2. Teach Them the Bible
What training should we give church leaders? “And teach the people God’s ordinances and laws…” (Exo 18:20).
Those familiar with Church Seminaries and Bible Schools are acutely aware that most teach every subject but the Bible. The Theological Seminaries too frequently become “Cemeteries” – where hundreds of potential church leaders’ spiritual life is buried.
A basic choice was presented Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden:
“….the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge….” (Gen 2:9). Eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge would produce sin and death. Despite this biblical warning, the Church returns continually to this tree for the training programs.
What is the result? the Apostle Paul put it simply: “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth” (1 Cor 8:1).
Training programs that do not use THE BIBLE as the primary reference work produce arrogant, spiritually dead, impotent leaders whose only achievement after graduation is to pastor a church that gets smaller every year.
That which has no life cannot and will not grow. the tree of knowledge only produces death.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye are in error, because you do not know the scriptures…” (Matt 22:29). the Scriptures keep us from error and produce life.
“… the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
It is the words of God the Father and God the Son (Jesus) recorded in the Bible that bring life to us.
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life…” (Rev 22:14).
a. Academic Achievement Is Not The Goal.
Training programs based in intellectual achievement with emphasis on academic degrees will not produce the leadership needed to win lost souls to Christ or build growing churches. the greater emphasis on academics, the less capable the leadership. Teach the Bible. Train church leaders in the Bible. Let the Bible be the center of your training curriculum.
The question was asked about Jesus. “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15).
The Jews marveled at Jesus’ knowledge of the Scripture because they knew Jesus had no academic credential to commend Him to the religious or secular world.
We should learn from this example. Academic achievement is now the goal. Knowledge of the Scriptures and the power of God is what the church leader needs (Matt 22:29).
b. Look for “Leader-Laborers”
The early apostles were not known for their academic achievement. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
Not one of Jesus’ apostles graduated from the Theological Seminary of the Pharisees or Sadducees. His standard for church leaders was this: ‘The harvest truly is great but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). The effective church leader is one who has proven he knows how to work hard. He has callouses on his hands. He has learned the discipline of strenuous productive labor.
By contrast, the Seminary graduate is often arrogant, too proud to work, lazy and unproductive. Such are not fit to represent Him who washed His disciples’ feet. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). Find a “leader-laborer” and you will usually have a productive church leader.
That is why Jesus chose fishermen like Peter and John, professional people like Matthew the publican and Luke the physician. They had practical skills and knew how to work hard. Such can be taught the Bible and be fruitful leaders.
Next Week
Show them the work to do