainment, clothing, and such. The list goes on and on. To pay for all this we need a job or other source of income. The list goes on. We have to pay taxes and deal with the government on several levels.
Okay, you get the idea. There are a lot of details. To make all this work, we have to deal with people. People like bosses, coworkers, employees, servers, cashiers, attendants, doctors, nurses, neighbors, and even the mail carrier. Some are in need, and some seem to have too much. On the home front, there are spouses and children, in-laws and cousins, brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers, grandparents, sons, daughters, and, most difficult of all, our selves.
If there is a lot to manage in a basic household, how much more is involved in managing God’s household? The answer is, it depends …
God’s household requires a place to meet and all the things that go with that. God’s household also has to deal with a lot of people. Maybe even more than any one of us individually. Also, God’s household has to deal with … God.
An overseer, a church leader who is responsible for a particular household of God’s, must be a certain kind of person. They must have mastered all the challenges listed above, plus a hundred or more others. Then, more importantly, they must walk the walk. They are blameless, faithful to their wives, and their children are believers. In other words, they give every indication of genuine faith in God and knowledge of God’s word.
In 2 Kings, there is a story about repair work on the Temple of the Lord. The priests were told by the king to repair the temple. Instead of hiring the work to be done, they puttered around for years thinking they could do the work themselves. Finally, the king, King Joash, became impatient. He commanded them to hire some decent help and that is what happened. The men that they hired were more righteous than the priests themselves. The Bible says, “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”
Complete honesty. Are you getting a picture of the kind of person Paul is talking about? How much is involved in managing God’s household depends on how seriously a person takes their responsibility to God.
Application: Live life like the person God wants you to be.
Food for Thought: Who is a member of God’s household?
What a weighty responsibility it is to lead a church in today’s world. Though I agree that this is what the what the role of pastor and elder has developed into, the, ecclesia of the New Testament was not as complicated. What really is the church in it’s essence then? I look at the church as being “a faith based community of Spirit empowered representatives of Jesus Christ”.
Ben,
Thank you! Yes, I agree. The frustrating thing is that word, “community.” Once we move beyond the individual relationship with God, we interface with the world. The Body of Christ, like our individual bodies, suffers from the same condition Paul describes in Romans 7.
Members of the household of God are all true believers who are really God’s children. Those who have been born again are all my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thanks, Jeff for your faithful messages.
Jeff,
Thank you for joining us and commenting! This blog would be pretty lonely without brothers and sisters to chat with! 🙂
I agree with Ben and Jeff’s definitions. The church is all true followers of Christ who are indwelt individually and as a corporate unit by the Holy Spirit, who gather for worship and who proclaim and live the message of Christ to the world. 1 Peter 2: 4 – 5.; Acts 2: 42 – 47; Matthew 5: 14 – 16; Matthew 28: 19; Acts 1: 8.
Rich,
Great verses! (link provided) Yes, proclaim and live the message!
Got in late, been well covered.
Who is a member of God’s household?
But in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15,
Ron,
Interesting … I hadn’t thought of the church as the “pillar and support of the truth” before. That is a defining point. Thank you!
Blessed to be a part of this web site,..a household of believers in of itself,..
So,..as one that has left a church for some reason, would God’s household be considered heaven? Or is it the church in of itself? Can someone be a member of God’s house and not belong to a church here on earth? What if they have accepted Jesus, has been baptized and has even participated in with the holy communion with others here on earth would they be considered to be part of God’s household?
I mean every knee will bow,..in heaven, on earth and under earth,..Just a question that came to mind as I was reading all the comments,..because there are those that believe in Jesus but don’t want to attend a church per say,..so I guess curiosity has struck me,..I am sure the answer is right in front of me too,..
Great point John. As I understand, we have the church where believers as well as non-believers will gather to worship the Lord, receive teaching, and enjoy the fellowship of one another.
We also have the “Church” which is the body of Christ, all believers around the world. God is not, never has been and never will be confined to a building or structure of any type. He is Omnipresent, beyond confineable.
My mother-in-law and brother-in-law have both accepted Christ. Neither speak a word of English, neither are allowed to go the church in China. Both belong to the “Church”, our common unbreakable bond is our faith in Jesus Christ and we will be together for all eternity when this is over.
Matthew 18:20, For WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM.
Acts 7:48-49, Howbeit THE MOST HIGH DWELLETH NOT IN TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: WHAT HOUSE WILL YE BUILD FOR ME? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest
Mark 14:58, We heard him say, I WILL DESTROY THIS TEMPLE THAT IS MADE WITH HANDS, AND WITHIN THREE DAYS I WILL BUILD ANOTHER MADE WITHOUT HAND.
1 Corinthians 3:16 – 3:17, 1 Corinthians 6:19 – 6:20, Hebrews 9:11, Ephesians 1:22
God Bless Brother,
Ron
Thanks Ron,..
I really appreciate what you bring to this web site,..
Keep smiling in Christ
John,
Paul writes to the Corinthians:
“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (1 Corinthians 1: 10)
Yet when we poke our head up and look about we see … nothing but divisions. Every “denomination” is a division. Even the ancient Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church are divided. Everyone, it seems, lays claim to being the “one true church” while the rest are shoved aside as being something less than “true.”
Paul goes on to ask, “Is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:13a) The answer to that is “no.” If then, Christ is not divided, there is only one church. We are all part of the “body of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:27)
That said, Scripture also says:
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews10:24-25)
The interesting thing about being part of a fellowship of believers is that God uses the relationships to help us grow in our faith. It is not a one-way street. We do not just go to a church and come away unchanged. Neither do we walk away from a church without leaving a mark. Even the painful moments are used to grow us and glorify God as he promises in Romans 8:28 — “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Who is to say that the church that hurt you so badly did not repent after they saw what happened? If they didn’t repent, maybe God used that experience to open the eyes of people in that group who had been blind before. We don’t always get to know how God uses us. What we do know is that God is always faithful.
I don’t see in Scripture where church attendance here on earth is required to be admitted to heaven. I do see that God wants us to be in fellowship both for our sake and the sake of others. If nothing else, it is a great place to practice forgiving people! 🙂
Thanks Jeff,..
I have started attending another church,..New Testament Christian Church,..he is a topical type of preacher,..but he is spirit led in his preaching,..Jesus shows up everytime,..I have never jumped to my feet before shouting out,.Amen, priase God and the Hallaluyah word like I do here,..there is unction coming from the pulpit,..
Thanks for your devotion,..
John,
That is GREAT news! Thank you for sharing that. See, you are already brightening up life for other believers in fellowship! 🙂
Gal 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
I think this refers to God’s household.
Nice, Rob!
It does indeed! 🙂
John, I am so glad to hear how you have found a great church and how the pastor has blessed you. I have appreciated your honesty in sharing your story as to how you were deeply hurt in a church experience. God certainly knows your hurt and His desire is no doubt to bring healing. You are a part of the family brother. We are all injured in ministry at times. When one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. 1 Corinthians 12: 26. But just because we hurt – that makes us no less part of the body.