What grows a church, reaches cities, makes disciples, and fulfills the Great Commission? Good leadership or the blessing and favor of God?Honestly… both.
You’ve never seen a move of God without a man of God. That doesn’t mean that God is dependent upon us to accomplish His purposes. But it’s evident that people are His chosen means of fulfilling it. And in the same breath, let me be quick to add that we, however, are dependent on Him.
Others have said it more succinctly, “We can’t do it without God, but He won’t do it without us.”
If I disqualify myself as a leader, God will raise up a new leader. Though, like Moses, I won’t get to see all God would have had for my leadership had I been obedient to Him.
I believe God’s favor and blessing is like the wind, a la John 3. “The Wind” is always blowing – always working, always moving.
And I believe good, God-centered leadership is like sails on a frigate ship. Without the wind, the ship sits still. Some frigates have more “sail” than actual boat – because ship-masters learned quickly that if they can take advantage of as much power the wind has to offer, they could move a large ship really far, really fast.
I believe God wants to bless every church. I do not believe that He decides to pour His favor out on some ministries and not others. I do not believe He looks at some churches and thinks, “That one could die. I wouldn’t care.” And I don’t believe that God is holding back revival – I believe that we hold back revival. The question is not “is the wind blowing” the question is, are we doing everything possible to catch it’s power? In other words we have an attitude that says, “God I cannot control Your Spirit, but I do believe that You want to bless Your church more than I do! So help us take advantage of what You are trying to do.”
And God’s “blessing” of a church may look very different from one place to the next, or one leader to the next. In the story of the talents, Jesus described three men who all received a different amount of revenue to manage. But they all got something and they were all held responsible for what they did with it! No one was left empty handed by their master, though one ended up losing what he had due to poor management (read “leadership”). And ironically, what that third servant had taken from him was given to the servant who was already properly managing the most.
The God-element is a given. God is moving. He wants to bless. He wants the lost to be found, and for people far from Him to fully experience life in Christ. The question is – are we putting up as many sails as possible? Are we leading our churches to catch The Wind?
Or are we burning the sails and blaming the wind for the fact that our churches haven’t moved?
May God raise up more leaders who will construct huge sails to catch the wind of His power and favor – and may many, many generations come to worship Him as they see Him moving mightily.
And yet… may we never forget, that the power to move a great ship comes from The Wind, not the sail.
And yet… may we never forget, that the power to move a great ship comes from The Wind, not the sail.
Blessings,
Pastor John
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