Introduction
As we get closer to the end of the Church age and life becomes increasingly more complicated, the persecution that the Church experiences will increase exponentially. We are not prepared for what is coming on the Earth, and contrary to popular belief, the Church is certainly not prepared for Christ’s return.
The body of Christ has become weak, soft, and comfortable. With more Christian denominations globally than can be counted, the Church has become divided and vulnerable, especially in America. Most of the body of Christ has become an itchy-eared, self-serving, scripturally illiterate people with no fear of God.
Just like Israel in the wilderness, we have become far too familiar with a God we barely know.
What led us to this place? Who, or what, is responsible? Are we mindlessly following leaders to our destruction? Have we become so distracted with the entertainment culture that we barely give God the time of day? Are we so scripturally illiterate that we can’t discern the lies we are being taught?
We need strong Christian leaders and prophetic teachers to lead us forward into the most extraordinary and most difficult times the world has ever known. The wrath of Satan and the wrath of man will be increased against God’s people, and the body of Christ needs to grow a spine to stand up to the coming onslaught of evil. True faith is revealed in adversity. Great adversity is looming against all humanity, and the Church must strengthen herself lest she faints.
Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Lesson #1
Leadership is a Perspective.
Many teachings on Christian leadership focus on church growth, how to be culturally relevant, and how to build an organization that is appealing to the masses. However, this teaching will focus on the essentials for a solid and successful leadership culture modeled by the Lord Jesus Christ. If we don’t follow His example, we will never become all He has paid for.
The health of the Church is dependent on its leaders, and this writing aims to challenge individuals to answer the high call to end-time leadership and restore the faith that was initially delivered to the Saints.
Leadership is not a position as much as it is a perspective that dictates how we think, speak, behave, believe, and make decisions. We must raise our leadership expectations, maintain a proper leadership perspective, and create a stable and safe environment for emerging leaders, setting the Church up for success in the trying times ahead.
Qualifications for Leadership
The New Testament has established guidelines for choosing leaders, and if we don’t hold to these standards, we undermine our entire leadership culture from the very start. How leaders are chosen is the number one area where most ministries develop problems with their leadership team, ministries, and local assemblies. If the leadership is not biblically sound, neither will the followers be.
Many churches will hold their senior leaders accountable to a high standard of character and moral behavior, but they have very low standards when choosing other leaders. It is not fair to put a person in a position of leadership that requires spiritual maturity and strong moral character when they are immature and have not yet been adequately developed. It is unfair to the person, the people they are asked to lead, and the ministry. Followers will rarely rise above the level of their leadership in any area. This makes character and spiritual maturity some of the most important qualities when choosing Christian leaders.
Promoting a person to a leadership position is common practice simply because of availability, evident giftings, or, even worse, because of their financial contributions to the ministry.
With no consideration of character or maturity, we randomly place people in positions of authority over God’s people, and we wonder why we don’t see the power and demonstration of the Spirit that is promised to us in scripture. It is a recipe for disappointment and disaster. This ungodly practice has hindered ministries from reaching their full potential for over two thousand years.
Scriptural Guidelines for Choosing Leaders
I’m so thankful God took out the guesswork in qualifying church leadership. The Bible lays out specific guidelines for choosing leaders that are foundational for proper discipleship, mentoring, and ministry success.
We must acknowledge that God has a predetermined method of choosing leaders. It is His way of determining who is and is not qualified to lead. Being mindful of this and honoring His process inspires faith, produces strength, promotes success, prevents problems, and establishes structure and boundaries within the leadership culture.
Suppose we adopt any other method of vetting leaders. In that case, we subvert God’s plan and set ourselves up for unwanted challenges, severely limiting the ministry’s effectiveness and our overall witness for Christ. One of the main reasons that the Church is in its current weakened condition is that we have not adhered to these simple guidelines.
Let’s start with qualifications for Elders and Deacons and define their roles. Elders and Deacons encompass all the qualified leadership positions within the church. Almost all others should be viewed as emerging leaders in a position of being groomed and mentored for these positions. Making this known to the congregation gives them a strong sense of belonging and a healthy respect for each other and the leadership team. It instills built-in accountability within the ranks of followers that encourages spiritual growth and corporate progress.
Elders:
Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. They provide general oversight on all spiritual, organizational, and financial matters. Elders have matured in their giftings and have proven themselves faithful in ministry, serving under the authority of other leaders.
Elders are not limited to the 5-fold ministry gifts but should live a life in such submission and devotion to Christ that they can effortlessly embody the expression of the 5-fold ministry at any moment. They understand that Christ represents the 5-fold ministry, and if Christ chooses to move through them as a Pastor, a Prophet, an Evangelist, or any other gift, they readily yield to that expression.
I remember talking to a lady on the phone years ago. She was looking for my wife, an associate pastor in our church. I politely explained to her that this was my phone number and would gladly give her my wife’s number. She then asked me if I was a pastor, thinking I could help her.
I had turned down the offer to be ordained as a pastor a few years before because I was uncomfortable with the expectations put on associate pastors, and quite frankly, I was not crazy about titles.
I told the lady, “No, I am not a Pastor.” When I said that, God spoke clearly in my heart, saying, “But I am a Pastor Jack, and if you deny me that expression in your life, I cannot answer your prayer to live through you in fullness.”
I immediately saw that my wrong thinking and speaking had been hindering God’s desire to move through me in a Pastoral capacity.
We should understand that all believers have a measure of the 5-fold ministry gifts residing in them. As mature leaders, one of our responsibilities is to identify people’s strengths, graces, and giftings and help them mature in those areas. This helps emerging leaders embrace their unique identity in Christ and be more productive in ministry.
To be clear, leaders must not find their identity in their office or position but in Christ alone. In other words, an Apostle, Prophet, Deacon, Bishop, Pastor, or Teacher is not who we are. It is how we are created to serve.
A seasoned Elder will wake up every day and be willing to serve others in whatever capacity God chooses. An Elder understands that they exist to love and serve others, that their life is not their own, and selfishness is never an option. They are a vessel that God can choose to move through however He sees fit.
Deacons:
The biblical requirements of deacons are very similar to that of elders, but there is a clear distinction between the two and how they function. A deacon’s role may include various expressions within the ministry. Deacons generally work as servants, ministering to the body in practical ways. They may serve as a lead usher, oversee the benevolence outreach, lead a home group, or lead the cleaning team or the hospitality department.
No matter how they serve, scripture is clear that the office of a deacon is a rewarding and honorable calling in the church and a necessary role for elders to be able to function in their role. The ministry of deacons is vital to the success of the elders. It frees them up to focus on things like prayer, studying God’s word, and pastoral care. It is an excellent example of how one body part depends on another. Deacons may also be emerging Elders in training.
Suppose Elders are constantly resolving disputes, dealing with strife, and putting out fires that arise amongst the Deacons. In that case, they cannot give themselves entirely to the role of Elder, which significantly hurts the ministry. A Deacon must not be a novice but mature in the faith.
Leadership requirements for Elders:
Titus 1:5-9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
1Timothy 3:1-7 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
If we take an honest look at ourselves and see that we don’t qualify to lead according to these guidelines, we are far more likely to put leaders in a position of authority without considering these requirements for them either. This is a pattern that is often repeated in the body of Christ.
Far too many Pastors and Bishops leading ministries have a grace for administration, are gifted in business, and are charismatic enough to attract followers who should not be senior leaders in the body of Christ. They deceive themselves and those they lead.
If you are already in a senior leadership position, looking at these qualifications and honestly seeing that you don’t meet the requirements, the best way to deal with it is to meet with some of the other leaders and elders and be open and honest about it. Have some hard conversations and express your desire to live up to what the word of God requires of you and ask for their help. It will garner more respect from the other leaders and inspire them to be honest and open about their qualifications.
End-time leaders must judge themselves and others with sober, righteous judgment, surrounding themselves with people who are passionate about the kingdom of God and disciplined in pursuing their spiritual progress.
There can be no lone wolf leaders anymore. No single person or couple should call all the shots and make all the critical decisions. Leaders are far more effective in operating in teams and surrounding themselves with godly counsel. There is built-in accountability in this dynamic that protects the leaders and followers.
Leadership requirements for Deacons:
1 Timothy 3:8-13 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
As stated before, if we place unqualified Deacons in leadership roles, we undermine God’s plan, deviate from His prescribed structure, and make it difficult for the Elders to fulfill their roles.
These scriptures are not overly complicated. They are very straightforward and leave no room for misinterpretation. I believe God made it simple for us so we wouldn’t mess it up, yet here we are, plagued with Churches and ministries with a dysfunctional and unbiblical leadership culture.
We must first stop undermining our entire leadership culture by straying from God’s established structure of Church government. These positions should be held in high esteem, and the people in them should be honorable, above reproach, worthy of respect, and mature in the faith.
This creates structure and boundaries within the body of Christ that are clearly defined and easily understood. It shows people that there is a structure of authority from God and sends a clear message that the leadership is serious about their roles and is here for the benefit of all.
Here are some things to consider when choosing leaders. These are also questions we should ask ourselves if we are currently in a leadership role.
- Is the individual a devoted disciple of Christ and not just a regular church attender?
- Have they proven themselves faithful in ministry, or are they a relatively new disciple?
- Do they pursue God passionately and have an apparent intimate relationship with Him?
- Do they have a healthy, robust prayer life?
- Does the individual have an excellent working knowledge of God’s Word?
- Do they consistently encourage people to pursue their spiritual maturity?
- Do they possess self-control?
- Are they gentle, hospitable, upright, holy, and disciplined?
- Does their life set an example for others to follow?
Question: What is one thing you could change right now to make you a more effective leader?
Question: Do you hold your leadership team to a higher standard than what you are living yourself?
Question: How much time do you spend with the Lord in prayer daily?
Question: How often do you spend time in prayer waiting and listening to God?
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