I have heard pastors say before, “Live as I say and not as I
do.” They say, “Don’t follow me, follow
Jesus.” Is that the biblical pattern for
leadership? Is that the model Paul left
for us? In 1 Corinthians 4:16 he calls
for the Christians at Corinth to “be imitators of (him).” He says, “Follow me as I follow Jesus.”
Those who say “Do as I say and not as I do” are guilty of
what Jesus accused the Pharisees of doing.
In Matthew 23:2-4, he says,
The scribes and the
Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat…they preach, but do not practice. They tie up
heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
The Scribes and the Pharisees had all of their doctrines in
order. They knew the Bible and could
quote God’s law better than anyone.
They, however, had a major problem.
They did not have a lifestyle to match.
That’s not the kind of example Paul sets forth here. He doesn’t say, “Follow my teachings.” He says, “Follow my life.” Can you say that? Can you tell people, “If you live the way I
live, then you will be living the life Christ has called you to live?” Can you say that? If not, what needs to change? What in your life is out of sync spiritually?
Christ has called for us to be His disciple makers. To make disciples we have to live the way
disciples live. Scripture is clear that
discipleship is so much more that teaching principles to people. Discipleship is living principles in front of
people. That’s the way Paul viewed it
and that’s why he called for us to follow him as he followed Christ.
