Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 183

July 5;   Revelation 3:8   241/260(I);   ‘I Know Your Works’

Revelation 3:8 "I know your works.……

The ultimate responsibility for how a local church functions is the Pastor’s.  God’s Word makes it very clear that the Pastor will give an account to the Lord Jesus, who is the Head of the Church, concerning the ministry of that local church.  The Lord Jesus said, “I know your works” to the Pastors of all seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3.  Here is another factor that makes what the Lord Jesus said critically important to every Christian.  Each of us is created with specific talents and abilities given to them by the Lord.  These talents, though they often have secular uses, the Lord gives them to each person to be used to be a blessing and integrated into the functioning of the local church they attend.  The local church a Christian attends is directed by the Lord.  If the believer will take time to pray and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will lead him or her to the local church the Lord desires them to be part of.  No one can do everything well and even if they could, not one has the time or endurance to do so.  In the genius of the Lord, He brings all kinds of people with various talents and puts them together in a local church.   Jesus does this so that every department and ministry of that church can be oversaw by Christians who know what they are doing and care for that area of ministry as if it were their own.  There is a bond of God’s love and a commitment to be the very best church it can be between a Pastor and the congregation.  When everyone in the church work together doing what they do to the best of their ability, Jesus, who knows our works, will be proud of us and use us.