LifeWay Family Bible Series for March 7: God selects his leaders from those who listen_22304

Posted: 2/19/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for March 7

God selects his leaders from those who listen

Judges 4:4-10, 14-16; 5:1-2, 6-9

By Rodney McGlothlin

First Baptist Church, College Station

All of us have gone on extended journeys. They take time to prepare, money to go and often several weeks to recuperate. If small children are involved, the latter can take several months. The writers of the Family Bible Study series have invited us on a journey with them. It is my glad task to help you prepare and to point out some resources for this journey of discovery. You will be on your own for recovery.

Our road map for the first four weeks of the journey is found in the lives of several Old Testament heroes who took courageous stands for God under extreme circumstances. The first two of these are found in the book of Judges. If Judges had been written as a hymn, there is no doubt about the theme of the chorus. The repeated sad refrain of the book is, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (Judges 2:11; 3:7,12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).

The musical litany and its corresponding history are repeated often in the book–that God gave them over to captivity, they called upon the Lord and he raised up a deliverer. It is only truly a song of grace when its rhythms include judgment, forgiveness and restoration.

Privilege and responsibility are ever the twin brothers born of God's grace. Courage is required to accept both. We need some spiritual heroes today to show us the way between these Gibraltar-like towers. Perhaps they are in your class, waiting to be called, inspired and equipped to take a courageous stand for God.

One such hero was Deborah. She did not come suddenly on the scene as heroic leader. Like Paul in Antioch (Acts 13), who was faithfully serving and ministering to the Lord when the Holy Spirit burned the vision of missionary journeys into his life, Deborah already was faithfully serving God. “She held court under the Palm of Deborah … and the Israelites came to her to have their disputes decided” (Judges 4:5).

God seldom calls people from inactivity to courageous leadership. He calls those who are faithful where they are to accept the responsibility of leading others to where they need to go and to what they need to be. That is how the lady with the Ph.D in conflict resolution was suddenly called to serve the Lord as military strategist and encourager of armies. She accepted the call.

Leadership is a choice. God's choice first. God chose and gifted Deborah to lead at this time. Deborah chose to listen and obey. She sent for Barak, the leader of Israel's armies, and shared God's vision with him. Leadership not fueled by a God- given vision is destined to burn out before the task is complete. Leaders lead with the vision of God.

We fashion bracelets that say, “What Would Jesus Do?” but we never bother to ask, “What did Jesus say?” How can we know what he would do if we never bother to learn what he said? Deborah began with “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you …” (Judges 4:6).

Leadership is a partnership. Leaders participate in the vision. Deborah agrees to go with the armies of Barak. Her presence, like the raised staff of Moses in the wilderness, encouraged the soldiers to continue the fight until they had prevailed. Spiritual leadership is never simply telling others to be faithful to God. We also must drink freely at the well of obedience if we ever expect others to do the same. Together we can accomplish the vision God has given us.

Spiritual leaders point to the sufficiency of God. It is not organizational finesse or the tweaking of flow charts that give spiritual victory, but complete dependence on God. Deborah said: “Go! This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?” (Judges 4:14). The Lord has done it all or we cannot succeed at all.

We ought not expect that all our spiritual leadership will result in everybody's participation. Spiritual pied pipers often find their mouse flocks to be a bit deaf to tunes that call for courage and promise a dangerous battle before there can be a glorious victory. In her victory song, Deborah lists some who did not dance to her heroic tune. When her courageous call went out, some stayed near their herds, others refused to cross over the Jordan and some stayed with the ships in safer harbors (Judges 5:15-17).

But others heard and came. Lead those who will follow. God may as a result deliver even those who don't. The call to spiritual leadership is not a call to succeed. It is a call to faithfulness.

When we see God do great things through courageous leadership, we often heap praise on the leaders. Deborah led Israel to give glory to God (Judges 5:1-31). Like Moses before and Mary after, Deborah would sing God's praises before the people because he had given the victory. Surely our people are waiting to be led into courageous obedience of God and into victorious songs of praise at his provisions.

Questions for discussion

If a hymn was written outlining the course of your life, what would the chorus highlight?

What are you doing that will prepare you to be used by God?

How has God prepared you for leadership?