June 1, 1993
By J. Rob Hutto
It's time again for one of the church's most misunderstood procedures to take place. The procedure is that of appointing pastors to the local churches. This process has come to represent to both the church and the pastor the answer to all of our problems.
Desiring positive change is appropriate when needed. Indeed, the right appointment can benefit both church and pastor. However, too much emphasis on the process has often become counterproductive. The reason I say this is because many times we begin to look to the process as our salvation and the new pastor (or overseer) as our Christ. In so doing, we have become antichrist!
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist,....
(1 John 4:2, 3a)
Notice that these verses do not say "whoever says Christ is dead" or "whoever claims to be Christ" is an antichrist. It is a statement that makes it clear that the spirit of antichrist is a matter of NOT SAYING ANYTHING. It is about those who DO NOT acknowledge Christ.
We become antichrist not just when we destroy the cause of Christ overtly, but when we continue to look for the Messiah as if He hasn't already come in the flesh. When we seek our answers in a person or church, we make that our idol, our god.
Obviously, when seen in this context, we must understand that our trust can become misplaced. The process may not be wrong, but we become wrong when we place our trust in the process instead of Christ. Essentially we are saying the process will fix us, but we speaks by what we are not saying. We are not acknowledging Christ, and we are putting something else in His place.
Acts 13:1, 2 gives us a model that insures the direction of the Holy Ghost in the appointment of missionaries and, I believe, leaders in general.
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
The church in Antioch was ministering to the Lord in prayer and fasting. It was then that God directed Paul (called Saul here) and Barnabas to the mission field. In an atmosphere of worship God spoke freely to the local church.
This scripture does not condemn the current appointment system. On the other hand, it does exemplify the proper attitude needed if we are to hear from God and receive His direction. An atmosphere of worship could well replace the current atmosphere of fear and/or criticism that prevails in many churches.
The Antioch church seemed to recognize that God was the Answer and they worshipped Him as such. We must look past our processes and procedures to the One Who is the Answer. He is the Great Overseer! Let us look unto Jesus! Worship Him, and the appointment process, any appointment process, will work as it should.
Edited March 3, 2004