TWO BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER
There are a couple of Ministry principles I would like to share in this blog today, Principles I sure did not understand or realise when I began my ministry over 55 years ago.
In the business world, when a person begins his employment, deep down there is that drive to achieve and to of course go on to bigger and better things climbing the ladder of success until one achieves their ultimate goal.
In many ways sadly, this is the mindset often when it comes to ministry, a person feels a call of God to serve the Lord, and goes to Bible College to be “trained”. When he graduates he expects to for example to become a “Youth Pastor”, or an “Assistant Pastor” and then after a few years, expect to be “promoted” to an “Associate Minister” then still looking to that day when the crowning goal of becoming a “Senior Pastor” comes to pass.
Have you ever thought that God’s calling on your life could be to be always a 2ND MAN, OR A 3RD MAN OR EVEN A 4TH MAN in a Ministry Team? It is God who gives the gifts and graces to function in ministry, and sadly there are many people in ministry who for example are serving as say a “Senior Pastor” and that simply is not their calling or gifting. Not only will that person become aware of his limitations with all it frustrations, but many Believers will also recognise that in fact the person is like a SQUARE PEG IN A ROUND HOLE, and is trying to function in a role and calling that was never God’s plan for his life.
This highlights to me the important place of a real and genuine Mentor, who truly relates to his Mentoree and has the courage to lovingly “speak the truth” and help the person change their thinking and be convinced in their heart of the giftings and calling upon their life,
We need to know that the Bible teaches that a local church is led my a PLURAL TEAM of Leaders (with a Captain (Snr Pastor or Leading Elder) of people with varying gifts and graces so that the local church can grow in a balanced way into a mature Body of Believers.
Not everyone who reads this today will agree with me, as we have been so influenced and infected by the world’s methods, I believe what I am sharing above has limited the Church from completely fulfilling God’s calling and plan.
My second thought today I guess has again been caused by the world of business’ influence on the church, for example a work position is advertised or becomes available and it is recognised to be a further step in the rung of promotion, a person applies for the position without a second thought for the current role he is in or the possible consequences that could result from his leaving.
Let me give you a more positive illustration to communicate what I am trying to say. Many of you will have heard of the great Evangelist Reinhardt Bonnke, who has been used to see many millions of Africans comes to Christ, his age and poor health has caused him to withdraw from public ministry. I will never forget hearing him preach on his vision for a “BLOOD WASHED AFRICA“, it so witnessed with my heart for a “blood washed Asia”.
Did you know Reinhardt had a man he was Mentoring to replace him, his name is Daniel Kolanda who is now ministering in Africa and seeing awesome results from his ministry, Daniel also wants to “reproduce himself” and is conducting what he calls “Boot Camps” and training people to “do the work of Evangelism”, the recent “Boot Camp” (training) saw his trainees used to see 165,000 Tanzanians come to Christ’ What is the Principle we need to learn here?
IF WE DON’T TRAIN A SUCCSSESSOR WE ARE A FAILURE.
If we follow the first principle I have shared in this blog, the Captain and the Team recognise the gifting and calling upon a specific team member, and actively seek to help him develop his gifts and graces, so when the day comes for whatever reason the current Captain leaves, then this person can step in and take the team forward.
In so many local churches when a Pastor moves on there is a scramble to get a replacement which may take many months to find, and when he does come in, he brings his own vision and plans which again can slow down and initially impeded the growth and development of the church, where someone who has been groomed from within knows the vision and the church and again many months are not lost as the church can continue to keep moving forward .
Some people who are reading this, are saying “This is all “pie in the sky” but it does not have to be, I believe these are Biblical Principles, that we should use, to build the local church ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN OF THE WORD OF GOD.
I am hoping and praying this will cause many to think about the above, and I invite you to write to me and share your thoughts please ?
