leaders needed

Following Jesus’ example of discipleship reveals He not only imparted information that makes up the gospel, the word of God, but He also developed His closest followers to become effective leaders. The ultimate is reproduction, leaders developing other effective leaders. And so the church grows into the kingdom which cannot be shaken. Nehemiah found himself thrust into the midst of leading the people of God as well as training a select group to lead. This practice of training leaders is, of course, as old as mankind. Leadership seminars are numerous and thousands of books have been written on the subject. However, Nehemiah offers a reason, a motivation for stepping out of his comfortable situation and diving into unfamiliar waters. Nehemiah 1:11says “now, I was the cupbearer to the king.”  What motivated such a drastic change of life?  A cup bearer is a slave, a servant who lives close to the king, but still a servant. So what would motivate a slave, one who has direct dealings with the king, to leave an easy job (compared to making bricks) and head for the wilderness? Answer- Love for God and His people. Upon learning of the shameful and wretched condition of the “holy nation” of God, Nehemiah “wept and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Neh1:3-4) Love for the brethren and love for the Lord God motivated even the simplest of men to focus on and complete an extraordinary task. The people of Israel were in “great distress and (great) reproach” and defenseless. The need was great and his love was great. This is exactly the kind of man God wants to use to lead His people to victory. Church, are you weeping and mourning right now over God’s kingdom? Are you praying and fasting, looking for direction and guidance toward future ministries? Is your heart filled with love for the people of God, the body of Christ, the Lord’s church, to the point where you are thinking about leaving the comfort and ease of your current situation?Do you want to give more, serve more, engage in the battle more? The need for Godly leaders is great. The ministry opportunities at OPCC are growing. This is exactly the time the adversary would plan an attack in order to stop the momentum and destroy our efforts. Let us therefore, sure up our defenses and develop strong leaders who serve out of love for God and love for His people. No haphazard operations!!  Every deed must be driven by a focus on the great commission, “ go make disciples.” To accomplish this good work, we need motivated leaders who will serve, train and inspire all for the glory of God. In conclusion, let me introduce the theme for 2020, 
“Let us arise and build.”  

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