LEADERSHIP IS TOUGH

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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As we continue reading through the book of Titus we come to a section that makes most people uncomfortable. In this part of the letter, Paul reminds Titus of his duty to God to provide real leadership to the people of the church of Jesus Christ. 

In the modern church I see a real lack of people willing to apply this kind of leadership. Ministers and Pastors are taught by experience and by the weak minded that all Christ-like leadership is warm and fuzzy and never makes anyone sweat. That is an anemic understanding of the robust calling to provide the leadership that Jesus Christ modeled to the church. 

Jesus was loving and grace-filled for sure, but he did not tolerate open rebellion to God by those who wore the badge of leadership. He gave some messages to those he labeled as hypocrites that would definitely get him fired from most churches today, and don’t even get started on the whole money-changers in the temple situation. 

Paul reminds Titus that he too has the call of God over him to provide Christ-like leadership to the other leaders of the church. As he sets up Elders and overseers in the churches of Crete, he needs to do the work of a leader and set a godly vision for these churches. And where the other leaders fail to take action in areas of sin and disobedience, Titus needs to act. 

Listen to the call of leadership given by Paul to Titus:

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 

12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

(Titus 1:10-16 NIV11)

Always Talkers

In every church there will always be a group of talkers. Those who cannot and will not keep themselves about their own business and their own walk with God. These people are more than gossips, they are people who sow disunity and confusion into the church. 

That does not mean that blind obedience to bad leadership is what is expected from the people of the church, not at all. Rather, those who are what Paul calls, “rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception”, need to be identified and confronted. 

Paul even instructs Titus to rebuke these malcontents sharply so that they will not spread their diseased talk to others in the church. By doing so, the true Christ-like leader will protect the people of God and provide the rebellious gossip an opportunity to repent and turn from their sin. 

Fear Incarnate

If this is what godly leaders are called to do in the Word of God, then why are so many so called leaders of the church today failing to confront those who cannot seem to stop running their mouths and causing problems?

The answer is fear of the wrong people. Most pastors and ministers are scared of the people in their churches. They have been attacked so many times by Christians that they are now living like turtles, withdrawn into their shell, hoping that the problems will just go away. 

They are afraid of the facts. They know that if they rebuke someone who is spouting off lies and gossip in the church, that they will be attacked and accused of crimes against sensitivity. And they know that these loud mouths typically win and lead the minister to be the one who learns a lesson at the end of these situations. 

Which Are You

In verses 15-16, Paul makes it clear that there are two kinds of people in the church. Those that know and love the Lord and seek his will (the pure), and those that love themselves and who use their ignorance to speak on behalf of God (the corrupted).

If you want to know which of these two you are, Paul reminds you to look at the fruit of your interactions with others in the church. Are you always at the heart of conflict, complaints, and claims that point out the failures in others? Then you need to examine your heart before the Lord and ask God to remove any spirit of confusion and disunity from you. 

Do you find that others generally leave a conversation with you being uplifted, challenge to greater faith, encouraged to worry about today only and not get lost in the unknowable future? Then praise God for your pure heart. Keep up the good work and watch out for those wolves in sheep’s clothing that will try and lure you into their trap. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to be one who is pure and who honors you with my words and my actions every day. If I have a rebellious nature toward the leadership of my church or toward my parents, help me be rid of this ugly mess. I want to be more like you today. I am yours Lord. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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