Tag leadership

False spiritual authorities do not aim to live for Jesus and are not genuinely concerned with His kingdom. They leverage self-proclaimed mantles to gain influence for their own fiefdoms and their own agendas; they care not for the sheep. They claim to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors for Jesus. But, although they use His name often to season their talk, they are not for Jesus. These false spiritual leaders are involved in the church for purposes other than promoting saving faith in Jesus Chris and obedience to His word. These charlatans use spiritual language, religious titles, and claims of special revelation to draw people after themselves. And then what? And once someone becomes their follower they are led into living in compromise, into living in conflict with the commands of Christ, and into living in conformity with the world  and its practices (Matthew 23:15; 2 Peter 2:18-20).

In Revelation 2:20, the woman called “Jezebel” claims to have spiritual authority; she says that she is a prophetess. (She places herself second in the spiritual ranking of the church. See 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; James 3:1; 1 Timothy 3:1–7; and Titus 1:5–9.) However, her teaching seduces Christ’s servants into sexual immorality and idolatry. This is the pattern of the false spiritual authority: this person does not merely make mistakes. They use the appearance of spiritual legitimacy to lead people away from loyalty to the Lord.

Questions for Discussion

1. Do my leaders direct me toward ways of thinking and behaving that are pleasing to Jesus? This question is not to be answered based merely on sentiment. It should be answered in the light of the Scriptures.
2. As a leader, is it my chief goal to promote faith in Jesus?

Prayer

Lord, give me insight into my real motives. Purify my heart and help me to fully own objectives and goals that are not godly. Help me to see both the sin of selfish leadership and the work you have already done to change me for the better. Guide me in godly mourning and repentance for what is amiss. I give you thanks for the grace that has led me into what is right. Make of me a person after your own heart and help me to actively engage in my responsibilities for spiritual development (1 Timothy 4:15; Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 12:14-17).

Life is a journey. For a leader, it is a double journey as we travel with others. For leaders of leaders, frequent flier miles can quickly add up. For those leaders who are “worried and troubled about many things,” frequent flier miles may never be cashed in. A regular pre-flight announcement states, “If oxygen masks are necessary, they will drop from a compartment above. If you are traveling with a child or someone needing assistance, put your mask on first.” Why? Because you can’t help someone when you are struggling yourself. Right? Not so fast; we Christian leaders do it all the time.

As leaders, we often forget to grab some oxygen first before we take care of our charges. Someone is always in need, and good leaders always care. The better a leader you are, the more people will seek you out. You didn’t become a good leader by only looking out for yourself. Being a leader is a call, and it is confirmed by people looking for you. Compass needs leaders who go beyond a title or seeking recognition. And Compass is committed to making sure our leaders continue to look more and more like Jesus.

Once, when Jesus was leading a life group in Martha and Mary’s house, the principle of “put your oxygen on first” was on full display. Martha wanted Mary to get up and help her take care of the people hearing Jesus. Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

To care for others is our call, but that must be balanced with an insatiable thirst for being with Jesus. We can’t give what we don’t have. I’m not saying ignore people; I’m saying make sure you are serving others out of a deep breath of the Spirit of Jesus. It makes shepherding an adventure and keeps the burn-out far away. Think adventure!

I’m not big on guilt as a motivation, so don’t take this as an admonition to get your priorities right. What I am saying is that the journey you invite your disciples on will be more life-giving when we maintain our spiritual discipline of personal devotional time. It is the kind of journey that will keep us from burning out.

Tools for enhancing our devotional time:

 Refresh and Recalibrate: https://bit.ly/4cP7WNc

 The Spiritual Disciple of Resetting: https://spirituallyhungry.com/the-spiritual-discipline-of-resetting/

For you leaders, it is a reminder, not an invitation. “Continue to choose the good part.”

Dr. Alex Mandes