Evangelist

Chris Pruitt

Elders

Chuck Claiborne

Leonard Leavitt

Billy Hale

Deacons

Charlie Brown

Richard Kopydlowski

2424 McCarran St.

North Las Vegas, NV   89030

(702) 642-3141

Times of Services

Sunday

Bible Class:  9:00 am

Services:  9:50 am

Services:  6:00 pm

Wednesday

Bible Class:  7:30 pm

    The blame for Israel’s failure to please God is shared equally between the leaders and the rest of the congregation. How often it was that the children of Israel refused to accept the direction and commands of Moses, Joshua, and others who were charged with the task of leading God’s people. And equally as often do we find leadership, either through example or teaching, cause the children of Israel to fail at wholly following God.

Frequently, the leadership was responsible for the Israelites turning to idolatry. Fearing that he would lose the loyalty of the Israelites to his brother Rehoboam, Jeroboam set up idols and encouraged the children of Israel to sacrifice to them, In 1 Kings 12:28, he told them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

    Promising to punish Israel, God reveals his plans to bring Syria and the Philistines against them. Their departure from God was the result of bad leadership. Through the prophet Isaiah God observes that “…the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.” (Isa. 9.16). While Israel was not absolved from their responsibility, the leaders were identified as the cause.

    Leadership within the church can be responsible for both the growth of the body and the destruction of the church. Paul told the Ephesian church that God appointed leaders for the “equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4.11,12). However, when elders give more attention to the administrative affairs of the church rather than serving as shepherds teaching and guiding the flock (1 Pet. 5.2), the church will suffer. And when preachers are not an example “in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4.12), and fail to “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4.13), then the church suffers.

    Every member is responsible for their own spiritual condition (Phil. 2.12). However, we cannot ignore the need for leaders of quality and character. Otherwise we become “blind leaders of the blind.” (Matt. 15.14), and both will wind up in a ditch. CLP