LAST DAY LEADERSHIP MODEL
Rick Joyner (Joyner, The Path, 2012) states that he was shown that the leadership that will get the church to the destination God has for mankind, is modelled by geese. When studying gees flying, scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes:
• You can't beat Mother Nature when it comes to flight design, and hence modelling leadership principles. Geese flying in V-shaped patterns are saving energy. Each bird uses the uplifting air coming off the bird in front of it. This makes flying easier. When the bird in front gets tired, it moves to the back. The next bird in line takes the lead. The first purpose is that it conserves their energy. In formation each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of him. The result is a reduction of wind resistance. Furthermore, the birds take turns being in the front, and then falling back when they get tired. This way they can get much quicker at their destination. They fly in V formation behind the leader, because it is about 30% easier to draft behind others than it is to be in the lead. In this way, the geese can fly for a long time before they must stop for rest (NASA, 2019).
A study that was published in 2001 in Nature stated that pelicans that fly alone beat their wings more frequently and have higher heart rates than those that fly in formation. It follows that birds that fly in formation glide more often and reduce energy expenditure (Weimerskirch, 2001).
• The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Interestingly fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason (Anon, Everyday mysteries, 2019).
This type of flying isn't easy for aircraft pilots. An airplane creates lift when it flies. The lift makes the wind twist off the tip of the plane's wings. This makes it hard for pilots to control their planes while they fly in a pattern. In the same way it would not be easy to lead in this way because people tend to move into each one’s position. But, if the group can overcome this obstacle they will be able to reach much further, in an accelerated time. If the flock is to keep up its pace, getting as far as it can as quickly as it can, it must regularly change leaders. If the leader’s weariness begins to slow the whole group down, they will need to let someone else take over, at least for a while, until the same thing happens to them. Every leader should always be looking who that “next” leader should be, so that they could assist in their preparation.
CHURCH AGE VERSUS KINGDOM AGE LEADERSHIP
In the previous dispensation, all the way back to the 4th century, most of the leadership styles within the church was about the leader. The leader spends most of his time to serve the needs of the people and getting the people to trust them and follow them. In many cases the church embraced the leadership model of the world, even that type of leadership model that was used by politicians. This model is a very selfish and self-centred style, by getting people to trust in them and follow them. In saying that it is acknowledge that everything raises and fall on leadership. Leadership will be a crucial element in the next move of God, taking the church into the new dispensation of Kingdom. It is leadership that holds any organization together, and results it to grow, or move forward.
God gave the family as a leadership model. In a family, the leaders are obviously supposed to be the parents. But in a church, this leadership is not so obvious, unless it is really a “franchise church” that is modelled on the world and presumes to be a church. In this case the leadership will come from the “franchise headquarters”. However, this was not how it was modelled in the Book of Acts - the birthing place of the church. If the Apostle Paul’s leadership model is taken, it is noteworthy that after Paul led people to the Lord and established a church, it would often be months before he returned to set leaders in place. He gave time for koinonia to happen before imposing ecclesia.
• Definition of koinonia (G2842): (Strong, 2003) partnership, fellowship, association, communion, contribution, distribution
• Definition of ecclesia (G1577): (Strong, 2003) calling out, especially a religious congregation, assembly, church
In leaving them to fellowship, most properly the true leadership had time to be discerned. Today it is more important than ever that the true church that the Lord is building will have Jesus as the Head. In that His headship will be exercised through those who He has called and anointed for that purpose. As He said when He entered Jerusalem to be crucified, as recorded in Matthew 23:39, “you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Therefore, He is saying that after His crucifixion, His children must see Him in those He sends, if they are going to see Him. Rick Joyner (Joyner, MorningStar, 2015) made an extremely important statement: “The way that I know someone is an Ephesians 4 teacher is not by how knowledgeable or articulate they are, but it is when I see my Teacher, Jesus, in them. The way that I recognize someone as a true Ephesians 4 pastor is not by their education, or how compassionate or wise their counsel is, but it is when I see my Shepherd, Jesus, in them. The same is true of His leadership. I recognize someone as a true ordained leader when I see my Leader in them. Those who rely too much on titles, or even on who ordained them, as the basis of their recognition are the ones we should be the most sceptical of. There is a place for understanding and recognizing positions in the body of Christ, but those who are too demanding of recognition are usually the ones we should be wary of and have not been sent by the Lord. It says that Jezebel “calls herself a prophetess” (Revelation 2:20). Even so, the main way we are going to have true spiritual authority in the church is by learning to follow only those who follow Christ, are abiding in Him, and manifesting Him. The way we will know true spiritual leaders is when we see our Leader in them and refuse to follow cheap substitutes.”
Anyone that has served under leadership will acknowledge that the kind of leadership taught and demonstrated by the Lord and the early apostles is rarely found today. According to Joyner (Joyner, The Path, 2012), those who demonstrate it all have very small ministries true Godly leadership. The Apostle Paul lamented that the Corinthians would follow those who abused them and even slapped them in the face. But Paul came allowing his personal weaknesses to be seen, and they would not listen to him. A very important statement is made by Joyner (Joyner, The Path, 2012), “Carnal people respond to carnal strength and carnal leadership.” In all fairness, when today’s church is evaluated by Apostle Paul’s standard according to what is written Paul would have said that it is still on baby milk, hence extremely immature (Hebrews 5 and 6)!
By Biblical standards today’s church is still in general carnal and immature. Jesus Christ demonstrated a different kind of leadership and in Revelation 3 it is written that He stands outside the door of His own church knocking to see if any will open to Him. Jesus demonstrated a gentleness with no force or control, neither domination nor “lording” over others. If the leaders today use any other kind of leadership than what He demonstrated, then they are not leading people to Jesus but to themselves. It is much easier to use carnal leadership to motivate carnal people than it is to help them mature. The leadership model of this new dispensation would be to not only just getting people do the right thing but to get them to follow King Jesus. Apostle Paul wrote about his own weakness in the Books of the Bible that he has written. The reason is that he wanted people to follow Jesus, and build their faith in God and not in him, Paul (Joyner, The Path, 2012). This is a different kind of leadership.
The leadership model that is currently being modelled in the church works for people who are selfishly just seeking blessings and abundance for themselves, but this does not lead people into the kingdom. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He is a person that must be followed, the one which must be loved, honoured and treasured. This will empower the church to be transformed by Him and entering into their destiny that was set out before time. Even John the Baptist modelled this kind of leadership. Everything in his ministry pointed to Christ and when Christ appeared, He directed his followers to leave him and followed Jesus(Joyner, (The Path,2012). The greatest leaders in the Kingdom age will be the greatest followers of Christ. All in all, the question still remains for the last hour church leaders is, “if whatever they are doing is it done for the King or for own ambition, even if it is are done in the name of the King?”