Hebrews 12:6-12; Joshua 1:5, 17-18; 1 Peter 5:5-6; and James 5:10-11.
We have been saying that the choosing of a vessel is according to God’s sovereignty. It is not of man, nor through the agency of man. God, in His sovereignty, does the choosing.
When God chooses a person, He does not rely upon that person’s natural ability. Oftentimes, the more natural energy and talent we have, the more these things become a hindrance to God’s choosing of us.
This does not mean that when God chooses a person, He has no requirements. The person whom God wants must have a heart toward Him and must be willing to place himself in the hands of God, allowing the Lord to do a deep work in his life.
Those who refuse the cross are the ones who will not be chosen. On the one hand, we see the sovereignty of God; on the human side, there must be something that responds to God’s heart. God must do His work in our hearts so that all His requirements may be met there. Then He can choose such a person to be a spiritual leader.
Yesterday, we mentioned one thing that God must do in the vessel. If God cannot find this thing in the vessel, that person cannot stand in a place of leadership. This is a matter of vision.
The person who is in a place of leadership must receive a vision from the Lord. Otherwise, he will be like the blind leading the blind. He must know the mystery of God, God’s mystery concerning the church, and the mystery of the vessel whom God has chosen.
He must see as Moses saw at the burning bush. He must see as Paul saw a heavenly vision. When a person has vision, then he has direction; then there is a way; then he knows the path of destiny. He must see clearly and see through spiritual things clearly. Therefore, he can lead God’s people.
When it comes to the matter of vision, we need to be humble before the Lord. Vision is not something we can obtain by ourselves. When God wants to reveal Himself to a certain person, He will reveal Himself to that person. Thank God, it is His pleasure to reveal His Son in us.
I often say, brothers and sisters, if a new baby is born into a family, the moment you enter the home, you do not need to say, “I want to see your baby.” The parents will eagerly show the baby to you. In a sense, this represents the heart of God. God’s heart is longing to reveal His Son to us.
How come we cannot receive this revelation? How come we cannot see this heavenly vision? It is not because God is unwilling to reveal His Son. It is because our hearts toward God are closed; our backs are turned toward the Lord.
Whenever our hearts are turned toward the Lord, the veil is removed. We see His glory, and we are changed from glory to glory. The Holy Spirit is then allowed to do His work of transformation.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
—Matthew 5:8
We need to be humble before the Lord and allow our hearts to turn toward Him. We should pray that the Lord will give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Then God will reveal His mystery to us. It does not depend upon our natural wisdom; it all depends upon His mercy.
This morning, we want to go a step further. The leaders whom God is looking for must have certain conditions. These conditions are not naturally ours; they are the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and are produced in our lives.
Vision is the first thing. The second thing is discipline.
We need the Holy Spirit to do the work of discipline in our lives. If a person cannot discipline himself, then he is not qualified to be a leader.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty;
And he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.
—Proverbs 16:32
He that hath no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city that is broken down and without walls.
—Proverbs 25:28
The one who can be used by the Lord must allow the Holy Spirit to discipline him through the environment. He must allow the Holy Spirit to instruct him from within. A person who cannot receive God’s discipline, and who lives according to his own natural wishes, is a person God cannot use.
Discipleship and discipline are connected. First, we must be disciples. Disciples are those who are under the discipline of the Lord.
When the Lord called people to become His disciples in the Gospels, those who wanted to be disciples had to give up everything in order to follow Him. If you look back or hold back something for yourself, you are not qualified to be a disciple.
If you want to be a disciple of the Lord, you must give yourself totally to Him. You cannot preserve anything for yourself, including your own rights. You must be under the discipline of the Holy Spirit and allow the Lord to instruct you. You must allow Him absolute freedom to do His work in you. Then He can make you into a useful vessel.
Those who cannot be disciples cannot be leaders. Sometimes we all wish to be leaders, but we are unwilling to be disciples.
Discipline means learning. How can we learn our lessons before the Lord? All our spiritual lessons come through discipline. If there is no spiritual learning, we cannot help others.
What we are engaged in is not worldly leadership; it is a spiritual ministry. Our ministry is to bring people to the Lord and to bring the Lord to people. Our ministry is not merely preaching. Our ministry is to impart Christ to others.
If we have learned nothing from the Lord through the work of discipline, then we have nothing to impart. The more we are disciplined by the Lord, the more measure of Christ there will be in our lives.
Hebrews tells us that God is like a father who disciplines us because He loves us. He wants us to grow up. He wants us to become sons, not merely babies. Through discipline, He wants us to mature and grow because He loves us.
When we are disciplined, it feels painful, because according to the flesh we do not desire discipline. But afterward, there is the fruit of righteousness, and we have a share in His holiness. That is to say, we know Christ, Christ is wrought into us, and then we can impart Christ to others.
If you are unwilling to be disciplined, then you will have no grace to impart Christ to others. If God wants to use you, He needs to do the work of discipline in your life.
What is our attitude when He disciplines us? Do we lightly regard His discipline? Are we discouraged and in despair because of His discipline? Or do we receive His discipline with joy?
In the history of the Bible, the more a person received discipline, the more useful he became. The less discipline a person received, the less useful he became.
David is an example from the Old Testament. David was a leader, a chosen vessel of God. In his life we see the sovereignty of God in His choosing.
If we look at David’s background, there was nothing that qualified him to become a leader according to human thinking. David was the son of Jesse, and he was the youngest in the family. Yet, interestingly enough, his parents did not seem to take much notice of him. They sent him out into the wilderness to tend the sheep.
When the Lord asked Samuel to anoint a king for Israel, Jesse thought that his other seven sons had the qualifications—but not the youngest one. David was not even called home.
Thank God, Samuel learned a lesson. When Jesse’s eldest son came before him, Samuel thought, because he was tall and good-looking, “Surely this must be the one.” But the Lord said:
Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him:
for the Lord seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
—1 Samuel 16:7
One by one, Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel. Finally Samuel asked, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse replied that there was still the youngest, who was out in the field.
David was not esteemed by his parents, and even his brothers did not think much of him. When his father sent him to visit his brothers at the battlefield, his brothers misunderstood him and accused him of coming merely to see the fighting.
After David slew Goliath, he became known among all the people. Saul became jealous of him. Although David had been anointed by God, he was chased and persecuted by Saul. David considered himself as a dead dog, as though he were nothing. He learned to know himself.
God gave David two opportunities to deliver himself from Saul’s hand. Even his followers encouraged him to kill Saul, saying that all his problems would then be solved. But David dared not lay his hand upon the Lord’s anointed.
David was willing to suffer more. Though he was anointed, he did not push himself into a place of leadership. If the Lord had anointed him, then, when the time came, God Himself would place him on the throne.
At the age of thirty, David became king in Hebron. He reigned there seven years and six months, and then became king over all Israel for thirty-three years.
David received much discipline from the Lord. He did not blame people. He humbled himself under the mighty hand of God and learned his lessons.
When you read the Psalms of David, you see that he had gone through deep sufferings and received much blessing. He had gone through failures, and he also knew victory. He had gone through all kinds of experiences.
In discipline, we learn to know God. The Psalms are the expression of David’s knowledge of God. Why do we love to read the Psalms? Because the Psalms do not merely speak of doctrine; they speak of experience before the Lord. In the Psalms, we meet the Lord.
In the New Testament, Peter is a very clear example. Of all the twelve disciples, Peter was a natural-born leader. Every time somebody opened his mouth, it was Peter. He was quick to speak, and he thought he could represent all the other disciples.
Yet, strangely enough, whenever Peter opened his mouth, the Lord disciplined him.
Here we see a principle: if anyone has natural leadership ability, that person must allow God to deal with it. Natural leadership ability by itself does not qualify anyone to become a spiritual leader. If there is no discipline, natural leadership ability becomes a great hindrance in God’s work.
Peter was an educated man, but he was also a rough man. Naturally, he had the ability to be a leader, and he was the leader among the twelve. He wanted to speak on behalf of the others. Whenever he spoke, the Lord dealt with him.
Sometimes I feel sympathetic toward Peter. I say, “Peter, if you had spoken less, you would have suffered less. Why did you have to open your mouth so often?” But the Lord wanted him to learn his lessons.
Brothers and sisters, we have too many clever people. We all think we are very wise. Because we are too wise, we are unwilling to receive discipline. We think, “Nobody notices this. No one can deal with it. How can I be disciplined? I am too good.”
But this kind of goodness, in God’s sight, makes us useless.
This does not mean that we should encourage everyone to speak less. We all have different temperaments. Some people naturally speak more, and some naturally speak less. The more one speaks, the more discipline may be needed in that particular area.
Thank God, Peter was not discouraged by the Lord’s discipline.
At first, Peter was thinking of quitting. In Matthew 4, the Lord called Peter to become His disciple, and Peter left all and followed Him. Yet after following the Lord for a period of time, Peter went back to fishing.
What did that mean? Peter was thinking, “Yes, I want to be His disciple, but I cannot take it. I feel unqualified. The best thing for me is to go back to something else.” When he went fishing, he was in effect resigning from discipleship.
Then the Lord came to him. Because of the great crowd, the Lord used Peter’s boat as a platform from which to teach the people. After He spoke, the Lord said to Peter, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.”
Peter may have thought, “Lord, as far as teaching is concerned, I cannot compare with You. But as far as fishing is concerned, I know more than You do. I have fished all night and caught nothing.”
Yet Peter obeyed, and there was a great catch. The net was on the verge of breaking, and another boat was needed to help bring in the fish.
What was the meaning behind it? The Lord was saying, “Peter, if you want to resign and do not want to be My disciple, then I have no demands on your life. I have used your boat, and I will repay you with fish.”
Peter fell down before the Lord and said:
Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
—Luke 5:8
But the Lord would not depart from him.
Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
—Luke 5:10
The Lord is such a Friend—you cannot get rid of Him. When many disciples turned away because His words were too hard, the Lord asked the twelve whether they would also go away. Peter answered:
Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
—John 6:68
When we commit ourselves to the Lord, then He can discipline us. The less we commit ourselves, the less we will receive His discipline. Commit yourselves totally to Him, and give Him the absolute right to do as He wills.
Many times, we think we have no discipline because we are very good. That is not the case. Sometimes the Lord allows us to do our own thing because we have not totally committed ourselves to Him. It is not because He does not love us. It is because we are still running away from Him.
Those who are committed to the Lord need not fear His discipline. After Peter had received much discipline from the Lord, he stood up on the day of Pentecost and spoke for the Lord. He became a representative vessel for the Lord.
Today, if we want to be chosen by God and become leaders, we cannot lightly regard His discipline, nor can we allow discipline to discourage our hearts. We must be willing to place ourselves in His hands. The more He disciplines us, the more we appreciate Him, because He loves us.
Among God’s people, we have much knowledge but often little reality, because we are not disciplined people. If we receive discipline, then we will have spiritual reality. Such a person is able to impart Christ to others.
The third thing required of a spiritual leader is courage. Courage is vital in God’s sight, but it is not natural courage.
There are many people in the world who are naturally courageous. They can risk their lives and volunteer for difficult work. But when it comes to spiritual matters, they become weak. In spiritual matters, we need spiritual courage.
Spiritual courage is not natural. It comes from knowing God. When God gives a person a vision, that person can move forward without fear of obstacles. Even though he faces opposition, he does not shrink back. Even though he is not welcomed by people, inwardly he knows that he is following God’s purpose. He will not compromise. He sees God’s presence.
This kind of spiritual courage is required of a spiritual leader. One who is always shrinking back cannot be used by God. He must be able to go on regardless. Otherwise, even though he has vision, he cannot fulfill God’s trust in his life.
Joshua is an example from the Old Testament, and Stephen is an example from the New Testament.
In Joshua 1, Moses had passed away, and the Lord came to Joshua, saying that Moses His servant was dead and that Joshua must lead the people into the land of Canaan. God chose Joshua to lead His people into the promised land.
The Lord spoke to Joshua repeatedly: “Be strong and of good courage. Do not fear.” Joshua needed spiritual courage to bring the people forward.
The people also encouraged Joshua, saying that as they had listened to Moses, so they would listen to him. They told him to be strong and courageous and to do what the Lord asked him to do.
We must not act boldly merely according to our natural inclinations. That is presumption. We must be careful. But when we have the commandment of the Lord and know God’s will, even if the whole world is against us, we must go on. This kind of spiritual courage is necessary.
In the history of the church, there was a man called Martin Luther, one of the German Reformers. In those days, nobody thought much of a German monk from a small village. Yet when the Lord used him, all Europe rose up against him. The Holy Roman Empire was against him, and the Roman Catholic Church was against him.
When Luther was called to appear before the Council of Worms, many people worried for him because it was dangerous for him to go. But he said that even if there were as many devils in Worms as tiles upon the rooftops, he would still go.
When he was questioned before the emperor and asked to recant his teaching, he humbled himself before the emperor, bishops, and archbishops, and said:
Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, I cannot and will not recant; for my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Here I stand. I can do no other. May God help me.
This courage was not human courage. It was God’s courage in him. If we want to be leaders in the Lord’s work, we need courage. We cannot be looking at this person and that person, fearing what others may say. If we know this is God’s will, then even if the gates of hell are opened against us, we must go on.
Where does this courage come from? It comes from the presence of God. The Lord says that He will not leave us nor forsake us; He will be with us. Courage comes because we have the Word of God, know His will, and have seen the vision in our hearts.
In the New Testament, we see Stephen. The book of Acts tells us that he was full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He knew God’s purpose.
Stephen was one of the first men, apart from the Lord Jesus, to be strongly opposed by the religious world. Why? Because he saw something concerning God’s purpose that others had not seen.
When Stephen preached, his message surpassed that of the other disciples in spiritual understanding. If you read Acts 7, you see that Stephen was a forerunner of Paul in the revelation he received concerning God’s work.
When the people rose up against him, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit, and his face shone as the face of an angel. He had no self-consideration.
When he spoke, those who heard him were cut to the heart, and they stoned him. Stephen knew that speaking in this way would not bring him a favorable result, but he dared to speak God’s word.
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
—Acts 7:56
And while they stoned him, he prayed:
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
—Acts 7:60
This courage comes from God; it is not from man. It comes because a person knows the Lord.
Sometimes people ask, “If we had lived in the days of the martyrs, could we have stood for the Lord?” In ourselves, we cannot stand. Those who think they can stand may fall. But if God places us in such a situation, He will give us the grace of martyrdom.
We should not merely hope that, someday, we might receive the grace of martyrdom. We need to live as living martyrs today. Then, when that day comes, we can glorify the Lord.
To become a spiritual leader, we need spiritual courage. Natural temperament does not matter. Some people are naturally courageous, and some are naturally timid. Natural courage may become weakness in spiritual matters, while someone naturally weak may manifest extraordinary courage by the grace of God.
One more point: to be a spiritual leader, God must make us truly humble people.
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
—James 4:6
Strictly speaking, there is no one who is not proud. If you have much naturally, you may be proud. Even if you possess little naturally, you may still be proud. Even if, according to man’s standard, you are a person of nothing, you may still be a very proud person. It is only a matter of degree.
God resists the proud. Even in salvation, a proud person cannot be saved.
I will give you an example: Charles Finney. He was a lawyer, and when he was studying law, he discovered that Anglo-American law was based upon Scripture. So he bought a Bible for research.
The Holy Spirit worked in his heart, and he recognized that he was a sinner who needed salvation. He began to read the Scriptures, but he did not want anyone to see him reading the Bible.
One day, on his way to the office, he felt deeply that he was a sinner and that if he died he would perish. He wanted to pray, so he walked deep into a forest. He found some fallen trees, hid himself between them, and knelt down to pray.
But he could not pray. He was afraid that someone might see him. He stood up, then knelt down again, but still could not pray. He was deeply troubled.
Then it seemed as though someone spoke to him: “You are a sinner. You want to pray before a holy God, yet you are afraid of man. You are very proud.”
He saw himself. He knelt down, acknowledged his sin and pride, and asked for forgiveness. The Lord came to him, and from that time forward he was used mightily by God.
God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
There are many examples in Scripture, but because we do not have time, I will mention only a few. In the Old Testament, Gideon is a good example.
When God wanted to deliver His people from the hand of Midian, He came to Gideon and called him a mighty man of valor. God said that He would send him to deliver Israel.
What was Gideon’s response? He had a humble spirit. He said that his clan was the weakest in Manasseh and that he was the least in his father’s house. “How can I be used?” God answered, “Surely I will be with thee.”
After Gideon defeated Midian, the Ephraimites accused him because he had not called them earlier to join the battle. Gideon did not defend himself proudly. Instead, he said that their work was greater than his own. When they heard this, their anger was calmed.
Then the people asked Gideon to become their king. But Gideon said that neither he nor his son would rule over them; the Lord would rule over them. This is humility.
We need to be humble before the Lord. If we humble ourselves, God can use us.
In the New Testament, Barnabas is a good example. Sometimes we have prejudice against him because he later separated from Paul. But if we read carefully, we see that Barnabas was a humble man.
Though he was wealthy, he sold what he had and laid it at the feet of the apostles. They called him the son of consolation. He had a large heart.
When the disciples heard that the Lord had begun a work in Antioch, Barnabas was sent to visit them. When he saw the grace of God, he rejoiced. He did not say, “This is not my work, so it does not matter.” He was glad because he saw God’s work. He encouraged the believers to continue with the Lord.
Barnabas realized that the work was greater than himself. He knew that he was only a limited vessel. He also recognized that Saul was a greater vessel for the work. Barnabas had introduced Saul to the apostles after Saul’s conversion, and he had a large enough heart to seek Saul out and bring him to Antioch.
Many servants of God have a territorial concept: “This is my sphere. Even for the Lord’s sake, you cannot come here.” But Barnabas did not have that feeling. He recognized that Saul had a greater measure and was needed for the work.
At Antioch, Barnabas was initially named first among the prophets and teachers, while Saul was named last. Later, when the grace of God was manifested in Paul’s life and Paul’s measure became greater, Scripture speaks of “Paul and Barnabas.”
Barnabas was willing to follow Paul. If there is pride in a person’s life, the work cannot be done. God is looking for servants who have this kind of humility.
We have many problems in the church because servants have a territorial spirit and an aggressive heart. If God raises up someone more useful than you, are you willing to allow him to take a place of leadership?
Perhaps you were once an elder or had a position of leadership. Subsequently, the Lord may raise up another person whose spiritual condition is better than yours. Are you holding fast to your position? If you do, the whole church will be limited.
If God raises up people whose spiritual condition is better than yours, you ought voluntarily to allow them to take the lead. You must be willing to follow them. This is humility.
Finally, God is looking for those who have patience. Patience comes because a person has seen the vision. No matter what difficulties he encounters, he endures. He does not turn back; he endures to the end because he sees a blessing that is far more glorious.
When you see something that others have not seen, and your eyes are open while the eyes of others are still closed, you face a temptation. You may look at those who have not seen what you have seen with contempt. You may run ahead by yourself and not care for the rest.
But a shepherd must care for the sheep. You cannot be one hundred feet ahead of the sheep, because the flock can never catch up with you.
Even though you are walking ahead, for the sake of the sheep you walk step by step. You may have seen something long ago, but for the sake of the flock, you are willing to walk with them step by step.
Joshua and Caleb had seen the land forty years before the rest of the nation entered it. Yet, for the sake of the whole nation, they endured the wilderness for forty years. After forty years, they entered Canaan with the whole nation. This is patience.
You do not look lightly upon the people. You cannot say, “You will never catch up with me. I will go by myself.” You must conquer yourself and bring the whole body of brothers and sisters with you.
Nehemiah is a good example from the Old Testament. He was a cupbearer in the palace, but his heart was with his brothers and sisters. He did not care for his own pleasure.
When his brothers returned from Jerusalem, they reported the condition of Jerusalem to him. The walls were broken down, and the people were in distress. Nehemiah was burdened, and he prayed.
He prayed from approximately November or December until March or April, waiting for the opportunity to open. He was not careless. Finally, the king saw the sadness of his face.
This was dangerous, because Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. Before the king drank wine, the cupbearer had to drink first, in case someone had poisoned it. The cupbearer’s life was closely connected with the king’s life.
For months Nehemiah carried the burden in his heart. Eventually, he could no longer hide his grief. When the king asked why he was sad, Nehemiah prayed and explained that his brothers were suffering and that Jerusalem lay in ruins. He asked permission to return and rebuild the wall.
God sent him back. When Nehemiah arrived, he waited three days. He observed the situation, then shared his burden with his brethren. There were many difficulties, but he endured until the wall was rebuilt.
To be a leader, if you have no patience, how can you do such a work? When difficulties come, do you resign? When the brothers and sisters cannot catch up with you, do you give them up?
To be a spiritual leader, you must have the heart of a shepherd.
John is a good example from the New Testament. According to his natural temperament, John was not a patient person. The Lord called him and his brother the sons of thunder. Thunder is explosive; it has no patience.
The Scriptures tell us that John often spoke quickly. On one occasion, someone was casting out demons in the name of the Lord Jesus, and John was upset because that person was not following with the disciples. John thought they had the exclusive right to use the Lord’s name.
But the Lord said:
For he that is not against us is for us.
—Mark 9:40
On another occasion, when the Samaritans would not receive the Lord Jesus, John and his brother wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume them. They had faith, but they had the wrong spirit.
The Lord was on His way to Jerusalem to go to the cross. His was the spirit of the cross, but John and his brother manifested another spirit. The Lord dealt with them.
There was another occasion when James and John brought their mother to the Lord, asking that one might sit at His right hand and the other at His left hand. This stirred up indignation among the other disciples.
Naturally, John was not patient. But thank God, through the discipline of Christ, John became the disciple of love.
What is love? Love endures.
May the Lord help us. If, in His mercy, He has chosen us, may we allow the Holy Spirit to do these works in us. May He open our eyes to see the vision. May He not let us go. May He give us the spirit of courage and make us humble people, patiently bringing our brothers and sisters onward.
Sorry, I have used more time than I should. Perhaps one or two brothers or sisters can conclude this session with prayer.