Acts 25:13-22

Acts 25:13-22
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Stories will occasionally surface of cults who get carried away by a charismatic leader.  Sometimes the results are tragic, often they fizzle out when the hypocrisy of the leader is exposed.  The end result is delusion and frustration, and there is usually a good amount of collateral damage caused in terms of broken relationships and damaged finances.
  What every church should encourage its members to do is read the Bible for themselves.  They should listen to the pastor and his/her interpretation of Scripture, but they should be reading it for themselves and asking questions if they don't understand something.  In reading it for themselves, they are better able to spot errors in leadership.  It's a good thing to trust in leadership, but it's the role of a responsible member to be actively paying attention to hold the leadership accountable.  Leadership should welcome tough questions, because they should see it as an opportunity to grow together, and if the leader is failing in a direction or struggling with an issue, the members should compassionately join together to encourage the leader.
  It's hard to be a community together.  But we all have to be active -- we can't be free riders, blindly trusting that things will work out.  Read Scriptures so that you know for yourself what the source documents say.  Ask questions.  Listen attentively.  And may we grow together, each of us stronger in faith today than we were yesterday.