Leading by faith ...

Vision is defined at www.dictionary.com as “something seen or otherwise perceived”. Tonight we share a vision for a new ministry paradigm at Eastwood that will hopefully allow us to maximize making disciples, capture on a regular basis the excitement that comes when our two campuses come together, and reach more people for Christ. I recognize this is a Baptist Church and “change” for many is a four-letter word; change typically does not come quickly or without great consternation. But for too long I think leaders of the church have abdicated their responsibility to lead, primarily out of fear of the “backlash” they might face for leading courageously. I want to share some principles of leadership that I think will help a church, any church, if the leaders will follow them go forward.

1. Ask God to make you passionate about what you do and believe to be true – often I think pastors see role in the church as a job to fulfill rather than a calling of His will to follow. We should be like Jeremiah in Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

2. Lead out of conviction not comfort – there are times that doing what is “right” and what is “easy” are mutually exclusive. As leaders, we should never lead with the motivation to gain the applause or appreciation of man. Paul said in Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (NIV). Proverbs 29:25 puts it this way, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” (NIV).

3. Believe it’s unnecessary to have all the “answers” before you obey God’s will – Abraham would be buried today in Ur of the Chaldees had he decided to wait until he had all the answers to follow the Lord. To walk by faith we must first live by faith. I absolutely love Hebrews chapter 11. To look at the long list of people who lived lives of faith and faithfulness. There are two verses at the beginning of the chapter that speak so well to this. Verse 1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. And verse 6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

4. Pray bold prayers for the people you pastor – Time and again we find the church in Acts praying prayers of great boldness. Today we pray prayers of safety. “Lord, please don’t upset the way things are going right now; it’s all running like clockwork”. There’s a lot of churches He needs to “upset the way things are going” as I believe He is upset at how they are going. The early church prayed for conversions whereas we pray for comfort and contentment. We ought to pray to God asking for things that we believe to be His will, that unless He shows up and accomplishes it, it will not happen. This ensures that when it does happen, He gets the glory. As William Carey, the father of the modern day missions movement said, we should “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God”!

5. See people through the eyes of God – it’s a constant battle to see people the way the Lord sees them, through eyes of love and compassion not condemnation and judgment. This principle alone, if realized, would radically change most churches for the better.

6. Stop trying to be _______ church – God has uniquely gifted and called the people you lead for the time and place you are at. We don’t have to try what’s working someplace else to see if it will "work" here. We simply have to get hold of the heart of God and not let go.

I’m praying that I will be a pastor of faith that leads a people of faith.