Biblical Leadership

BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP

“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” - Matthew 20:27

There is a huge difference between a large church and a healthy church. Numerical growth may produce a large church, but not necessarily a healthy church. It is possible to have a large congregation, impressive buildings and a paved parking lot, yet be an unhealthy church. There are some pastors who believe that success in ministry is all about numerical growth. While numerical growth is important, it isn't the real acid test of spiritual health. Cancer grows, but it isn't a healthy growth. When there is spiritual health, growth will be a product of this health.

I believe that there are seven important aspects of church health. They are pillars that give support to the church. Christ is the foundation of the church, but these pillars are built on this foundation. They are vital for the church's health, growth and future. Today, we will focus on the first of these pillars.

Biblical leadership is a key to a congregation's vitality. John Maxwell is famous for saying, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is true in every facet of life. Good leadership elevates an organization while poor leadership may destroy it. When it comes to the church, poor leadership has brought irreversible harm to many congregations. It is one thing to be a famous teacher, it is another thing to be a godly leader.

While it is popular for many pastors to think of themselves as CEO's of their church, that is a worldly and fatal mistake. While there may be some things to be learned from business, the church is not a business. We need more than secular leadership in our churches. We need Biblical leadership.

The Bible gives us specific standards for spiritual leadership. The Apostle Paul gave specific instruction to Titus and Timothy about the necessary criteria for leadership. When we fail to follow the Bible's instruction about church leadership, we go down the path of compromise and ruin.

Biblical leadership is needed in churches today. Here are the traits required for those to be considered for leadership in the church.

CHARACTER

First of all, Biblical leaders need to have godly character. When Paul outlined qualifications for elders, most of these traits dealt with character. Even though there are many gifted men who have business savvy, these talents aren't considered as important as the man's character. A leader should live a clean, blameless life. This is reflected in his home-life as well as his treatment of others. He cannot allow greed, lust or fame to wreck his testimony and ruin his influence.

Character is more important than competence. I am not suggesting that competence is unimportant, but rather, it is less important than a man's character. If a man lacks competence, he can grow to achieve this. However, if he doesn't have character, no amount of competence will ever make up for this flaw.

CONVICTION

Secondly, a leader must have conviction. Conviction is defined as the firm assurance that something is true. A Christian leader must get his convictions from the Word of God. Lester Roloff used to say, “We need to have Biblical convictions rather than a bunch of sorry opinions.” A leader must know the truth and never waver from it. He must know what it is important. He must know what hills are worth dying on. He must make decisions based upon truth, not tradition or temptation. As someone once said, “Stop wearing a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”

COMPASSION

A Christian leader should be committed, yet compassionate. He needs to remember that he is not selling a product. He is working with people. Rather than seeking his own success, he should be focused on pleasing his Lord and serving his people. Being compassionate should never cause a leader to dilute the truth. A man can firmly stand on the Word and love the people at the same time. Love is a vital component of Christian leadership.

The ultimate leader was Jesus Christ. He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd. A shepherd does not push sheep along. Instead, he leads them. He is in front, the first to face any danger. Ultimately, Jesus died for His sheep. He loves His own. Jesus was not a dictatorial bully. Instead, He was a servant-leader.

A good leader would be wise to follow our Lord's example.