The enemy desires to create a rift between emerging leaders who are stepping into the NEW and seasoned leaders who are well established in the OLD.  But God wants to build a bridge of love and honor that stabilizes the NEW leaders with age old wisdom and yet reignites flames of passion in the OLD.  Yes, this is possible.  (BTW, NEW & OLD have nothing to do with natural or spiritual age.  They have to do with freshness of revelation and divine order/fruitfulness)

Many adventurous leaders are breaking away from traditions of men, doctrines of men, old thought paradigms and antiquated religious systems, but tend to throw away valuable substance in the process. You know, throwing out the baby with the bath water.  How do I know?  Because I’ve done it.  And I’ve also picked up the baby and put it back into the bathtub that is much cleaner than it was before.  Not perfect, but much better.  

Likewise, many seasoned veterans are too entrenched in the Old to consider there is a better way, and yet they have in their possession culture that came from heaven based on truth and grace, some of which has been discarded by those with newfound revelation.  These well established leaders tend to hold onto yesterday so tightly that it’s difficult to grasp the New God is saying and doing.  

Some can’t discern the New as being from God because their identity is built too much on the Old they have mastered, not the Truth Himself which is progressive.  If they admit there is a better way, so some think, they will have to work their way to the top of the totem pole all over again because they’re now behind the curve.  This was the conundrum of the Pharisees, and specifically the challenge in Nicodemus’ mind.  He didn’t want to lose his position in the synagogue and yet he was interested in truth just outside his reach.  

This is nothing new.  It happens every time God reforms the church, every time God restores truths and gifts, every time God revives His people.  There are always those who move forward into tomorrow and those who refuse to leave yesterday.  The danger lies in our inability to discern what we have left behind in the process of moving into the NEW or what we’re missing out on by holding onto the OLD.  Our perception and reception (or rejection) of truth ultimately divides us.  But it is God’s desire to unite us by His love for the truth and one another.

God desires for mature NEW leaders to remember where they came from so they can function in compassion towards the Nicodemus’ in their lives who are inquisitive of truth although they don’t have the right heart posture just yet.  God also desires for mature NEW leaders to function like Aquila & Priscilla did by pulling the Apollos’ in their lives aside to explain the way of truth more accurately without belittling them or exalting themselves in the process.  This requires humility.  

God likewise desires for mature OLD leaders to gently remind the NEW rambunctious leaders of what they have forgotten in the process of going for it.  He also desires for mature OLD leaders to open up their hearts to listen for the voice of God in those they may not deem to be as qualified as they are to access new revelation.  Perhaps their pride has blocked the very grace God was already trying to get to them but couldn’t.  Perhaps God still uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

If emerging NEW leaders neglect age old wisdom in the pursuit of cutting edge revelation, the enemy will expose their negligence in the next season.  If established OLD leaders don’t have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying today, they will lose their ability to produce the same level of fruit they did in the last season.  

Let’s not forget that we need each other.  Don’t get self-absorbed in your present revelation or what you’ve built around that revelation.  God is still speaking.  Don’t forget what He’s already said or neglect to hear what He’s about to say.  He is the Living Word.  Let’s honor His voice in the OLD and the NEW.  

I