Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry
The difference between a shepherd and a hireling (aka steward of a system), a shepherd goes after the one that has gone astray. A hireling doesn't concern himself about the ones that go astray, only the ones that are present.
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During my last time of fellowship in the LC, I voiced my ever-growing concerns that a serious conflict of interest existed when all 3 church elders were employees of Titus Chu in Cleveland. It didn't matter that it was the hard-earned offerings of the saints which supported them because it was Titus who cut the check. It was more than abundantly clear in situation after situation, that their loyalty to Titus Chu far exceeded their care for the sheep of God.
Calling it a "conflict of interest" was just a kind way of saying that they had all become hirelings. Obviously they did not see things that way, and took great offense at my concerns. These hirelings were simply being loyal to their boss. They may have prided themselves with the fact that were "co-"workers with the great "apostle" Titus Chu, but there was no "co-" about their service to him. Whatever liberty they had once enjoyed was forfeited once they were on the payroll. They had lost the Christian liberty and rights they once had concerning where they lived and how they served the Lord.
The one elder, who was placed in charge by Titus Chu over the other elders, knew nothing about the condition of the saints in the church. He came from the Chicago area after Chicago's leaders flip-flopped on their loyalty to Titus Chu and the truth of the scriptures. One time I protested the sweeping changes that this maximum elder was instituting in my church, and he replied to me, "
sometimes we need to shock the saints." After I left the church, I learned that many indeed had been "electrocuted." He was just a hireling doing his job, and a bad one at that.
Such was the false authority imposed upon the precious saints in the local churches. Titus Chu exercised a false authority when he relocated maximum brother to take over our church. The other elders believed a false authority by submitting to him. What is significant about these verses is that the Lord cares little about how "one" the shepherds were with their headquarters. Healthy authority is related to how we conduct ourselves in the house of God, composed of His own children.
Matt 20:25
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Matt 20:26
But it shall not be so among you.