CHAPTER 3: THE BEAUTY OF THE HEAD OF THE SMALL CHURCH

Before we examine the qualities of the small church which are beautiful, I think we should begin with the most beautiful quality of the small church and that is the Head of the small church, Jesus Christ.

No matter what is the size of the church, the Head of the church is Jesus Christ. Scripture is clear about this matter.

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,” Eph. 1:22

“For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” Eph.5:23

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Col 1:18

The pastor is not the head of the church. The pastoral staff is not the head of the church. The chairman of the deacons is not the head of the church. The wealthiest member is not the head of the church. The family with the longest tenure is not the head of the church. Only Jesus is the Head of the church.

No one builds the church without Jesus. Ps. 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house. They labor in vain who build it.” Also, Matt. 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Thus, the church, which is the body of Christ, is built by Christ. Jesus is the head of the church. No man should ever assume for himself the role of Headship over the church of Christ. When a person takes one the role of Christ as the Head of the church and goes forth with a “my way or the highway” approach, that person breaks the first commandment. That person has elevated himself above the Headship of Christ. Since Christ is God, then one who takes on the role of the Headship of God’s people, places himself, his ideas, his opinions, his plans, his desires before God.

Only Christ has the authority to be the Head of His church. Not only is He building His church, He has authority over His church and the entire world in which His church resides. When many Christians quote the Great Commission, they quote Matt. 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” However, that is an incomplete view of the Great Commission. Without the preceding verse eighteen, verses nineteen and twenty are not possible. In verse eighteen, Jesus began the Great Commission by saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Then He continues in verse nineteen by saying, “therefore” you can go and make disciples.

Without the authority and power of Christ, the Great Commission can not be accomplished. Men can never do what Christ can do. When men try to do “church” by themselves, without the direction and guidance of Jesus, they will not accomplish Kingdom purposes.

Oh how encouraging it is to know that Jesus is the Head of the church. How freeing it is to trust in Christ to accomplish His work in His church. How awesome it is to know to Jesus is able to do all things in and through His people. Jesus is the Head of the small church just as He is the Head of the mid-size and large church.

Behold the beauty of the Head of the church:

Jesus is God ( John 1:1).
Jesus created the heavens and the earth (John 1:2).
Jesus has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into His kingdom (Col. 1:13).
Jesus redeemed us from our sins through His blood (Col. 1:14).
All things were created by Jesus for His glory (Col. 1:16).
Jesus holds all things together by His power (Col. 1:17).
Jesus is the heir of all things (Heb. 1:2).
Jesus is the brightness of the glory of the Father (Heb. 1:3).
Jesus is the express image of the person of the Father (Heb. 1:3).
Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3).
Jesus purged our sin by Himself (Heb. 1:3).

There is nothing Jesus cannot do.
There is nothing Jesus cannot accomplish.
We know this and yet…and yet, we become discouraged when things don’t go our way.
Why should we be discouraged? Jesus is the Head of the church and He is going to do amazing, wonderful things for the glory of His name.

The Headship of Jesus includes the small church as well as the large church. Jesus is just as powerful in the small church as He is in the large church. When we view the small church as something less successful than our larger church brethren, we denigrate not only the people who comprise the small church, we also denigrate the Head of the small church, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Head of the small church and everything He does is beautiful. There is great beauty in the small church. Next time, we’ll begin to gaze upon the beauty of the work of Christ in the small church.