Pastor Moses doesn’t really care what John does to help run his church services and the associated programs that go along with it, so long as he just does something! You can’t just come to Church and enjoy meeting with your brothers and sisters John, you’ve got to do something!
I think the drive towards leadership in the church has been an outlet for people seeking power and influence. Yes, the Bible does say we are priests, kings and that we are to reign in life; but these verses have been taken to become a pretext for the notion that all Christians are meant to be wealthy and have positions of prominence – I'm not sure that is meant to be the case. Most believers have heard stirring, powerful sermons that have got them all excited and have built expectations based on that. We are given the testimonies of Joseph and Daniel, with the idea that all believers are meant to experience a similar degree of power and success – even more now that we have the Holy Spirit.
I believe that all of these things can become a distraction to accepting your life as it is and experience relationship with Him and the peace of mind that comes from that. Otherwise, we are left striving for power, reading all the latest books by popular evangelists. The end result is guilt, exhaustion and a sense that you are never quite praying right, confessing right, or reading the right books or even that you are not giving enough in your offering to the church.
Ouch! @ the tongue in cheek of Pastor Moses' "Step up and be a slave, then" I've been in the congregations where, if you DO step up to 'do' anything… you ARE 'stepping up to be a slave'.. that is, if you do it because of being guilted into the activity, or think you 'have' to do it in order to please God…next thing you know, your life is not your own, it belongs to the local congregation. That is total bondage. John is blessed to know the difference!
Ralp, just as a side note.. you are correct, the Holy Spirit that lives within us is THE leader. The by product of that, is that WE are the ones BEING led, by THE leader–the Holy Spirit. If our Leader, AKA the Holy Spirit, LEADS us to be involved in some sort of ministry, activity, etc.. then by all means, jump in with both feet. The bottom line would be, the Holy Spirit does the leading, and we do the choosing to obey or disobey. Thankfully, we know that the Holy Spirit only leads as the Father directs, and our Father does everything He does out of His great love for humanity. Can we trust Him? Yes we can!
Blessings!
hey Ralf,
I was just reading your comment and thank you for participating in the process of us figuring out things on the journey.
for me everything is by faith and leadership is a gift. love is what you are talking about: the power that is in us. but it is not necessarily leadership. love can be leadership but it not always leadership. and leadership is not always love but often tyranny.
in any case. think of the criminal on the side of Jesus that recognized Jesus as a King. He did not even believe he was saved. He did not even have the possibility to be a leader. He had murdered someone. He was the worst of the worst. He did not have the possibility to DO good anymore. He couldn’t do anything except BELIEVE. He was attached to a cross. And what does Jesus say to him?
Today you will be in paradise with me.
All we need is to believe. That’s the pathway to everything else. If believing is enough to get you saved it is enough to run the race.
Just like Paul said ‘But it is not I but the Grace of God in me’.
Not stepping up. Just recognize Jesus. Just Jesus made Paul who Paul was. Just him.
Feel free to leave a comment
Hi,
isn’t everyone supposed to be a leader? I think: Yes.
Why? Because, if you received the wonderful Jesus in your life, THE leader, the holy spirit – jesus himself, is layed within you. And saying, that he isn’t a leader or he is not doing anything, dosn’t make sense in my opinion
Honestly, I belief it a CHILD of GOD doesn’t somehow start to take influence in his or her own life and in the “lifes” around them, I really would question if this “believer” even beliefs the stuff God is saying about him. He says, that we are called to be kings and priests. Well if that isn’t leader like anouth for you, I can’t help….
I know, that its not about we are leading. its more about he leading from the inside. But he will never do anything that we do not want. Our will is so precious for him. Because its the possibility to say YES to him. So I think it is our job to ‘step up’.
I really do not like spiritual arguments to cover egoism. Because the love will not stay silent inside of you, if there is some….
Isn’t his grace for us both? Beeing 100% free AND being empowered!
So enjoy your day.
Greets.
Hiya Ralf,
Leadership is mentioned as a gift in the scriptures, and I think it's important we understand that, because if we think everyone should be a leader, then we will find a majority of the body of Christ feeling condemned that they are hopeless at it
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[a]faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-9
It's like saying everyone is a musician, and everyone should therefore sing and play an instrument. Clearly being a muscian is a gift, and a gift that can bless the body of Christ, but if we teach that it is, in fact, simply a skill everyone in the body of Christ has and should opperate in, then we will find a lot of Christians who feel like total failures because they are clearly not musicians.
We should be ok with saying leadership is a gift, and if you have it then opperate in it in a way that is a blessing to the body, but if you don't have the gift then don't worry, God has given you other gifts that will be a blessing to the body of Christ.
That's my take on it anyhow,
Be blessed brother