House Church Talk - Questions concerning leadership

[Dan Beaty]

Jim P.

I stand by my original post. Paul was not embarassed to exhort other
believers to follow him as he followed Christ. He also exhorted the leaders
to lead. From the time I began following Christ, I am grateful to have had
older, wiser, more experienced saints who were further along in the journey
than I.

Some had suffered in ways that I have yet to comprehend, but in the process
became intimate with Him to the extent that His grace flowed from them in
exceptional ways. Some have gone on, but the memory of them continues to
inspire me to walk with Him more closely.

Jesus asked Saul of Tarsus, "Why are you persecuting Me?" For as much as
Saul had done to the least of these His brethren, he was doing this unto
Jesus.

Those who reject God's messengers in the name of "We have Jesus as our
Leader," are in fact rejecting His leadership in their lives. That point
should really not be difficult to see, given the multitude of testimonies in
the Scripture. But then, many "relational" Christians have rejected the
influence of the Scriptures in their lives as well.

Dan B.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "jim pierceall" <jpierceall at brtc.net>
To: "House Church Talk" <House Church Talk  at housechurch.org>
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: House Church Talk -  Questions concerning leadership


> Interesting DanB ..
>
> I chuckled about your writing << I heard a lot about "leaderless
> churches.">>
>
> Sort of an oxymoron..
>
> Jesus head and leader of His followers...
> We have Satan head leader of his followers...
> Then we have the headless mindless masses..
>
> We might see a leaderless church - but I am certain we wouldn't confuse
it,
> as being His church... O;>)
>
>
> You wrote:  <<> So, my thinking is that we should be praying for the Lord
to
> chastise, mold,
> > shape and raise up more effective servants in the Church who can
exemplify
> > His life before us. AND, then we should hope and pray that His people
> would
> > be wise enough to appreciate what He has provided for our benefit, by
> > following their examples of servanthood.>>
>
> Yes - No - Maybe?
>
> IC constantly recognize the failures of what they term church.  And most
> always they think in terms of a leadership problem...  Fixing the blame,
is
> always easier than fixing the problem..
>
> Case in point - is what do they always see as remedy... ?  Send us better
> leaders Lord!  Raise up better shepherds...  This cry can be heard weekly
> throughout churchianity, as the weakness to their systems become
> increasingly exposed as faulty.
>
> While you didn't say that - that is how most might view it, in their
desire
> to have better church, they would insist on better leaders...
>
> As Wayne J has written in the past - the problem as laid out in Ezek 34:1
to
> bad shepherds isn't more leaders, better leaders, modified and improved
> leaders...  It is God coming and becoming our Leader...  Just as He has
> promised...  verse 11....
>
> Show me the brethren that esteem His leadership, and I believe I have
found
> others to walk alongside, sharing the lessons that He teaches...  Making
> application as we walk...
>
> Changing one word in what you have written, I am in agreement:
>
> <<><  > So, my thinking is that we should be praying for the Lord to
> chastise,
> mold,
> > shape and raise up more effective <walkers> in the Church who can
> exemplify
> > His life before us. AND, then we should hope and pray that His people
> would
> > be wise enough to appreciate what He has provided for our benefit, by
> > following their examples of servanthood.
> >>> Dan Beaty
> > Columbus, Ohio   ><>>
>
>
> Thanks, JimP - kentucky
>