Leadership, Humility, and Personal Integrity
The character of a Biblical Leader is emphasized in terms of humility and personal integrity. Recently, the news of the fall of well known preacher and his ministry have made its rounds. Leadership is also a concern in NEPA in local churches. I thought this fb post from Owen Strachan was particularly helpful. If you are a leader, desire to be one, or are an faithful member of a local church, please read:
Just so we are square, God could take away every preacher, every historic church, every parachurch ministry, every seminary, every Christian college, every publishing house, every conference, and the gospel of Christ would still advance invincibly across the earth by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 16:18).
This is because, as Christians, our hope is not in any man--any fallen and fallible man, that is, no matter how admired or appreciated or respected or productive or historically proficient. Our hope as believers is in Christ and Christ ALONE.
If the unthinkable happened, and God did take every preacher known to man--including your favorites--then Christ would STILL be the head of the church, the gates of hell would STILL fail to defeat Christ's people, and the church's future would STILL be infinitely bright.
Christian, I urge you in love: whatever you do, don't locate your hope in any fallen man (or ministry by extension). Join a sound, gospel-preaching church; join it and serve it. Honor your elders; encourage the body. But don't locate even 1% of your confidence in God's work in any fallible man. Men will disappoint you. Men will fail you. Men will get things badly wrong. Men will drift. Men will stop listening to wise counsel and friendly rebuke. Men will make the local church about them in subtle ways.
Men will fall into the Satanic trap of thinking that a given congregation is theirs, not Christ's. Great pain, sorrow, difficulty, and wreckage will follow when men sin not merely in normal ways (bad as that is) but fall into deep patterns of sin, closing their ears to rebuke, correction, help, and edification. Humility, practical humility, is always the first casualty of a heart that drifts from God.
Do not be confused, believer. There are no perfect churches out there. I lay no burden upon you to find one (after all, what am I but a fallen and fallible man, prone to wander every day I live?). But as much as you can, find a team of elders who point you to Christ, not themselves. God willing, these (fully imperfect) men will be true shepherds, men who love caring for the sheep, investing in the sheep, strengthening the sheep, counseling the sheep, discipling the sheep, and spending time with the sheep.
We have a great number of men today who like the platform of pastoring, but not the actual work of pastoring. They like the public aspects of ministry, and the praise that public work can bring, but not the private aspects of ministry (which is most of what sound ministry consists of). It is no easy thing to find a sound church today, sadly, but as much as you can, find a team of elders who exhibit loving, humble, and sound character. Join hands with them. Strengthen them. Above all, pray for them.
And even as you get involved, remember this: these men are not your hope. They are not Christ (not even close). They have not died for you. They have not risen for you. They are not returning to earth to gather you up and present you spotless on the last day. They are not the true shepherd of your soul. ONLY CHRIST IS.