Is it important to develop leadership? The world certainly thinks so. America’s corporate giants annually budget millions towards developing leadership.
Conferences, seminars, special meetings from the first level of supervision to the upper echelon of executive management, all are subjected to the newest modes of leadership development. But is it really that important? It is vital. Why? Because the organization that fails to provide good, strong leadership whether it be in manufacturing, military or marriage and family is headed for disaster and failure.
As far as church life is concerned, there are two areas in which leadership can be developed, matured and strengthened, namely individually and corporately. We must grow in Christ as individuals (Eph. 4:15) so that strength and leadership will also be evidenced in our local assembly.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP
Paul is very encouraging. Here is the believer in his highest leadership roll. First Timothy 3:1 reads, “If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer he desires a noble task.” How encouraging it is to hear young men say, “I would like to be a shepherd of God’s people some day.” This is a great desire, not to be frowned on for “honor seeking.”
The risen Head who controls His Church deeply desires men (especially young men) who will respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit causing them to reach out and take the spiritual rod and staff of the caring shepherd.
I’m reminded of Gary’s brother, Dan. He was missing. Gary was deeply concerned. He and Dan had moved into the Toronto area from the east coast a few months back. Dan hadn’t come home the preceding night. He had taken the car to visit a friend just north of Toronto and had not returned. Gary notified the police who soon gave up. But Gary desperately continued his own search along back roads that Dan might have taken, if perchance he was intending to visit his friend in nearby Aurora. Suddenly, as he approached a curve in the road, his eye caught the faintest impression of car tracks heading off the road through the underbrush and trees, straight towards the cliff that dropped 30 feet down to the rocks of the river below.
He stopped his car and raced through the brush to the cliff edge and there he saw his brother’s car, upside down, half out of the water with Dan lying limp inside. Immediately he called for help. Soon the police and rescue crews arrived. As the medics were placing the still breathing Dan into Sunnybrook Hospital’s Air Ambulance helicopter, a police officer turned to Gary and warmly commended and complimented him. Gary turned to him and replied, “I’m no hero. I don’t care about that. I’m just concerned about my brother.”
This is the kind of leadership needed. It is stimulated by a genuine love for our brothers and sisters. It is seen by actions that express care and concern and it persistently and steadfastly follows through. It is born out of a heart and inner life in which Christ dwells.
DEVELOPING THE INNER LIFE OF THE ELDER
This is all important. On this everything depends. If he builds with an unqualified, undedicated heart, the result of his leadership will be an eternally disappointing structure of wood, hay, and stubble (1 Cor. 3:10-15). David recognized this when he said to the leaders of Israel anxious to be involved in the construction of Solomon’s magnificent temple, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God [or prepare your inner life]; arise, therefore, and build the sanctuary of the Lord…the house that is to be build for the name of the Lord” (1 Chron. 22:19). Inner, spiritual preparation had to come first. Three essential inner qualifications are:
1. “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). The abiding unoffended presence of the Lord Jesus in the elder’s life is essential. Without it there is “nothing.”
2. Be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). The ungrieved presence of the Holy Spirit is: (a) a must for decisions requiring wisdom and discernment (Acts 13:9; Acts 5:3); (b) for direction in service and ministry (Acts 16:6-7); (c) for wisdom in appointing other elders (Acts 20:28); (d) for power in witnessing (Acts 1:8); (e) for fruit to be evident in our character and ways to make us acceptable, Christ-like, and desirable to follow (Gal. 5:22-25).
3. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17-18). This inner qualification, preceded by taking the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, is essential. The Word of God bathed in a life of consistent prayer will produce a leader that is characterized by watchfulness and wise discernment. No amount of professional training can substitute for this.
DEVELOPING THE QUALITIES OF THE ELDER
In 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Paul is viewed as a leader and the Thessalonian believers as followers. In this first chapter there are revealed several qualities he possessed as a leader that they should emulate, and so should we.
1. Thankfulness (1 Thess. 1:2)—a great quality. Paul was thankful for those who followed him. Every believer in our local church has something we should be thankful for. A good elder will look for it, find it and thank God and his brother or sister for it. Thankfulness is encouraging and bonding. Paul used it and so should we. But here it is also evident that prayer is closely partnered with thanksgiving.
We don’t really know if Paul prayed for all the Thessalonians individually by name. It could well have been. What a blessing when the elders pray and give thanks daily by name for all in their fellowship. It has the desirable effect of sharpening our memory and deepening our love and concern for those we are called on to lead.
2. Remembers (1 Thess. 1:2). To develop as a elder, we must get to know and remember as much as we can about those in our fellowship. We must have an interest in their health, children, schooling, employment, vacation, ministry and above all, trials and problems. This is invaluable. Communication is vital. Conversation flows easily as it is carried along with things we remember about them and their concerns. Paul said, “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” (1 Thess. 1:3).
3. Knowledge (1 Thess. 1:4). “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election by God.” A conscious knowledge of this truth will have a profound practical effect on our relationship and ministry as elders. Paul put it this way to Timothy: “I endure all things for the sake of God’s elect” (2 Tim. 2:10). It was the appreciation that these people were God’s elect that caused him to say, “I endure all things.” James uses this same reasoning to correct the impartiality of his readers with a very life-like illustration when he states in James 2:5, “Listen, my beloved brethren, has God not chosen (elected) the poor of this world…to be heirs of the kingdom?” A knowledge of the truth of election will always keep before us that each brother and sister is one of God’s elect and will increase our love and respect for the less lovable among them. The result: better elders!
4. Sets an example (1 Thess. 1:6). “You became followers of us, and of the Lord.” The Thessalonians were following the example of Paul as he followed the example of Christ. As a result, they became examples to others. The training of the prospective elder involves becoming an example of the Lord. In the elder, the believers and the world should observe such a display of Christ-like living that it will be said of him, “You became examples to all in Macedonia.” Or better still—your own home town!
Written by Ross McIntee