Chapter Seven:  Being a Leader Carries Heavier Judgment

By Dr. Steve Davis

 What you will get from this chapter:  

1) Leadership is chosen by God, not by those who are seeking an office.

2) Leadership brings awesome responsibility and is not to be entered into lightly!

3) Leaders will be judged by the Ultimate Leader – Jesus Christ.

God chooses His leaders.  Moses didn't go out looking to be a leader.  He tried every way to get out of it.  "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance." (Romans 11:29). If you are called, you are called!  You can still go to hell if you are disobedient.  Those in this position will be judged much more strictly than others.  The Bible says, "Don't every one of you desire to be teachers."  Why?  The judgment that you are going to be under is going to be more severe. 

James 3:1 says, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” Those who lead and teach will be judged more harshly by the people under their leadership and from those in the community. If a person wants to be a leader, he or she needs to realize that many peoples’ favorite game is “Hate the Leader.” Some will hate you simply because you are the leader.

God gives the call to make a person a minister, or elder – and along with the call, comes the responsibility for fulfilling that calling. In Ezekiel 3:17-18, He says, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.  When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

The higher the level of leadership, the greater the responsibility and potential for judgment. Jesus said in  Luke 12:47-48  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that, “ . . .  we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”  Nobody on their own would seek to be judged more harshly or to be criticized more than is absolutely necessary. To be a leader is to live a life of having your words, thoughts, intentions a heart judged and criticized almost constantly by those under you who are negative.

This is why Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. “  This indicates clearly that there are those in the Body of Christ who have authority or “the rule” over other Believers. These are the Elders among the people in the Body of Christ. Yet, these Elders will be held accountable for how they operate among God’s people.  

When the Chief Shepherd appears, He is going to go over the Elder's administration.  He is going to check out each of His people, "each according to his several ability."  (Matthew 25:15‑30)  The church needs to pray for those that are in leadership.  So that they can hear from God and take us into the right direction.  The scriptures say to pray "for kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2:2). Pray so you can live peaceably.  He's telling us to pray for our carnal administrators, as well for our spiritual ones. 

God will judge each of His people according to the calling placed on that particular life.  Ephesians 4:1 says, "...walk worthy of the vocation (Gr. "klesis" or calling) wherewith ye are called."  In the R.V., James 3:1 says, "Be not many teachers, my brethren, knowing that we shall receive heavier judgment."  Most people that God has raised up into spiritual authority, didn't really want to be there.  Most haven't sought the ministry, the ministry sought them.  It isn't for the believer to seek to be called.  It is for the believer to let God call and then to respond.

Hebrews 5:4 "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God."  If a believer is the one He has chosen and called, God wants him or her to occupy that office more than he or she wants to get there. Others among God’s people will recognize the calling and gifting. They will be more inclined for the leader to be put into position than the leader is to be recognized as a leader.

The leader must give an account for the souls that he or she is overseeing.  The flock that the Elder is overseeing was purchased by the blood of Jesus.  If a believer desires to occupy one of the offices in the body of Christ, the Bible says that the believer is desiring a "good work" (1 Timothy 3:1).  But, the believer needs to remember the responsibility that will be placed upon him with the office.  No man can put a person in that office.  It is the Holy Spirit who makes an overseer.  If the Holy Spirit doesn't do it, the overseer will never stand up to the job.  If men put him in, men can put him out.  "He that lives by the popular vote shall die by the popular vote." 

God’s promise to supernaturally equip the leader. Numbers 11:17 "And I (God) will come down and talk wit thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone."  This means each leader that God calls will be given the anointed help that he or she needs, just like Moses was.  God will give the leader instruction and guidance to do in his or her situation what Moses did in his.   Moses had to select the other leaders to assist him, because it wasn't to be everyone that was an elder in the flesh.  He wasn't told to go out and pick the oldest, or most experienced men. It was those that MOSES knew to be elders and already doing the work.  Not every elder received the anointing of Moses.  Only 70 of them were hand picked by Moses.  Throughout the Word of God this seems to be the principle of how leadership operates.

For example, in Titus 1:5, "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou (Titus, an Elder) couldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee."  This is what Titus was commissioned to do.  As an Elder, specifically a Pastor, Titus was to set the church into order, to make up those areas that were lacking, and also to ordain other Elders to lead the local assemblies.

Copyright Steven L. Davis  www.stevedavis.org