CATEGORIES OF LEADERS AND FOLLOWERS
Posted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye on Monday, October 5, 2009
Under: OCTOBER 2009
Bible in One Year:
Monday, October 5, 2009
(Lk 1 - Lk 3)
Memorise: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1)
Read: Jeremiah 23:1-4
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
Today, many people are heading where they do not know. In Matthew 15:14, our Lord Jesus Christ talks of the blind leading the blind. That means, just as there are blind leaders, so also there are blind followers. When you consider leaders and followers, these categories are possible: the blind leads the blind, them blind leads the seeing, the seeing leads the blind, the seeing leads the seeing. When the blind leads the blind, the result could be catastrophic for both parties. A blind leader cannot see the pits or dangers on the way in order to both warn himself and those he is leading. A church whose pastor cannot see spiritually, will find it difficult to stay out of trouble. Jesus says they will both fall into the ditch. If you are not born again, and you are leading those who are also not born again, you are treading on a dangerous path. You are heading for destruction! Repent and receive Jesus today. All false religions fall into this class. If your leaders are leading you astray or to an unknown destination, run for your life. Are you playing religion? Keeping religious rites and doctrines cannot save the religious. Until you receive Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour, you will remain blind.
When the blind leads the seeing, confusion, disagreements and strife may result. It is a shame for the leader to be blind while his members are able to see. Yet this category is better than the first, at least, they would be able to know when their leader is misleading them. As a pastor, if you lack the gifts of the Spirit or your spiritual eyes are not open, cry to God. A pastor who cannot see spiritually may heavily depend on those who can see. This erodes the power base of the leader and makes him only a figure head, while his subordinate or member becomes the true power broker. If your pastor is in that category, pray for him. Also, the third category is the seeing leading the blind. This is very ideal. The role of a leader or pastor is justified, when he is able to see things before they happen, and warn his people accordingly. Such a church will run and not crawl. Lastly, the seeing leads the seeing. This is the ideal church where both the pastor and members of the congregation will be kept on their toes. The congregation will be a check on the activities of the leader and vice versa. For instance, if the pastor is about to sin, God will reveal it to someone in the church and he will be warned. Ask God to take you and your parish to this level.
ACTION POINT:
The one who leads you will determine where you end. Pray for visionary and spiritually discerning leaders in the Body of Christ.
Monday, October 5, 2009
(Lk 1 - Lk 3)
Memorise: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor 11:1)
Read: Jeremiah 23:1-4
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
Today, many people are heading where they do not know. In Matthew 15:14, our Lord Jesus Christ talks of the blind leading the blind. That means, just as there are blind leaders, so also there are blind followers. When you consider leaders and followers, these categories are possible: the blind leads the blind, them blind leads the seeing, the seeing leads the blind, the seeing leads the seeing. When the blind leads the blind, the result could be catastrophic for both parties. A blind leader cannot see the pits or dangers on the way in order to both warn himself and those he is leading. A church whose pastor cannot see spiritually, will find it difficult to stay out of trouble. Jesus says they will both fall into the ditch. If you are not born again, and you are leading those who are also not born again, you are treading on a dangerous path. You are heading for destruction! Repent and receive Jesus today. All false religions fall into this class. If your leaders are leading you astray or to an unknown destination, run for your life. Are you playing religion? Keeping religious rites and doctrines cannot save the religious. Until you receive Jesus as Lord and personal Saviour, you will remain blind.
When the blind leads the seeing, confusion, disagreements and strife may result. It is a shame for the leader to be blind while his members are able to see. Yet this category is better than the first, at least, they would be able to know when their leader is misleading them. As a pastor, if you lack the gifts of the Spirit or your spiritual eyes are not open, cry to God. A pastor who cannot see spiritually may heavily depend on those who can see. This erodes the power base of the leader and makes him only a figure head, while his subordinate or member becomes the true power broker. If your pastor is in that category, pray for him. Also, the third category is the seeing leading the blind. This is very ideal. The role of a leader or pastor is justified, when he is able to see things before they happen, and warn his people accordingly. Such a church will run and not crawl. Lastly, the seeing leads the seeing. This is the ideal church where both the pastor and members of the congregation will be kept on their toes. The congregation will be a check on the activities of the leader and vice versa. For instance, if the pastor is about to sin, God will reveal it to someone in the church and he will be warned. Ask God to take you and your parish to this level.
ACTION POINT:
The one who leads you will determine where you end. Pray for visionary and spiritually discerning leaders in the Body of Christ.
In : OCTOBER 2009
Tags: categories of leaders and followers
Fondly known as G.O or Daddy G.O, Pastor Adeboye became the General Overseer (G.O) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in 1981. Sheer curiosity and the search for a solution to a personal problem led Pastor Adeboye to worship at RCCG – Ebute-Metta in 1973. It was a most unlikely place of worship for a professor of Mathematics as the church had very few educated people and it lacked the comfort and grandeur of the Orthodox churches.
His desire to reach the ends of the earth is captured in this statement, “I would love to have a breakthrough to such a height that I can lend to nations and preach on every television and radio station at least one hour per day.”
