Take The Lead! (Part 1)

Take The Lead! (Part 1)
1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1st Peter 5:1-4)
In this 5th chapter Peter is writing a letter to the elders (verse 1-5). The word “elder”, simply means older. Elders were church officers providing supervision, protection, discipline, instructions and directions to the other believers. They carried great responsibility and were also expected to be good examples. Peter himself was an elder. He had witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection, preached at Pentecost, became a pillar of the Jerusalem church, but when he was writing to the elders he identified himself as a fellow elder, and not a superior. When he told them to “Feed the flock of God..” this was an echo of what Jesus told him in St. John 21:15-19. Peter was taking his own advice as he worked along side of the other elders in caring for God’s faithful people. This good example of Christian leadership…authority based on service, and not power, is found in St. Mark chapter 10 verses 42-45: “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
When reading this passage of scripture, I find at least four characteristic of good leaders in the church. All of us lead others in some way. Whatever our role, our leadership should be in line with these characteristics. First, a good leader must realize they are caring for God’s flock, not their own. As a leader, a guide or an elder in a church we must know that what we do to or use the flock of God for that displeases God, will result in discipline from God. Psalms 105:13-15 says: When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people; He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes; Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.Don’t get it twisted Pastors, Bishop, Apostles, TD Jakes, Juanita Bynum and the like are not only God’s “anointed,” that mother in the mothers’ corner…that young person that chooses to stand up and not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their school…that man that just exchanged a needle in his arm for a bible in his hand…these are God’s anointed! When you hurt them using unnecessary authority over them (choir director, usher leader, etc), God takes it personally!
Secondly, a good leader leads out of eagerness to serve, not out of obligation. (to be contined)