Several pastors asked me if I would upload the notes from my talk at the Nat'l New Church Conference in Orlando. Here they are:
One of the greatest battles we face as church
planters, is an issue that I’ve fought in my own life; and ministry is self doubt.
The challenge is that when we doubt ourselves: We're tempted to :
Compare ourselves to other leaders.
Copy other leaders.
Condemn other leaders (or ourselves).
1 Samuel 17:38-40 (NLT) 38Then
Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39David
put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it
was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he
protested. “I’m not used to them.” So he took them off again. 40He
picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag.
Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across to
fight Goliath.
David had a choice: fight the battle his
way; or fight the battle someone else’s way.
To try to fight like Saul would do it, or like he knew to do
it. To put on someone else’ armor, or go find his own weapons.
In our churches, wearing someone else’s armor is doing ministry
someone else’s way.
And when we doubt who God’s made us and how He’s wired us,
We unconsciously start trying to fight the battles of
ministry like everyone else is doing it!
We try to wear someone else’s armor! And this has all kinds
of expressions in our lives.
Someone else’s armor can be someone else’s personality.
Someone else’s armor can be someone else’s testimony.
1 Samuel 17:34-37
(NLT) 34But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my
father’s sheep,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the
flock, 35I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth.
If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36I
have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan
Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37The
LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from
this Philistine!”
Someone else’s armor can be someone else’s context.
Someone else’s armor can be someone else’s expectations.
Someone else’s armor can be someone else’s talent.
What would have happened if David had tried to fight the battle with
Goliath in someone else’s armor?
First of all, it would’ve limited his movement, right? And would’ve probably gotten him killed!
Could it be that you and I are limiting the movement of God
in our church because we’re trying to fight the battle someone else’s way?
And the question God is asking us today is: “Are we willing
to take off all that artificial stuff we’re wearing and start being who we were
meant to be?!”
Self Assessment Questions regarding our security as a leader:
1. Who am I, really?
2. What is my testimony?
3. What are my strengths?
4. What's unique about where God has placed me?
5. Am I a soldier or a shepherd?
6. How does all of this make me unique?
7. How does all of this affirm or go against they way I'm doing life and ministry now?
Here is the secret to David's security as a young leader:
1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NLT)
45David shouted in reply, “You come to me with sword,
spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty—the God
of the armies of
Israel
,
whom you have defied. 46Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will
kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your
men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is
a God in
Israel
!
47And everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to
rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us."
The bottom line is thus: We don’t need to wear someone else’s armor to win!
