Chuck Larsen

True Biblical leaders must lead by example. Paul gave Titus some very specific instructions regarding what kind of example leaders should be setting. He addressed alcohol, sexual conduct, reputation, anger, greed and many other things. Then he turns to a leader’s relationship with God’s Word.

Jesus commissioned His followers to “Make Disciples” in what we often refer to as “The Great Commission.” He prefaces this commission with the phrase “all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, therefore go…” I’ve learned that the authority of Scripture is so rooted in and closely linked to the authority of Jesus Christ that the two are virtually indivisible. To attempt to distinguish them is like asking which blade of a pair of scissors is more important, or which leg of a pair of pants is more necessary. We know Christ through the Bible, and we understand the Bible through the knowledge of Christ and the Spirit he sent. Christ’s authority is given to us and we find that commission in the Bible.

The role of scripture in biblical leadership, disciple making, is indisputable. We can learn all about man’s social condition, his psychological makeup, his judicial systems, his educational disciplines, but the key to true leadership rests in a clear and comprehensive understanding of Scripture. Mortimer J. Adler, in “How to Read a Book,” has observed that the one time people read for all they are worth is when they are in love and are reading a love letter. They read every word three ways. They read between the lines and in the margins. They read the whole in terms of the parts, and each part in terms of the whole. They grow sensitive to context and ambiguity, to insinuation and implication. They perceive the color of words, the order of phrases, and the weight of sentences. They may even take the punctuation into account. Then, if never before or after, they read carefully and in depth.” Howard Henricks, a Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, made us read that book and said that if you desire to be a leader of God’s people, you must Love God’s word and read it like a true lover. It’s God’s love letter to us. It is an absolute prerequisite to leadership and disciple making.

Chuck
“I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” Job 23:12

Paul instructs Titus to look for people who exercise self-control, because they are the ones who lead best by example. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit according to Paul’s letter to the Galatians; “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”

Self-control is not a popular idea in today’s market. We are prompted to have everything and anything we want right now and there’s no need to wait. We are even taught in the media that unfulfilled or repressed desires and drives lead to great harm. Yet, the very opposite is true. When desire gains the upper hand it is always deadly. It always results in more pain and seldom comes through on it promises. Self-control is nothing more than delaying gratification at the moment for some greater gratification in the future. Self-control is learning to put off the pleasures of the moment for greater rewards in the future. The rewards of the moment are always temporary and according to Jesus will not last. That’s why he tells us to lay up for ourselves rewards in heaven where neither rust nor decay can touch them.”

Self-control serves us all well as proven by one psychologist. At a preschool on the Stanford University campus he told children that they could have a single treat, such as a marshmallow, right now. However, if they would wait while the experimenter ran an errand, they could have two marshmallows. Some preschoolers grabbed the marshmallow immediately, but others were able to wait what, for them, must have seemed an endless 20 minutes. To sustain themselves in their struggle, they covered their eyes so they wouldn’t see the temptation, rested their heads on their arms, talked to themselves, sang, even tried to sleep. These plucky kids got the two-marshmallow reward. The interesting part of this experiment came in the follow-up. The children who as 4-year-olds had been able to wait for the two marshmallows were, as adolescents, still able to delay gratification in pursuing their goals. They were more socially competent and self-assertive, and better able to cope with life’s frustrations. In contrast, the kids who grabbed the one marshmallow were, as adolescents, more likely to be stubborn, indecisive, and stressed.

Chuck
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Piety is often misunderstood. When Paul instructed Titus to look for those who were “pious” he didn’t mean to look for those who “looked” pious. Looks can be deceiving. Jesus was always confronting those who “looked” pious and put on religious heirs before the public, yet they were filled with decay on the inside like a casket. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the casket. When Howard Carter and his associates found the tomb of King Tutankhamen, they opened up his casket and found another within it. They opened up the second, which was covered with gold leaf, and found a third. Inside the third casket was a fourth made of pure gold. The pharaoh’s body was in the fourth, wrapped in gold cloth with a gold face mask. But when the body was unwrapped, it was leathery and shriveled. Whether we are trying to cloak a dead spiritual life, or something else, in caskets of gold to impress others, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the interior.

Paul doesn’t tell us we “cannot” observe rituals or ceremonies, but he does tell us not to be controlled by them. Further, he does not condemn works of righteousness. He commends them! James suggests that it is good deeds that make faith pure. He says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27). It seems that without these acts we cannot be pious, but it is not these acts that make us pious. Piety is more associated with motive than behavior.

I once read that There are four great compelling motives that move men to action: Fear, Hope, Faith, and Love—these four, but the greatest of these is Fear. Fear is first in order, first in force, first in fruit. Indeed, fear is “the beginning of wisdom.” Scripture summarizes the chief cause of sin and crime: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Indeed, piety is seen in those who fear the Lord.

Chuck
“And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1

Another thing that Paul tells Titus to be on the lookout for in the lives of people is their sense of fairness. The word “dikaios” in this context refers to that which is equitable and just and right in our dealings with others. Those who reflect this character trait are reflecting God’s nature and are excellent examples for others to follow. Paul focuses his attention on this when he writes to the Colossians. Colossae was a rich city. Philemon, the slave owner, lived there as did many other very wealthy families. Paul addresses them directly when he says, “Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1).

We’re all leaders and we all set an example whether we are aware of it or not. There are others watching us all the time and honesty is always the best policy. True leadership begins with character. Our behavior says so much more about us and teaches what we value so much more thoroughly than what we say, that one must be constantly aware of and in charge of their actions. I remember reading a story about Johnny. As young Johnny reached for the ringing phone one Saturday, his dad sighed through his teeth: “If it’s the guy from the office, tell him I’m not home.” That evening the family went out for dinner. Before leaving the restaurant, Johnny’s mother looked at the check and mentioned that the waitress had undercharged them. “That’s their tough luck,” mumbled the father. On the way home, they joked about the box that dad had bought for the dashboard of the car. He called it the “fuzz buster” and bragged that it had already paid for itself when considering the speeding tickets he might otherwise have received.
Later that night, as Johnny finished his Sunday-school lesson, he thought what a good Saturday it had been. How much better than last weekend—when his father had grounded him for cheating on his arithmetic test.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I agree with the guy who said, “The probability of someone watching you is proportional to the stupidity of your actions.” The more stupid the action, the more certain you can be that there are others watching you! But the Scriptures teach us to develop a character that’s the same whether someone is watching or not. We’re not supposed to be one way when others are watching us and another way when we’re alone.

Chuck
“For God is closely watching you, and he weighs carefully everything you do.” Proverbs 5:21