Lesson 11
Leadership

Study Compiled by Kevin L. Ziegler, Evangelist
at South Side Church of Christ, Danville, IL 61832
southside.restorationplea.com

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• Focal point of leadership is HOLINESS! Holiness deals with character and purpose. Leadership is "set apart for service".

• Two kinds of leadership styles that Jesus condemned and one that He taught:

• Jewish Model: CONDEMNED - Matthew 23 - The leaders made laws to keep people in line. But it was simply an outward form of leadership. They were very proud and thought that they were above the law. But where was the holiness?

• Gentile Model: CONDEMNED - Matthew 20:20-29 - The leaders held dominion and authority over people by force and intimidation. I Peter 5 says that elders are not to be "overlords" of the flock.

• Christ Model: TAUGHT - Luke 22:26 - The leaders under Christ's model were servants.

• Building a biblical understanding of leadership requires at least three elements:

• What is the Origin of leadership?

• Three lists of gifts in the New Testament using the illustration of the human body:

• Romans 12: Gifts were given by God the Father to the church.

• I Corinthians 12: Gifts were given by God the Holy Spirit to the church.

• Ephesians 4: Gifts were given by God the Son to the church

• What is the Nature (design) of leadership? The gifts were given when Jesus ascended on high. Each gift was given at the same time to the church.

• What is the Purpose of leadership? Purpose was to equip the saints for works of service. They were also to edify the body of Christ. The primary purpose of leadership was NOT to do all the work of the church and to make all the decisions on behalf of the people.

• Name: Evangelist - one who proclaims the Gospel; lit. good news proclaimer

• Qualifications:  (I & II Timothy and Titus)

• Man of Prayer (I Timothy 2:1)

• Entreaties

• Petitions

• Thanksgiving

• Know how to conduct himself and the Church (I Timothy 3:15)

• Prepared and able to defend the Gospel (I Timothy 4:6; II Timothy 4:2)

• Man of discipline (I Timothy 4:7)

• Teacher (I Timothy 4:11)

• An example (I Timothy 4:12)

• Knowledgeable of the Word (I Timothy 4:13; II Timothy 4:2)

• Preach

• Reprove

• Rebuke

• Older men and women

• Younger men and women

• Exhort

• Sound in doctrine (I Timothy 4:16; II Timothy 4:3)

• Determined

• Ready in season and out

• Endure hardship

• Authority and Responsibility:

• Traditional view:

• Evangelist brings new Church into existence

• Evangelist sets new Church in order

• Evangelist ordains elders

• Evangelist moves on to repeat the process

• Evangelist has seven good sermons and a fast car

• Putting Timothy and Titus together make the traditional views impossible

• Job description of Evangelist

• Preacher of the Word

• Public Ministry of the Word. (I Timothy 4:13)

• Herald the Message of Salvation. (I Timothy 2:7)

• Remind the Saints of Basic Christian Virtues. (Titus 3:1,2; I Timothy 4:16; 6:17-19)

• Rebuke Unchristian Attitudes and Actions. (Titus 1:13; 2:15; II Timothy 4:3)

• Warn Divisive People. (Titus 3:10,11)

• Preach the Word. (II Timothy 4:1,2)

• Teacher

• Teach. (I Timothy 4:11)

• Passing onto others what he has been taught. (II Timothy 2:2)

• Oversight.

• Set things in order. (Titus 1:5)

• Train and install Godly men into leadership positions. (I Timothy 3:1-12; Titus 1:5-9; I Timothy 5:22)

• Rebuke those who sin and deal with them. (Titus 3:10; I Timothy 5:20)

• See that Widows are properly cared for. (I Timothy 5:3-16)

• Responsible for proper conduct within the Assembly. (I Timothy 2 - Paul instructs Timothy on the proper conduct of men in prayer, women, etc.)

• Guarding against False Teaching. (I Timothy 4:1-6; Titus 1:10-14)

• Servant. (II Timothy 2:24)

• Student. (II Timothy 2:15) The word “diligent” (NASB) or "Study” (KJV) means to “become a Master-craftsman.”

• Where did the role of elders come from? Christ (Ephesians 4:11)

• What is the purpose of the eldership? To equip the saints for works of service (Ephesians 4:11-12)

• Three words for elder

• is the word we get presbytery from. Usually used of aged, or older man.

• is the word we get bishop from – which means to oversee. Someone who looks or watches over.

• word for shepherd. One who tends the herds or flocks. Word is “pastor”.

• Eight observations relating to the elders and the evangelists from the New Testament

• Nowhere in the Bible is there a relationship of being adversaries between the elders and the evangelist.

• The relationship between the elders and the evangelist should be on of mutual respect.

• Always a plurality of elders found in the Bible – not just one

• Both are given by Christ to the church.

• Both were given at the same time (one did not come before the other)

• Both are directed toward the same primary purpose

• Both worked together in the early church

• Both are accountable to each other for their conduct and their work (I Timothy 5:17-22; I Timothy 4:14)

• Three ways the elders must shepherd the flock (Titus 1:9)

• An elder exhorts in sound doctrine.

• An elder refutes those who contradict sound doctrine

• An elder loves and cares for his flock (John 10:14-18)

From: What the Church Needs Today are Restorers, Not Conformers
by Kevin Ziegler, Evangelist - Delivered at Men's Fellowship in Laughlintown Church of Christ, Laughlintown, PA on June 11, 1994

The church needs restorers and not conformers when it comes to Leadership.

Our churches hate confrontation. Men, we need to restore courage, boldness, guts and nerve. The way church polity is set up today, an evangelist is scared to death to confront sin -- commonly called "stepping on people's toes". I mean, it will cost him his job, his friends and his home all because he said some things with  courage and boldness. We desperately need evangelists in the Restoration Movement who are not preaching to tickle someone's ears. We need evangelists who will preach and teach the truth, that is, sound doctrine -- and if the truth hurts, so be it!

We need elders in the Restoration Movement who are not afraid to offend people when offending needs to take place. Some in our movement would have us believe that we are not to confront people. "Jesus brought the little children unto Him", the non-confronters say. "Jesus had a kind and gentle spirit". Yes He did, but I will remind you that the same Jesus who sat the little children on His lap is the same Jesus who offended the merchants in the temple by turning over their tables! We speak the truth in love, of course, and remember that truth often times hurts!

How much love are we showing our people if we do not have the nerve to discipline them? The modern church whispers repentance and shouts forgiveness. We know how to sing, but we have forgotten how to spank! We must work up the nerve to confront our pro-abortion people, our life-destroying gossips or our womanizing deacons!

George Faull of Summit Theological Seminary presented a workshop a couple years ago on a new look at church growth. Basically it was a study of the book of Acts, and how the church dealt with problems. His proposition was, and I agree with him upon further study, that anytime there was a problem and the leadership handled it decisively, there was always multiplication! Maybe some of us men should start praying for problems. But before you do that, make sure you pray for boldness!

We need to restore Biblical leadership and church government in our churches. Just a note here: It is an unfortunate trend in our movement for the evangelist to be called "the Pastor". Men, if we are going to "Do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names", then our preachers should not be calling themselves "pastor". "Pastor" is a term used in the New Testament to describe someone who is an overseer of the flock. The "pastor", as it is used in the New Testament, is an elder. The elders are the pastors of the church. I am not an elder, I've never been an elder -- maybe someday I will meet the qualifications. And even if I was an elder and an evangelist at the same time, I am still not "the Pastor". Why not call Bible things by Bible names and call your preacher an "evangelist". Jesus "gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). A newsletter from the Bethlehem Church of Christ in Winchester, Ohio, calls their elders "pastors". Call Bible things by Bible names, do Bible things in Bible ways. It is time to restore and not conform in regard to church leadership!

Men, in particular you men who are elders and deacons: How can we expect our congregations to come out and study the Word of God, if you do not see the importance of it yourself because of your lack of commitment to these services? Leaders -- we lead not by forcing the sheep, we lead by our example. They will follow our lead. If it is our practice to come in after Sunday School, the sheep will follow. If it is our practice to not come to church Sunday night, the sheep will follow. If it is our practice to miss Wednesday evening, the sheep will follow. If the sheep do not see your lives changed because of what you learn from studying the Word of God, they won't let the Word of God challenge them either. They will follow the leaders' example. The experts say, and I am no expert, that the congregation will only be as strong as its weakest leader.

It is time, men, that we restore plain and simple Bible study to the Restoration Movement and not conform to the world's entertainment pattern. People don't need to be entertained to go to heaven, they need to be saved! If you will take such a strong stand on the Bible, you will undergo some name calling. People will call you narrow-minded. They will say you don't care about people. "Who made you the judge?" But let me remind you men, that truth is truth, and truth by its very nature is narrow-minded. Truth often times will hurt. But we must be willing to take a stand on the Word of God! But how can we do that if we do not know the Word ourselves?