When we start to explore the Bible's teaching that Christ is raising up people from among the believers to lead the churches, people will often feel inadequate. How can I possibly lead God's people? I can't even get my own Christian life in order, so how can I lead others?
Well, the NT does say there are qualifications. Questions mainly of lifestyle. If you are a drunkard, or dishonest in handling money, or you are hot-tempered, then you are not yet ready to be an elder in the church.
But, having said that, God is not calling perfect people to be leaders in the church. If that were so, there would be no leaders for the church!
No, we see clearly in John 21 that the one Jesus appointed as the leader of the apostles was himself a notorious failure.
All church leaders are failures. The leader of the leaders was himself a failure. But they're forgiven failures.
John 21:15-19
Notice that Jesus asks Peter basically the same question, but three times. This was no doubt a way of rubbing salt into Peter's mental wounds. He had denied Christ three times. And so Jesus asks him three times, do you love me more than the other apostles do? Peter had proudly proclaimed that he would never deny Jesus: “Lord, I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” (Luke 22:33)
He felt he was the bravest, the most loyal. But in the heat of the moment, when the likelihood of persecution and death loomed before him, he denied Christ. Even before a servant-girl.
So, that's the first lesson. We don't begin with technique: 'Bible-handling skills'. We begin with our own frailty and self-love. None of us is 'cut out' to be a preacher. We all love ourselves too much to be qualified as shepherds of the flock. But if we confess that we are fearful and easily deceived- indeed that we have often denied our master by our words and our living- then we can start to be people Christ can use in his service.
Secondly, our task is very simple. True- the Bible is a complex book in some ways. It will take every fibre of our intellect to grapple with it and be able to teach it to others. But our commission is so simple it can be said in three words. "Feed my lambs"
Let's take them one by one.
i) 'Feed' - we feed Jesus's lambs by teaching his word. Exercising hospitality will be part of our task, so serving rice and lentils may actually be something we regularly do. It may keep some poorer members alive. But we are supremely to feed people's souls.
Isaiah 55:2 tells us that the eating that really counts is listening to God's word: "Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods."
JOb declared: "I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily food." (Job 23:12)
'My' - If lead a Bible study or plant a church I am not gathering together 'my' flock. They are Jesus' lambs. Or take Instagram: it tells you exactly the number of people who have viewed and Liked your posts. Hopefully some reading this have many social media followers and tweet, instagram and Facebook to the benefit of many. But those 5k, 50k, 500k followers: don't be deceived. These are 'my' lambs, Jesus says. Likewise, don't be discouraged if God chooses to grow someone else's church more than yours. They're Jesus' lambs.
'Lambs'. A lamb is a baby sheep. Obviosuly. But Jesus chose that word, even though normally the Bible speaks of a shepherd and his sheep. Jesus wanted to give Peter a clear vision for teaching fragile, young believers. Praise God- he caught that vision and ministered tenderly to the least and weakest. "Like newborn infants," he wrote, "desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation." (1 Peter 2:2). In the way we prepare our messages, we should always consider the one with least BIble knowlegde, the one who can't find his way round the Bible, the one who can't read at all. The one who is so vulnerable to scandalous sins like drunkenness and sleeping around. Feed my lambs, Jesus says. By all means push the mature to think deeply, but include plenty of plain statements and stories in simple language so that there is food there for the simplest lamb with the shortest attention span. Three words for a lifetime's ministry. FEED MY LAMBS.
Well, the NT does say there are qualifications. Questions mainly of lifestyle. If you are a drunkard, or dishonest in handling money, or you are hot-tempered, then you are not yet ready to be an elder in the church.
But, having said that, God is not calling perfect people to be leaders in the church. If that were so, there would be no leaders for the church!
No, we see clearly in John 21 that the one Jesus appointed as the leader of the apostles was himself a notorious failure.
All church leaders are failures. The leader of the leaders was himself a failure. But they're forgiven failures.
John 21:15-19
Notice that Jesus asks Peter basically the same question, but three times. This was no doubt a way of rubbing salt into Peter's mental wounds. He had denied Christ three times. And so Jesus asks him three times, do you love me more than the other apostles do? Peter had proudly proclaimed that he would never deny Jesus: “Lord, I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” (Luke 22:33)
He felt he was the bravest, the most loyal. But in the heat of the moment, when the likelihood of persecution and death loomed before him, he denied Christ. Even before a servant-girl.
So, that's the first lesson. We don't begin with technique: 'Bible-handling skills'. We begin with our own frailty and self-love. None of us is 'cut out' to be a preacher. We all love ourselves too much to be qualified as shepherds of the flock. But if we confess that we are fearful and easily deceived- indeed that we have often denied our master by our words and our living- then we can start to be people Christ can use in his service.
Secondly, our task is very simple. True- the Bible is a complex book in some ways. It will take every fibre of our intellect to grapple with it and be able to teach it to others. But our commission is so simple it can be said in three words. "Feed my lambs"
Let's take them one by one.
i) 'Feed' - we feed Jesus's lambs by teaching his word. Exercising hospitality will be part of our task, so serving rice and lentils may actually be something we regularly do. It may keep some poorer members alive. But we are supremely to feed people's souls.
Isaiah 55:2 tells us that the eating that really counts is listening to God's word: "Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and you will enjoy the choicest of foods."
JOb declared: "I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily food." (Job 23:12)
'My' - If lead a Bible study or plant a church I am not gathering together 'my' flock. They are Jesus' lambs. Or take Instagram: it tells you exactly the number of people who have viewed and Liked your posts. Hopefully some reading this have many social media followers and tweet, instagram and Facebook to the benefit of many. But those 5k, 50k, 500k followers: don't be deceived. These are 'my' lambs, Jesus says. Likewise, don't be discouraged if God chooses to grow someone else's church more than yours. They're Jesus' lambs.
'Lambs'. A lamb is a baby sheep. Obviosuly. But Jesus chose that word, even though normally the Bible speaks of a shepherd and his sheep. Jesus wanted to give Peter a clear vision for teaching fragile, young believers. Praise God- he caught that vision and ministered tenderly to the least and weakest. "Like newborn infants," he wrote, "desire the pure milk of the word, so that you may grow up into your salvation." (1 Peter 2:2). In the way we prepare our messages, we should always consider the one with least BIble knowlegde, the one who can't find his way round the Bible, the one who can't read at all. The one who is so vulnerable to scandalous sins like drunkenness and sleeping around. Feed my lambs, Jesus says. By all means push the mature to think deeply, but include plenty of plain statements and stories in simple language so that there is food there for the simplest lamb with the shortest attention span. Three words for a lifetime's ministry. FEED MY LAMBS.
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