THE CHURCH - QUALITY AND OBJECTIVE LEADERSHIP
Readings: Exodus 18, Acts 20 v 28 - 35, 1 Peter 5 v 2, Titus
1 v 9
Leadership has been looked at from five angles or styles by
Warren S. Benson, and each style has its characteristics that are unique, and
these are:
A) AUTOCRATIC - BUREAUCRATIC - the characteristics here are:
i) Status seekers
ii) Conservers
iii) Advocacy
iv) Statesmen
B) PERMISSIVE - too concerned with trying to please everyone
as long it is to their own benefit and advantage.
C) DEMOCRATIC/PERMISSIVE - involve others in decision
making. Delay people to do it at their time and normally pass the buck and this
breeds mediocrity.
D) BENEVOLENT/AUTOCRATIC - these leaders are paternalistic.
People become hero worshippers and discipline becomes hard to maintain.
E) LAISSEZ/FAIRE - there is no leadership at all here, total
lack of leadership.
If the church gets to be run through the above styles then
the family of God is headed for a disaster. Let us turn to the features of
leadership in the Bible and see what we are required to do in the church of
God. Our Lord Jesus' style of leadership was anchored on:
a) Servant leadership
b) Participative style
c) Reproduction of self
d) Role model
e) Objective
f) Solid - rebuke or restraint
g) Glorifying the Father
What can also give us the right perspective into leadership
is for us to look at the New Testament Principles of leadership in the early
church. Leaders are human means which are there to achieve divine ends. So the
leadership style should be based not on followers or on numbers but on loyalty
and quality. The principle should not be a multiple leadership one, which is a
"one man show" but should be:
i. Spiritual qualification up and above the academics.
ii. To fulfil teaching and Pastoral role - Titus 1 v 9, Acts
20 v 28
iii. Of establishing priorities in ministry - Acts 6 v 2 - 4
iv. Of setting functions that must be of creative thinking
and performance
v. Looking at keeping right with God.
Paul tells us of three priorities for leaders/stewards,
which are:
A) To keep right with God, meaning to say that God requires
the believer;
a) To be filled with the Spirit - Ephesians 5 v 18
b) Quench not -1 Thessalonians 5 v 19
c) Grieve not - Ephesians 4 v 30
d) Walk in the fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5 v 16, 22 - 23
B) To feed and lead the flock, which is a great
responsibility because the elders must be organized in response to the need and
faithfulness is rewarded while unfaithfulness is condemned - Isaiah 40, 1 Peter
5 v 3, James 3 v 1
C) To protect the flock where the leaders are to warn
concerning Satan, false teachers and so the elders should protect the flock by:
i. Screening members - 1 John 4 v 1 - 3
ii. Biblical discipline - Matthew 18 v 15 -17
iii. Striving to produce maturity - Col. 1 v 27 - 28
iv. Discipline will produce maintain purity and should be
loving Galatians 6 v 1
v. Discipline should be corrective - 2 Thessalonians 3 v 14
- 15
Remember, maturity is a matter of degree, but spirituality
is an absolute. There is need to grow in the knowledge of God wholesomely in:
a) His person – Eph. 1 v 15-17
b) His Will- Romans 12 v 1 - 2
c) His Word - 2 Timothy 2 v 15
d) His way - Ephesians 4 v 22 - 29
e) His Power - Ephesians 1 v 19 - 20
Pastoral leaders must be content and not demanding.
Prayerful thought: Holy Trinity please make us become good
leaders who communicate with you by reading the word and following its way and
become disciplined and obedient to your call.
Day 16
THE CHURCH - A CALL TO RECONCILIATION
Readings: 2 Corinthians 5 v 18, 1 John 4 v 7 - 21
The Word "RECONCILE" means "to change
thoroughly" and in this context it refers to a change in one's
relationship to God. When people rebel against God through sin, the result is
separation, just like Adam and Eve provide a clear example of this tragic
condition. A personal relationship with God is enjoyed as long as we trust and
obey God.
However the fellowship is destroyed when we choose to rebel
against this command and separation becomes part of the penalty for this
decision. The Bible clearly tells us that God is love (1 John 4 v 7 - 21) and
because He is love, He is determined to restore this broken relationship, thus
to bring reconciliation.
The great Apostle Paul writes, "All this is from God,
who reconciled us to himself through Christ," (2 Cor. 5 v 18). This has
been made possible by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, a sacrifice for
sin once and for all, made possible for all sinners to be restored to a
personal relationship with God. This challenge is then reconciliation.
There is a miracle of reconciliation and Paul was very vocal
and quite an inspiration on this matter of reconciliation. In (2 Cor. 5 v 17)
he says, "therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old
has gone, the new has come." My dear fellow believers, to be "in
Christ" means to have a personal relationship with Him. The moment a
person decides to turn to God from sin and call upon the Lord Jesus as the only
hope of salvation, a miracle occurs.
You will realize that many expressions therefore have been
used to describe this miraculous occurrence such as:
1 Born again
2. Saved
3. Converted
4. Justified
5. Becoming a new creation
6. A Christian
The Spirit of Christ inhabits the believer's heart. Being
reconciled to God means therefore that you are changed in your relationship,
in your personality, character, attitudes and all that which does not have a
relationship with God.
Prayerful thought: Lord God, make me the instrument of peace
and let me not walk in the counsel of the proud.