Church life always involves leadership. We must understand spiritual leadership - whether we are becoming leaders - or choosing leaders.
Over the past couple of weeks we have been looking at what is involved in becoming and making disciples.
1. Because Jesus told us to go make disciples - that is what we are about - being and making disciples
We have been using this baseball diamond to help us think about this process of discipleship.
When these three elements - membership - maturity - ministry come together it creates
Spiritual Leadership
The NT gives pretty clear instructions about the qualifications for Spiritual Leadership. For our purposes today we will look at Pauls instructions to a fellow pastor named Titus
Titus 1:1 - 9
1Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, 3but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, 4to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. 5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
Spiritual leadership involves much different - higher - standards than leadership in other areas.
It may be helpful for "secular leaders" to have good - sound moral and spiritual character ...
HOWEVER - it is IMPERATIVE that spiritual leaders have certain Moral -and Spiritual Character:
(ILL) A leader of a Fortune 500 company can be an incredible leader - leading the company to achieve financial success and still be a lousy human being - morally and spiritually bankrupt - business leadership is of a different nature than Spiritual leadership
(ILL) President Bill Clinton - was thought by many to be a fine enough President but he was certainly lacking in the area of spiritual and moral character - his leadership position was political in nature
(ILL) JFK - was known to be a bit of a womanizer himself - which certainly demonstrates spiritual and moral deficit - yet he was considered a fine President - because his leadership was political in nature
(ILL) Over the years we have seen numerous leaders in the sports areana - both players and coaches - that lead their teams to victory after victory - yet they were terrible people off the field - unfaithful husbands - racist - drunks and drug addicted ..
Spiritual Leadership is different. In Titus, Paul gives us the foundation for Good Spiritual Leadership.
Spiritual Leadership Involves A Threefold Commitment
(1)Commitment to God’s Plan
Titus 1:1
1Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
That sounds sort of complicated at first but it isn’t really when you break it down.
(first) Paul identifies himself as
- a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ
in other words he is committed to God’s Plan -
Its worth noting here that in verses 1 through 3 the Apostle Paul at least makes reference - to foundational doctines
such as
(1) A commitment to God’s Sovereign Election
1Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God
(2) A commitment to Justification and Sanctification and Glorification
BUT for our purposes this morning it is enough to know that Paul is saying that he is a follower of Jesus Christ
AND
he is committed to the proclaimation of THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST
Paul further clarifies what God’s Plan is in verses 2 and 3
2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, 3but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
Spiritual leadership in the Biblical - Christian sense begins with a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord God and Savior
AND
A commitment to proclaim salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ
Titus is not a "theological" book so much as it is an encouragement to this younger pastor named Titus -- but the theology behind this letter is clearly laid out in other places such as the book of Romans
Romans 8:29-30
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
(ILL) A person can be the best - business man/woman in the world - most successful - high achiever on the face of the earth
BUT - if that individual is Not - committed to Jesus Christ - with a growing and developing personal relationship with Jesus as Lord God and Savior AND that person is NOT committed to the proclaimation of God’s plan of salvation by faith in Christ --- That person is NOT qualified to be a Christian Leader of any kind.
Now that is just the beginning - there is another commitment that is mentioned in verse 1.
.... for the faith of those chosen of God
That is a commitment to God’s People
Specifically - commitment to the faith of God’s people
Or - perhaps more specifically the SANCTIFICATION of God’s people
its a commitment to love them - care for them - teach them - nurture for the sake of their faith in God
Spiritual leadership involves a commitment to God’s people - leading them to grow and develop in their faith - another word for that is
SANCTIFICATION
It does not matter how charismatic - how successful a person might be in the world
That person is not qualified for Spiritual Leadership without a commitment to God’s people and their spiritual growth and development
BTW - there is a sense in which a person can not lead others to a place where they have not been or at least seen and without a doubt a person will not be able to lead others in direction of something that they are not profoundly committed to
Spiritual leadership is a Threefold commitment;
Not only must it include a commitment to God’s Son and
A commitment to God’s People
Spiritual leadership involves a
A Commitment To God’s Word
... and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness
A commitment to truth - God’s truth - God’s word
There is an absolute truth - objective - knowable truth - God’s Word
John 17:17
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."
John 8:31-32
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 6: 68
68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69“We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
Spiritual leadership involves a commitment to truth
Truth that
There is a God
He is the creator - sustainer of the universe
All people are sinners in need of a savior to save them from sin and death
Jesus Christ is THE savior - THE ONLY Savior - who died for the sins of His people and He and He alone will save - Everyone who comes to him in faith--
He died - He rose again - He’s here now in the person of his holy spirit - and one day he is coming back in person - get us
Now that’s the foundation for spiritual leadership
threefold commitment
God’s Plan
God’s People
God’s Word
