Leadership Gifts: Guiding the Flock

Leadership in the church is often misunderstood as being about positions and titles, but biblical leadership is fundamentally about influence, stewardship, and serving others for God's purposes. The Greek word for leadership means to stand before, manage, and have oversight - focusing on function rather than hierarchy. Anyone with influence, whether in their home, workplace, or community, is a steward of that influence and can operate in leadership principles.

True spiritual leaders demonstrate five distinct characteristics that set them apart. They possess vision that sees beyond present circumstances to future possibilities, drawing others forward with hope. They are energized rather than intimidated by responsibility, finding activation in what others avoid. When confusion reigns, they provide clarity and direction, cutting through noise to identify next steps. They don't just work individually but multiply their efforts by motivating others toward shared goals. Finally, they make decisive decisions even under pressure, providing the clarity others need to move forward.

Christ gave the church five specific leadership gifts according to Ephesians 4: apostles who break new ground, prophets who speak God's word with clarity, evangelists who bring people to Christ, pastors who shepherd and care for souls, and teachers who make God's deep truths accessible. These gifts work together not to do all the ministry while others watch, but to equip every believer for service. The ultimate goal is not just church attendance but transformation into Christ-likeness, where every person grows to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Leadership brings both weight through increased responsibility and blessing through multiplied impact, requiring faithful stewardship of the influence God provides.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:29

We are going to complete the current series that we are on. The whole month of um May was uh discovering, we're talking about gifts for service, amen? So we've been talking about gifts for service with Homer. But I want to begin with this. I want to begin with this today. Many years ago, when we started um, when we planted the church, many years ago, I often awesome, most of you have met, uh, some of you have met my father in the Lord, the one that raised me. Uh he's an amazing man. He's been here a couple of times, he visited us with us a couple of times. Um and one day I uh heard him teach on some 23. I was here. I was I was known, I was known in the UK. Um every day from Saints, the last time he was here, every time he says he's coming, but he never shows up. He's a busy man always traveling to Africa doing his things there. But I was with him last year, great man. Um every time I go there, he just called rolls up the red carpet for me. It's an amazing man. Anyway, many years ago I had him preach on uh Psalm 23. Um most of us here know it's Psalm 23. And um, to me, I think one of these, it's one of the best, most interactive and great sermons I've had him preach on before. And so a few weeks after that, if I recall, I had an impression on my heart to teach our church Psalm 23. And out of pride, I said I wasn't gonna do it. I said, I'm not gonna do it because I don't want anybody to, you know, these days with Facebook and everywhere else, I don't want somebody to, you know, send a copy to him and Pastor turn around and say that my son is copying my preaching, so I don't want to do it. And so I kind of just put a thought uh aside. Um and then week after week, it just kept coming back to me. You know, and uh after you walk with the Lord for a while, you you kind of identify how he speaks to you, how he deals with you. And so I eventually gave in and I said, okay, man, I'm just gonna do this. You know, no biggie, I'm gonna do it. So I decided that I wasn't going to listen to anything he said. I was going to study the word. I was gonna go study, dig deep, pray, so that God will give me a unique word in Psalm 23 for the congregation. And I remember as uh something that happened yesterday, and this is probably about uh 13 years ago. I remember one night, the first Sunday that I mounted the pulpit to teach on Psalm 23, the moment I mounted the podium, you know, uh I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, and he told me, he said, I asked you to teach on Psalm 23, and it wasn't for the people, it was for you. So I started, I just burst in tears and I started crying. Because my study in Psalm 23 really, God has an interesting way of speaking to his people. And that is the study. Now, I know I've taken a lot of time because there's a lot of ground we need to cover today. But just so that you know my background, where I'm coming from, there's at not at there's no given time that I ever told God that I wanted to be a pastor of a church. I wasn't gonna do it. I knew I was called, I knew I had a call in my life, but I was focusing more on um hosting crusades and power ministry and stuff like that. I was not interested in being a pastor at all. You know, especially when I knew the headache I gave my pastor myself, I wasn't gonna do it. And so at no given time did I ever want to be uh to be a pastor and to shepherd and to do all that good stuff. And that study was God's way of teaching me the pastor's heart. It totally changed my perception of being a pastor. So all the people said this wasn't for the congregation, it was for you, for you to realize exactly what I'm calling you. And in that study, I remember God telling me, he said that I should never treat anyone the way they treat me. Because no one in the church called me by him did. And he said, if I have any problems with anyone, I should come to him. Never to go to the people. And he taught me really the pastor's heart of how the pastor goes all out to make sure that the sheep is fed. Now, why did I share this? I want to begin with this illustration that a picture, now I wanted to picture a shepherd on an open hill at dawn. Now, um, you know, we know the story of Jesus, that the shepherds in the field feeding their flock at night. So I want you to come with me to uh the old Jerusalem hill, and it's dark, and the shepherd is out there, and it's dawn on the hill, and the shepherd is still. The sheep are not anxious about where what they will eat. It's so interesting. In that study, I noticed something about, you know, the God called his people sheep. And it's so interesting how you call the sheep, because if you study the nature of sheep, my God, sheep can just basically without a shepherd, they're lost. You know? And so just imagine that the sheep gets to know their shepherd. You know, Jesus said that my sheep hears my voice. And so any shepherd who has sheep, the sheep gets to know the voice of the shepherd. And because the main duty of a shepherd is to guide the sheep, the sheep is never anxious about what they are going to eat, what they're gonna drink, or the dangers that are lure in the shadow, because somebody is watching out for them. I read that in Turkey, a whole a whole head of sheep went down a hill and died because one of them did it first. And so, like by a whole head, they all rushed down the hill and all died because one went down. And so basically, the nature of sheep it's sheep cluster together, they follow one another. And the sheep at no given time, because when they have a shepherd, feel any danger towards them because they know somebody's looking out for them. They know somebody's going to lead them, somebody has accepted the weight of standing before the flock and guiding them forward. Now, that image, I just painted for you, the shepherd and the flock, is not an incidental image. It is actually scripture, and it's how God has chosen to portray the spiritual leadership. So today we close out the fourth week of our series, Gifts for Service. And in my opinion, we have arrived at one of the most consequential subjects in the New Testament, and that subject is leadership gift. Now, if you remember the main text that we'll be studying, Paul says something we're going to read later. He says, He that leads, let him lead with diligence. So let's kind of recap the whole month of May, okay? In week one, we discovered that every believer has been given at least one spiritual gift. There is no one here in the son of my voice who has believed in Jesus, who is saved, who does not have a spiritual gift. Okay? God gave us, and we started in week one. Now, this was not for self-advancement, but for the common good of the body. So the Bible says that the purpose of the gift is so that it will benefit the whole body. In week two, we exploit the seven gifts, specifically the gifts of help, and we learn that there is no insignificant act of service in the kingdom of God. Okay? Week three, we examine the communication gifts, prophecy teaching, encouragement, and we understood that every word we speak is either building God's house or tearing it down. Very critical. Everything that comes out of your mouth in the church, you're either helping to build or you're tearing down. So today we are gonna go deeper. We're gonna examine the gifts that are given not just for the service of the body, but to guide the body. The leadership gift. And I want to be very clear before we begin. This message is not for people who carry a title. Okay? It is for everyone who has been given influence. If you have influence in the home, if you have influence in the workplace, if you have influence in ministry or in your community, everyone with influence is a steward. Please write that statement down. Everyone with influence, wherever God has placed you, wherever you're in charge of, whatever you're doing, it is you are a steward. In other words, it doesn't belong to you. Okay? It was given to you for a purpose, and you're going to be accountable for what you were given. Now, it is also important that we make this. Uh, what's it called? Uh, we we we've shed some light upon this. Not everyone is called to lead from the front. But watch this. Every leader who is called man answer to the one who called them. Okay. Now watch this now. So I want to begin with asking the question. Has God given you influence? If you operate in any level of influence or capacity in any place that you are, then what we're about to discuss today is for you. Okay? I want you to follow along now with your handouts. So let's go to um I think the second figure handouts. So I want to talk to you about the gift of leadership, what it is and what it isn't. Okay. Now, if you said in the Greek word, my Greek scholar is back today. The Greek word behind leads. Okay, he that leads, the Bible says. Paul says, He that leads, let him lead with diligence. So help me with that Greek word, scholar. What is that?

unknown 11:20

Prostane.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Prostane. Thank you. I told you guys I'm not a Greek scholar, so please bear with me. It means to stand. Listen carefully, to stand, to manage, to take charge, to have an oversight. Notice the language here is not about rank or hierarchy. Okay? So leadership, most of us have the confused understanding that leadership is about your rank or your hierarchy. The word that Paul uses, and again, we go back to the main text in a minute, he says that he that leads, let him lead with diligence. That word leads with diligence means to stand before, to manage what God has given you, to take charge and to have an oversight. This language of, this is a language of sanction. So that word is used. If you look at 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 4, it's not on the list of uh, what's it called there? Uh Richard, don't go there. It's not on your list of scriptures. But you look at 1 Timothy 3, 4, the Bible says that a father who manages his household, okay? That word there is prostheting, the one who manages his household. It talks about the elder who oversees the church. It's the same word for everyone who stands before others and take responsibility for where they are going. So anyone who stands before somebody else, anyone who's been given the charge of leading people or teaching people or training people, or it's not about rank, it's about taking charge, it's about being responsible, it's about leading, it's about standing before people. Okay. So here's the foundational truth about leadership gift, what we're about to discuss today. It is not about position. Again, it is not about position. There are so many people that get offended in churches because they've been there for a long time and they have not been placed in any position. And da-da-da-da-and-da-da-da-da. A leader does not need a title to function. A leader when they play, we're going to learn that today. A leader's role is about functioning. So I want to ask you, you want a leadership role, in any capacity, you have influence. Are you functioning in that role or do you just walk around with a title and a chip on your shoulder? You can hold a title and not have the gift. And we're talking about leadership gift here now. Or you can have a gift, you can have the leadership gift and never have received a formal title. In other words, wherever you are, your influence is felt. You know, listening to me. Wherever you are, whatever you do, you don't need a title to function. When you are not there, your absence is felt. Amen. The gift of leadership is this it's a spiritual giving capacity. Listen to me carefully, to organize, to direct, to motivate, to guide people towards God's appointed purposes. And so wherever we, whenever we're involved in organizing, in direct leading, direct, motivating, guiding people towards not their own agendas, but God appointed purpose. The title does not, how many of you have heard this before? The title does not make the leader. The gift submitted to the spirit is what makes the leader. Amen? So let's talk about the five hallmarks of leadership gift in the church. Five hallmarks. And that it's the nothing, page two of your handouts. So they see what others do not see yet. You're not hearing me. Leaders live in the future. When everyone else is overwhelmed by today's problem, the leader is already shaping tomorrow's possibilities. They carry a vision that pulls others forward. So it's never about themselves. It's always about leading and pulling others because they see what others cannot see. Leaders don't live in the present, they all live in the future. And this is why there's certain times that folks do not understand why certain people keep going on doing what they do because what they're seeing, you are not seeing it yet. And as a leader gifted to do the things of God, you always, what did the Bible say, without vision, the people perish. And so if you don't know where you're going, how you're going to lead others to that place. So a leader always, always needs to have a vision, always needs to live in the future. Number two, they are drawn to responsibilities, not repelled by it. Most people avoid responsibilities. The leader is energized by responsibilities. Responsibilities don't intimidate them, it actually activates them to do what they have to do. Number three, they have clarity in the fork. Oh, I listened to an amazing preaching this week. Oh man, check swing. Amazing preaching, talking about the fork. It's amazing. When confusion reigns and everybody's looking at each other, the gifted leader finds a direction. He's not always told what to do. But in the spirit of the moment, because it's a gift, the leadership, it's a gift. It's part of the spiritual gifts that have been given. And when somebody's operating under this leadership gift, when everyone is confused around you, everyone doesn't know what to do, a leader will stand up and find a direction. They have a God-given ability to cut through noise and identify the next steps. Number four, they motivate others towards a shared goal. A leader does not just work, they multiply work. They have the ability to draw others in and release them forward with purpose. And the fifth one here, they make decisions, not always perfectly, but decisively. As a human being, you are not always going to make the right decisions, man. We all are learning. But somebody operates in a leadership gift makes decisive decisions. The gift of leadership includes clarity in decision making. Even under pressure, they do not wait for perfect information to take the next steps of faith. Is that you? Now, when you walked in the place today, actually, when I walked in, the place was very warm. So I had to go, one of the tempestats are not working, so I had to go to the other tempestat and set up the air so that you guys will be comfortable. And here's the way you have to look at it. When you walk in the room, the tempestat reads the temperature in the room and reports it. So when I walked in here today, I think it was 70 degrees in, I think what 70 or something like that. When I looked at the tempestat. So literally, the condition of the room is what the temperature of the room is what I see on the thermostat. A person with a gift of leadership is not a thermometer. They're a thermostat. Why is that? They walk in the room and the atmosphere shifts. Where there is fear, they bring faith. Where there's confusion, they bring direction. Where there's apathy, they bring urgency. Did you get that? When a leader walks in the place, he's not reflecting the climate. He's in to change the climate. And that's the main difference between a temporar and a thermometer. In the Bible, there's different types of leaderships in the Bible, but we are just going to take a look at three of them today. These are three great leaders in our time. The Bible, and the reason for this study is that, you know, making reference to this particular three three leaders is because there is not one shape fits all in leadership. If you look at Moses, Moses was known for his administrative systems and strategies. Moses led over 2.5 to 3 million people. Can you just imagine that? One man led three million people from bondage to a promised land. And he had such a complex system of leadership that his father-in-law, Jetro, had to tell him, dude, figure this out, or you're going to drop dead doing this by yourself. One person leading three million people, I can't even get my head around it. Moses was about order and precision and governance. So the first type of leadership, it's more of a what's it called, administrative system, structures, and governance. There are people who are gifted in such areas. Then we come to David, the charismatic leader. David, genius, was inspirational. You know, David writes the Psalms, and over how many thousand years on, the Psalms are still blessing people. And if you read David's story, David had about 600 choice men. They were called the men of war. And these guys were bullish about David. Why? Because they just, David was an inspirational leader. So David was about vision. He was about passion, loyalty that crossed generations. Amen? And so you look at Moses with that restraint. You look at David, the charismatic vision and inspiration that he led with. And then we come to Nehemiah, one of the greatest leaders that ever lived. Nehemiah received a tax from God to go back to Jerusalem to build the walls. Interesting guy. He gets to Jerusalem and he doesn't tell anybody about what he was about to do. He goes and he surveys the walls, the broken walls of Jerusalem at night. He doesn't tell anybody. He assesses the full situation. He builds a plan. And guess what? Within 52 days, the walls were built. Walls that were broken for generations. He was able to build them. They divided the work such a way that every house was responsible for a portion of it. That is what we're talking about planning, time, and execution, turning God's vision into God's reality. And so we look at these three individual people and we see different styles of leadership here. Now one As you're taking notes and listening to me, which part of this registers with you? Are you the administrative type? Are you the charismatic leader? Are you the strategic leader that plans and does these great things? Now we look at what's it called there? Um we go to Romans chapter 12, verse 8 quickly. And we'll be studying that be I'll be making reference to this uh this morning. Paul says in Romans 12, 8. He says, He that leads with diligence. Again, he's talking about a leadership gift here. Lead with diligence. That Greek word means agency, earnestness, zeal. Okay. So when God puts you in a position to lead, and you are exhibiting the administrative gifts of leadership in the church, the expectation here is that you lead with urgency. You lead with earnestness, you lead with zeal. You do not lead casually, you lead with everything you have. Somebody say amen to that. Now let's go quickly to 1 Peter 5, 2 and 3, please. 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 2 and 3. And I read for the New King James Version. So Peter says, Shepherd, the flog of God, which is among you, serving as an overseer, not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but earnestly, not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. Many times anyone who's heard anything about leadership, they tell you the leadership it's about leading with by example. So Peter adds an unmistaking warning here. The leadership gift can breed pride, it can produce control. There are so many instances currently in the church that people, there's something called church head. I don't want to go there. But it's like people have issues with unfortunately with their leaders because this is a position that if you don't understand the foundation of leadership, you are it's it's when you have the opportunity to be like a star, and you're not really a star, but in your mindset you think you're a star, it breeds pride. Amen. And so Paul won Peter wants us that because it does that, that we should understand that this is not about leading people with with what he says, it's about uh what's it called, uh see uh as an overseer, not compulsive, but willingly, not dishonest gain, but eagerness, not being lords over those who entrust you and trusted to you, but living with an example. Historically, both biblical and contemporary, is filled with leaders who began humbly and ended up tragically because they forgot the gift was never theirs. It is a loan, the gift of leadership is a stewardship. You are a manager of influence, not the owner of the people. Amen. Okay, we want to go to section three quickly and look at the five-fold ministry quickly, the gifts to the church. Okay. Now, if you look at your notes, there's a place called filled in the blanks. It's a leadership gift, it's not about da-da-da-da-filling the blanks. A tempost that does not read the temperature, it is blah blah blah. Make sure that as we're going on, you are filling your notes and you're taking good notes. Amen. So we can we land at Ephesians 4, 1, 2, uh, 11 to 13. I think in the notes I said 11 to 12, but it's 11 to 13, really. So it says he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers. And the purpose of what Jesus, why Jesus gave us the five-fold ministry is this it is for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now, watch this now. Verse 1, verse 11 says he himself. So, in other words, this is not a broad decision, this is not a church vote. The fivefold ministry gift are Christ's personal gift to his church. He gave them. Okay? They belong to him, and every person who operates in one of these five roles must never forget that they received what they did not earn. Were sent to what they did not deserve and carry what they did not generate, and it's not yours. You know, pastors behave as if the church congregation is theirs. Watch this. There's a lot of constructions around, right? A lot of construction buildings around. And in every construction, new building that's been built, the couple people come together, okay? We have the you have the electricians, you have the plumbers, you have the what those that frame the building, you know, you have those that do the flooring. It's not one person that does everything, okay? But take one of them out and the building's in trouble. Just imagine that you're building a new property, okay? And the company comes in and frames it, and then you know, the others come in and they do what they have to do. And then when they're done, there's no electrician. When they're done, there's no painting. The building is not going to be habitable. Is it? The way you look at the five-fold ministry is this that is the five-fold ministry for you. Five gifts, one building, one purpose. If one of them is out, the building cannot be habitable. And so, God, the number five, the gifts, it's a complete gift that God gave the church because the apostle has a different role from the prophet. The prophet has a different role from the evangelist. The evangelist has a different role from the pastor, and the pastor has a different role from the teacher. And so when, and remember, all these five needs to come together for the building to be complete. Okay? And so Jesus gives these gifts out to the body, and we're going to kind of take a look at what every single part of this gift does. What does the apostle do? The apostle is not somebody who maintains things. The word actual apostle means apostoli or who someone who is sent. And majority of the time, what the apostle's work is basically to break ground. And we see through scripture what Paul and Barnabas did. They go to they went to the missionary genes. Missionaries today, we can compare, we can use the word apostle to define missionaries or church planters. Because they are the ones that take the ministry to a place that you and I sitting here will not go. And without the apostle breaking ground, the pastor, the evangelist, the teacher, you know, actually, if you look at it, the apostle and evangelists, they kind of work hand in hand because the evangelist goes beyond the norm. You know, the pastor is interested in just people who are sitting down, like you guys beautiful sitting down here today. The evangelist is not gonna, the evangelist is never intended to be in the church. He's always gonna go beyond the boundaries to bring more people in. Now, if you know your scripture, remember that Philip was having a crusade in Samaria. You know, people were getting saved. Philip the evangelist, right? And God, the Holy Spirit comes and tells him, Run to Azusus. There is a gentleman I want you to talk to, one person. He lifts the crusade and he goes and he around the donkeys and horses and he goes and speaks to the Ethiopian eunuch. And the person gets saved and he takes the gospel to Egypt. And that's the work of the evangelists. So more, more, more, the way you ought to look at it, the apostles are more like their DNA is different. They they're always the DNA's about something new. They are always probably maintained, they're not maintainers. Again, they establish things. And so Paul builds a foundation for you know the churches that he establishes that Paul goes to what's it, Galatia and establishes churches there, and he doesn't stay there. He probably stays it for a year, make sure the churches are really solid, then he moves on to another thing. That's what the apostle does. Okay. The prophet is different. The prophet always talking about God's word with supernatural clarity and divine agencies. This gift is not primarily the prediction of the future, though that can be part of it. It is the revelation of the present mind of God to his people. Okay? So the prophet sees what is spiritually happening in a situation and declares it. They bring direction and correction and confirmation. And if you look at Amos 3:7, it says declares that surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals them the secret to his prophet, his servant, the prophet. The prophet's fire is not manufactured. When a genuine prophet speaks, something in the spiritual realm recognizes the voice of God. Okay? And then we just spoke about evangelists, and then the pastor's job is interesting. Now, watch this. Now the pastor is the shepherd, the relational gift of the fivefold ministry. The pastor guide, the pastor's genuineness is not primarily preaching organization, but caring for the soul. They know their people, their names, their struggles, their wounds, their growth. They provide safety. They build up what is broken. They walk through dark valleys with those who are hurting and do not live until the person is steady. The pastor does not just preach on a Sunday, they weep with those who weep, they rejoice with those who rejoice and carry the weight of the congregation before God in a secret place. And then the teacher. Now, I remember many years ago I'm having a conversation with my uh my pastor, and there was a wave that a lot of people call themselves prophets, right? And everybody's a prophet, and everybody's a prophet, everybody's a prophet. And the reason being that in their mind, they think that being an apostle or being a prophet is like a hierarchy. Okay? So when they're gone with the title prophet, it means that they are higher than somebody else. But let me tell you something, man. Without a pastor, there will be no church. Without a teacher, the children of God are in trouble. God does not give this as a hierarchy. It's about functioning and it's about together building his body. A teacher takes the deep things of God and makes them accessible. They love the word, they love understanding, and they love transferring understanding. Where the prophet may declare, the teacher explains. Where the pastor comforts, the teacher establishes. Where the evangelist ignites, the teacher sustains. So Paul writes about the fivefold ministry gift given until the body comes to the knowledge of the Son of God. And so again, the reason why God gave these gifts is and the entire body, you sitting here, comes into the full knowledge of the Son of God. Now let me tell you this. It cannot come. There's no way, this no, it's uh incidental at all. It comes through faithful, consistent anointing teaching. And so you understand if you understand clearly the role of this mid or this of this of these offices, again, it's not hierarchy, it's not a ranking, they are offices, but Jesus gave these offices for, and the purpose of the five-fold ministry is for the edification. What edification means to build. And the purpose of this is so that you guys come to the knowledge of the faith, to the perfect man, okay? To the knowledge of the Son of God. So the purpose and goal of the five-fold ministry is this Ephesians 12, 4.12 again mentions it. Look at uh Ephesians 4.12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ. Now, I want you to really think about this and know, and let's think through the pastoral ministry for a minute. The fivefold gifts are not given so that five people can do all the ministry while every L1 watches. Now, I remember a couple of weeks ago we're stating about when we're talking about the gifts, uh the seven gifts, we spoke about why, when the moment the apostles chose the deacons, the Bible says the church grew. And I think we explained that in detail why the church grew. So God gave the fivefold ministry to the body of Christ, and the purpose is not for everybody else to sit down, for the fivefold ministry to do other work. Does it make sense? The purpose is for the fivefold ministry to equip the saints so that the saints in turn do the work of the ministry. Okay? They are giving to equip the saints, every member of the body of Christ, to do the work of the ministry. The fivefold leader multiplies. If you are one of those five gifts, and all you do in ministries for yourself, you are using the gifts below its calling. The assignment of the five-fold ministry is to raise up others who do what only they are currently doing. And so when you find yourself in that leadership role, whether you will pray it as an apostle, as a prophet, as an evangelist, as uh what's called a pastor or teacher, the main purpose of that election is for you to multiply yourself in God's people so that God's people have the confidence to do the work of the ministry. God never called the five for ministry to carry the burden by themselves. That is why every single person here has a critical role to play in developing God's kingdom. Does it make sense? Look at Ephesians 4.13 quickly. So till we come to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The goal is very simple. The reason for the church is very simple. The goal that God has given the five-four ministry is very clear. There's no ambiguity here, there's no confusion, there's no mistakes here. It's God's goal, he picks his people up from somewhere, he places them in his church, he has these gift things that he's given the body of Christ, and they are supposed to do something, multiply themselves. So the gifts that God has given the fivefold ministry is supposed to be duplicated in the congregation. Does it make sense? And you duplicate the congregation. The reason being is that Jesus wants you to come to the unity of the faith, to the knowledge of the Son of God. So every single time that we meet, every prophecy, every evangelist, every teaching, every preaching, every prayer, everything we do has a purpose. The destination is to come to the knowledge of the Son of God. Okay? And God says, to the perfect man, that word perfect does not mean that there's nothing wrong with you. That word perfect, they're translated in the Hebrew, though, means what's it called? Uh what's the word again? Maturity. Okay? So what he said to the perfect man means that you come become matured in the things of God. And so the role of coming to church is not just to sit down in the peace or just to attend a service. Ultimately, God wants you to be the church. And ultimately, God wants you to understand that you understand exactly who he is. And the way God has designed it to be is to be within the confines of his church through the ministry of the apostle, the pastor, the prophet, the teacher. And the key thing here is that you become matured in the things of God and you now measure to the stature of the fullness of Christ. So the destination for the church is Christ like this. Okay? So every time that we preach, every prayer that we pray, every Bible study, everything we do, the destination, the purpose of that is to mature you to become like Christ. In other words, when the earth, the world sees you, they see Jesus in you. So the church is not just something that you belong, it's a strategy that God Himself put together so that the people are fed and so that the gift that God gave them is so that the work of the ministry keeps on because God wants you to be able to manifest the nature of Christ so that the world may see who he really is. Does that make sense? And the goal is not to have a larger congregation, the goal is not to be more in not have more impressive programs, the goal is not to have a wider influence. The goal is that the whole body looks like Jesus, the measure of the structure of the fullness of Christ. So again, every sermon we preach, every soul warm, every prayer of comfort, every truth carefully thought, it is all moving the church towards the one single destination, Christ-likeness. So you're sitting here today. Is that your goal? Do you want to be like Christ or do you just want to go to heaven? Most Christians are just passing through, trying to squeeze their way through so that they can make it to heaven. God says that I want the world to know that you are Jesus. Then the Bible says that He made us gods unto whom the word of the Lord came. Amen. God has a goal for you. You are not supposed to be who you were 10 years ago. Every year there has to be a transformation in you. Every year, when people bump into you, they might think, oh, we bumped into Jesus. That's the goal. And so every time you go to church, every program you're part of in the church, every ministry you're part of, everything you're doing, the leadership, everything else, the goal is that are you actually growing? Do you understand? Yesterday I couldn't sleep and I was uh those things that pops on your phone as like a story, right? And you have a video and it's like a place, it's not an amazing story, actually. And um why I'm making reference to this is that the so the family had uh this woman, this grandmother who was, he says that he's uh uh he was a devout Christian. And part of the um the the the the story is that you see her kneeling before a cross and praying, and she was the meanest person on the face of the earth. I said, How can this woman say I'm a devout Christian? He was so mean, so mean to his father, his what's it called, his son-in-law, that it's like, how can you call yourself a Christian? And this is what we are seeing in the church. There are folks sitting in the church, and there is no transformation in us. You were gossip 10 years ago, you still gossip. You have no control over your emotions. It's like the slightness that moves you left, right, and center. Wherever there's chaos, you are there. But the goal, why Jesus saved you and brought you to a church is that every single day you'll be challenged, challenged to mature into the fullness and the stature of Christ. So, with great gifts comes some great accountability. Now, if you look at Acts chapter 20, verse 28, it's one of the most profound farewell statements that Paul made. And uh it's probably the most sovereign words in the New Testament, and every spiritual leader, everyone here should listen to these words carefully. So Paul is leaving and he's going to Jerusalem, and he knows that that was the end of it, the road for him. Can you just imagine? Because he was told that, dude, if you go to Jerusalem, they're gonna make it back. And so he calls the churches and then gives them this farewell statement in Acts chapter 20, verse 28. What's he say? Therefore, he's talking to the pastors now, he's talking to the church leaders now. Every single person is a leader, right? Therefore, take heed to yourself and to the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer. My God, nobody makes himself a pastor man. You cannot make yourself a leader. If you made yourself a pastoral leader, there is something seriously wrong. You cannot. Among which the Holy Spirit, God, made you an overseer. And it says, the purpose of overseeing is to shepherd the church of God, which he has purchased. Man, listen to me. People are playing with the church, but I tell you something, man. Who may means I'm playing with the church, and I'm telling you one day he's going to be so interesting. He said, which he purchased with his own blood. Now watch this. There are four truths embedded in this that we're going to take a look at. Now, first, number one, the first thing Paul says is that take key to yourself. Take key to yourself. Leadership begins with self-leadership. If you are not leading yourself, you cannot lead anybody. Paul talks about this in Timothy when he talks about gives us the criteria of church leadership. He says, You're a bishop, make sure that you take care of yourself. Make sure you take care of your home. Make sure the children are submission. He says, Take heed to yourself. Before you guide others, you must govern yourself. The most dangerous leader is the one who is spiritually careless about their walk with God. So Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 9 27 says that it is possible to preach to others and yet yourself become disqualified. Self-watch is not optional, it is the first responsibility. If you cannot put yourself in subjection, people are going to see through you. The second one is said, enter the flock. So you take it to yourself. Every person you are responsible for. And this is exactly what God told me 13 years ago. He says, you don't treat anyone the way they treat you. Most of the time we, as leaders, we gravitate towards and make our life easy for us. Paul is saying, the flock, the entire flock. Those that fight you, those that insult you, those that do not listen to you, those that are always opposing you, you are still responsible for them. You see, the wandering sheep, the wounded sheep, the difficult sheep, if they are in your care, they matter to the chief shepherd, and therefore they must matter to you. And this is why it's not easy to be a pastor, you know. The very people you pray for, you love, and you this are the very people that turn on you. But God says, love them on anyway. So take care to yourself, to the flock. The third one is to the which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer. You do not appoint yourself. Your assignment is spiritual, not organizational. Okay? You do not appoint yourself. The Holy Spirit pledged you in your position. This means your authority is not primarily positional, it is spiritual. And what the spirit and where the spirit has pledged you in, you must steal what with spiritual seriousness, not merely institutional efficiency. Does it make sense? So the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. That is whoa. They are not yours, they are his. They were not inexpensive. The blood of Jesus or the blood of God's own son purchased them. Every person in this congregation, every family I shepherd, every soul in my care, Jesus bled for them. How can any leader afford to be careless with what caused crisis life? You know, these days every single person wants to you think that it's a promotion to be a pastor. One day we give an account for every single person. Anyway, let's move on. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you. This is what Peter's advised you. The church is shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as an overseer, not as Lord but as overseer. He said, Not by compulsion, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. Not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd, thank you, huh? When the chief shepherd appears, you receive the crown of glory. That doesn't fade away. Thank you. He said it's number one, not with compulsion, but willingly. Excuse me. If you're not careful, if you're not careful, and one of the men that I uh uh understanding says something very interesting. It says that if you're not careful, the people you lead will cause you to do things that God will be angry with you. And anytime we read scripture and we seem to kind of gloss over these things, what Paul was saying came directly, or Peter was saying came directly from the Holy Spirit, and was referring this to church leaders. Number one, anyone who is in leadership authority, leadership position, you are not supposed to do it with compulsion, but you're supposed to do this willingly. Amen. Reluctant leadership is toxic leadership. If you are only leading because no one else will take it, and bitterness has settled in your spirit, it will leak into everything. Winning leaders energize their people, reluctant leaders draw people back. And so whenever you feel like it becomes a traw, has become something that you are you're compelled to do, dear man, just step aside. Because it's going to come through your service. Number two, Paul says this is not for gain, but eagerly, the moment a person benefits because the primary motivation of their leadership has already begun to corrupt them. Shepherds were shepherd for love, not for leverage, not as lords, but examples. The leader who dominates, controls, and demands is not a shepherd. They are hiring, wearing sheep clothes. Genuine leadership leads by example, not by force. Jesus modeled this, he washed the feet before he wore the crown. So every leader is another shepherd. You are not the owner of the flock. Jesus is the chief shepherd. You are accountable to him. In Hebrews 13, verse 7, the Bible carries a weight that should keep every leader sober. Leaders, watch out for your souls as those who must give account. So we are ending today. Are you still with me? We talk about the weight and the blessing of leadership now. Let's talk about the weight. More responsibility, not more comfort. So if you're aspiring to be a leader, you have to understand this. Leadership is about responsibility. When your players in a leadership role, it's not about being comfortable. Does it make sense? It's about greater accountability. Remember, as a leader, you are a steward. And as a steward, you're going to be an account for the things that been trusted in your hands. So leadership number one, it's about greater responsibility. If you don't desire greater responsibility, don't desire leadership role. Okay? If you desire comfortable, you want to be comfortable, this is not a position for you. Because it demands greater accountability, not exception from standards. Heightened spiritual warfare because the enemy always targets shepherds. First, knowing that when they scatter the sheep, you are, you know, you look at Zachariah 30, verse 7 says that, you know, strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter, right? So the weight is real. It's not an easy position to be. But yet, still there's benefits to it. Amen. There's a blessing that comes with leadership. The most important blessing is multiplied impact. When you equip one person, your ministry doubles. Amen. When you release a team, your rich multiplies beyond what you could accomplish alone. And when you stand before the chief shepherd, having been faithful, there is a crown waiting. Peter calls it the crown of glory that does not fade away. And so every single thing that we do and every single pain that we endure, every situation that you do as a leader, it might, in the physical realms, it might look like there's nothing going on. But eventually, one day, how many of you remember Matthew 25? Well done, you good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord. God, in his infinite wisdom, has set his church in such a way. And look, people are difficult to work with. Every single person, including me. Including you complaining about somebody else, you are difficult to work with. But the point is here that we are on a journey. Amen? Now God has structured this such a way that every single day, every single week, every single time you read the scripture, every single time you hear a sermon, it's supposed to work on you mentally. And you're supposed to submit to that will. And gradually, as we all mature in the things of God, one day we will come to the unity of the faith unto the knowledge of the Son of God. And that is only when you go to heaven, by the way. The goal is that you change here on planet Earth. Say amen to that. Now, think about this. Think about a leader who runs faithfully all the way to the end of a race. Remember, Paul says that we are in the race, and every one of us should run that we may win this race. So think of a leader who does that. They did not finish famous. They was never on TV, never on TBN, never was introduced to anything, but they finished well. They did not finish with a large congregation or with the most recognizable name, but they finished faithfully. They looked after the flock with love. They equipped others to do what they could never do alone. They kept watch over their souls. They ran the race, finished the cause, and they kept the faith. In the moment they hear, well done, you good and faithful servant, all your sacrifices, all your spiritual welfare, all the weight becomes worth it. Amen? Can you imagine, man? Getting to heaven. And I actually, this is interesting because my turning point in my walk with the Lord came from Matthew 25. One day I was um I went to work, came back, I wasn't here, that was in the UK, in Withham. And uh my front round fell asleep in the afternoon. I just dosed off on the couch and I slept. When I woke up, there was this guy, I'm not gonna mention names, preaching. And I woke up to Matthew 25 when he was teaching on, well done, you good and faithful servant, enter into the jaw of the Lord. When I heard that, I said, That's me. Now, that is the goal. I want Jesus to look at me one day and tell me, Well done, you good and faithful servant. Well done. In the midst of all the challenges, in the midst of all the setbacks, in the midst of everything that was done, you never gave up. You ran the race, you finished the course. That is my prayer for every single person in here. It doesn't mean that Satan is going to make it easy for you, but it means that you know who you have called you. You know what you're supposed to do. And you stay the cause. Testimony says stay the cause. So watch this now. This is where four weeks convey. We discovered our gifts in week one. We found that seven gifts make the church run. We learned that communication gifts make the church grow. And now we understand that leadership gifts make the church multiply. Without leaders who equip the saints, never do the work of the saints who never do the work of the ministry. Without the fivefold functioning as God designed it, the body never reaches the fullness of Christ. So now you understand how critical it is that every single five-fold minister operates in the capacity that God calls him to pray. Because it's not about them being recognized, it's not about them being seen. It's about eventually the body of Christ growing into maturity. And so wherever you are, wherever you are, whatever pastor, apostrophe, and these days, apostles have become titles. The guy feels like I need a title because the past prophet is not good enough. And somebody says, I'm apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, doctor. It's all about recognition. It's all about the work that we've been given to build people up. So I'll leave you with a two-sided challenge. For those who have a leadership gift, okay, the question is not simply, am I leading? The deeper question is, am I equipping people? Are you doing ministry or are you multiplying ministry? If anyone around me right now who is growing in their gifts because of your investment, is anybody in this church growing in their gifts because of the investments that I'm putting in them? Leaders that only do and never develop is a leader working below his divine calling. So my plead with you today is please allow me to develop you. Amen. Because ultimately, what God is going to judge me on is how well you were able to develop the congregation, how well you were able to raise them up into the purposes that God actually saved them to become. Amen. So we were not giving the gift just to run the church, we were given the gift to raise up the church. So for those of you who are under leaders, watch this now. Hebrews 13 verse 7 says something. It says, obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch over your souls. I'm reading the Bible, I didn't write this out. Let me reverse and come again. Obey those who rule over you and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, and those who must give account, let them do so with joy, not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Watch this now. We're gonna we're closing soon. God put all this architecture together for you. Amen. Please, let's think together. God never put his architecture together for the pastor, it was for his people. Okay, and so whatever God is doing within the confines of the church, God has a plan. And whether we understand the plan or not, today we've discussed the plan. Okay, the plan is very simple. He gives us a group of people to raise his church to the same standard as the person that is given over them. But watch this now. It involves you to cooperate. Does it make sense? It involves you to willingly receive the information that you'll be giving to you, subject yourself to leadership, let the Holy Spirit lead you because the purpose is to grow you. It's not about the pastor. If it if it if it all becomes about the pastor, then the person also has missed it. But God's plan ultimately is again, we read it again, that you become like Jesus. So I'm going to leave you with a charge. What are you supposed to do? Number one, pray for your leaders, man. Number two, honor them. Number three, cover them. Okay? Pray for your leaders. Because remember what Zachariah said. If Satan attaches you, attacks your leader, he's ultimately playing with your future.

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So God has a plan, okay? He has a destination for every single person. And he wants us to get to that destination. And God's economy, what he's done, is that he structured the church in such a way that he is gifted certain people, certain groups of people. Now, remember the Bible says Revelation is that we're all kings and priests. Okay, so the fivefold ministry, it's everybody here is a minister to God. Okay? Everybody's a priest. You've got to understand that. Every believer is a priest. Because the Bible says so. Okay? He says that he washed us in no blood and made us kings and priests unto his God. Okay? So let's get out of the way. You're a minister. Now watch this now. The fivefold ministry, it's a little bit different. Okay? These are officers that are equipped to do specific things for the kingdom. So they're part of the Holy Spirit and has a divine agenda from heaven. The purpose is to grow God's people. It's not about anything else. It's not about lordship, it's not about position, it's not about ranking, it's not about no more than you. It's got nothing to do with that. It's just, it's like anything else. You you go to every uh corporation, you go to a company, and they're different levels of different ranks. Everybody has a different role to play. Do you understand? That's the five-fold ministry. Everyone has a different role to play. But the ultimate goal, the ultimate goal for a corporation is to make a profit. Okay? So everybody plays a part, the corporation makes a profit. The ultimate goal for the kingdom is to build everybody up to become like Jesus. Okay? And so God places this structure in place. And Satan is very aware because Satan knows the way people are, he knows that we are in the fallen state, and God is working on us to bring us to the place that we originally were. Okay? And so he's aware of that. And so when if Satan can disrupt God's plan, okay, if he can destroy God's plan, he slows the progress down. And that's what it's all after. Because the Bible, if you read Ephesians 24, it talks about so we come to the unity of the faith to know the Son of God, right? To a perfect man. The perfect man means being matured in the things of God. And the task that God has done, the people that God has given that tax to, is the five for ministry that he himself gave. If nobody writes an application that I want to be a pastor, I get put about as I'm going to fill this application, but I want to I want the promotion. I'm a pastor, but I don't want this. I want an apostle. So I'm gonna I'm gonna apply for an apostle and go for an interview. Nobody does that. Jesus himself decided that this is your function and office. Okay, this is the role you play. Like we Explain the apostle. You are more like a missionary, you are more like a church planter. I need penetration. The apostle goes beyond boundaries and pen to penetrate places that are inhabitable just to raise a church. The evangelist goes and then preaches God's word with such power that people give their lives to Christ. That's the anointing. The teachers anoint to teach people so that they stay solid and grind the things of God, right? And then there's what's called the pastor's job. Without a pastor, the church is in trouble because the pastor is the one that carries a burden on the people. So as bad as it is, you stay put. So everybody understands their role. Okay? So what Satan does is that if Satan wants to attack you, he will attack your pastor. You didn't understand that. You didn't get it. If Satan wants to attack the church, he will attack the firefold ministry. Because he knows that when he displaces them, he's displaced you. Okay? Because what the man is supposed to receive from heaven for you, you're not going to get it. And one thing I know about I've known God for 35 years, I've worked with him. He never changes his strategy for anything. And so if his strategy is to do this through this person, through this situation, this is how God enacts it. And so if Satan attacks that person, he's ultimately displaced you because what you're supposed to receive, you're not going to get. And this is why you have a part to play, to make sure that you pray for your leaders, to make sure that you cover them, to make sure that you honor them. Okay? And listen to a congregation that does that does not intercede for his shepherd, release what's it called there? His shepherd doesn't release the anointing that he needs from the pulpit to be able to do what he needs to do. Okay? You are part of what makes leadership possible. And God is like, again, it's an economy. The leader is only as strong as the church members pray for him. Do you know why? Because God has made it such a way that we are interdependent on one another. Okay? So a congregation that intercedes for a shepherd releases an anointing that no amount of purpose skill can manufacture. And let me tell you something that I've noted in the last 35 years. It's not about your tricks that you think you know, it's about the anointing that comes from the pulpit. And the anointing is not manufactured. Oh, you're not hearing me. Anouring is released. And if you don't understand the role you play, and you don't understand the office that God has called you, because your anointing is only made available when you function the office and the role that God has called you to play. Okay? And to every believer, this is the final word for the man that began with a single question: what has God placed in your hands? We now know the answer. Gifts for service, gifts that help, gifts that speak, gifts that lead, all of them, every one of them are given for one purpose. So that the body of Christ grows up into the fullness of the one who gave it to them. Being a prophet does not mean you got to show off. It is about speaking God's mind in the current situation so that everybody will be edified and everybody will be built up. Leadership is not a reward for a talent, it is a cross-shaped call to pour yourself out so that others can rise up. You know, a friend of mine used to say this all the time when God calls you, He's worried unit. For many years I never understood that statement. Until one day I sat in quiet and said, My God, what this guy is saying is true. Because a truly the true shepherd of God, you don't have your own will. You're not hearing me. Jesus said, One day a shepherd left his 99 ship and went after the one. You know, as a matter of fact, you know that you guys are the most precious thing in heaven. You didn't understand that. Every single person here, according to Peter, wasn't bought with silver and gold, but you were bought with the precious blood of Jesus Himself. Bible says incorruptible blood. You know, you are so much esteemed in heaven that if only you had a revelation of who you are, there are certain things that are beneath you that you never get yourself involved with. Because you are so much treasured. Imagine a whole human being had to share his blood so that your future is secured, that Satan has no part in you. So please, I plead with you. Let us all understand the plan of God. Amen. Understand the plan of God for your life. The plan of God is not to make you rich, to buy your houses, to buy you property, to look, man. The number one plan of God for your life is that you become like Christ Jesus. And if you're not giving yourself into study, you're not giving yourself into prayer, you are not developing character, you are not submitting yourself under leadership, you are not be allowing yourself to be helped, and you are stuck in your mind. How do you ever become like Christ? So we pray. May God raise up more shepherds in this house. Shepherds who will lead like Jesus, with love, with sacrifice, with a seven heart, with faithful hands, and with the eyes fixed on the chief shepherd who is coming very soon. May you stand for us to pray, please.