Recon Center

5. Transfer The Burden

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me… the elders of Israel…..that they may stand…with thee. And… they shall bear the burden of the people with thee…” (Num 11:16,17).

If you see a man reaching for responsibility, promote him! That man will be a blessing to the Lord’s work. If you see a man reaching for authority, be on guard! That man will damage the work of the Lord.

a. Leadership Is Not Lordship.

“Feed the flock of God… Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet 5:3).

God made mankind to exercise dominion (see Genesis 1:26). For this reason, in the heart of most men there is the desire to rule.

Ruling according to the biblical model is quite different from the way most leaders in the world exercise their authority. Hence we need to understand the Bible model for leadership.

Using dominion as Jesus did was legitimate. “..I do always those things that please the Father” (John 8:29). He used His leadership position to teach, bless, heal, break bondage’s, cast out demons, forgive sins and heal the broken-hearted (see Luke 4:18). All this pleased His heavenly Father.

“For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus did not exercise dominion as a self-serving dictator. Jesus saw His role as a servant-ruler.

His disciples did not understand this. They thought leadership would mean a high position in which they would receive praise and honor.

“Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a special request of him.

“And he said unto her, What do you want? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom.

“Jesus replied… Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant;

“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your slave: Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:20-28).

The Lord did not want His apostles ruling OVER. Rather He wanted them serving UNDER the people, bent low, washing their feet – like a lowly slave. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet – like a lowly slave.

“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14).

The Apostle Paul affirmed this in his writings. “But now in Christ Jesus ye… are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph 2:13,20).

This teaches us the leadership (apostles and prophets) are foundational ministries in the church. The foundation of a building is under it, in a supportive role – not over it, dominating and holding it under dominion.

The ‘chief cornerstone’ was the top-stone (or head-stone) in the pyramid. This place is reserved for Jesus alone. He alone has any right to rule in the church as the ‘chief cornerstone.’

Any church leader who tries to take the place of Jesus is in danger of operating as an ‘anti-christ.’ In the New Testament, the Greek word for ‘anti-christ’ not only means ‘against Christ’ but in some passages ‘in the place of Christ.’ Those trained for leadership must understand this important principle.

Centuries before Christ, the Israelites tried to make their deliverer, Gideon, a king. He wisely responded, “…I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you” (Judg 8:23).

1) The Parable of Jotham.

I recommend you read the parable of Jotham (a relative of Gideon) in Judges 9:7-21.

In his parable, none of the ‘fruit-bearing trees’ or vines would accept the summons to rule over the people. Only the thorny, fruitless ‘bramble bush’ responded to the call to be a ruler. Note how the ‘fruitful vine’ responded in Jotham’s parable: “Then said the trees unto the ‘vine’, Come thou, and reign over us.

“And the ‘vine’ said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? (Judg 9:12,13). The ‘vine’ refused to rule over others.

Jesus had the same attitude. He was the true ‘vine’, and He too refused to be made a king (see John 15:1). “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king he departed again into a mountain himself alone” (John 6:15).

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “..Let this mind be in you, which was also in christ Jesus:

“Who being in the form of God, thought it no something to be grasped after to be equal with God:

“But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men:

“And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Therefore, “Let nothing be done through strife or conceit; but in humility of mind let each think of others as better than themselves” (Phil 2:3-8).

2) Paul – An Example.

Being an apostle of Jesus brought no honor or praise. Paul described his leadership role in these words. “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place.

“And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

“Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.

” I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (1 Cor 4:11:14).

The Corinthian church and their leaders had a wrong understanding of their role in this present world. They thought they were to be like gentile rulers (see 1 Corinthians 4:8). Paul used stinging words of sarcasm to correct their wrong ideas.

b. The church Leader – a Burden-Bearer.

The Scripture uses the oxen (water buffalo) as the symbol of the church leader. “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?.

“Or does he say this referring to we who are leaders in the church?  For our sakes, no doubt this is written…” (1 Cor 9:8.10).

The oxen was chosen as the representation of the church leader because of its patient endurance in the labors of harvest. The steady, enduring strength and selflessness of the oxen has made it the most loved and revered of all animals used in agriculture.

As such, the oxen illustrates the biblical role of the church leader – a burden-bearer, one who joyfully takes the responsibility to see that others are fed and cared for.

It is obvious from Scripture that those who faithfully fulfill their leadership role bear many burdens like the oxen. Paul described his ministry in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 in these graphic words:

“….. in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

“Of the Jews five times received  I forty stripes save one.

“Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

“In journeying’s often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own country men, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.

“In weariness and painfulness, in watching’s often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting’s often, in cold and nakedness.

“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” None but the sincere church leaders want these kind of burdens and responsibilities. such are God’s oxen.

Seek out these kind of men and train them for leadership. Observe these biblical principles for training leaders:

“… for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success” (Josh 1:8).