LEADER'S QUALIFICATION - A PANACEA FOR CHURCH GROWTH
Introduction
Yesterday, while getting edified with @reliquary sharing the first chapter of Titus, it dawn on me how much expectation God placed on church leaders. Reading through the chapter seemed to me as God only sees the leader, and thus, implies that the leader of the church must possess a minimum qualification if he or she must lead God's people to escape the deceiving and distracting enemy of the church. Let's read Titus 1: 5-9:
For this reason I left you behind in Crete, so that you would set right what remains unfinished, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, a man of unquestionable integrity, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of being immoral or rebellious.
For the overseer, as God’s steward, must be blameless, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain [but financially ethical]. And he must be hospitable [to believers, as well as strangers], a lover of what is good, sensible (upright), fair, devout, self-disciplined [above reproach—whether in public or in private].
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy word [of God] as it was taught to him, so that he will be able both to give accurate instruction in sound [reliable, error-free] doctrine and to refute those who contradict [it by explaining their error].
It has always been in God's agenda that the church should grow. The growth of the church is not an entity in itself but a product of a selfless, committed and investing life of a leader. This is why God is so interested in building and raising m,en with high Standards to pilot the e affairs of the church. I see in this First Chapter of the book of Titus as Paul carefully (by the help of the Holy Spirit) outlines the qualification of the church Elder who is positional in overseeing the growth of the saved.
The Qualities
An outline of the identified qualities is as follows:
- Unquestionable Integrity
- Husband of One wife
- Father of children who believe
- Not Immoral
- Not Rebellious
- Blameless man
- Not self-willed
- Not Quick-tempered
- Not addicted to wine
- Not violent
- Not Greedy for dishonest gain
- Financially ethical man
- Hospitable to believers
- Hospitable to strangers
- Lover of what is good
- Sensible
- Upright
- Fair
- Devout
- Self-disciplined in Public
- Self-disciplined in private
- Firm defender of God's word
- Faithful teacher
- Have sound doctrine
- A disciplinarian
- Bold and courageous to rebuke wrong doing
In the book of 1 Timothy 3:1-, Paul enlists another set of qualifications for church leaders.
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;
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 1Ti 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
In the above epistle to Timothy, Paul emphasizes the need for the leader to ensure decorum in his family. The lives of his wife and children must meet with God's standard. This means that the leader must first of all win his family for the Lord. Other persons must see the leader's family as a model to reckon with. This will give the leader the courage to rebuke others in their wrong doings to the glory of God.
Why These Qualifications?
The essence of setting up this league of character is for the Elder to be able to nurture God's people against the roaring enemy who want to deceive, kill and destroy by sowing seeds of the wrong word.
A critical view of verses 9 and 10 of Titus chapter 1 defines the reason for this huge expectation:
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy word [of God] as it was taught to him, so that he will be able both to give accurate instruction in sound [reliable, error-free] doctrine and to refute those who contradict [it by explaining their error]. For there are many rebellious men who are empty talkers [just windbags] and deceivers; especially those of the circumcision [those Jews who insist that Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the Law in order to be saved].
Lest we forget, the enemy is never at rest. They are afraid that his kingdom will be conquered, the reason he prides in diluting God's message by training his (false teachers) with "another message". The effectiveness of God's leader in the church will break the prangs of the enemy. God intends to use the qualified leader to silence the noise of the enemy of the church.
Are you a leader, brace up and do a self-check. God can help your flaws. You are not just leading for yourself sake, the souls of men in the church are entrusted to your care. You have to be grounded in God's word, so that you can lead God's purpose.
God bless you!
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I love all these characteristics that a Christian leader should have, knowing that everything can be achieved with the help of our friend, guide and counselor, the Holy Spirit, who leads us to all truth. When people read those characteristics they say that it is not possible given our nature, but that is the work of Jesus, make us imitators of him, for that came to earth in the form of man, to show that if we can follow his example, that if we fall, we have a lawyer to get up, because someone who loves God does not delight in sin, but returns to his Father, we know that it is a process of formation, brother @Uyobong, I remember in Genesis when God says to Jacob: you will no longer be called jacob, usurper, but Israel , chosen people. And in Isaiah he repeats it, and so says Jehovah, your creator, oh Jacob, your formator, oh Israel, which leads me to think that God created Jacob, but Jacob was a usurper, when he meets God, he changes his name (israel), there begins the process of formation, so it happens with each one of us we are formed by Christ, in character, to fulfill the divine purpose.
Yeah, the perfection of these characteristics is not of ours to do, but, when we submit and yield to God, He works them out through us. We must be ready to lay all at the feet of the master and have Him run our lives on our behalf. Thank you @sc-v for this wonderful contribution.
Amazing brother.
A good leader must have all this qualities. Well explain and a great post
Thank you @dwayne16 for coming around
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