Theme: Developing and empowering leaders within the church.
Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20- Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 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 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Key Points:
• Encouraging leadership at all levels.
• Mentoring and training future leaders.
• Recognizing and utilizing diverse gifts and talents.
One of my first adult jobs was for a business that had a sole owner/manager and had been in existence for 30 years prior to my being hired. The job was in the field of study I had earned my degree in and often I was taken aback by how the policies, procedures and practices were very dated.
The business was floundering and the owner/manager badged us to do “better” and do everything we did like she told us to, It had worked for 30 years. But had it? Her business, I discovered, had been on the decline for well over 15 years. Its was almost as if instead of 30 years experience she has 10 years that she had repeated for 20 more; never improving, never listening to others or listening to us to shape the program with more current knowledge and most importantly not empowering well educated staff to do step up and be leaders. I ended up only making it about a year and a half. Before long I found a job that would authorize me to use my gifts and skills to make it better for all of us; a place with vision for the future.
God’s glory is revealed in the vision set forth for God’s Church and for us; a vision begun at Creation and may real in Christ. Christ called people to him, taught them and redeemed them and sent them forth to continue the vision.
The passage at the end of Matthew 28; the very end of Matthew’s gospel are the final words Matthew records Jesus saying to his even disciples before ascending.
“I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 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 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
These words are also known as the Great Commission. Jesus commissioned - charged those eleven that he had gathered, taught, helped them grow into their gifts and empowered them to go and do likewise for others.
Jesus said I have been given the authority to give you this charge and in doing so I am giving you the authority to gather people from everywhere - all over, teach, mentor, help others grow into their gifts and use their gifts - all by immersing them in ALL understanding and connection to God the Almighty Creator, Jesus, God incarnate and the Divine power of the Holy Spirit. - all to further God’s perfect, divine mission for us.
It is clear that this sending forth of the disciple was of utmost importance. It is shown in these, the final words from Jesus to those that hung on his every word. We know that final words from someone are usually the ones we need most to hear and to know from the person speaking them.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, is credited with these words as his final words on his deathbed: The best of all God is with us!
God is with us as we work to being about the vision God crafted for God’s church and brought into plain view by Jesus. God is with us in the life and salvation of Jesus Christ and through the power we have within us and among us in the Holy Spirit of God. God sent Jesus to prepare us to carry about this vision.
Jesus was clear that authority and power had been transferred to him giving him the authorization to commission the disciples and subsequently every person that claims the name, “Christian.” Jesus transferred that power to them and ultimately to us through the Holy Spirit to go and continue God’s vision for the church through discipleship.
Leaders can come from all walks of life and with all personalities and ways of leading. Jesus told the first disciples to gather from all nations knowing that in order to bring about God’s vision - all different ways would be needed.
For us that means not just the type people we see as typical leaders from similar backgrounds to ours, but finding the qualities within all those we go and meet. Allowing the diverse people of the world to bring their knowledge, experience and lives to learn to lead and listen for God’s vision, help bring it to fruition.
People can lead in many different ways. Finding leaders within all different people to lead at all levels of God’s church; quiet leaders, servant leaders, strategic leaders, leaders of all kinds. But most importantly finding leaders that are discerning leaders, that lead in love. Discerning leaders are people who will listen for God’s guidance on where the next step is to be taken. These leaders will carry out God’s vision over their own.
Earlier in his ministry, (Matthew 10) Jesus sent out the twelve and gave them authority and power to cast out unclean spirits, heal the sick, and proclaim the Good News that the kingdom of heaven is near. The only distinguishing mark of the Great Commission compared to what Jesus sent the disciples to do before was “teaching.” Throughout Jesus’ ministry he did all the teaching, setting God’s word back in order from man’s misunderstanding and mishandling. Jesus taught Jews and Gentiles and now for the disciples, widens the audience to “all nations,” and the students have now become the teachers. He set the pattern.
The pattern we are to follow is the same. We learn and as we learn we teach, we mentor, we guide. The Great Commission not only authorizes us but charges us to do so.
Several years ago, very early in my ministry, I was leading a church that had given up, was accepting the fate of impending death. I asked a wise, seasoned pastor, Jerry Mayo, to come and speak and share thoughts from his book, “The Lazarus Church: Resurrecting Passionate Ministry in Mainline Congregations.” During the luncheon that followed, Jerry was asked, “I am a new Christian, how can I lead others to Christ?” His answer…”Becoming a Christian is a journey…take that person with you on your journey and learn together.” This is the same with making disciples. We can’t possibly know everything but if we take the people we gather along with us on our own journey: a journey to lean how to listen to God, act in the strength of the power of the Spirit and live as Christ lived we will both learn and lead in the way God desires.
Mentoring and training future leaders ensures the future of the church while also allowing God’s vision to build on itself and grow rather than becoming stagnant.
That first job I spoke of taught another very valuable lesson. Sometimes people know things you don’t know and there is value in getting to know them and their gifts and skills. Taking someone on your journey with you builds relationship. It is within that relationship we are able to help someone discern those gifts and with the help of the Spirit utilize them toward God’s mission for the church. We can help others learn to lead by using their gifts. In that job, I not only had a degree in the area, but I had served several years in roles that had prepared me for that work. When I gave my notice, the owner manager was shocked to find out that I had that background. It was on my resume and on the application but she barely knew my name so she would never have found out, I suppose.
Jesus’ words, “baptizing them (immersing them) in the names of God, Jesus and the Spirit” is how through our relationship of mentoring and discipling we find the gifts of the Spirit within them shaped and brought forth in that immersion.
Jesus did not just send the church out to perform the ritual of baptism. The world will not be fixed by merely getting everyone wet and saying the names of the Divine. That very immersion invites a follower into the mutuality of the divine life. He does not leave us alone in that work, nor does he leave us powerless. Jesus promises his presence and a power that does not coerce but a power that serves and a power that persuades. A power that leads us to do the same.
Sometimes in the church gathering, teaching and empowering leaders seems impossible. But the very fact that the task is utterly impossible at times throws the disciples - us - onto the mercy and strength of God. The work of the church cannot be taken up unless it is true that “all authority” does not belong to the church or its resources but comes from God’s abundant investment of God in Jesus and the willingness of the Son to be present always to the church in the Spirit as they live into the vision God desires.
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