The Master's Plan for the Church
by MacArthur, JohnFormat: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2008-03-01
Publisher(s): Moody Publishers
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Summary
It is absolutely essential that a church perceive itself as an institution for the glory of God, and to do that, the local church must adhere unfalteringly to biblical leadership principles. Christ never intended church leadership to be earned by seniority, purchased with money, or inherited through family ties. He never compared church leaders to governing monarchs, but rather to humble shepherds; not to slick celebrities, but to laboring servants. Drawing from some of the best-received material on church leadership, this updated edition guides the church with crucial, effective lessons in leadership. This book is valuable not only for pastors and elders, but for anyone else who wants the church to be what God intended it to be.
Author Biography
John F. Macarthur pastors Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and serves as president of the Master's College and Seminary
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 9 |
| The Anatomy of a Church | |
| The Skeletal Structure | p. 17 |
| The Internal Systems | p. 29 |
| The Muscles | p. 59 |
| The Head | p. 75 |
| The Dynamic Church | |
| The Pattern of the Early Church | p. 85 |
| Elders, Deacons, and Other Church Members | p. 93 |
| A Look at the Thessalonian Model | p. 103 |
| Marks of an Effective Church | p. 113 |
| The Calling of the Church | p. 131 |
| The Lord's Work in the Lord's Way | p. 141 |
| Qualities of an Excellent Servant | |
| Understanding the Seducing Spirit | p. 157 |
| Understanding the Duties of the Ministry | p. 167 |
| Shepherding the Flock of God | p. 191 |
| Appendixes | |
| Answering the Key Questions about Elders | p. 203 |
| What Is the Proper Understanding of the Term Elder? | p. 204 |
| How Is the Term Elder Used in Reference to the Church? | p. 206 |
| What Is the Relationship of the Elder to the Bishop and the Pastor? | p. 208 |
| What Is the Role of an Elder? | p. 210 |
| What Are the Qualifications of an Elder? | p. 212 |
| Can Women Serve as Elders? | p. 215 |
| How Are We to Ordain Elders? | p. 215 |
| Should the Church Support Elders Financially? | p. 219 |
| Is the Pastorate a Team Effort? | p. 221 |
| Does Government by Elders Eliminate the Role of a Special Leader? | p. 222 |
| What Is the Elder's Relationship to the Congregation? | p. 224 |
| Answering the Key Questions about Deacons | p. 227 |
| How Does the New Testament Use the Word Deacon? | p. 228 |
| What Kind of Service Does the Greek Word for "Deacon" Imply? | p. 228 |
| Does the New Testament Speak about the Office of a Deacon? | p. 230 |
| Does the New Testament Specify Any Individual as a Deacon? | p. 231 |
| Doesn't Acts 6 Talk about Deacons? | p. 233 |
| If the Men in Acts 6:5 Weren't Deacons, Who Were They? | p. 235 |
| Is There Any Scripture Passage That Refers to Deacons in the Official Sense? | p. 237 |
| What Qualifies a Man to Be a Deacon? | p. 238 |
| What Does the Bible Say about Deaconesses? | p. 239 |
| What Is the Difference between Elders and Deacons? | p. 240 |
| Qualifications for Spiritual Leadership | p. 243 |
| "Above Reproach"-He Is a Man of Unquestionable Character | p. 244 |
| "The Husband of One Wife"-He Is Sexually Pure | p. 247 |
| "Temperate"-He Is Not Given to Excess | p. 249 |
| "Prudent"-He Is Self-Disciplined | p. 251 |
| "Respectable"-He Is Well Organized | p. 252 |
| "Hospitable"-He Loves Strangers | p. 252 |
| "Able to Teach"-He Is Skilled in Teaching | p. 253 |
| "Not Addicted to Wine"-He Is Not a Drinker | p. 254 |
| "Not ... Pugnacious"-He Is Not a Fighter | p. 255 |
| "Gentle"-He Easily Pardons Human Failure | p. 255 |
| "Peaceable"-He Is Not Quarrelsome | p. 255 |
| "Free from the Love of Money"-He Is Not Covetous | p. 256 |
| "One Who Manages His Own Household Well"-He Maintains a Godly Family | p. 257 |
| "Not a New Convert"-He Is a Mature Christian | p. 259 |
| "A Good Reputation with Those Outside the Church"-He Is Well Respected by Non-Christians | p. 262 |
| Elements of Church Discipline | p. 265 |
| The Place of Discipline | p. 266 |
| The Purpose of Discipline | p. 267 |
| The Person of Discipline | p. 269 |
| The Provocation of Discipline | p. 269 |
| The Process of Discipline | p. 270 |
| The Power of Discipline | p. 277 |
| Restoring a Sinning Brother or Sister | p. 281 |
| Pick Up the Believer | p. 281 |
| Hold Up the Believer | p. 283 |
| Build Them Up | p. 286 |
| Should Fallen Leaders Be Restored? | p. 287 |
| The Danger of False Teaching | p. 291 |
| Reminding True Leaders | p. 292 |
| Avoiding False Teaching | p. 293 |
| Why I Still Preach the Bible | p. 301 |
| A Visit with Dr. Feinberg | p. 302 |
| Trying to Be Relevant | p. 303 |
| The Challenge and Call to Preach the Word | p. 304 |
| Ten Reasons to Preach the Word of God | p. 306 |
| Why Personal Integrity Is Crucial for the Church | p. 319 |
| Why I Love the Church | p. 325 |
| The Lord Himself Is Building the Church | p. 326 |
| The Church Is the Outworking of an Eternal Plan | p. 328 |
| The Church Is the Most Precious Reality on Earth | p. 333 |
| The Church Is an Earthly Expression of Heaven | p. 334 |
| Why Doctrine Is Practical | p. 337 |
| Building on the Truth | p. 338 |
| Living by the Truth | p. 339 |
| Departing from the Truth | p. 339 |
| Hearing the Truth | p. 340 |
| Indexes | |
| Scripture Index | p. 343 |
| Subject Index | p. 353 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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