But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
1 Corinthians 11: 3 NKJV
I was reading this past week of another pastor of a rather large congregation who resigned from his position because of his infidelities. Now, it seems that stories such as this have become more and more the norm in recent years. The national media has some twisted fascination over exposing the bad behaviors of Christian leaders. Indeed, sensationalism in the news media has run rampant. I guess I can't blame the media, they're only doing their jobs, reporting on the news of the day. However, I do feel as if far too many non Christians judge believers by the actions of a few bad behaving church leaders. Instead of church leaders being seen as teaching the gospel, they are seen as hypocrites. Don't get me wrong, they've earned that reputation. I asked a good friend of mine who continues to remain nameless even while on vacation this week about his opinion of men in church leadership. His response? He supports the biblical view of men in leadership. I couldn't agree more. I've always had the belief that the man should be the leader of the household, not out of lording over others, but out of the love which flows from Christ Jesus. The tiers of leadership are pretty simple...God, Jesus, man and woman. At the head of it all, obviously, is God. I do not see the position of church leadership as a sexist issue, as more than a few have complained about. In fact, I've been in more than a few churches where women had prominent leadership roles. This isn't about that. What this is about is Gods view of leadership. After all, if He created it He should have a say on how it's run...right? So, it is safe to say that the biblical view of leadership places the husband, the father, the man at the head of the table. This is what we have been taught for years. Indeed, many a Christian family have followed that biblical teaching for many years. However, if you ask me, it places a heavy burden upon those who would lead.
"Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house."
Matthew 12: 29 NKJV
There is a saying about those who assume the role of authority over others. Heavy weighs the head that wears the crown. This couldn't be more true than in the role of Christian leadership today. Todays church leaders are faced with a barrage of temptations never before seen. From social media to the internet, every kind of bad behavior is available to each of us in an instant. This is why I wasn't surprised to learn that the pastor caught in infidelity met his mistress through Facebook. Hey, I've seen what goes on on Facebook, and more than enough of it isn't pretty. Granted, that burden of responsibility still lies with the disgraced pastor, but I will guarantee that he will not be the last to fall victim to bad behavior. The bible teaches us that Christ Jesus is the head of the man. Well, I submit that Christ IS the man. The apostle Paul assures us of this reality of Christ Jesus in us in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}. So, not only did this disgraced pastor behave badly, but I believe that he had a identity problem. Did he even realize that he was the image of God unto the world? I doubt it. Not too many Christians embrace this truth. Yet, if we believe that Christ is indeed in us, then we also believe that we ourselves are the very image of God to those around us. Pretty heavy stuff huh? Yet not entirely unbelievable. I do not find it unbelievable that God would desire to show Himself through our church leaders. That is, if those leaders even realize who it is they are. The words of Jesus couldn't be more clear, the way to plunder a strong mans house is to first bind the strong man. Indeed, our leadership has been handcuffed by temptations, social upheaval and liberal ideas. Todays Christian leadership has become a place hostile to good men.
~Scott~
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