Issue #152, April 1, 2015
The fulfillment of the Great Commission rests squarely on the shoulders of leaders. Jesus commissioned His leaders with these words, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). 2000 years later the task is not complete and the harvest is ripe as never before. Jesus’ call is more urgent than ever and requires servant leaders to rise up, see the need for workers, equip workers and release them into the nations. In this issue, we’ll explore the role servant leaders fulfill in releasing workers for the harvest.
Servant leaders are willing to be workers in the harvest.
Servant leaders first of all recognize that God can use them in any location He chooses. They do not determine for themselves where they will serve. As they cry out to God in prayer for workers, and as they do all they can to identify and equip the workers under their care, they are also ready to be the workers they pray for. In some cases, this simply means greater levels of obedience in their current roles and areas of influence. In other cases, they will hear God’s call to move to another location and accept a different assignment. Servant leaders listen to the Lord of the harvest and say like Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).
Servant leaders are willing to release workers for the harvest.
Those who see their role as identifying and equipping workers for the harvest must also be willing to release workers if and when God calls them to move. A parent may be called to bless a child to live far away for the sake of the Great Commission. Pastors may need to release their best elder to a new location. Business owners may be called to release an excellent manager from their company to serve in another place where the light of Jesus is needed. It is not easy for any leader who has invested time and energy in the life of someone to see them move on. It requires the heart of a servant who is intent not on building his own kingdom, but that of the Father. Servant leaders find joy in knowing that God used them to help prepare and equip this person for the next assignment.
Servant leaders are willing to support workers in the harvest.
The work of the Great Commission requires resources. This may include training harvest workers to be self-supporting or it may include providing financial support for their work. Paul demonstrates both models of support in his church planting efforts. Leaders who focus all their energy on their own organization will not be willing to give resources to an ‘outside’ cause. But servant leaders are happy to support the work that God is doing in and through His workers. They freely and cheerfully give to support local initiatives in which God’s kingdom is extended and also eagerly give to workers who are reaching the 2 billion who have not yet heard. They do not see this giving as a drain on their own resources; instead they eagerly ask God to give them ideas and ways to increase their own ability to give. Pastors look for ways that they can increase the percentage of their budget to areas directly related to the Great Commission. Business leaders give generously as God blesses their work and sometimes begin a business with the sole intent of using the profit for the Great Commission. Professionals are careful to invest portions of their income into Great Commission work. In all these areas, a heart of service is reflected for those who have not yet known the love of Jesus.
Servant leaders do not live for their own dreams; they live to see the dream of Jesus fulfilled in their lifetime, to see disciples in every nation and among every people. May it be so!
For further reflection and discussion:
- Have you ever considered that God may call you to move to another location, another position, or a very different assignment from where you are currently? How would you know He is calling you and how would you respond?
- How would you feel if one of your key leaders told you they believed God is leading them to another place? What does this indicate about your level of passion for God’s work?
- In what ways do you already support the work of the Great Commission? Take a moment to ask God if there are additional ways you can reflect His heart for the nations?