Six Points from Leviticus about Spiritual Leaders
Courageous to deal with Sin no matter who or what it is
Exodus 32
Covered by the blood
Lev. 8 and 9
Clearly communicate the Word of God
Lev. 10:8-11
Courageously confront with the Word of God
Titus 2:15; Hebrews 13:17; Acts 20
Conformed to a high and Holy standard
Lev 21:1-15; Titus 1; I Timothy 3
Complete and having integrity
Lev. 21:16-24
John Brown to a congregation whose minister is speaking hard truth to them:
He may urge on you unpalatable truth – he may utter sharp reproofs; but recollect he has no choice; remember he is a man under authority. Put the question, Has he said anything that Christ has not said? If he has, disregard him; if he has not, blame him not, – he has but discharged his duty to his Master and to you; and recollect, you cannot in this case disregard the servant without doing dishonor to the Master. If he had been appointed to amuse you, to speak smooth things to you, you might reasonably find fault with him for his uncompromising statements and his keen rebukes. But he Watches for your soul Your spiritual improvement, your everlasting salvation, is his object; and therefore he must not, to spare your feelings, endanger your souls. It [would be] a cruel kindness in the physician, [in order] to save a little present pain, to allow a fatal disease to fix its roots in the constitution, which must by and by produce far more suffering than what is now avoided, and not only suffering, but death.
McCheyne to a friend upon the occasion of his ordination:
“Do not forget the culture of the inner man– I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, his instrument– I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name.
In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”