5 Jobs of a Spiritual Leader - Week 4 - Follow the Holy Spirit

As Spiritual Leaders, we follow the Holy Spirit in everything. He leads. We follow.

Early in my walk with God, I had much zeal and little wisdom in my efforts to share Jesus with others. I wanted to see lives impacted for the Kingdom of God but often lacked the patience to wait for God’s timing. I wanted to have spiritual conversations right now. I often felt guilty if I walked by people on the streets. In my mind, eternity was at stake and many people around me did not know God.

Thankfully, God provided some tremendous mentors in my life to help me grow. On one Monday night, a man joined our group who had never attended before. He pulled up a chair next to me and said, “Gary, I can catch up with my wife later on the details of my day. Let’s talk about Jesus. What is happening in your ministry?”

I shared with him some of the challenges I was facing in reaching my teammates for Christ. His response rocked me and has become one of the most profound lessons I have learned as a minister for Christ. He said, “Gary, have you ever read Romans 8:14? It says, “The sons of God are those who are led by the Holy Spirit.” It is not your job to save people. It’s your job to get in sync with the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. Yes, stay intentional, but be patient. He cares more about people in your life than you do.”

Since that conversation, I have started to understand that it’s not just about sharing the Gospel with people, but sharing the Gospel with people at the right time.

In Acts 16:6-10, the Apostle Paul wanted to share the Gospel in Asia but the Holy Spirit forbid him and instead directed him to Macedonia. Did the Apostle Paul lack love and intentionality? Did he lack courage? Surely not. Everything he did was to see people come to Christ (1 Cor. 9:22-23). It wasn’t the right time. We know this because years later, other missionaries did take the Gospel to Asia (1 Peter 1:1).

Every seed undergoes a process of maturity from sowing to reaping. Some seeds need to be watered. Some need a dry season. Some need time. And some are ready to be reaped. Only God knows what each seed needs at a given moment.

Tying it in spiritually, our teammates are all at different places in their spiritual journey. Some need to be encouraged. Some need to ask questions and be challenged. Some need to watch the love of Christ in action from a distance. And some are ready to surrender their lives to Christ. They are seeds that need to be cared for to maturity.

Therefore, as Spiritual Leaders, our job is not to force Jesus or the Gospel upon anyone. We need to get in sync with the Holy Spirit, follow His lead, and share the Good News of Jesus when He opens doors. We can be intentional and be patient at the same time. Only God knows what our teammates need at a given moment.

1.   Start every day on your knees declaring your UTTER DEPENDENCE on the Lord and sending the Holy Spirit ahead of you. See Zechariah 4:6, Psalm 127:1-2.

2.   Keep your HEART intimately connected to the Lord. Proverbs 4:23 says "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Do you have any hindrances between you and the Lord right now? Diligently seek to remove them so you can be intimately connected to the Lord, in sync, and ready to hear His voice. Also see Psalm 139:23-24

3.   Pray for boldness and open doors. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus: "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19). When you pray for boldness and open doors, you are being intentional and become keenly aware of the Spirit's leading.

4. Always be ready to make a defense for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15). When you abide in Christ and pray for open doors, Divine appointments WILL come. Be ready to share the hope that is in you!

5.  Ask questions. Every person on the planet loves to talk about one thing: themselves. When you become genuinely interested in teammates stories and experiences, it builds relationship and tills the soil for future spiritual conversation. When you ask questions (not just about spiritual things but them and their life) be looking for opportunities to encourage and speak life, all the while being keenly aware for the Holy Spirit to open a door for Gospel conversation.

6.   Share your story. Every chance you get, share the great things God has done in your life. No one can argue with a story. And when you share your experiences it is celebrates God and doesn't make your teammate feel like they are being preached at. See the link below for a free PDF on “How to Share Your Testimony.”

7.   Share the Gospel. Every door God opens to share the Good News of salvation, share it with love and boldness. Be prepared to share it clearly and invite a response. See the link below for a free PDF on “How to Share the Gospel.”

8.   Always and in everything point teammates toward Jesus. You do not save people, but you can always point people to the One who saves. When you do, the Holy Spirit moves!

Join the Pure Encouragement Prayer Team.

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Leadership Groups: Team Captain and Spiritual Leader Groups are in development. Stay tuned for upcoming group opportunities.