Here is the tenth part of the study The Upside Down World of Theology.

Chapter Nine

Committees are formed so we can say we did something without having to do anything.

            Over my years in so many churches in so many places a constant thread is that when we realize we should do something but don’t want to be the one to do it we will set up a committee to “look into it”.

            After a series of meetings with deep discussion we will come up with a plan of action and absolutely nothing happens!  At first I thought this was just an odd occurrence but over time I have come to realize it is a plan that we understand but do not talk about.

            As I look at this Theology it calls me to understand just what human leadership should look like.  Read the following Scriptures and think about them for a little while before going on.

“8 ¶ The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" 9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."” (Revelation 4:8-11 NKJV)

“12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:12-15 NKJV)

WHY!!!

“24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 "But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.” (Luke 22:24-27 NKJV)

            In the verses above we see Leadership Models for the Church which includes leading in Worship of the Most High God, leading by serving those you are leading and by serving others so they can be brought to Table together in the Lord.

            This type of leadership is not only upside down but backward to those of us in the world.  We see the leader as a lord type position when for the Christian there is only the One Lord Jesus Christ. 

            In the Church the role of the leader is to point others to the Lord and seek to help them come under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and not their own, their congregation or denomination.  We know this to be true because is exactly how Jesus lived out his life before us pointing us to the Father and honoring the Father in all that Jesus said, taught and did.

            And thus Jesus taught us that final part of leadership by example that leaders must teach others by example.  Even as we human leaders fall and fail we teach others by our confession and repentance what to do when they fall and fail!

            As human beings we teach a dependency upon God and a servant’s heart for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the lost.  We love as we are loved by God, serve as we are served by God and hope in patience for them as God has hoped in patience for us!

Looking at the scriptures above how do you think God sees you?

How do you think God sees those in your congregation?

How do you think God sees the lost?

Do these scriptures change the way you lead others?