Matthew 9:35,36 – “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.”
In yesterday’s OYB reading Jesus taught about putting new wine into new wineskins. Wine represents the Holy Spirit in scripture and new wineskins would represent different vehicles the Holy Spirit uses in different eras to accomplish God’s purposes in the earth. The current “wineskin” of the American church is taking its toll on spiritual leaders and the damage on marriages, families and churches requires a deep dive into the way we do things in the West. The implosion of a leader’s life is complex and the issues are varied but I want to focus briefly on church structure.
The vast majority of churches are led by a single leader who is expected to do a myriad of tasks, most of which are unrelated to that leader’s calling and gifting. The expectations of a congregation on that solo leader are often unrealistic and in no way can be met. When a leader stretches beyond their gifting to accommodate the desires of the people, exhaustion and burnout are on the horizon.
The two verses I’ve chosen in today’s OYB reading highlight the ministry focus of Jesus. His ministry in this passage has four key components:
1. Teaching (in the synagogue)
2. Preaching (the gospel of the kingdom in cities and villages)
3. Healing (among the people in cities and villages)
4. Compassion (upon the multitudes in cities and villages)
I believe the “new wineskin” for this era in church history in America is a biblically functioning Apostolic Center with a plurality of five-fold ministry leaders (rather than a solo leader) equipping the people in the church (Ephesians 4:11,12) to do the work of ministry. Here is what it looks like according to Matthew chapters 9 and 10:
Faith is the currency (9:2,22,29)
Prayer is the fuel (9:38)
The harvest is the target (9:38)
Power is the method (10:1-8)
Sending out is the norm (10:5)
The kingdom is the message (10:7)
If you are in a church, please pray for your leader. I purposefully did not refer to him or her as pastor because their gifting may be teacher or evangelist. Let’s be strategic and Intentional about surrounding our leaders with people who are gifted in five-fold ministry who understand their calling and are humble enough to work within a team to glorify God and equip His church to be the army needed in this most desperate hour.