APOSTOLIC WARNING: “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, SOBER, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, NO STRIKER, not greedy of filthy lucre; but PATIENT, NOT A BRAWLER, not covetous;”
1 Timothy 3:1-3 KJV
The need for Leadership Training has never been more needed than now. The lack of foundational truth as the backbone of a principled leadership paradigm is horrifying to observe. In our GIFT HEAVY culture, the absence of the nature of Jesus Christ in Leadership, doesn’t even seem to bother us these days. Despite the Apostle Paul’s clear directives as to the character of leadership, many of these traits are being ignored for the SHOW, the SPECTACULAR, or to endear one to an IDOL that is worshipped, instead of leader who should be honored, and there is a big difference.
CHARACTER
Paul’s letter to Timothy gives us clear indicators of the presence of an Oversight Grace resting on a Leader. I want to highlight just a few of these:
1) SOBER- Having a CHRIST CENTERED, CHRIST FOCUSED JUDGMENT is a key to representing Jesus Christ in our dealings with humanity, both in and out of the church. Being able to distinguish if and when a response is necessary is important. Furthermore, being SOBER, speaks to not thinking more highly than one’s self and over emphasizing one’s importance over one’s RESPONSIBILITY to mirror JESUS in all things. Many have fallen to the allure of power, success and platforms and have cursed their influence in the Earth. They have cast aside accountability and the need for personal evaluation. The self-absorbed, narcissistic mentality will continue an abusive, abrasive and brash attitude, even when scripture commands our sobriety.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
Romans 12:3-5 KJV
2) NO STRIKER, NOT A BRAWLER: Being contentious is a sign of emotional and mental instability and hidden spiritual deficits, cloaked in gifting. When one has no governance over their emotions, it is very easy to become a STRIKER and a BRAWLER. The Prophet Moses, was a friend of GOD, who spent 40 years, speaking to GOD face to face, who saw the glory of GOD, and many manifestations of miracles. But MOSES, like many leaders today, allowed the PEOPLE, to control him emotionally, until one day, when GOD commanded him to SPEAK to a rock to release water, his anger caused him to STRIKE the rock, thus, excluding him from entering the Promised Land. Rants, tantrums, name calling, fights, evil vocalization, cursing, and vile speech, is NEVER ACCEPTED BY GOD, and should never be accepted by us. Leaders must learn to submit their emotional and mental life to the power of the Holy Spirit, less we miss GOD, and lead GOD’s people into the same folly.
“Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
Proverbs 22:20-21, 24-26, 29 KJV
3) PATIENT- On of the major pillars of New Testament Leadership is PATIENCE. Our faith is rooted in the fact that GOD’s mercy, endures forever and His truth to generations, yet unborn. When one has an erroneous theology concerning the FATHER, they will eventually attempt to emulate a construct of GOD that fits their dysfunction. Absence from the Presence Of GOD is normally the culprit in those cases. It is impossible to stand in the Presence of GOD, and not be changed by the shear magnitude of His Love. FATHER’s heart is so big and His Love so great, that a second with Him is life altering. It’s impossible to be impatient with people, when you stand in the Presence Of GOD, and you know that you were a sinner and He decided to love you, save you and adopt you into His royal family. The lens from which we see people will change dramatically, and how we deal with people’s processes will be altered as we allow His WORD to have its perfecting work in us. You cannot lead effectively, if you are not gentle, kind, loving, peaceful, and long-suffering with GOD’s people.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8 KJV
If you are called to LEADERSHIP in any capacity, I want to exhort you to seek the LORD and pray that HIS NATURE would manifest itself in you. The Bible is clear, it would be better for you to tie a millstone around your neck, and be cast in the sea, than for you to offend one of GOD’s little ones. (Mark 9:42) If this message hit you, then repent, because I know I had a lot of repenting to do. And if what you demonstrated was public, then repent publicly, with the same voracity that you sinned. It will bring healing and demonstrate maturity and proper biblical ethic to those who follow you. I pray this helps!!-Pastor Joel Nathan
1 Timothy 3:1-3 KJV
The need for Leadership Training has never been more needed than now. The lack of foundational truth as the backbone of a principled leadership paradigm is horrifying to observe. In our GIFT HEAVY culture, the absence of the nature of Jesus Christ in Leadership, doesn’t even seem to bother us these days. Despite the Apostle Paul’s clear directives as to the character of leadership, many of these traits are being ignored for the SHOW, the SPECTACULAR, or to endear one to an IDOL that is worshipped, instead of leader who should be honored, and there is a big difference.
CHARACTER
Paul’s letter to Timothy gives us clear indicators of the presence of an Oversight Grace resting on a Leader. I want to highlight just a few of these:
1) SOBER- Having a CHRIST CENTERED, CHRIST FOCUSED JUDGMENT is a key to representing Jesus Christ in our dealings with humanity, both in and out of the church. Being able to distinguish if and when a response is necessary is important. Furthermore, being SOBER, speaks to not thinking more highly than one’s self and over emphasizing one’s importance over one’s RESPONSIBILITY to mirror JESUS in all things. Many have fallen to the allure of power, success and platforms and have cursed their influence in the Earth. They have cast aside accountability and the need for personal evaluation. The self-absorbed, narcissistic mentality will continue an abusive, abrasive and brash attitude, even when scripture commands our sobriety.
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
Romans 12:3-5 KJV
2) NO STRIKER, NOT A BRAWLER: Being contentious is a sign of emotional and mental instability and hidden spiritual deficits, cloaked in gifting. When one has no governance over their emotions, it is very easy to become a STRIKER and a BRAWLER. The Prophet Moses, was a friend of GOD, who spent 40 years, speaking to GOD face to face, who saw the glory of GOD, and many manifestations of miracles. But MOSES, like many leaders today, allowed the PEOPLE, to control him emotionally, until one day, when GOD commanded him to SPEAK to a rock to release water, his anger caused him to STRIKE the rock, thus, excluding him from entering the Promised Land. Rants, tantrums, name calling, fights, evil vocalization, cursing, and vile speech, is NEVER ACCEPTED BY GOD, and should never be accepted by us. Leaders must learn to submit their emotional and mental life to the power of the Holy Spirit, less we miss GOD, and lead GOD’s people into the same folly.
“Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”
Proverbs 22:20-21, 24-26, 29 KJV
3) PATIENT- On of the major pillars of New Testament Leadership is PATIENCE. Our faith is rooted in the fact that GOD’s mercy, endures forever and His truth to generations, yet unborn. When one has an erroneous theology concerning the FATHER, they will eventually attempt to emulate a construct of GOD that fits their dysfunction. Absence from the Presence Of GOD is normally the culprit in those cases. It is impossible to stand in the Presence of GOD, and not be changed by the shear magnitude of His Love. FATHER’s heart is so big and His Love so great, that a second with Him is life altering. It’s impossible to be impatient with people, when you stand in the Presence Of GOD, and you know that you were a sinner and He decided to love you, save you and adopt you into His royal family. The lens from which we see people will change dramatically, and how we deal with people’s processes will be altered as we allow His WORD to have its perfecting work in us. You cannot lead effectively, if you are not gentle, kind, loving, peaceful, and long-suffering with GOD’s people.
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
James 1:2-8 KJV
If you are called to LEADERSHIP in any capacity, I want to exhort you to seek the LORD and pray that HIS NATURE would manifest itself in you. The Bible is clear, it would be better for you to tie a millstone around your neck, and be cast in the sea, than for you to offend one of GOD’s little ones. (Mark 9:42) If this message hit you, then repent, because I know I had a lot of repenting to do. And if what you demonstrated was public, then repent publicly, with the same voracity that you sinned. It will bring healing and demonstrate maturity and proper biblical ethic to those who follow you. I pray this helps!!-Pastor Joel Nathan
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