Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.
In today’s culture, we are experiencing a tangible void in leadership.
In fact, many people have exhibited behaviors proving that they don’t want to be leaders. Often, those who take on the mantle of leadership are the least qualified, while those who are most qualified to respond to God’s prompting are non-responsive.
The former First Lady of First Baptist Church of Glenarden used to say, “If you call yourself a leader and no one is following you, you are just taking a walk.”
The truth is that God is calling many of us to leadership, and yet many call themselves leaders, and no one follows their lead.
God’s Supernatural Leadership in the Desert
“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.’ When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you.”
Numbers 10:1-4, NKJV
God has led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and they are now following under Moses’ leadership. After being in bondage for many years, they are on their journey to the Promised Land by way of God’s supernatural direction. Being in a desert had its downfalls: the land was vast, and the people were unsure which direction to go, so the Lord used a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day to direct them in the way they should go.
God gives specific directions through structure, order, authority, and restrictions. He does so through the specific people He has called to leadership.
So how do we know the leadership we are called to and which direction we are to go? Together, let’s look at the call, caution, and care God has for leaders.
God’s Call to Leaders
“But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you.”
Numbers 10:4, NKJV
For many of us considering leadership, there is a divine prompting beckoning us to His call. So, how do we know we are the right fit?
Leaders Are Called to Lift Up a Standard (Numbers 10:14)
“The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.”
Numbers 10:14, NKJV
The standard of the Camp of Judah involves raising a banner. But why did God give this to the people of Judah? The name Judah means praise. This is significant because God is raising up people who have transitioned from a season of learning how to give God praise regardless of their circumstances. And just like Judah, God’s chosen people, who were held in bondage for generations, we, too, must learn to praise God in our bondage seasons.
The standard of the camp, or leadership in the Kingdom, is reserved for those who have learned enough about God and His strength and trustworthiness, regardless of what’s happening around them, to consistently give Him praise.
This standard — worshiping the Almighty God no matter what happens — is characteristic of leaders.
How Can I Praise God When….
Now, you may wonder, “How can I praise God when all hell is breaking loose?”
I have learned that it begins with looking back on your history with God. There have been many times when I have had to pause and look back over my life and remember that whatever God permits in my life, He has equipped me to handle whatever comes my way.
Understand that He will never permit us to enter a circumstance beyond our capacity. Everything you have or will go through, God is faithful to bring you out on the winning side.
Leaders Have Order (Numbers 10:28)
“This was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey.”
Numbers 10:28, NKJV
God is a God of order. We see this demonstrated through Judah, who had order and structure in the journey and the provision.
One thing I am thankful for is that FBCG operates in an orderly fashion. Years ago, when I became the pastor, there were ten people attending Bible study. (That is a minuscule amount, considering we had four to five hundred people in our congregation!) At this time, God revealed a truth to me: You can’t expect the church to do what leaders aren’t doing. So a new standard we implemented was that if you are going to be an elder or a deacon, you will be in some form of Bible study or Sunday school.
You cannot call yourself a leader in the church if you aren’t strengthening and developing your spiritual life. As leaders, may we be studiers, givers, and those raising the banner!
God’s Caution to Leaders
Beware of Complainers (Numbers 11:1)
“Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord hear it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.”
Numbers 11: 1, NKJV
Leaders, you must look out for people who complain about every aspect of their lives. In fact, Judah was an example of what not to do, and in all their complaints, we learn that the Lord was angered. Unfortunately, some of you who God has called into leadership aren’t able to fulfill that mandate because you are listening to complainers.
Numbers tells us that the people of Judah complained about everything. They complained when they were enslaved and now as they are freed. They complained about the supernatural manna God gave them and the water He provided. They even complained about Moses’ wife! Sadly, they found something wrong with everything.
God was supernaturally feeding them in the wilderness, and they found fault with His goodness. Leaders, stop allowing complainers to dictate your direction, decisions, and choices. Choose to seek God’s perfect and supernatural provision in your life.
Beware of Their Complaints (Numbers 11:4-6)
“Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: ‘Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!’”
Numbers 11:4-6, NKJV
God was supernaturally feeding them, and they were finding fault due to their intense cravings. In fact, in His goodness, God delivered them from slavery, and they still wanted to go back to what they used to have. Stop craving what God has delivered you from!
Furthermore, be careful not to minimize the miracles that God has given you! God wakes you up every morning and gives you the activities of your limbs. That alone is a great miracle.
I know you are tired of your small home; thank God you have a roof over your head!
I know you may be frustrated with your work circumstances; praise the Lord that you have a job!
The very things you find complaint in are the provisions of a faithful God. Learn to be thankful for whatever provision God has made for you.
God’s Care For Leaders
“So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,” to the land which you swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, “Give us meat, that we may eat.” I am not able to bear all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If you treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!’ So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.”
Numbers 11:11-16, NKJV
Moses feels overwhelmed by the people’s concerns and complaints, so he talks to God about them. Every leader must learn to communicate their frustrations to God.
Maybe you relate—Moses was burned out and frustrated with the responsibility of leading the people of Israel, and perhaps that, too, is the reason you are hesitant to take up the mantle of leadership. If God is calling you to step into the burden you feel about caring for and dealing with people, it’s time to reevaluate your life!
Godly Support (Numbers 11:16)
“So the Lord said to Moses: ‘Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.”
Numbers 11:16, NKJV
No matter where you are, God will always provide you with Godly support. In fact, you will never find yourself in a situation where God will not give people to stand around you, be with you, and pray for you.
I am so grateful for the people God has surrounded me with as I pastor our church. Throughout the journey, godly people—deacons and elders—have stood with me.
I will never forget the day my wife and I learned that one of my teenage daughters had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. I remember one of my trusted deacons gathered the others, and they stood around me and prayed. They weren’t critical; they didn’t find fault; they surrounded and supported me in one of the most challenging seasons of my life.
I want every leader to know that no matter how much drama you face, there is always someone in the crowd God has raised up to support and encourage you.
Spiritual Impartation (Numbers 11:17, 25)
“Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.”
Numbers 11:17, NKJV
God promises to deliver spiritual impartation. He will take the anointing that is in you and impart it to those who are standing with you.
I am grateful that God is raising up people around me who carry the anointing that is on my life. Their unity in their actions, decisions, and treatment of others aligns with my calling.
Saints, God wants to raise up leaders. Don’t miss the anointing God has placed on you because of earthly circumstances. Look to His supernatural provision and surrender to the mantle of where He is calling you to lead.
Will you join me in leadership?
For more on leadership, check out Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.’s sermon, God’s Call to Leaders.