Many come to leadership in the Church for the right reasons and stay for the wrong ones. Ecclessial Leaders often fall in love with the trappings and accolades of the position: the clerical apparel, titles, applause and positions of honor. The Old Testament prophet Malachi offers a stern indictment to us all: "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. " (Malachi 1:10-11, NIV).Leadership should not be our prime focus - our even our first calling - worship is. Leadership should be seen as a means to worship and revere the Name of God. I do like John Piper's statement on the primacy of worship: "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."
Worship should be our primary call and function. Leadership in obedience is simply a means to worship Him.
Source:
Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993.
