Becoming a Carrier of the Vision – Build God’s House through Servanthood
Leadership = to influence the direction of other people’s lives – we are all called to be leaders. Leadership is not a title, but it’s an action - serving.
Everyone is called into an area of leadership
Aim: Vision is birthed inside congregation, they corporately & individually adopt a spirit of ownership & sense of belonging (feel at home), purpose & ownership. My pray is that people catch the heart beat of the church, get infected
“Where there is no vision the people perish.” Proverbs 29v18 (KJV) ‘cast off restraint’
We all need to have a vision; this is what will keep us on track. We need to have something that we are striving for. Something we can get our teeth into that will bring glory to God.
Q.) How many people want to see this church grow big? To become a leading influence in our city? I believe that God is raising up this fellowship not just be another average church of 100 or even 200 but of 1000s, that not only is influencing Portsmouth, but is influencing the nations! But in order to fulfil this mandate upon us as a church we need to ‘grasp the heart beat of the leadership & become carriers of the vision.’
Every person here this morning holds a unique key to unlocking more successful growth & blessing here at City Church. I believe that God is gonna reveal to a lot of you this morning keys that you possess!
Recently I’ve been studying some of the largest and most influential churches in America ranging from 10-26,000 people & looking to see if I could discover any common trends and find out their keys to success. In an interview when one pastor was asked “Why is your church growing so big & so fast?” His response was “The people own the vision & own the church as ‘theirs!’ As a result of this attitude, serving in the House of God becomes part of their culture. They have a realisation that God has called them to serve in the Body of Christ, that this is one of God’s purposes intended for their life. The church shares the responsibility of growing the church together – not simply relying on the Pastor.”
This in turn frees up the Pastor to do what he needs to do.
When everyone does their contribution, the Pastor is empowered to invest more time in studying the word, seeking God’s direction for the church & tending the flock.
This theme of leadership was recognised in one form or another in almost every one of the churches I looked at. I believe that if we as individuals & as a church implement (apply) these leadership strategies & allow serving in God’s House to become our way of life, to become part of our culture, part of our DNA – who we are; then we too will be able to achieve success above & beyond our wildest dreams.
Word For Today – how many read Word for Today? Recommend reading current series.
Exodus 18v12-26 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God. 13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?" 15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws." 17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people - men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain - and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. (NKJV says: So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you). 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain (NKJV: able to endure), and all these people will go home satisfied." (MSG: 23 If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.")
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials (NKJV: leaders) over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
Moses was a leader of Israel (Pastor of largest church) & started to burn out because he was doing too many jobs, the burden came to much for him to bear all on his own. He was spending so much time & energy hearing the people’s complaints that he could not get other important work that was necessary for him to do in order to be the best leader he could be. God gave Jethro the wisdom to see Moses way of error & suggest that Moses delegate most of the work to others so he could focus his efforts on jobs only he could do. This offer of advice would cause him to become more effective in his leadership of the people.
People who are in a position of responsibility sometimes feel that they are the only ones who can do necessary tasks; but often others are capable of handling part of the load. Delegation relieved Moses’ stress & improved the quality of life of those who were under his leadership. Proper delegation can multiply your effectiveness while giving others a chance to grow & mature.
Numbers 11v10-11 & 14-15 (NIV)
10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD , "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me?” 14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now - if I have found favour in your eyes-and do not let me face my own ruin."
(MSG: 10Moses heard the whining, all those families whining in front of their tents. GOD’s anger blazed up. Moses saw that things were in a bad way. 11Moses said to GOD, "Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me? 14I can’t do this by myself--it’s too much, all these people. 15If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favour and kill me. I’ve seen enough; I’ve had enough. Let me out of here.)
Leader – carries burden & responsibility of both VISION & PEOPLE. This is why it’s so important that we look after the leadership, that we do our part in carrying the vision.
Often many leaders become warn out & discouraged because the burden becomes too great to carry & they feel alone. We see here in this passage Moses’ discouragement & despondency as well as his frustration. Moses almost had a nervous break down & then God came in & said “it’s because you’re not leading right – you need to learn the art of delegation, to share the responsibility with others.”
The Old Pentecostal type Pastor was expected to do everything & then the people wonder why the pastor gets worn out & has a nervous break down – it’s because people didn’t step in to say – “Let me become a carrier of the vision with you, to partner with you in doing God’s work!”
Catching the Vision
God realised Moses despondency & recognised that the people need to ‘catch the vision’
Numbers 11 "16 The LORD said to Moses: "Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.”
I thank God that we as a fellowship have so many partners that willingly & passionately carry the responsibility. It’s not by chance that God has placed you to be with us! But we still haven’t begin to scratch the surface on all that God has in store for this church! The church needs to continually be seeking growing helpers numerically & spiritually.
In order for us to bring in the ‘Great Harvest’ of people, we need to have cultivate teamwork mentality – all for one & one for all!
Eph 4v16b (NLT) “As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
We see Jesus operating in sharing the load when he feeds the 5000. It was Jesus who gathered this large crowd but he also recognised that the people needed to be fed in order for him to maintain the people he had attracted. So he delegated the job of food distribution to the 12 so that the people’s need would be fulfilled. We at City Church want to be able to maintain the people God sends our way &be able to feed them spiritually. When we step out in faith to do our part God works along side us to do His part – it’s a partnership!
As team members we are to feel the responsibility of the work (vision) not just the responsibility of the job we are doing (get involved in bigger picture). Know the vision of the church & make it your vision – begin to own it. It’s not enough to adapt the attitude: I’m serving the leaders vision; it must become your vision also. The vision must be birthed in your heart, which in turn will cause you to serve with the right attitude.
Finding Your Part of the Vision
Your main focus will always been on your part of the vision, however we must also own the whole vision. This will enable us to minister with a pure heart, ensuring that we get involved with others, when required & not an interruption to what we are doing. I.e. seeing chewing gum on the floor, sweet wrappers etc…
Become a carrier of the vision as a whole, let it become a passion of your heart.
Illustration: PIE – Has many sections / slices - Don’t just be passionate about your part, but be passionate about the whole pie – everything included!
An engine doesn’t become a car by being on its own – it needs to be connected with other parts that have different functions.
Sometimes a job will be presented to you which is not your specific job but let it become your culture that if you see the need is there, meet it.
PERSON COUGHING BADLY – it’s very easy to say “that’s well annoying!” but it’s a carrier of the vision that see’s the need & goes to get a glass of water for that person. Not passing the buck or pushing it off “Oh someone else can do it.” We need to be people minded & carrying the vision together as a team.
1 Corinthians 15v58
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."
When you catch the vision, it’s contagious & others will catch it too! Those who are prepared to carry more than their due are others minded (think about the need of others not just self). They see more than the immediate & are committed to the whole vision.
Jesus was a perfect example of this. Just before he went to the cross he met with his disciples (those people that he done life with) & he washed their feet. No job was to low!
MOTHER – when goes shopping her attitude shouldn’t be just solely “what do I want!?” but a loving mother carries the burden of her whole family - looking to the ‘bigger picture’, thinking about the needs of others. Buying what the individuals like (husband, children), special brands or flavours of food, nappies, deodorant etc..)
If we are faithful in the little things, God can promote us to bigger things!
Luke 16v10 “He who is faithful in what is least will be faithful also in much, he who is unjust in least will be unjust also in much.”
Q.) God is asking you today what are you doing with what little or much you have?
Are you being faithful in what you currently possess?
If you are faithful in what you have now, God will give you more.
God’s watching not so he can have a moan, but to promote you!
When you’re faithful in the natural, God will give you more & it will overflow into your spiritual life.
If you are faithful to your pastors they will give you more responsibility & authority, because they know they can trust you.
If in business someone kept turning up late, do you think the boss will give them promotion. Or if that person is always talking when they should be working, do you think the boss will give them a pay rise?
Why should people think that God’s House is of less importance than a work place or business? Church should be the most valued place on earth; a place where we are enthusiastic about serving God & passionate about fulfilling God’s mission in the earth.
The Psalmist David, who God said was ‘a man after God’s own heart’ said “Zeal for God’s House has consumed me.”
We as a church carry the responsibility to:
REACH THE LOST
EQUIP THE BELIEVERS
BUILD NUMERICALLY LARGE SPIRITUALLY STRONG CHURCH that will INFLUENCE the city & beyond for the GLORY of GOD.
(You may want to insert your church/ministry’s Mission Statement here instead?)
Working together in unity we can achieve this!
Where there is unity, God commands the blessing. (Psalm 133v1-3)
Today decide to be committed to the vision, seek how you can help stimulate growth in the church or how we can lighten the load of work.
Start to look at the whole picture & see what others have to do as well as your own area.
A church can only grow as big as the extent of responsibility the people are willing to carry.
When people come in to our church & say “wow I felt so at home & welcome in this place!” That’s because of you, all of us share in the glory together. The compliment belongs to you!
Make an appeal to Pray for people (with song): impart vision, inspiration, reveal what God is calling you to do in helping build God’s House, unveil hidden talents, birth dreams & callings, and impart passion.
The Psalmist David said “Zeal for Your House has consumed me.” Give people servants heart.
