Robert E Rasmussen.com

This excerpt from THE AMAZING POTENTIAL OF ONE SURRENDERED CHURCH (p. 86-87) considers the leadership dynamic that led to the sending out of two key leaders as missionaries.

In “ministering to the Lord,” the Antioch leaders offered to God those things that please Him. What did that likely involve? Surely, they worshiped Him in prayer and song (Colossians 3:16), and confessed their sins to God and one another (James 5:16). They read and discussed the Word of God (1 Timothy 3:16). They expressed their gratitude to God for His grace in granting them salvation, and interceded for their relatives who had not yet come to faith. They prayed for their church to be in line with God’s desires, and they prayed for personal holiness and strength as fathers and husbands. They offered these ministries to God, not in a single meeting, but repeatedly over an extended time.

Often church leaders today view other members of the local Body of believers with impatience, wishing they would show greater commitment and sacrifice. The life of the Antioch elders reminds us of the need to begin the transformation within the circle of leaders, knowing that when leaders draw near to the Lord the people will not fail to see the effect.

You can imagine the response of most congregations if their leaders came to them and said, “We have been in an extended time of prayer and fasting. We have met for many hours, often on our knees before the Lord. We’ve studied His Word, and it has convicted us of sin in our lives, which we’ve confessed to God and to each other. We have sought God’s direction for our church, and after much soul-searching, this is what we believe God would have us do next as a church. . . .”

What would such spirituality in our leadership do for our churches? The vast majority of our congregations want nothing more than to be led by people who are listening to God. They will sacrifice their time and finances for that which God has clearly led their church to do.

FOR DISCUSSION

1. If your leadership team was to spend a season in seeking God’s direction, what would such a time look like for you? How would you initiate such a process?