Since the most ancient of times, God has appointed leaders: patriarchs, judges, kings, prophets, priests, and apostles. God uses His servants to proclaim His word and spread His message. 

Biblical leaders should have moral character: humility, integrity, and honesty. They must be truly called by God and not motivated by their own vanity. They must possess some requisite skills to perform the task asked of them. They must be able in some way to live in authentic community with other believers. Finally, they must be focused on Christ.

The Bible is full of guidance for God-given leaders, such as the qualifications for deacons found in 1 Timothy 3:8-12. It is also full of ways that some of these leaders did not live up to their calling, or slipped into common sins. Just think of Moses’s anger, David and Solomon’s many wives, and Peter’s denial. 

But perhaps the biggest error of all is when believers hold these leaders in idolatry. We must ask ourselves, as Paul challenges us, if we are following Christ, or our favorite ministry. 

…each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 

1 Corinthians 1:12-13

In this age of social media, streaming video, mega-churches, and the desire of reaching the world by being relevant to the world, we run the risk of seeing Biblical leaders as celebrities. We may quickly turn true worship into a cult of personality.

In an effort to raise up strong churches and get God’s word out in an increasingly unfriendly world, we risk borrowing too heavily from the culture and even business practices of the world. 

How often have we leaned upon the teachings of a famous author or pastor instead of directly going to the Word of God? How often have we modeled our marriage, parenting, finances, or even diet after a set of formulas presented by a celebrity Christian leader?

Biblical leadership and teaching are not wrong, but our idolatry of them is. We know that God can use these people to speak to us, but like the leaders of the Bible, they too have their weaknesses and failing. 

What then must we do to stay focused on Christ while viewing earthly ministries in the right light?

First, we must not idolize them above the Bible or the ministry of Christ. Worship leaders are not rock stars, Bible study authors are not gurus, and pastors are not celebrity motivational speakers. 

Next, we must cross-check their teaching with the Word of God. Their ministries should point us directly to God and His Word consistently.

Then, we must understand that they fail sometimes. They too are in need of grace, forgiveness, and the insight of other Godly leaders. Sometimes they need to be corrected and lovingly guided back to the straight and narrow path. 

Finally, we must pray for all our leaders and teachers. Satan would love nothing better than to discourage, defame, attack, and destroy them. 

Worldly leadership operates from its own strength and wisdom, and it can often produce worthy results. But Biblical leadership produces an eternal treasure, because the source of its strength is not of this world. True Biblical leadership always gives the glory to God.