(First thoughts On Basic Christianity)
“A leader, according to its simplest definition, is someone who commands a following. To lead is to go ahead, to show the way and to inspire other people to follow.” [1] John Stott
The first question to you as a Christian is the following: Do you follow a leader by their talk or by their walk? The next question is this: Would you choose a Christian leader in your church because that person is your friend, because you went to school or university together, because they are in church every Sunday, because they are your relative, because they hold a social status in your community or because you believe they have a close walk with God and that they possess the credentials required for the task?
What kind of church leader is God looking for?
More often than not I have seen church leaders being appointed for the wrong reasons and the results have always been disastrous for the churches and individuals involved. Don’t get me wrong! The person can be a regular attendee in their church, who believes in every point of the fundamentals of the Christian faith, be a ‘nice’ person and yet lack leadership skills and true Christian character. Although ‘niceness’ is expected to be found in every Christian, this is not the only credential required for church leadership.
In other cases I have also seen people with the necessary leadership skills, but with a lack of self-control regarding their temper. You do not want a peace breaker as a leader in your church, do you?
Another thing I have been noticing over many years as a church leader is that some church goers, including some Christian leaders, have no idea why they go to church on Sundays, or what Christianity is all about. They come and go, and yet remain the same. They do not seem to be growing in their faith. There seems to be no sign of any thirst for growth, either in the understanding of their faith or in the expression of it.
The result is that we see many Christian leaders suffering from severe complacency, which is a deadly disease of the soul. D.L. Moody rightly said that, “The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives.” I wonder if many Christians still believe that.
Before we define what Christian leadership is all about, we must define both what Christianity is not and what Christianity is all about.
In church we will have various degrees/aspects of Christian leadership. For example, Sunday School and crèche teachers, youth work leaders, women’s and men’s organizations, Senior Citizens’ Clubs, deacons, evangelists, prayer coordinators, fabric team, national mission team, world mission team, house group leaders, worship leaders, ministry of communication/media, board of directors/elders and pastors/ministers. It is expected that all those involved in some kind of Christian leadership display an unquestionable Christian character (before they are appointed to any position of leadership). He/she must be a genuine Bible believing person who understands clearly what Christianity is all about and tries to live it out daily.
· What Christianity is Not
Christianity is not a ‘religion’; Christianity is not a set of rules to live by; it is not about the church itself (whatever the denomination); it is not about church buildings, it is not about singing our favorite hymns/spiritual songs; it is not about any man-made tradition; it is not about any ritual; it is not about any kind of ceremony; it is not about growing a big church; it is not about any ministry within any Christian church, it is not about the different leadership style or methodology that exists in any one church; it is not about the elders; it is not about the minister/pastor; it is not about you and it is not about me. It is about Christ and Christ only!
Christianity has become very deformed over the centuries since Jesus was taken up into heaven (Luke 1:9-11). Man-made tradition replaced the beauty of the pure and simple movement of believers in Jesus Christ. The emphasis shifted from a sincere, exciting and attractive Christ-like lifestyle to a set of impersonal and cold rituals, which must be observed in order to be accepted into ‘the group’. It became a religion without substance. Christianity is substance without religion.
It is not without reason that many people have been giving up on organized religion year after year.
Jesus came to challenge the religious system of his time, which was putting buildings and rituals above God and also above what God cares most about: People! Christianity is about Christ, God the Son in the mystery of the Trinity, and nothing else.
Christianity is supposed to be a Christ-centered movement, formed by individuals who believe and have a heart to follow Christ Jesus. There can be no true Christian without Christ. Believe it or not, I have met some church members, and even church leaders, who think otherwise. Christ is no less than God and, if we reject Christ, we are rejecting God Himself. This is what Jesus said in reply to Philip’s request for him to show the disciples God the Father:
“Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.’” John 14:8-11
· So What is a Christian?
A Christian is someone who acknowledges that without Jesus Christ he/she can do nothing and as a result of this acknowledgement they are lowly in heart (John 15). C.S. Lewis puts it as follows:
"What Satan put into the head of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’ - could set up on their own as if they had created themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God and apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history - money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery - the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy. The reason why it can never succeed is this:
God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other." [2]
So, at this point I would like simply to ask you three honest questions before we move on. These are the questions: Do you have a personal and sincere faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour? Do you believe the church needs godly leaders?
Do you understand that it is your responsibility and mine to identify those leaders among us and/or examine ourselves to see whether our desire to be a Christian leader is backed up by the way we live our lives?
You must learn to crawl before you can walk and you must learn to walk before you can run. First comes faith, then maturity and then service. In that order! A Christian leader without faith and maturity is like a car with flat tyres.
· What is Christianity all about?
If you look up the meaning of the word ‘Christianity’ in any English Dictionary you will find that Christianity “is the state of being a Christian.” You will also see that the definition of “being a Christian” is “a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
There is a fundamental difference between a person who goes to church out of habit and a churchgoer who believes and follows Jesus Christ’s teachings to the best of their abilities, as they are found in the Bible.
Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to the ballet every week makes you a ballerina.
· What is Christian Living Like?
It is about following in the footsteps of Jesus. It is a way of life. It is a lifestyle that reflects the light of God in us. We learn how to live a genuine and godly life from Jesus’ teachings and life. The Bible teaches us clearly the lifestyle a Christian is expected to display as evidence of true faith. The Apostle John explains it in his first letter, 1 John 1:5-7:
"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
What does it mean to walk in the light? It means leading a life which can be confused with Jesus’ life. It means to live a Christ-like lifestyle. It means to get rid of all impurity and nastiness towards people. It means to live by the light that Jesus sheds upon us. John explains further in 1 John 2:3-6:
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."
Do you intentionally live out your faith in Jesus Christ? Do you intentionally watch your thoughts, words and actions? Can people who work with you see the light of God in you? Do you purposefully and cheerfully try to obey Jesus’ teachings to the best of your abilities?
We cannot claim to have faith in Jesus Christ and, at the same time, live a life of unkindness towards others, a life of immorality, a life of hatred, discord, jealousy, rebellion, division, drunkenness, selfishness and the like. All those things are contrary to Christ’s Spirit. A Christian is supposed to be a humble, consistent and sincere follower of Jesus long before he/she aspires to become a church leader.
Church leadership should be a result of the church’s acknowledgement of a person’s passion for God and His Word. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:16-21 speaks about life by the Spirit of God as follows:
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
But Paul does not stop there. In the following verses (22-26) he tells us what it means to live by God’s Spirit, or what it means to live in God’s light:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
All those good things above cannot bring about the salvation of your soul. You are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus, but all those things mentioned above are evidence of your salvation; they are the testimony of the grace of God in your life. It is by displaying those qualities that the world will notice God in your life. How can one claim to love God and yet be a pest at work, a pain in the neck at home or at school and even in church? How can we claim to walk in the light while we put people down with our words and treat them like a doormat?
A desire to love people more comes before the desire to become a people’s leader. Imagine a Sunday School teacher who does not like teaching; an evangelist who does not like non-Christians; a crèche helper who hates babies; a Senior Citizen’s coordinator who couldn’t care less for elderly people; a House Group leader who is not hospitable; a youth pastor who has no patience with teenagers; a Children’s Sunday School who does not like children; a pastor who does not like people. A church leader without love for people is a contradiction in terms. He/she will be useless! Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:17 that,
“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?”
Diligent observation is crucial here if you are to get it right.
Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome (Romans 12:9-13) says this:
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practise hospitality.”
There are many other texts from the Bible, which teach us about real Christianity, as opposed to fake Christianity. A fake Christian cannot possibly become a real Christian leader in the Church of Christ.
There is a Chinese proverb, which goes like this:
When you see a good man, think of emulating him; when you see a bad man, examine your heart[3].
- Respect for Your Church Leaders
Finally, a real Christian has great respect for their church leaders; praying for them, honouring them; never back stabbing or slandering them. A genuine Christian will have learned what the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15:
“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.”
No good church leader can work with slanderers; no slanderers can ever be good Christian leaders. Slanderers have a serious character problem, and a person who possesses an ill character should not be in any position of authority. The whole of chapter three of the Book of James speaks about the damage that a tongue can cause to others and to themselves. Slanderers are sowers of discord and, if not corrected and resisted, they destroy entire churches by setting people against each other. They say small things with a delayed bomb effect. James encourages us to, “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” (James 3:5)
"Human nature seems to endow us with the ability to size up everybody in the world except ourselves." [4]
And also,
"When we are foolish we want to conquer the world. When we are wise we want to conquer ourselves." [5]
Let me finish with this very thought provoking quote:
"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble." C. H. Spurgeon
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