REVIEW: The Leader 101 Course: Cultivating Habits of Highly Effective Spiritual Leaders
- Lesson One (June 2015). Cultivating the habit of joy
- Lesson Two (July 2015). Cultivating the habit of praying 10:2b
- Lesson Three (August 2015). Cultivating the habit of looking expectantly for 10:2b answer
- Lesson Four (September 2015). Cultivating the habit of carrying people (especially 10:2b answers) in your heart.
- Lesson Five (October 2015). Cultivating the habit of shepherding your flock.
- Lesson Six (November and December 2015). Cultivating the habit of interactive gratitude.
- Lesson Seven (January and February 2016). Cultivating the habit of attention paying
*Watch the video and then continue with the assignments below the video (click on the picture to watch this video).
Prevenience in the ministry of Jesus
Note: As always, invite the Coach (Paraklete) to be your personal teacher. Watch until He stops you. Read until He stops you. Then, write that idea or concept in your journal and ask Him what He wants to say to you about it.
The concept of “prevenience” was foundational to Jesus’ ministry.
(“Prevenience”: referring to that which goes before or precedes)
(Jesus) said, I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (Jn. 5:19)
… I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. (Jn. 8:28)
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. (Jn. 12:49)
Jesus, the very Son of God, did nothing (zero/nada) on his own initiative. He spoke nothing on His own initiative. The Father initiated, Jesus responded. Jesus believed that His Father was prevenient. Every healing, every miracle, every teaching was initiated by the Father and carried out by Jesus.
His entire plan consisted of this:
- See what the Father is doing and do that.
- Hear what the Father is saying and say that.
In other words, paying close attention to what His Father was doing. Nothing more. Nothing less.
The “program model” of ministry assumes that the Prevenient Creator (who never made two snow flakes alike) will always follow the same format. This model requires that we do the planning. We develop the agenda. Then, we ask God to bless it. This model results in church that is usually orderly (by our definition) but also often sterile.
The “prevenience model” assumes only that the Prevenient Creator is already at work before we show up. This model requires that we see/hear what the Father is doing/saying and then ask Him how we are to respond. We surrender our agenda and look for His.
Returning to the New Testament model of church does not just mean “doing church” in a house. It also means returning to the reality of Jesus being both present and prevenient. He is no longer the passive “honored guest” for whom we perform. He is “the Master of ceremonies”. He runs the show. He sets the agenda.
God is always the initiator of God’s mission. Our role is to be great “attention payers”.
Prevenience in the Old Testament
The “prevenience model” for church is illustrated in the Old Testament.
“Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped…Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in the camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. (Numbers 9:17,18,22)
The cloud = the physical manifestation of the presence of God (see Mt. 17:5)
The Tent = the Tent of Meeting. The place where the people assembled to meet God. (Consider 1 Cor. 14:26: “When you come together…” or “When you assemble…”)
God (represented by the cloud here) is always the Prime Mover. He is always the Initiator. He is always proactive. He is always prevenient. He is always “before”.
The people of God are always the responders. Their job description is simple: “WATCH THE CLOUD. If it moves, then you move. If it doesn’t move, then you don’t move.” Their job is to be great “attention payers”.
Sounds un-American, doesn’t it? Our culture says, “Be proactive! Don’t just sit there – do something! Make it happen!” And that culture is reflected in the church.
The values of the Bible are different. “WATCH THE CLOUD. Do what it does.” God is God and we are not. It’s His church, not ours (Mt. 16:18). He is building it and we are not (although He does let us help out some times).
The church that God is restoring is more than a church that meets in the home. Its a church made up of people who are getting really good at WATCHING THE CLOUD. And responding appropriately.
God is always the initiator of God’s mission. Our role is to be great “attention payers”.
Implications and applications
- What evidence do you have of God’s prevenience in your life? Ask the Coach to bring to mind the many times where He has initiated in your life. (Note: the term “prevenience grace” most frequently refers to the fact that, before I ever thought about becoming a Christian, He reached out to us to draw us to Himself.)
- Have you ever been taught that it was your job to be the initiator? Your job to straighten your life out or “make it happen” in ministry? What kind of fruit did this produce in your life? (John Eldredge calls this “the gospel of knowledge and duty”.)
- What is your sense of how skilled you are at “attention paying”? Ask the Coach for His assessment. What difference would it make if you became more skilled? Ask the Coach how He wants to cultivate this habit in your life.
- Share what you learn from the Coach with your CO2 partner and with your Leader Team.
- Teach prevenience to someone this week. Ask the Lord if there is someone you know who would benefit from this concept of “prevenience”. Share this Lesson and discuss it with them.