Our relationship with Leadership in the Church is so much about how we connect and how we follow God given leadership. Because we cannot follow if we haven’t connected correctly…haven’t connected biblically.
What I like about what the Lord has downloaded with regard to this topic is that there is an application for everyone who would be sitting here today.
There is blessings and fruitfulness for those that make the right connection to God Given leadership…and as we will see in the scripture an advantage for your own life.
Sadly many have had a bad experience with Church Leadership in the past (me too…I have had them)… but there should be a lot of healing in the recognition that a right connection to God Given Leadership will bless our lives and bless others.
In the New Testament Church we should be following those that are following Jesus… those that are in and are pursuing a close relationship with Him and live according to His heart felt purposes.
A sad thing to see in the Body of Christ is people who wander around without any connection to Leadership…some are even keen to be active in the Church or churches…but they have no answer for the Question…
who is your Pastor? … OR… What leadership are you submitted to…
Or at a higher level of connection… Who can speak into your life? …and more importantly who does? …and occasionally among these ones who have no answer for that…you have those who often say… “I follow no one but Jesus”…
Its Biblical to be a Follower of Christian Leadership
The Apostle Paul Said Follow me as I follow Jesus…wow!!!
We had a little rhyme in Bible college that said:
“Some are called some are sent and some just bought a Microphone and went”
Its also important to note that if we are congregation members in a local church and are not submitted to the God given Leadership in that local Church that we attend, but would rather make reference to a Leadership structure in another Church or movement, as our Leadership covering…it is a recipe for disorder and potentially division. It’s a slippery slope.
It is a position that that should be discussed with the God Given leadership of the Church you attend.
I like something I read from Ps Chris Sarno – (The Pastor of Yolanda’s Church back in the USA)… you cannot become…if you don’t belong.
It’s important we understand that we are in a day and age where people don’t need to leave the comfort of their own home to receive Christian teaching…the technology is now available when you can switch your phone on…and receive Biblical information and inspiration…and not need to be in a Local Church to do it.
BUT!!!
Being in regular attendance and serving in a local Church provides us with an opportunity to connect and relate to God Given leadership and achieve a level of connection that you don’t receive by just having the Internet…or satellite TV.
1 Cor 4:14-15
14 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Therefore I beseech you, be followers of me.
Again…. Paul says Follow me!!! WHY???
Because He knew that His leadership was ordained by God. He knew that those that connected with Him would benefit.
What is God given Leadership?
God Given leadership is a term that describes Leadership that is initiated by God in a Gift given by God in ordination …and released by God through a calling to a location and then a confirmed as the calling by Men…
Eph 4:8-13
8 Therefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
You cannot go Home and make a Pastors Badge… “Ps Bill” and wear it to church…God Given Leadership is based on a God Given Gift…and the Anointing and Ability that God Gives.
God given Leadership will always provide us with Godly guidance, protection, training and support for our growth and maturity toward Christlikeness and Sonship (daughtership).
There are different levels of connection…to leadership…and we should be aware of them…you could go to any Church and your connection to Leadership should be at least one of these levels…if it isn’t on one of these levels…at the least… It will show!!
The first level of connection
The Honouring Level – (Respect enough to receive from them)
We should all seek to connect with God Given leadership with a High degree of respect and honour…and even better…love for them!!!
At this level we can receive truths from the Leadership…we can even receive Shepherding. If a Pastor cannot shepherd someone, the person may not be a sheep.
1 Thess 5:12-13
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
It may only be the Ist level but it’s a level where God has designed people to be blessed and to be at peace…it’s a level where we choose to maintain the unity of the Church conducting ourselves in the disciplines of Harmony…one of our core values…in Ps 133 we are told that in that place…THE PLACE OF UNITY that God commands Blessing…and that blessing is described as the oil that ran down Aarons beard and the dew upon Mt Hermon…it’s the presence and power of God getting on everything…
Heb 13:17
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Note… that your advantage comes from God Given leadership Leading with joy….and not with Grief.
2nd Level of Connection
Heart level
It’s a connection of the Heart …it’s when we begin to understand the Heart felt Vision of the God Given Leadership... And connect ourselves with them based on what’s in their heart…it’s usually seen by others in our Serving…where we begin to desire to participate and contribute in the life of the Church…but it is a connection with the Leadership and the Vision they are carrying.
1 Sam 14:1
One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But Jonathan did not tell his father.
This is wartime and the enemy are camped across the valley
Lets skip the Geography and go Down To verse 6
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint on the LORD to save by many or by few.
7 And his armorbearer said unto him, Do all that is in your heart: turn you; behold, I am with you according to your heart.
The 2nd Level Connection is a Heart connection…it results in service…it’s the attitude toward Leadership that says well whatever vision is in your heart…I am here serving with you.
1 Sam 14:11-15
And both of them revealed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer killed behind him.
14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the raiders, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.
The 3rd Level of Connection
The Honing Level
It’s the Mentoring level…It’s a connection for Sons and Daughters of God that say “I have my heavenly Fathers Heart”…but I want to be mentored…I want to be sharpened…honed for sharpness.
I found at this level the Leadership cannot help but recognise the connection…because God turns the Leaders heart toward that person…
It’s an exciting level…God’s Spirit is at work in that connection…a lot of spiritual connection…seeing and knowing things by the Spirit.
2 Tim 2:1
You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.
At this level there is an impartation that gets released.
You see…..we teach what we know but we impart from the Heart.
And in that impartation a capacity to impart to others begins to grow.