titles

But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:8-12)

I have never really liked the designation of Reverend. It seems rather audacious. Especially since Psalm 111:9 says of God that holy and reverend is his name.

I know. The NIV along with several others say awesome instead of reverend, but still.

I came from an iconoclastic background that eschewed honorifics of any kind. The minister was never the pastor or Reverend or anything but brother. That was a corporate theology that was the kind that is fine if you choose it, but ugly if mandated.

I have always preferred not to have to use the title. I use it if needed and have for a while, and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel has given me full permission to use it.

But it is when it is expected that it becomes bad. In fact it is as bad as when it is forbidden.

It is always surprising to me when a minister comes into church and expects you to recognize them and their position. That is wrong.

Jesus said that we are not to love titles. God is our Master and our Teacher and our Father. I have no problem with people using those, but when they become part of their requirements it becomes bad.

Jesus himself came as a servant. John 13 shows him washing his apostles’ feet much to their chagrin. He wanted them to know that if he could do that for him, they had nothing to brag about.

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

That is what I believe. And that is why you can just call me John if you want to. If I am you pastor, you will know it. Requiring the title doesn’t make me that. If you love me and respect me, you will accept me. If you don’t, calling me the Right Reverend John Cliver will not make any difference.

And there is nothing worse to me than someone who does not respect me calling me Pastor. He is lying and I hate it.

daily java

Daily Java:  

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

I have known a lot of people who could not function in a church setting unless they had a title. In fact, they have to be in charge or they will split the church over it.

There is nothing wrong with being recognized for what you do. That is part of the spurring one another on to love and good deeds that Hebrews 10:23 talks about.  It is a hard thing to work in something for a long time and have no one appreciate what you do.

But, on the other hand – which is what I considered naming this blog, because there is always an other hand – doing what you do for recognition removes all of the holiness out of it. When you have to be publicly acknowledged as pastor, or elder, or teacher, you are wrong.

Jesus said of the teachers and preachers of his day, They love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Matthew 23:6-12).

They lost the point of what they did – teaching the love of God – and kept the position.

In 1 Timothy 6:4-5, the apostle Paul says that someone who is concerned about getting credit and honor are wrong. In fact he says that he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

He goes on to say in the next verse, Godliness with contentment is great gain.

I could never understand how a person can tear a church up when he doesn’t get his own way. Even after leaving, his jihad continues and he tries his best to poison the well.

A true servant of Jesus works for Jesus, not the position. It doesn’t matter that he or she doesn’t have a title. They have a ministry.

I was at a church recently that had a sign on the bulletin board that said that they wanted the people coming there to come looking for a ministry, a service, not a title. If you come looking for glory in recognition, we do not need you. If you come looking for glory in service, that is different.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul says about leaders, If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. In other words, if you desire to be a leader, you desire something really good.

However, if you are coming to gain a title and an office, you come to the wrong place.

In the church I grew up in, many felt one of the qualifications in the 1 Timothy 3 passage of being an elder was the fact that he desired it. In fact, one man was turned down once because of the simple fact that no one had ever heard him comment that he would like to be an elder.

I have found out through my life that the men and women who talk about leading and who campaign for leader position are the very ones I do not want as leaders. Too many times they are not looking for the service, they are looking for the badge of office and the honor that they feel should go with it.

A leader is one who is already leading. Some of the best leaders I have ever known were men who were almost literally drafted into the job. They took it our of need and desire to serve rather than for the honor.

Jesus gave up Godhood to become a man. He will not put that Godhood on again, according to 1 Corinthians 15, until he comes again and conquers death for all humanity.

That is service. 1 John 3:16 says, This is how we know the love of Christ, that he laid down his life for the brothers. And you ought to lay down your lives, too.

I want to be like Jesus.