[Leadership style of Nehemiah 11]
8 SO they read distinctly from THE BOOK, in the Law of God [the Scripture]; and they gave the sense, AND HELPED THEM [the people] TO UNDERSTAND THE READING.
13 NOW on the second day THE HEADS OF THE FATHERS' HOUSES of all the people, with THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE WORDS OF THE LAW."
Nehemiah 8:1-3,8,13 (NKJV)
• The Word of God gives understanding and Joy to the soul of the people.
- When the Word is taught and the people received it with a repentant heart, they had a godly sorrow, and accepted to follow Jesus Christ—God:
"FOR [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God PRODUCES A REPENTANCE WITHOUT REGRET, LEADING TO SALVATION; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10 AMP). - Then the leaders would need to calm them and encourage them—direct them on how to strengthen their relationship with God:
9 AND Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; DO NOT MOURN NOR WEEP.” FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WEPT, WHEN THEY HEARD THE WORDS OF THE LAW. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH" (Nehemiah 8:9,10 (NKJV). - Assure them of God's faithfulness, mercy, love and His willingness to forgive and accept whoever confesses his or her sins and turns back to Him: FOR “WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED” (Romans 10:13 NKJV).
"IF we CONFESS our Sins, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (1 John 1:9 NKJV).
• Teach and train the leaders:
"ON the second day THE LEADERS OF THE FAMILIES OF ALL THE PEOPLE, including the priests and the Levites, MET WITH EZRA THE SCRIBE TO STUDY THE WORDS OF GOD'S TEACHINGS" (Nehemiah 8:13 GOD’S WORD Translation).
- You have to develop the leaders around you, those who are working with you, for the work committed to your hand might grow and be increased.
- If you can get the leaders to understand the Word of God, equip them to know the truth, the whole people or congregation would not be difficult to get.
- Train your associates and the sectional Head in your church and Ministry.
- If you succeeded in changing the leaders, to change the followers, the people, would not be an uphill task:
"AND the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, COMMIT THESE TO FAITHFUL MEN WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS ALSO" (2 Timothy 2:2 NKJV). - Note: In developing the leaders around you, you would need to consider the following:
(a) If you are having a large congregation, give yourself to twenty percent of the people you are leading.
(b) Develop a plan for their growth.
(c) Be transparent with them.
(d) Give them the opportunity to practice, put to work, whatever you have taught them.
• The teaching and the training of the people and the leaders had to be an ongoing programme that should NOT be stopped.
- As a leader, God's minister and His representative, you would do well to plan and organize a programme, a meeting, where the people under your leadership would gather for a number of days and be taught the Word of God (Nehemiah 8:18).
- A meeting where they would have to leave everything, their works and houses, come together in a place, and be taught the Word of God. A kind of camp Meeting:
14 AS THEY STUDIED THE LAW, they discovered that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month. 16 So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate" (Nehemiah 8:14,16 (NLT). - In such a meeting, there minds would be away from cares and affairs of life, they would be there to learn and unburden their hearts to God.
- God delights in such meetings and usually move, and made Himself known to the people.
- It could be gleaned from the pages of the Scriptures that God commanded different feasts, festivals, whereby His people are required to gather up, and come before Him for a number of days (Exodus 23:14-19).
(i) God does not want His people to always be overtaken with Care and affairs of life. He does want them to trust in Him, depend on Him, for their needs to be met (Matthew 6:27-34).
(ii) He wants the knowing of Him and the doing of His Will, that is, doing of His Word—be their utmost priority (Joshua 1:8; Colossians 3:1,2; James 1:22,25).
• Let everything you do in your ministry be based on the Scriptures.
- Whatever is not found in the Scriptures should not be done or practiced.
- The Bible is our melting point and standard for all we do in the Ministry work. What could not be established with the Scripture should be done away with.
- Do not copy whatever someone else, or other people, are doing because it is popular and widely accepted. If it was not found in the Scriptures, do not do it:
"EZRA READ FROM THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF GOD ON EACH OF THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL. Then on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, AS WAS REQUIRED BY LAW [the Scripture]" (Nehemiah 8:18 (NLT).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Whatever is warring against your health is cursed in Jesus' name.
- Healing is your portion in Jesus' name.
Peace!
TO BE CONTINUED