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The Leader
"Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:11)
We need effective leadership, and when we look around, it often isn't there!
Part of the problem is - ourselves. If we find an effective leader, the next
step is that we must be willing to be follow them. Wives don't follow husbands
because (c'mon guys - confess), most of us simply don't know how to lead - and
why should anybody follow someone who is not a leader? Most supervisors in the
workplace have learned supervisory techniques, but when it comes to
"leadership", they don't have a clue. And most of the rest of us don't
know how (or aren’t willing) to lead or follow, either.
I have been fascinated by the duality of leadership. Someone might be a
potentially great leader, but if the rest of us are unwilling to follow, the
result will be a vacuum in which nothing good can effectively occur. We must
take the risk and LEAD if we are called to leadership, and we must take another
risk and RESPOND to those who are called to lead.
In college, I did a term paper on the "Summer of 1914" which was,
for me, a fascinating look into the quality (and lack) of leadership in Europe,
right before World War I. There were men occupying positions of leadership, but
the world was drifting toward war, and those in power were not sufficient for
the time. The same "drift" has occurred often in history, usually
resulting in disaster for all concerned.
Weak men can seem capable during times of peace, but exceptional leaders are
needed in a time of war. The people of Europe took the slide with their leaders,
and from that perspective, everybody lost World War I.
We've had our national noses bloodied by the destruction in New York,
Washington DC, and in Pennsylvania. The good news is that President Bush is
emerging as an effective leader in this time of crisis (God can make the man fit
the moment), and it's equally good that the rest of us seem willing to follow
him. We became horrified, frightened, and angry by what was done, and it has
pulled the U.S. together as a nation.
It's about time. The spirit of this moment is the way it should always be,
not only in government but also within the Church. For this group of people who
wear the nametag "Church" has been involved in a battle with invisible
foes since before our beginning. ("Our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against
the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in
the heavenly places" – Ephesians 6:12).
We must respect our pastors and listen to them, but you are I are not
ultimately "Baptists", or "Methodists", or
"Catholic", or "Non-denominational" in the fight that is
before us. Our identity in these matters cannot even be viewed as simply
involving those who have membership in the "Christian religion". Our
Leader is named Jesus Christ and all must look to Him. We are not
"ecumenical" - we are OF CHRIST. It’s time for every one of us to
"confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father" (Philippians 2:11). He’s in charge.
Either we are in Christ or we aren’t - our loyalty is to be in Him and our
trust can be in no other name. But part of the wonder of the call of our Lord is
the effective and wonderful manner in which He delegates authority to people
just like you and me. He's giving us jobs, AND we can do them ("To
each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good"
– 1 Corinthians 12:7).
EVERYBODY who is in the "body of Christ" (the Church) is a leader,
with assignments given to each and every one. It isn't that a just few are
priests, or deacons, or bishops or whatever. To be assigned as leaders is the
norm for us all, and we must look to our Commander in Chief - He will let us
know what must be done. He will equip us and we will be ready at just the right
time. Because of prayer, He will indeed move mountains (Matthew 17:20 – "Nothing
will be impossible for you") and in prayer, it will be revealed what
each of us must do.
And of course, we must listen to one another ("The
eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you" – 1
Corinthians 12:21). The visible church generally emphasizes the leadership of
one person or a few people, but the Body of Christ is every one of us, from the
"lowest" on the ladder to the one visibly "in charge". We
must keep in mind that the Lord Himself occupies the key role, and out of love
for Him we defer to each other, for the other person is just as much a leader as
we are.
If I am gifted by God, and so are you, then we must listen to one another.
Part of love is simply to listen. My assignment within the Body of Christ will
not be complete or comprehensible except as it relates to yours. You have a
function that is in concert with mine, much like the various musical instruments
in an orchestra combine to make a whole - we make SENSE when we are working
together and things break down when we don't.
I LOVE the spiritual "gifts" that have been freely given to us,
ever since the "Day of Pentecost" as described in Acts 2:4. EVERYBODY,
every one of us should be encouraged by those events, for ALL in the Body of
Christ are gifted by God. One can "prophesy" (express the heart of
God), and another has "faith" (trusts in a remarkable way) in Him.
Someone can "Teach" the things of His Word and somebody else can
"pray" (to God) beyond the limits of everybody else. There are those
among us who have "spiritual radar" and can see the enemy’s
activities when others can’t. We are part of God's army, and ALL of us have
received delegated authority in this fight with an unseen enemy. This is a
vicious and unrelenting foe that must be perceived and fought through the Power
of the Holy Spirit of God and in no other way.
Our Lord Christ will get us through. He will rescue you when you have fallen.
He can lift your emotions when you are sad. HE is the key and you have the
VICTORY in Him. But note that not only is Jesus our "Lord"
(Philippians 2:11), but He was also willing to listen to the aches of others and
to serve those in need (He "made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men"
– Philippians 2:7). He listened to our need as we should listen to one
another. He served God and He served you and me, and we should be willing to do
the same.
Father, change us. Let us receive your Son and His Spirit, and Lord, make us
willing to follow and lead as YOU choose within the body of Christ. Let us love
and serve You – and one another. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
ron@fridaystudy.org
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