Sunday Sermon Starter 5-13-13

A few short years after the church was established Paul began the effort of appointing elderships in the various congregations around Asia Minor in direct obedience to God’s divine plan.  However, it did not take an incredibly long time before man started corrupting God’s plan.  While all the congregations had elders and a plurality of elders they found that when they met there was a general lack of organization.  Thus among them they began to appoint a chairman to preside over their meetings.  By A.D. 150 this position had developed into a permanent arrangement in many congregations.  By the close of the third century these “bishops” came to be regarded as the successors to the apostles.  Eventually, it became natural for the bishops of the large city churches to establish new congregations and assume authority over them as well.  Synods began to be called in which all the presiding bishops would assemble to discuss matters concerning the congregations over which they presided.  Eventually over the next few hundred years some of those bishops then began assuming authority over others and the hierarchy kept growing until finally the papacy was assumed and the Catholic order was made complete (The Eternal Kingdom, Mattox).

• Sound Leadership Requires Conviction – Never has a man been an effective leader without first believing that in which he leads.  How will men be willing to follow after something in which their leader doesn’t even believe?  Such an effort is doomed to fail before it even begins.  I believe that such a strong point could be made from the perspective of sheer common sense that turning to scriptural evidence should be unnecessary.  However, the Bible clearly makes the case for the necessity of earnest conviction among godly leaders (Titus 1:9; 1 Peter 5:1ff).  It is interesting that when God called Moses to return to Egypt to deliver His people that of the many things He had to convince Moses one of them was not the need to believe in the mission (Exodus 3-4).  It was assumed that Moses believed in the mission already.  When Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem after the first missionary journey to meet with the elders in Jerusalem they did not have to establish that they were all on the same side.  They had a common conviction (Acts 15).  When Paul issued his final charge to the Ephesian elders he never once had to convince them of the urgency of their work (Acts 20).  So when Titus read that those men serving as the appointed leaders of the church in Crete were to hold fast the faithful word as they had been taught it was the charge to take a personal stake in those things of which they were convicted and defend them earnestly!  Such leaders are necessary to maintain the purity of the church but likewise to challenge the church as it moves forward in its dedication to serve God.

• Sound Leadership Requires Character – You might initially believe that the most important aspect of a leader’s life would be their reputation.  After all, it people don’t respect them they won’t follow them.  However, we sometimes forget what must first be achieved before respect is acquired – character.  Character must be developed inwardly before a reputation can be built outwardly.  Different leaders require different character traits depending on exactly what they are attempting to lead.  However, when it comes to the leaders of the church (elders) God was very clear as to what He expects out of sound leaders.  The specific traits Paul outlines in the Titus account are as follows: blameless, a steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, and temperate (Titus 1:7-8).  Some are positive and some are negative but all are absolutely necessary in establishing the type of leader God wants among His people.  Does man have a right to look at the plan of God, differ with its validity, and change it according to his own will?  Absolutely not!  But they do and the results are devastating.  To be properly prepared to lead and to deal with any issues that arise these character traits are the necessary tools.  Ever try to do a job with the wrong tool?  Doesn’t work too well.  Neither does leading without the proper character.  Sound leadership requires character.

• Sound Leadership Requires Courage – A true leader, particularly in the church, cannot afford to allow fear to be a motivator for action or inaction.  Leadership demands tough decisions, decisions that could be disliked by some people.  You would think that knowing you will be openly and severely criticized ahead of time would make it easier to bear, but it doesn’t.  One of the hardest things leaders in the church have to do is outlined in the final verses of this chapter (Titus 1:10-16).  These warnings are consistent with warnings Paul had also issued to Timothy as he emphasized certain problems that would arise.  Timothy and Titus are warned about these issues so they and the leaders among them could be proactive in challenging them.  However, to do so requires courage – a courage similar to the courage God recommended to Joshua (Joshua 1:9).  The courage Joshua had to take into battle is the courage leaders among us must take into every decision they make or opposition they face.  They must trust in their wisdom and trust in the direction God has provided in His word to prevail to His glory.  This will be done if those leaders truly have godly courage.