Leading with Fear: Gathering or Scattering?
It looks like we are going backwards and the use of making people afraid to gain power and control is again used by several Christian as well as Islamic groups.
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Today we present one of the writings of Tony Franklyn, a pastor by St. Mark United Methodist Church, who finds it is a fundamental law of nature itself that we are blessed to be a blessing.
In the previous week we look at our abilities. One of the abilities of life is the ability to see which we can use to see the Work of God in forests,
where tall trees, who block the sun from reaching smaller sprouts eventually fall pray to sickness, die, and then become fire hazards, whose ashes eventually nourish those small sprouts again. {Blessing}
In nature we also have the ability to see the blessings of God.
We see it in the fields who fall pray to swarms of locusts, who must then move on to the next field or starve because of their own insatiable hunger. We see it millions of examples of organisms living together and helping one another find food and safety… and it is the very foundation of agriculture, where we, human beings, protect, preserve, and nurture the land and animals around us so that we too might have food. Whatever blessing any creature possesses, it is made to serve in the natural order of life to bless those around it. {Blessing}
Pastor Franklyn served in about ten different churches and had the opportunity for leading several para-church ministries (ministries outside an “official” church congregation), the two churches he now serves have, according to him, some of the best attitudes towards the ministry of the laity in the church.
He writes
When my people see a need, they do something about it. If a meeting is required, they have a meeting, but they do not let those meetings come to wasted words. They pray, visit, and minister to those outside of their own congregations. They love people as they are and encourage them to grow in Christ. They do not pretend to be any more than they are – people loved by God, sent into His world to share that love. {Life with God: Week 5 – Faith to Serve}
When looking at the Old Testament he sees that
the opportunity to assist Israel in worship of God was a gift and not to be taken lightly. {A Life of Holiness: Week 2 – Priests}
Priests or those responsible for the calling of people to come to God should proclaim the excellencies of the One Who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Christ Blessing the Children (Photo credit: Wikipedia)9 [a]But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. {1 Peter 2:9New American Bible Revised Edition}
The apostle Peter referring to the prerogatives of ancient Israel here now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race” (cf. Is 43:20–21) indicating their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in the fellowship under Christ, thus continuing the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation” (Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people He claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in virtue of their baptism into Jesus his death and resurrection. This should transcend all natural and national divisions and should unite the people into one community, not creating division, to glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, those who decided to become a lover of God and came under Christ, being baptised in the body of Christ, have become the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:25).
Those preachers and leaders as well as their flock should be an example for others and should not destroy and scatter the sheep of the pasture of the Most High. And not only god and His chosen prophet Jeremiah warns us to be very careful how we handle our faith and use it to convince others to come to God.
We remember what God says
23 Woe be unto the ro’im that destroy and scatter the tzon of My pasture! saith Hashem.
2 Therefore thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel against the ro’im that shepherd My people; Ye have scattered My tzon, and driven them away, and have not attended to them; hineni, I will attend to you for the rah of your doings, saith Hashem.
3 And I will gather the she’erit (remnant) of My tzon out of all countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up ro’im (shepherds) over them which shall shepherd them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith Hashem.
5 Hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, that I will raise up unto Dovid a Tzemach Tzaddik [i.e., Moshiach Ben Dovid Yehoshua, see 30:9; 33:15; Zech 3:8 Ezra 3:8; Zech 6:11-12; Mt 2:23; Isa 4:2; 9:2-7; 11:1-12; 53:2,11; Moshiach the new “Joshua” Isa 49:8], and a Melech shall reign and act wisely, and shall execute mishpat and tzedakah in ha’aretz.
6 In his days Yehudah shall be saved, and Yisroel shall dwell safely; and this is Shmo whereby he shall be called Adonoi Tzidkeinu.
7 Therefore, hinei, the days are coming, saith Hashem, that they shall no more say, Hashem liveth, which brought up the Bnei Yisroel out of Eretz Mitzrayim;
8 But, Hashem liveth, which brought up and which led the zera Bais Yisroel out of the eretz tzafonah, and from all countries to where I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
{Yirmeyah 23:1-8 Orthodox Jewish Bible}
To which pastor Franklyn likes to add that fear is a dangerous thing for leaders to employ and finds it questionable whether we, as God His human agents in leadership should employ fear.
The Lord is my Good Shepherd (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
- Fear = powerful tool in shaping the behaviour of those around us = used to both scatter and gather > Usually to scatter
- leaders > when using fear to chase away flock from a circumstantial place of danger, or to exert the effort to pour it on and keep them continually afraid and continually following you => brainwashing = not Godly leadership > abuse of leadership by using fear tactics => price to pay
- greatest danger of employing fear = working with poison or explosives = weapon which often ones back to harm those who employ it > eliminating ability to choose wisely + freely => crippling own ability to lead.
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Preceding articles
Today’s thought “Ability to receive ableness from God” (May 11)
Today’s thought “Ability to see that God is not dead” (May 12)
Today’s thought “Ability to circumcise your heart” (May 13)
Today’s thought “Ability to assemble” (May 14)
Showing by the scriptures that …
Looking on what is going on and not being of it
Sunday 7 September service: Imitate prophets and Paul
Salvation, trust and action in Jesus #3 as a Christian
Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation
Being in isolation #7 Mission work
Engaging the culture without losing the gospel
Evangelisation, local preaching opposite overseas evangelism
Reasons why you may not miss the opportunity to go to a Small Church
When seeing a biblically sound church
When not seeing or not finding a biblically sound church
Why we do not have our worship-services in a church building
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Additional reading
- Crisis man needed in this world
- More Muslim children than Christian children growing up in our cities
- Your position about materialistic desires having conquered the world
- When discouraged facing opposition
- Bible for you and for life
- When looking for God or wanting to relate to the Most High Divine God
- A Living Faith #3 Faith put into action
- Many forgot how Christ should be our anchor and our focus
- Looking for a shepherd for the sheep and goats
- When believing in God’s existence and His son, possessing a divine legislation
- Is being a humanitarian enough to convey the full love of Christ?
- Which is worse–works without faith, or faith without works?
- Reflection for today: hating your brother
- The Law of Christ: Law of Love
- Necessary to be known all over the earth
- Necessity of a revelation of creation 10 Instructions for insight and wisdom
- From Bibles and other religious writings and those who witness for Jehovah
- A Christian has to have eyes and ears and a tongue to use in good ways
- Ability (part 7) Thought about the ability to grow as a member of the Body of Christ
- Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom
- It is Today
- Asia Cahaya Conference focusing on preaching
- Jehovah’s Witnesses not only group that preach the good news
- Holland Week of billing
- Trying to get the youth inspired
- What Should I Preach ?
- How should we preach?
- Preaching to an unbelieving world
- Preaching Christ Is Not Enough
- Perishable non theologians daring to go out to preach
- Daring to speak in multicultural environment
- Preaching by example
- Christians having the right heart to call others to go to God
- Priest, scribes and others with authority
- A Synod to speak freely and to listen without reservations
- Let us make sure we are not stiff-necked
- Preachers should know and continue the task Jesus has given his followers
- Beautiful feet of those who announce the good news
- Helping websites to prepare for the last days
- Our openness to being approachable
- Preparing for the Kingdom
- Atonement And Fellowship 4/8
- What climate activists can learn from Sunday School leaders
- A Passover for unity in God’s community
- Signs of the Last Days
- How do I know if I’m called to ministry?
- Reflections on Existence and Teaching
- Looking for True Spirituality 7 Preaching of the Good News
- Missionary action paradigm for all endeavours of the church
- What Should I Preach ?
- Who are the Christadelphians
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Further reading
- This Is War!
- Gathering Together His Elect
- Congregations and Prickles
- Thoughts On the Authority of Scripture
- Tell Me The Story….Write on My Heart Every Word
- Baptism, Preaching, and Politics
- The Strange Effects of Preaching
- The Walk Out
- Review: To Fly, To Serve
- Let Them Have More Of Jesus Christ
- The Mission
- Improving the Preacher-Listener Connection
- Last week’s sermon: The Good Shepherd
- Bonus Sermon – The Bap Shepherd
- As in the Heart, So in the Ministry
- An Effective Template for Preaching Christ-Centered Sermons
- Doubt (and Hip-Hop)
- Poor Preaching
- Three Types of Bad Preaching (And Their Remedies)
- Exegeting my own heart
- Calvin’s Company of Pastors
- Eloquence is Only a Tool
- Angles on Preaching IV – by Geoff New
- Teach the Truth!
- Serving and Suffering Under the Cross: Martin Luther on the Visible Sign of the Militant Church Reformission Monday)
- Who Influences Me: Expository Preachers
- No Better Preaching Than the Gospel
- Full until it Overflows
- How Jesus Brought the Light to His Dark Mission Field and How We Should Bring It to Ours (Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign, Day 104 / Day 471 since Jan. 1, 2016)
- The Politics Of The Church
- Why the Church Sucks at Teaching
- On The Perils Of Preaching On Mother’s Day
- ~You are the Master~
- “Knowing God and Rejecting that Knowledge” – Romans 1:18-23 – Service and Sermons from St Peters.
- Reflections from Sunday School: The True Value of the Bible (Apr. 9, 2017)
- A Faith You Can Believe
- The Importance of Expository Preaching of the WordBook Review: Progress in the Pulpit
- Book Review: The Minister as Moral Theologian: Ethical Dimensions of Pastoral Leadership, by Sondra Wheeler
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Related articles
- What Are We Waiting For?
- Deliverance Prayers
- How ‘S-Town’ Podcast Fails Black Listeners
- Mike Pence and the ‘Billy Graham Rule’
- The Islamic Jesus
- “Plotting the Resurrection”: Final Thoughts on Glen Wiberg
- God Of Your Breakthrough
- That’s a Great Question
- Class: Ahaz Floods Judah with Idols, 2 Kings 16
- Palm Sunday reflection: Matthew 26:14 – 27:66
Leading with Fear: Gathering or Scattering?
Restoration after Exile
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord.
The Righteous Branch of David
The days are…
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