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Strategic Ministry
There is a raging battle taking place for the hearts and lifes of people on this planet. God left His followers on this earth to accomplish a covert operation to defeat the god of this world. God has cleverly disguised his special forces as accountants, businessmen, project managers and secretaries. These people are strategicly placed throughout our community to infiltrate enemy territory and set the captives free.
The first step in preparing these special forces (Christ followers) for battle is to take them through "basic training." This is where each new recruit receives the tools and training to win the war. They learn how to eat, sleep, dress and act like a soldier. They learn how to shine their shoes, and tuck in the shirt, and make the bed. What these soldiers are learning is "discipline." Then they learn how to handle weapons, obey the commanding officer, and function in little platoons. Platoons are the smallest of fighting units.
Basic Christian Community:
1) Establish a "Home Base of Operations".
2) Infiltrate further into enemy territory.
3) Push the enemy back and expand the "home base" further into enemy territory, and infiltrate some more.
The obvious danger is that when the home base is not properly established, those who are deep in enemy territory are at risk of exposure. Lives have been lost when the strength of the home base is not maintained.
The nation of Israel rose and fell based upon the existence or lack of Godly leadership. If Godly leadership, was in place the people were blessed. If the wrong leadership was in place, the people were cursed.
If we are going to be strategic in this ministry, there are some key principles that we must own. Some will seem to be very basic, but are often ignored.
1) Leader's Lead
Romans 12:8 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.
Transliteration and definition of Leadership: "Proistemi" to stand before, i.e. (in rank) to preside, or (by impl.) to practice Transliteration and definition: spoude "speed", i.e. (by impl.) despatch, eagerness, earnestness
If God has called and gifted you to be a leader, one who "stands before", then God's heart is that you do it with speed, eagerness and earnestness. I do not lead because I am a leader... I lead because God has called me! There is a difference between being "called by God" to be a leader, and being "driven by need" to be a leader.
God is speaking...
Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
This speaks of a teachable spirit!
We are not to be lead around like a horse or mule which cannot figure out what is going on. Get with it. Pay attention. God will instruct us, counsel us and watch over us! Take some initiative and walk by faith.
Avoid the trap of leading in the flesh because I am supposed to lead, and there isn't anyone else to do it... "I guess I will help with child care, since I am supposed to be a leader and a good example to others..." Wrong!
2) Leaders Serve
The great leaders are always "servant leaders"!
How can I help? I am committed to the success of those whom I am called to serve! In God's economy greater leadership translates into more people to serve.
Luke 17:7 "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"
God knows nothing of a volunteer army!
Howard Hendricks - We spend too much time thinking about what we can do for God. If we would spend more time thinking about what God has done for us, then we will not have any problem being motivated to serve God.
3) Leaders Obey
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
In the military there is no relationship with a superior officer apart from obedience. In the same way, there is no relationship with the supreme commander (God) outside of obedience.
God knows nothing of a volunteer army. God does not challenge us to volunteer for His ministry! He commands us to repent! Once we repent and submit our lives to His Lordship, He leaves us here on earth to faithfully wage war against the evil one.
You have been drafted, called and set apart to fight the good fight of faith. The call to salvation and the call to the ministry are one and the same. Paul's first question in being struck down to repentance was, "Lord, what will you have me to do?" Obedience! Willingness!
Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
Spiritual "can't help its".
If you and I are volunteering for leadership, as if we were volunteering for a social club, then we will not last long! The going will get tough, and the battle will rage, and you will resign. If you are trying to make a name for yourself, then you won't last long.
Our motive must be that we are servant leaders who are only doing what has been commanded!
We all report for duty! We all are taking commands from the Commanding officer.
Tomorrow night we begin a series on "The Body of Christ: The Church of God" and God's body building program.
As leaders who are reporting for duty with the desire to win the battle, what do we need to keep in mind?
4) Leaders know how to "Push and Pull."
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Our Senior Pastor pushes people into LIFEgroups, and LIFEgroups pull them in. LIFEgroups push people into the worship services, and our Senior Pastor does his part to pull them in. We are a team pushing and pulling together. It is not pull pull, push push! We are not in competition!
There are times when it is important for the whole church to have one focus, and topics will need to be covered in the worship services and discussed in the LIFEgroups. Some might say, "Our group needs to do some other topic, and I don't want to do what the rest of the church is doing..."
5) Leaders Understand The Value Of Teamwork (Honk, Honk).
Lessons From Geese:
1) As each bird flaps its' wings, it creates an "uplift" for the bird following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if the bird flew alone.
LESSON: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
2) Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the "lifting power" of the bird immediately in front.
LESSON: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go (and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to the others).
3) When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.
LESSON: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks, and sharing leadership -- with people, as with geese, we are interdependent on each other.
4) The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
LESSON: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging -- and not something else.
5) When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or catch up with the flock.
LESSON: If we have as much sense as geese we too will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
None of us lead all the time! It is not wise, nor healthy to try to lead all the time. This phrase "honk honk" has become a pretty regular tag at the bottom of e-mail messages around the office. It is a way of saying, "I need you to take the lead on this".
We need to know what it means to follow and to lead! All of us need to do both. Our Senior Pastor leads the whole church, but he is in a LIFEgroup where someone else is leading.
6) We are Building The Whole Church and the Home Church
We need both. We are not building little fiefdoms! We are connected! We are two wings!
We see this same, two stroke aspect of worshipping God. We worship "God most high" and "God most nigh". God is awesome and beyond our understanding, and yet He chooses to take up residence inside of us!
7) The Priority of Growing Leaders.
We live or die as a church according to our ability to raise up leaders.
Multiplying leaders is more important than multiplying groups.
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Caution: Build into people because you love them., not because you are assigned to equip someone, and so that you can lighten your load. Pray that God will prompt them and call them to the ministry. Avoid playing God the Holy Spirit in a person's life.
What happens when you build into a person, and someone else recruits them for leadership... Do you become bitter? Then you have just been serving yourself...
8) Practice Edification as a Way of Life
Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
LIFEgroup Pastors: we are not dealing with people as if they are widgets in an assembly line. Every person is unique, and our job is to find out how to unlock each heart to become open to God's love and purpose.
As we care for people one life at a time, there will eventual become a movement that has the potential to change the world. one snow flake at a time. If we continue to add snow flakes consistently, then before long there is the incredible movement of a mighty glacier!
8) Functioning as a Teaching Hospital
What is the modern equivalent of shepherd? We have a hard time identifying with the terms because we are not shepherds working the fields.
Most of us can understand how a hospital functions because we have either visited, or taken up residence there at some time in our lives.
What if we view the pastor as a surgeon? (God is the great physician)
How does a surgeon function as part of the team in a teaching hospital?
The entire hospital is now broken down into teams. There are teams of nurses. There are teams of "candy stripers". There are teams of volunteers as well as trained technicians. All of these people contribute to creating a healing environment.
There are defined roles for every responsibility in the teaching hospital.
All of the support teams are valuable team members.
The support team makes it possible for the surgeons to do what is most important, perform surgery and teach other doctors how to perform surgery. When there is cancer in the body, it is serious, and requires a surgeon who knows what to do!
I don't mind going to a teaching hospital where there is a physician guiding the hands of an Intern making sure that everything goes according to plan!
At the same time, the surgeon is only as good as those around him. Without a top notch trauma team, the surgeon is very limited... Specialized teams for radiology, and cardiology, and neurology, all functioning in a push pull way for the benefit of the patient!
What a good illustration of the Body of Christ functioning with all the spiritual gifts given by God!
Do you see why a "teaching hospital" is a great metaphor for effective ministry today?
We want to bring quality care to each and every individual. We provide CPR (Prayer Room Counseling) training for whoever wants it. We have pre-natal classes (New Comer's Class). We also have intern and apprentice training for hands on skill training.
We have trauma units (support groups) for emergency cases.
Teamwork is the name of the game.
The need for teams and effective delegation is just as important today as when Moses' father-in-law, Jethro challenged him to delegate responsibility to others so that he would avoid burn out and would at the same time, provide better quality care for the people. (Exodus 18).