"Deacons are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as Deacons!" 1 Timothy 3:8-10
What do James Jones, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggert, and a certain Pastor at a megachurch in Atlanta, et al, have in common? What about other church leaders, most notably Deacons who claim that God has called them to be be proactive in building the Kingdom but fall short because of apathy and not adhering to His precepts? This essay is a general theorem and not conducive nor designed for any situation that would castigate or cast aspersions on anyone’s character closest to me. Then again, no one is exempt from the truths emanating from this opinionated matter. I’m speaking generically and concerned more with how certain leaders are usurping the pulpit, leading God’s people astray, and showing blatant misconduct apart from the ‘calling’ they’re supposed to be honoring. I’m aware that whenever a high-profile Christian leader falls or fails, the effects are far-reaching...likewise for Deacons in any church that shirk duties and don’t exemplify what 1Timothy 3:1-3 says leaders should embody.
On a personal note, it bothers me when I see my brothers not doing what can be done to better themselves, the church and the parishioners they supposedly are praying for. I’m not perfect and without fault, for there have been times when I’ve failed in the eyes of the Lord as I continue to profess to be a sinner. I feel embarrassment for the name of Christ and for His church. Anytime when negligence is prevalent, it would be one more opportunity for mocking Christians, for pointing out the hypocrisy within the church and leaders notwithstanding. And then there are times when I especially feel ashamed for judging my brothers, for overlooking my own hidden sins, my own failures and short comings. Something like this can happen to any one of us if we do not remain vigilant in our walk with Christ. When anger and shame subsides I feel comfort reemerging. For I know when sin is kept hidden in darkness, it flourishes, entangles and become blinding as it grows in strength. But once exposed, once confessed and ready to be dealt with, sin loses its grip, and a prisoner goes free!
Nevertheless, the Bible is rife with personalities that fell short of their calling...Saul continually disobeyed God; Habakkuk rebelled; Jacob was a cheater; Peter had a temper; David had an affair; Noah got drunk; Jonah ran from God; Paul was a murderer; Gideon was insecure; Miriam was a gossiper; Martha was a worrier; Thomas was a doubter; Sarah was impatient; Elijah was moody; Moses stuttered; Zaccheus was short; Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead. Now what is YOUR excuse? Can God use you or not? He doesn’t call the qualified, He QUALIFIES the Called. Though not all of the above were ‘called’, they at one point had God’s ear with certain realization that further placed them in rarified air. I close with a message to leaders and laymen everywhere: doing the Lord’s work is serious business. The key is to stand up and be accountable, and not getting caught up thinking you can do on your own without God’s approval and anointing. Anything beyond this would invite failure and consequences.
Nice information, so funny we have been going through a seminar with our Pastor, which is called "Leaders That Lead" and he has been telling us some of the things that is expected from leaders of the church including himself..
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joyce…I'm just sick and tired of these so-called leaders who are not about God's business, and this goes for all titled church luminaries, including and not limited to Pastors, Deacons, Bishops, Deaconesses, Evangelists, and others who fit this scenario. I gave the essay here this title because people always profess to be called and half the time it's not their calling based on how they go about adhering (or lack of same) to church activity. I see too many snakes in the pulpit and Pastors all about the money and how fast they can 'grow' their churches to see how much money they can generate for the next mercedes or megachurch. ENOUGH!!
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