Abusing the Role of Leadership

If we are serious about the Church as the body of Christ, then there are questions to which we should demand answers.   Among them are why there are so many different churches and different leaders?  The reconciliation of these matters is necessary if the emerging generation is to maintain a belief in the church and the Kingdom of God.  Failure to address these issues is detrimental to the true concept of the church.

Our leaders are leading us on a path either toward the Kingdom or down a road of deception.  Jesus ministry focused on the coming of the Kingdom The focus of today's ministry is to lead us through a life of prosperity and blessings as the organized church competes with our institutes of higher learning and entertainment venues.   The failure of the organized church to address spiritual issues and police it leadership roster is aiding its digression into an irrelevant religious order.

The emerging of new leaders is common in the arena of human affairs, specifically, political, ethnic groups, religion, and communities.  Many of these new leaders serve no purpose other than attempting to manipulate the masses and to further their personal objective.  The creation of new titles and the resurrection of others appear to be a part of an overall scheme in the glorification of man.  Given the gift to speak or sing, and with the right initiative, a person can rise to a high level of power and glorification within the world, community, and organized church.  

What are the qualifications of a leader of a church?  Can we validate the calling?  In many of the denominational churches, it is possible to obtained credentials by simply saying, God has called you to the ministry."   These invalidated claims in many instances are nothing but a desire to be a person of interest and the desire for power.   There is a certain respectability obtain by claiming to be a minister. 

Those of us who are enduring a type of suffering harbor a level of gullibility; we look for that Moses-type to appear and lead us into the promised land.  We quickly succumb to the antics and rhetoric of the actors, the sports players the rock stars, the motivational speakers, the gospel singers, we place them on pedestals, we worship them and call them leaders.   The direction that they are leading us is irrelevant as long as these leaders possess the charisma of an enlightened soul.

"So hast (thou also), them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate" (Revelation 2:15).  Jesus spoke of his hatred for those that came into the church for establishing rulership over God's people.  Was it the temptation of money and power that caused the church organize and succumb to the rule of leadership?  Why is a level of salvation derived from collecting funds from a community and funneling it to groups outside of the community?  Why have the Saints of God emerged into an arena where the blessing of God is determined by the amount of money given?  Why are the programs always about raising money?  Even those programs touted as revivals; their success is determined by the sum of money collected.    Questions, questions, there are more questions than answers.

     

There is a type of sadness and suffering emulating from the household of faith.  Church members are suffering and dying, same as they did in the early days of the church.  The syrupy messages of sunshine and favor no longer hold sway as they once did.   The catchphrases such as, "come and get your blessing" or "get your healing" is losing their drawing power.  The realization of the manipulation has begun to set in, and the younger generation is turning their backs on this marketing ploy. 

The pomp and pageantry of idolatry injected into many of our worship settings allow men and women to adorn themselves in manners that separate themselves from the rest of the assembly.  Does this level of separation define their level of Godliness?  The organized church has become a place where fancy titles and "the God complex" is nurtured.

Let us revisit what Jesus had to say about clamoring for a title or position.   "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren" (Matthew 23:8). 

Jesus forbade his disciples to seek such titles of distinction. The reason he gave was that he was himself was their Master and Teacher. They were on a level; they were to be equal in authority; as brethren, and they should neither covet nor receive a title either which implied an elevation of one above another, or which appeared to infringe on the absolute right of the Savior to be their only Teacher and Master. The command here is an express command to his disciples not to receive such a title of distinction. They were not to covet it; they were not to seek it; they were not to do anything that implied a wish or willingness to have these titles appended to their names. Everything, which would tend to make a distinction between them, or destroy their equality, everything that would lead the world to suppose that there were ranks and grades among them as ministers, they were to avoid. 

The command is that they were not to receive the title. "Be not ye called Rabbi." The Savior did not forbid them giving the title to others when it was customary or not regarded as improper, (Acts 26:25 ;) but they were not to receive it. It was to be unknown to them. This title corresponds to the title "Doctor of Divinity," as applied to ministers of the gospel; and so far as I can see, the spirit of the Savior's command is violated by the reception of such a title, as it would have been by their being called Rabbi. It is a literary distinction. It does not appropriately pertain to the office. It makes a distinction between ministers.  An impressive title tends to engender pride and a sense of superiority in those who obtain it.    Lack of an impressive title creates envy and a sense of inferiority, and the whole spirit and tendency of it are contrary to the "simplicity that is in Christ".  The acceptance and use of these titles within the ministry involve a degree of pride.

The scribes and Pharisees explained the Law of Moses and enforced obedience to it. They were guilty of hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to outward appearance, but God searches the heart. They made phylacteries. These were scrolls of paper or parchment, wherein were written four paragraphs of the law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms, (Exodus 13:2-10, 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21).  They made the phylacteries broad so they would look upon as being more zealous for the law than others are.  God appointed the Jews to make fringes upon their garments, (Numbers 15:38), to remind them of their being a peculiar people; but the Pharisees made them larger than common as if they were thereby more religious than others.

Pride was the darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and which our Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against it.  Jesus taught us that giving respect to them that are teachers are commendable; but for them, that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up, is sinful.  How much is all this against the spirit of Christianity!   Put in chief places upset the consistent disciple of Christ, but to look around in the visible church, one would think this was what the spirit required.  It is plain that some measure of this anti-Christian spirit prevails in every religious society. 

The desire to be president, the desire to be a Bishop, a pastor or ruler is intoxicating.   Driven by desire alone men and women have ascribed to high positions.  Often lacking the ability to lead they set themselves up as leaders.   The capacity to be a leader is often lacking, but the validation is, "whom God calls, he qualifies."  The qualifying of many is long overdue.  After listening to some messengers, one can easily get the impression that God is slow, or he isn't listening anymore.

In many churches, pastor worship has overshadowed the actual worship of God.  The fear of the pastor has replaced the fear of God.  A proper reading of the Scripture will not support the thesis of some man ruling over Christ Church. 

A pastor assigned to a (community built) church, by a state Bishop, proclaimed that God had sent him there, and he had the mandate to act as he saw fit.  The death of the last founding deacon and a younger deacon took on a strange interpretation.   Visiting pastors began to buy into this bizarre interpretation.  God move these people out of the way so he could have full control of the church.  How this would resonate within the community was of little regard as he sought to entrench himself within all of the affairs of the church.  He threatened other members with the same fate if they did not support his level of incompetence.  How profane.  A classic textbook example of abusing the role of leadership.  

The desire to be a leader, even the proclamation of being a leader does not make one a leader.   The desire to be a shepherd, even armed with the proper credentials does not make one a pastor.  Using the scripture to validate, 'whom God calls he qualifies', is a moot point when the calling is in doubt or none existence.  Even for the Bishop, there are guidelines set forth.   "For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre" (Titus 1:7).   Casting aside these guidelines, more and more people began to enjoy the title of Bishops and claim they are prophets of God as they follow after filthy lucre. 

Jesus, as well as Paul, expressed their dread of false prophets, "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders (witchcraft), to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22).  "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage:" (Galatians 2:4).  In the simplest terms, both Jesus and Paul are saying, beware of those who will come in using witchcraft and abusing the role of leadership.  Their objective is to make merchandise of you.


In the formative years, the church was concerned about serving Christ through their service to humanity.  The church members were concern about other church members within the community. The church of today is working the entertainment programs, collecting money, and honoring the pastor.  The amount of support a suffering soul receives from attending many services is equivalent to watching a football game.