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The Essential Element of Leadership
In The Lord's Churches
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

The Essential Element of Leadership In the Lord's Churches

Unit Three - Two Flies in the Preacher's Ointment

Ecclesiastes 10:1

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor."

Unit Three

Chapter Two

A Narrow One-Dimensional Philosophy

I Corinthians 9:22

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

The second fly in the preacher's ointment is a narrow, one-dimensional philosophy. A large number of pastors, and people within churches, view the work of the ministry to be very limited in scope. They think a pastor's job is to preach, visit and socialize with the members, particularly when they are sick or absent, and to attend the physical needs of the church property such as keeping the buildings clean and maintained, cutting the grass and keeping the lawn, and seeing that doors are opened and closed and the lights and air-conditioners are turned on and off. They figure that he's a pretty good pastor, if he does these things, and a pretty sorry pastor, if he doesn't.

A good many of these thinkers actually seem to scorn pastors who have a broader view of the ministry. Some pastors, and members, believe pastoring also involves careful planning of messages and events on the church calendar, to meet the needs of and challenge the people, identification of church needs and the initiation of programs or ministries to address those needs, preparation of good teaching or learning materials to be taught in the Sunday school, in seminars, at youth camps and which can be preserved for future generations, and in general giving one's life in a menagerie of efforts to "the whole man" of the various members of the church.

Those infected with the narrow, one-dimensional philosophy I'm discussing think pastors who think broader are wrong, and with their cutting, sarcastic remarks and sneering attitudes they let their scorn be known. They condemn those preachers and churches who are "doing all these things in the energy of the flesh." It's not too unusual to hear a preacher say something like, "God didn't call me to run a printing press," as an excuse for not having a publishing ministry. "More programs" is a good thing to kick around in hot sermons, especially at preacher's fellowships. Busy preachers, who are working hard to do a quality job of pastoring, are accused of thinking "they've arrived," "they're too big for little ordinary people," of "sitting in their ivory towers," and of "having their little kingdoms."

These caustic denunciations come because the busy preacher can't always stop when another preacher or missionary calls or drops by, attend all the fellowship meetings, go golfing or fishing with the brethren because he's most always absorbed in the work. It seems that pastors who are usually hard at work in the ministry intimidate most of those who have too much free time on their hands. So, like most intimidated people do, they throw lots of pious and holy verbal stones to take the spotlight off themselves.

I'm talking about a basic philosophy or view of the ministry. I'm talking about a philosophy which may exist because the person honestly believes a broader view of the ministry is unscriptural or because a broader view of the ministry requires a lot more from the pastor, both physically and mentally, and the person is just not willing to pay the extra price. For whatever the reason one has it, it is a philosophy which locks a pastor into a very narrow role. He rarely, if ever, concerns himself with or attempts anything more than preaching at the appointed times, visiting sick or shut-in members, calling on an occasional prospect, tending the church properties and socializing with the membership and community. Except for preaching a few revivals and attending preacher fellowship meetings, that's about as broad as his view of the ministry is. Most all else is regarded as "wood, hay, and stubble."

Some of these pastors study and some of them don't. In fact, some of them are excellent preachers. They're true Bible scholars, and their sermons are meaty indeed. The fly in their ointment is not lack of study nor inferior preaching. The fly in their ointment is a philosophy of the ministry that is so narrow and appeals to such a small part of what a man is that these pastors rarely have very many people to hear their great sermons, and I do mean truly great sermons.

First things first

Preaching is first. We've already spent at least one whole chapter and parts of others proving that fact, but as good as it is, preaching is not everything. Preaching the great truths of the Bible goes further than anything else toward building those true convictions so essential to keeping people and their children going from year to year and generation to generation, although preaching alone does not build great men and great churches. People and churches must have opportunities for practical application.

It's never enough to give a would-be pilot classroom and textbook teaching. He must have that, but he also must get in a plane and practice, practice, practice. That pastor who thinks all his job entails is telling people the truth through powerful sermons and maintaining a regular meeting place will fail to build the lives of many people or the size of his congregation, just as surely as will the pilot who limits himself to the classroom and the textbook and the maintenance of his airplane. Pastors must preach. First and foremost, they must preach, and do so with depth and heartfelt conviction. They can't do that consistently without plenty of study. Thus, as with the apostles in Acts 6, study, prayer and lots of quality time with God must get the lion's share of a pastor's attention and time.

It doesn't end with preaching

Pastor's can't stop with preaching. Though they need not do all the work themselves, they must see to it that the many other works necessary to the welfare of a church are done. People do have emotional and social needs, as well as spiritual needs and a pastor must minister to all those needs. Youth have special needs, and they are different from the needs of senior citizens. Music meets special needs, as do corporate suppers and other church social gatherings. People have needs for good study materials, and in this age of printing equipment and video capabilities, a pastor has a unique and easy way to meet the study material needs. Church libraries and bookstores can meet church family needs. Surely the needs of members are great when they're sick, have lost a loved one, have family problems and when they're in an economic bind. There is a great church need for adequate, well-kept, clean, and attractive church buildings and properties.

Paul spoke of the "care of all the churches" in II Corinthians 11:28. No pastor can ignore the real, daily needs of his people and do very well. His sermons, however astute, will get to sounding pretty empty and foreign, if he is insensitive to and continually ignores the legitimate needs of the people. If his philosophy of the ministry is so narrow that it basically takes him out of the lives of the people except in the pulpit and on a superficial social level, he'll bomb out or sit stagnant with only a small hand-full.

A matter of priorities

What is being said here is in no way contradicting or in conflict with what has previously been said, particularly in the chapter on the pastor's failure to study. We're talking priorities here, and the priority must ever be on study and preaching, but not to the neglect or ignoring of the other needs of the people. As Jesus said on another subject in Matthew 23:23, "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

This is where deacons and other helpers come in. When the physical and social needs of the people in the Jerusalem church of Acts 6 got so weighty that the apostles could no longer attend them without interference to their ministry of prayer and the Word, they didn't tell the people, "Hey folks, it's not our job to take care of the daily ministration of care to the Grecian and Hebrew widows. God didn't call us to take care of needs like that; he called us to preach. Therefore, we're not going to do anything about it, that's your problem." Every Bible believer knows better than that, although that's the kind of answer many a modern preacher with a narrow philosophy would give. What the apostles did was say clearly in Acts 6:3, "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." The apostles didn't have a detached, narrow, one-dimensional philosophy of what a pastor is to do. They had their priorities straight. They'd stick personally and primarily to the ministry of the Word, but they'd also see that the other needs of the people were met. They wouldn't do it themselves, but they'd see that it got done.

More than a one-man operation

A church of the living God was never intended to be a one-man operation where a pastor comes in twice on Sundays and once each Wednesday and delivers a sermon, then everybody goes home and basically forgets it until the next week. No. A church is to be a living, functioning body with a plurality of input and leadership. Ephesians 4:16 speaks of that which "every joint supplieth."

Everybody's to be contributing. There is not to be just one leader. There are to be many leaders. Some preach, some teach, some as older brethren take younger brethren under their wings to help mold and develop. Some look out for widow's needs, and some tend to financial affairs. The plurality of laborers and leadership is clear as Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:12-13. These verses speaks of "them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly for their works sake."

Notice also the plurality of leadership seen in I Timothy 5:17, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." "Elders" is plural, and there is a distinction made between those "who labor in the word and doctrine" and other leaders.

In the Bible, lots of people in the churches got involved with meeting the many needs of the people. Pastors primarily gave themselves to prayer, study and the ministry of the Word, but as the persons in charge, they directed deacons, teachers and other members to meet the social and physical needs of the people. There's no evidence that they neglected or ignored needful and good church activities simply because they couldn't personally handle them without neglecting the Word. They saw to it that the work got done. They viewed it as their responsibility, even though they actually did the work through the hands of others.

They certainly did not have a narrow, one-dimensional view or philosophy of the ministry. Consider the view of the apostle Paul. It is stated with unmistakable clarity in I Corinthians 9:19-23,

"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law; To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be a partaker thereof with you."

The last half of verse 22 expresses his philosophy of the ministry and the philosophy which should characterize every pastor, "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." Do all you can to reach men and build up the saints of God in the most holy faith. Don't get locked into a very narrow philosophy, which declares a great many legitimate, scriptural ways to help people and churches to grow, to be "off limits."

Narrow philosophy extended

A narrow, one-dimensional philosophy of the ministry goes hand in hand with a narrow, one-dimensional view of the role of the church. I'm talking here of the view that sees the job of the church to be the maintenance of a meeting place with Sunday and possibly Wednesday services. It's a philosophical view which has no real use for much of anything much more involved or demanding than holding revival and home-coming. Some churches of this sort are very "deep" and doctrinally sound. The services consist of "profound" preaching and deep teaching and discussions of great doctrinal truths. Thinkers of this type rarely get very fired up, excited or zealous over anything except deep theology and conducting every service in an exacting, formal way.

In fact, they look with great disdain and scorn on churches that do anything more. A spirit of life and excellence in special music and other music is called showmanship. An aggressive missions program, particularly missions involvements outside a monthly support check, are thought foolish. Faith promise missions giving is thought a gimmick, as are attendance campaigns. Seminars and illustrated teaching with overheads, flannel boards or puppets is thought worldly and sneered at as "using paper dolls in church instead of preaching."

"The youth can entertain themselves; that's not the church's job." Films and videos are really thought foolish. Systematic visitation, a special home Bible studies approach, any recreational activities to attract people, family life activities, youth camps and vacation Bible schools, a church publications ministry, a really special Christmas or Easter program, and most all efforts to really fire people up and get them excited about the work of the Lord are all scorned. Concentrated efforts to always function in a spirit of excellence, such as ample rehearsal before offering special music, planning orderly services in advance and keeping the buildings looking sharp are regarded as vain efforts that scourge the Lord out.

I'm talking about a philosophy about the role of the church which says, "If people can't come here for the truth's sake, we're not going to pet and cuddle them." So, it thinks the church ought to conduct services of astute depth, and do virtually nothing more. It's a philosophy which has no interest in the social physical needs of people.

This view of the role of the church does not divorce itself from aggressive youth programs, first rate music ministries, complex missions outreaches, demanding publishing operations, demanding rallies and attendance building campaigns, excellence and innovative teaching techniques, well organized church family social events, and other such activities designed to reach and build a maximum number of people because these types of undertakings are so demanding in terms of time and resources. No! This philosophy stays out of church activities and involvements of this sort because it is against them. It either thinks they are wrong, or it thinks they are foolish and useless. This philosophy does not view these things to be a part of the role of the church.

Dying and stagnant

The narrow, one-dimensional philosophy is a very great enemy whether it be in a preacher or a church, and those who have it are going to fail to be what they could and ought to be, if they do not change their philosophy. Sad to say, but so many churches are dying, or at best sitting so stagnant and unprosperous, and missionaries are crying because the base of support is drying up. Many a preacher goes from church to church with the sad results of stagnation, trouble and failure wherever he goes. It's the same story every time. Only the names and locations of the people change. And these preachers and churches refuse to admit that they have a philosophical problem that's killing them.

Their philosophy or view of the role of a pastor and church is keeping them from doing so many of the things they need to be doing to reach and lead people to get them on fire and become fruitful for God. Their philosophy is robbing them of the power of true leadership.

Oh, dear preacher brother and Christian brother, if you hold this philosophy, you are going to fail to ever be what God would have you to be. You are not going to make it until you change your philosophy.

Every human is a spirit, soul and body according to I Thessalonians 5:23. All three aspects of a person need attention. Pastors and churches must minister to the whole man. Yes, more than anything else, his spirit needs the truth! But, he needs to express that truth in his soul and body. The pastor and church must not only give him the truth, it must also provide him ways, means opportunities whereby he may express that truth in his life. Truth without expression in the soul or life just puffs people up with pride and a superiority complex. I Corinthians 8:1 says, "knowledge puffeth up."

It's a sad indictment against too many preachers and other Christians that they can sit in high level judgment about various soul winning methods, yet they rarely win anybody to Christ. They can and do sit in their churches and with their brethren and dote for hours over deep and fine points of doctrine, yet they are not out there getting with the sweat and tears of getting into people's lives for the better. They talk about giving God your best, yet get up to sing and say something like, "I didn't have time to practice, so I'll just practice on you," with a silly little grin as they fumble around getting ready. They talk about love, yet they're some of the hardest, most legalistic, intolerant judgmental people on earth.

I am here to tell you that if preachers and churches do not get into the souls and bodies of people, as well as into the spirit, they are kidding themselves about effectiveness in the work of the Lord. Man is more than a spirit. He is also a living soul in a body. There must be a way for the truth of the spirit to find expression in the soul and in the body. James especially deals with this very issue. It is in James 1 where he insists that men be doers, not just hearers of the Word. He says in verse 21 that we are to receive the "engrafted word which is able to save your souls."

Note well that the word is to get into the "soul," psukee meaning life, not just stay in your spirit, psyche. He goes on to say in verse 22, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

He continues in verse 25, "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

Then in chapter 2 he says, "even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone," in verse 17.

Listen to him in verse 18. "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

He's talking about the reality of the spirit, soul and body, and the fact that truth is to affect all three. It's not enough to minister to the spirit. Preachers and churches must also get into the lives, souls, of the people. Most every one of the instructional epistles of the Bible, particularly the Pauline epistles, start out with a great polemic or doctrinal argument regarding one or more great academic, absolute truths of God. These truths are directed straight to the spirit of man.

Then, toward the middle of the epistles, God begins to explain how these truths should find expression in the souls and bodies of those who learn them.

In a multitude of ways, none of which are unscriptural, pastors and churches can help people find expression of God's truths in their daily lives. Ministries, training programs, corporate social activities, service programs, teaching ministries, special efforts to reach people, efforts that challenge and encourage people to do more and better can all be vehicles which enable God's people to practice what they preach, implement what they've heard. We're not talking here about anything unscriptural or outside the church. We're talking about wholesome Bible pursuits which have the good effect of causing people to grow in the Lord, and which can greatly enhance, strengthen and enlarge the church base itself.

Those who would get involved in a broad, multi-dimensional approach to reaching men have got to believe in it, not just tolerate it. If the heart of a preacher or church is not there, it will never work. No one can do it just to get results, and make it work. It must be done because they believe it is right. If the commitment to a broad approach to the ministry and church life is real, it will show. If it's real, it will ever be manifesting itself in ways of service. That service will be viewed as truly the work of God, not useless activity performed in the energy of the flesh.

Satan has many ways to make preachers and churches fail. Even when so many things look so positive one or two little things can truly be like flies in the apothecary's ointment. Lack of study and a narrow, one-dimensional philosophy of the ministry may at first seem small and insignificant, but they are not. They can ruin a preacher and church.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"