Spiritual Insecurity

 In 1964 Martin Lloyd-Jones preached a series of sermons over 21 consecutive Sundays on the topic of spiritual depression, its causes and its cure as he had noticed how many Christians seemed spiritually depressed, and even the great preacher himself had dealt with a season of spiritual depression. It seems to me that in our new century we are seeing another issue that is pervasive in Christianity in our country and that is spiritual insecurity. This spiritual insecurity has become a polluting, corrupting, and paralyzing force in the life and faith of the body of Christ. Sad to say many who are insecure spiritually are so because they do not have the Spirit, but there are also many others who are believers who are struggling with being insecure in their faith.

I do believe that one of the factors contributing to this is the postmodern age in which we are now living. With its emphasis on uncertainty, its elevation of personal experience as the arbiter of truth, and its deconstruction of all truth claims, it is easy to see why those who have succumbed to this way of thinking and viewing life would be insecure. The church has always been in danger of being influenced by the surrounding culture and its accompanying philosophy, and the more immature the church the more immature the believer, the more susceptible they are to adopting the cultural mindset of the day.  

Another contributor to this spiritual insecurity is the lack of the knowledge of God. It is sad, yes, tragic that many Christians just do not know God very well. II Peter 1:2-3 tells us that grace and peace are not just given, but multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and His Son, Jesus Christ; and that we have been given everything pertaining to life and godliness through this true knowledge. In Hosea 4:6 God tells us "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Then in Hosea 6:3 He exhorts us, "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord." Since the Scriptures are true, if Christians are insecure in their faith, their relationship with the living Lord, then they must not have much of the knowledge of God and His Son that multiplies grace and peace in their lives. The lack of the knowledge of God is destroying His people and His church in America today, and can be directly related to the preaching to felt needs and the therapeutic gospel that have been in the main for the last 30 years, as well. It may seem odd that self help, feel good, Jesus loves you for who you are sermons would not make people feel more secure in their relationship with God, but the key to security in any relationship is an intimate knowledge of the other party in the relationship. When preaching and church life are all about you, then how can you ever know about God?

Finally, the third contributor to this spiritual uncertainty comes from the proliferation of Arminian and Semi-Pelagian views of the role of man in his salvation and sanctification, from "getting himself saved" to "keeping himself saved." When man takes the responsibility for his salvation, and the working out of that salvation, upon his own shoulders he will never feel adequate for the task. For deep down in his soul he is all too aware of the sin that so easily entangles him, and his own lust that entices and carries him away. Without a solid foundation built on the doctrines of grace and the sovereignty of our great and merciful God in our salvation, from its beginning to its end, man is left to rely only on the strength of his own arm, the power of his own piety......and, for all of us, our faults and foibles are ever before us.

Where are you today, my friend? Are you struggling with being secure in your relationship with God and living the life of faith? Are you plagued with doubts and uncertainties? Confess this to God, cry out to Him for relief, for peace in your soul, and rest for your heart. In Jeremiah 33:3 He tells to call upon Him and He will show us great and mighty things which we do not know, which, I believe, are the things of God Himself. According to Jeremiah 9:23-24 God wants our only boast to be that we know and understand Him. If that is what He wants then He has provided the means for that to take place and those means are the Word of God and the Spirit of God. In fact, in Jeremiah 1:12, He tells us that He personally watches over His word to make sure it is fulfilled, that is carried out to the fullest. Start your journey to spiritual security by reading the Psalms and in each Psalm mark with a colored marker each verse that tells you something about God; or read through the NT and make a list of what each book tells you about God. Meditate on these things and ask God to reveal to you deeper insight about that aspect of His nature and character. In Jeremiah 29:12-14 He has promised to be found by us when we search for Him with all our heart. Take Him up on that promise today.

Being Holy

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts 

which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, 

be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

 because it is written, 

"You shall be holy, for I am holy."

 I Peter 1:14-16

Holiness is indispensable for all who are truly Christian. Even the term Christian, which means little Christ, evokes the notion of holy behavior in following after the behavior of Christ. In his first epistle Peter goes on to say that we are a holy priesthood and a holy nation offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, and proclaiming His excellencies. We can not do these apart from being holy...in all our behavior.

Sin is the greatest weapon used by the enemy against each and every Christian. We know this because it is what Satan tempts us to do. Sin itself is our enemy as it seeks to master us (Genesis 4:7, Romans 6:14). Sin interferes and interrupts the work of God. Through my sin and your sin we wound other Christians. Sin quenches and grieves the Spirit, it puts us at odds with God and brings His displeasure and discipline. Sin hinders us and makes us less useful and less effective in kingdom work, even to the point of our being put on the shelf (disqualified/I Corinthians 9:27). Sin destroys trust and relationships, and brings about death (James 1:15).

Do we rise up each day prepared to do battle against indwelling sin by putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13), and by putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness (James 1:20)? Have we grown comfortable with or desensitized to our own sins and therefore indulge the desires of the flesh and the mind? Is personal holiness, practical holiness, growth in sanctification important to us, and is our own Christ likeness important to us? Are we presenting a clean vessel to the Lord for Him to work through (II Timothy 2:21)? Are we identifying, acknowledging, confessing to the Lord, and repenting of our sins? Have we determined to do battle with besetting sins, putting them to death, so we may have spiritual victory in our lives? The issue is not the temptations, nor the struggle with sin, but are we having victory over sin. Can we say we are an example to those around us in this area of our Christian life?

Pastors, do you exhort your people to holy living themselves? Do you stress its importance, for now and for eternity? Do you remind them of their calling as a holy people of God, those who bear His name and represent Him before men and angels? Do you lay before them the truth that a little leaven leavens the whole lump, and that their sin affects the body of Christ? Do you explain to them that the consequence of not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of their mind is key to growing in holiness, Godliness, Christ likeness? Have you taught them to pray, "Lead me not into temptation (lead me away from temptation), and deliver me from evil (do not let evil have its way with me)," because their spirit is willing, but their flesh is weak? Have you stressed to them that a true Christian cannot have an habitually sinful lifestyle (I John 2:9-10)? Have you told them that the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and prayer to God are their weapons in the battle against sin? Have you reminded them that true Christians have been freed from slavery to sin to be slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18)?

Fellow Christians, let us take holiness seriously. Let us strive together to be found as Christ was found, holy, blameless, and above reproach. Let us attack sin and be ever vigilant against it. Let us be holy as He Himself is holy, and live in the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Father, forgive us our sins, cleanse us from all unrighteousness and defilement, make us conscious and sensitive to the sins we tend to ignore, help us to repent and draw close to you. Thank you that we can come boldly to Your throne, the throne of grace, beside which stands our great High Priest and Advocate, Your Son the Lord Jesus Christ, to receive forgiveness, mercy, grace to help in our times of need, and power for holy living. Thank you for the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and keep us filled with Him so that we will not give in to the desires of our flesh and mind. Bless your Holy Name this day and forever more. Amen

When a Sin Remains

We serve a holy God. Holiness has been called His greatest and most distinct attribute. In looking in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 what the angels cry out three times is "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord our God." When Moses approached the burning bush it was God who said, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." In Leviticus 10 the Lord said, "By those who come near Me, I will be treated as holy." God cannot look upon sin, cannot tolerate sin, cannot abide with sin, and sin cannot enter His presence.

As His children, as part of His body, as partakers of the Divine nature, as those indwelled by the Holy Spirit, God has an expectation of our holiness. In Leviticus and I Peter He tells those who are His, "You shall be holy for I am holy." In II Corinthians 6:17 we are told to come out from the midst of the world and be separate. In Hebrews 12 He tells us that we are disciplined by Him so that we can share His holiness. In Ephesians 4 we learn that our new self has been made in God's likeness, and has been created in the holiness and righteousness of the truth. In just these few verses, we see that God is zealous and jealous for our holiness, and that He has equipped us to deal with our sin, so as to have victory over our sin.

Yet, in spite of all of this, we still sin. Romans 7, Galatians 5, and James 1 tell us that there is an ongoing battle with temptation and sin in our life. And, accordingly, God has made a provision for our forgiveness and cleansing, which we find in I John 1:9.

Understanding this gives us insight into Psalm 119:25-32. At first blush, when just reading through, it seems as if the Psalmist is just battling the blues. But let's look a little deeper into it. Why is his soul cleaving to the dust? Why is his soul weeping? Why does he need his heart enlarged? The answer is in this section, and we see it in verse 29. It is because of sin, because of a particular sin he has called "the false way." We now can see that the Psalmist is in a time of oppression, a time of grief, a time of a small and hard heart, because of sin.

Let's dig down into this section and see what is going on in each verse.

Verse 25-Oppression
"My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Your word." Here we see the state of oppression that the Psalmist is in. Look at how low his soul is. It cleaves to the dust. It is lower than a snake's belly. It can't get any lower and it cannot escape this lowly state as it clings to his very soul. What kind of sin would bring on this degree of oppression? What kind of sin would cause this state of oppression in the life of a believer?

It is unrepentant sin! In fact a particular unrepentant sin, a false way that has not been turned away from. What type of sin, what kind of sin could this be. Well, it is:
*an unconfessed sin
*a sin that is undealt with
*a settled sin, a steady sin
*a sin that ignores conviction
*a sin that disdains discipline
*a sin that despises correction
*a sin that resists reproof
*a sin that is entrenched in the mind
*a sin that is embedded as a habit of life
*a sin for which the believer has developed a bunker mentality so as to protect it
*a sin that makes excuses for itself
*a sin that rationalizes its continued existence
*a sin that has full knowledge that it is a sin
*a sin with which you do not struggle, but comply
*a sin that the greater the discipline, the tighter you hold on to it
*a sin that believes the lies of Satan, such as
     a. It doesn't matter
     b. No one is noticing
     c. It really doesn't hurt anyone
     d. It is only a small thing
     e. God really doesn't care
     f. God understands
     g. Me and God have an agreement

It is not a sin of impulse or a sin of the moment, but a sin that is deliberately held on to. Therefore it is not an unknown sin, a sin of ignorance, but a deliberate sin. This type of sin could be any sin.

God is jealous for the holiness of His people. He takes our holiness more seriously than we do. He sent His Son to die for that sin, that unrepentant sin, and He will do whatever He must do to drive it out and kill it. So if we are not active in putting that sin to death (Romans 8:13), He will be.

Unconfessed, unrepentant sin in the life of a believer always brings about oppression. We usually think of spiritual warfare when we use this term, but there is a spiritual oppression, a spiritual lowliness that comes as a result of unrepentant sin in our life; and it comes from the Lord Himself. Let's look at Psalm 32:3-4. When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Notice what is going on in Isaiah 30:18-20. Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you, for the Lord is a God of justice; how blessed are all those who long for Him. O people in Zion, inhabitant in Jerusalem, you will weep no longer. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it He will answer you. Although the Lord has given you the bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Let's also look at Isaiah 64:7 There is no one who calls on Your name, who arouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the power of our iniquities.  

Notice in the emboldened words above that it was the Lord who had given Israel the bread of privation and the water of oppression because of their sin, that it was His hand that was heavy upon them, and that it was the Lord who had cut off fellowship with them and delivered them over to their sin. So, for us as believers, when we sin and don't confess it and don't turn from it, we can expect the hand of the Lord to be heavy upon us, to oppress us, so that we will turn from our sin. He is serious about dealing with our sin, especially unconfessed and unrepentant sin that is deliberately held on to.

So, what must we do when we are experiencing His heavy hand upon us because of our stubborn unrepentance?  We see what our response should be in the remaining verses in Psalm 119:25-32.

119:25b...Submission
"Revive me according to your word."
We must bring ourselves back under the authority of His word. When we sin, we rebel against His word, we act in opposition to His word (which is His revealed will), so the beginning of repentance is to submit ourselves again to His word. As Samuel told Saul, to obey is better than sacrifice.

119:26...Confession
"I have told of my ways, and you have answered me."
 Notice here what happens when we confess...God answers. And His answer always begins with forgiveness. True confession of our sins begins with viewing our sin the way God views it, and therefore saying the same thing about it that God says (See Psalm 51). When we truly confess our sins He truly forgives our sins.
(Psalm 32:5-7, Psalm 86:5, Isaiah 55:7, I John 1:9)

119:26b...Instruction
"Teach me your statutes."
Not only do we confess, we ask for guidance in living according to how He would have us live. Again, we know this prayer will be answered, for we know that when we ask anything according to His will He hears us and grants that request. (Psalm 25:4-5, Psalm 86:11)

119:27...Illumination 
"Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders."
Not only does the Psalmist ask to know what the word of God says, he also wants to know what it means. He is asking for spiritual understanding and spiritual insight into the word of God so as to thoughtfully and properly apply it. (I Corinthians 2: 6-14, Ephesians 1:17)

119:28...Contrition
"My soul weeps because of grief."
Knowing, understanding, and applying the word of God to his life has caused the Psalmist to be broken-hearted over his sin. The very same soul that was rebelling against God, after comparing itself to the standard of the word of God, cries out, "O, what have I done." These are not the crocodile tears of insincerity, but tears of true sorrow and repentance. (II Corinthians 7:9-10, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 57:15)

119:28b...Supplication
"Strengthen me according to Your word."
Here the Psalmist acknowledges his own weakness and asks for strength, the strength that the word gives, the strength to combat sin and its accompanying temptations; so that he will not fall back into this sin again. This is the true hallmark of repentance and contrition, the zealous desire not to sin that sin again, and the accompanying desire for holiness in all of life. (Matthew 6:13; 26:41, Psalm 119:133, Ephesians 3:16, 20)

119:29...Restoration
"Remove the false way from me, and graciously grant me Your law."

The Psalmist asks the Lord to give him complete victory over this sin, and to restore their fellowship back to where it was. Sin does not destroy our relationship with God as we will always belong to Him, but it does impede and impair our relationship with Him.  (Isaiah 59:2, Hosea 5:15, James 4:6-10)

119:30...Decision
"I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me."
After asking the Lord to remove the false way, the Psalmist announces his decision to follow the faithful way, the Lord's way. It is a decision of a destination, a decision to follow the word of God and let it lead him, wherever that may be. Following the Lord is a choice, and here the Psalmist chooses to get back on the faithful path, the narrow path that leads to life. (Psalm 85:13, Isaiah 31:21, Psalm 101:2-4; 119:103)

119:31...Determination
"I cling to Your testimonies."
The Psalmist is determined to not let go, to remain faithful to the word of God. This is the commitment that is required to life a godly life, to fully follow the Lord. Decision and determination go hand in hand.
(Philippians 3:12-14, II Timothy 4:7)

119:32...Direction
"I shall run the way of Your commandments."
The Psalmist knows where the word of God will take him...ultimately to God Himself, in His presence for eternity. It is the path of life, the path of joy, the path of fellowship with God, the path of blessing. Even though it narrow, it is well marked, as it has been marked out by the resurrection of Christ. (John 14:6)

119:32b...Passion
"For you will enlarge my heart."
Sin shrinks and hardens the heart. It hardens the heart to the things of God, the ways of God, the will of God, the work of God, and the love of God. When we walk in the faithful way and cling to His testimonies, the Lord enlarges our heart and gives us a greater capacity so as to love Him all the more; and the greater our love for Him the greater our obedience will be, and the greater our walk will be before Him.

In the response of the Psalmist we see a picture of repentance. This is the result that the Lord wanted to achieve and there is a cleansing of the soul and a corresponding peace when repentance takes place. How blessed we are that the Lord takes our relationship with him so seriously, so personally, that He deals with the sin that impedes and impairs that very relationship.

Biblical Guidelines for the Church: Authority and Accountability

                                                        Leadership and Authority

Leadership in the church is not based upon power, but upon authority. Therefore being a pastor/elder is not a position of power, but a position of authority. However, it is not an authority inherent in the person, it is a delegated authority because of the position held. It is delegated from God to the elders, and also delegated from the congregation to the elders.

It is God who has created the position of pastor/overseer/elder and laid out the qualifications for the office, and it is the recognition by the congregation of those who meet God's qualifications (I Timothy 3, Titus 1) that bring the man of God to that position. So God calls the pastor/elder to that office from the congregation with their approval.

The pastor/elder is to lead, not lord it over the people (Hebrews 13:7, I Peter 5:2-3); and the people are to voluntarily submit to his leadership and follow his example (Hebrews 13:7, 17; I Corinthians 16:16), just as a wife is to voluntarily submit to her husband.

As such, the man of God is accountable to both God and man, as both were instrumental in placing him in that office; and both delegated to him the authority which the office holds.

The Three Cords of Church Leadership

In Ecclesiastes 4:12 we learn that a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart or easily broken. It is interesting to note how many times we see this principle applied in the Scriptures. One of the applications of this principle is in the requirements for the elders given in Titus 1:5-9.

In verses 6-7 we see he is to be a man of moral integrity. These verses are governed by the term above reproach, which means not that he is sinless, but that he is held blameless from the charge of moral impurity. What is stressed in these verses is what the man of God is not.

In verse 8 we see he is to be a man of spiritual integrity. What is stressed here is what the man of God is, with the word devout governing the verse. Devout means to be pious, clean, and pure. It also denotes devotion and loyalty to the Lord, and emphasizes that he lives his life in conformity with the word of God.

In verse 9 we see that he is a man of biblical and doctrinal integrity. What is stressed here is his biblical and doctrinal fidelity, which is demonstrated by what he holds to. His teaching and preaching are always in conformity with the body of doctrine given in the Scriptures. He does not deviate from the faith once for all delivered to the saints; and, just as he is a one woman man, he is also a one word, one doctrine, one faith, and one Lord man. He is a man of unwavering devotion to the faith that is contained and presented in the Scriptures and he will not teach anything that contradicts it.

Also of note in these verses are the three words describing the role of a church leader:

First is elder, which denotes dignity, maturity, and leadership. This word gives us a picture of his role and the gravitas of the office. It says this person is to be looked to for leadership, and his persona should be able to bear the weight of the mantle of leadership. Implicit in this word is the earned respect and trust of the people he leads.

Secondly, we see the term overseer. The word means superintendent, magistrate, or watchman; and gives us a picture of the authority and function of the office. This person is to be able to watch over, guide, and direct the church. This word shows us that the church leader is responsible for the protection and direction of the church.

Thirdly, we see the term God's steward. The word steward means house manager, one who manages the affairs of another, one who is in charge of another's property, including slaves; and he is usually a slave himself. This term gives us the understanding of the responsibility and accountability of the office. This man is responsible to God for the household of God, as the church is not his property but God's. It is the Lord's church, which is the people of God whom God has called out to be His possession. This means that the church leader is accountable to God for the wellbeing and the spiritual prosperity of God's people whom He has purchased with the blood of His Son. 

As leadership goes, so goes the church, which is why the Lord gives Titus these guidelines for the men who would be the leaders in the church. The church is only as strong as its leadership, and when leadership fails, or leads poorly then the church is weakened and the flock is left unguarded or misguided. It then becomes vulnerable and is at risk of being defenseless and directionless.  

In the three elements of integrity we see a strength and quality of character combined with commitment to the Lord and commitment to His word as given in the Scriptures. The combination of these qualities of integrity affirm and strengthen each other and make the church leader strong in resisting the attack of the enemy, who seeks to devour him. When possessing these strands of integrity the church leader will lead ethically, will lead spiritually, and will lead biblically. This is the type of man people will want to follow, who will be trusted to follow, and will be safe to follow.

In the three terms for church leader given here we see the strength of balance. These descriptive terms define role, function, authority, and accountability, with each of them governing the others. They not only define the role of church leader, but in defining the role give it its parameters and boundaries. An understanding of his role, function, authority, and accountability keeps the church leader from misusing or abusing his office; and it also gives the church a benchmark from which to evaluate and measure his ministry; and will give them the knowledge to keep themselves from being taken advantage of or abused.

Yes, a cord of three strands is not easily broken!  How wise is our God in His design for the leadership of the church.

Ministry Made Simple

 The task of spiritual leadership may

not be easy, but neither is it complicated.

When God called us to serve as leaders in

the church, He did not give us the 

responsibility to build the church. Instead,

He gave us the responsibility to proclaim

His word in order that people might be

transformed into the character of

Christ...

Ministry is really simple; it's a matter

of preaching the Word, loving the 

people, and living our lives as an

example for others to follow.

Glen Daman

Leading the Small Church

Page 224

                                                  

Spiritual Leadership

 

Spiritual leadership without character is only religious activity,

possible religious business or, even worse, hypocrisy......

The qualified leader is a man of the Book, using it not just

to prepare sermons and preaching notes, but, first and foremost,

to prepare himself.

James M. George

The Call to Pastoral Ministry

Pastoral Ministry

(How to Shepherd Biblically)

Page 91

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you;

and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

How important it is for those of us who occupy a place of spiritual leadership to be men of character, character forged by the Holy Spirit and formed by the Word of God. Providing spiritual leadership is a daunting responsibility, a responsibility that underscores the Lord's admonition in James 3:1 "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." This is why the Lord stresses Godly character in His requirements for those who occupy the post of pastor; and why Paul buffeted his flesh, so that after he had preached to others he would not be disqualified.

The landscape of the church is littered with the moral failures of those who failed to watch themselves.  In fact, it has become much too common.  And it is just not in the area of sexual immorality, as noted there is also the issue of the SBC having been taken to task by those within its own ranks for inflated membership numbers and an evangelastical (intentional spelling) way of counting baptisms. Speaking of the SBC, they have remained in the news due to plagiarism among high profile pastors, downplaying sexual immorality, and public non-repentant abuse of a pastor and his wife by a seminary staff. Other churches have dismissed pastors for abusive behavior. A well known megachurch in the DC area has its members filing lawsuits against the church amidst accusations of lying and manipulation by its leadership team.

These are the obvious, the news grabbing and headline making, but what about the ones that don't make the news, the ones that cause damage just as great? I read an internet article about how Peacemaker ministries worked to reconcile a church's pastor and elders after temper, egos, and innuendos had split them and the church. What about the detrimental effects of pride, stubbornness, selfishness, ambition, jealousy, unforgiveness, greed,  and gossip? What about those that fear man more than they fear God, those that are men-pleasers vs God-pleasers, and those who would compromise rather than confront? What about the small things that are done daily that add up over time?

I remember hearing Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, preach several years ago, and in his sermon he was stressing the need for moral integrity. He said that he had asked God to take him home before He let Bill commit adultery. Admirable, yes, but for most of us, we are on guard against the big A; but it is the perniciousness of the so called small sins that we ought to be on guard against as well. Is our prayer, "Lord, lead me away from temptation in the areas where I am weak and most easily tempted, and let not evil have any way with me. Please keep me from causing any of the brethren to stumble. Help me to adorn the doctrine I preach with the life that I live. Help me to do what is right, to love what is good, and to walk humbly with You. Let not anyone, saved or unsaved, look at me and cry hypocrite. Let me be at home what I am publicly."

Who is adequate for this? None of us outside of the power that God supplies. There is a greater burden, a greater responsibility, for those of us whom God has called into ministry; but there is a greater grace available as well. Let us be on our guard, empowered by the grace of God, so that sin will not have its way with us, not derail us, nor render us impotent in our efforts to advance the kingdom of God in our own lives, so that we will be effective in advancing His kingdom in the lives of those whom He appointed to our shepherding. Let not the sin in our own lives be an impediment, an excuse, for those in our flock in dealing with the sin in their own lives.

Father, guard our hearts and our minds. Work within us only that which is pleasing in Your sight. We are frail and weak in our own strength, so help us by the strength which You supply to live a life worthy of the gospel of Your Son, and a life worthy of the calling with which we have been called. Empower us to be an example to the flock, living a life worthy of admiration and imitation. Guard us from our own selves, and give us a sensitivity to the sin which so easily entangles us. Strengthen us to fight the good fight of faith and finish our course without disqualification.  AMEN.

Pastoral Leadership

But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing

mother tenderly cares for her own children.  Having

so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased

to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also

our own lives, because you had become very dear

to us.  For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship,

how working night and day so as not to be a burden to

any of you we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and

uprightly we behaved toward you believers; just as you

know how we were exhorting and encouraging and  

imploring each one of you as a father would his own children.

...For this reason we also constantly thank God that when

you received the word of God which you heard from us,

you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it

really is, the word of God, which also performs its work

in you who believe.

I Thessalonians 2:7-11, 13

italics and underlining mine

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God

to you; and considering the result of their conduct,

imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:7

italics and underlining mine

There is much said and written about pastoral leadership and all that is required, even conferences and seminars dealing with this issue ad nauseum. I think understanding leadership and its principles is good, and even helpful; but when dealing with pastoral leadership there is a paradigm shift from the leadership model that is touted in our corporate and sports world, and unfortunately this model is what is suggested most often in the context of pastoral leadership.

I find it interesting that the Bible does not go into all the areas that the modern seminars do in talking about pastors as leaders, but what is does do is to lay out the basics for a pastor, which assume the pastor will be leading a group of people. The core requirements in the Scriptures are contained in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and revolve around demonstrated character, demonstrated management of his own home, and a demonstrated ability to teach that comes with a knowledge of and proficiency with the Scriptures. The reason for these requirements, and how they flesh out in the pastor's leadership is demonstrated in the Scriptures above. The pastor is to lead with the Word and by example. 

Notice how many times the gospel/word of God is used in the section of I Thessalonians. Notice the leaders who were to be remembered and imitated in Hebrews....those who spoke the word of God, whose conduct bore spiritual fruit. These, of course, fit in with the Lord's instruction to Peter to feed his sheep. The pastor must lead his flock with the word of God. After all the word of the Lord is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Our first priority must be to lead our people with the word of God.

In addition to the Word, we must be leading our people by our example. To do this we must also be leading ourselves with the word of God. Again, listen to the Psalmist in Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man (or older man for that matter) keep his way pure?  By keeping it according to Your word."  It is the pure way, the Lord's way, that when lived out by the pastor is the example to his people....the example that is to be imitated. 

Why did the people in Thessalonica receive the Word as the word of God, and not the word of men?  Because they saw it lived out in the lives of Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. Look at the underlined words above...they proved themselves, they imparted their lives, they behaved in a devout and upright manner. And this did not happen in a vacuum...the Thessalonians were witnesses, knew personally what Paul and crew had done and how they behaved, and were to recall these very facts. Also, we see that the Hebrews were to remember the result of the conduct of their leaders, in other words, the fruit born out of their lives, and then to imitate their faith.

The lives of the pastors give weight and credence to the words that they preach and teach. In essence you should not be able to separate the man from his message, they should be the same. This is the way that God has designed it, so that His people could be sure about both the message and the man. So when we think about our pastoral leadership, let's make first things first....let's put first things first....let's emphasize in our ministry what the Lord emphasizes, our handling of the Word and the life that we live. These should be the foundation of our pastoral leadership, and will provide a firm foundation for all else that is part and parcel of a gospel ministry.