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| Pastor Samson O. Gbuyiro |
By 'Gbenga Bankole
The Youth Officer of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, Pastor Samson O. Gbuyiro has said no leader can impact any life beyond the measure of impact received by him or her; stating that, what God has not done in you, He won't do it through you.
Pastor Gbuyiro who stated this on Saturday, October 2, 2021 at the Leadership Summit organised by CAC Youth Fellowship, Ijebu Unit, held at CAC Ijebu DCC headquarters, told the youth leaders that leadership is not just talking, but pushing your life out to impact the youths, prepare your life and not a sermon; adding the need to stop talking, but start living.
According to him, any leader who fails to impact the youth under him/her has betrayed God's trust because it's a great privilege under God that we have been entrusted with the future of both the church and the nation to nurture the youth; saying that if not for impact, we have no business in ministry.
He further stressed that, understanding that God and Satan have equal interest in young people makes the task of the youth leader more critical and imperative which he/she cannot avoid to fail (Esther 8:7-8).
"Apart from being appointed as youth leaders, we must understand that leading the youths is a calling from God (the youths are His) with a defined Mission attached. If the youths in the church slip off our hands, we stand the risk of losing them into the world which is wide open to swallow them (Judges 2:7-15)," he stated.
Pastor Gbuyiro revealed that leadership at all levels speaks of three basic things which are vision, service and sacrifice.
While emphasizing on the three, the Cleric disclosed that, "You must have insight, foresight, outsight to see what God has set before you to pursue. What you see is what you pursue. Where there is no vision people perish. The need for leadership in the kingdom is service. Let the greater among you be the servant of all (Mark9:35). Acceptable service is defined by Sacrifice (1Cor.9:19)."
Speaking on 'Jesus, a model of impactful leadership', the Youth Officer said up till today, the entire human race has not recovered from the impactful life of young believers (disciples) who grew under Christ's leadership.
He furthered that, "their impacts cut across all generations as a direct implication of how they were also impacted by Christ. Jesus called ordinary men like Peter, such an unstable and timid person. Also, James and John, sons of thunder, but under His leadership, their characters changed and became like Jesus. Peter became so strong, fearless and stable in character like a ROCK. Likewise, other disciples, especially John, a son of thunder became an Apostle of love. God's vineyard is destroyed by bad christian leaders and not demons (Jer.12:10-13)."
Pastor Gbuyiro noted that Christ's method of impactful leadership is discipleship (Luke 9:49,51-56,Acts 3:14ff).
"Critical study of the Bible shows that discipleship is God's approved method of impactful leadership as it expressed in both old and in the new testament. Lack of discipleship was the great omission in Joshua's leadership, however, God brought the reign of Judges to fill the vacuum (Judges 2:10)," he said.
According to him, the goal of discipleship is for God to have many sons and daughters with Jesus being the first born (Romans 8:29-30), adding that, "God's pre-planned destination for all His children is not to make us millionaire, but to become like Jesus. Though, redemption package includes all blessings of life, but we must not be distracted, rather, we should focus on the destination which is to become like Jesus (Ephesians 4:11-14)."
"No better impact a leader can have on a younger generation than to make them become like Jesus, reaching the full measure of His stature in holiness, humility, patience, love, righteousness etc. In discipleship, every youth learns to become like Christ and well equipped for effective, fruitful and acceptable Christian service (Col. 1:27-28). The way people struggle for leadership positions today expresses their ignorance of God's expectations. When we focus on discipleship and equipping young believers for Christian service, church crisis will be reduced because each person would have discovered his/her ministry/calling and set to fulfill it. It helps to locate our placement in the purpose of God and become occupied for Jesus. This is God's plan for His church," he explained.