Model, Assist, Watch, Leave Part 2

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. One of the greatest demonstrations of love a leader can provide is to model, assist, watch and leave ministry responsibility with a disciple. 

This was Jesus’ method of equipping his twelve disciples to change the world. He spent three years with them casting out demons, healing the sick and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  He showed them how to preach the message of repentance and believing the Good News.  He assisted them as they ministered in the same way he did. Then he left them with full authority and full responsibility to make disciples of all nations. Jesus’ example was so clear: Model the way in ministry. Then assist your disciples as they learn to do what you do in ministry. Next, watch them minister without your help. Then release them to minister leaving them with the authority and responsibility of multiplying disciples. Model, assist, watch and leave.

So if his example of leadership development was so clear and so simple, why is it that so few pastors, teachers, and missionaries follow Jesus’ example?  There are plenty of Christ-followers who model good ministry practices.  But there are not so many who allow others who are less experienced and less skilled to join them in ministry. But Jesus certainly did. His disciples, were not skilled, or educated or cultured. They were often confused and tried to do just the opposite of what Jesus wanted to do. But he stuck with them and invited them to be his representatives. They assisted him in ministry. He assisted them and watched them as they carried out ministry on their own.

What was the result? When Jesus’ disciples ministered healing and clearly proclaimed Jesus as the Savior of the world, the rulers and elders of Israel “…saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).  How did Peter and John learn to heal a lame man and proclaim Jesus as Savior of the world?  They spent time with Jesus. Jesus modeled the way, assisted them in ministry, watched them minister and then left them with the responsibility and the authority to minister the way he did.

But many of us are impatient. We’d rather do ministry by ourselves. We don’t want to take the time required to train others.  We are happy to model, but we are afraid to assist, watch, and leave ministry responsibility in the hands of others who are not as skilled as we are. However, when we act on that fear, we play right into the devil’s hands. Satan does not want to see skilled, empowered witnesses for Christ going out from your church to minister with authority in Jesus’ name. So he tempts you to believe that you are more effective in ministry if you don’t take time to model, assist, watch and leave.

If you fall to his temptation you will miss a great opportunity to expand the kingdom of God.  So hear my word of encouragement for you today: model, assist, watch, and leave. Yes it is hard, sometimes your disciples will do things that bring embarrassment on you and on themselves. But in the end, your ministry and theirs will be far more extensive, far more impactful than if you had simply chosen to ministry by yourself. 

How will we fulfill the vision of a church in every African village by 2050? Model, assist, watch and leave. 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

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