The apostle Paul lists three indispensable qualities of a godly leader. Remove even one of those qualities, and you no longer have a godly leader. I dive deep on these qualities (and more) in my book Shepherd Leadership.
I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.
T.M. Moore wrote, “We are God’s poems, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, where the Greek word for ‘workmanship’ is ποίημα, poiema—poem. Perhaps this is why we find it pleasurable when others take an interest in us and want to get to know us better. They’re asking us to ‘read’ our ‘poem’ to them. What fun! And God wants us to know, love, enjoy, and serve Him by all the things He has freely given to us and which He seeks to ‘read’ to us day by day.”
“Saints” is always plural in the Bible. That means we always need to be looking out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I love the words James uses to close his letter to the saints.
✅ Gather frequently to encourage others
✅ Reach out to those who are absent
✅ Speak the truth in love
✅ Exhort and encourage
✅ Forgive and ask for forgiveness
✅ Restore quickly and gently
Anthony Kidd warns about something I address in my book When Sheep Bite. “Inherent to our calling as shepherds is the task of looking out for the flock of God and protecting it from savage wolves and false shepherds. However, Paul emphasizes here that one of the greatest threats to the church can emerge from within its own leadership ranks, making self-awareness a critical aspect of pastoral leadership.” Read this full article about the earning signs of diseased leadership.
More amazing findings that show the incredible beauty and wisdom of our Creator! The ICR reports, “Insects, such as the winged insects in the order Lepidoptera, continue to reveal incredible abilities with some facets that zoologists thought were reserved only for vertebrates.”
When Paul is writing to his friend Titus some instructions for pastors, he uses a Greek word for “authority” three times.
First, in regard to his own calling he says, “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness … but at the proper time revealed His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior” (Titus 1:1, 3 NASB).
The phrase “chosen of God” in verse 1 literally means the same thing he says in verse 3: “according to the commandment of God.”
The third usage of this word is when Paul tells Titus that he has this same authority: “These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you” (Titus 2:15).
Interestingly, Paul uses this Greek word a total of seven times in his letters, with three of those times being in this short letter to Titus.
Paul also uses this word three times in his two letters to the saints in Corinth (1 Corinthians 7:6, 25; 2 Corinthians 8:8). But in all of three of these instances, Paul says, “I choose not to use my God-given authority on this, but I’m asking you to make a good choice.”
The only other time Paul uses this word in a letter is found in his closing remarks to the saints in Rome, with the emphasis there on the authority of the Word of God which he preaches—
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets, in accordance with the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith. (Romans 16:25-26 NASB)
Questioning of our pastoral authority is one of the sheep bites I discuss in my book When Sheep Bite. Here is one passage from that chapter—
When our conversation with criticizing sheep hasn’t gone well, and when those unhealthy sheep begin to gossip and then slander, it’s inevitable that they will eventually began to question your authority as a shepherd. Perhaps they think you’re too young and naive, or too old and out of touch. They may question your motives, or the vision you’ve imparted for the church, or your ability to follow through on what you have already shared. Whatever the case, these biting sheep seem to be implying that they know better than you do how this pasture should be run.
During times like these, it is tempting to want to “prove” that we are qualified, that we do know what we’re doing, and that we can indeed successfully pursue the vision we’ve articulated for them. Once again, it’s natural to want to say, “I’ll show you just how qualified I am!”
Before we respond, we need to recognize the source of our authority. There is a certain authority that comes with a position or an office. For instance, a parent can say to a child who is questioning a rule, “Because I’m the parent and I say this is how it is going to be.” We see similar positional authority for CEOs, police officers, school teachers, and pastors. But like the little boy we met at the beginning of this book, people may say to a positional leader, “I may be obeying you on the outside, but on the inside I’m questioning everything you’re saying!”
Far greater than positional authority is moral authority. This is authority that comes not merely from a title or position, but from who conferred that title or position on the leader. If God has called us and appointed us to this pasture, that is all the authority we need.
Let me wrap up with four takeaways for shepherd leaders:
A godly leader’s authority is imparted by God. Keep in mind these three powerful words, “God chose me.” That means you have nothing to prove.
As a godly leader, you are “entrusted” with your authority and that means you have to give an account to God for its application. Don’t let the pain of the moment tempt you to react in a shortsighted way.
There are times to use God’s authority to hold the line; specifically when addressing issues which are biblical or unbiblical (Titus 1:9-14, 3:1-8).
Being a godly shepherd leader is not for the faint of heart! But God has called YOU which means He has also equipped YOU to respond appropriately in each situation.
My book When Sheep Bite is packed with biblical examples, personal experiences, practical applications, and prayers for each of these biting problems you will face. I hope you will pick up a copy today.
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The Israelites had just been released from the slavery in Egypt when they faced one of the most difficult places they would know. God taught them how to thinking differently in this hard place.
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It is so much easier to complain than to compliment. We can slide into the negative conversations almost without thinking about it.
In one of the last things that Paul wrote to Timothy—as he’s in prison, quite possibly awaiting execution—he warns his friend against the darkness of the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5). We need to engage our minds, our wills, and our emotions to not go with the flow of culture’s negativity.
Remember the wise words from George Santayana: “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The apostle Paul said this before Mr. Santayana (1 Corinthians 10:1-6). We need to learn the lessons of the dangers of forgetfulness that leads us to ingratitude.
Even before Paul, the Old Testament is filled with repeated reminders to remember God’s blessings and gratefully look to Him to supply every need. Let’s unpack some lessons on the importance of gratitude from Israel’s history in Psalm 106.
In Psalm 106:7, the Israelites forget what God has done for them in Egypt. Now that they appear to be pinned between the Red Sea and the onrushing Egyptian army, their forgetfulness becomes grumbling against God (Exodus 14:10-12).
In Psalm 106:13-14, instead of being grateful for the miraculous supply of manna, the Israelites are grumbling about the meat they don’t have (Numbers 11:4-6).
Here’s the lesson for us to learn: God wants to teach us to be thankful for His daily provisions for us (Joshua 5:12; Matthew 6:11).
In Psalm 106:21, 28-29, the next generation of Israelites didn’t remember to be thankful because they had seldom heard their parents express gratitude (Judges 2:10-11).
Here’s the lesson for us to learn: Our daily thankfulness fortifies future generations (Psalm 37).
Here is the repeated pattern we see—
Thankfulness → Forgetfulness → Fearful / Selfish attitudes → Susceptible to the temptation to grumble against God
Thankfulness → Remembering → Joyful / Secure attitudes → Fortified against the temptation to grumble against God
Jim Cymbala said, “Ingratitude to God is the first step toward backsliding and departure from God. So, it is to our benefit to have a thankful heart toward God.”
Let’s put into practice this lesson from King David: “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget bot all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).
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We have been learning about how God gifts us so that He can use us to build His kingdom. Discovering these gifts and then living in this gift zone is going to require us to stretch out of our comfort zone. So far, we’ve looked at two factors:
As you look back, the things that thrill you and kill you have probably remained consistent through your life. You may recall moments where implementing your gifts went very well and times when it didn’t go so well. The former makes us ready to try again and maybe expand a little further, but the latter tempts us to shrink back into our comfort zone. The key is to find out how we can be more consistent in using our gifts productively.
It looks like this: God’s gifts + Our stewardship = Productive strengths.
God gives the gifts as only He knows best (Psalm 139:16; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:11) and then we steward these gifts into productive strengths.
The dictionary defines it as the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.
The Bible always portrays a steward as the one in charge of the precious things in a household—in our case, the Church.
Jesus makes the role of a steward very clear in his parable found in Matthew 25:14-27. Notice three important things:
The master gave gifts to everyone of his servants, but he gave “each according to his ability” (vv. 14-15).
The wise servants stewarded the master’s gift by that way they “put his money to work” (vv. 16-18)
The master demanded accountability of all of his servants. Two servants acknowledged “you entrusted me” with these gifts (vv. 19-23), while one said, “I was afraid” (vv. 24-27).
God created each of us on purpose and for a purpose. He gave us the gifts we need to accomplish that purpose. We will only find our fulfillment in life in stewarding those God-given gifts and opportunities in ways that glorify Him. Not only fulfillment here, but then eternal satisfaction when we hear our Savior say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into your Master’s happiness!”
The only servants that heard the “well done” from their master were those who realized it was “your money…entrusted” to me. I like how Eugene Peterson brings this out in his paraphrase:
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG)
So let’s add one more circle to the passion and pain circles, and that is the circle of proficiency. This is what fulfills us because we can do it so well; it feels so natural for us to be doing this. Proficiency is what really brings together the passion and the pain, and it helps us find the sweet spot.
Let me give you a couple of examples—one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.
Nehemiah was killed that Jerusalem was in shambles and the people were disgraced (Nehemiah 1:3-4)—that’s what killed him. Nehemiah didn’t go to wall-building school, but he effortlessly strategized, cast vision, organized, planned, procured, and adapted—that’s his proficiency. The wall was built in 52 days, Israel’s enemies were disgraced, and the people had a place to worship again (Nehemiah 6:15-16, 9:1-3)—that’s what thrilled him.
The apostles and the first deacons in the New Testament church saw that some of the widows were being overlooked in the food distribution (Acts 6:1)—this is what killed them. These new leaders didn’t go to food-distribution school, but they effectively strategized, cast vision, organized, planned, procured, and adapted (v. 3)—this is their proficiency. The widows were cared for, the Word of God spread, and more people became Christians (v. 7)—that’s what thrilled them.
God gives gifts—we feel that in what thrills us and what kills us. We steward those gifts into productive strengths—we stick with what we fulfilled in doing. Our productive strengths then glorify God as we strengthen and grow the Body of Christ.
Let me give you four things to consider about your area of proficiency:
What comes easily to me?
Where do I see both the steps and the completion before others do?
Where do I experience the greatest ROI of my time and efforts?
What do I do that thrills me because I ran to because it was killing me, and now it fulfills me to keep doing it?
With all three of these circles, please take some time to ponder what your sweet spot is. And if you’ve missed any of the messages in this series, you can find them all here.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
A quick recap: We are all gifted by God, but we typically restrict ourselves to a comfort zone which is much smaller than our God-given gift zone. In order to maximize our impact for the Kingdom of God, we are going to have to get uncomfortable with staying comfortable—we are going to have to trust God as we push out further into our gifts.
Last week I gave you a homework assignment to think about the things you love to do. Why do we need to know this? Because it is one of the indicators of our areas of giftedness.
In the whole carrot-versus-stick discussion, you will find that most people are motivated by reward way more than they are by the fear of punishment. Look at how these God-fearing men were motivated by the God’s rewards:
Who’s more likely to get the reward: the one who loves what they are doing or the one who hates what they are doing? We are more likely to stick with what we love doing, and you are going to love doing what you are gifted by God to do.
Why we do what we do is much more important that what we do (Isaiah 1:11, 13, 15; Matthew 7:22-23).
We have been gifted by God to do great things. When we do those great things, we are rewarded and it brings God glory. That realization should answer the question of why we do what we do (Ephesians 2:10).
The way we see the world, what motivates us, and how we act are all determined by our gifts. We are working on the same Great Commission, but how we live that out will be different because of our different gifts.
In the Old Testament, the saints wanted Zion to be strong and God-glorifying:
David fought battles and wrote worship songs
Solomon gave wise proverbs
Josiah brought about reforms
Ezra encouraged the Israelite governor and high priest
Daniel encouraged the Babylonian rulers
Nehemiah built the wall
In the New Testament era, the saints should all want the Body of Christ to be strong and God-glorifying. Toward that goal, we still need warriors, worshipers, wisemen, reformers, teachers, counselors, workers.
Toward that goal, we all have a part to play (Ephesians 4:12). Check out the example of Paul in…
…Thessalonica: Paul was in the synagogue on three Sabbaths (Acts 17:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 3:8)
…Corinth: Paul was synagogue on the Sabbath days, but after Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul was able to be preaching every day for 18 months (Acts 18:1-5, 11)
What’s the difference? Silas and Timothy used their gifts so that Paul could use his. Without the “enzyme” of Silas and Timothy’s gifting, the whole Body of Christ would have been impoverished.
One of the things that will help your spot your areas of giftedness is noticing what you are passionate about—What do you love to do?
Let me give you three things to consider:
When can I do this again? vs. When will this be over?
When I do this, I’m tired but fulfilled vs. When I do this, I’m tired.
I would do this without pay vs. I would rather find something else to do.
Our prayer should echo what Paul prayed:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:9-12)
If you’ve missed any of the messages in our series Living in Your Gift Zone, you can find them all here.
I’m concerned that some people might be confused about what I mean by “gifts.” Some people look at someone who can preach, or write, or sing, or compose music, or paint, and say, “They are so gifted! I could never do anything like that.” Yes, those are very visible gifts, but let’s not limit “gifts” to just those kinds of things.
God has designed our physical bodies to do some astounding things! We see some people using their bodies to run fast, jump high, lift heavy things, or catch a ball, and we may marvel at their talents. These amazing feats are only possible because of a thousand other gifts. Even the simplest of tasks is far from simplistic. Isaac Newton noted, “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.”
Something that is invisible to the human eye but indispensable to absolutely everything that happens in our physical bodies is the vital functions of enzymes.
Enzymes are proteins that help facilitate metabolism, or coordinate a chemical reaction. Some enzymes build things up and some break things down. Enzymes help with things like…
turning the food we eat into energy
breathing
building muscle
nerve function
ridding our bodies of toxins
There are thousands of individual enzymes in the body. Each type of enzyme only has one job.
For example, consider the enzyme sucrase. If it is deficient in the body, sucrose from food isn’t broken down to glucose and fructose. As a result we would experience dehydration, malnutrition, and developmental delay.
Every enzyme is vital. It’s not coincidental at all the the New Testament uses the analogy of our physical bodies to portray the Body of Christ (Romans 12:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:6, 18, 27).
In the New Testament church it’s easy to spot the highly visible gifts like preaching, evangelism, and church leadership, just as it’s easy to spot physical accomplishments like a professional athlete or a world-class pianist. But let’s not overlook the thousands of indispensable “enzymes” in the Church that allow the Body of Christ to function in a healthy way.
Read through the Book of Acts and you will see gifts in the form of people who…
agreed together in prayer
affirmed God-honoring, biblical decisions
organized feeding programs
hosted people in their homes (house churches)
prepared food for others
handed out that food
sewed clothes for those who needed them
faithfully visited the sick and imprisoned
earned a paycheck to pay for ministry expenses
distributed funds to those in need
used their official positions open doors or provide protection
wrote important correspondence
Peter wrote, “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10).
What happens if an “enzyme” is missing? Quite simply: The Church cannot grow to our full potential (1 Corinthians 12:26 AMPC; Ephesians 4:12-13).
Each of us needs all of us. All of us needs each of us. Jesus hasn’t just saved you from death, He has also saved you to life—an abundant life for you, for the Body of Christ, and for those who don’t know Him as their Lord and Savior yet.
You are gifted. More precisely said: You ARE a gift!
By it’s very definition, stepping out of your comfort zone is UNcomfortable and sometimes fearful. God promises to be close by while you’re in the Discomfort Zone!
I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.
“Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.” —J.R.R Tolkien
“It cannot be exaggerated how much God hates our trying to do His work when it comes to vengeance or vindication. Whether it be vengeance or vindication, either is solely the Lord’s sovereign right. He does not like it when you or I try to punish someone, to vindicate ourselves, making ourselves look good or clearing our own names.” —R.T. Kendall
The world’s arguments are a lot of noise and very little substance. Don’t get into a shouting match, but quietly, gently, and respectfully keep returning to God’s Word. Charles Spurgeon was once asked how he could defend the Bible and he responded, “The Bible is like a lion: I let it out and it defends itself!”
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As we learned last week, we are not the judge, nor the jury, nor the prosecution, nor even the sin police in deciding appropriate retribution. With that in mind, let’s consider Statement #15 in our series—Do not judge. Is that in the Bible?
Yes, those three words are there, spoken by Jesus, in Matthew 7:1. But then again, we need to say, no, because these words don’t mean we are not to make determination about the rightness or wrongness of something.
Let’s zoom-out a bit get the context of the words Jesus spoke. Who was His audience for these words? This is a part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Notice in the opening words, “His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them” (5:1-2). So Jesus isn’t speaking to the world at-large, but He is talking with His disciples.
Jesus was very specific in His wording. In talking about the world, He uses words like people (5:11) or men (5:16; 6:1, 5). When talking about His disciples, He uses one word quite frequently: brother (3x in 5:22-24).
Matthew 7:1 is still in this sermon, and the word brother appears 3x in vv. 3-5. So these are instructions primarily for Christians to use with other Christian brothers and sisters.
The words judge here in the Greek means, “Those who judge severely (unfairly), finding fault with this or that in others.” To me, “this or that” sounds like a deliberate searching for something wrong, but Jesus assures us that this will boomerang on the judgmental person (v. 2; Luke 6:37).
In modern psychology, we find terms like:
mirroring = a psychological term the means quickly seeing what’s in others because it’s in me
projection = taking the negative things in me and projecting them onto others
Paul addresses both of these thoughts in Romans 2:1-3, where the word for judging here is the same Greek word Jesus uses in Matthew 7.
Paul concludes his remarks by reminding us that God treats us kindly (Romans 2:4). David echos this same thought in Psalm 103:8-10, 13-14.
When you read the whole passage in Matthew 7:1-5, please notice the words “brother,”“first,” and “then.”
Jesus does not mean that I am not to point out to my brothers and sisters any areas of concern. Jesus did this, as well as nearly every epistle writer. What it does mean is that correction needs to be gentle and never condemning. In other words, I want to lovingly help someone before they have to stand before The Judge.
That’s why I need to first humbly recognize that what I see in others may be apparent to me because I am afflicted with the same thing. That’s why Jesus says first deal with my own plank. Examine myselfbefore I try to correct a brother or sister (1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5).
After I have allowed the Holy Spirit to deal with my plank, I will then have the empathy to help my brother or sister (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Trying to get someone else to repent of something that still exists in my life is hypocritical.
If I see something wrong in someone else:
First ask the Holy Spirit to search me.
If necessary, confess it, repent from it, ask forgiveness, make things right.
Then lovingly and humbly share with your brother or sister (Ephesians 4:15).
If someone else sees something wrong in me, I should follow the exact same steps!
This is not easy, but it is vital for the Body of Christ to grow in a healthy way.
If you’ve missed any of the other messages in this installment of our series Is That In The Bible?, you can find them all here.
There’s no secret formula to fruitfulness as a Christian. We just stay connected to Jesus and the fruit will grow. This clip is from this sermon.
I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.
The “Ten Commandments” are not explicitly listed or reiterated in the New Testament. Does that mean they are obsolete? No, says David Mathis, it means they are fulfilled. “Jesus Himself says He did not come to destroy the Law and Prophets, but to do something even more striking: fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). That is, fulfill like prophecy. Not simply keep the Ten in place, or remain under them, or leave them untouched, but fulfill them—first in His own person, and then by His Spirit in His church. He came not to cast off Moses, but to fulfill Jeremiah, and in doing so, He accomplished what is even more radical: establishing Himself as the supreme authority, putting God’s law within His people (rather than on tablets), writing it on their hearts (rather than stone), and making all His people to know Him (Jeremiah 31:31–34).” Check out my post The 10 Commandments in the New Testament.
More archeological evidence supporting to the historicity of the Bible. You can check out the full article, but this paragraph is a good summation: “One of the surprising findings was that, according to the results of their tests, the Broad Wall in Jerusalem, also known as Hezekiah’s Wall, was likely built during the reign of Uzziah, who Scripture says built fortifications in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 26:9). Another finding was that Jerusalem was much more heavily populated and urbanized in the 12th through 10th centuries BC than some scholars previously thought. This would align with the biblical description of Jerusalem, particularly during the days of David and Solomon.”
“There is much of beauty, goodness, and truth to be discovered in the city of man, as Augustine pointed out toward the end of his great treatise, City of God. But all the culture and best intentions of men turn to corruption apart from the power of God to redeem and renew them. We who live also in the heavenly city now possess the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16); we are able to see the ways that culture can be ‘taken captive’ from the clutches of sin and unbelief and made to serve the purposes of Christ in all things. Thus, for the honor and glory of God, we commit ourselves daily to using all our time, activities, relationships, roles, responsibilities, and culture to furthering His rule on earth as it is in heaven.” —T.M. Moore
“Have movies and most conventional paleontologists got it all wrong? T. rex and other theropod dinosaurs (the meat-eaters) are often portrayed as intelligent predators that can outmuscle and outsmart their opponents. But is that really supported by science?” A very interesting compilation of research can be found here. The conclusion is exactly right: “God designed dinosaur brains that were perfectly suited for their lifestyles and body size when He created dinosaurs on Day 6 of the creation week (Genesis 1:25).”
“Saints” is always plural in the Bible. That means we always need to be looking out for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I love the words James uses to close his letter to the saints.
Craig T. Owens 