Too Many Chiefs......? (Part 2)

As noted previously, it is interesting to see how many resources there are for “leadership development”. Volumes have been written on the subject. But in the New Testament church, what was the “method” for making leaders. Was it determined by the person’s skill base? Was it based on the person’s popularity or level of charisma? What was it that made a person a leader?

It is safe to say that it was not a person’s skill base. Take Peter as an example. This incredibly powerful and effective preacher of Pentecost was a fisherman by trade, not a skilled orator or motivational speaker. It’s also safe to say that it was not popularity or level of charisma. Take the Apostle Paul as an example. He was an ex-persecutor of the church. At first the people did not trust him. He had to continually defend his apostleship, and his position on Gentiles, circumcision, the law, and justification by faith made him very unpopular with a significant portion of the church population. Matthias is another glaring example of ‘popularity not being a qualification’. He was chosen by the casting of lots. In our day of “enlightenment”, this may seem strange to us, but Proverbs 16:33 tells us that “he lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” This method insured that the selection of Matthias was not a popularity contest.

So, what was it that made a person a leader? It seems that the vast majority of leaders in the New Testament church had one thing in common. It was not training nor was it popularity. It was the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Stephen, one of the first deacons, was described as being full of the Holy Spirit, as was Barnabas. The Apostle Paul tells to fan into flame the gift he received by the laying on of hands. This clearly speaks of spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit.

You see the selection or appointment of leaders in the early church was actually more of an act of affirming what the Holy Spirit had already decided. The early church recognized the power and the work of the Holy Spirit in an individual’s life to equip and empower them for the work at hand.

Sadly, it seems that many leaders in the church are selected or self-promoted based on much lighter, trivial, and insignificant qualities such as popularity, personality, and even “coolness”. This creates the illusion that these “positions” are fun, glamorous, and self-edifying causing many people to set their sights on this goal and seek to make a name for themselves as one of the “church’s elite”. This non-biblical, man-centered approach to leadership identification by default causes those leaders to participate in all sorts of non-biblical, man-centered ministry practices. After all, this is what got them to “the top”, and this is what will keep them there.

It is no wonder that, in light of this modern view of church leadership, people would rather fancy themselves a leader rather than a servant. However, within Christianity broadly and the church more narrowly, what is the most common call, the call to leadership or the call to service?

To be continued.......

Too Many Chiefs......? (Part 1)

The saying, “Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.” is often used to communicate the idea of the difficulties and sometimes chaos that result from having too many people calling the shots and too few people executing the shots. I’m sure that everyone has experienced a number of difficult and taxing situations in their lives that has stemmed from being in an environment that is duly described by the above saying.

Over the past several years, I’ve noticed the incredible increase in books and other resources that have to with becoming a better or more effective leader. I’ve also noticed that the ideas and principles in these resources, which at one time were almost exclusive to the corporate world, have gained great popularity in religious circles, especially in the area of church leadership. (Sadly, many of these ideas and principles have been altered or adjusted very little, if at all!)

At some point, the persona or idea of being a leader became in vogue. It seemed that everybody who was anybody was teaching people to become leaders, and everyone else was learning to be leaders. There were books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, conferences, seminars, and even boot camps. All designed for the purpose of producing leaders.

As a pastor, I am not all that concerned with what goes on in the business world, but in the church, that’s a whole different matter! In the church, what is needed more, leaders or followers? Now as a leader, I’m certainly not saying leadership is not needed. That would make me hypocritical in my vocational and ministerial pursuits. But I do believe things have gotten out of balance, at least in motivation and ideology if not in numeric ratios.

Take the following analogy. Which army do you think would be more effective? Would it be Army A, which has 21 generals and 500 soldiers or Army B, which has 3 generals and 1500 soldiers? I think the obvious answer would be Army B. Why? I believe it is due to the difference in the general/soldier ratio or to put it another way the leader/follower ratio. Army A with its vast number of generals probably has many great plans and strategies, but its small number of soldiers would limit its ability to carry out these plans. However, Army B, although it has fewer and possibly less-qualified generals, has the man-power to carry out almost any plan its generals devise. And although the plans of Army A may be superior in many ways, a poor plan that is put into action will always beat a superior plan that is not!

I’m sure that the human ego plays a role in all this. Not many people clamber to become what society thinks is a lesser station in life. Most want to be first, on top, and in the lead. But as I write this, a few passages of Scripture come to mind. One is from Luke, and two are found in James. In Luke 14, Jesus says, “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In the fourth chapter if his epistle, James reminds to “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” And in the third chapter of the same epistle, James warns, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”
I want to point out two very important principles from these texts that I believe apply to leadership in the church as well as personal perceptions of “societal placement” addressed in the immediate context. In the first two passages, notice that it is someone other than ourselves who are “advancing us” or “lifting us up”. (In the second passage, it is specifically God.) Whether it is ourselves or someone else who is in a position of leadership, we must ask the question, “Have they/I obtained this position of leadership through self-effort and self-promotion, or have they/I been placed here by God?”
Among the ranks of pastors, there is a saying that goes, “Some were called, some were sent, and some just packed their bags and went.” This pithy saying addresses the motivating force behind those who take upon their shoulders the great responsibility of ministry. Some go because they have been called by God, and God has revealed it to them in some manner. Others have had an outside agent, usually and preferably a church, notice and confirm their giftedness and ability to minister and has set them forth in a particular field of ministry. Still others are enamored by the popularity, power, influence, and rewards that often SEEM to go along with being a leader in ministry, and they take it upon themselves to do whatever is necessary to place themselves in and promote themselves to those positions. But many people, especially those of that third group overlook the second and most sobering of the principles found in the above Scriptures.
James warns that those who teach will be judged more strictly! Although not every leader is teacher, within the church, the vast majority of leadership roles include teaching as part of their function and responsibility. This is particularly true of pastors, preachers, and evangelists. Do those who are leaders understand the gravity of role they are to fulfill? Do they act, teach, and lead with the constant understanding that they are going to be held to a higher standard and a greater level of accountability?
To be continued.............

Crisis “Conversions”, A Dangerous Road to Hell

A little over four years ago, I preached a sermon entitled “Three Roads to Travel”. In it, I proposed that there is one road that leads to heaven and two roads that lead to Hell. Obviously, the one road that leads to heaven is the path that is taken by the one who has had their hearts regenerated by the Holy Spirit, has been born again, and faithfully follows Christ in committed devotion. However, there are two roads that lead to Hell. The first is a life of obvious, open sin and rebellion against God. This is the life of the heathen, the pagan, and the reprobate. The second road is often overlooked in the sense of our reckoning but is frequently and heavily traveled. This is the road of religiosity, self-righteousness, and deistic moralism. This road has been traveled by many throughout the years; people like the Pharisees who put their trust in a false sense of righteousness based on what they do rather than a righteousness from God apart from the Law based on what Christ has done. And among these people are those who have experienced crisis ‘conversions’.

A crisis conversion is when someone reaches a point of crisis in their life and feels that they need to “make a change in their life” or “make things right with God”. These crises can take on many shapes and forms, deep financial problems, life-threatening illness, trouble with children, a failing marriage, etc. These situations often cause people to “seek” God and turn over a new leaf. They begin to make changes in their lives and in their behavior patterns. They may begin to attend church, read their Bibles, and participate in “Christian” activities when previously they did not. These changes and modifications to previous behaviors create the appearance that this person is saved when in actuality they are not. Their actions and behavior have been temporarily changed but their hearts have not.

Don’t get me wrong. God can and often does use such circumstances and situations to bring those that are lost to Him. But the distinguishing factor between those who have been brought to genuine Biblical salvation and those who are merely traveling the road of religiosity to Hell is fruit, lasting and remaining fruit. The importance of fruit, lasting fruit, is emphasized by Christ in two places in Scripture. In the parable of the sower, seed was thrown on all the types of ground. All but one, the path, showed initial signs of life and growth, but only one, the good ground, bore fruit. Also in John 15, Jesus says, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” Notice the emphasis that is placed on fruit bearing and both of these instances. Also notice Jesus description of that fruit, “fruit that will last”.

Many people who experience “crisis conversions” often lack the lasting fruit. They initially make dramatic changes in their lives based on the pressure produced by their crisis situation, but as the pressure subsides they migrate more and more back to their way of life before their “conversion”. They lessen and even stop their participation in their new-found “Christian activities”. And even though they may maintain enough of their “Christian behavior” to create the appearance of change and new life, the cares desires of the world eventually win out. They become a tragic fulfillment of the words that Peter spoke concerning false teachers, “If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud. (II Peter 2:20-22)”
So, in light of this great spiritual danger, let me encourage you to take seriously the charge given to us by Christ, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” For the glory of the Father, let us not become weary in well-doing and let us strive to bear much fruit!