The Principle that Should Terrify Today's Christians
More on church leadership
Continuing on with this analysis of the unfortunate state of church leadership in modern times, it’s time to look at the other side of the coin.
As those who will give account for people’s souls (Hebrews 13:17) and incur stricter judgment (James 3:1), those who lead will bear a far greater burden of the blame in times of decline. However, that does not absolve members of all responsibility.
The other side of the broken leadership model is found in the expectations of the followers. We like democracy. We want to vote on who will lead us, and how they will do it. God did not put the shepherding of His fold up to a vote, though.
He has given these authorities specific qualifications and job requirements to ensure they help the church be what it should (Ephesians 4:11-16). In other words, they have a mandate from God to make certain decisions and proclamations.
Yet the minute they start doing so, they typically get pushback from those who do not want to submit to such decisive leadership. And, with the threat of losing members and/or contribution checks, there’s great pressure for the leadership to give in.
Here’s the problem with this dynamic: the sheep don’t give an account for the flock.
They can demand whatever they want, and if it goes wrong they can wash their hands of the matter and leave. These malcontented members want authority without the responsibility that comes with it. Both the sheep and the leaders must remember, the leaders answer to God and not to the sheep, so they had better be the ones calling the shots. That’s why they were put in the position in the first place.
If they’re not ready to do that, they shouldn’t take the position. And, if we’re not ready to follow them, we shouldn’t appoint them to the position. They aren’t the rubber stamp for the majority or for the squeakiest wheels.
Paul warned Timothy of those who would not endure sound doctrine but would instead find teachers who tell them what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Any time toes get stepped on when the teaching gets applied to our pet sins and the fleshly ways we don’t want to let go of, it’s tempting to get mad at the preacher and throw off the yoke of the elders. Many Christians are more than happy to run to the next church when Biblical teaching hits too close to home. They can always find a lowest-common-denominator, consumer-serving church who won’t challenge them in such ways. This is flat out wrong.
Can you imagine the response if a preacher or elder pulled aside a wealthy member and counseled them about their money as 1 Timothy 6 commands? Or if he called a woman out for her gossip? Or if he led some form of church discipline for a man who was not working hard enough to provide for his family?
You can almost guarantee that, if push truly came to shove, all of these people would look to move to a new church. Some of them would be sure to cause a scene and let their displeasure be heard on the way out.
So, we end up with managerial, hands-off, business-over-spiritual, and often timid leaders because that’s all we’ll put up with.
This should absolutely terrify us.
Who do we think we are?
Consider the example of David. Constantly on the run with King Saul threatening his life, David had two point-blank chances to kill Saul and end it all. Both times he refused because it was not his place to stretch out his hand against God’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:6, 26:9). If David knew it was not left to him to strike back against a disobedient king who had been marked for removal, how much more should we be slow to rebuke God’s appointed leaders?
We see a similar situation with Paul in Acts 22:3-5, when he pronounces a railing rebuke on a man who commanded that Paul be struck… only to find out it was Ananias, the high priest, whom he had just rebuked. “Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’" (Acts 23:5, NKJV). In that quote he cites Exodus 22:28, showing this was a long-standing command of God for His people. If Paul knew he was to hold his tongue in the face of a completely illegitimate high priest who was directly involved in Jesus’ death, who are we to talk in such a way about those God has legitimately placed over us?
These accounts make it clear: God is very, very serious about the way we are to treat leadership.
But what about abusive leadership?
Some of you may be asking, “Do they just get a pass since we aren’t allowed to speak out against leaders?” No, of course not. Paul gave us guidelines for that in 1 Timothy 5:19-20. Essentially, be sure there are multiple witnesses to verify any accusation, and then make a clear, stern rebuke against them so everyone knows such will not be tolerated of leaders.
This sets the stakes pretty high, which is the point. Yes, there’s a time for confrontation and even rebuke and removal, but it’s pretty rare. In every other case, casual undermining will not be tolerated. “I don’t like them” or “I disagree with them on such and such secondary point” is not grounds for accusation. Ignoring their authority when you don’t feel like it or starting a clique that does nothing but complain will not be
What about when I think they’re wrong?
As with every authority structure, the time to disobey is when they demand you disobey God or violate your conscience. The rest of the time, you obey even if you don’t like it. Submission only when we agree isn’t submission. If that doesn’t make sense, ask yourself if God gives your kids a pass to disobey because they didn’t like your “no ice cream for breakfast” decision.
The church at Corinth and the 7 churches of Asia show us there will be times where the church is totally in shambles, but in neither of those cases was the apostolic advice “Leave and start your own church.” That should be a lesson to us.
As with wicked Israel and their wicked kings, it really ends up as a “chicken or the egg” conundrum - are churches in decline because they have had spiritually indecisive leadership, or do they have spiritually indecisive leadership because they are in decline? Both, really.
So, to solve this problem, we need stronger leadership across the board. But will we have the stomach for stronger leadership if we are blessed to get it?
We can’t produce such leadership overnight, but one thing we can do is determine right now to be the best, most supportive, most encouraging, most biblically submissive sheep possible. We will refuse to view the church as a democracy. We will refuse to passively undermine our shepherds.
If we want better leaders, we will aim to be the kinds of people who deserve better leaders.
Thank you for the poignant, and needed, thoughts.
Perhaps it would help if we spent more time in careful consideration of if/when men meet God's qualifications for the office. If they don't, they ought not be appointed. If they do, then we have cause for some faith in them to submit to God & do the best they can for the Lord.
In the News: BROTHER WAYNE BURGER
Not Everything New Is Better
Scientists have puzzled for years over Roman concrete. It holds up much better to the elements than its modern counterpart. For example, the Pantheon was built by the Roman emperor Hadrian around 127 A.D. The temple was dedicated to “all the gods,” thus the meaning of its name. The rotunda spans some 30 feet and is estimated to weigh nearly 5,000 tons. It is the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world and is over 2,000 years old. (Source: CNN “Roman Concrete Mystery Ingredient”)
But the mystery has been solved. A study team has analyzed samples of ancient Roman concrete and discovered the missing ingredients and methods. Their hope is that restoring the ancient mechanism of concrete production will produce modern concrete just as strong and long-lasting as the ancient building materials.
Is there a biblical parallel? When will our modern religious friends realize that not everything old has been replaced or improved upon by that which is new?
There are ancient construction methods for building the house of God that will never be improved upon or replaced.
“And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
Jared Jackson
Christian Courier, January 2023
Insight – A Grave Warning
Solomon said, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34 NASB). David, Solomon’s father, said, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17 KJV). Folks, where are we? Are you helping to exalt this nation or are you one who is sending this nation to hell? God means what He says.
(Nearly every day, I post a thought on FB. I encourage you to find them, read them, and recommend other to read them, Wayne Burger).
**************************
Explanation: The article below is part of an article written by Michael Snyder, January 31, 2023, and gives good information about the spiritual condition of the U.S. I did add the section on “What Can We Do?” “Pew Research” is an organization the does survey work to find trends that are happening in the U.S. especially in the realm of religious and spiritual. Some of the quotes in this article are a few years old, but still tell us what is happening in our country.
The Collapse of Faith
in America
Once upon a time the United States was known as a “Christian nation”, but now our country is moving away from those roots at a pace that is absolutely breathtaking. I spend a lot of time writing about the ongoing collapse of our economic system, but the truth is that we are witnessing a collapse of faith as well. In 1972, a Pew survey found that 92 percent of all Americans identified as Christians, but the most recent Pew survey that asked this question discovered that only 63 percent of Americans still identify as Christians at this point…
Pew Research Center has been measuring religious identity since 2007 using a slightly different question wording – “What is your present religion, if any?” – as well as a different set of response options. Since 2007, the percentage of adults who say they are atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” in the Center’s surveys has grown from 16% to 29%. During this time, the share of U.S. adults who identify as Christian has fallen from 78% to 63%. If you look at this chart, you will see that the decline has greatly accelerated in recent years. Assuming that this trend continues, it won’t be too long before we are under 50 percent. And it is very important to note that many Americans that still identify as “Christians” want absolutely nothing to do with traditional Christian values.
Church attendance in the United States has been steadily falling for decades as well, and the shift that we have seen since the pandemic started has been particularly dramatic…
Protestant pastors reported that typical church attendance is only 85% of pre-pandemic levels, McConnell said, while research by the Survey Center on American Life and the University of Chicago found that in spring 2022 67% of Americans reported attending church at least once a year, compared with 75% before the pandemic. (Think about that – many of the people who claim Christianity only attend a couple of times a year – Easter and Christmas – Is that really practicing Christianity? - GWB) As a result, large numbers of churches are being forced to close all over the nation.
In fact, a recent Guardian article claimed that “thousands of churches are closing each year”…
Churches are closing at rapid numbers in the US, researchers say, as congregations dwindle across the country and a younger generation of Americans abandon Christianity altogether – even as faith continues to dominate American politics. As the US adjusts to an increasingly non-religious population, thousands of churches are closing each year in the country – a figure that experts believe may have accelerated since the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are going down the exact same road that almost every other western nation has already traveled. At one time, virtually every nation in the western world was heavily Christian, but now most of them have been transformed into post-Christian societies.
It could be argued that the United States is already there as well, and one recent survey found that most parents do not consider it to be important to pass their faith on to their children…
“Parents place less importance on their children growing up to have religious or political beliefs that are similar to their own. About a third (35%) say it is extremely or very important to them that their children share their religious beliefs, and 16% say the same about their children’s political beliefs,” Pew researchers Rachel Minkin and Juliana Horowitz said in Parenting in America Today released on Tuesday. Numbers such as these should make all of us very sad.
Sadly, many Americans simply do not care.
Our nation is choosing to reject faith like never before, and right now there are no indications that this is going to turn around any time soon.
What Can We Do?
First, live a faithful Christian life. Christ should shine through our lives. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Paul said, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15). Be an active part of the church. We are living in a country where people are rejecting the church, but Christ established the church to do the work He wants accomplished. The citizens of the United States need to see what a true Christian looks like and that Christ’s principles and commands when followed will make this a better world.
Second, defend the faith. The United States is full of lots of false ideas. Jude wrote, “contend earnestly for the faith” (v. 3). Peter said, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (I Peter 3:15).
Third, defend the truth in a loving manner. Notice Peter said to do this with “gentleness and reverence.” We need to deal with people in a gentle way at the same time have reverence for God and His word. Paul also said, “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).
Fourth, train your children and grandchildren in the way of the Lord. Our children and grandchildren are being fed false ideas through all kinds of media. If you, with the help of the church, do not teach them God’s truth, they will contribute to the fall of America just like the rest of the citizens of this great country. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
If each Christian will do these things, we can create faith rather than contribute to the failing of faith in the United States.