Welcome. In order to be fair, I am going to speak in Chinese. In the evening, our brother will speak in English and be translated into Chinese. In the morning session, I will be speaking in Chinese. In that way, you will feel that you are being treated fairly.
Now, listen to the Gospel of John, Chapter 15.
Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
—John 15:16
Let us also turn to 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
that no flesh should glory before God.
—1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Galatians 1:1:
Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead).
—Galatians 1:1
Finally, Acts 20:28:
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
—Acts 20:28
Yesterday morning, we mentioned the way God looks at spiritual leadership. We realize that, in God’s work, God considers spiritual leadership very vital.
Even though God’s intention is for all His children to serve Him, God raises up leadership to lead His people in this service. These leaders are not there to take the place of the ministry of the people. They are not there to monopolize service. They are raised up to lead the people, stimulate and encourage God’s people, until each one can fulfill his calling as a priest.
We also see that the conceptions of leadership are quite contrary to one another. In the system of this world, you are placed in a very high position. Leadership is a matter of position, and because of that position, you are there to lead.
But spiritual leadership is quite different. The Lord clearly tells His disciples, “In the world, rulers lord it over you. But among you it is not so.”
In your midst, those who wish to be great must become small. If you want to be a leader, you must be a slave to all. The conception of leadership is not a matter of ruling; it is a matter of serving all.
In this way, God is seeking all the time for such people. If God can find those whom He can use, then He can bless His people.
This morning, we are going to go further in this matter: How is spiritual leadership made?
Spiritual leadership is different from that of the world. In this world, if you have natural gifts or experience, then you may be qualified for a place of leadership. Even if you have no gifts at all, if you have a certain background, you may still be placed in a position of leadership.
But in the matter of spiritual leadership, it is not that way. Spiritual leadership is not according to the natural. It is not according to your natural ability, your worldly background, your charismatic personality, or your past experience.
All these qualities may be useful in this world, but in the matter of spiritual leadership, they are groundless. Sometimes we sense that the more natural gifts we possess, the more often they become a hindrance in our service to the Lord.
It is not that these things cannot be used by God. In one sense, God cannot use anything that is merely natural. On the other hand, God can use these things, but they must go through death and resurrection. If they do not go through death and resurrection, God cannot use them.
Spiritual leadership needs spiritual grace. When we talk about the making of spiritual leadership, we need to see one thing: spiritual leadership is God’s choosing. That is God’s sovereignty.
Spiritual leadership is not something man can obtain. It is not according to man, and it is not through human agency.
In other words, you cannot decide for yourself that you will be a leader of God’s people. Other people cannot push you into a place of leadership.
Spiritual leadership is not because you have gone through special schooling, education, or a particular training, and therefore are qualified to be a leader. You cannot choose it for yourself, and someone else cannot put you into that position.
If anything that you can do for yourself, or that someone can establish for you, is merely position. If you have such a position, it does not necessarily mean that you can be a spiritual leader.
Spiritual leadership needs spiritual authority, and spiritual authority depends on spiritual life. If you do not have spiritual life, then you will not have spiritual authority.
You may be placed in a high position before men, but in spiritual things you do not have the power to lead.
John 15:16 tells us, “Ye did not choose me, but I chose you.” Brothers and sisters, the making of spiritual leadership comes from God’s choosing.
Sometimes God chooses a certain person, and we disagree. Sometimes we wonder why God has chosen such a person. We do not know why He chose that person, but God knows what He is doing.
The making of spiritual leadership is according to God’s choosing. We cannot argue or debate about this matter, because this is God’s sovereignty.
When God chooses a person, the one whom He chooses is able to be a leader. Whatever reasons may lie behind it, God’s sovereignty lies behind it.
Not only is spiritual leadership according to God’s choice; when God chooses a person, He does not choose him because of his background.
First Corinthians 1 tells us, “Consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.”
Whom does God choose? God has chosen the foolish things of the world. He has chosen the weak things of the world. He has chosen the base things of the world, the despised things, and those things which are not.
All these words are very clear to us. It is not according to what you have in this world. The wisdom of your flesh means nothing to God. Your strength has no account in God’s sight, and your nobility is not important to God.
God wants to choose the foolish, the weak, the base, the despised, and even those who are not. Everything is according to God’s choosing; therefore, no one can boast.
If God chooses a person to be a leader, he has nothing to boast of himself, because everything is according to God’s sovereignty. I think we need to be very clear on this point before the Lord.
In church history, there was a man called Francis of Assisi. This man was mightily used by God.
One day, his companion, Brother Matthew, looked at him and asked, “Why? Why? Why?”
Francis replied, “What kind of question are you asking?”
His companion said, “Why are all the people of the world following you? Why do they want to listen to your preaching? Why do they come and obey you? You are not very good-looking. You are not very well educated. Your background is not very impressive.”
When Francis heard these words, he raised his eyes and looked up into heaven. He was full of joy. He was there in almost complete silence, worshiping and praying to God. He knelt on the ground, praising God.
Then he spoke to his companion: “Do you want to know why? Let me tell you. God chose me because He could not find among men one more sinful than I am.”
“In God’s sight, among all the sinners of the world, He could not find a sinner more sinful than I am. Therefore, God chose me to fulfill His work and to glorify His name.”
Francis saw very clearly that leadership is completely up to God’s choosing. Those who are chosen by God to be leaders are often those who see that, in themselves, they can do nothing.
On the one hand, they see their own corruption. They realize that in themselves they are nothing; therefore, God can use them. On the other hand, when they realize they are nothing in themselves, they cannot say no to the Lord.
Moses is an example. At the age of forty, he decided to visit his brethren. Moses had a heart to visit and to be with his brethren.
He went out to visit them and saw an Egyptian beating one of his brethren. Moses was a powerful man, and he killed the Egyptian. He felt very satisfied.
The next day he went out again and saw two of his brethren fighting with each other. Moses was a man of eloquence, and he used his mighty speech to pacify the argument. He thought that his words would solve the problem.
He felt that God had entrusted him with a mission and had chosen him to be the leader of His people Israel. But he did not realize that his own brethren would not listen to him.
One of the Hebrew men said, “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?”
Moses knew that the news had spread, and the only way for him was to run away. Here was one person who felt that God had set him up as a leader. He had concern for his people, he was a man of might, and he was a man of eloquence.
But Moses relied on his natural strength to deliver Israel and to be their leader. He was rejected by his people, and in a sense he was rejected by God also. He was not qualified to be a leader.
So he ran away to the land of Midian, and there he was a shepherd for forty years. At the age of eighty, God revealed Himself to Moses and told him to return to Egypt to deliver His people.
What did Moses reply? “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?”
Forty years earlier, his feeling had been different. Forty years earlier he thought, “I am a man of might.” But forty years later he said, “Who am I? I am a man of nothing. I have nothing. How can I go and face Pharaoh?”
God said, “I will be with thee. Go and tell the people that I have heard their cry. I remember My covenant with Abraham. I will deliver them out of Egypt.”
But Moses had many excuses. Before, he had wanted to do many things; now God wanted him to go, and he was hesitating.
Moses said, “If I go there and tell them that God sent me, they will say, ‘What is the name of your God?’”
God said, “I AM THAT I AM.”
Moses replied again, “If I tell them that I AM THAT I AM sent me unto you, and they will not believe that You have appeared unto me, what shall I do?”
God told him to throw down his staff, and it became a serpent. He told Moses to take it by the tail, and it became a staff again. He told Moses to put his hand into his bosom, and it became leprous; when he put it back again, it was clean.
God said, “If they will not believe these two signs, take water from the river and pour it upon the ground, and it will become blood. Then they will believe you.”
But Moses was still arguing with God. “I am not eloquent. I cannot speak.” For forty years he had been speaking only to sheep. No wonder he said that he could not speak.
God said, “Who hath made man’s mouth? I will be with thy mouth.”
But Moses still argued, “Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” What he meant was, “Why do You want me? Send someone else.” God was angry with him.
At this point Moses was a man of nothing. He really saw himself as nothing. He could not go, yet he could not but go.
We can also think of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 1, when the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, the Lord said, “I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.”
How did Jeremiah reply? He said, “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child.”
Because he could not, God chose him. If you think that you can, I am afraid God cannot use you. Because you cannot, then He will choose you.
Jeremiah could only tell what he had received from the Lord. He spoke many sad messages, and he became a laughingstock among the people.
He said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name.” But then the word of God burned within him, and he could not but speak.
Brothers and sisters, we can see that God is looking for those who cannot in themselves. He may allow an environment to press you and move you. A person who wants to be a leader himself disqualifies himself from becoming a leader.
All those chosen by God do not want to be leaders in themselves. They would rather be followers. Those who want to be leaders but are not willing to be followers are not qualified to be leaders.
If we cannot follow, then we cannot lead. Sometimes we may lead, but spiritual leadership is up to God. It is not up to what we are or who we are. It is all up to God’s sovereignty.
If, in God’s mercy, He has chosen you, you can only bow down and worship. You can only acknowledge before God, “It is not because there is anything in me. You have chosen me because You see that I have nothing, because You see that I am the most disqualified person in all the world.”
Anyone whom God has chosen has nothing to boast of. As Paul said, “If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!”
This is one side of the matter. The making of leadership is according to God’s choosing, and His choosing is not according to what you possess naturally.
But on the other hand, truth is balanced. When God chooses a person, He has His reason, and there should be a response from man.
Scripture tells us, “Many are called, but few chosen.” From the broad point of view, God is looking for leadership because every one should have the opportunity to serve Him.
In the Old Testament, Moses was leading the Israelites in the wilderness. He felt that the responsibility was too much for him, and that he could not bear the burden.
He failed to remember that it was not he himself who bore the burden. The Spirit of God enabled him to bear it. But sometimes we do forget.
When God places us in leadership, we meet all kinds of problems. Sometimes people misunderstand us. Sometimes people criticize us. Sometimes we have no way to go. We encounter many problems, and we feel that the burden is too much.
We think that we are the ones bearing the whole load. It is not we; it is the Holy Spirit within who bears all these things.
Moses told the Lord that the burden was too much and that he wanted to resign. Our God is most merciful and gracious. He said, “If you feel the burden is too much for you, choose among the people seventy elders.”
God said, “Bring them unto Me, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them.” God did not mean that He would take away the Spirit from Moses. The same Spirit would be shared with the seventy.
There was not more Spirit added; the responsibility was shared. Sometimes we think that more strength is added, but the same Spirit that was upon Moses was shared with the others.
All these seventy people were brought before Moses, but two did not come. Yet the Spirit came upon them also, and they prophesied in the camp.
Joshua was jealous for Moses and wanted to forbid them. But Moses said, “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!”
This represents God’s desire. God desires each one of us to have the opportunity to serve Him. But many are called, and few are chosen.
The reason is not that we lack natural ability. We may think that only the naturally wise can be leaders, and therefore say, “I am a stupid person. How can I be used by God?”
We may think, “Only the wise can understand God’s Word. I am not very wise. How can I understand? If I were eloquent, then I could preach. If I had more ability, then I could serve the Lord.”
We often think that God’s choosing is according to our natural ability. Since we have lived longer in this world, we think that we know how to manage affairs. But, brothers and sisters, God’s choosing is not according to all these things.
When God chooses a person whom He wants to use, He does not choose according to natural gifts. But this does not mean that He has no requirements. He does have requirements.
His requirements are not according to natural gifts or ability. His requirements are spiritual.
When God chooses a person to be a leader, He sees a spiritual future in that life. According to the natural, that person may possess nothing. But he has a heart for God, and he has a heart that fears the Lord.
Because his heart is toward the Lord, he desires to place himself in His hands. He wants to receive the dealings of the Holy Spirit. He wants the cross to do its work in his life.
He wants to repent before God. He wants to be humble before God. He wants to give everything up for God. He has no ambition in the things of this world.
He is not seeking position. He is not seeking the approval of men. He only has a heart for the Lord, and he wants God to do a work in his life.
This kind of person God can use. This kind of person God can train.
The person who is prepared to be a leader cannot be trained in a theological school. You cannot learn all these lessons in Bible school. You cannot take a few courses and thereby become qualified to be a leader.
This does not mean that we should not be educated. But we need to learn these lessons in the school of Christ. We have to learn them in the school of suffering.
We learn these things under the control and discipline of the Holy Spirit. We need to learn spiritual lessons before the Lord. Only those who learn these lessons before the Lord can meet God’s requirements.
I think the best example is the disciples of the Lord Jesus. When the Lord Jesus began to preach, many people came to hear Him. Many came to support Him, and many followed Him.
But the Lord’s heart was not with the multitude. Even though He had compassion on the multitude, because they were as sheep without a shepherd, His concentration was not on the multitude.
His attention was on the choosing of the twelve. Before choosing them, the Lord went up into the mountain and prayed all night. He was seeking the will of the Father.
We do not know the contents of His prayer. This is a mystery. But we know that the Lord was seeking the Father’s will: “Whom would You have Me choose among all this multitude?”
After that night of prayer, the Lord chose the twelve. Consider who these twelve disciples were.
Simon, who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother were fishermen. James and John were also fishermen.
Philip’s profession is not known to us. Bartholomew was Nathanael, of whom the Lord said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”
Thomas was one who doubted. Matthew was a tax collector, a person despised by the people.
Israel was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Some Jews organized themselves as a resistance group against Roman rule. They were called Zealots, and they were prepared to use violence and assassination.
Simon the Zealot was among the twelve. Finally, there was Judas Iscariot.
None of the twelve was honorable. None was wise. None was mighty. None held a high position in the world. The rest were humble fishermen.
Matthew, the tax collector, worked for the Roman Empire. The Roman government oppressed Israel and collected taxes from the people. Tax collectors often made their money by collecting more than the government required.
The Jewish people considered such men unpatriotic. They viewed them as traitors and despised them.
Yet among the disciples there was also Simon the Zealot, an extreme patriot, a radical. One loved money, and another loved his country. When the Lord put all these people together, it was really a miracle.
They were weak, and they were nothing. Among them there were all kinds of questions and inward conflicts. No wonder the Lord had to pray all night before choosing them.
Why did the Lord choose these? Why did He not choose the wise, the mighty, or the noble?
Because those who were wise, mighty, and noble would not allow the Lord to use them. They wanted to live their own lives. They wanted to do their own things. Even though they had many things in the world, those things became a hindrance before the Lord.
It was as though the Father showed the Lord each individual among the multitude, one by one. “No. No. No.” Finally, only twelve weak and apparently useless people were left.
Those twelve represented the best that God could choose. The Lord chose them because, though they had nothing, they had a heart for Him. They wanted to follow Him.
Peter said to the Lord, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.”
This group of people made themselves available to the Lord. They allowed the Lord to work in their lives. Sometimes the Lord rebuked them, and they accepted His dealings.
Peter had a good heart. When the Lord told the disciples that He must go to the cross, Peter said, “Be it far from thee, Lord.” Yet the Lord could deal with Peter.
Apart from Judas, the Lord could speak to them and do His work in their lives because they wanted the Lord to work in them.
Do we have this kind of people? Did the Lord choose the wrong people? No, the Lord did not choose the wrong people.
The Lord went to the cross. They could find no fault in Him. Even Pilate testified, “I find no crime in him.” The Lord was without sin.
After the Lord went through death and resurrection, we see how the eleven disciples were used by Him. On the day of Pentecost, Peter and the eleven stood up and testified for the Lord.
Within a few years, the gospel was preached throughout the known world of that day.
A leader must be a spiritual man—not because of ability, wisdom, or natural strength, but because he can be used by God.
James was the first martyr. Peter was crucified upside down. John was exiled to the island of Patmos. Thomas preached all the way to India.
They went all over the world preaching the gospel. They became martyrs for the Lord. Because these people were nothing in themselves, the Lord could take them in His hands and use them to build His church and establish His kingdom.
This does not mean that one who has strength, wisdom, or natural gifts is automatically disqualified. Consider Paul.
Paul was a person with many gifts. He was a man of wisdom and position. But he relied on his natural strength, and he became God’s enemy. He was pursuing God’s people.
On the way to Damascus, the Lord met him. He fell flat on the ground. He could not lift up his head. He fell down before God.
God gave spiritual gifts to Paul. His natural gifts could be used by God, but they were nothing more than a channel, a vessel for the real substance.
The real substance was spiritual: Paul’s intimate knowledge of the Lord Himself. That is what made him a spiritual leader.
Natural capacity can be used by God one day, but it is nothing more than a channel or a vessel. The substance must be spiritual.
The substance is the Spirit incorporating Christ into you. Otherwise, you are the blind leading the blind, and both will fall into the pit.
May the Lord have mercy upon us. Let us pray.