THE IMPORTANCE OF SUCCESSION

As the revived apostolic church, the true church has her great commission clearly set out by her Lord. First, she is to love the souls of men, anxiously preaching the gospel because she is unwilling for any to perish. Second, she is to love the Lord’s sheep, tending them faithfully so that there is true transformation in their lives.

The power and might of God abides with us when we do His work and fulfill His commission. However, on our parts, we need three critical conditions to be in place. First is clarity of purpose—we must know what we need to do. Second are competencies—we have to equip ourselves to do what needs to be done. Third is continuity—we should strive to ensure that God’s work will perpetuate.

John the Baptist is an excellent example. He clearly understood his mission—to pave the way for the Lord Jesus. During his ministry, he worked tirelessly for God. But once he had done his part, he knew that he ought to wind down his service: “He must increase, I must decrease” (Jn 3:30). Subsequently, we see a seamless transition between John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus.

Look around your church today. Alarm bells ought to ring if we see youths sitting around with nothing to do whilst older members carry out all the work. We need to entrust specific tasks to the younger ones, while we continue to do what they cannot yet do. This is “passing the baton.” The younger generation must be concerned over the church, step up to serve with their God-given potential and be nurtured as they serve. Once they have reached the required maturity, they can serve as council members, and subsequently can be ordained as ministers in the church.

Many large successful multinational companies take succession planning very seriously. They know that the founder’s or first brilliant CEO’s efforts will all be in vain if they cannot find a good successor. Similarly, we must place great emphasis on succession in church. A church with a pool of well-equipped, zealous and God-fearing youths has a bright future.

PRECIOUS HEIRLOOMS

Continuity is indeed an important goal for the church. To achieve this goal, the current generation of leaders must identify the precious heirlooms that they have to safeguard, so that the mission of the church can be passed on to the next generation of leaders. What exactly should we pass on to ensure that the great commission continues to be carried out? The Scriptures point to the following:

Continuity of Life

An important part of life consists of growing up, getting married and establishing a family. But for God’s people, there is more. The Bible instructs us to be fruitful, multiply and seek godly offspring in both the physical as well as the spiritual sense, which is to lead others to Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:14–15). These, and especially the latter, are what make our lives really meaningful and will continuously bring new life into the church.

Continuity of the Faith

In Exodus 3:6, God introduced Himself to Moses as “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” These were three people from three separate generations, each with their distinct relationships with God, but they shared a common achievement—they successfully bequeathed their faith to the next generation.

What is the most important bequest that we can give our children? Good physical health? A good education? Or good faith? While the first two are important, faith is clearly the most indispensable, for God is our eternal inheritance. The Israelites lacked nothing in the wilderness, all because God was with them. If we understand that God is our inheritance, we will not worry over any lack, even if our lives are harsh. So we must focus on ensuring that our God becomes the God of our offspring. But how?

If we want to ensure that our faith is effectively bequeathed to our children, we must place heavy emphasis on Religious Education (RE) at home. We must not regard RE as the sole responsibility of the church, blaming the church if our children turn out to have poor faith. Church RE classes are very important, but it is only a supplement; it cannot replace religious education at home. Deuteronomy 6:4–9 reminds all parents of their duty to secure their children’s faith:

“Hear, O Israel. The LORD our God…” (Deut 6:4)

We must first be very sure of our own identity—“I am one of God’s chosen people.” This is a precious status that will not change with time. Our lifestyle choices must then reflect God’s will and Christ’s image.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” (Deut 6:5)

The most basic work of family religious education is teaching by example. In everything we do, do it out of love for God. Then our children will learn indirectly to give God priority in everything.

“…these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children.” (Deut 6:6–9)

We must diligently teach our children the word of God.

If we have done all that is listed in this passage and have constantly prayed for our children, we shall be able to bequest to our children this legacy of faith through the guidance of God. We must thus resolve to create a unique environment of faith and reverence at home so that our children will have the opportunity to grow up in the word of God.

Continuity of the Truth

The truth is the doctrine of salvation that we teach. In his ministry, Paul preached the gospel and, particularly in the latter part of his life, defended the truth. So today we must preach Jesus to those who do not believe in God, and for those who already believe in God, we preach the truth as captured in the True Jesus Church’s ten articles of faith and five essential doctrines.

We must bequeath this God-inspired truth that has been given to us from the beginning. Hence, it is crucial for us to have the correct view of the True Jesus Church and to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, so we can discern the truth. In order to leave a legacy of unadulterated truth to the next generation, we must cultivate ourselves to hold fast the “pattern of sound words which you have heard from [the apostles], in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:13).
Moreover, we need to learn from Moses who took Joshua up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments (Ex 24:12–13). To ascend the mountain means to receive the word of God. This is a requirement to become a person of God. So when Moses died, Joshua followed the path that Moses set. He did not alter it.
Today, we are in the True Jesus Church because we know the doctrines of this church, and we know that salvation can be found here. The Holy Spirit gives us this clarity, which allows us to lead the church in the right direction. As the older generation, we must take the younger generation up the mountain so they can be rooted in the doctrines; as the younger generation, let us be faithful to the truth, upholding what has been entrusted to us.

Continuity of the Gospel

When we preach to a person, and he or she comes to believe in Christ, this same person must also reach out to another. Imagine how the church will prosper if everyone can reach out to just one more person. In reality, many of us only receive the gospel and stop there. So we have to instill in our new believers that they should strive to bring another soul to God. Only when a seed dies, will a new fruit or plant grow from it. Preaching the gospel is a sacrifice indeed; but those who sow in tears shall reap in joy!

Continuity of Service to the Lord

Another key legacy to bequeath to the future generation is the need for continuity of service to God. Jesus prayed and found twelve disciples at the beginning of His ministry on earth. Likewise Moses identified Joshua as his successor soon after he stood up to lead the Israelites. So in the church, we must identify and cultivate successors and give them the opportunity to serve.

Moreover, we need to cultivate our next generation’s zeal to work for God. Society’s focus on material well-being has resulted in a decline in our zeal to serve God. Consequently, our spiritual life has been relegated to second place. So even during the busiest times in our lives, we must set the example and continue to serve God zealously. Only then can we be considered faithful servants of the Lord.

Passing Down Spiritual Experiences

Many of us can draw from a rich portfolio of spiritual experiences after many years of serving God. These experiences have taught us how to have faith and rely on God. Today we must pass down these experiences, so that the younger ones amongst us know how the older generation came to Christ and relied on God throughout their lives.

As we share these experiences with them, the focus should be on God’s almightiness, not on the person who received God’s grace. More importantly, our experiences should stir up the next generation to rely on God in their own service to the Lord. It is easy to impart knowledge and skills to the next generation of workers, but they also need to experience God for themselves.

The battle at Rephidim was a good opportunity for Joshua to experience God while serving Him. As he fought in the battlefield, Moses prayed on the hilltop. Joshua learned that his victory was not the result of his fighting prowess. Each time Moses raised his hands in prayer, victory was with the army of Israel. But each time Moses was tired, and he let down his hands, the enemies won (Ex 17:8–13). As we serve God, we must rely on Him through prayer. If we do so, we will serve God joyfully, as His presence will be amongst us.

CONCLUSION

For many people, succession planning is understood as identifying successors, briefing them and letting them observe us for a period of time before they take over completely. Our focus tends to be more on handing over the work. While this is necessary, it is not enough. We must also help prepare our successors by equipping them with the faith to resist the tide of the world and by nurturing their zeal to serve God. This is no easy matter for it is a battle for the souls of men.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

(Eph 6:12)

Therefore, before handing the work over to the next generation, we must first guide them in their spiritual growth. In this manner, the commission of the church will continue to prosper until the Lord comes again.

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Author: Derren Liang

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