Who is responsible for training up the next generation of leaders for the local church? It seems like a big job, a huge responsibility. Who is best equipped to handle this role? Does the Bible have anything helpful or definitive to say on the issue?
Let's see if we can come up with some biblical foundations for what I know you are all thinking: the local church bears the responsibility for developing the next generation of leaders for the local church.
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I really think that we are responsible for training up the next generation of leaders and what more. We are even responsible for current people. Matthew 28:18-20 says:
ReplyDelete"And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
Well, Jesus was with his disciples all along teaching them what to do and how to work with people. He taught them many things and they had even the chance to try it out. And now? They were ready. They knew maybe everything they needed. They had even the proof, their personal testimony, that Christ is risen. So they are ready for the next step.
First, they are supposed to go to all of the nations and make disciples. With other words to bear the gospel to every man.
Those who will accept this good news should be baptized. But that is not the end of the road. They maybe have their personal relation with Jesus now, but let´s go on.
"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you" (vers 20). Now they are ready to lead others. So we have to teach them, how to do that.
I have heard one statistic, if we would share the gospel and teach the people what to do next, and every year, we would do it with one man, and he would go on with that too, the whole world would believe in Jesus in 40 years. That seams unrealistic to me what what is impossible with the man is possible with God.
Therefore I think, that we have a great responsibility.
I haven't thought about our responsibility in light of the Matthew 28 passage, but I can see where you are headed there. Thanks for showing me that angle.
ReplyDeleteEphesians 4 is the passage that I look at most often when I think about the responsibility of the local church to train up the next generation of leaders for the church. The Matthew 28 passage makes me think more about the 'making disciples' aspect of the question.