A Word about Multiplying Leaders

 

Today I want to share a word about multiplying leaders, as I comment on 1 Kings 19: 15 & 16 and 19-21. This passage reads:

Then the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you." Then Elijah said to him, "Go back again; for what have I done to you? “ He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant. 

One reality that I often remind church members about is the fact that the church is only one generation away from extinction. Until that day when our Lord returns for us, all of us in the church will sooner or later face death. No one lives forever on this earth, and since local churches consist of people who will pass away, our congregations must have new blood to be able to continue to exist and minister for the cause of Christ. A church that does not replace those who have passed on will soon pass on itself. The same is true about the leadership of God’s people. Leaders also have to be replaced, and that is the focus of our Bible passage for today.

Elijah was an anointed man of God whom He used to confront the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah was a powerful preacher, and he was used of God in mighty ways, but God knew that Elijah’s time of ministry on earth was finite. In fact, God had plans to bring Elijah home to heaven sooner, rather than later. Thus, God directed Elijah to call Elisha to be his apprentice, and he did so. We can learn some lessons from his obedience in this matter.

The Importance of Obedience:

First, we need to understand just how important obedience is to God. We know that God is love, and that He is gracious, but we also must remember that He is the Sovereign Lord. He deserves to be obeyed, and He requires obedience from His people. Samuel rebuked Saul’s disobedience by telling him that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft” and Jesus told us, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” 

We cannot know what would have happened had Elijah disobeyed God, but we do know what happened when the northern kingdom of Israel disobeyed God: they were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and they disappeared into the mists of time, never to be a nation again. Last week we saw that Moses disobeyed God and struck the rock instead of speaking to it, and as a result he was banned from the Promised Land. We need to determine in our hearts to obey our Lord and ask the for the Spirit’s help to do just that.

The Importance of a Clear Vision:

Second, we need to embrace God’s vision for our service to Him instead of our own. Yes, we must have a sense of ownership in our ministries, but our ownership must be from the perspective of a steward, not from the perspective of the master, for we are not. We are not the masters of our fate, and all that we have has been given to us by the grace of God. 

We need to remember that no one is irreplaceable, and indeed, one day we all will be replaced. We must not cling to the imaginary power we think we have, nor should we worry about our legacy here on earth. The only one we need to please, in the end, is God, and the way we do that is to embrace His vision, not ours. Peter found out this truth when he tried to rebuke Jesus but instead, he was the one brought up short and compared to Satan! We must hold the reins of our ministry firmly, but also willingly and graciously relinquish those reins when God calls another to take them.

The Importance of Multiplication:

Finally, we must intentionally multiply ourselves through investing in others, which is exactly what Paul taught Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” 

Sometimes these leaders will rise to the top and are apparent for all to see, like Joshua and Caleb were for Moses, and Timothy and Titus were for Paul. Other times, we have to seek them out, the way that Samuel had to seek out David. In our example today, God told Elijah to seek out Elisha, and He will do the same thing for us today. If we seek wisdom from God, He will provide it, and we certainly need to exercise great wisdom in the multiplication of leaders. 

Elijah and Elisha are Good Role Models:

Regardless of the details, we must make the effort to find the people whom God will use to lead the church when we are long gone. And remember, none of us will live forever. 

We need to be like Elijah and be sensitive to God’s leading. We also need to be like Elijah and obey God when He does lead us. Finally, when the mantle is passed, it must to be received with whole-hearted obedience, which is something we will look at the next time we get together.

Every blessing, 

Dr. Otis Corbitt