TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER
What do you look for when you’re looking for a leader, and what does the bible say about it all?
I don’t believe in aliens, but if they did exist, I think the first thing they would say once they landed on the earth would probably be, just like in the movies,” Take me to your leader.” Most of the time people know who the leaders are in a church, they are usually the ones imitating Jesus, serving, witnessing and giving. In the book of Acts chapter 6 verses 3-7, the disciples were looking for leaders to take care of the physical needs of the people, they needed someone to feed the poor and to wait on tables, to be waiters or what we call ushers in the church. The reason they were looking for men to wait on tables and to distribute food was because the disciples were spending so much time waiting tables that they did not have time to study the word. One of the things I noticed about the disciples is that they did not consider themselves to be superior or big shots; these men were true servant leaders.
The disciples were not always like that, at one time they were arguing about who was the greatest and who would sit in the highest seat or the place of honor in heaven. They got the servant mentality from Jesus, he washed the disciples feet, he was a servant leader and he trained them well. If you didn’t say anything and just told your kids to imitate my actions, would they become servant leaders like Jesus or Pharisees with an ego the size of Texas? The religious leaders of the day frowned upon the idea of being a servant, they were so full of pride that they would not dare be seen bowing their knees or their hearts, when Jesus washed the disciples feet there was probably total silence in that room. They were probably thinking, this is so beneath his station in life, how degrading. True men of God don’t think that way, and they have a different spirit, one of humility. The spirit of humility is a mentality that is caught and not just taught.
A good leader will demonstrate it; true disciples imitate their leaders. A leader can teach humility all day long, but if he demonstrates pride, that old demon will dominate his students and run around without restraint, vexing everybody it comes into contact with. Let’s see what kind of leader the disciples looked for in their own words.
Acts 6:3 (HCSB)
3 Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
1. They looked for men full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom. They wanted people who were anointed and who knew how to work well with people. Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge effectively. That ability comes as an overflow of the anointing, meditating on the word, and being a doer of the word. Doers become wise. Knowledge is gained through learning, and wisdom is gained through doing. Solomon was that kind of man, and he was a doer. I think Christians forget that being a Christian is being an imitator of Christ, not just a listener.
Acts 6:5-6 (HCSB)
5 The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselytefrom Antioch.
6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
2. They took the same care to chose men to serve tables as they did to chose ministers, why? Because everyone in the body is a minister. A fivefold minister, the apostle, pastor, prophet, teacher, and evangelist, is just a minister anointed to train the other ministers in the church. When we get saved, we get a ministry and a calling. The Bible puts particular emphasis on the fact that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. The man was plain anointed, but he was not a fivefold minister. If you have faith, you can flow in the gifts of the Spirit. God is no respecter of persons.
Acts 6:7-8 (HCSB)
7 So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
3. Lastly, when there is ministerial balance in a church, the preachers are in the word and praying, the people are getting fed, they start getting in the word, and they start flowing in power, then the church will begin to flourish. Even the priests were getting saved. The power of the Holy Ghost can break through anything, even religion, and even religious people are getting saved. When that happens, you know you’re having a revival. In verse 8, the bible says Stephen was full of grace and power; the word grace means divine ability, which means that the Holy Ghost was working through him. Stephen was basically an usher, yet he was moving in signs and wonders. Powerful. As for all you people who keep saying signs and wonders were only for the twelve Apostles, I think God put Stephen in the book to bust your doctrinal bubble. He was a mighty usher!! God can use nursery workers, prayer warriors, and greeters; wherever you’re serving, you need to expect an outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Now go out expecting a miracle!
