Leadership is about people leading. Discipleship is about people following Christ. These are distinctly different things. The goal of leadership is to tap into people’s potential. The goal of discipleship is to grow into the fullness of who we are in Christ. The Bible places a strong emphasis on discipleship. On leading… not so much.
During the last few years that I was part of a traditional church, I started hearing the word leadership used more and more. The emphasis on leadership increased greatly, reflecting a discernible shift in core values. Seminars and books about how to elevate your leadership skills, and how to recognize and develop other leaders, were extremely popular. Leadership was championed as the key to being successful. And this brings into question how most churches define success.
As you read through the New Testament you will encounter people who play instrumental roles in the development of God’s church and the fulfillment of his purposes. But the term leader rarely comes up. In the New Testament, the word disciple is mentioned 260 times, and the phrase follow me is spoken by Jesus 21 times, yet the word lead or leader is mentioned only 7 times in the context of the church. It’s worth noting that most of the time leaders are mentioned in the New Testament, it’s in the context of the religious leaders of the day who opposed Jesus.
If our goals are the same as God’s goals, and we are genuinely trying to fulfill his purposes, why would we go about this in a way that is so different from what God emphasizes in his word?
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In the New Testament revelation of the church, when a man’s qualities are commented on, they are never commended for their leadership abilities. Instead, they are commended for their spiritual qualities. Stephen is described as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit 1. Barnabas is described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith 2. Appollos is described as a man mighty in the Scriptures 3. Timothy is described as having known the scriptures from childhood 4.
The Bible emphasizes being full of the Spirit, full of faith, and grounded in the scriptures. God puts forward these spiritual qualities as what he values in the people he chooses to use to fulfill his purposes.
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So, why are so many churches enamored with leadership? To answer this, it’s important to understand another trend that has swept through our Christian culture over the last few decades. Many churches have fully bought into the idea that the most important thing they are supposed to be doing is to grow their church. To get as many people as possible to come to their church. The goal of growing your church is the catalyst that leads to the unhealthy focus on leadership.
Since scripture doesn’t emphasize growing our church, it doesn’t give us strategies to do this. So, people are left to go outside of the Bible as they look for the best methods to make their church bigger. This leads to embracing worldly methods and strategies, which in turn places a huge emphasis on leadership.
It’s dumbfounding that the church, which is God’s own, unique, spiritual creation, would feel that God’s purposes would be better served by incorporating “wisdom” from the fallen world. This way of thinking is reminiscent of the Israelites in the Old Testament, who wanted Samuel to appoint a king to lead them, so they could be just like all the other nations 5. Rather than embracing their totally unique situation, of trusting the creator of the universe to lead them in his ways, they wanted to be led by a man, like the nations around them. This is being replayed in today’s church, which seems to be more dependent on the ways of the world than it is on the ways of God.
It’s also disturbing that church leaders want to emulate unsaved leaders of corporations and institutions, unbelievers who practice a hierarchal leadership style that Jesus condemned. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you” 6, and “You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers” 7.
The very fact that scripture doesn’t give us strategies on how to grow our church should be a huge red flag that God hasn’t called us to do this. Instead, the Bible is crystal clear that the church is to be fully engaged in the work of making disciples 8.
Leadership is about making the institution bigger. Discipleship is about making the believer better.
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In the few places that leaders are mentioned in the Bible, we aren’t instructed to follow them, but rather to imitate them because they are examples of how to follow Jesus.
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV)
Paul isn’t looking to be a leader that people follow. His desire is for people to follow Christ. And because he has insight, experience, and maturity when it comes to imitating Christ, he knows he can help them. So, the whole thing is about following; Paul follows Christ and encourages others to imitate him so that they can follow Christ better.
…so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12 ESV)
Paul uses this kind of language several times in the scriptures. He isn’t putting someone in charge that others are supposed to follow. He is encouraging believers to imitate those among them who exemplify faith and patience. Again, the emphasis isn’t on leadership ability, but on spiritual qualities. And these qualities lead to inheriting the promises that God has given us in his word.
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7 ESV)
This verse tells us to be mindful of our leaders and draws attention to their spiritual qualities. Biblical leadership is done through speaking the word of God and living a life that models faith. This verse positions leaders as someone to imitate, not someone to follow.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17 ESV)
In the Bible, leaders aren’t running an institution or directing corporate activities, instead they’re watching over people’s souls. This is a tremendous responsibility that requires a lot of spiritual work. It involves prayer, ministry of the word, and lots of personal interaction.
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The following verse is a powerful communication of the work and the goal of discipleship.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:28-29 ESV)
Paul didn’t work to build a bigger church. He worked at proclaiming Jesus. He warned everyone and taught everyone with all wisdom. His toil and struggle were focused on bringing everyone to maturity in Christ. And Jesus Christ energized and empowered him to carry out this work.
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Discipleship is about what Christ can do. It’s pursuing Jesus, so that we can realize the fullness of what he can do in us and through us.
Leadership is about what people can do. It focuses on utilizing people’s potential to accomplish our goals. And while we may say that our goal is to glorify Jesus, nothing comes close to glorifying Jesus, like following him and letting him work his purposes through us.
The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints… which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26-27 ESV)
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. (John 12:26 ESV)
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Footnotes:
- Acts 6:5 ESV And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
- Acts 11:24 ESV for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
- Acts 18:24 NASB Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures.
- 2 Timothy 3:15 NASB and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Samuel 8:5 ESV and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
- Matthew 20:25-26 ESV But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
- Matthew 23:8 ESV But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
- Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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