"Total Church" by Chester & Timmis

I just read the following...

p. 28 on "leadership and authority"

"In the church the risen Christ rules through his word. This is why the only skill required of church leaders is they they can teach, rightly handling and applying the word of God. Their authority is a mediated authority. They have no authority in and of themselves. Instead they exercise Christ's authority on his behalf as they teach and apply the word. This defines the amazing extent of their authority: when they apply the word they are exercising the authority of God himself. But it also defines the limit of their authority: they have authority only as they teach God's word. They should not exercise authority that comes because of the position they hold or the force of their personality. It is through their teaching that leaders exercise the authority of Christ, the Head of the church."

p. 29 on "the kingdom expansion"

"The growth of God's kingdom is synonymous with the spread of God's word. The kingdom grows through the word as it elicits faith."

p. 29 on "the Spirit and the gospel"

"The community formed by the gospel for the gospel is the community in which God dwells by his Spirit."

Good stuff for this morning.