I often spy flocks of birds crossing the skies; and enjoy pausing to observe their precision maneuvering. Without any distinct leader, their intrinsic values lead them through 90 and 180 degree turns, a variety of speed changes, and all,... while continually skirting across the horizon as one. What a life application illustration for the Church !
Romans 4:3,..."For what saith the scripture?" A simply worded verse, yet it expounds with the weight of a dissertation.
Wouldn't it be sensible for members of the Church to study Scripture, commit it to memory, and incorporate it into every aspect of their decision making processes? However, we constantly romanticize (most outrageously) by comparing ourselves to the likes of Daniel, Abraham, or Job, thinking we hold legitimate candles to earlier fathers of our faith, and believe we possess the strengths and exploits of the beginning Apostles. All this with infrequent prayer, even less Bible attendance, and while pitching our homes toward Sodom! Shame on our dimmed & hidden lights, and tasteless salt.
Why do we need leaders? Mainly because we're so lacking in biblical knowledge and a "Christian World-view" that someone has to hold our hands while instructing, "This way, go this way!" But we must be forsaking any leadership; for how else can one account for so many Christians choosing the road to divorce court, allowing the ordination of practicing homosexuals, accepting, "we can't pray" in public schools, and immersing themselves in relativistic opinion & secular reasoning?
An entity is the sum of all it's parts. Is the Church any different? Here in the U.S., the Church pews are emptying, it's growing irrelevant to society, and the remaining Church's ideology mirrors the world's wisdom with growing constancy. I perceive the hue and cry, "Not me! Not me! Not my church!" ,... of which I'm expected to reply,.. "Of course it's not you. It's everyone else, and everyplace else." This isn't written for what you may WANT to read, but has been written for what you may NEED to read. However, to be fair, this IS being word painted with a broad brush.
Why do we need the clothed with mortality leaders? ,...because it's scriptural, and we're shamefully neglectful of God's absolutes. Need more reasons? In addition to the previous list, perhaps the Church's voting for pro-choice candidates, quietly allowing the glorification of sin, and failing to protect the minds of their children may stir a heart or two!
We need our "in the flesh" leaders in varying degrees, but if the Church's parts desire to respond and act in true "one accord" like the birds skirting the horizon, it needs to fall under the leadership of one leader first,...Jesus Christ!
One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
1 Peter 3:8,..."Finally, be ye all of one mind".....
You could have left it at "For what sayeth the scripture?" and that should have been convicting enough for most. Timely, needed, and simple.
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