09.20.2009 Biblical Church Leadership

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09.20.2009 Grace Summit Sermon - Biblical Church Leadership from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

09.20.2009 Grace Summit Worship - Led by Mark Wavle from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

We have a lot of reference books today…
Lord, thank You for Mark and his leading – and the opportunity to meditate on You and how You live inside of us. How Your spirit has come in these cracked, frail bodies. We know You’ve promised to not walk away from us – because You love us.

This has kind of been a new members' class for everyone. What I’d like to do today – is to look at the area of church leadership. We’ll have
1) an overview of the history of church leadership
2) Primary characteristic of leadership
3) Criteria for leadership
4) Role of leaders
5) Structure of leadership in the church
6) Higher vision

The first leaders in the church – were WHO? The apostles – it was not a trick question!
The church spread throughout Judea and Samaria – and there were communities of Christians throughout the cities of Israel. There was a need for more local church leadership and they decided to not reinvent the wheel. When the apostles got rolling, they were not creating a new religion – they were just fulfilling the next step in the Jewish religion. So they looked to their Jewish structure – and had a council of elders – a group who led the communities – and the church adopted that. In these small communities of believers – what they had to lead the communities was a council of elders for each little community. That was the local leadership of the church. What happened in these councils – and we see this in Jerusalem – there was a group of elders in the Church – James, the brother of Jesus, was the lead elder.
Then the Gospel continued to move forward and into the Roman and Greek world – and over time, the church began to become more and more Gentile – and they began to use a different word – Overseer. Each city would have a council of overseers that would oversee the activities of that city.
In about 100 AD – maybe earlier - the word BISHOP came into play. A bishop would be a leader over a city with a council of elders with him. That went on for 1000/1500 years – and then Luther had his reform and the concept of a Pastor came into being.
In the modern church – many have a pastor with a board of elders. But principally speaking, it has changed and grown over time.

I’d like to look at the Primary Characteristic for Leadership
There was an argument about this among the disciples – they didn’t think He was listening, but it was like He had a baby monitor in the back…
Mark 10:42 And calling them to Himself, Jesus ^said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43 "But it is not so among you,
Not so among you – everything you see in the world is wrong. They lord it over and exercise authority – it is about power and control – and we see that today. Even in a democratic society like America, they want power and control. Let’s get real – it is true on both sides. It is that way in companies and communities. It is not so, Jesus said, among you. When it comes to leadership in the Kingdom, that is not what it is all about. Those who lead in God’s Kingdom are not there for power and prestige.
This is radical – and even though we are Christians and have heard this – it is really radical:
but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Primary Characteristic – a leader is a servant. One who lives his life for the benefit of others. A leader is one who sacrifices his or her life for the benefit of others – they sacrifice their desires, ego, what they want in life – for the benefit of others. They give up their own ambition so that others might benefit and prosper.
. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
True Christian leadership – in order to lead, there must be a death – let me explain – some of you are looking puzzled – think about being a parent – you DIE every night at 2 in the morning. Your normal life of sleeping through the night is OVER for you. You have to DIE to your way. We took Tony down for his sophomore year – and Friday, I paid his tuition bill and I DIED!
For some, it was physical death – and it probably won’t be for us, here in the West – but in other places it is true – but it is sacrificing ourselves for others.
That is what Kingdom Leadership is all about. That sums up the whole thing and that is all you need to ‘get.’ If leaders aren’t following that, they aren’t true leaders. That is where you see leadership.

These are the qualifications for an overseer or elder.
1 Tim. 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires [to do.] 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, uncontentious, free from the love of money. 4 [He must be] one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 [and] not a new convert, lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside [the church,] so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Above reproach – moral integrity
Social integrity
A person of responsibility
A person who places a priority on his family
The qualities of leadership first focus on a person’s character – which is tied to his relationships – which is tied to his relationship with the Lord. It is not based on education, personality, charisma – oftentimes – that is what gains leadership. But that is not how it is supposed to be. We have sees the consequences of when someone has personality and charisma, but not the integrity.
2 Tim. 2: 24 And the Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

Able to teach – understanding of right doctrine – good, sound, theological understanding – not to impress everyone with big words – I could do that! No I can’t. I could say a lot of big words – but I’d have no idea what they mean. No – it is so that you can instruct other people – with gentleness and patience. Some think real leadership is someone who can get someone to do what he wants – like a coach in someone’s face – but it is not like that in the church – it is to be done with patience and gentleness. As we look at people for church leadership – it is no that they be perfect – but striving toward it. Is this the characteristic of a person’s life, or is it that the NEVER fail?

Role:
Acts 20: 28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Paul calls the elders (Jewish word) of the church to be overseers (Gentile word) – he gives them clear instruction on what they are to do. Overseer – to watch over – to manage. Maybe if you work in a factory – a foreman or supervisor.
Robin once told me – if they go to a restaurant and something is not right – ‘we need to talk to the manager’ - When Ian was about 4 – they were coming to church and Ian said – “Pastor Mike – he is the manager of the church!” – and that is right.
If we were doing the terms today – we might use manager or coach. They watch over the church – they govern the church – to shepherd the church of God. Shepherd – means shepherd. To care for – feed, protect – the people of the church.
Role: Govern/watch over/feed/care for/
More of the same:
1 Peter 5:1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as [your] fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to [the will of] God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
Elders – shepherd – oversight – watch over/manage/govern – not for greed – but with eagerness – not lording over – but being examples.
It is all right there again.
It is amazing how simple it is in the Bible! These books are just SOME of the books on leadership – if I had back all the books that I had loaned out – this stack would be 3 times as high (for those of you who have not returned my books to me!).
I had a friend who did a study on leadership in the church before 1950 – and there were no books available. It is a fairly simple structure in Scripture that is flexible and adaptable. We see this: all those names we use for the same people – elder/bishop/pastor/overseer, etc – but we see that it is done in TEAM – in plurality – they appointed elders and overseers.
We, in our church – use elders and deacons. Elders – those who watch over everything –
Deacons – those primarily focused on leadership in one or two specific areas.
We use the term pastor – you can call me Pastor Mike or just Mike – but there is a problem – we think it is someone who has been specifically educated and paid to do the work of pastor. If there will be a plurality, there will be some where that is their job.

Historically, we have held to having male elders – for those who have females in the governing roles, that is fine – but that is where we are in our church right now.

One of the primary reasons I wanted to share this today – Dennis Knable passed away 4.5 years ago - and he was a fellow elder here with me – but since then – two guys have stepped up and served with me – as elders – but have never been recognized as such. They are men of integrity – Jeff Yackley and Dick Cooper – both have sacrificed much. They are ones who have been servants and given much time and a lot of work and are here often and have supported me through this. I have talked to the deacons – and I am confident in them – but I want them to pass the test of the church – we want to hear from you – if there is anything to hear from you – so that there is a confidence here in the church. That will help this church, in many ways, to recognize what has been taking place in this church – to be able to say – these are the 3 elders of this church – me, Dick and Jeff – I just wanted to present that today – and I want to say – over the next month – if you have something to say – please talk to me – I’d love to sit down and discuss this more thoroughly –
Are there any questions?
Let’s pray
Lord – thank You – for Jeff and Dick for how they have served the church over the years sacrificing their lives over the years here – thank You for their faithfulness and loyalty to the people of this church – caring and shepherding and guarding the flock. We ask You to help us – as a body – to unite around the greater purpose of serving Christ – with a leadership structure that honors You and is accountable to You first. You are the head – the Leader of this church- I serve as an undershepherd – a servant – and no more – the only credential You look for is that we be servant.

Eph. 4: 11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

1 Cor. 12: 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all [persons.] 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another [various] kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.