Greetings,
The FreedomJournal will be doing an
on-going series on the Contemporary Church. The church folk and the so-called
Christians (the Unsaved, those that refuse to be born again) are the greatest threat
to the church today. Thus we see many people inside the church who have made a
pact with Satan and the Devil. These people are the enemies of God and Gods
people.
How can you solve a problem that you
do not see? How can you see a problem that you do not believe?
Peace,
Carl A. Patton, FreedomJournal
The Confrontation of Truth and Knowledge
THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP
IN THE CHURCH
The Leadership of God
In
the name of God, Master of the universe, Ruler of the earth.
Editors Note: This brief introduction
to "The Role of Leadership in the Church” will be in two parts. The first
article "The Leadership of God” will reveal the necessity of keeping God
first. With God first in our lives we will follow God and not man. The second
article "The Leadership of Man” will reveal that many church leaders have
forsaken God. Meanwhile, these leaders have mis-led their flock.
We thank God for
another opportunity to write about His righteous and Holy Word. Again we come
realizing that no matter what man has to say, Almighty God wishes wisdom and
knowledge among His people. We bear witness that God will allow us wisdom and
knowledge if we walk in the Spirit. The church is in a crucial state in today's
world? HOWEVER, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE PEOPLE INSIDE THE CHURCH.
The world is a wicked sin sick place.
False prophets run rampant throughout the land and many people in the church
turn away from sin. As we go to the writings of Paul, 1 Corinthians 1-4: 1-3 we
find scripture to help us make some sense out of this problem.
A basic foundation for understanding
the leadership of God is found in 1 Corinthians 4: 1:
"Let a man account of us, as of
the ministers of Christ, as stewards of the mysteries of God."
Paul wished for the people of Corinth
to think of himself, Peter and Apollos as Gods servants.
Thus, we must be obedient to the
Master. We must follow God through the scriptures and the Holy Spirit.
Corinth is in Greece on the
Mediterranean Sea. Paul wrote this letter A.D. 55 to Corinth during his
three-year visit in Ephesus during his third missionary journey. Paul wrote the
letters to identify problems in the Corinthian church, to offer solutions and
to teach the believers how to live for Christ in a corrupt society.
Paul realizes the need for the proper
and correct way for leadership to respond to the people. Romans 10: 14-15 tells
us of the need for someone to tell us the Good News of Jesus Christ. Therefore,
the preacher/teacher is needed. However, he must be a man or woman of God.
Leadership is not an occasion of
pride or an opportunity to exercise power. Leadership is an opportunity to
glorify God and to minister to others. Some are leaders, some are not. We may
be more comfortable with some leaders, but they may not always be right. Those
we may not like may not always be wrong.
As we continue to look to Paul as an
Apostle of God for guidance lets return to the first chapter in 1 Corinthians.
As we look at verses, 1-12, we see Paul speaking on the divisions in the
church. In this scripture we can gain a valuable lesson for the contemporary
church. In the church in Corinth some people followed Paul because he had
founded the church. Some followed Appolos who was an eloquent preacher and well
educated (Acts 18: 24, 19: 1). Also some Christians at Corinth followed Peter
who they had heard preach in Jerusalem.
Therefore, the believers favored
different preachers. The New Testament had not been written and the people
depended on preaching. For the record there was almost four hundred years
between the Old Testament and the writing of the New Testament. Most important
is that these three Preachers were united in their message. The record shows
that they all were Godly men. However, they attracted different people because
of their different personalities.
The record shows that the church was
on the verge of dividing. This happened because the people became puffed up.
They started putting one preacher over another. Paul emphasized Jesus Christ.
We should keep our focus on Gods messages as more important than any human
message.
However, in the contemporary world we
have divided preachers and divided people. Many preachers and church leaders
are not on accord with God. They seek to divide the church and the people
follow behind.
The Word of God tells us to be careful
and not to divide the church. Our allegiance must be to Christ Jesus and the
unity he wants. Paul notes that we are all servants and the people should not
glorify in men.
We will look at 1 Corinthians 4: 3 to
make a concluding statement on the role of the leadership in the church.
"But with me it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, Judge not mine
own self."
Paul was an agent of the Lord and he
would have to answer to God. Man may approve of his conduct, but that has
little significance in the eyes of God. Because the Lord may not approve.
Christians must set a good example therefore what God thinks must concern us.
Most of the church leadership today are
very busy trying to satisfy man and not God. However the most critical aspect
of this behavior is that the people sit idly by. These false teachers have
taught them to be passive and pray and take no action.
Where there is no labor there is no
faith. Where there is no faith there is no labor.
Cont. Part 2: The Leadership of Man
carl@freedomjournalpress.comcastbiz.net