Leadership Challenge - Week July 19-25, 2009

  • Jul 29, 2009

LEADER’S DISCIPLESHIP - Week of July 19-25, 2009

Leaders Are Discerned Not Decided.

  • We live in a democracy, but we do not worship inside of one. The church and the family of God has never been open for election or campaigning.
    • In the Old Testament God spoke to his people directly through the priest or the prophet.
    • In the New Testament God is able to speak through all of us through the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ. To this extent there is a much greater sharing of leadership. But, it’s still about God. What is God calling us to? Who is God calling to certain purposes? When we vote or deliberate we’re not trying to get out our best choice, but God’s.
  • God’s call should be evident through our gifts (Ephesians 4:7,11-16). God’s call is also evident through our passion (Jeremiah 20:9). Some people have these gifts and passion for leadership and with those gifts they have diverse and complimentary gifts. In our eldership the gifts are diverse which makes for a very good team.
  • God’s call is recognized and made known through the church’s call. We are not to decide who is a leader, but rather discern who is already being called a leader by God. Acts 1 describes the call of Matthias who replaces Judas and this serves as an example of the church affirming God’s call as is the sending of Paul and Barnabas Acts 13:1-3.
  • The reason for ordaining pastors, for example, is because it officially denotes them as a leader, like a wedding officially blesses a union. This is why Timothy was told to be careful in his ordaining of elders, 1 Timothy 5:22. We may be called by God, but we are called to a church. So, you could be called by God – just not here. That’s why the church must affirm the call.