Picking Leaders

One day a policeman stopped a motorist who had just gone through a four way stop sign and was about to give him a ticket when the motorist said. "Officer you can't give me a ticket for that!' "Why not" said the officer. "Because although I did not stop I slowed right down and its almost the same." "But you did not stop" replied the officer, "and the sign says STOP." "But the way was clear and it was safe" replied the motorist. The officer then pulls out his batton and starts hitting the motorist. "What are you doing!" yells the motorist in surprise. "Do you want me to slow down or stop" says the officer.

The frenzy of American Idol is over. Oh what a time. All those people trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. So many can’t sing well. William Hung can’t sing at all and he got a record deal just because of his TV appearance. But a little over a hundred get to go to Hollywood and be on the TV show.
Over the weeks they narrow it down to 12 finalist. These are the best of the best. Down to six and finally down to the last two. The votes are in. 36 million votes are cast. Just one person is worthy enough to be the American Idol. Taylor Hicks wins. He is the 2006 American Idol. “I’m on top of the world” he says.
Matthias was promoted up the ranks something like that. There are about 125 men standing around. Peter prays and two are picked. Someone must replace Judas. Then one of the disciples pulls out a pair of dice and rolls. If they come up 4 then it’s Matthias and if the come up 5 it’s Justus. Isn’t that kind of how it sounds, huh. They threw lots. Matthias’ number comes up and he is the new disciple.
We don’t read anything else about Matthias. It’s believed he evangelized Ethiopia. He went from disciple to apostle. What does Matthias have that the other 100 didn’t have? What sets him apart? What’s the difference between disciple and apostle?
You read about the apostle Paul and how he wrote most of the New Testament. You also hear of John the apostle. He was the one that Jesus loved the most. We talked last week about the apostles James and Peter. They were pretty special guys.
OK. So what is the difference between a disciple and an apostle? Read what Peter said. “We must pick someone who has been with Jesus from the beginning.”
An apostle was someone who had direct contact with Jesus. That’s part of it. But more, an apostle was one who “is sent”. Disciples are students.
Let’s use the analogy of basketball since the NBA playoffs are on now. Disciples are the players and apostles are the coaches. The coaches have been in the other role. They have been thru the paces already.

Well how do we choose a leader in the church today?? I’m not talking pastor, but chair leader. I’ve been in churches where whoever will lift up their hand and say “OK, I’ll do it” is given the job. A while back at one church we were in, if you were not at the planning meeting, expect to be heading up a committee. But based on scripture, that’s not how it’s supposed to be. You start out as a disciple. What’s the mission statement of the United Methodist Church??
It’s to Go and Make Disciples. This is training time. This is boot camp. You’re getting information (lots of information), unbelievers are telling you your crazy, and you don’t have much response to them. And you wonder if you did the right thing.
But you grow. You step out and challenge yourself, challenge your faith….and it gets stronger.
One day you wake up and God is knocking on your door. “I want you to be a leader. I want you to teach. I want you to take a mission group to the homeless people in Temple, to the broken on the gulf coast, to the poor in the apalatian mountains.”
And you scream out at God. “WHAT! Are you crazy? I’ve seen how these people question the pastor behind his back. I’ve seen the arguing in the pews. I can’t even lead my dog and you want me to lead a ragtag group of disciples? I’m too old. I’m too young.”
On and On. And God says… “Yes, you’re no longer a disciple. You are an apostle. I’m giving you a different calling than you had before.
You were on milk and now you’re eating spiritual meat. You can do this because I will be doing this through you.

There is no platinum recording contract though. Oprah will definitely not be calling.
You might have other leaders in the church fighting you or pushing you away (giving you the cold shoulder) thinking you should have done something different or another way.
But you know you are on the right path when someone tells you “that’s the best sermon you’ve preached” or “thanks for giving me that gift. No one has ever been so kind. Your such a blessing.”
So where are you at?? Are you a disciple or apostle? Are you training or being trained?

Or are you a disciple who is trained, but is being called to step out?
You don’t have to be an apostle to get to heaven. We all have different gifts and callings. And we are called at different times to do different things. The harvest is ready. Now God is saying “I’m calling you disciples. I’m calling you apostles. I want more. I want all of you”. And you know what all means… All means all and that’s all all means. If he does call you to step up like he called Matthias, will you do it?


Someone did step up. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. We are having communion today. I know usually we have it on the first Sunday of the month. However, I thought it was only appropriate. You see, Jesus Christ died for our freedom. His blood was shed so we would be out of the enemies hands. Thousands of men and women in the armed forces died for our freedom. Their blood was shed so we would be out of the enemies hands. Communion is a times to remember one death and come to Christ in a deeper way. I pray that you will come to Christ and remember the other deaths also.