REFRESHING LEADERSHIP
Acts 20.28
S: Leadership
Th: Our Time, Our Turn, Our All
Pr: FOLLOW BIBLICAL LEADERS.
I. CONNECTED (Acts 6.4)
II. TEACHER (Acts 6.4)
III. AUTHENTICATION (I Timothy 4.14)
IV. INTEGRITY (I Timothy 3.2)
V. PLURALITY (Proverbs 11.14)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Require leaders to be qualified according to Scripture.
• Expect leaders to act according to Biblical standards.
• Do not give in to the temptation to operate by worldly principles.
Version: ESV
RMBC 7 June 09 AM
ILL Leadership (H)
It has been said…
When in charge, ponder.
When in trouble, delegate.
When in doubt, mumble.
Well that may be a humorous bit of advice, but it hardly instills confidence, does it?
Today, we are coming to the last element of our Prayer Action Plan, which I affectionately have been calling…
PRACT
I have been calling it “pract” because I want us to combine the words pray and act together.
As a reminder, the prayer action plan had its official beginning at a spiritual health retreat we had last July.
We were looking to discover what were long term issues here at Randall that we needed to confront, confess, and change.
The last item was regarding leadership practices, both past and present.
So, this is our renouncement…
We renounce leadership practices that are passive, non-purposeful, worldly, and prideful.
These words are very deliberate.
We have noted that past and present mistakes include passivity and a lack of purpose.
We have to confess that we have not led deliberately, but instead, have allowed the whims of time and circumstances to dictate our course of action.
We also have to confess that when we have made decisions to lead that our thinking and practices have taken into account principles of business and of the world as much as Biblical principles.
We don’t want to go that way anymore, so our announcement, then is the opposite…
We announce leadership’s responsibility to lead actively, purposefully, Biblically, and humbly.
See how those words are just the opposite.
We want our leadership to be active and purposeful.
We want to be proactive, not just reactive.
We want to make our decisions based on the Word of God, not on the thinking of man.
We want to lead humbly as servants, not as men of pride.
Therefore, our affirmation…
We affirm leadership that immerses itself in the knowledge and practical application of the Word of God.
This is what we must get right.
We need to be firmly planted on the Word of God.
We want to be leadership that acts according to how God thinks, not on how man thinks.
Thus, our commitment…
We will exercise loving and humble oversight of the flock.
Now, I am not saying this to gain sympathy, but being a leader in a church is unique, tough, and stressful.
It takes a lot of time.
You are subject to a lot of criticism.
And you are called to deal with many uncomfortable and difficult situations.
Plus, you are trying to motivate and depend on people who are not drawing a paycheck, but are volunteering to serve.
With that, leaders are responsible for what goes on in the church.
The leaders have to make financial decisions.
They have to have a vision for the future that will certainly take people out of their comfort zones.
I want to reiterate something I shared two weeks ago.
Please note that…
God gives leadership to the church (Acts 20.28).
Note how Paul describes it in Acts…
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
The Holy Spirit makes certain individuals overseers.
They are to be the guides.
They are to be the shepherds.
They are to be the caretakers that watch over the church community.
Obviously, it is a huge responsibility, not to be taken lightly.
So much so that leaders are told to pay attention to themselves.
In other words, they are not to lead willy-nilly and carelessly.
Which makes me ask the question…
What should our church leaders be like?
What should you be looking for in a pastor?
What should you be looking for in a person that will hold the elder position?
What I am about to share with you is not the comprehensive list.
But I do believe, as we look to our present, and to our future, that these are qualifications you want for your next pastor, and also for those that presently serve in an elder-like capacity.
The first qualification is to be…
CONNECTED (Acts 6.4)
In the book of Acts, the apostles found themselves overwhelmed with the work of the ministry.
There was too much to do.
In particular, there were a set of widows whose needs were not being met.
It is at this point that we are introduced to deacons.
They are given the responsibility to meet the practical needs of the church community so that the apostles can keep to their responsibilities.
And what was their responsibility?
As they say it…
“…we will devote ourselves to prayer…”
You see…
We need our leaders to be close to God.
We want them connected.
We want them in relationship with God.
Prayer is the first and most important work of all ministry.
But if it is to be done right, it is going to take time.
For good praying is hard work.
The second qualification is in the same sentence in Acts.
It is to be a…
TEACHER (Acts 6.4)
Again, the apostles said that they needed to keep to the essentials.
They said…
“…we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
You see, the…
Elders are given the teaching authority of the church.
In I Timothy, we are told that the elder must be able to teach.
Now…teach what?
Elders need to be able to instruct in God’s truth.
The leaders need to wisely use God’s Word to reveal and rebuke those who are in sin.
Using God’s Word, they are to refute error and challenge any behavior that is askew.
Using Scripture, pastors and elders are to restore people to the right path, improving their character, and help them continue in the right direction.
We have noted before that our governmental set-up here at Randall fails to adequately distinguish between the New Testament roles of elders and deacons.
And the best I can describe it is as a hybrid.
But let me encourage you, as a church community, to separate the roles.
Figure out your elders, and let them serve you in the leadership capacity.
Figure out your deacons, and let them serve you in the service capacity.
I encourage you to let these roles become as they ought to be – distinct and clear.
The next quality we want from our leaders is…
AUTHENTICATION (I Timothy 4.14)
Paul is speaking to Timothy, and he says…
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
From this we learn that…
God’s call is to be evident to more than just the self.
I have to admit that I get real concerned when someone claims a call from God, but no one else sees it.
I was the moderator at ordination council this week, and it was great to see a young man give evidence of his calling into the ministry.
He not only knew his stuff, there was also adequate testimony that he lived the stuff.
A few years ago, I was at another ordination council, and the young man did not know his stuff.
He stumbled through his doctrine, and when he was asked a question about something of which he did not know the answer, instead of saying “I don’t know” (which was the correct answer), he tried to bluff his way through it.
He also failed to demonstrate a humble spirit in that he said it did not really matter what the outcome of the council was, which made us think, of course, why are we here?
Ultimately, he demonstrates that he was not ready for ministry.
So whether we are speaking about elders or pastors, the principle is the same.
Who else sees it?
Is there evidence that they are submitted to God?
Do they live with an assurance of God’s presence?
Do they demonstrate a faith that trusts God and a willingness to do His will?
And, I might add, a willingness to do God’s will even if the sheep resist.
Now, we come to the fourth qualification…
INTEGRITY (I Timothy 3.2)
When Paul begins to outline the qualifications for elders, he says this…
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach…
What this means, I believe, is that…
There should be no disconnect in what an elder says and does.
We know that we live in a culture where character is not as valued as it once was.
There is some expectation of it, but it seems it is more about headlines than actuality.
In fact, it seems we live in a culture that values irreverence more.
But we know, in the church, leadership has to have integrity.
The first qualification is to be above reproach.
In other words, the leader is to be blameless and not subject to accusation.
They have to be people you can trust and depend on.
It is amazing to me that so many believe that a man can commit adultery and still be competent to lead organizations – whether it be the church or government.
I see it this way…
If a man can deceive his wife and children, break a vow he made to God in the presence of witnesses, and knowingly betray the trust of those who love him, what guarantee does his organization have that he will be honest in all his dealings with them?
People who prove themselves deceitful in one area of life are equally capable of being deceitful in other areas.
This is not rocket science.
Integrity is an absolute necessity when it comes to church leadership.
There is no give on this issue.
When you observe a leader, what you see better be what you get.
The final qualification is…
PLURALITY (Proverbs 11.14)
In Proverbs we find…
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
That is not the usual verse I pull out to make this point, but it is an angle worth hearing, because…
Church leadership is not to be a one-man show.
All throughout the New Testament, we see teams at work.
In the beginning of Acts, it is Peter, James, and John.
Then, it is Paul and Barnabas.
Then, we have Paul and Silas with Timothy.
Then, on the way to Rome, it is Paul, Luke and Aristarchus.
And when Paul goes from city to city, planting churches, it is always a team he puts together.
It is team leadership.
Now this does not mean that there was not a primary leader.
Peter was the obvious leader of the apostles.
When the council of Jerusalem happens, it is James that leads the council.
In the churches, Paul appoints the leaders, but even appoints pastors to be the leader of the leaders, such as Timothy and Titus.
This means, then there is nothing wrong with having a Senior Pastor or pastor-teacher in your midst; it is just that he is never to stand alone.
There is no room for a “Lone Ranger” complex in the church.
CHALLENGE:
My desire for us as a community is to have refreshing leadership, leaders that you can have confidence in, that have your best in mind, which absolutely includes the mission of the church – to continually make disciples of the Lord Jesus.
So, as the Lord gives them…
FOLLOW BIBLICAL LEADERS.
This is what you should want – leaders that fulfill the Scriptural qualifications.
Please don’t settle for less.
So…
Require leaders to be qualified according to Scripture.
You are not looking for superior oratorical abilities.
You are not looking for organizational genius.
These are not the qualifications of Scripture.
ILL Leadership (S)
Gen. H Norman Schwarzkopf
Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy.
Good advice, I believe, so…
Expect leaders to act according to Biblical standards.
What do we want in our leadership?
We want leadership that is based on the Holy Spirit.
We want leaders that know God, hear God, and follow His Word.
We also want leaders that live the Word of God, with proven character.
Finally…
Do not give in to the temptation to operate by worldly principles.
Please understand that my final words of the message today are without agenda and without accusation.
Please do not misinterpret my words.
But as the church goes through this next transition, please realize that the stress in Scripture is always on character.
It is not about social stature.
It is not about experience in the business world.
It is not even about raw abilities.
It is more about purity than personality.
Spiritual success is not measured in dollars, percentages, numbers or attendance, but rather, when people are moved to be more like Christ.
For Further Study: Psalm 127.1; Hosea 4.9; Luke 22.24-27; John 13.4-5; Acts 14.23; I Corinthians 3.7-9, 11.1; Ephesians 4.12; I Timothy 3.1-7; II Timothy 2.15, 3.16-17, 4.2; Titus 1.5-9; Hebrews 13.7; I Peter 5.1-4; III John 9
BENEDICTION:
Men’s Bible Study – I Timothy 3
Baptisms – 21 June & 28 June
Child & Parent Dedication
PRACT Day
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral
Anselmi, Jeffery The Work of a Leader
Chambers, Scott What Exactly Is an Elder?
La Pere, Jerry Does the Bible Tell Me So?
Other
Blackaby, Henry, and Richard Blackaby. Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2001.
Blanchard, Ken, and Phil Hodges. Lead Like Jesus: Lessons from the Greatest Leadership Role Model of All Times. Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005.
MacArthur, John, Jr. The Book on Leadership. Nashville: Nelson Books, 2004.
