Leadership

There is a growing trend in the Church today not to have one leader over all, it doesn’t seem to sit well with modern thinking to have someone in charge, one person making decisions over everyone else. You generally find this thinking in Churches where you have ‘wanabee’ leaders with their own views which possibly aren’t being realised in the Church, or modern thinking churches who believe two heads are better than one. They live under the misapprehension that a group of locally elected people are better at running a church than one called-of-God leader.

The Church is not a co-operative it cannot be run by a consensus opinion, it is a theocracy and has very clear God-given rules about what is permissible. God has leaders for a reason and Satan wants them removed for just that reason. Personally I would side with God, He knows best.

God calls those He wants to lead. He also calls others for other purposes and we really need to listen for a calling and act on it and more importantly don’t ignore it.

In the early days of Paul’s ministry, when the church was being founded, there were no called or commissioned men to ‘care’ for the growing church. Paul and other apostles called by God had to revisit the churches they set up “establishing the souls of the disciples”. Acts 14:21-23.

21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia,
22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.
23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust.

In verse 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders, they wanted someone in place to look after the Church full time. This role as you can see was something that was taken seriously and with prayer, it wasn’t a position as we would see it. You have to remember today this was probably an extension of the Jewish faith where the eldest or wisest person looked over and guided the rest, the younger Jews. He would have been a leader through his age and wisdom rather than strength or youth.

The ELDER was a senior believer, someone of stature. The Greek word is ‘presbuto’, an aged man – as compared to a younger man. Elders were used in an official position in the O.T, leaders of tribes, of cities and others.

Timothy and Titus were also sent to choose men by the qualifications mentioned. Names such as overseers and bishops were used, translated from the Greek.

Paul and the early Apostles appointed the Elders as they moved around the early Churches putting sound foundations down for further spiritual growth. Ephesians 4 sets out a change in leadership over the Church, Christ Himself takes charge of His Flock. As Head of the Church Christ appoints those He chooses. Ephesians 4:8 tells us that Christ appoints gifts.

4 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.
5 There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.
7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ.
8 That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.”

Eph 4:11-13 goes on to show the gifts and confirms that it is HE who gives them and why.

11 He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ,
13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

Verse 12 informs us that they are there to teach, build up and prepare the Church for God’s work. They can not do that if they are not led themselves, if they don’t have the necessary wisdom or willingness to be led themselves. These people then are not new Christians, they are not Spiritual Children. God chooses people who have stature with HIM, who have faith and are committed.

He, indeed, it is who GIVES the Apostles, yet the prophets, yet the evangelists, yet the pastors and teachers FOR THE READJUSTING of the saints, with a view TO THE WORK OF DISPENSING , for the UPBUILDING of the body of Christ, until we should all attain in the unity of the faith, and the realisation of a Son of God, to MATURE MANHOOD, to the adult stature of Christ’s complement.” Ephesians 4:11-16 Greek Version.

God Himself appointed 5 positions and there is no reason why today should be any different. The positions are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. The only addition to this was in Acts 6:1-6 we see MAN having to appoint some positions. Unlike those appointed by God these were nothing to do with Spiritual matters, these were to help with the day to day business matters. In verse 2 the apostles were serving tables and their primary purpose was being hindered. Because of this they told the Church to find worthy people from amongst themselves to take care of these matters.

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

If God saw fit to appoint these FIVE positions, taking the burden from the hands of man, then why should it be any different today, HE more than any knows what’s best and who’s best, to bring the Church to maturity. 1 Timothy 2:7; 4:6,13,16

7 And I have been chosen—this is the absolute truth—as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth.
6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you.

The Church should have these called-out men working without hindrance in their called positions, to bring the body of Christ to a realisation of God’s will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so as to walk worthily of the Lord being fruitful in every good work and growing in the realisation of God. Col. 1:9-20.

9 So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.
10 Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy,
12 always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God’s holy people, who live in the light.
13 For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14 God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins. Christ Is Supreme
15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.
16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him.
17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.

Each one has his work to do, the apostles went out to establish the Church, prophets were to speak the word of God. Then evangelists are to come and stir up the Church to bring new life, then the Pastor led by God brings help looking after (as a shepherd), caring for the everyday life of the members.

The new Christian is fed on the milk of the word until they grow up and mature.1 Cor 3:1-3.

1 Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life.
2 I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn’t handle anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,
3 for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord.

It is not learning the word in the head only (intellectually) but being able to give an account of our salvation (Understanding through revelation). In the church there should be one Pastor who has given himself totally to God, whose life is in the word and constantly inspired and led by God, building up the Assembly of God’s people as the body of Christ. He can use members who are also called to help in his ministry, if there are any.

A Pastor must be in line with God’s will, he must be open to the move of the Holy Spirit at all times and be aware of what is happening in the congregation too. He must not be a dictator but he also must not leave the meetings to be led from the congregation. Being free to the move of the Holy Spirit is not a licence for disorder, there will always be order with God.

God has given spiritual gifts or endowments which are to be used in the body of Christ as in 1 Cor 12, all done decently and in order, according to Paul’s Revelatory teaching.