Christ Exalting Leadership in the Local Church

Introduction: The Dangers of Lone Ranger Christianity.

There is a saying about growing up in a baptist church - “I am baptist born, baptist bred, and when I die I will be baptist dead. I am extremely thankful that I was raised in the church and that I heard the gospel time and time again as a part of local church. I am blessed that on my journey I have never experienced an extended amount of time without a church family. There was my first semester of college when I searched for a new church family - I recall that being a difficult time.

I am thankful for the faithful preaching of my father, I am thankful for the Sunday School teachers, and youth pastors like Chris Perry who worked hard at discipleship. I am thankful for men like Chris Wall at CRBC and Bill Hulse who were mentors when I was young in the ministry. I am thankful for godly men who supported and encouraged me in the faith at FBC Bentonville - men like Jeff Simpson, Jeff Brockelman, Steve Doyle and Chris Gregory. I am thankful for my brothers and sisters in Christ here at Covenant Church who over the past 16 years who have invested in me, my family and our local church. I am thankful for men such as Jack Eaton and Bruce Andre who no longer live in Siloam Springs but in my early days at our church were dear friends and mentors. I am thankful for the elders and deacons that the Lord has raised up to lead and serve in our church family. I am thankful for men like Chad Mann, Greg Dixon, Samuel Marney, and Nate O’Brien who have faithfully served as pastors in this church.

Why am I sharing this today? I want to emphasize the fact that there is no such thing as profitable lone-ranger Christianity. God has designed the church to shape your life as a follower of Jesus Christ. God has designed you and gifted you to serve and impact the lives of those around. It is impossible to walk in faithful obedience to Jesus and remain willfully disconnected and uncommitted to a local church family. Your perseverance depends upon it!

I have never met a faithful believer who has a half-hearted commitment to a local church. I have never met a faithful believer who does not love the church. I have never met a faithful believer who does not see the church as absolutely essential to the Christian life.

Remember Your Leaders

The author of Hebrews exhorts the church to remember their former leaders, those who pioneered the church, established it in the gospel and all of Scripture, who discipled them and taught them how to follow Christ. In the historical context of this book, these are probably men who have already died. Some of them may have died as martyrs for Christ.

It is important to reflect upon the people God has used in our lives to teach us God’s Word. Our culture often puts an emphasis on extraordinary mountain top experiences, but it is truly the faithful, consistent week in and week out regular exposure to God’s Word that most radically shapes us as Christ-followers.

This is why Christ-exalting leadership that is commited to the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word is a non-negotiable for the church.

The bible says - remember those leaders who spoke to you the Word of God! There are many things a leader can share - but if church is not built around the exposition of Scripture it has forfeited its power and its calling.

A pastor who does not expound God’s word is unhelpful at best and dangerous to your spiritual life - here is the fact, a leader in the local church is to be known not for his personality, his management skills, or even his eloquence in speaking - pastors/elders/teachers in the church are to be known for their confidence in God’s Word!

And if God has placed any one in your life at any time who has been faithful in this manner, they are to be remembered. If they are alive, pray for them, encourage them, support them in some way even if you are not under their influence presently - for God has used them for your good.

Consider Their Impact

For the ancient church the impact of these leaders was the establishment of the churches. Many would have heard the gospel the very first time under their former leadership. Their very existence as a church was the result of the former faithfulness.

But the ultimate reality is that these men persevered in the gospel and the outcome was an eternal one - here are faithful leaders, who established the church, and died in the faith - and they are in heaven.

As Paul said to Timothy in 2 Tim 4, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

The author is building on the cloud of witnesses theme, not only do we have examples of perseverance in the Old Testament, but we also have the examples of those who have invested in us personally, who have died and now reign with Christ!

Oh that we will all persevere and we need examples of those who persevere to the end.

As Paul writes in Eph. 6:18, “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”

Imitate Their Faith

Now there is a temptation to put leaders on a pedestal and to make too much of them and to depend too much on them. Leaders in the church are men who still have struggles and weaknesses. So what are we to imitate - we are to imitate their faith.

One way we could say this is that we are to imitate their trust in the gospel and how this was both taught and lived out in their lives.

As Paul said, Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Notice how Paul exhorts Timothy to imitate him in 2 Tim 3:1-4:8

Paul exhorts Timothy to imitate how he has persevered in gospel ministry through suffering!

We need examples to follow that will help us to persevere! Think of our Brother Joel and our Sister Emily as they persevere through the trial of cancer - have they kept believing through incredible difficulty? Every time you persevere in faith through difficulty you are worthy of imitation! We need the church in more ways than we think!!!

Remain Steadfast in Believing the Unchanging Gospel

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever - your circumstances will change, your leaders may change, many things will change but Jesus and his gospel never change!

The gospel never changes and many people have been led away by innovative and charismatic leaders who exalt themselves rather than Christ, and who promote the doctrines of men and devils but who do not promote the doctrines of Scripture.

You always have to guard against deception - Gal 1:6-9  “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”

The measure of a church and its leadership is its commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Never measure a church by its entertainment value, that is the stupidest measure of the church man has ever invented. Many people are being entertained all the way to hell. Never measure a church by its innovative methods. The church was not built by methodologies, it was built upon the rock solid proclamation of the gospel. Never measure a church by the emotional or therapeutic feeling you get - there are many feel good churches that offer a self-help message that will help you over a spiritual cliff.

In order to persevere, you need a church that is built upon the exaltation of Jesus as the only savior and king!

Conclusion: Pray for Your Leaders, That We May Be Worth Remembering