"It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day.
Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel."
(Proverbs 24:5-6)
Jesus, Oh Jesus, how I love that name, dearest to my soul, what a wonderful name Jesus. This morning, i feel the power of the Spirit all over me. I could sense from a mile that God is up to something in your life. Jesus is no ordinary man, he not only had a mission, he was the mission and he knew exactly how to achieve it but while achieving it, he left us a road map to follow, so that we will forever rout amazing fits of glory everywhere in the world.
I need you to stand up and shout with a loud voice and say "I am winner, I cannot fail, I cannot be defeated, I've got Christ in me, Oh Halleluyah!". Didn't you felt something already rising in the inside of you. Oh Halleluyah!!. Jesus is the Master Strategist. He knows what button to push to get that result out. The Bible is filled with God's Strategies, every single page, every single verse, every single chapter in the Bible are all filled with God's Strategies. Where Wisdom is at work, a strategy is been deployed. Oh Halleluyah! I need you to write this phrase down "Where Wisdom is at work, a strategy is been deployed". So therefore, every time, I hear the scriptures talking about the wisdom of God, what I see is a strategy that baffles my imagination been deployed. "The God Strategy" - That's a book am currently working on, but am not letting you into the whole gist until the book is released.
Let's take a ride thru the scriptures by the Spirit and watch some amazing strategies that Jesus Used in building a team that will forever change the world and how we perceive things forever.
Jesus wasn't the first person with disciples, The Pharisees had disciples, John the Baptist had disciples and i strongly believe that when Jesus showed up on the scene and started building a team, the then world would looked at him as an antagonist to the trend. He was different, His method, His Message, He way of Communication, His Choice of Words was different. A strategic team builder has got to be a man so distinct and unique on purpose, every action, every word, everything you do should be on purpose. Today am going to show you the face of a strategic team builder in Christ.
1.PRAYER BEFORE CHOOSING
Jesus was like no other before Him and we are made to be like Him in His Glory. He stepped into the field in power after the 40 days and nights of fasting and prayer. His entire being was lit with power, then, upon then before He began to choose who were to be a part of His team. I think while He was praying, He might have prayed "Father lead me to them, those, whom you have chosen before time to walk with me that the scriptures might be fulfilled, Amen" I believe He might have sat down on the rocks on a cold Tuesday night trying to see a vision of their faces and maybe saw nothing but the scriptures that were written about him.
"Awake, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!”
declares the Lord Almighty. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones." (Zachariah 13:7).
I believe He saw it and knodded "Wow! a time is coming for this "...Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered...". I could be pretty sure, He was basking in glory, swimming in revealed truths about his mission from prophecies spoken about him. He was there, refusing to leave, from day 1 until it's day 30, yet he wouldn't stop, he continued until the he got the blue print and that was it, by the time he got it, it was already 40 days and nights.
Hey! i need you to stand up and say "I'm not leaving the presence, until i got it" Now that's the key before stepping out into your mission, God mission today in your life.
Never underestimate the power of prayer and fasting in ministry, Jesus did it. Am not saying go and do 40 days and 40 nights, No! what am saying is, let His Presence be the force that kick start your Acts. Whatever you do, do it from His Presence.
Whatever might have happened in those forty days and forty nights has got something to do with his mission been fulfilled successfully. Before Jesus chose his disciples, He prayed, the scriptures declares
"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them,
whom he also designated apostles:" (Luke 6:12-13).
Jesus Prayed before he called his disciples.(Luke 6:12-13); Moses prayed before he chose the 70 elders (Numbers 11:10-17). David Chose his musicians and assigned them their duties by asking the Lord what he wanted. ( 1 Chronicles 25:7-8). Prayer before choosing your team members is a must have.
2. CLARITY OF PURPOSE
"Then Jesus went up a hill and called to himself the men he wanted,
they came to him and chose twelve, whom he name apostles. 'I have chosen you to be with me'
he told them, i will also send you out to preach and you will have authority to drive out demons"
(Mark 3:13).
NOTICE: "...Jesus went up a HILL and called to himself the men HE WANTED..." (Mark 3:13). He went up a hill, he wasn't sitting in the crowd, he wasn't chatting up with the crowd. No! He went up a hill, then he called to himself the men HE WANTED, not the men available, not the men present but the men HE WANTED. If the men he wanted were available then he would call them, if they weren't available, he would go out there and look for them. they were not just random men in the crowd, No! they were peculiar, they were geared into fulfilling his mission, they had something that he wanted.
What could be the one thing Jesus wanted, that he chose them, these 12 disciples on purpose. He could have chose anyone but he called the men he wanted. Most of Jesus disciples had something in common, a careful look at them, we will see that
They had A SKILL (...For they were fishermen..Matthew 4:18-19),
They were FAMILY MINDED (...He saw two brothers Simon and Andrew.... He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John... Matthew 4:18, 21).
They had the SAME EXPERIENCE (...Finding Philip, he said follow me, Philip like Andrew and Peter were from the town of Bethsaida. John 1:43-44)
They were CURIOUS MINDED (Nathaniel was curious "....Can anything good come from Nazareth...",-John 1:44-46);
They were EAGER TO LEARN ( His disciples said "Lord! teach us to pray... Luke 11:1)
3. AFFIRM THE CONFIDENCE OF YOUR TEAM WITH THE MISSION.
"... I have chosen you to be with me' he told them, i will also send you out to preach ..." (Mark 3:13)
Affirmation of confidence by a sense of belonging, let your team know, that they were chosen on purpose for a reason. Jesus did exactly that by saying ' "... I have chosen you to be with me...", making them know that they were important and significant. Then he went further to drive it down by showing them them the mission and their role in it locks it down.
5. ASSIGN AUTHORITY TO YOUR TEAM TO FUNCTION
Never leave your team starving of authority to function in their capacity or role. Jesus gave them authority to cast out devils as they went out preaching the gospel. What authority do you give your team to tackle obstacles along the way of them performing their duties.
I believe these 5 keys will open up a new door to you today, as you choose your team for the work of the kingdom. Oh Halleluyah.
