Chapter
Nine
Committees
are formed so we can say we did something without having to do anything.
Over my years in
so many churches in so many places a constant thread is that when we realize we
should do something but don’t want to be the one to do it we will set up a
committee to “look into it”.
After a series of
meetings with deep discussion we will come up with a plan of action and
absolutely nothing happens! At first I
thought this was just an odd occurrence but over time I have come to realize it
is a plan that we understand but do not talk about.
As I look at this
Theology it calls me to understand just what human leadership should look
like. Read the following Scriptures and
think about them for a little while before going on.
“8 ¶ The four living creatures, each
having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day
or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and
is to come!" 9 Whenever the
living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne,
who lives forever and ever, 10 the
twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him
who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To
receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will
they exist and were created."” (Revelation 4:8-11 NKJV)
“12 So
when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said
to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 "If I then, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s
feet. 15 "For I have given
you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:12-15 NKJV)
WHY!!!
“24 Now
there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered
the greatest. 25 And He said to
them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those
who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is
greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who
serves. 27 "For who is greater, he who sits at the table,
or he who serves? Is it not he
who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” (Luke
22:24-27 NKJV)
In the verses
above we see Leadership Models for the Church which includes leading in Worship
of the Most High God, leading by serving those you are leading and by serving
others so they can be brought to Table together in the Lord.
This type of
leadership is not only upside down but backward to those of us in the
world. We see the leader as a lord type
position when for the Christian there is only the One Lord Jesus Christ.
In the Church the
role of the leader is to point others to the Lord and seek to help them come
under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and not their own, their congregation or
denomination. We know this to be true
because is exactly how Jesus lived out his life before us pointing us to the
Father and honoring the Father in all that Jesus said, taught and did.
And thus Jesus
taught us that final part of leadership by example that leaders must teach
others by example. Even as we human
leaders fall and fail we teach others by our confession and repentance what to
do when they fall and fail!
As human beings
we teach a dependency upon God and a servant’s heart for our brothers and
sisters in Christ and for the lost. We
love as we are loved by God, serve as we are served by God and hope in patience
for them as God has hoped in patience for us!
Looking at the scriptures above how do you think God sees you?
How do you think God sees those in your congregation?
How do you think God sees the lost?
Do these scriptures change the way you lead others?
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