3 – The Need for Leadership

If people merely gather for church once a week, listen to a message, smile, and shake a few hands; will they love, serve, and grow? Some will. Many won’t. The Bible teaches us that leaders are needed to help believers. We all need each other, but leaders play a critical role.
Ezekiel 34: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
In this passage, God gives five things that leaders need to do to take care of the flock:
· Strengthen the weak
· Heal the sick
· Bind up the injured
· Bring back the strays
· Search for the lost
Why won’t people love, serve, and grow on their own without organization and leadership? Some will, but the Bible makes it clear that we are like sheep, prone to wander off, get injured, become weak, and lose track of where to find food.
We are also prone to develop patterns of thinking that limit our growth and service. God uses leaders to stir us up and bring us new vision. Here are some examples from the Bible.
After many years in Egypt, the Israelites thought and acted like slaves. Moses came to tell them that God wanted to lead them out.
After the rebuilding of the temple stopped, the people thought it just wasn’t the right time to start again. They were overworked and downhearted. Haggai came to tell them the time to build the temple was now.
The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the people were discouraged. Nehemiah came to lead the people and the wall was rebuilt in less than two months.
Samson was pretty crazy and doesn’t seem like a very good example of a leader, but he did bring something Israel needed. The leaders of Israel at that time accepted the oppression of the Philistines as something they couldn’t change. They said, “Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us?” (Judges 15:11) Samson was the only man among Israel willing to question the oppression and do something about it.
The church had become divided over the distribution of food. The Seven were appointed and they settled the conflict so the church could continue to grow.
The nation of Israel was oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon, with some reluctance, led an army to victory. God used a small group to bring victory so that Israel wouldn’t be confused in thinking they had done it with their own strength.
The army of Israel had their weapons taken away and had only garden tools to defend themselves. Many of them had hidden in the hills or had traded sides and joined the enemy. Jonathan had the courage to attack the Philistines, the tide turned, and the army of Israel found new courage.
The worship of Baal had become widespread in Israel. Elijah had the courage to confront the practice and challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown.
Most Christians have more in their heart than we give them credit for. God has spoken to them about ways He wants them to serve others. They want to grow strong. They want to give and receive Christian love. Leaders can be used of God to draw out the gifts and service of others. Leaders can be used to inspire new hope and vision.
For team based ministry to flourish on Mercy Night, we will need team leaders who will help a team to love, serve, and grow.