Being Servants of Christ's Body | A Word to Elders | Zac Poonen
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Summary
The central message emphasizes that Christians are called to be perfect, specifically by loving enemies and praying for persecutors, as commanded by Jesus. This requires a conscious, willful choice to forgive others, even when it is difficult, because unforgiveness hinders spiritual life and hearing God's word. The speaker stresses that true righteousness is done privately, not for public recognition.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What does it mean to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect?Examining Matthew 5:48 in context reveals that perfection specifically refers to loving our enemies and being good to those who are evil toward us.Matthew 5:48
Forgiving others and refusing to rememberJust as God chooses not to remember our sins, we must exercise our will to forgive those who wrong us and release any grudges.Hebrews 8:12
Doing righteousness in secret before the FatherUnlike the Old Covenant where external acts were enough, New Covenant believers must pray, fast, and give in secret without seeking the approval or glory of men.Matthew 6:1–18
Maintaining fullness of joy and hearing God's voiceBelievers must live daily in God's presence to maintain joy and hear His voice, guarding against the hardening effects of deceptive sin and pride.Psalm 16:11
Never use God's power or ministry for personal profit or honorDrawing from Jesus' first temptation in the wilderness, servants of God must never use their spiritual gifts or position to feed their own ego or make money.
Rejecting shortcuts and the way of the crossThe third temptation teaches that there are no shortcuts in God's kingdom; we must daily embrace the way of the cross rather than compromising for personal gain.
The difference between praise and true worshipPraising and thanking God in the outer courts is not the same as true worship, which happens in the most holy place through personal devotion and silence before God.
Guarding pure devotion to Christ against the tree of knowledgeBelievers must maintain simple, pure devotion to Christ rather than merely accumulating intellectual knowledge of scripture and doctrine, which can lead to carnality.2 Corinthians 11:3
The role of an elder is a washer of feetTrue spiritual leadership is modeled after Jesus washing feet; elders must never graduate from serving others in humility.
Elders as toilet cleaners for the flockElders must be willing to lovingly clean up the spiritual messes and confusion caused by immature believers in the body of Christ.
Taking warnings from Revelation seriouslyLeaders must heed the rebukes in Revelation to avoid losing their first love, becoming lukewarm, or allowing compromise in the church.
Remaining small in our own eyes during times of shakingEven when God shakes the nations, He preserves His weakest children, and servants of God must remain small in their own eyes to avoid falling into pride.
Making disciples and building spiritual maturityRather than focusing merely on evangelistic numbers, churches must focus on making disciples, taking up the cross daily, and bringing believers to maturity in Christ.Matthew 28:18
