Leader, God Raising Up

Unity (Part 2): God's Pattern of Leadership

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God consistently raises up leaders to guide His people and establish doctrine within His church, following a clear and unchanging pattern. From the beginning, as seen in Genesis, God worked through individuals like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Shem, and Abraham, each chosen as a singular leader to represent Him. This pattern continues through Isaac, Jacob, and Moses, where God appointed one man at a time to lead, ensuring order and avoiding confusion among His people. In the wilderness, Moses was established as God's direct representative, and challenges to his authority, as seen with his family and others like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, were met with severe rebuke, demonstrating that rejecting God's chosen leader is akin to rejecting God Himself. This principle underscores that respect for the office, not the man, is paramount, as God works through His appointed ambassador despite human flaws. Throughout history, as evident in the book of Judges, God raises up leaders like Gideon, and after their time, the people often stray until another leader is appointed. This cycle reveals periods of confusion when leadership is unclear, yet God remains faithful, eventually making His chosen one known to unify His people. The pattern persists that God brings the people to the leader by His Spirit, as seen with David, where the people of Judah and later Israel voluntarily submitted to him after recognizing God's appointment through his works. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the chief Apostle, faithfully delivering the Father's message, and He, in turn, appointed Peter as preeminent among the twelve, first among equals. Peter's role is emphasized repeatedly, from being the first disciple called by Christ to speaking on behalf of the group, leading on the day of Pentecost, and being the one through whom God expanded His work to the Gentiles. This consistent focus on Peter illustrates God's pattern of working through one primary voice to maintain clarity and unity. God's method of raising up a leader ensures that doctrine is established without confusion, as He does not send multiple voices speaking different messages to the same group at the same time. When the work grew, God divided spheres of influence, assigning Peter to the Israelitish world and Paul to the Gentiles, each respecting their designated area to maintain order. This hierarchical structure, though often resisted by human nature, is God's design to keep His church unified under the leadership He appoints. Ultimately, God raises up leaders by His appointment, revealing their authority through their fruits, and the people are called to submit to God through these leaders, not to the men themselves, but to the office that represents Him. This pattern, steadfastly followed by God, provides the foundation for unity and the establishment of truth within His church, guiding His people to make choices that align with His purpose.