Let US Choose A Leader?

While in the Wilderness, the Lord spoke to Moses and told him to send one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to spy out the promised land. The men went and came back. 10 of the 12 men gave a fearful report and spoke against treading into unknown territory. They were afraid of the tall people that inhabited the land and all of the unforeseeable dangers. But the Lord was not asking for their opinion on whether to go or not.

The people heard the report and were afraid. They began to speak out against Moses and the plan to enter into Canaan. Here is what is recorded in Numbers 14:1-4:

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

It is also interesting to note that in Numbers 12 Aaron and Miriam had also questioned the leadership of Moses. And the Lord rebuked them as well. The people here are so angry that when Joshua and Caleb speak up and warn the people, the people pick up stones to kill them. But then God shows up in power. Numbers 14:11-12:

And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."

But Moses, just like in the golden calf incident, chooses to turn down God's offer and pray on behalf of the people. He begs forgiveness for a people who had rejected his God given leadership. What a powerful testimony of leadership. God listens and instead punishes the rebellious adults above the age of 20 to wander for 40 years and then die.

There are a couple of powerful lessons here. One is that we should trust a leader who has been given spiritual authority by God. Now understand me, this is not measured in terms of positions, titles, or claimed authority. Spiritual authority is handed out only by the Lord Himself. The greatest in His kingdom are actually those who become least, and that's why Numbers 12 says that Moses was the meekest man in all the world. Those who imitate Christ in being servant leaders have this spiritual authority.

But so often I see churches rejecting Godly leadership out of fear. Fear of change, fear of the unknown, fear of losing something, or fear of other people. Notice that the vast majority of people were against Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. In our churches today in America we would have settled this with a vote. And we would have been the ones wandering in the wilderness! We must understand that in God's kingdom we do not follow the wants of the people but the commands of our king, Jesus. As Isaiah 2:22 says, "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" Our only fear is of the Lord and we must follow Him and listen carefully when leaders who have a track record of following Him point in the direction that they feel God is leading us.

The second thing to notice is the heart of Moses. Rejected, despised, and ready to be killed by the people, he never ceases to pray for them. They wanted to KILL him. I have been disliked and kicked in ministry, but to my knowledge no one has attempted to murder me. Slander maybe, but not physically take my life. And yet Moses prays that the people might be spared from the wrath of God. This is a Godly leader.

If you are in leadership in a church, you must have a heart like this. A heart that says no matter what the odds or difficulties, you won't tuck your tail and run. You trust in God for vindication and pray for the souls of the people entrusted to you. They are sheep and are in need of the Good Shepherd. Our primary work is to seek out the face of God and pray that He might bring forgiveness and healing one at a time. And those that need to suffer His wrath, we must allow Him to bring the punishment, not us.

What a lesson this is for me. I must pray for those who persecute me. I must pray for those who are my enemies. I must pray for those who betray trust. I must pray for those who attempt to injure me. I must pray for any and all that hate me. This is compassion. This is mercy. This is Godly leadership.

The sad thing is that people will rarely choose leaders like this. They will choose Aaron's who give them up in the hard times. They will choose Saul's who rule harshly. They will choose Eli's that don't know how to control their own homes. They will choose kings that let them do whatever they want.

But pray with me now that God will send His leaders. Spiritual men with His anointing. Men ready to call His people to repentance and will pray for their souls. Men who are not trying to be Savior, but lamps pointing to the Morning Star. Men who will not quit when they are rejected, but will fall down in mourning and pray for the people.

Leadership Lessons from Charles Swindoll

Some really good insights from the latest email newsletter of PreachingNow. Just something for all of God's servants to consider:

SWINDOLL'S LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Chuck Swindoll was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at last week's Catalyst '09 Conference. During his presentation, he described "10 Things I Have Learned During Nearly 50 Years in Leadership." Here's the list:

1) It's lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.

2) It's dangerous to succeed. I'm most concerned for those who aren't even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually He uses leaders who have been crushed.

3) It's hardest at home. No one ever told me this in seminary.

4) It's essential to be real. If there's one realm where phoniness is common, it's among leaders. Stay real.

5) It's painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won't be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.

6) Brokenness and failure are necessary.

7) Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: Some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.

8) Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image, but it's what you're doing behind the scenes.

9) God's way is better than my way.

10) Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility.

Is All Authority Created Equal?

(That's a joke for those of you who think I'm being serious.)

"And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves." Luke 22:24-27

I am wrestling with a major part of my thesis right now. It is the question of spiritual authority in preaching. And by authority I mean, "what power source does the preacher draw upon to give him the right to say the things he says?" Why should I listen to him? Is it because he gets paid? Because he's a good person? Because he wears a suit or clerical robe? Because he's behind a pulpit? Because he has a doctorate? Why should we listen to the preacher?

Based on my postings, I would hope that it has become evident what my answer to this question would be. The preacher has authority only if he has "been with Jesus." The only thing that gives the preacher an anointed authority is if Christ, the only truly "anointed one", is bursting forth in the sermon. This was Moses' power base, Joshua's, David's, Isaiah's, Jeremiah's, the 12, the 70, and Paul's. They had authority only because God had given it to them as a gift (check out Acts 8:4-24 for an interesting discussion on authority as a gift.) But here is my dilemma. The most common word in the NT for authority is also used to refer to men like Pilate, Caesar, and the Jewish authorities. So do they have the same kind of authority as the 12, Paul, and David?

This has really been a tough question for me. If we just examine the word usage and texts like Romans 13, it is clear that governing authorities are established by God and used as His servants. But in the Luke verse above, it seems clear that there is a clear cut distinction between this kind of authority and real authority in the kingdom. Like in Matthew 7:28-29, when the people realize that Jesus was teaching as one having authority, not as their scribes. How did they recognize this distinction? The scribes certainly had a positional authority, but Jesus had something else.

I think Matthew 23:1-12 helps us to begin to unpack this idea. I will quote verses 11-12 because they summarize the overarching point.

"But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

God is the one who grants authority. If we accumulate and abuse position and authority, then we will be humbled. Let us submit to the real teacher, father, and master and from Him receive authority. In reality it is His authority, we are all slaves under that authority, representing it. Each preacher has to give an answer for how they represented the authority of Christ, the anointed one. Because if we are preaching the word, then we are preaching Him. And if we are preaching Him, then we are His ambassadors and heralds. And how would a king react to a servant that misrepresented His authority? Well check out Numbers 12, 16-17, the rest of Matthew 23, and James 3.

I have no authority, I only want to submit myself to the authority of my king, Jesus.

The Dead Flies Of Preaching

"Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor." (Ecclesiastes 10:1)

I am coming to believe more and more that the basis for true spiritual authority in preaching is the spiritual formation in the life of the preacher. Spiritual formation has been described in many ways. Some say that there needs to be evidence that these men "have been with Jesus." Others might say that they have devoted themselves to the spiritual disciplines. Some might call it ministry "experience." I think Solomon would have us to see that spiritual formation is the abscence of dead flies.

Jesus and Paul figuratively call it leaven. Solomon calls it dead flies and folly. The Bible expresses this great obstacle to spiritual growth with many words and images. But they are all pointing us to the same stinking heap of garbage known as sin. It is the "fly in the ointment", the leaven in the dough. And the more that sin is mingled into the life of the preacher, the further he gets from true spiritual authority, which only comes from Jesus and who entrusts it only to those who have been with him. So how do we become a perfumers oil that does not smell like dead flies?

We must first realize that nothing we do will get the sin out of our life. The more we try to fight that battle, the more flies get in the ointment. Surrendering myself to Jesus and to His atoning death will be the only way that the decisive battle over sin will be won in my own heart. Does that feel strangely elementary to the doctrines of christianity? Of course it is, but what else is there! This is THE greatest truth that man has ever known. That God Himself might give Himself to us so that we can behold His glory, power, and authority. Why would I want anything else? No matter how elementary we perceive this truth to be, it is also the most forgotten truth. We tend to think things like...

"Now that I am in the ministry, I should be able to fight these sin battles on my own. I will hide my struggles. God and I will both fight the battle of pornography (or gossip, or homosexuality, or drug abuse, or pride, or hatred, or any dark thing that we hide away in our corners.) We'll beat this thing together."

What lies Satan uses! You can not beat the sin in you. Jesus' death alone defeats that sin. How arrogant I have been in thinking that I can defeat Satan and sin all on my own. Jesus is our dread champion, our Christus Victor. He is truth and life and we defeat sin in no other way but through Him.

I hear your slight objection. Certainly we must do something. I would say not SOME thing but ONE thing. Pursue wisdom and honor. Or more plainly, pursue Jesus. Do not spend one second of your day not captivated by Him. Run to Him with full force. Wake up praying, drive listening to His words, sing about Him, talk about Him, look for opportunities to be an extension of Him, but just cling to Him. Flies get into the ointment because we leave it exposed to the outside conditions. If we flee every form of immorality and close ourselves off to only be exposed to Jesus, sin has no opportunity to lay ahold of us. Do not give sin the opportunity. Spiritual formation is simply this, to have been with Jesus and no one else. That was always Jesus' call to discipleship. If a preacher lacks true spiritual authority, you can almost certainly be guaranteed that he has been with something or someone besides Jesus. Let Jesus pick out the flies, then close the lid and be with Him for the rest of eternity.

The Lightning and The Thunder

A man came on one occasion to the great George Whitefield and asked if he might print his sermons. Whitefield gave this reply; he said, 'Well, I have no inherent objection, if you like, but you will never be able to put on the printed page the lightning and the thunder.' That is the distinction - the sermon, and the 'lightning and the thunder'. (Preaching and Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones p 58)

Lloyd-Jones offers the suggestion that there is a difference between a sermon and preaching. And as Mr. Whitefield put it, that difference is "thunder and lightning". I believe, from a Biblical perspective, what they are getting at is the difference between dunamis and excousia. These are both greek words meaning power or authority. But here is the difference.

Every time the preacher gets up to proclaim the word of God, he should be dripping with spiritual authority (power). But should it be with excousia or with dunamis? The answer is both. Excousia has to do with the power or authority that a king has, or at least an ambassador of the king has. The preacher has this kind of authority if and only if they have crafted their sermon based on the word of God. This kind of authority is evident in someone who has taken time to make sure they are speaking the very words of God. They are an ambassador, a herald for the king. They sound the trumpet proclaiming that the kingdom of God has invaded the kingdoms of earth. This power (authority) is vital. But it is not the thunder and lightning.

Now dunamis. That's the power. Dunamis is where we get our english word dynamite. It is explosive, the power to change things. That's thunder and lightning. Dunamis is the element in preaching that just can't be explained. It's when you say to someone, "you just had to be there." Dunamis is what so many preachers want, but so many are missing. So how do we get the dynamite power of God? By believing it is real. Do you really believe God can raise the dead? Do you really believe He can heal illnesses? Do you really believe He can cure addictions? Do you really believe that He can save sinners destined for wrath? I don't ask if you know these things. I ask if you believe them. Because if a preacher believes them, he will have thunder and lightning.

"Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind." (Revelation 4:5-6)

What if that was in our preaching?