The Power of a Submitted life

A message from Numbers 27:17-23 by Dave Rogers 27/04/08

To listen to Dave's message click here mp3

This is the story of Moses handing over spiritual leadership to Joshua. In every leader's life there comes a time that leadership has to be handed over. Our elders at ABC are looking to the future, we have to be raising up new leaders if we don't want the church to age and die. ABC has a great future.

1. Leadership is important. Leaders 'go in and go out' of God's presence, which is what spiritual leadership is all about. “I believe that the local Church is the hope of the world and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.” Bill Hybels Leaders 'go in and go out' in front of their congregation. This is an upfront role, leaders have to live and lead in front of the people. People see leaders lead by who they are and how they live not just when they are speaking.

2. Leaders MUST have a spirit of leadership. This is not just a human ability, but a gift of the Holy Spirit. (Deut 34:9) Joshua, full of the Spirit, had a leadership gift as Moses had seen 40 years earlier when he sent him to fight the Amalekites. But leaders aren't lone rangers. They work with others in teams, eg Moses and Aaron. Joshua and Eleazar; they need each other. Leaders consult with the Spirit and the Word. (Urim) In the Old Covenant, God hid behind a curtain. Moses was unique because he spoke to God as 'a bloke speaks to his mate'. Now in the New Covenant we can all know God like this. God's people will follow anointed leaders; only they can take us where God is leading.

3. Leaders only lead for a limited time. Leaders will get old and no longer be able to lead. Leaders also have a limited brief, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt but Joshua' led them into the promised land. God wants the church to move forward, not walk around in circles. Leaders have a responsibility to prepare others for succession. Moses prayed for a successor. God told him it was to be Joshua and how he was to pass on his responsibility. Often it is obvious who the successor will be. I think Moses already knew God would tell him to hand over leadership to Joshua. He would have been quite shocked if God has said it was someone else!

4. How was Joshua prepared for Leadership? We have already seen his success in battle, his odd reaction to Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp and the lesson he learned about what leadership really entails, and his faith in God after having spied out the land despite the obvious obstacles. Also we see Joshua serving Moses, going up the mountain with him (Ex 24:13), lingering in the tent after Moses had spoken with the Lord (Ex 33:11), following the Lord wholeheartedly (Num 32:12)

"Envious spirits do not love their successors; but Moses was not one of these. We should concern ourselves, both in our prayers and in our endeavours, for the rising generation, that the church may be maintained and advanced, when we are in our graves. God appoints a successor, even Joshua; who had shown himself by his courage in fighting Amalek, his humility in serving Moses, and his faith and sincerity in witnessing against the report of the unbelieving spies. This man God appoints to succeed Moses; a man in whom is the Spirit, the Spirit of grace. He is a good man, fearing God and hating covetousness, and acting from principle. He has the spirit of leadership; he is fit to do the work and discharge the trusts of his task. He has a spirit of conduct and courage; he had also the Spirit of prophecy. A man is not fully qualified for any service in the church of Christ, who does not have the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, whatever human abilities he may possess.” Matthew Henry

Leadership can have its snares, like thinking you are someone special. Leadership is all about serving. To summarise, Joshua was a man totally submitted to God. Joshua had a servant heart, like his namesake Jesus who said 'I have come to serve not to be served'. Servant heartedness is not just for Joshua nor just for leaders, this is for all of us as Jesus set us the perfect example. As we serve humbly and sacrificially God works on our character, he prepares us for what he has planned for us, for the calling he has for us. Moses was 120, Joshua and Caleb were both 80, no one else was over 60. None of us can say we're too old, neither Moses nor Joshua began their main leadership ministry until they were in their 80's!

Who knows what God has got for us? We can be sure that God's plan for this earth is all about Jesus and his body the Church. He is our hope, the hope for the world around us is the church. And the church of Christ will rise and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.