Leaders are important. I think that's a statement almost anyone if not everyone would agree upon. Whether they are political, medical, ministerial, or something else, nearly every type of leader is essential in some way. Some leaders do a poor job, though, and even the best of them will make mistakes daily. Therefore, Christians must be careful to measure the words and decisions of leaders. Not one type of leader will always do things in line with God's Word. The best of them can't do it. This isn't to say how horrible leaders are, it's to say how wise Christians must be.
For a great example, we can look at Peter. Anyone who knows about Peter knows he was one the church's earliest and greatest leaders. However, he wasn't a perfect man, and he did have his fair share of mistakes after becoming a top man. We read about one of his mistakes in Galatians 2:11-21. In it, Paul retells us the story about Peter's hypocrisy, and how Paul had to call him on it.
"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (NKJV)
Peter made the mistake of not being straightforward about the Gospel. Under the Old Covenant established before Jesus, Jews along with Gentiles who wanted to serve God had to follow a set of rules, which in reality no one could fulfill completely, ever. Under Jesus, these laws were shown to not be the way by which men were saved, and many of the rules and regulations and rituals were no longer necessary. However, there were some men who believed the whole law must still be followed to a "T", and when they came to Peter was, he left the table of the Gentiles because Gentiles in that day did not fulfill all the laws, including the laws about circumcision. When Peter did this a number of other Christians followed suit, including a prominent evangelist. Why? A large part of it probably had to do with Peter's influence. Peter was very well-known in the church, and was an established leader. However, here he led the people astray. Yet they still followed him. This is a lesson to us to not just accept what people say or do, especially people in leadership. Anything you wish to apply to your life or take action on should be measured to make sure it is in line with the Word of God. For an example of this, we can look at citizens of Berea:
Acts 17:10-12:
"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men." (NKJV, boldface added)
The Bereans had a great perspective on discernment. Rather than just accepting anything Paul said, they looked at the Scripture to make sure he was accurate in his sayings. This is a shining example of how Christians must be especially in this information-bombarding age.
In Disney's movie Peter Pan, a boy named John is taking the Lost Boys on a rather silly expedition to capture Indians. Along the way they sing a little song, the chorus of which goes something like this:
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader,
We're following the leader,
Wherever he may go!
Does this sound familiar from what people have said? At any rate, they fulfill the song quite faithfully. However, as John is showing his followers his plan to capture the Indians, the Indians are slowly sneaking up on them. The youngest brother Michael notices the sudden danger, and attempts to warn them, but is shoved away and ignored. The result? The Indians capture the expedition rather than the expedition capturing Indians. They nearly lose their lives at the stake.
Does this sound like us? How often do we blindly follow the leader? Whether the intentions of a person are good or bad, he will make mistakes, and when leadership people make mistakes the consequences are too great too often. The Church can't afford to accept everything leaders say and not question any of it. That's not to say we shouldn't listen to them at all or blow off anything they do, but it does mean that measuring what our leaders are leading us into by looking at God's Word is imperative. Following human leaders without exception will lead to disaster without exception. Jesus is the only leader Who never makes mistakes, and His Word is the final authority without question. His authority must take priority over the authority of others, no matter who they are.
For a great example, we can look at Peter. Anyone who knows about Peter knows he was one the church's earliest and greatest leaders. However, he wasn't a perfect man, and he did have his fair share of mistakes after becoming a top man. We read about one of his mistakes in Galatians 2:11-21. In it, Paul retells us the story about Peter's hypocrisy, and how Paul had to call him on it.
"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” (NKJV)
Peter made the mistake of not being straightforward about the Gospel. Under the Old Covenant established before Jesus, Jews along with Gentiles who wanted to serve God had to follow a set of rules, which in reality no one could fulfill completely, ever. Under Jesus, these laws were shown to not be the way by which men were saved, and many of the rules and regulations and rituals were no longer necessary. However, there were some men who believed the whole law must still be followed to a "T", and when they came to Peter was, he left the table of the Gentiles because Gentiles in that day did not fulfill all the laws, including the laws about circumcision. When Peter did this a number of other Christians followed suit, including a prominent evangelist. Why? A large part of it probably had to do with Peter's influence. Peter was very well-known in the church, and was an established leader. However, here he led the people astray. Yet they still followed him. This is a lesson to us to not just accept what people say or do, especially people in leadership. Anything you wish to apply to your life or take action on should be measured to make sure it is in line with the Word of God. For an example of this, we can look at citizens of Berea:
Acts 17:10-12:
"Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men." (NKJV, boldface added)
The Bereans had a great perspective on discernment. Rather than just accepting anything Paul said, they looked at the Scripture to make sure he was accurate in his sayings. This is a shining example of how Christians must be especially in this information-bombarding age.
In Disney's movie Peter Pan, a boy named John is taking the Lost Boys on a rather silly expedition to capture Indians. Along the way they sing a little song, the chorus of which goes something like this:
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader,
We're following the leader,
Wherever he may go!
Does this sound familiar from what people have said? At any rate, they fulfill the song quite faithfully. However, as John is showing his followers his plan to capture the Indians, the Indians are slowly sneaking up on them. The youngest brother Michael notices the sudden danger, and attempts to warn them, but is shoved away and ignored. The result? The Indians capture the expedition rather than the expedition capturing Indians. They nearly lose their lives at the stake.
Does this sound like us? How often do we blindly follow the leader? Whether the intentions of a person are good or bad, he will make mistakes, and when leadership people make mistakes the consequences are too great too often. The Church can't afford to accept everything leaders say and not question any of it. That's not to say we shouldn't listen to them at all or blow off anything they do, but it does mean that measuring what our leaders are leading us into by looking at God's Word is imperative. Following human leaders without exception will lead to disaster without exception. Jesus is the only leader Who never makes mistakes, and His Word is the final authority without question. His authority must take priority over the authority of others, no matter who they are.
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