This week we’re expanding on a theme that started with last week’s newsletter (Independence Day) and a book entitled The Starfish and the Spider. Both are worth a minute to follow the links.
Blessing the Nations – marketplace ministry adds a new dimension to the great commission ministry from saving the lost to blessing the nations. We’re still saving the lost, but now our concept of discipleship includes teaching new believers how to go back into their culture and change it too. Teaching people to function in the marketplace always translates to teaching them how to multiply finances. That doesn’t limit us to the business mountain; we just understand the reality that money is a tool that funds ministry in every mountain (business, media, arts & entertainment, education and government). And, we understand that we are not just changing lives; we are changing cultures, societies, cities, and nations. Changing traditional cultural philosophies to the mind of Christ. In order to change a culture, you have to shift the mindset. That’s why art, entertainment, media and education are so important. They are tools of ministry in the hands of Kings.
The nature of leadership – Now that we understand the goal is to change the world, let’s take a look and the kind of leadership that will make it happen. Spiritual leadership is very different than traditional hierarchical management used in both the church and the business world. Jesus leads a very flat organization structure… He is the head! The Holy Spirit talks to everyone that will listen; not just leaders. And, Jesus invited everyone to graduate from servant to friend (Jn 15:15). Listen to the way Jesus described leadership to His leaders.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. Matt 23:8-11 NIV
That doesn’t mean their are no leaders in the Kingdom, but it does mean they operate out of a totally different playbook. Let’s contrast the old and the new.
Hierarchical managers communicate the vision and ask for participation; an offering. Give your time and money to support my vision. They usually presume its “our” vision.
Leaders start by articulating something God is doing (or the Holy Spirit is saying) and depend on igniting something in our hearts. The second step isn’t to define the followers’ actions for them, but to help them get in sinc with their own heart’s desires. God asked Solomon the question this way, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” (1 Kings 3:5). God’s style of leadership is to give first… Jesus “fed the 5000.”
Leaders don’t take offerings; they give offerings. They offer a pathway to connect with our heart’s desire. They offer a means to multiply our finances. They include us in the Father’s plan to build the Kingdom. They treat us like brother, peers, and friends and offer to promote us to their level. The whole process makes us feel like we’re seated in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father.
The result (viral leadership = viral change) – Viral leaders ask two questions: 1) “What’s your dream” and 2) “How can I help you make it happen.” They understand that inviting people into someone else’s dream just creates a tired servant (hireling) that won’t be productive or loyal following a vision that constantly needs offerings to survive.
Now, imagine any group of people touched by a viral leader with a viral idea. Can you see the connection between “viral” and “revival” and “reformation”? Can you see believers so excited and fruitful that they become self replicating?
Viral phenomena (Wikipedia) are objects or patterns able to replicate themselves or convert other objects into copies of themselves when these objects are exposed to them. The concept of something, other than a biological virus, being viral came into vogue just after the Internet became widely popular in the mid-to-late 1990s. An object, even a non-material object, is considered to be viral when it has the ability to spread copies of itself or change other similar objects to become more like itself when those objects are simply exposed to the viral object. This has become a common way to describe how thoughts, information and trends move into and through a human population..
What’s a viral leader? It’s simply somebody having fun in the Kingdom. In fact, he or she is having so much fun, and fruit, and prosperity, and ministry that others naturally want to be the same way. They want to replicate the party in their own lives. In response, our viral leader “gives away” the secret to those that ask.
As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matt 10:7-8 NIV
We’re not doing away with tithes and offerings to support priestly ministry in the church. We’re blessing that Biblical process. Please hear me. I’m simply saying that leadership by Kings in the Kingdom is different. It is not offering based. Kings don’t take offerings; they give offerings and set captives free and break poverty off God’s people. They start from their own heart’s desires and finish in the middle of the will of God. In a very real way, our dreams come true as we help others to realize theirs.
Try it. You’ll like it… much more fun than the religious or business hierarchy. And, it will produce things like revivals and cultural change when it becomes viral.
Where to start – You have to believe it’s possible for you and then you have to prayerfully try… much more in our books; Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny.
