Sovereign Grace has an interesting article which addresses a question I have been asked a few times via email. How do people know whether they are called to some form of ministry or preaching gift within the church.
In this post I will simply include some quotes, which begin by defining leadership within the church:
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To lead means to govern: to make decisions that will shape
the future of the church.
To lead means to apply the gospel: to help unbelievers and
believers see how the gospel speaks to their lives.
To lead means to plan: to corral the vision into workable
strategies that can make it a reality.
To lead means to administrate: to turn strategies into plans
that generally work as intended.
To lead means to model: to set the example of what you want
others to aspire to.
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“The fruit of godly leadership is vision, purpose, and vitality
in the church. These things do not come any other way.”
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They also quote from Alexander Strauch’s book, Biblical Eldership:
The shepherd imagery blends the ideas of authority and leadership
with self-sacrifice, tenderness, wisdom, hard work, loving care, and
constant watchfulness. Shepherding requires long hours of work and
complete attention’the shepherd must always be with the sheep. It
demands knowledge of the sheep, good management skills, and
courage in the face of danger. Most important, it demands love for the
sheep. Thus, “to shepherd means to govern the church of God, to provide
leadership and guidance for the church, to teach and correct from
God’s Word, and to provide protection from all dangers that threaten
the life of the church
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Consider the mysteries of human experience: the childless
couple who just experienced their third miscarriage; the aging single
who still dreams of marriage; the hard-working provider
who just lost a job; or the dying sinner confronting the certainty
of judgment. Leadership immerses elders in the stuff of life. In
those despairing moments, who is appointed to guide us through
the inexplicable valleys to drink in the streams of God’s providence
and goodness? The shepherds of the church. What a glorious
display of God’s grace to create a special office for our help and
care during times of trial!
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true leadership models its message; biblical leadership is authenticated
through character. A leader proclaims with two voices: one
through lips, the other through life…….Together, these messages
converge to create a solid platform of credibility and stature.
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…..teaching isn’t simply about Bible knowledge or oratorical skill. To teach and to preach is to bring the exposited Word of God and sound doctrine to bear in compelling ways upon a congregation. God’s people are led in a primary way through public ministry.
It’s that simple. Many men love God’s Word, can lead effective discussions, can articulate clear doctrine, or are compelling
speakers. But the grace of God to lead is expressed through the power of preaching that convicts hearts and provokes the faith
of the congregation to unity in the mission of the church.
Regarding the necessity of public gifts, Charles Spurgeon didn’t mince words: Gentlemen, if you cannot preach, God did not
call you to preach.”
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The quickest way to determine whether a man is qualified to lead a church is to assess how effectively he is leading his chief member
(his wife) and his principal congregation (his kids). If led well, these voices will rise to confirm his selection and testify to his
credibility. If led poorly, they will shadow his candidacy with gnawing questions and contradictory messages.
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The ultimate test of a called man is whether he desires the advancement of the gospel more than the advancement of his own ministry.
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