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The mission of Church & Family Life is to proclaim the sufficiency of Scripture for both church and family life.
Liberty and Programs in the Church
Dec. 19, 2023
00:00
-00:55
Transcription

I would say that when it comes to programs in the church, we are at liberty to introduce or put into practice those things which the head of the church has told us to put into place, remembering that it's not our church. I didn't buy the church with my blood. The church is not my flock. I am an under shepherd, but I submit to the chief shepherd. And so what he has said to put in place, we are at perfect liberty to do all of that.

And where he has been silent, I believe that we do best to stay silent.

What does it mean to exercise liberty in introducing programs in the church?

Paul White articulates that in the context of church programs, we possess the liberty to implement those practices which the head of the church, Jesus Christ, has instructed us to put in place. He emphasizes the significance of remembering that the church does not belong to any one individual. The church has been purchased through the blood of Christ, and pastors are merely under shepherds who are subject to the chief Shepherd.

Moreover, where Christ has not provided specific instruction, White believes that it is best to refrain from introducing new practices. The implication here is that the church, as the body of Christ, should adhere to the principles and teachings outlined by its head, rather than introducing elements based on personal preference or cultural trends. This approach ensures that the church remains true to its central mission and values, prioritizing the instructions of Christ over individual desires.

1 Peter 5:4 (NKJV): "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away."

Speaker

Paul White is an elder at Covenant Bible Church in Taylorsville, North Carolina, where he has served since planting the church there in 2011. His desire has always been to see God's people sanctified by the truth and for all people to know the Lord Jesus Christ through the proclamation of God's Word. CBC is a testimony to God's faithfulness to the preached Word and His power through weak and feeble men. Paul and his wife Cristy live with their children in the Brushy Mountains of North Carolina.

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