Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at the Standing Together Summit, held this year in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was a refreshing meeting with a tremendous spirit. It was a blessing to me to see many younger and older pastors who want to rightly divide the Word, lead biblically, and avoid the trends of compromise in this day.
Dr. Clarence Sexton also spoke. His session focused on the need for leadership that focuses on God over growth. In the message, he shared the chart below, which I found helpful and hope you will as well.
We see so many ministries today that are man-centered. Sometimes they even use terms that would denote a more biblical philosophy while, in reality, the spirit of pragmatism drives much of their ministry philosophy.
Biblical versus pragmatic leadership isn’t about what we say; it is about who and what we follow. When we follow Christ and His Word, we are able to lead biblical, healthy churches that can make a difference for and bring restoration in our broken society.
| The Man of Vision: The Biblical Leader | The Man of Ambition: The Pragmatist |
| Begins with God | Begins with man |
| Does a work of faith | Does a work of sight |
| Believes, “If it is right, God will bless it.” | Believes, “If it works, it must be right.” |
| Is obedient to God | Is in competition with others |
| Desires God to be glorified | Desires approval of man |
| Is Christ-centered | Is man-centered |
| Serves God | Serves self |
| Leads by vision | Leads by consensus |
| Lives a life of “simplicity and godly sincerity” (2 Corinthians 1:12) | Lives a life of complexity |
