How Jesus recruited leaders

If you’re committed to fueling church planting movements it won’t take you long to discover the greatest challenge is to find and grow the right kind of leaders.

Bobby Clinton, in his commentary on John’s Gospel, states three principals regarding how Jesus was intentional about selecting and recruiting potential leaders for his movement.

Clinton writes:

1. Recruitment refers to the deliberate effort to challenge potential leaders and to engage them in on-going ministry so that they will develop as leaders and move toward the accomplishment of God’s destiny for their lives.

2. Jesus recruited from the fringes, in terms of leaders who could be shaped, and not from the current religious leadership which had very fixed paradigms.

3. it is important to note that Jesus demonstrated power ministry as part of his recruiting technique. You must be able to move with power as you challenge people.

Number three has got me thinking.

HT: undertheiceberg

By: Steve | 05/30/06 | 4. Rapid mobilization - Church planting movements | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

5 Responses to “How Jesus recruited leaders” »»

Pete Aldin

Comment by Pete Aldin | 05/30/06 at 9:16 am

Thanks Steve, it’s a helpful start for us. I think number 3 is the one that keeps God involved; ie., I could do the other two without him, but 3 is entirely dependent on Him and on the Planter-Apostle’s absolute surrender to Him. Darn it, I thought I could get away with not surrendering!
Tim O’Neill

Comment by Tim O’Neill | 05/30/06 at 9:46 pm

Hi Steve
I agree entirely with your (point 3) comment about the necessity of moving with power.

Paul says:

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power” 1 Cor 4:20.

What I find interesting is that many bible colleges seem to teach evangelism by focusing on the Acts 17 Mars Hill episode. The fruit of this encounter was that a few believed (note – a few), others ridiculed Paul, whilst still others wanted to do café church and talk more about it.

Paul’s response was to leave.
Paul of course left Mars Hill and went to Corinth. There is no further reference to Athens in the New Testament or to a church being established there. His method was brilliant, yet surely Mars Hill is one of the least fruitful episodes in his ministry. Why then do we tend to emphasise this method as perhaps the primary way to engage Gen x, who probably aren’t that different to the epicurean scholars Paul was debating with. (the other scholars, the Stoics surely resemble our Greens.)

Read what Paul writes to the Corinthians. In chapter 1 he makes it clear that great wisdom and clever speeches aren’t enough to save the day. Instead, in chapter 2:4 and 5 he says:

...My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.

The word used for power is of course dunamis with the Holy Spirit / miraculous connotation.

In fact in 2 Timothy 3:5 Paul warns us against engaging with those who have a form of godliness but deny the Spirit’s power. Paul warns us not to settle for powerless religion when we can have the power to be world changers who bring glory to God.

When we understand the power that is available to us and walk in that power, perhaps we will be like the early disciples who went out and preached everywhere. Mark 16::20 tells us that the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs and wonders that accompanied it.

Now, that’s power ministry, and that’s what we are called to walk in.

Tim O’Neill
Michael Foster

Comment by Michael Foster | 05/31/06 at 12:17 am

Steve,

Thanks for the quote. I’m currently recruiting a leadership core for my church plant and this is the very thing thats been on my heart. #2 has really got me thinking.
Sean Michael Murphy

Comment by Sean Michael Murphy | 05/31/06 at 3:35 am

I couldn’t agree with Pete more. People would rather focus on the stuff that they can do….and this depending on God things gets kind of messy…
Guy Muse

Comment by Guy Muse | 05/31/06 at 10:32 am

Most of our church planters here in Ecuador come from the #2 fringes. They have been undervalued or overlooked by their own traditional churches. Once they are “empowered” and understand their authority for ministry comes directly from Christ, they are DYNAMITE. A lot of our work as church planting catalysts is to “perfect the saints for the work of service”. Much of what I do as a missionary is help shape these beautiful people into all that God intends them to be in his harvest fields.

» How Jesus recruited leaders

How Jesus recruited leaders

5 Responses to “How Jesus recruited leaders” »»

Leave a Reply »»


	Web SteveAddison.net