4 Days to Pentecost
Needlepoint & Leaders
Shane Stewart
Connections Pastor
I remember my grandmother and other ladies in the various churches I’ve been a part of have had different bible verses framed in needlepoint around her house. In all my time, in every church I’ve been a part of, I have never seen any of the verses in Acts 1:15-26 needlepointed anywhere. Ever. (And, understandably)
But consider this: these verses talk about how the followers of Jesus handled a vacant leadership position.
How we choose who we elect to leadership is connected to how we trust and follow Jesus.
Acts 1:15-26 gives a great pattern for followers of Christ when it comes to electing leaders: they used a process to narrow down the possible leaders (verse 21) and then from the pool of possibilities they nominated two great people. Then they prayed and asked God to direct the election. (A cool little observation: this approach even informs how we nominate people for the board of Directors at Faith Welland – there’s a list of requirements, a nominating process, and we ask God to direct every step!)
The crucial step, the thing that marks followers of Jesus apart is found in Acts 1:24: “Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.”
The next time you face an election, ask God to show you who you should vote for before you vote – God may surprise you with his answer! (It’s interesting that we know more about the guy who lost the election than we do about Matthias – we know that Joseph is also called Barsabbas and Justus, but all we know about Matthias is his one name)
Application
But don’t just pray before you vote – pray for your leaders after they’re elected! In fact, take a few minutes to pray for them today:
Shane Stewart
Connections Pastor
I remember my grandmother and other ladies in the various churches I’ve been a part of have had different bible verses framed in needlepoint around her house. In all my time, in every church I’ve been a part of, I have never seen any of the verses in Acts 1:15-26 needlepointed anywhere. Ever. (And, understandably)
But consider this: these verses talk about how the followers of Jesus handled a vacant leadership position.
How we choose who we elect to leadership is connected to how we trust and follow Jesus.
Acts 1:15-26 gives a great pattern for followers of Christ when it comes to electing leaders: they used a process to narrow down the possible leaders (verse 21) and then from the pool of possibilities they nominated two great people. Then they prayed and asked God to direct the election. (A cool little observation: this approach even informs how we nominate people for the board of Directors at Faith Welland – there’s a list of requirements, a nominating process, and we ask God to direct every step!)
The crucial step, the thing that marks followers of Jesus apart is found in Acts 1:24: “Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.”
The next time you face an election, ask God to show you who you should vote for before you vote – God may surprise you with his answer! (It’s interesting that we know more about the guy who lost the election than we do about Matthias – we know that Joseph is also called Barsabbas and Justus, but all we know about Matthias is his one name)
Application
But don’t just pray before you vote – pray for your leaders after they’re elected! In fact, take a few minutes to pray for them today:
- Pastor Jamie and staff (Val Calcagno, Mike Haines, Shane Stewart, Emily Dalzel, Luke Ricker, Michael Charles, Sonie Fonrose, Betty Boyd, Rylan Johnson, Sarah Ricker)
- The Board of Directors at Faith: (Michael Charles, Debbie Hoffele, James Lafontaine, Derek McGaghey, Vaessa Milley, Gareth Mongrain, David Pearson, Jamie Shepherd)
- Municipal Leaders: Mayor Frank Campion and the City Councillors
- Provincial Leaders: Premier Doug Ford, his cabinet, and the MPPs
- National Leaders: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his cabinet, and the MPs
- The leaders of your company
- The leaders of your family
Posted in 10 Days To Pentecost