Another thing that the Caleb Flynn case has caused me to think about is the weight of appointing leaders in the church. We certainly ought to seek God’s will in every decision, big or small, and even more so in matters pertaining to the church. I believe seeking God’s direction in the process of discerning and electing leaders is essential because He alone ultimately knows the hearts of men. Even the first disciples sought God’s direction in a matter such as this, as seen in Acts 1:
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Earlier this year, my campus Bible study organization was preparing to elect new leaders through nominations and voting by the current leaders, and I happened to be one of them. I felt convicted in my heart to fast, and two friends from the Bible study were also led to join me. We all fasted and prayed for ten days leading up to the election. We asked not only for discernment but also for protection from the schemes of the enemy, as the campus ministry was growing. We were mindful that wolves in sheep’s clothing could be used by the enemy to tear down the campus organization from within.
Now that I have moved on from the campus organization in Baltimore, I am grateful to see God continuing to send laborers who are on fire for Him to serve as new leaders in the campus ministry at Johns Hopkins. This gives me a deep sense of peace as I move forward into the next chapter of my life in New York.
The Caleb Flynn case has reminded me not to take the responsibility of appointing leaders in the church lightly. At the same time, I am reminded of Psalm 127:1, which says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” I pray that we would all keep the bigger picture in mind: God must be the one building the house. We can serve in many different ways and take part in all kinds of ministry, but I think we, as the church, ought to ask ourselves: Is God the one building the house? Otherwise, we risk laboring in vain. What matters most, then, is that we keep Jesus at the center of everything we do.