Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out beforethem and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd. Numbers 27:16-17
A ministry is never a success without a successor. A good leader needs to provide a successor who will give continuity of the vision and bring the people of God fully into their promised inheritance. Moses was 120 years old. He knew that God was going to take him home to heaven. In fact, God Himself would bury Moses because his body will be required years later for the Mount of Transfiguration appearance (Jude 1:9). Previously, Korah and his company had sought to take the leadership out of the will of God and suffered awesome judgment. Now under the direction of God, Moses prayed that God would give the congregation a new leader.
The qualifications for God-ordained leadership are in Numbers 27:17:
(1) “Who may go out before them.” The Christian life is always ongoing and never stagnant. The path of the righteous is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18). A shepherd must always lead his sheep into new pastures—new experiences, fresh anointing and greater revelations of God’s truth. Sheep cannot feed forever upon old pastures. They will lose the vitality of their faith and passion for the Lord if they live on stale manna.
(2) “Go in before them.” A leader must lead from the front and be a trailblazer for his people. As he does that, he must also carefully inspect that the new pastures are free from “poisonous weeds”—erroneous doctrines that could harm his flock. The important truth here is that, as leaders, we do not lead our people into doctrine that we have not carefully inspected ourselves. A leader must test the fruit first. As a leader, be certain to take counsel with other godly men concerning every new thing that comes along.
(3) “May not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He feeds them with the integrity of his heart and guides them with the skillfulness of his hands (Ps. 78:72). He inspects them. He heals and anoints them with fresh oil from the throne of God. The best model of a great leader is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the good shepherd of our soul.
A ministry is never a success without a successor. A good leader needs to provide a successor who will give continuity of the vision and bring the people of God fully into their promised inheritance. Moses was 120 years old. He knew that God was going to take him home to heaven. In fact, God Himself would bury Moses because his body will be required years later for the Mount of Transfiguration appearance (Jude 1:9). Previously, Korah and his company had sought to take the leadership out of the will of God and suffered awesome judgment. Now under the direction of God, Moses prayed that God would give the congregation a new leader.
The qualifications for God-ordained leadership are in Numbers 27:17:
(1) “Who may go out before them.” The Christian life is always ongoing and never stagnant. The path of the righteous is like the shining sun that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day (Prov. 4:18). A shepherd must always lead his sheep into new pastures—new experiences, fresh anointing and greater revelations of God’s truth. Sheep cannot feed forever upon old pastures. They will lose the vitality of their faith and passion for the Lord if they live on stale manna.
(2) “Go in before them.” A leader must lead from the front and be a trailblazer for his people. As he does that, he must also carefully inspect that the new pastures are free from “poisonous weeds”—erroneous doctrines that could harm his flock. The important truth here is that, as leaders, we do not lead our people into doctrine that we have not carefully inspected ourselves. A leader must test the fruit first. As a leader, be certain to take counsel with other godly men concerning every new thing that comes along.
(3) “May not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He feeds them with the integrity of his heart and guides them with the skillfulness of his hands (Ps. 78:72). He inspects them. He heals and anoints them with fresh oil from the throne of God. The best model of a great leader is our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the good shepherd of our soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment