The True Church
Lesson # 8
The Gifts of Leadership for the Church

  1. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit:
    • Jesus revealed to the disciples the ministry of the Holy Spirit — John 14:26; 16:13.
    • Jesus commanded the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they receive the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit — Acts 1:4.
    • Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem because the Holy Spirit would come upon them to give them the power to fulfill the commission — Acts 1:8.

    • On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as tongues of fire that rested on each and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and the power — Acts 2:1-4.

    • The disciples were then baptized into the Body of Christ, and the church was birthed — 1 Corinthian 12:12-13.
    • Jesus is the Head of the Body of Christ, the church, and the Holy Spirit is the One leading and guiding the church — Ephesians 1:20-23; John 16:13.
    • As we follow the disciples’ ministries in the book of Acts, we can see the Holy Spirit empowering, leading, anointing, and filling the disciples for the work of the commission.
    • The Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Paul from the church in Antioch and He sent them forth as the first apostles into the regions of the Roman Empire to bring the gospel to the Gentiles — Acts 13:1-4.

  2. Establishing Churches in the Gentile world:
    • On their first trip, Paul and Barnabas traveled through many new territories; they shared the gospel and made many disciples among the Gentiles — Acts 13-14.
    • On their way back to Antioch, they returned to the cities where they had made disciples and where churches had begun—Acts 14:21.
    • They strengthened the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith—Acts 14:22.
    • They appointed elders in every church and prayed for them—Acts 14:23.

  3. The Government of the Church:
    • Jesus is the Head of the Body, the church; the Holy Spirit guides, teaches, and empowers the Body; but the Spirit has giving the gift of leadership to believers in the Body to govern the church—Romans 12:8.
    • The order, pattern, and design the Almighty God gave for the leadership of the church was going to be done through a circular oversight — 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9.
    • CIRCULAR OVERSIGHT: A group of elders working together shepherding the church, the flock of God.
    • PETER: “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 Peter 5:1-4 NKJV
    • Peter did not address a lead pastor or a lead elder. Peter’s message was intended for the groups of elders who governed the churches at that time. Peter called himself another elder among them. He called them elders, shepherds, and overseers=all means the same.
    • PAUL with the elders of the church in Ephesus: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 NKJV
    • Like Peter, Paul called the group of elders from the church in Ephesus to give them one final encouraging message. And like Peter, Paul calls the elders, overseers and shepherds of the flock of God. There was no mention of a lead shepherd or elder or lead pastor—It was not part of the New Testament Church.
    • It was at the beginning of the second century when the Pyramid oversight of the one bishop on the top leading the church began. From then on, a human became the head of the church — error!!