Chosen Leaders Get The Job Done: God's Way!
2020 jacked up our world!!! Normal was turned upside down as a result of the man-made pandemic, the economy shut-down, the race wars, and the radical agenda to take over our government.
Face it! We ain't in Kansas anymore Dorothy.
Leadership is the answer to all of our problems. We can spend our days complaining about our situation or we can get busy doing something about it.
Complaints typically kill the move of God but the early church made good use of their problems in Acts 6. They overcame a serious complaint between, the Greek-speaking Jews and the Hebrew-speaking Jews by appointing seven strong leaders. The solution for neglected widows was so good it was never talked about again.
You can't beat the work of the Holy Spirit because when God fixes something it's fixed!
What if we decided to handle all of our problems the same way?
Pray about it until we have direction from God
Seek Godly counsel
Empower Godly leaders to get the job done
Early Church Leaders Were Chosen
In Acts 6:5 it says they chose seven men. This was not random or politically driven. The selection process was based on the character of the new servant leaders. They were chosen to serve tables. Serving tables involved distributing money to the poor widows. The chosen were called upon to make sure that all of the widows in the community were getting equal shares of the offering.
These seven men were the first leaders that were not chosen directly by Jesus. They were chosen by the group. They became the first leaders/deacons to serve the early church.
The twelve disciples recognized that leadership is everything. They quickly realized leadership is the key to meeting needs, solving problems, and expanding the kingdom.
What we need right now is leadership, biblical, God-centered leadership. Leadership is the answer to our problems today. We cannot underestimate how important it is that God would call upon people to carry His move in this hour as well as back then.
The Qualifications for Chosen Leaders
1. Honesty
2. Wisdom
3. Full of the Holy Spirit
Think about those three simple qualities. They are powerful qualities.
Honesty: calls you to live a pure life
Wisdom: calls you to fear the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom
Filled with the Spirit: calls you to operate in the power of God
Why did Jesus say, "Many are called, but few are chosen"?
In Matthew 20:16 and 22:14, Jesus repeats the same statement to conclude two parables.
These are not silly stories he told to be relevant. The parables contain the keys to eternal life. Many were called-invited to a wedding feast, but the people on the first guest list did not show up. They had more important things to do. They did not take it seriously. They said they would but did not. The first-round of invited guests quickly became uninvited.
Think about how God's people are responding right now? I'm not talking about the world. I am talking about those who say they have responded to the call for salvation. Saved-born-again people are either:
Running toward God with all of their hearts
They are pushing God out and making some-thing their "go-to" right now
Jesus said there are two different groups of people.
The called: they received the invitation, said they were coming to the wedding but didn't show up
The chosen: they received the invitation, they were excited and honored to be invited, invested in new garments, and showed up at the wedding ready to party (my interpretation of matthew 22).
It's time for us to stop playing church. The days of living lukewarm are over.
There is a great separation happening between the called and the chosen.
The chosen have a motivation that you cannot kill. Their passion defies their risk of failure.
No matter how much you attempt to oppress the chosen they will continue to rise.
The chosen know that they have a purpose. They know that this purpose is much greater than their own personal fulfillment.
The chosen are those who are found worthy of the calling.
The worthiness is based on their willingness. They were willing to be obedient to the calling. They did not make a million excuses. They rolled up their sleeves and joined the move of God.
The chosen have an unshakable identity. They know who they are. They know they are sons and daughters. This comes from a deep connection in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The difference between a called Christian and a chosen Christian.
My daughter, Andelyn, said this to me the other day when we were talking about selecting a mate:
"I didn't realize the significance of being fully equally yolked until I dated someone who was raised by traditional, Southern Christians. I thought if you believed in God it was the same. He was raised by good Christians to live a good life as a good person with a good job. There is nothing wrong with that, but I was raised by Spirit-filled Christians who challenged me to change the world and use my spiritual gifting for the kingdom. This had a major impact on how we made decisions. He was trying to be good. I was trying to change the world."
I propose to you that there is a big difference between the called and the chosen.
The chosen CHOSE to obey God the call no matter the cost.
The called have chosen to do only those things that give them personal satisfaction.
You do not have to motivate the chosen to fulfill purpose they are already doing it. The chosen have a frequency that they operate on. Their passion defies the risk of failure. They brave hard times and courageously do the hard things.
The chosen have made choices over and over to fulfill the call on their lives.
My Personal Calling
I want to share something personal with you to share how I got to this place in my life.
My experience being called as a young man.
I suffered from severe abuse as a boy. My dad was a very angry man who would come home from his long truck driving trips and drink until his sorrows turned into fits of rage.
There was no escape when my dad was mad.
But Jesus poured out His loving presence on me when I was twelve years old.
I walked forward at a church service in a little Baptist church. I sat and I listened during this church service and I listened to what I could not understand, but I could feel. I felt the love of God, and that was the first time I had ever encountered love before.
After that day, I fell in love with the Bible. I read the Bible, went to every service I could, and wanted to serve God the rest of my life. I would sit at the top of the stairs on many nights praying for my dad to be saved while I listened to him threaten my mother. But how was I going to make it out of my family prison?
One day my teacher and football coach came and got me out of class. They told me about a man who lived in the community who knew my situtaiton and was willing to give me a place to live named Wilson Crump.
I said goodbye to my mother at her job at the grocery store. She was happy for me and wished me well. I packed a bag and went to Mr. Wilson's house. He told me in the living room of his giant white house that God called him to "look after me." I was a teenager who had no idea what that meant, but God answered my prayers.
It turns out that he became like a father to me. He loved me and I loved him. I was delivered by God through Wilson. He was the best man at my wedding. I have named my only son after him. Right before he passed, I told him he was the only father I ever knew and he told me he was proud to call me his son.
So whenever people ask me why I do what I do it is because I saw the Father's love. I wanted to tell the whole world what God had done for me.
I have known for a long time I was chosen. There have been times in my life where I have tried to wipe that tattoo off of my heart.
But it is in those moments when you feel the most disqualified like a disappointment to God that He wants you to know your position as a son and daughter.
This passage of scripture is for the chosen in Romans 8:28-31:
"And we know that all things that work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
God showed me that we are in a season of preparation for a great harvest. It is the chosen that are called to the harvest.
When you are armed with the love of the Father you know how to fight for those who are in bondage.
God is gathering the chosen to empower them to bring in the harvest.
Are you called or chosen?
Are you running toward God with all of your heart or are you turning away from Him?
Don't wait.
Respond today if you need to restore your relationship with God.
Lord forgive me for running away from you and filling my life with substitutes.
I choose today to return to You, Lord.
I ask for you to totally and radically change my life.
I choose to follow my calling and purpose today.