We are trying to answer the question … “Why is leadership important?” So far we have worked through Genesis chapters 1-3 very briefly. Here we saw God appointing the man as the head over the wife and by implication, over the family. His duty is to be a blessing and how he leads carries responsibilities and accountabilities. Consider what happens when leadership is either bad or non-existent … I found these three examples …
(1) “Everything comes down to leadership. When there is no good leader to direct a team, a department, or an organization, then the following scenarios are inevitable: delayed decisions, conflicts, low morale, reduced productivity, and success is difficult.”
(2) “Bad leadership in business leads to toxic working attitudes, staff segregation, loss of high-performing employees, and an unattractive workplace culture that is unlikely to inspire results from your staff while creating a cycle of poor staff retention.”
(3) “Without leaders, society would cease to exist because the majority of people are passive, they do not want to take responsibility, make decisions, and be responsible for others. Power is the right and ability of some people to use force against other individuals.” Generally, though this relates to business and organizations, we could apply these results to a marriage and family. Don’t lose sight of the fact that we are moving towards the reason for Paul and Silas appointing “elders” in the new Church Plants in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch. Now, what happens when a Church Leader is weak and ungodly? What happens when he is not a role model and a guidance provider? What happens when he does not teach the Bible effectively? What happens when there is no leadership in the Church? My first Church after being made a deacon did not pan out to be everything I was told or was put onto paper. The previous pastor who was not part of our Church Grouping allowed everyone to do their own thing in the Church. There was no organization, leadership or morality. On the surface everything seemed good. People smiled and were happy … but as soon as I started to preach the Gospel and implement Biblical morality, people became unhappy. You see, the previous pastor fiddled with the boys, drank and smoked with the boys, let others make decisions he should have made and permitted unauthorized people to lead the Church. His style was … keep people happy, they attend and tithe and allow me to lead a wicked lifestyle. Very soon, most of these people left the Church, giving me space to build the Church.
We are considering the appointment of “elders” in the following passage:
Ac 14:21 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders.
Many opponents of the Bible say it was written in such a way that it smacks of male chauvinism! What such people miss is that the Bible is God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible and authoritative Word. He is the one who appointed man as the head and as we see from Genesis 3, man’s task because of sin will not be easy. As we fast forward to Moses, the Priesthood, Joshua, the Judges, the Prophets and the Kings we find them all to be men. This was not to say women could not lead and lead well … rather God’s requirement is that the men lead because they are the head of the wife and the family. As we come to the New Covenant, we find God Incarnate was a male. He appointed Disciples and from these Apostles. They were male. As we come to the Book we are studying, Acts, we notice that the leaders of the Church at Jerusalem as well as the missionaries, Paul and Barnabas were male. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not seeking to force this issue. I want to get to why “elders” were appointed in the Church of the Lord Jesus, who they are and what they need to be and do.
1) The two places male leadership is not negotiable. The first is in the home with the wife and children. The husband and father is the head, as said above, with all the blessings, responsibilities and accountabilities that come with it. The second is the Church. It ought not to be surprising that God uses men to lead the Church because the Church is constituted of families with men leading the family! Once again, let’s remember that leadership is not easy and because of sin it will not be easy.
2) God’s design for leadership.
Mt 20:25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Leadership in the world is diametrically different to that in the Church. The reason is that God is the owner of the Church. He bought the Church at great expensive … it is Blood purchased! In demonstrating leadership, Jesus shows us that leadership needs to be servant leadership that is sacrificial. This is extremely hard because it cuts against the grain of the sinful nature which dictates that “I must be great, powerful and respected.” To be a servant does not imply weakness. It implies humility, sacrifice and hard work. The huge difference is that Church Leadership is spiritual and needs to be God honoring and glorifying. There are no sort cuts and no abdications. Failure means sinning against what God requires to make His Church function, not only for His glory, but to prepare His people for service and Glory as well as seeking the elect for salvation. The other great model Jesus demonstrated about leadership comes from:
Jn 13:12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”
Jesus was not saying we must literally wash each other’s feet. He was showing what true Biblical servant leadership means in practice! It is not like a boss saying that the “customer is always right!” Rather it is saying … “servanthood, servanthood, servanthood” … and our example is God Incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ, serving us sinners to demonstrate Biblical Leadership. The Church Leader who is not a servant leader is not doing Gospel work the way Jesus requires. The same is true in the home … if a husband or father is not a servant leader, he is sinning against God!
Our Father, You are the true leader, the King of Glory who needs to be loved, adored and obeyed. Today we pray for all husbands, fathers and Church Leaders. Help them to fulfil their roles and duties in such a way that they bring glory to You and blessings upon their marriages, families and Churches. Amen.