©Standard Publishing
(This is part 2 of a 2-part article.)
By Edward Sanders
The calling of Christian leaders today is different and more general than Jeremiah”s prophetic call recorded in Jeremiah 1. But themes reflected in Jeremiah”s call should apply to commitments today”s Christian leaders make, because these commitments came from God.
The first commitment asked of leaders appears in the first paragraph of the book of Jeremiah. This paragraph records a superscription, a biographical form of literature that often gives some historical, theological, and religious context for the prophet in reference. Jeremiah”s superscription is the longest of the writing prophets1 and ends with the shocking phrase, “when the people of Jerusalem went into exile” (Jeremiah 1:3).
This phrase shocks because it reveals God had done this drastic deed. Moses had warned God”s covenant people, Israel, they were in a binding agreement with God. If they were not faithful to God alone, they would be destroyed and expelled from the land they were given.2 The people of Jerusalem””the important southern kingdom”s main city, comprised of God”s chosen people””were exiled because of disobedience.
When the book of Jeremiah was completed, this phrase referencing the exile was included because Jeremiah”s warnings had unfortunately come true. God judged his people in the harshest of ways.
What commitment does this historic and tragic situation ask of church leaders today? It demands they place their complete trust in God alone.3
Trust God Alone
Moses and Israel”s prophets faced the same problem Christians face today: Where should I place my trust? Believers must be loyal to God alone. The church community must see its leaders placing their trust in God alone, not in political parties, money, employers, friends, or even one”s own family.
Elders must make major decisions with complete trust in God, not finances or anything else. The life of a student minister should reveal a trust that is evident to the parents of the students they lead. Only by committing to trust in God alone can leaders make day-to-day decisions that show trust in God.
Accept God”s Discipline
The second commitment also emerges from Judah”s exile. Leaders must be willing to accept discipline from God. When the faith community fails in its requirements, God may discipline or even judge his own people through disaster. Several New Testament passages parallel this theme: Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; Hebrews 12:7-13.
When a believer refuses to accept discipline, he refuses to humble himself. Such refusal is as far from authentic discipleship as one can get. A believer”s attitude and perspective must always acknowledge that God reprimands so that he or she may become a better disciple. A leader must commit to the disciplined discipleship found throughout Scripture if he expects the rest of the church to take discipline seriously.
Let Christ Consume You
The third commitment Christians must make is based on Jeremiah”s consistent proclamation of the word of God. Jeremiah”s first vision (1:11, 12) clearly shows God was watching to see his word was accomplished through Jeremiah”s ministry and preaching.4 Just as Jeremiah was consumed by God”s word, believers must be consumed by the incarnate Word. The life, death, and resurrection of Christ was the proclamation of the early church and is the only foundation upon which we may minister. The Word incarnate (John 1:1-3) is a fuller expression of the groundwork laid by Jeremiah and other prophets.5
A contemporary battle within churches oscillates between three perspectives: seeker driven, seeker friendly, and member focused. The problem with each of these is the omission of the incarnate Word of God. Such perspectives as these will continue to get in the way of the mission of Christ until church leadership and Christians commit to be God-led and Christ-centered.
It is exciting to see the many churches that are consumed by Christ. What does Jeremiah”s struggle with preaching God”s Word communicate from a New Testament perspective? We must be consumed, invigorated, and broken by the message of Christ and what it costs us. And it should cost us everything.
Serve Under God”s Authority
The first thing recorded in Jeremiah”s call is God”s dialogue with Jeremiah. Verse 5 says: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.6 God formed, knew, consecrated, and appointed Jeremiah. All of these terms place Jeremiah under God”s authority. Jeremiah knew his master. It was not the king of Judah, a chief priest, or a religious official. It was God.
Leaders must commit to serve continually under God”s authority. The position of an elder requires him to remain under God”s authority. God is his master. One who leads worship must bow to Christ”s power. One who teaches must know and make known that the message is based on God”s Word.
I want to ask some questions of churches with problems and churches that have split: Have you forgotten whose church this is? Do you realize it”s Christ”s church? Have you, or did you, organize priorities around him?
Believers must take Christ seriously when he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18, emphasis added). Too many leaders have forgotten they must live under God”s authority, not above it. Church leaders are accountable to God”s authority in a special way.
Serve Continually
The fifth commitment Jeremiah”s call asks of leaders is to serve continually, even though difficulty exists. Jeremiah objected, at least in part, to the prophetic task to which he was called because he realized it would bring difficulty. As discussed in part 1, Jeremiah”s life and ministry were met with opposition he would have rather avoided.
It is interesting that of the few New Testament allusions to Jeremiah 1, all are from Paul.7 Paul, like Jeremiah, was chosen by God and performed ministry in spite of numerous obstacles and personal attacks.
God did not give Jeremiah a difficult prophetic ministry only to abandon him. In fact, God assured Jeremiah of both these things, difficulty and support. Verse 8 says, “For I [God] am with you and will rescue you,” while verse 19 is almost identical, “For I am with you and will rescue you.” The words rescue and deliver are used throughout the Old Testament, especially in Psalms, in instances where a person in distress cries out to God.8
Here, interestingly, God used the word rescue in addressing Jeremiah. Jeremiah”s prophetic ministry was filled with difficulty, as the call suggests. The implication for leaders today is that difficulty is often associated with authentic ministry. Leaders must realize that adversity is natural to the Christian message and ministry.
See Your Specific Purpose
Such adversity is accompanied by the presence of God. The final, and possibly the most profound commitment in which we must engage is to remember God is with us for a specific purpose. As God informed Jeremiah that he was with him, we are reminded that God is with us as we fulfill the call of Christ to make disciples. God is not with us merely so we can experience him. He is with us for a greater purpose, to make disciples. When church leaders pray, they should recognize God”s presence through Christ in the disciple-making process.
The author of the first gospel begins with a reference to Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). He writes that it means “God with us.”9 The book ends with this theme upon Jesus” lips: “Surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Why is Christ with the church and her leaders today? To guide and aid as disciples are made and as obedience to Christ”s commands is taught (Matthew 28:18-20).
These ancient and inspired words from the call of Jeremiah challenge leaders to have a ministry that is firmly rooted upon him who called us to make disciples. These commitments, I believe, will help us become leaders who are committed to the right kind of success in the church.
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1 For example, see Ezekiel 1:1; Hosea 1:1; Joel 1:1; etc.
2 See Deuteronomy 30:15-18.
3 This is a key theme in Deuteronomy. See Deuteronomy 6.
4 Jeremiah was indeed committed to preaching God”s word; see Jeremiah 19:1″”20:18.
5 See Matthew 16:13-16.
6 Author”s translation of Jeremiah 1:5.
7 As an example, see Galatians 1:15, 16.
8 See Psalm 22:20 where the psalmist cries out for deliverance “from the sword” (i.e., certain death).
9 See Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary, Vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004), 32-44.
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Edward Sanders is discipleship minister at Madison Park Christian Church in Quincy, Illinois.
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