Dr. Michael Brown - Seven Signs of an Abusive Leader [Archive]

bearbear

05-12-2024, 08:55 PM

Dr. Brown opens up principles from his book Playing with Holy Fire on abusive spiritual leadership...

https://www.youtube.com/live/jhpeJbvuPh0?si=GZY3jVyKWT8GA5Wz

From the first few minutes of the video Dr Brown quoted

Acts 20:28-31:
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears."

Dr. Brown states that the first sign of a false leader is that he raises up disciples drawing them after themselves rather than drawing people to Jesus. Here's a quote from the video:

"It is the characteristic of an abusive leader, of a false leader that they draw disciples after themselves rather than try to bring people into discipleship in Jesus. Yes we may teach, we may lead but we are seeking to connect people to Him and draw people after Him and not draw people after ourselves. When you become the center of the movement, when you become the center of the message, when you become the central theme you have now stepped out of the will of God into a very dangerous place. He is the one who is central, we are here to bear witness to Him. We are here to draw people to Him. We are here to make disciples of the Lord not disciples of ourselves.

Do you think this fits the description of Witness Lee?

Jesus talks about wolves, sheep and goats in his sermons. Goats go their own way and don't bother anyone, but wolves in sheep's clothing need to be pointed out because they are dangerous to the sheep. One could also make a strong argument that wolves do not belong to the Shepherd according to scripture...

Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

Someone who is inwardly a ravenous wolf would presumably not be born again with a clean heart.

2 Cor 11:13-14
"For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."

Paul is likely referencing Jesus' teaching in Matthew 7:15 since the false apostles are disguising themselves just as the wolves are in sheep's clothing. Paul says that "their ends correspond to their deeds". Someone who is a new creation in Christ will have eternal life and not an "end".

I believe the reason Jesus taught us to make disciples is that he says in

John 10:27-28
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Disciples follow Jesus just as sheep do, and Jesus says he will give his sheep eternal life. If a false teacher is raising up disciples to follow after themselves and not Jesus while pretending to be an apostle of Christ, that would indeed be very dangerous with this understanding in mind.