What is a Godly Leader?

Sunday, 17 October 2021 by

Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 17 October 2021

What is a Godly Leader?

On the one hand, the church is God’s church – it is the body of his Son, Jesus. Gathered, and sent out, it is commanded to display the nature of God to the world. And to this end, it is led: it has leaders. Its chief leader is Christ. And he delegates this shepherding role to under-shepherds, for the good of leading God’s people to reflect him more fully. A leaderless church is not God’s design. On the other hand, as we see in Acts 19, the leaders of God’s people have a very particular role: they are to teach God’s people the truth of Jesus so that they grow in godliness. And this ‘knowledge of the truth … leads to godliness’ (Titus 1:1). Godliness does not stand only in public or hide in the bedroom – godliness is always, in every facet. So, the leaders that God appoints to lead his people must themselves display godliness at home as they lead the house of God. They must teach the truth in such a way that God’s people grow in godliness, in public and private. And all this so that the world knows God, through Jesus!

Scripture References: Titus 1:5-9, Acts 20:17-38, 1 Peter 2:21-25

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