Chapter 21

An Awesome Responsibility

He that ruleth, [let him do it] with diligence.

God hath set some in the church ... [gifts of] governments.

For a society to exist there must be rules, and people who establish and enforce those rules. A society without rules quickly degenerates into a state of anarchy and chaos. People begin living as savages, every person for himself, doing whatever is right in his own eyes.

That is why governments exist. The purpose of government is to ensure domestic tranquility and to establish and enforce laws that will guarantee the common welfare of all members of the society. Good government seeks to eliminate the evil and preserve the good. Man has tried many forms of government throughout his history to achieve these goals.

Some of the earliest forms of government were feudal systems, in which rival leaders ruled over villages or cities. These gradually developed into monarchies, in which kings and queens ruled over more extensive lands and, ultimately, over nations.

The United States was formed as a constitutional republic with a representative form of government. Citizens elect representatives to create the laws by which the nation will be governed.

To this day there are totalitarian forms of government where people are ruled by dictators. Citizens do not have a true say in who will represent them. They may have elections, but the winners have already been selected. There are no real choices.

All these forms of government - as well as all others devised by man - have been unsuccessful. Mankind has proven that he is incapable of governing his fellow man without graft or corruption ultimately destroying every form of government he has created. Man is incapable of ruling with righteousness.

God is the only One who can rule over man in perfect righteousness.

Government in the Old Testament

The first mention of government in the Bible comes in the prophecy of Isaiah: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6,7).

Isaiah's text helps us to recognize that in God's true order the finest and highest form of government is a theocracy (a divine monarchy). When Jesus comes to establish God's government upon the earth, He will arrive as King of kings and as Lord of lords.

In fact, the only form of government God ever endorsed and established was a theocracy The name Israel means "governed by God." Israel was a theocracy; God ruled the nation.

From the very beginning there was a national consciousness that God ruled and reigned over the people of Israel. The tabernacle - the place of meeting God - was always set up in the center of camp. Everyone in all the tribes pitched their tents so they faced the tabernacle. The moment someone came out of their tent, they saw the tabernacle of God. During the day the Israelites saw a cloud over the tabernacle, while at night they saw a pillar of fire. All of this made them keenly aware that they were being governed by God as His people.

God intended that the nation of Israel be different from all other nations; she would not have an earthly king ruling over her. Instead, God was to be her King. This would provide a model to the nations as they saw how blessed were the people ruled by God.

Although God ruled, He made Moses the first human leader of the people. Moses was God's instrument to fulfill His purposes in the lives of the Israelites. Whenever issues arose that needed a decision, Moses inquired of the Lord, and God spoke to him, and gave him the direction and guidance and laws needed to govern the nation's social life.

Under Moses, seventy elders were appointed to act as sub-rulers. People brought their disputes to these elders, who made decisions according to the law of the Lord. When an issue became too difficult for them, the elders brought that issue to Moses, who in turn would go to God for the divine answer.

Under Moses also was Aaron, the high priest and leader of the people in spiritual things. Under Aaron were various orders of the priesthood, men who carried the tabernacle burdens or who conducted the service within the tabernacle.

Throughout ancient Israel a divinely established governmental order ruled. The priests under Aaron; Aaron and the seventy judges under Moses; Moses under God. Our God is a God of order, of government. He establishes order in the universe and among His people.

Government in the New Testament

God has established order within the church as well. Paul says one of the gifts of the Spirit is the gift of ruling (Romans 12:8; I Corinthians 12:28). Men are gifted with the ability to rule within the body of Christ through the calling, the power, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At the top in the church hierarchy is Jesus Christ. He is the head of the body, the authority over the church. Of the many disciples who followed Jesus, He chose twelve to be called apostles. These were the men who became the first leaders of the church. This explains why we are told in I Corinthians 12 that the Lord has set some in the church, first apostles.

The apostles ordained elders to take care of the spiritual well-being of the church. Elders are to prove themselves capable of ruling in the church by being able to control their own houses. "If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?" Paul asked in I Timothy 3:5. Finally, under the elders are the deacons who handle the material resources of the church.

In this way God set within the church those who are to rule. These leaders are to exercise leadership over the people in matters of the Spirit.

Ruling Is a Gift

God has gifted certain people with the gifts of government. We often say that some particular person is "a gifted leader." He seems to have the kind of personality and demeanor that attracts people to his leadership.

There is always a tremendous need for good leadership. When Moses recognized he was about to pass off the scene, he prayed that God would set a man over the people who would be able to shepherd them well. God responded that He had already made His choice: Joshua, a man in whom the Spirit lived (see Numbers 27:15-23). Though Moses died, the reign of God would continue. There was no diminishing of the nation because the next man was filled with the Spirit and would continue to rule under the guidance and direction of God.

This is the primary qualification for leadership in all ages: a man who has the Spirit, who is governed and led by the Spirit. Nothing can ever substitute for this, and the lack of it is always devastating.

Isaiah tells us, "The leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed" (Isaiah 9:16). That's the sad consequence of poor leadership - people are destroyed. Jesus said, "If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:14); while Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan."

It's a glorious thing when those who are called of God to lead the people of God do so in the wisdom and power of God. Under their spiritual leadership, there grows a marvelous bond of love and service to one another and submission to one another in the grace of Jesus Christ.

Qualifications for Leadership

Who qualifies to be a leader in the church? Paul wrote in I Timothy 3:1-4,6:

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence,... Not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

As Paul lists these qualifications, it seems as if he pretty much eliminates everybody, even with the very first requirement alone: "blameless."

It is interesting how certain people will jump on any one of these qualifications and emphasize it over the others. "I'm sorry, but it seems to me that this person is disqualified for consideration because he's never invited me over to his house. He's not hospitable." That's not the way this passage should be handled. You can get into all kinds of difficulty that way. For example, Paul says an elder is not to be covetous. Have you ever looked at your neighbor's fancy sports car and wished it were yours? That's covetousness, my friend. Would you disqualify yourself because of it? I doubt it.

Paul's list isn't a legalistic sieve through which we strain out all transgressors. If it were, none of us would make it through the net, and the church would have no leaders. Instead, it gives a general picture of the kind of man whom God calls into leadership; not a perfect man, by any means, but one who is committed to His Lord and who is growing in grace through the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul isn't looking for perfection; he's looking for maturity.

How Are We to Rule?

The Bible gives several rules to those who would exercise leadership or a role of governing.

1. Rule in the fear of God.

As King David lay dying, his last words included this key command: "He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God" (II Samuel 23:3). No man living without the fear of God has any right to rule over others. He is not qualified. I guarantee that any man who does not have the fear of God will be a corrupt ruler: he will be crooked and dishonest. No man can exercise leadership over others unless he is conscious that he, himself, is ruled. No man can rule who is not ruled himself.

Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of the ancient Babylonian empire, was acknowledged by God as one of the great leaders in human history In the dream of a statue described in Daniel 2, God identifies Nebuchadnezzar as the head of gold, superior to all other kings.

But because of his greatness, Nebuchadnezzar discounted God. He thought he was at the top, that he was the final authority. He condemned whoever he chose and he elevated whoever he chose. No appeal to any higher power was allowed; what Nebuchadnezzar said, went. He became proud... and God humbled him. God allowed him to suffer until seven seasons of insanity had passed so that the world might know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and that He gives it to whoever He will, even to the basest of men. The Bible establishes many authorities and chains of command, but always at the top is God. Unless a man is aware that he is governed by God, and is responsible to God, and will have to appear before God, that man is disqualified from having authority. If you give him authority anyway, he will take advantage of it. He will soon pervert his authority to his own benefit and become a tyrant.

No man can rule who is not ruled himself. He must be aware that he is responsible to One who is higher than he, and that one day he will answer to Him.

2. Rule diligently.

Proverbs 12:24 says, "The hand of the diligent will rule." I think it likely that this is the verse which prompted Paul to write in Romans 12:8, "He that rules, with diligence" (KJV). Paul says that those who have the gift of ruling are to exercise it with diligence.

Rulers must be diligent to protect themselves against indulging in power trips. They must be careful to see that they do not use their position for their own personal gain. Too often we see such corruption of power among those who rule.

That was Saul's problem in the Old Testament. He fell into the snare that entraps so many rulers, thinking that he was the final authority, that his was the final word. He forgot that he, himself, was ruled by God.

If you've been given a ruling office, it is important to remember that one day you're going to stand before the Judge of the universe and give an account of yourself. Your faithfulness in ruling now will determine what authority you will have in the kingdom to come. Jesus said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has" (Luke 12:42).

The Scripture promises that we are going to live and reign with Christ over the earth. Some day we will be granted the joyous privilege of ruling with Him when the kingdom of God has come to this earth, and the will of God is finally being done on this planet. The extent of our authority in the coming kingdom will depend on how diligently we exercise rule over those things that God puts in our dominion here.

God took David from ruling over sheep - the lowest job on the totem pole - and made him king over all Israel. At one time Saul, David's predecessor, had recognized his own humble beginnings. But eventually he developed an inflated view of himself, rebelled against the authority of God, and was deposed.

If God has given you a position of rulership, seek the help of the Holy Spirit. Don't abuse your position. Rule with diligence, knowing that you are accountable to God for how you exercise the power He has placed in your hands.

3. Speak the Word of God.

Hebrews 13:7 says leaders are to speak to the people the Word of God; and Paul told Timothy simply to "Preach the word!" (II Timothy 4:2). Rulers are responsible for the spiritual welfare of the people under their care, and the best way to ensure a healthy flock is to preach the Word of God to them.

When rulers do this well, and the people submit to the authority of the Word, then the leaders can "watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief" (Hebrews 13:17 KJV). I can tell you, it's a lot better to do it with joy than with grief.

An Awesome Responsibility

It is an awesome responsibility to represent God to the people. If you have a role of leadership, you must rule in the fear of God, making certain that you don't misrepresent God to the people. God does not like to be misrepresented any more than you do. That was the sin that kept Moses out of the Promised Land. At the waters of Meribah the people complained, "Moses, we're dying of thirst. We're sorry we ever left Egypt. We've been in this wilderness for 40 years, yet you haven't brought us into the Promised Land. We were crazy ever to listen to you." They were ready to stone Moses.

Moses left them and went in before the Lord, upset and angry by the way the people were treating him. God said, "Moses, go out and speak to the rock that water might come forth." Moses rejoined the people and said, "You rebels! How long do I have to put up with you? Must I smite this rock again to give you water?" And he swung his rod and struck the rock.

God is so gracious, so loving, and so kind that water came gushing out anyway and the people drank and were refreshed. But God said, "Moses - come here, son."

"Yes, Lord?"

"What did I tell you to do?"

"You said to speak to the rock."

"Then how is it that you struck the rock? Moses, you didn't represent Me before the people. You misrepresented Me. You led them to believe that I'm angry with them. They think I'm upset. Therefore, because you failed to represent Me, Moses, I won't allow you to lead them into the Promised Land."

"What? But, Lord - wait a minute! For forty years I've been putting up with these people, just with the hope of..."

"Don't talk to Me anymore about it, Moses. It's a closed issue. Because you failed to represent Me before the people at the waters of Meribah, you will not enter the Promised Land."

That's how important it is that we represent God truthfully.

I wonder how many times when we confront personal frustrations in the ministry - the church isn't growing as rapidly as it should, or there are rumblings in the congregation, or some other problem - that we are upset and angry so we preach through clenched teeth. The people hear us and think, Ooooh. God's really mad at us today. Thus we don't accurately represent God to the people.

I wonder if God doesn't get a little upset with us? I wonder if He doesn't say, "Wait a minute! I'm not angry with them; I love them. You're My representative, but from the things you said and the way you said them, now they think I'm angry with them and ready to toss them out. You've misrepresented Me, and I don't like it."

While attending a pastor's conference in Germany, a young girl approached me to talk, obviously agitated. She was attending a church that endorsed what is commonly termed the shepherding doctrine. Members of such a church cannot make any decisions on their own, but are required to talk to the "shepherd" of the church concerning every decision. No one is allowed to buy a car or clothes or a pair of shoes unless the shepherd gives them permission to do so. Members are to go to the pastor, who will guide them in the ways and in the things of the Lord.

This doctrine is based on a misuse of Hebrews 13:17, which says, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

This girl was being held in bondage. The leaders of her church said, "If you disobey our church you are disobeying God, and you are going to hell. And if you go to another church you're going to hell because you are rebelling against the authority of God." This poor girl was miserable. She had been attending another church on the sly and she was afraid her pastor might find out and consign her immediately to hell. It was tragic.

I showed her from Scripture where Jesus insisted that those who were called to be leaders must be the servants of all. We aren't to hold people in bondage by threatening them with hell. That isn't like our Lord and that doesn't represent Him truthfully.

Oh, how we must be careful in ruling because, as rulers, we are representing God to the people. We must take care that we don't misrepresent him.

Everyone Has Some Rule

You may not be a pastor of a church or an elder in your congregation, but in some way you are a leader. All of us have some rule. Regardless of who you are, God has placed you in a position of authority over others. You are their guide - directing their activities, telling them when they can go, when they must stay, what they can do, what they can't do. In exercising that rule, it's important that you recognize you are also ruled. We need the kind of rulers who cause people to realize God is the only final Ruler.

Jesus Christ is the head of the body. He's the final authority, and all of our decisions must defer to Him. Jesus is Lord over His church, and we are here only to implement His desires and His wishes. We're not here to rule; we're not here even to make decisions. We're here to find His decisions and to implement His desires.

The only ones who can faithfully do this are those who are filled with the Spirit, who have the gift of government. And, as such leaders seek God through prayer for His direction, His will, and His purposes for the church, we will all be blessed.