How can we apply God's method of confirming leaders today? God’s Original Pattern in Numbers 17 : 4 “Place them in the Tent of Meeting in front of the Testimony, where I meet with you.” • Twelve staffs were set before the LORD, not before a committee. • The environment was holy ground—God’s presence, God’s timing. • Confirmation came by a supernatural sign (Aaron’s staff budded, blossomed, and bore almonds). Key Principles We Can Carry Forward • Bring the candidate before God first—extended prayer, fasting, worship (Acts 13 : 2). • Use God’s Word as the measuring rod—character qualifications laid out in 1 Timothy 3 : 1-7; Titus 1 : 5-9. • Look for visible, God-given fruit—“every good tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7 : 17). • Wait for unity among Spirit-filled witnesses—“By the testimony of two or three” (2 Corinthians 13 : 1). • Avoid haste—“Do not be too quick in the laying on of hands” (1 Timothy 5 : 22). Practical Steps for Churches Today 1. Season of Prayer & Fasting • Congregation and elders set apart time to seek God’s face. 2. Scriptural Vetting • Compare life and doctrine with the clear lists in the Pastoral Epistles. 3. Spiritual Discernment Gathering • Invite mature believers to share any confirming words or cautions. 4. Observe Consistent Fruit • Service, humility, and effectiveness already evident, like buds before blossoms. 5. Formal Recognition with Laying on of Hands • Only after steps 1-4 have satisfied the body that God has acted. Safeguards Against Counterfeits • No private agendas—everything in the light (Ephesians 5 : 13). • Plurality of oversight—shared eldership reduces personality cults (Acts 14 : 23). • Ongoing accountability—regular evaluation against Scripture, not popularity. Benefits of Letting God Confirm Leaders • Congregational peace—disputes fade when God’s choice is evident (Numbers 17 : 12-13). • Fruitful ministry—leaders appointed by God are empowered by God (1 Corinthians 12 : 18). • Witness to outsiders—supernatural unity validates the gospel (John 17 : 23). |
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