That the leaders took the lead in Israel,
that the people offered themselves willingly,
bless the Lord!Judges 5:2 (ESV)
O, how our churches could be more like this: Leaders who possess the courage and wisdom to lead, not in any direction, but in the direction specified by Scripture; and congregations who recognize godly leadership when they see it, and joyfully submit.
If your church matches this description, then bless the Lord!
To be called to leadership is undoubtedly both a joyful and serious calling. It requires us to go way beyond the cultivation of techniques and strategies designed to manage people and programmes. Rather, leaders are called to fulfill the humanly-impossible task of presenting everyone perfect and mature in Christ Jesus. It is because of this extraordinary role that any self-serving or self-seeking in a leader will corrupt both himself and his congregation. If a leader has an uncontrolled desire for human approval, or higher self-esteem, or more wealth, he will lead his people in a direction calculated merely to please the people, or to please himself, or to provide greater financial income. There cannot be a greater misuse of the gift and calling of leadership
When the people of God complain and criticize the path down which they are being led, the leader must resist the temptation to find a middle ground between pleasing God and pleasing men. Of course, there must be a biblical assessment of his actions and decisions, to determine whether there are grounds for complaint. No leader should fear such an examination. But, if all he confronts is the spiritualization of personal preferences, then he must firmly - and graciously - disregard their complaints. The leader must always lead people according to the revealed plans, purposes and commands of God, as closely as possible. As John Piper has written:
“I define spiritual leadership as knowing where God wants people to be and taking the initiative to use God’s methods to get them there in reliance on God’s power.”
Included in the plans and purposes of God is for us to love His people, and show grace and mercy. But, we must not assume that a resolute pursuit of the biblical pattern for church and for Christian living is somehow unloving or unmerciful. Indeed, it would be unloving for us not to insist on outworking the implications of Scriptural teaching in the lives of God’s people.
Leaders must be theologians first and foremost, and not focus-group facilitators. And, leaders must possess the strength of character and theological conviction to pursue the biblical path down which the church must walk - even if, in the end, they walk it alone.
