I blog for myself and not for any other reason. I don't pine for comments, so it's always fun to get one because it's like a "bonus".
My good friend Lawrence, who happens to my mom's fabulous husband, made an interesting comment in passing yesterday. He mentioned what's typically called the "Moses Model" in regards to how a church is primary lead by the senior pastor. What's weird is I had only just heard the term the night before.
Here's what I've gathered recently: Moses was Israel's leader. He had 70 elders. He was a deliverer. God gave him the Law. Moses was a type of Christ. Christ has now come. We have our High Priest. Christ is our deliverer. Christ fulfilled the law.
Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. ~ Hebrews 3:1-6 (NKJV)To me this means that Jesus is the Head of each church, he is the "Senior Pastor". So it would appear to me that if Moses was "replaced" by Jesus, can any one then "replace" Jesus'?
I can't reconcile that anywhere in the New Testament. If anything, I can find plenty to contradict it.
I suppose I'd be nuts to end it at that because I'm sure I'm being offensive to those who are senior pastors. The thing is, is the "Moses Model" good for anyone, even current senior pastors? Is any person capable of carrying that kind of burden alone?? How many pastor's have suffered needlessly because they have more authority (even just a little more) than anyone else? They become the target for all the complaints. This doesn't sound like a safe position for any pastor.
I used to think, "well someone has to have the final say". Yes it's true, and that person is God. I have all the faith in the world that Jesus is capable of leading each church and of granting it's leaders the ability to hear him as they look for the answers they need.
8 comments:
Hey was'up!
i really like your photo style.
"Moses Model", never heard of it till now. (if i did i've forgotten)i was just throwing in an example of leadership and appointed persons to help.
For sure that was a different time and place and need.
i like Paul's application and comments throughout his work. God certainly knew who to pick for going to the Gentiles while the original apostles were doing their thing at Jerusalem and even had to be shown what God was doing through Paul's ministry.
(On a similar subject.)
Personaly i don't think a book of Acts church is what we need. We are no longer in the book of Acts and if we belive that God is linear, without end as the universe, then we have to look at what he wants to do now!
But at the same time we don't have to destroy the foundation, it is built upon Christ.
i heard an interesting word from Larry Randolph when he was at our church in Nov.08. Instead of "revival" we need "renaissance", instead of trying to revive a dead work.
God is progressive and a lot of people have looked at revival like Lazarus, but that was a picture of Jesus own death... they did not get it.
What do we want? Jesus brought a Hebrew thinking and action into a Greek reasoned atmosphere, and it messed them up.
What you are hinting at requires a genuine heart desire filled with love and laying everything else aside. This requires a cost and i'm not sure that there are those who really want to move with God that strongly, because of the work and effort it would take to make a change. The buzz words being mindsets and paradigms.
i believe God is up to something within many people, the world around us is changing rapidly and the church face as we know it is not very attractive.
God forbid that some catastrophic event should have to happen in N.A. for us to be on our faces.
i know your community is going through some pushing, pulling, straining, and i know you have a heart of concern.
i love to share with you, love ya large.
Blessings,
L.
(not sure why my i.d. won't come up, weird man)
About your photo... Just for fun,
"you are tracking well" LOL
Oh dear, I guess I need to clarify that the recent photos aren't mine, but belong to the person in the title link. I like her style too!
I'm glad you're chiming in once again because I'm really REALLY wanting to resolve my unresolved feelings on all of this. It's like I've discovered something "new" but I'm not sure where to fit it in to my thinking and how to prevent from becoming an idol.
Maybe it is like reaching for the impossible or improbable.
LOVE the use of the word "renaissance"!!!!
Thanks again L!!!!!!!!
(((Hugs)))
P.S. LOL on the photo comment!
Hey again...
Not sure what you meant when you said "idol"?
Would you consider doing something in prayer, if i make a suggestion? To help you on your quest.
Default dad... LOL
L.
Default Dad...you're funny!
K, I mean "idol" as in getting so fixated on something having to be a certain way to the point where it becomes a distraction. Just putting an opinion in a position of too much importance.
Yes, yes, I want your suggestion!!!!
Ok... Prayer suggestion.
Your mom and i have been praying into and agreeing with Paul's prayer in Eph.1:15-23 every night for at least a month now. i was impressed to do this from reading and studying Eldredge's book we just finished with our group. Giving credit to the praying, your mom has been falling in love with Jesus all over... KKKOOOLLL!!!
You take the words that Paul is praying, make them personal, exercise faith.
God wants you to know him better, through wisdom and revelation. (interacting with your spirit and Holy Spirit and Jesus who is interceeding for us, seated with the Father and us there with him also)Also the eyes of your heart,the hope,the incomparably great power that raised Christ from the dead and so on...
It is easier to explain if you heard it.
Praying this "you know" that this is the will of God so you know that he will react to your faith and answer.
For me i have had "renaissance" working in me... OH YAH!!
Ask Holy Spirit to guide you and if need be give us a call.
Blessings,
L.
good to see you two chatting like this...great stuff!
love ya!
mom
(waves to mom!)
L, regarding the prayer, that's good stuff, and what's interesting is in essence, I've already been doing exactly that!!!!
It was through no endeavor on my part really, it's just something I've been led into through God initiating, and as a result of realizing that God has brought me into a season of training. It's a case of praying like that because God has begun to do a work in me. So I pray for wisdom and revelation and to be pleasing to Him, to not go ahead of Him, to be able to hear His voice alone.
Of course when you start to really increase your knowledge, it's like information overload. I am fully confident that God will put things in their proper place and I will retain what is useful and put aside whatever appears to be unessential or even useless.
It's been very cool because as a result, I'm dreaming more, and actually for the first time being able to find the interpretation. I've also started journaling, which is something I've never been good at discipline-wise, but God gives me something in some fashion to write out, whether it's a great quote, a dream, an epiphany, or a conversation with someone in which God actually used me to bring revelation to that person.
In the end I'm more humbled than anything, but it all leaves me with a deep sense of humility because I want to be faithful with what God's giving me.
That's fantastic about mom, and she told me the other day on the phone. Very exciting for her!!!!
Thanks, and keep on handing me platefuls of good stuff to chew on!
Hugs,
Heidi
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