Heb 13:7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
Heb 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
It's kind of tough to realize that we, as Christians, are to be ruled over by other Christians. It is definitely not "the American way." But we do get some leeway in deciding WHO will rule over us.
From these two verses, we see that we are to be ruled by people who teach us the Word of God, whose conduct will bring a good reward, and who watch for our souls. Elsewhere, the Bible establishes the local church as having authority from God. If the pastor of a local church does not meet the descriptions of a "ruler," you need to leave. But if he does meet those descriptions, he is meeting God's requirements to lead God's sheep, and you will grow spiritually if you follow his lead.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
UNDERCOVER AGENTS FOR GOD
"...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting..." Ephesians 4:14
I'll sometimes meet Christians who bitterly complain about being expelled from a church. Some complain about being expelled from several churches. They usually tell the same story:
The church, pastor, elders, deacons, etc., wanted to go in a certain direction. The person wanted to go in a different direction. After failing to convince the leadership, the person began a secret campaign to change the direction of the church. One tactic is to seek an adult Sunday School class; there the person can teach his own doctrines and standards, contrary to what the church believes. The person openly admits (later, after getting caught) that he was trying to change the church into what he thought it should be. A few will actually defend being deceitful, because "God called me to do this, so I couldn't tell them what I was up to." How do you know whom to believe?
Ephesians 4:14 warns us not to be carried about by doctrines that are brought in deceitfully. The preceeding four verses explain that God calls church leaders to lead the church in spiritual growth. The people who plot against the church leaders are described as being deceitful and cunning. But what if the person doing the plotting is right, and the leaders are wrong?
Obviously, the person believes he is right. But if he is, he needs to either submit to the authority of God's ordained leaders, or he needs to leave quietly.
I'll sometimes meet Christians who bitterly complain about being expelled from a church. Some complain about being expelled from several churches. They usually tell the same story:
The church, pastor, elders, deacons, etc., wanted to go in a certain direction. The person wanted to go in a different direction. After failing to convince the leadership, the person began a secret campaign to change the direction of the church. One tactic is to seek an adult Sunday School class; there the person can teach his own doctrines and standards, contrary to what the church believes. The person openly admits (later, after getting caught) that he was trying to change the church into what he thought it should be. A few will actually defend being deceitful, because "God called me to do this, so I couldn't tell them what I was up to." How do you know whom to believe?
Ephesians 4:14 warns us not to be carried about by doctrines that are brought in deceitfully. The preceeding four verses explain that God calls church leaders to lead the church in spiritual growth. The people who plot against the church leaders are described as being deceitful and cunning. But what if the person doing the plotting is right, and the leaders are wrong?
Obviously, the person believes he is right. But if he is, he needs to either submit to the authority of God's ordained leaders, or he needs to leave quietly.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
HOW TO GET GRACE
We've seen that grace gives you the desire and ability to serve God. We've seen that a person who is not already serving Gud successfuly lacks grace. So, how do you get grace?
James 4:6 tells us "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 tells us "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
Humble people realize the awful truth: without God, we are nothing. Anything good that is in us came from God, not from ourselves. A person with a humble attitude is more likely to do things God's way, rather than his own way.
Since God resists the proud, how should we respond to them when they want to be leaders? Psalm 40:4 tells us "Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud..." In other words, when people who are not already serving God desire positions of leadership, we should not allow it.
So the next question is: How do you get humility?
James 4:6 tells us "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5 tells us "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
Humble people realize the awful truth: without God, we are nothing. Anything good that is in us came from God, not from ourselves. A person with a humble attitude is more likely to do things God's way, rather than his own way.
Since God resists the proud, how should we respond to them when they want to be leaders? Psalm 40:4 tells us "Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud..." In other words, when people who are not already serving God desire positions of leadership, we should not allow it.
So the next question is: How do you get humility?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
LEADERS NEED GRACE
We have seen that wanting to be a leader is not evidence of God's call. So how do you know if God really has called you to be a leader? In 1 Corinthians 15:19, Paul writes: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Here, Paul tells us that "grace" is not useless ("in vain") because it made him work hard. He then explains that it wasn't really him; it was God's grace that made him work so hard.
If a person has grace, that person is ALREADY DOING GOD'S WORK. A person who is not already doing God's work lacks grace. What made Paul so successful? "By the grace of God I am what I am.." Churches often encounter people who announce that God has called them to leadership positions. But unless that person is already serving God, that person does not have the grace to be a leader.
I've been told things like "I don't go soul-winning because God hasn't told me to. He's told me to be in charge of..." Christian leader wannabees will post frequently on Christian websites, write blogs (whoops), practice church politics, etc., when they could be visiting the sick, serving meals, cleaning the church, helping with the children on Sunday, inviting the lost to church, and witnessing.
So the second thing you need to know is: If you are not already serving God, you don't have the grace to succeed as a leader.
Here, Paul tells us that "grace" is not useless ("in vain") because it made him work hard. He then explains that it wasn't really him; it was God's grace that made him work so hard.
If a person has grace, that person is ALREADY DOING GOD'S WORK. A person who is not already doing God's work lacks grace. What made Paul so successful? "By the grace of God I am what I am.." Churches often encounter people who announce that God has called them to leadership positions. But unless that person is already serving God, that person does not have the grace to be a leader.
I've been told things like "I don't go soul-winning because God hasn't told me to. He's told me to be in charge of..." Christian leader wannabees will post frequently on Christian websites, write blogs (whoops), practice church politics, etc., when they could be visiting the sick, serving meals, cleaning the church, helping with the children on Sunday, inviting the lost to church, and witnessing.
So the second thing you need to know is: If you are not already serving God, you don't have the grace to succeed as a leader.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
BUT I WANT TO BE A LEADER Part 2
1 Timothy 3:1 tells us "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the
position of a bishop, he desires a good work." Here Paul devotes seven
verses to people who want to be leaders. Two different Greek words are translated "desires." Both of them indicate a strong desire, in which a person actually seeks the office of bishop. And both words are used for both good and evil desires.
Paul's response to this desire was not to hand the person the office of bishop. Instead, he devotes six verses of the Bible to telling the person the requirements he must meet. Paul explains that the person is desiring a good thing, but this good thing has requirements.
Across the internet, there are various sites dealing with victims of churches. Many of these people are the victims of ruthless leaders. Others got into conflicts when they did not want to obey people who had met the requirements God set for leaders. And others were hurt when they strove for leadership positions that the church felt they should not have.
The first thing you need to realize about leadership is that the desire to be a leader does not prove that God has called you to be a leader.
position of a bishop, he desires a good work." Here Paul devotes seven
verses to people who want to be leaders. Two different Greek words are translated "desires." Both of them indicate a strong desire, in which a person actually seeks the office of bishop. And both words are used for both good and evil desires.
Paul's response to this desire was not to hand the person the office of bishop. Instead, he devotes six verses of the Bible to telling the person the requirements he must meet. Paul explains that the person is desiring a good thing, but this good thing has requirements.
Across the internet, there are various sites dealing with victims of churches. Many of these people are the victims of ruthless leaders. Others got into conflicts when they did not want to obey people who had met the requirements God set for leaders. And others were hurt when they strove for leadership positions that the church felt they should not have.
The first thing you need to realize about leadership is that the desire to be a leader does not prove that God has called you to be a leader.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
BUT I WANT TO BE A LEADER!
A common mistake among Christians who get hurt in church is: "I want to be a leader. Therefor, God must have called me to be a leader."
When God called Moses to lead, Moses argued "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Moses not only didn't want the job; he clearly understood that he wasn't able to handle it. If you feel that you should be the person in charge of something, you're not acting like Moses "...who indeed was faithful in all His house..."
When God called Gideon to lead, Gideon couldn't believe it. Judges 6:36-40 tells how Gideon tested God twice before Gideon would believe that God had called him to deliver Israel. People who announce that God has called them to be leaders, and who then fight for the leadership, are not acting like Gideon. Something odd about Gideon, by the way; Judges 8:28 tells us that the country was quiet for forty years in his days, a feat that very few churches have ever accomplished. Gideon didn't cause discord and strife among God's people.
The point here, is this: the fact that you want to be a leader is not proof that God has called you to be a leader.
When God called Moses to lead, Moses argued "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" Moses not only didn't want the job; he clearly understood that he wasn't able to handle it. If you feel that you should be the person in charge of something, you're not acting like Moses "...who indeed was faithful in all His house..."
When God called Gideon to lead, Gideon couldn't believe it. Judges 6:36-40 tells how Gideon tested God twice before Gideon would believe that God had called him to deliver Israel. People who announce that God has called them to be leaders, and who then fight for the leadership, are not acting like Gideon. Something odd about Gideon, by the way; Judges 8:28 tells us that the country was quiet for forty years in his days, a feat that very few churches have ever accomplished. Gideon didn't cause discord and strife among God's people.
The point here, is this: the fact that you want to be a leader is not proof that God has called you to be a leader.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Who is at Fault?
We have just finished discussing how Christians get hurt by guilty churches and other guilty Christians. But what if the Christian who got hurt is guilty?
The wrong-doers will make the claim that the other side is guilty, so how do you know who to believe? Often, both sides claim that they are led of God in their actions, so how do you know who is led of God?
Many years ago, our church had about 175 kids in children's church. Many of us worked hard on church bus routes, and the children's church grew to 300. Led by the pastor's wife, an angry group of people in the church seized control of the children's church, and after a few years, they had brought it down to about ten children. The pastor's wife claimed that God had given her the ability to lead, and people like me were interfering with God's will for her life. But how did the people like me know, in advance, that God had not called her to lead the children's church? Or is it possible that God really did lead her to do it, and it failed for other reasons?
Over the years, I've seen several attempts by people to seize leadership positions in good, Godly, fundamental churches. They usually fail, but when they succeed, they fail anyway, as their new "ministries" die away under them.
How do you know if God has really called you to be a leader? If you say that you feel His call, others may say that they feel the opposite way. And that helps us to see the solution: you have to learn how to recognize God's call.
The wrong-doers will make the claim that the other side is guilty, so how do you know who to believe? Often, both sides claim that they are led of God in their actions, so how do you know who is led of God?
Many years ago, our church had about 175 kids in children's church. Many of us worked hard on church bus routes, and the children's church grew to 300. Led by the pastor's wife, an angry group of people in the church seized control of the children's church, and after a few years, they had brought it down to about ten children. The pastor's wife claimed that God had given her the ability to lead, and people like me were interfering with God's will for her life. But how did the people like me know, in advance, that God had not called her to lead the children's church? Or is it possible that God really did lead her to do it, and it failed for other reasons?
Over the years, I've seen several attempts by people to seize leadership positions in good, Godly, fundamental churches. They usually fail, but when they succeed, they fail anyway, as their new "ministries" die away under them.
How do you know if God has really called you to be a leader? If you say that you feel His call, others may say that they feel the opposite way. And that helps us to see the solution: you have to learn how to recognize God's call.
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