Leadership With Integrity

The great need of the hour in the church is leaders with Christ-like character and integrity.  I  have seen some great men of God compromise their convictions,  make excuses for that compromise, and fall into sin and destruction.  When a leader falls, many innocent people are hurt in the process.  In a context of war, we call that collateral damage.  The mindset is that you can’t win a war unless you take out a few good people along the way.

While this may be true in the natural world,  collateral damage in the spiritual war can be and should be avoided.  God will hold us as leaders responsible for our influence on others, good or bad.   A person of integrity will hold to some basic principles as a rule of their life and ministry:

1)  The principle of financial responsibility.   Misappropriation of funds is one of the most common compromises I’ve seen  among pastors.  Money raised for a specific project should never be used for anything else including putting a portion into general funds.   Why?  We stand in front of a congregation and make an appeal for funds for a particular need and when we fail to do what we said, we have lied.  In the secular world they call it fraud.  Ministers have actually landed in prison for bending the rules in this area.

Financial records should always be open and transparent to church leaders and members.  Nothing should be done in secrecy and darkness.  It’s a good idea to do an in-depth, independent audit once a year.  Church records should tell where every penny is spent.

2)  The principle of sexual purity.  The bible tells us to avoid setting the stage for sin.  Pastors should never have meetings with the opposite sex behind closed doors.  They should avoid counseling the opposite sex because an emotional bond could form.  We should also avoid all appearances of wrong-doing.

3) The principle of leading by example.  Our behavior should set the example of being a person of integrity.   Pastors should be an example of Christ-like behavior.  The opposite of leading by example is leading by criticism.    Instead of looking for wrong in others, we should be the model that inspires others to emulate us.  Jesus led by example,  the Pharisees led by criticism, intimidation, and personal attack.

4)  The principle of leading with wisdom.   A person of wisdom will attract followers like a magnet.  I’ve observed that a minister with great wisdom will find himself 0r herself surrounded by other leaders and ministers who desire to have what they have and desire to be what they are.  Those who lack wisdom will find themselves surrounded by dependent people, users, introverts, and people with no vision of their own.

5)  The principle of personal responsibility.  Ministers with integrity take personal responsibility when they fall short as a leader and make the necessary changes.  Those without integrity blame the sheep.  I’ve seen many pastors who have to find fault with every person who leaves their church.  In essence, what they are doing is shifting blame to make themselves look good in the eyes of other people.  The sad thing is, they never do a personal inventory and make positive changes in their own lives.

Let us call out to God to raise up leaders who reflect the character and attitude of Christ.  – Jeff Burke

We Have A Mission

WE HAVE A MISSION     Jeff Burke / jffbrk@gmail.com / jeffburke.wordpress.com

 This is my teaching outline from this past Sunday at the bible study group that meets at my house.

Acts 2:³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

John 12:²⁰ Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. ²¹ Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
²² Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
²³ But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.  

Jesus Predicts His Death on the Cross

   
²⁷ “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

Why are we here ?  What is our purpose ? Our purpose is to:

1)       Repent, be baptized, receive (Acts 2:37-38)

2)      Continue Steadfastly  in teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.  (Acts 2:42)

Under each point list how you can apply this principle daily:

a)      Teaching

b)      Fellowship

c)      Communion

d)     Prayer

 

3)      Follow Jesus by submitting to:  God’s timing, God’s process, God’s values, and God’s purpose.  (John 12:20-27)   List personal applications:

a)      God’s timing

b)      God’s process

c)      God’s values

d)     God’s purpose

Faith That Will Raise The Dead

The basic, more traditional lesson that the story of Lazarus in John 11 teaches us is that if we know God, Jesus will raise us up on the last day.  Spiritually speaking, that’s first grade stuff, although very important stuff.  The deeper lesson to be learned is that Jesus laid aside the privileges of the Godhead temporarily and walked this earth by faith, led by the Holy Spirit.  He lived a lifestyle to be modeled by all disciples who would follow.  He walked in the Spirit with His ear tuned to His Father.  All the miracles He accomplished came as a result of obeying The Father.  This is the very lifestyle that God has for each of us.

John 11

The Death of Lazarus

 ¹ Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ² It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³ Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
⁴ When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. ⁷ Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
⁸ The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” ¹¹ These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
¹² Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” ¹³ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
¹⁴ Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
¹⁶Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

   
¹⁷ So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. ¹⁹ And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
²⁰ Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ²¹ Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
²⁴ Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
²⁷She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Jesus and Death, the Last Enemy

   
²⁸ And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” ²⁹ As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. ³¹ Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
³² Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
³³ Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ³⁴ And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
³⁷And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

   
³⁸ Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴² And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” ⁴⁴And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

When you walk in the Spirit …

1)  You hear bad news differently than other people.  (3-6)  “When Jesus heard that, He said, ‘ This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of  God may be glorified through it….’ ”

2)  You live on a different schedule. (6)  “So when He heard that he was sick,  He stayed two more days in the place where He was.”

3)  You view danger differently.  (8-11, 16)  ” The disciples said to Him, ‘ Rabbi,  lately the Jews sought to stone You,  and are You going there again? ‘ ”

4)  You talk differently.  (11-15)  “…Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

5)  You view death differently.  (11, 15, 23-26)  “…Your brother will rise again…whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…”

6)  You pray differently.  (41-44)  “Father I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Conclusion:  What will it take to get in tune with God and live the Jesus lifestyle?     a)  Child-like faith    b)  True holiness.  The bible tells us without it, no man shall see God.  c)  Total dependence on the leading of the Holy Spirit through obedience and sacrificial prayer.  We have to get our spiritual ears and eyes in tune with the Spirit.

In following the example of the life of Jesus as His disciples, most of us have never made it out of the wilderness temptation stage.  We must get past the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life if we want this kind of faith. 

The Missing Miracle Of Pentecost

This past Sunday was Pentecost Sunday.  I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t aware of the occasion until I got to church and heard the pastor mention it.  As I reflected on the original Pentecost as compared with the church world today, I sensed the Holy Spirit giving me a message to teach the next time I have an opportunity.  There is a missing miracle in the church today that was the most important element of that first Pentecost.  That missing miracle is the miracle of the three thousand choosing to follow Jesus. 

We have the gifts, we have good services, but we aren’t seeing souls born again in large numbers.  It’s almost as if we’ve given up trying.  Most evangelical churches no longer give an altar call for the lost to repent.  The greatest priority of Heaven is the salvation of souls.  Is it our greatest priority?

We have to admit that we have become self-focused and shift our attention to the unsaved.   Adjustments have to be made to the structure of the church and church meetings.  We have to look at every activity the church is doing and ask, “How would this appeal to an un-churched person?”   It’s not about us,  it’s about them.   Heaven’s most precious gift was given to redeem lost mankind.  We also should give our best to reach out and touch others for Christ.

What’s Gonna Work? – Teamwork

Anyone with young kids or grandkids has heard the Wonder Pets theme song enough times for it to echo in your brain even when the show isn’t on.  Linny, Tuck, and Ming Ming do a great job searching out animals in trouble.   Jesus also believed in teamwork.  He sent out the seventy disciples two by two.

Luke 10:1, After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place  where He Himself was about to go.

They were equipped with healing power and sent out to sell others on the idea of  joining up with the Kingdom of  God.  There was a fair share of rejection in their jobs.   When two go out together they can keep each other encouraged.  There is safety in teamwork.  During times of temptation they had accountability.  I was thinking about how much we don’t use teamwork and send people off to do a ministry in the church alone.  Two have a better chance of relating to more types of personalities and cultures.  And, think of the great relationships that would come out of working  with a different  ministry partner on multiple projects.

Would the local church be more efficient if we did church ministry two by two?    Would foreign missionaries be more effective if we teamed two families to pioneer a new work ?  Evangelism can be scary, but less so if we sent people  in twos.  I believe Jesus knew what He was doing .  We would see an increase in spiritual fruit if we followed His example.   If a Guinea Pig, a baby duck, and a turtle can do it, we can too.  Teamwork works.   There’s someone in trouble somewhere waiting on our rescue team to show up.

Ministry Priorities

Matthew 18:12
“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one  of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?

Jesus was  so concerned that we would have the right priority in the ministry of the church that He gave us a mathematical equation to go by.   Is it more important to maintain the sheep who are already believers, or to pursue the one who is totally lost?    Jesus said to pursue the lost sheep and it is more important by a 99 to 1 ratio for the following reasons:

1)  The wandering sheep is in the greatest danger.  He could fall over a cliff, drown, or get eaten by wild animals.

2)  The wandering sheep will only last for a very short time without the herd and the shepherd, so time is of the essence.  

3)  If a sheep wanders, there is a danger of the other sheep following.   The urge to leave is contagious.  Change is exciting.  But change for the wrong reasons can be disastrous.

What do you do every week that connects you to the lost, wandering sheep on a personal level?