In my last post we
began to look at what the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus) have
to teach about Christian leadership. We saw both that these three New Testament
letters are a strategic place to go for the subject and also gave an overview
of the ten leadership principles that emerge from their pages.
In this post we turn
to the first of the principles, the one that reminds us of the importance of
carrying out as Christians and in our leadership our ultimate purpose. That
first principle is this. We must…
Lay before self and others
our ultimate purpose—God’s glory by enjoying him.
John Piper, in his
book Don’t Waste Your
Life, helps us discover a
key reason it is important to have God’s glory as our all-consuming purpose to
be fruitful leaders:
You
don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference
in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps
just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people
that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have
mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing. If you
want your life to count, if you want the ripple effects of the pebbles you drop
to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll into eternity, you
don’t need to have a high IQ. You don’t have to have good looks or riches or
come from a fine family or a fine school. Instead, you have to know a few
great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things—or one great
all-embracing thing—and be set on fire by them.
What is the one
thing? Piper answers when he goes on to
share his passion and the purpose statement of Bethlehem Baptist Church (where
he pastored for over thirty years): “We exist to spread a passion for the
supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus
Christ.” We could word it another way. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God
by enjoying him forever.[1]
Since this is the ultimate aim of life, we should not be surprised to find it
emphasized in the Pastoral Epistles and that it should be the driving force of
Christian leadership. In fact, we discover this principle consistently taught
all through the Bible. It is clear that we must keep it as our ultimate driving
force, to shape and trump all other lesser purposes.
Our
Ultimate Purpose Found In The Pastoral Epistles
After Paul writes of
the mercy of God shown to him, a horrible sinner, he adds: “I received mercy
for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his
perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal
life” (1 Tim. 1:16). In other words God saved Paul in such a glorious manner so
that he could draw others to salvation. What is Paul’s reaction to this? He breaks out in worship—giving God glory: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor
and glory forever and ever. Amen” ( Timothy 1:17). Paul’s point in these two
verses is that God saved Paul for his own glory and Paul gives God glory in
response to that salvation. Paul is displaying that the glory of God is
foremost and central and, by implication, is calling Timothy to do the same.
This emphasis on God’s glory as our
ultimate purpose is seen elsewhere in the Pastorals in the following ways:
1. Standing behind Paul’s willingness to
face hardship for the gospel is the conviction God is glorified through gospel
ministry—especially when gospel ministers are willing to suffer for him. He
also calls other ministers and leaders to the same willingness. In 2 Timothy 1:8-11 we read: “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of
me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
9 who saved us and called us to a holy
calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace,
which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the
appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for
which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher….”
2. Paul not only lived ultimately for God’s
glory himself and not only called other leaders to do the same, he also taught
all Christians to live to this end. He specifically mentions glorifying God on
the job. We see this first in 1 Timothy 6:1: “Let all
who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all
honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.” Then we also see it in Titus 2:9-10: “Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in
everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so
that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.”
Our
Ultimate Purpose Found Elsewhere In Paul’s Writings
The fact that Paul believes
our ultimate purpose is God’s glory through our joy found in him is given even
greater weight in his other writings—a realization that confirms the emphasis
in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus.
1. 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God.”
2. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God
in your body.”
3. Colossians 3:17: “And
whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
4. Philippians 1:21-23 displays for us that God is most glorified in
us when we find contentment and joy in him: “For to me to live is Christ, and
to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in
the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot
tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the
two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
Our
Ultimate Purpose Found In The Rest of Scripture
Though there are
scores of passages we could cite, I want to call our attention to two pairs in
the Gospel Of John that highlight that which brings us joy in our Lord also
glorifies him.
1. John 14:13 and 16:24 teach that God
commits to answer our prayers both that he might be glorified and we might have
joy: “ Whatever you ask in my name, this
I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” “Until now you have
asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
2. John 15:8 and 15:11 teach that
faith-fueled, fruit-bearing discipleship both glorify God and bring joy to us:
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much
fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” “These things I have spoken to you,
that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”
Practical
Application Of This First Principle
What difference
should be made in our leadership? Here are some suggestions.
1. Understanding this ultimate purpose as a
leader puts in proper perspective what we are trying to do. We are pointing
people to our Savior and to his agenda, not our own. See John 3:30; 1 Peter
5:1-2.
2. To follow this ultimate purpose puts us in
the right frame of mind such that we want to lead according to the truth of
Scripture and not merely our own thinking or supposed leadership experts (which
puts us in the right frame of mind to pursue the remaining nine principles).
Philippians 2:12-16 (esp. 16):
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always
obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for
it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or
disputing, 15 that you may be blameless
and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and
twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the
day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
3. What is especially important is that when
persecution comes or opposition comes or difficulties arise because of our
leadership, we remember that what is important is not what people think of us
or our being comfortable. Instead, what is important is our Lord being
glorified through the manifestation of his glorious gospel through us. Don’t
give into or be paralyzed by fear! (See 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; 4:1-18 [esp. 15];
11:16-30; 12:7-10; 2 Tim. 1:7)
4. We work for the joy of those we are
leading—i.e. their joy in Christ. (See 2 Cor. 1:24 [esp. in light of the texts
just cited in 2 Corinthians])
5. In light of this ultimate purpose, we must
constantly ask as leaders: “How does
this purpose shape my leadership?” “How should it shape this decision I have to
make?”
6. Communicate, communicate, communicate
purpose, mission, and vision! Also, do it in a way that is memorable. Also,
avoid the “flavor-of-the-month” approach to leadership that makes ultimate
whatever you are learning about at the time or whatever is the latest trend.
Stay consistent in order to communicate a consistent picture of where you are
going.
7. Never let process or practice trump
purpose. In other words, don’t forget purpose!
8. Memorize and pray this principle.
[1] I am also indebted to John Piper, in his book Desiring God: Meditations Of A
Christian Hedonist, for the insight
that the answer to the Westminster
Shorter Catechism’s first question, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God
and enjoy him forever,” is best reworded: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God by
enjoying him forever.”
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