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Category Archives: Leadership

The In Crowd

07 Sep

In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul begins to talk about some of the “super-apostles” that were traveling around at that time.  There were a number of them who associated together.  They looked down on ministers like Paul who was not a trained speaker.

This is like the associational or denominational groups of our day.  They have the temptation of thinking their group is the best.  Paul gives us some insight into these people.

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves.  When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
2 Corinthians 10:12

The first word I want to look at in this verse is “classify.”  That’s an interesting word.  It literally means to judge in or to count among.

There’s a modern word that I think, best describes what Paul is saying here.  That’s the word, label.  Paul tells us that he doesn’t label himself as one of them.

We live in a society of labels.  We label people in regards to everything from appearance (race) to gender identification to religion, and politics, just to name a few.

I believe that labels have no place in the body of Christ.  As soon as you place a label on yourself, a barrier goes up that can begin to exclude people.

The next thing he says is that he doesn’t use that group as a standard of comparison.  What these other ministries do or don’t do has no bearing on what Paul is called to accomplish.

This should apply to us as well.  We have no business judging ourselves based upon what others are doing.  Each of us has a unique set of gifts and callings in Christ Jesus.

One of the biggest problems with the “super-apostles” that Paul’s talking about is that they commend themselves.  This means that they put themselves forward or display themselves.  That’s never a good idea.

In the church, we need to let our praise come from the Lord or others.  What I say about myself is immaterial.  Only those who have been affected can say what they have received from my ministry.

According to Paul, the problem with these other ministries is that they’ve come up with their own method of comparison.  It’s also a problem among church leaders today.  It’s all wrapped up in the word, measure.

That word is all about size.  How big is your church?  How many people are on your e-mail list?  How many subscribers to your blog?

Since when do these factors translate to your anointing?  It’s more about maturity, obedience to God, and the eternal effects of your ministry.

We need to stay focused on what really matters.  Don’t be looking at and comparing yourself to what others are doing.  Walk your own path with Christ.

Question: What is the number one calling upon your life right now?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2020 in Anointing, Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Using Authority

04 Sep

Some people use their authority as a weapon.  They try and force others to do their will.  Paul talks about what he sees as the correct use of the authority God gives to church leaders.

For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
2 Corinthians 10:8

Apparently, there were those who vilified Paul’s ministry.  They looked at the fact that he didn’t force his authority on others as a weakness.  They falsely claimed that this was proof that he had no authority.

Of course, Paul was not the type of person who cared what others said about him.  He continued to walk in his calling before God.

He explained to the church that the reason God has given him authority was to build them up and not to tear them down.  Paul boldly declares that he won’t be ashamed of not being a spiritual bully.

I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.  For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”  Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
2 Corinthians 10:9-11

Even in his writings, Paul is not trying to force anyone to do his bidding.  But there is a greater ministry at work here.

There are obviously people who are jealous of Paul’s ministry.  So in order to feel better about themselves, they have to discredit Paul.

In their critique of Paul, they admit that his letters are powerful.  The words they use show that they see the weightiness and the force behind what he’s saying.

There’s a reason for this.  I don’t think that anyone knew it at the time, but God had anointed Paul to write New Covenant Scripture.  Of course, these critics could see that Paul’s letters were important.

The letters had to be powerful.  The Holy Spirit was empowering them to speak to the church for another couple of thousands of years.  Without question, they had a force behind them.

But in person, Paul was speaking to a congregation that he had given birth to in the spirit.  He wanted to nurture and love on them.  That’s why some despised Paul, saying that his in-person ministry was of no comparison to his letters.

What these people didn’t realize is that Paul had the authority of God to “clean house”.  He just preferred to use a gentler method.  He wanted those under his ministry to desire the changes that were necessary.

This should speak to us.  As church leaders, it should never be our goal to force those under us into submission.  We should be seeking to lead by example.  In that way, we’re portraying the true picture of Christ to those around us.

Question: What are your thoughts on leadership by example?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 4, 2020 in Anointing, Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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Chosen for Service

12 Aug

We’re continuing to look at the offering that Paul is collecting for the needy churches of Judea.  He’s now informing the Corinthian church, who exactly will be taking this gift to Jerusalem.

This is found in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24.  You may want to read that passage before continuing with this post.

In this section of Scripture, we see three men.  One of them we know well, the other two are anonymous.  But they all possess a high degree of integrity.

I want to look at the way Paul describes them.  It should be something that we all strive to be like.  They definitely exemplify those who church leaders look for to advance in their calling.

The first of these men is Titus.  He was probably the leader of the group.  He was saved and trained up under Paul’s ministry.  It’s obvious that Paul treated him as a son.

One of the major parts of Titus’ attitude was a willingness to do anything Paul asked of him.

For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
2 Corinthians 8:17

As I read through Paul’s Corinthian letters, it seems to me that this church was not an easy one to work with.  In many regards, they seemed pretty arrogant about themselves.

“We don’t need your help.  We know what we’re doing.”

Yet, in spite of all that, Titus was enthusiastic to go to them as Paul’s representative.  This earnest willingness to do whatever it takes is a great asset in any ministry.

Next, we have an unknown brother.

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8:18

This is someone who most people praised for his service.  This means that his service to the Gospel was an obvious thing.  He could always be counted on to help out.  It goes on to say that all the churches wanted him in particular to be a part of this “offering detail”.

Finally, there was a third man that was a part of this team.  Look at Paul’s description.

In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 8:22

He has a big plus; he’s passionate.  That’s what the word, zealous means.  The church needs people of passion.

We need to get emotional about those things that stir the heart of God.  When this man thought about the need in Judea, he was moved with compassion.  Then he heard about the fact that there were Greek churches who wanted to help out financially.  This moved him to action.

It’s leaders like this who should be examples to us of how to live our best for Christ.

Question: What leaders have affected you the most in your walk with Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Excel In Grace

05 Aug

In my last post, we saw how the churches in Macedonia walked in the miraculous grace of giving.  Now Paul wants to use them as an example to the Corinthian church (and us).

So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
2 Corinthians 8:6

The last time Paul visited Corinth, the church promised a big offering for the churches in Judea.  They were going through a time of great famine and Paul wanted the Gentile churches to be a blessing to them.

Apparently, Titus, Paul’s son in the faith, was charged with the arrangements.  He was to make sure the money was collected and brought to the needy churches.

It’s continually made clear that giving is an act of grace.  God works through us to help others.

But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7

The Corinthian church had many things going for it.  They were one of the largest churches of their day.  They also had a powerful ministry.

The apostle acknowledges the incredible work they were doing.  He said that they excelled in everything.  That word means to super-abound in quality or quantity.  They were a church doing a great work.

The first thing Paul lists is faith.  That’s where it all starts.  A church with no faith has no vision.  It doesn’t take faith to make sure you have a service every week.

You have to see where God wants to take you to.  What’s the next level in your ministry?

Another thing they excelled in was their speaking.  They must have had a great preaching and teaching ministry.  That’s a big part of church growth.

People need to be trained.  New believers need mentoring.  Mature believers need to learn the art of leadership.  We never stop growing.  A church without a teaching ministry is bound to stagnate.

Along with this, they also excelled in knowledge.  They wanted to learn.  That’s probably why they followed the corrections in Paul’s first letter.

A teachable spirit is very important.  The more we learn, the more we must be open to change.

A great pastor friend of mine says quite frequently, “Growth means change, and change is uncomfortable.”  So we have the choice; we can be comfortable and stay the same or uncomfortable and grow.

Finally, the apostle commends them for excelling in earnestness.  That’s an important component.  It’s the Greek word from which we get the English word, speed.

It’s one thing to know what you need to do.  Many churches know the changes that need to take place to bring them to the next level.  The hard part is taking that first step and doing what needs to be done.

The Corinthian church was graced in all of these areas.  Now Paul wanted them to launch full speed into the grace of giving.  We need to learn from their example.

Question: How quick are you to obey a new instruction from God?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2020 in Faith, Leadership, Ministry, Spirit of Excellence

 

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The Hard Truth of Ministry

13 Jul

I’m now getting back to my view of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  He’s continuing his description of how he’s affected by the call to minister the Gospel.

…through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 6:8-10

This is the side of ministry that not many people want to talk about.  It’s the price that you pay for obeying the call to preach the Good News.  At times it can be tough, but it’s definitely worth it.

The apostle talks about glory and dishonor.  That’s hard to deal with.  Most Christians don’t ever see it.  They sometimes view ministers as some sort of celebrity.

When I’m out in the world, interacting with society, it’s a different story.  When meeting new people, they usually ask what you do for a living.  They have a normal response to a doctor, teacher, or plumber.

When you tell them you’re a pastor or minister you get mixed reactions.  Sometimes they’re positive about it.  There are other times when they react as if I told them I was an illegal arms dealer.

The whole dynamic of the conversation changes.  They begin to apologize if they think they said something inappropriate.  If someone new joins the group, they’re warned, “He’s a pastor.  Watch what you say.”

Paul also understands about good and bad reports.  As a minister, you and your family live under a microscope.  Everyone watches everything you do; expecting you to live perfectly like Jesus did at all times.

Then, when they find out you’re human like everyone else, they write you off as an imposter.  In one sense you need to grow a “thick skin” to people’s attitudes.  While at the same time, you must keep an open heart to love everyone you meet.

That’s all a part of what Jesus talked about with His disciples.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11

Many people expect a lot from their ministers.  They look for encouragement, hope, healing, and counsel.  What they don’t realize is that ministers need those same things.  Usually, it means that they need to be very proactive or they’ll end up burning out and leaving the ministry.

Please don’t think that I have a bad view of ministering for the Lord.  I wouldn’t choose anything else.  The rewards are overwhelming.

My point is this: never cease praying for your pastors, ministers, and church leaders.  They need encouragement and support just like anyone else.  Seek to bring them joy in the ministry.

Question: What do you see as the rewards and challenges of the ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2020 in Encouragement, Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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Ministry Qualities Part 3

17 Jun

This is the third in a series about the earmarks of a godly ministry according to the Apostle Paul.  He wrote about them in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

…in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left…
2 Corinthians 6:6-7

My last post ended with patience.  Now we’ll continue on…

Kindness – This is a quality that most believers don’t understand properly.  For a detailed explanation, click here.

Simply put, kindness is not just a matter of doing nice things for people.  In God’s eyes, the definition of kindness is; doing good to those who absolutely don’t deserve it.

Our problem is, when someone is doing wrong, we want to see them punished.  Of course, when we do something wrong, we want to be forgiven.

We need to spend time with the Lord so that we can pick up the same heart that he has.  In that way we can show the love of Christ to all people – even those we label as “undeserving”.  We must see others as the Father sees them.  They all have great potential in Christ.

In the Holy Spirit – This is probably the most important one.  Many of the qualities we’ve looked at so far are impossible to maintain in our own strength.  We need the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

That’s how the fruit are produced.  We must remain in the vine – Christ Jesus.  Time spent praying in the Holy Spirit is never wasted.  It changes us more and more into the image of Christ.

Sincere Love – This is a big one!  The literal Greek reads love without hypocrisy.  How can we do that?

This verse is talking about agape-love.  This love is a choice; there’s no emotional involvement.

So if I show love – doing something good – for someone I really don’t like, isn’t that hypocritical?  Good question.

Actually, that’s not being hypocritical; it’s being obedient to the Lord.  Hypocrisy would be to do something nice for them now, then gossip about them when they’re not around.  We’re to show people love and respect whether we like them or not.  This also includes whether they’re physically present or not.

This is another reason why we need the power of the Holy Spirit active in our lives.  Without His influence, we could never hope to live up to these godly qualities.

Question: How have others treated you with kindness and love in the past?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Prayer in the Spirit, Spiritual Walk

 

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Ministry Qualities Part 2

15 Jun

We’re continuing to look at the qualities of a true ministry according to Paul in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

…in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love…
2 Corinthians 6:5-6

In my last post, I talked about hard work, now we’ll go on from there.

Sleepless Nights – The Greek word used here literally means awake.  In the New Testament, it’s normally used to mean keep watch.  The Scripture teaches that church leaders keep watch over the souls in their care (Hebrews 13:17).

Those who are in leadership can’t afford the luxury of falling asleep spiritually.  We need to stay alert as to what’s happening in society around us.  We also need to be listening to what the Holy Spirit would have us speak.

Hunger – This is not the normal word for being hungry.  It’s a choice to abstain from eating food.  I believe that it should rightly be translated fasting, as it is in the KJV.

If you read my blog regularly, you know that I think fasting should be a normal part of any Christian’s life.  So for those who are following the call of God in their life, it’s a necessity.

Purity – this literally means cleanness in the original.  We need to keep ourselves spiritually clean.

Does that mean we need to live a perfect life?  Absolutely not.  What it does mean, is that we’re always quick to repent when we realize that we’ve missed the mark.  Don’t let a day go by without confessing your sin to the Lord.

Understanding – In the above verse, this word simply means knowledge.  I believe that we need to constantly be learning and growing in our knowledge.  That not only includes Scripture but also the world around us.

Technology is changing so rapidly, and we need to be aware of these things.  Each day brings new advantages to how we present the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Always stay teachable and open.

Patience – In the Greek, this is a compound word.  It means long tempered.  A true minister doesn’t get immediately angry in a bad situation.  They don’t let their emotions carry them away.

We have to be careful to always be led by the Holy Spirit.  We can’t afford to do or say something that we’ll end up regretting later.

If you have an anger problem, it will help if you spend time in the Lord’s presence.  Intimacy with the Holy Spirit brings great changes in our lives.

We’ve covered a lot of ground in these last two posts and we’re not finished yet.  Don’t get discouraged.  None of us are perfect, but this gives us something to strive for.  I’ll continue this in my next post.

Question: How do you see these qualities at work in your ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 15, 2020 in Fasting, Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Ministry Qualities Part 1

12 Jun

I’m continuing to look at Second Corinthians.  In my last post, I ended with Paul beginning to talk about the qualities of a true ministry for Christ.  Now we’ll see these in greater detail.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
2 Corinthians 6:4-5

Great Endurance – This is from a Greek word that means to live or continue under. Sometimes that’s one of the hardest things to do.

God’s calling will lead you to a certain place or group of people.  Things don’t always work out the way we want.  We’d much rather leave and do something different.  This attitude says, “I’m not leaving here until God sends me someplace else.”

The kingdom of God doesn’t work like corporate America.  We don’t search for the best pay packages and move on when something better opens up.  We follow God’s call wherever it leads.

Troubles – This word actually means pressure.  This always comes with the calling of God.  We feel the pressure to complete what God desires us to do.

Of course, we also feel the pressure of the normal conditions of life.  We must fulfill the call to provide for our home and family.  We need to take care of our social requirements as well.  You can never get away from the pressures of life.

Hardships and destresses – I’m dealing with these two together because they’re very close in meaning.  Hardship means constraints while distress means narrowness of room.

They both talk about the fact that there’s very little “wiggle room” in the call of God.  As followers of Christ, we need to watch how we live before people.  They will always judge the Lord based upon what we do and say.

We have to be careful to let Christ be seen in us.  We can’t live like everybody else.  We want others to be drawn to the Lord and not turned away by our actions.

Beatings and imprisonments – I’m glad that I live in the United States.  But for many believers around the world, this is a real possibility.  We should always remember to pray for our brothers and sisters who are under persecution and remain true to Christ.

Riots – This Greek word literally means instability and disorder.  That’s a good description of what’s happening across our nation right now.

As Christians, we’re always called to be the voice of hope in extreme situations.  We must always be prepared to share the love of Christ no matter what’s happening around us.

Hard work – This should go without saying.  But Paul lets us know the truth about the ministry.  It definitely involves hard work.

That’s because we have to help a lot of hurting people.  One of the things that you learn quickly is that hurting people don’t mind hurting those who are trying to help them.

Of course, that’s when we need to pray for great endurance.  It’s hard to continue to walk this road continually, showing the love and joy of Christ.

But in the end, it’s all worth it for the blessing of seeing transformed lives.  I’ll continue with this in my next post.

Question: How have you experienced these qualities in your life and ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 12, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Missions, Spiritual Walk

 

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Character is Everything

08 Jun

In my last post, we looked at the purpose of God’s grace.  It brings about God’s will in us.  What is that will?  It’s to bring the message of His salvation and favor to the world.

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2

This is God’s priority.  Bringing the message of salvation to the world we live in.

But what about us?  Is this our priority?  There are so many other things that we want to do and experience.  To some, God’s will is inconvenient.

Paul is getting to that.

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
2 Corinthians 6:3

This is something that every believer has to come to grips with.  How people view our ministry is based largely on how they view us personally.  Paul is literally saying that he doesn’t want to create an offence that would cause the ministry to be blamed.

That’s why we need to be constantly working on our character.  It’s the character of the minister that determines the perception of the ministry.

Unfortunately, there are those who think it’s just the opposite.  They feel that people should think highly of them because of what their ministry is accomplishing.

We have to understand that how we live is a reflection of Christ.  The world judges the Christian message based upon what they’ve seen in the believers they’ve met.  Sometimes they’re left with a negative opinion.

We need to accurately reflect the love of Christ no matter what we’re going through.  Paul now goes through a list of these qualities.  I think that it’s important for us to hear them.  So I’m going to take a couple of posts to explain what he’s saying to us.

And yes, some of them sound very inconvenient.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
2 Corinthians 6:4

The key is, Paul wants everyone to know that he’s a servant of God.  He doesn’t serve his own needs or wants.  He doesn’t serve the world or even the churches.  He serves God.

That has to be the foundation of our attitude.  We live and act at the Lord’s good pleasure.  We’re in the service of the King of the universe.  We want His kingdom to be accurately represented.

We serve with that in mind.  We desire the character of Christ to shine through us.  That’s the only way to draw people to the cross.

Question: How does your character reflect your service to Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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What Do You Live For?

27 May

Before the holiday, I was posting about Second Corinthians.  The Apostle Paul was explaining to the church that they needed to be prepared for their future performance review before the judgment seat of Christ.

That’s how Paul described the fear of the Lord.  It’s living under the knowledge that we have to give an account to Him someday.  That’s also why the apostle went into such detail describing his ministry.

We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
2 Corinthians 5:12

The word, commend, in the above verse actually means to introduce.  Paul was afraid that his epistle was beginning to sound like a letter of introduction to a church that didn’t know him.

That wasn’t his goal.  The word opportunity is a Greek word that means a starting point.  Paul is giving them the basis for understanding true ministry.

The starting point is what’s in the heart.  That’s how you judge a ministry’s value.

Sometimes you ask someone about their ministry and immediately they start talking about all that they’re doing.  They take pride in the outside – what is seen.  That’s not the heart of a true ministry.

The more important issue is what God has done in the heart and life of the minister.  It’s about why I’m doing what I’m doing.  That’s where ministry for the Lord begins.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:13-15

This speaks volumes to me about the mindset of a church leader.  Paul makes it clear that it is Christ’s love that compels him – keeps him on track – to do God’s will.  That’s important.  It keeps us free from wrong attitudes.

Notice that it’s not the need that compels him.  Too many people are need-driven.  They see all the people who need salvation, help, or counsel.  They end up burned out because they’re not in tune with what God wants them to do.

Also, it’s not about the work that needs to be done for God.  There are those with the attitude, “If I see something that needs to be done, I just do it.”  That’s great in the short term, but you can’t sustain it.

That’s why in many churches 10% of the people are doing 90% of the work.  I can’t do both my job and yours and be effective at either.  We all need to be fulfilling our calling.  We all need to be compelled by the love of Christ.

The bottom line is that we live for Christ.  We don’t live to fulfill the needs of the people.  We don’t live for the work of the ministry.

WE LIVE FOR CHRIST!!!

Question: How do you see this at work in your ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 27, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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