Of Lambs and Legacies
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:48 am
It is a privilege to work among pastors and leaders in a global context. It is a faith assuring experience to see that God really can pull of unity within diversity when His Spirit has the lead. The scene in Revelation 4 where the worshipping community is made up of every tribe, tongue, people and nation I have seen in microcosm. I cannot wait to see it in heaven.
The flipside of the experience in this context is a front row seat to the universal tendencies of unbiblical leadership. Power plays, authority resting on position instead of spiritual authenticity, the building of individual kingdoms - these aberrations are everywhere. Leaders are worried about building their legacies through organizations or structures or real estate or sometimes family inheritances.
According to this day's reading, they should stop building legacies and start breeding lambs!
The critical component of "leading is breeding" cannot be overstated. The biblical account of Acts shows the apostles engaged in the new covenant version of flock-building. Peter, Paul and the others not only evangelized but they nourished the new flocks until indigenous leaders could be raised up and entrusted with ensuring that healthy reproduction continued. In this light Paul's epistles might be viewed as how to correct wrong breeding practices or the effects of ineffective or wrong flock oversight.
The gospel has a creative, reproducing power all its own. Colossians 1:6 uses a word which describes this inherent divine power which was spreading everywhere. Just as Jacob's success in multiplying his sheep was not in his skills as a shepherd so our "success" in building God's gospel flock does not rest upon our skills. It does rest upon our faith and obedience.
I remember tripping over a verse which checked my end game. It brought home the end results that Jesus was looking for in His instructions to Peter about feeding and tending, in His words trhough Paul to the Colossians. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 reads, "For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy!"
Let's set aside legacy building and start lamb breeding. Even better, let us ponder the reality that lambs are our lasting legacy.
The flipside of the experience in this context is a front row seat to the universal tendencies of unbiblical leadership. Power plays, authority resting on position instead of spiritual authenticity, the building of individual kingdoms - these aberrations are everywhere. Leaders are worried about building their legacies through organizations or structures or real estate or sometimes family inheritances.
According to this day's reading, they should stop building legacies and start breeding lambs!
The critical component of "leading is breeding" cannot be overstated. The biblical account of Acts shows the apostles engaged in the new covenant version of flock-building. Peter, Paul and the others not only evangelized but they nourished the new flocks until indigenous leaders could be raised up and entrusted with ensuring that healthy reproduction continued. In this light Paul's epistles might be viewed as how to correct wrong breeding practices or the effects of ineffective or wrong flock oversight.
The gospel has a creative, reproducing power all its own. Colossians 1:6 uses a word which describes this inherent divine power which was spreading everywhere. Just as Jacob's success in multiplying his sheep was not in his skills as a shepherd so our "success" in building God's gospel flock does not rest upon our skills. It does rest upon our faith and obedience.
I remember tripping over a verse which checked my end game. It brought home the end results that Jesus was looking for in His instructions to Peter about feeding and tending, in His words trhough Paul to the Colossians. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 reads, "For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy!"
Let's set aside legacy building and start lamb breeding. Even better, let us ponder the reality that lambs are our lasting legacy.