C3 Session #5
Bishop TD Jakes, Potter’s House, Texas, 25,000 people a weekend.
Message Title: “When Shepherds Lead” Exodus 4:1-12
"Your attitude determines your altitude, when you go up you’ll fail, but when you go down to your knees, you’ll succeed."
Four Elements of a Shepherd
Shepherd’s Source: God is our source. Have alone moments with God. Receive direction from God. Be left alone with God. If there is nothing that intimidates us and drives us to our knees with God, we are not ready for ministry. Alone moments with God are the critical component, where God says, “you will only be what I created you to be.”
Shepherd’s Spirit: God sets something unique within us. It comes from our life experiences. What do we do right? What is the brand? Is the vision throughout the whole church? Division becomes from people under the shepherd who have their own vision. Deut 34:9-12, Joshua had the spirit of Moses because Moses laid his hands on him. Joshua was maintaining the vision Moses had. Those leading at TRC must maintain the vision of the shepherd. Anything else is dilution or pollution. Dilution is when people don’t communicate the vision the way shepherd communicate the vision. Pollution is when they add to it their own spin.
Example: McDonald's has a brand. Just because you own the franchise, just because you are in the vision does not mean you can have your burgers and fries like your grandma made them. You have to serve the burgers like McDonald's determines. Same thing in the church; volunteers, staff and others don’t get to change the secret sauce. Elijah would not give his mantle to Elisha until the vision in Elijah was within Elisha; until Elisha was a franchise player. God said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you.” Why? Because Joshua had the spirit of Moses.
Shepherds Staff: God asks, “Moses, what is in your hand?” Moses replies, “A staff!” Moses realized that God gave him a staff, not a stick, but a staff. He then spent the next 40 years trying to stretch his staff. Do not hire, appoint, receive or place people within the church who refuse to be stretched.
Moses staff could do a lot of things. Church staffs need to be able to do multiple things. Moses staff turned to a serpent, he grabbed it by the tail and it turned to a stick. A God given staff has more than one ability, more than one role and more than one potential.
Moses’ staff was there so Moses could lean on it. The staff must carry the full weight. God may not be waiting for the pastor to grow stronger, but He may be waiting for the staff to grow stronger.
Shepherd’s Stutter: Moses had a stutter. Why does God ask us to do that which we are incapable of doing? Why does God ask us to work in our limitations? God’s answer, “Because my strength is made perfect in your weakness.” When you think you can’t do it, you will lean on me. When your calling humbles your heart, you will lean on me. God wants humility, and those who will serve with their whole heart saying, “I cannot do it because I stutter; I can only do it through you.” What is the thing that intimidates you? What is the area of your vision that scares you?
Summary: Great message, we will release this one to the church…
