AV 25
NOT a New Believer
“He must not be a new believer, because he
might become puffed up with pride and thus fall under the same judgment as did
the Adversary.” (1Tim 3:6 CJB)
I am reminded of the story of a professional football player who, once
he had repented and became ‘born-again’, felt that he should be part of the
ministry team in the mega-church led by the Rev. T.D. Jakes. Rev. Jakes, very politely yet very firmly,
told this star athlete to ‘shut up and sit down’, that until he had proven
himself, he was not to be in any position of leadership or ministry. While I do not agree with much of what the
Rev. Jakes teaches, I do applaud him in the way he handled this situation, as
it was done correctly, and scripturally.
We do not give a ten-year-old child the keys to a Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio (cost of $3 – 5 million[1]). While said child may be proficient at
handling a four-wheeler or ATV, the child has not sufficiently learned the
concept of responsibility or accountability that accompanies the owning and
operation of such a vehicle. While this
example is a bit extreme, the same concept applies to leadership in a
congregational setting. It is an open
invitation to failure all the way around.
While there are colleges, universities and seminaries dedicated to
graduating church leaders and Rabbis, where is the ‘hands-on’ training, where a
potential leader sits in submission to one who is tried and vetted? Experience of itself is an amazing teacher,
and experience can only be gained through the investment of time.
May I also say that there are those who have the highest scholastic training in the Scriptures that is possible, and
have absolutely no people skills. I personally know of one congregational
leader that does not particularly like people,
is sadly lacking in the compassion department, and has little care or concern
for the people that are part of his congregation. Should this type of person be allowed in
ministry? Being as how we will be judged
as to the quality of our relationships with others (do we love our neighbor as
ourselves?) I would have to say no.
What, therefore, are we to discern concerning the maturity of a
potential leader? Our opening verse tells
us that he/she must not be a novice,
or new believer. Walking the Torah walk
is just that: a walk of perpetual movement, constantly moving forward. And only as we walk with one another can we
ascertain the depth of commitment, and the level of experience and ability,
that we each one of us has.
“…until WE
ALL COME to the unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim,
to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah,
so that we should no longer be children, tossed and borne about by every wind
of teaching, by the trickery of men, in cleverness, unto the craftiness of
leading astray, but, maintaining the truth in love, we GROW UP IN ALL RESPECTS
INTO HIM who is the head, Messiah, from whom the entire body, joined and knit
together by what every joint supplies, according to the working by which each
part does its share, CAUSES GROWTH OF THE BODY FOR THE BUILDING UP OF ITSELF IN
LOVE.” (Eph 4:13-16, emphasis mine)
©2021
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