Leadership is a highly valued skill in the world today. It has also become the no. 1 ‘spiritual’ gift in churches and Christian organizations today. We use many arguments to justify leadership in churches. We even pad them with scripture so that no one would dare question the wisdom of having leaders without the risk of being called a modern day heretic. You can easily obtain any amount of literature on this topic from both secular and Christian bookstores. Add conferences, seminars, workshops and over a period of time, what you get is a strongly embedded mindset that staunchly believes leaders are a vital part of Christian faith and living.
By leaders, I mean senior pastors, associate pastors, ministry leaders, zone leaders, cell leaders, elders, deacons or by whatever name they are called; the people elected, voted, appointed, anointed, ordained or by whatever way they were chosen for the purpose of leading, overseeing, governing, mentoring, preaching, ministering, directing, counselling or advising you on the practicum of your Christian faith.
I am sure you’ve heard these comments at one time or another.
If there's no leader, people will be left to their own devices.
Without a chain of command, there won’t be transparency and accountability.
The New Testament had leaders and elders, so it is biblical to appoint them.
Jesus appointed leaders so we need to appoint leaders too.
God is a god of order and leadership creates order.
Someone has to be in charge so that we can be more effective as a church.
A leader provides vision and the bible says without vision people perish.
Church growth depends on effective and efficient leadership.
Leaders have the God given mandate to lead and govern the church.
But none of the above can be substantiated by the Word of God.
Leadership junkies will argue that Jesus was the ultimate leader. However, I would like to invite you to take a look at Jesus' life, and perhaps you will begin to see what I saw.
By his own admission, Jesus said and did only what His Father told him to do. I am sure you know this already but do you really?
Jesus, the Obedient Son
Jesus was the epitome of obedience. He bowed his will to the One he called Father. Everything he did was in deference to God. He did not do things because they were moral and ethical. He was not drawn to pursue noble and charitable causes. His ‘meat’ was to accomplish His Father’s Will. He did nothing in his own strength or wisdom. He did not lean on any man because he knew what was in their hearts. He did not make use of charisma, charm or exert human influence on the multitudes that followed Him everywhere. In humility and obedience, he surrendered to the One above. Jesus refused to take the lead in his life events. He did not allow anyone to influence, guide or sway Him on His path. God the Father was in charge of Jesus’ life.
Jesus didn’t believe in plurality of leaders.
Take a moment to consider the wedding at Cana when Mary, His mother, told him that the wine had run out. He asked her, “Woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” He changed water into wine that day, but the conversation with His mother stands to safeguard his testimony that Jesus only ever did what His Father in heaven told him to do. Doing what His mother asked Him to do even for that one isolated incident would have jeopardised it.
Jesus wasn’t a team player.
Jesus spent a lot of time with his disciples but He did not take their advice or check with them for anything. He didn’t consult a committee or panel to discuss the next best plan of action. Nothing was done out of consensus, concession or careful corroboration.
Jesus didn't need to be authorized to do anything.
James and John’s mother asked Jesus to give her sons the privilege of sitting on his left and his right in eternity. Jesus’ reply was that it wasn’t up to Him but to His Father to decide who deserves what. When the disciples wanted to know when the signs He told them about would take place, He said he did not have full knowledge of future events, things that only His Father knew but had kept from Him.
That isn’t the same as saying He had no authority. On the contrary, Jesus had plenty of the supernatural kind. He had authority to forgive sin, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and feed the hungry multitudes. Demons and Death could not refuse Him. He had authority over nature too - calming the raging seas and even walking on water. The common folk could see that Jesus had real authority as opposed to the scribes of His day. Jesus had authority over all things, and this authority came directly from God because Jesus was completely submitted to His Father in each and every aspect of His life. Jesus could boldly say, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”
Authority is not a free license.
Jesus was never presumptuous – putting God to the test by doing what He presumed was right. Jesus’ authority was not a license to do as He pleased but a trust earned with every step of obedience He took. God the Father was pleased with Him and twice announced it from the heavens, “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus proved He was God’s son when He proved His obedience.
Jesus redefined the meaning of leadership.
Jesus said, “If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all”. Just as the most influential and powerful leader in the world receives the greatest honour; in God’s kingdom, it is the meekest and lowliest servant that commands the greatest respect. God’s kingdom is the reverse of every earthly kingdom structure known to man. Jesus said, “I did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Chew on that for a minute.
Jesus knew this path of submission would ultimately lead Him to a bloody cross. In Gethsemane’s garden, He fervently prayed to be spared but left it to His Father to choose for Him. And you know how the story goes.
This is a great mystery to both the religious and intellectual minds.
The Pharisees could not understand why this self-proclaiming Messiah refused to conform to their time-honored religion. Why did He insist on healing on the Sabbath day? Why didn’t He observe their rites and ceremonies? They wanted His submission but He constantly disappointed them. To the learned Greeks (during Paul’s time) the cross was a foolish mistake. It spelt failure and disappointment. How could Jesus be the Saviour when He could not save Himself? But it wasn’t that Jesus could not save himself; it was because He would not. Muslims believe in submission to God. The word Muslim itself means one who submits. Yet, they cannot comprehend why God would allow Jesus to die an unjust death. Submission means different things to different people, but Jesus did not pander to human perceptions.
Jesus submitted to no one but His Father in Heaven and it pleased God very much.
Do you think God has entrusted his flock to hirelings? Never! He gave us into the safekeeping of the One who is completely worthy of His Trust – His Son, The Good Shepherd; the One who gave his own life for his sheep. I am sorry to say that the sheep in today’s churches are busy giving their time, their money and their energy to serve the ‘hirelings’ and their personal agenda. They have submitted too… unfortunately to a lesser cause and to lesser men.
For all the names given to Jesus in the Bible, you won’t find one that says Jesus the Great Leader. Isaiah devoted an entire chapter to the Suffering Servant. John the Baptist called Him the Lamb of God. Peter and the disciples confessed He was the Son of the Living God.
By leaders, I mean senior pastors, associate pastors, ministry leaders, zone leaders, cell leaders, elders, deacons or by whatever name they are called; the people elected, voted, appointed, anointed, ordained or by whatever way they were chosen for the purpose of leading, overseeing, governing, mentoring, preaching, ministering, directing, counselling or advising you on the practicum of your Christian faith.
I am sure you’ve heard these comments at one time or another.
If there's no leader, people will be left to their own devices.
Without a chain of command, there won’t be transparency and accountability.
The New Testament had leaders and elders, so it is biblical to appoint them.
Jesus appointed leaders so we need to appoint leaders too.
God is a god of order and leadership creates order.
Someone has to be in charge so that we can be more effective as a church.
A leader provides vision and the bible says without vision people perish.
Church growth depends on effective and efficient leadership.
Leaders have the God given mandate to lead and govern the church.
But none of the above can be substantiated by the Word of God.
Leadership junkies will argue that Jesus was the ultimate leader. However, I would like to invite you to take a look at Jesus' life, and perhaps you will begin to see what I saw.
By his own admission, Jesus said and did only what His Father told him to do. I am sure you know this already but do you really?
Jesus, the Obedient Son
Jesus was the epitome of obedience. He bowed his will to the One he called Father. Everything he did was in deference to God. He did not do things because they were moral and ethical. He was not drawn to pursue noble and charitable causes. His ‘meat’ was to accomplish His Father’s Will. He did nothing in his own strength or wisdom. He did not lean on any man because he knew what was in their hearts. He did not make use of charisma, charm or exert human influence on the multitudes that followed Him everywhere. In humility and obedience, he surrendered to the One above. Jesus refused to take the lead in his life events. He did not allow anyone to influence, guide or sway Him on His path. God the Father was in charge of Jesus’ life.
Jesus didn’t believe in plurality of leaders.
Take a moment to consider the wedding at Cana when Mary, His mother, told him that the wine had run out. He asked her, “Woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” He changed water into wine that day, but the conversation with His mother stands to safeguard his testimony that Jesus only ever did what His Father in heaven told him to do. Doing what His mother asked Him to do even for that one isolated incident would have jeopardised it.
Jesus wasn’t a team player.
Jesus spent a lot of time with his disciples but He did not take their advice or check with them for anything. He didn’t consult a committee or panel to discuss the next best plan of action. Nothing was done out of consensus, concession or careful corroboration.
Jesus didn't need to be authorized to do anything.
James and John’s mother asked Jesus to give her sons the privilege of sitting on his left and his right in eternity. Jesus’ reply was that it wasn’t up to Him but to His Father to decide who deserves what. When the disciples wanted to know when the signs He told them about would take place, He said he did not have full knowledge of future events, things that only His Father knew but had kept from Him.
That isn’t the same as saying He had no authority. On the contrary, Jesus had plenty of the supernatural kind. He had authority to forgive sin, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and feed the hungry multitudes. Demons and Death could not refuse Him. He had authority over nature too - calming the raging seas and even walking on water. The common folk could see that Jesus had real authority as opposed to the scribes of His day. Jesus had authority over all things, and this authority came directly from God because Jesus was completely submitted to His Father in each and every aspect of His life. Jesus could boldly say, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”
Authority is not a free license.
Jesus was never presumptuous – putting God to the test by doing what He presumed was right. Jesus’ authority was not a license to do as He pleased but a trust earned with every step of obedience He took. God the Father was pleased with Him and twice announced it from the heavens, “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus proved He was God’s son when He proved His obedience.
Jesus redefined the meaning of leadership.
Jesus said, “If you want to be great in God’s kingdom, learn to be the servant of all”. Just as the most influential and powerful leader in the world receives the greatest honour; in God’s kingdom, it is the meekest and lowliest servant that commands the greatest respect. God’s kingdom is the reverse of every earthly kingdom structure known to man. Jesus said, “I did not come to be served but to serve and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Chew on that for a minute.
Jesus knew this path of submission would ultimately lead Him to a bloody cross. In Gethsemane’s garden, He fervently prayed to be spared but left it to His Father to choose for Him. And you know how the story goes.
This is a great mystery to both the religious and intellectual minds.
The Pharisees could not understand why this self-proclaiming Messiah refused to conform to their time-honored religion. Why did He insist on healing on the Sabbath day? Why didn’t He observe their rites and ceremonies? They wanted His submission but He constantly disappointed them. To the learned Greeks (during Paul’s time) the cross was a foolish mistake. It spelt failure and disappointment. How could Jesus be the Saviour when He could not save Himself? But it wasn’t that Jesus could not save himself; it was because He would not. Muslims believe in submission to God. The word Muslim itself means one who submits. Yet, they cannot comprehend why God would allow Jesus to die an unjust death. Submission means different things to different people, but Jesus did not pander to human perceptions.
Jesus submitted to no one but His Father in Heaven and it pleased God very much.
Do you think God has entrusted his flock to hirelings? Never! He gave us into the safekeeping of the One who is completely worthy of His Trust – His Son, The Good Shepherd; the One who gave his own life for his sheep. I am sorry to say that the sheep in today’s churches are busy giving their time, their money and their energy to serve the ‘hirelings’ and their personal agenda. They have submitted too… unfortunately to a lesser cause and to lesser men.
For all the names given to Jesus in the Bible, you won’t find one that says Jesus the Great Leader. Isaiah devoted an entire chapter to the Suffering Servant. John the Baptist called Him the Lamb of God. Peter and the disciples confessed He was the Son of the Living God.
