“The previous fifteen chapters have given us many things to consider thoughtfully if we aspire to be effective leaders in a congregation. With all there is to reflect on, the considerations given in this material lead to a single consideration that is stated in one question: ‘Why would any man accept appointment to the role of a congregational leader?’ Since people who consent to form and be in a congregation do it on a voluntary basis, serving as an appointed leader does not offer prestige or power. Since being a leader is a voluntary role, it involves no financial considerations. Obviously it involves a lot of work that does not necessarily consider a person’s timetable. It seems probable that a godly, conscientious person committed to effectiveness runs a significant risk of being misunderstood by some people. The role is more complex than most of the people who benefit from the leadership realize. The role is demanding: it demands continued study; it demands understanding; it demands thoughtfulness; it demands commitment; it demands sacrifice; it demands inconvenience; it demands a love of people; it demands a love of God. So why agree to do it? Regardless of your qualifications, why do it?”

Good question! Unfortunately, the answer cannot be stated as simply as the question can be asked.


Christian Men Do It Because of Their View of Life.

We live in a complicated world. It has not been that long ago that we lived in a section of a country and struggled to understand that the whole country affected our lives. “Why should decisions in the Northeast or on the West Coast affect our lives?” Then we grew to the point that we understood what happened in Europe affected how we lived. Now we have grown to the point that we understand that what happens in the world affects our lives. The price of oil in an Arab country affects what we pay for gasoline. The price of labor in an Asian country affects what we pay for clothing and lifestyle goods. The cost of produce in a South American country affects our food supply. Now the world economy affects our local economy.

In the near future, what happens in places you might have difficulty locating on a map will affect your daily lifestyle. The kind of isolation and independence we knew in the past is impossible today. Quickly we realize cultural isolation and religious isolation are not possible. Materialism now threatens basic Christian values. Our children and grandchildren daily interact with influences unknown to us adults when we were children. None of us dare seek to imagine what life in this country will be in fifty years.

Now more than ever we are forced to recognize how temporary all physical considerations are. Hopefully, the time is either here or is rapidly coming when we as Christians understand that growing physical uncertainty means spiritual opportunity. God’s values that endured through Jesus Christ’s message in the unsettled first-century will continue to serve us well in today’s unstable world.

Christian men who see spiritual opportunity in current physical instability dare to be elders. Christian men who are impressed with the temporary nature of physical existence dare to be elders. Christian men who know eternal values dare to be elders. Christian men who see physical life as an investment in the eternal existence dare to be elders.


Christian Men Do It Because of Their View of Self.

Christians see, understand, and accept themselves as servants of God. The Creator God of the Bible is the source of life and existence. He never intended evil to be a part of the physical experience or the physical world—that was not His choice or decision. (Evil is so much a part of physical reality and people are so accustomed to some expressions of evil that we cannot imagine a world without evil.) Within six brief chapters, the “good creation” (Genesis 1:31) God brought into existence became all God did not intend (Genesis 6:5, 6). The rest of what many know as the Old Testament is an abbreviated history of God confronting evil and keeping a promise He made to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) as He sought to bring people back to Himself. His efforts to produce a universal opportunity to return to God reached completion when Jesus gave his blood for people and was resurrected by God (Matthew 5:17-20; John 12:49, 50; Acts 2:22-36; 10:34-43; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21; 1 John 1:5-10).

Because of Jesus Christ, we can be God’s new creation (Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:5-11). Through what God did and continues to do in Jesus Christ, everyone can have access to God (Ephesians 2:1-10). It is in that understanding that Christians seek to be God’s light in an existence of darkness (John 3:16-21; Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:7-12; 1 Peter 2:9, 10).

In the desire to be God’s light in the darkness produced by evil, Christians serve people as they pursue God’s purposes. Serving God defines who they are. Serving God defines the purpose of physical existence. Christian men who understand these things dare to be elders.


Christian Men Do It Because of Their View of God.

When God created, God ruled. God always is presented as the Father. Even Jesus is referred to as the son, and never as God’s brother. The resurrected Jesus sits on God’s right hand (a place of importance and honor)—not on God’s throne (see Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 7:55, 56; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews l:3, 10:12, 12:2; 1 Peter 3:21, 22). That which God created He—and He alone—has the right to rule.

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus made extensive use of the phrase “the kingdom of heaven.” Rarely does the gospel of Matthew use the phrase “the kingdom of God” (as in Matthew 12:28). If that gospel originally was written for Jewish readers and listeners, the word “heaven” was a substitute for the word “God” (YHWH) which the Jews considered inappropriate for saying. God was too holy for people to say His name.

The core of John the Baptist’s message was to repent because the kingdom of heaven was near (Matthew 3:2). That was at the center of Jesus’ message (Matthew 4:17). The nearness of the kingdom of heaven was the central message Jesus instructed the twelve to preach on the limited commission (Matthew 10:7). You also are encouraged to consider Matthew 4:23 and 9:35 to note that Jesus considered this message “good news” or gospel.

The gospel of Matthew notes that Jesus made frequent reference to the “kingdom of heaven” in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3, 10, 19, 6:10, 13, 33; 7:21). He even noted that scribes who responded to his message were disciples “of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:52).

The phrase “kingdom of God” is used in the gospel of Mark and the gospel of Luke. In Luke, Jesus said he was sent to preach about the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43). Consider also Luke 8:1 and 9:2, 60. It is in John 18:36 that we learn that the territory of Jesus’ kingdom was not a physical territory.

Think about the concept of kingdom. Typically in the “kingdom” concept of Jesus’ day (and before), the concept involved a territory, subjects, and a king. The territory is spiritual, not physical. The subjects are those who choose to follow God by adopting God’s values and principles as declared by Jesus. The rightful king is God. Jesus’ position of ruler is temporary.

The objective of Jesus’ disciples (as we seek to be God’s “called out” [the church]) is to serve the role God wishes us to serve in this physical world as we devote ourselves to restoring God’s rule. The rule of God is not expressed in a physical territory or physical things. It is expressed in our lives. It is not limited to assemblies in a building three times a week. It is no less than a directing of human lives seven days a week as disciples who live by God’s values and principles in all contexts.

Please read and consider 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.

. . . then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.

Christian men who understand the rightfulness of assisting in the restoration of God’s rule dare to be elders.

The understandings that lead Christian men to be elders include but involve more than evangelism. Those understandings include but involve more than the pursuit of salvation, or the pursuit of righteous living, or the human need for edification, or the need to be holy people in this world. The willingness of dedicated Christian men to serve as elders comes from nothing less than a love of God with all the benefits that love provides people as they serve the Source of Life.

When you serve as a shepherd, never forget to walk in the pasture—know what the sheep confront as you seek to lead them closer to God.

Consider:

THE LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23, NASV)


THEREFORE, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:1-4, NASV)

Chapter Fifteen

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