Filled with Power

Today's Bible Passage: Micah 3

Scripture: "But as for me, I am filled with power and the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and might, fearlessly pointing out Israel's sin and rebellion" (Micah 3:8).

Observation
Micah compares himself to the false prophets and other religious leaders of his time who didn't know right from wrong, hated good and loved evil, treated God as a magic Jeannie, were leading people astray, took advantage of their leadership positions to make money, hated real justice, twisted all that was right, led the people for the bribes they could get, taught the people only for money, and yet claimed they depended on the Lord. Yeah, they were messed up!

Micah, however, was a leader after God's own heart. He led not for what he could get out of it, but out of God's calling on his life. He led out of God's power within him by the indwelling of the Spirit of the Lord, not out of his own limited power, wisdom, or abilities.

Verse 8 brings to mind many other Bible verses, but especially Zechariah 4:6: "'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."

It also brings to mind the leaders of the early church. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised power when the Holy Spirit came upon them so that they could be his witnesses from Jerusalem to the whole world. That promise came true in Acts 2:4 when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to boldly proclaim the truth. And it continued as these leaders stayed true to their calling regardless of the circumstances: "[The religious leaders] brought in the two disciples and demanded, 'By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?' Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them ..." (Acts 4:7-8).

The early church leaders knew where their power came from. They knew they could do nothing of any significance apart from Jesus and his Spirit (John 15:5). This is why they were so committed to prayer. Prayer is our "power cord." Prayer is way more powerful than we understand, but the early church knew this: "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" (Acts 4:31).

Application
The power behind, or actually within all true spiritual leadership comes from God's Spirit. We tend to too easily forget this and rely on our own human strength and abilities instead, and we wonder why we are not more effective. The answer is not outside ourselves, it is inside, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

"As for me, I am filled with the Spirit of the Lord!" That must become my mantra, my constant prayer. Not by my own might or power or abilities, but by the power of his Spirit ... in all I do. As I lead my family, as I lead my group, as I lead in my church, I will seek his wisdom, direction, and power.

Prayer
Thank, you, Father, for your power. You have filled me with power and your Spirit. I am filled with justice and might. By your power I can be fearless and bold to be your witness, to speak your word, to carry out what you have called me to do.

Should Christian Leaders Set Goals?

One of my hallmarks of a healthy small group is Goals and Plans: The group has a written “Action Plan” that includes a mission, goals, expectations, ground rules, etc. I've written about goals, plans, wins, and intentionality often in my posts at www.smallgroupleadership.blogspot.com. (Go there and see labels for "goals and plans," "group health," "intentional," and "win.") Obviously, I believe in the importance of a group having goals and plans. I've seen vivid evidence in the small groups at our church who developed goals and plans that lead to health, spiritual and numerical growth, and leadership development and deployment.

The other day, however, I began to question this value.

In their book, A God-Centered Church, Henry and Melvin Blackaby say that setting goals "comes straight from the world and the culture around us." OK, so that sentence jumped off the page and got my attention!

The authors go on to say, "As servants of the most high God, we don't have the right to determine the direction of our lives or our church. God alone sets the purposes, objectives, and goals for His people."

Does this fly in the face for you, your group, and your church? Should you stop setting goals and making plans? Well ... yes and no.

I see plenty of Biblical support for making plans and setting goals:

• "May [God] grant your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans" (Psalm 20:4).
• "Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe" (Proverbs 2:11).
• "Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty" (Proverbs 21:5).
• "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

The issue is not whether we should or should not set goals or make plans; the issue is whose goals and plans!

• "The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, purposes of his heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:10-11).
• "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed" (Proverbs 16:3).
• "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21).
• "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3).

Several pages later in their book, the Blackabys say, "Instead of asking, 'What should we do this year?' we need to ask:

• What is God doing this year, and how can we join Him?
• What adjustments do we need to make in our lives in order to fulfill God's purposes for us?
• What does God want to accomplish in and through our lives this year?
• What has He been saying to us as a church [or small group or team] that we must carefully obey?"

I put these questions in a bullet list because I believe these are GREAT questions to ask your small group, ministry team, or leadership team.

Leading a small group--or anything in the church--from the Heart starts with the idea that we exist and gather in HIS presence under HIS power and authority for HIS purposes ... not our own.

How are you developing goals and plans in your group or team? Bathe the process in prayer and lots of listening. Ask the questions, above, and use them to shape the direction of God's group that He has entrusted to you.

When Jesus Isn't Able

Jesus went back to his hometown, and Mark 6:5 says, "Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all" (The Message).

When I read this last week, it took me by surprise. Jesus ... not able to do much of anything? In the midst of healing thousands, calming storms, raising dead people to life, and feeding thousands with a Lunchable, Jesus experienced a "failure." Of course, his power was sufficient. It always is. But their stubbornness and unbelief was the obstacle to his work having any effect. The problem was not in Jesus' power; the problem was their hearts, which were hard, shallow, or full of weeds (see Mark 4:1-20 and my post about it here).

We can only imagine Jesus' dismay over the fact that he could not bring healing or insight to these people, his own friends and family. Jesus was simply too familiar to them. They knew of the Jesus from the past--the son of Joseph and Mary--but they did not know the Jesus of Today, the Son of God who had the power to bring healing and transformation to their lives. So he moved on to other places.

Hmm.... does this still happen? Have we become too familiar with Jesus (and the way we've always done things) to be healed and transformed by him? Do we know the Jesus of the past from Bible stories we learned as a child, or do we know him and how he is working Today, in our midst?

As you meet as a small group, move beyond the stories of what Jesus did. Talk about--better yet, experience--what he is doing. He is indeed present in your group meetings--right now. Don't just meet to study the Jesus of the past through Bible study. Be sure your hearts are softened and prepared to experience his presence, power, and purposes Today.

Otherwise, Jesus may have to move on to other places.

Jesus' Power to Multiply

In whose hands is your small group?

This morning I read from Mark 6, which includes the account of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. I love Wiersbe's illumination in his commentary:

The miracle took place in His hands, not in theirs; for whatever we give to Him, He can bless and multiply. We are not manufacturers; we are only distributors.

—Warren Wiersbe, Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament

What are you holding onto in your own hands today? Your small group? Your family? Your finances? Your ministry? Your job? When we place what we've been given in Jesus' hands--an act of surrender and stewardship--he has the power to multiply it. In his hands, he provides superabundantly--to overflowing (John 10:10).

Would you like to see your small group grow and multiply? Would you like Him to bless your life? It's not so much about your methods, your goals, and your abilities. It's about putting the group--and your very life--in Jesus' hands and then being a faithful steward in your role.