Following The Leader
I remember as a child, playing the game “Follow the Leader.” Whoever was the leader, you had to do whatever they did. They raise their right hand; you raise your right. They jump; you jump. And so on. It was a fun game for what I remember. I was thinking today that serving Christ is actually like the game “Follow the Leader.” We are told to do what He did. The gospels show us what He said and what He did. We are called to do the same things (except for the miracles that only God can do).
With looking to start a new church, it would be overwhelming if it was on my shoulders. From the outside, looking in it appears to be on my shoulders. By building a group of people by talking with them and encouraging them to come to the Bible study. By getting money by talking with churches and pastors and encourage them that they can trust me with God’s money. It’s not on my small shoulders; it’s on the massive shoulders of Christ.
If you have asked me 5 years ago, “What would it take to start a new church?” I would have given an answer that was based on me. I would need to do this and that. I would need to formulate this plan or that plan. It would come from a business background and business mindset. I was trained in a church (good, bad, or indifferent) that taught and trained me with a mindset that we need to build the ministry. If a class wasn’t growing, we aren’t working hard enough. It was based on what we had to do or not do. It left you stressed out at times.
I’ve learned over the past 3 years through reading the Bible and walking with different ministry people that it has nothing to do with us; it’s everything to do with God. It’s what God wants us to do and say and go; not what we want to do or say or go. Once I read Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”) it felt like chains were taken off of me. Every work we do, we don’t do it. God does it through us. I say this a lot, and it’s very applicable, “We are the work gloves and God is the hand.”
The work glove illustration is taken from a Bill Hybels’ book. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, we are just empty gloves lying on the table. Empty gloves can’t pick up anything or go anywhere. It’s not until the Holy Spirit fills us that we are useable. It’s not until I put my gloves on that the gloves can pick up a screwdriver and use it. We are dependent on God to do anything that is of any type of Kingdom work.
I use the “Follow the Leader” game as a way to show people that we need to do and go what and where we feel God is showing us to do and go through His Spirit. Rick Warren calls it riding the wave God created. Just follow the lead of the One who saved you. The task He has placed in your life has already been completed by Him. Just follow His lead to the end of the task. It’s about bringing glory to God and His kingdom. It’s not about making a name for ourselves.
I remember as a child, playing the game “Follow the Leader.” Whoever was the leader, you had to do whatever they did. They raise their right hand; you raise your right. They jump; you jump. And so on. It was a fun game for what I remember. I was thinking today that serving Christ is actually like the game “Follow the Leader.” We are told to do what He did. The gospels show us what He said and what He did. We are called to do the same things (except for the miracles that only God can do).
With looking to start a new church, it would be overwhelming if it was on my shoulders. From the outside, looking in it appears to be on my shoulders. By building a group of people by talking with them and encouraging them to come to the Bible study. By getting money by talking with churches and pastors and encourage them that they can trust me with God’s money. It’s not on my small shoulders; it’s on the massive shoulders of Christ.
If you have asked me 5 years ago, “What would it take to start a new church?” I would have given an answer that was based on me. I would need to do this and that. I would need to formulate this plan or that plan. It would come from a business background and business mindset. I was trained in a church (good, bad, or indifferent) that taught and trained me with a mindset that we need to build the ministry. If a class wasn’t growing, we aren’t working hard enough. It was based on what we had to do or not do. It left you stressed out at times.
I’ve learned over the past 3 years through reading the Bible and walking with different ministry people that it has nothing to do with us; it’s everything to do with God. It’s what God wants us to do and say and go; not what we want to do or say or go. Once I read Ephesians 2:10 (“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”) it felt like chains were taken off of me. Every work we do, we don’t do it. God does it through us. I say this a lot, and it’s very applicable, “We are the work gloves and God is the hand.”
The work glove illustration is taken from a Bill Hybels’ book. Without the working of the Holy Spirit, we are just empty gloves lying on the table. Empty gloves can’t pick up anything or go anywhere. It’s not until the Holy Spirit fills us that we are useable. It’s not until I put my gloves on that the gloves can pick up a screwdriver and use it. We are dependent on God to do anything that is of any type of Kingdom work.
I use the “Follow the Leader” game as a way to show people that we need to do and go what and where we feel God is showing us to do and go through His Spirit. Rick Warren calls it riding the wave God created. Just follow the lead of the One who saved you. The task He has placed in your life has already been completed by Him. Just follow His lead to the end of the task. It’s about bringing glory to God and His kingdom. It’s not about making a name for ourselves.
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