This book is written as a guide for beit knesset (synagogue) and home fellowship leaders. If you want to serve Yeshua and His people as a leader, then you will be looked to not only as an example of how to live, but also for information. For this reason and more, we recommend that you have a good working knowledge of all our studies, before you begin this book. (However, for those who are new to the material, we will try to refer to the appropriate studies.)
Perhaps you were a Christian, and you want to lead an assembly like Yeshua wants, but you do not know what a beit knesset service is like. Or perhaps you are Jewish, and you have come to know your Messiah Yeshua, but you want to know why Nazarene Israel synagogues are different than rabbinic synagogues. Or perhaps you were called out of the world, and you have nowhere to fellowship, and you need something to help you know how the Messiah wants us to worship on Sabbath and the feasts. If so, then this book is for you.
Leading Through Dedicated Service
In Revelation and the End Times, we saw that Babylon will fall at Trumpet 7. Until that time, the world will continue to be under the control of the Babylonian beast system.
The name Babylon (Bavel) means confusion. Babylon prospers because government and spiritual leaders have divided and conquered the people by lies and clever half-truths. When the people do not know the truth, the strong can take advantage of the stupid and the weak. Such predatory deception has been the way of the world since the days of Nimrod. The English statesman Sir Walter Raleigh put it this way:
All, or the greatest part of men that have aspired to riches or power, have attained thereunto either by force or fraud, and what they have by craft or cruelty gained, to cover the foulness of their fact, they call purchase, as a name more honest. Howsoever, he that for want of will or wit useth not those means, must rest in servitude and poverty.
Yet although clever half-truths bring quick and easy gains for government and ministry leaders, Yeshua said it is not to be so among us. We are not to fear either servitude or poverty, for Yeshua was both poor, and a servant. Yeshua used His superior spiritual strength and wisdom to establish a system that would safeguard the dumb and the weak, and lead the world to submit to His coming kingdom, so that He could reign over them for their own good. And because Yeshua is our Example, He wants us to follow His example of leading through dedicated service. He expects us not to swerve from His example even if it costs us everything we have.
Marqaus (Mark) 10:35-45
35 Then Yaakov and Yochanan, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
38 But Yeshua said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be immersed with the immersion that I am immersed with?”
39 They said to Him, “We are able.” So Yeshua said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the immersion I am immersed with you will be immersed;
40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with Yaakov and Yochanan.
42 But Yeshua called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In Revelation and the End Times we saw that when Babylon falls at Trumpet 7, the kingdom and dominion will be given to the saints of the Most High. This refers to those who are doing all that Yeshua says to do, which is Nazarene Israel. From that time forward, Yeshua will rule over the earth, through His body (us). Then it will be a new era.
Daniel 7:27
27 Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people,
the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
Have you ever stopped to consider how Nazarene Israel will rule and reign over the earth? The answer is so very simple: the synagogue will play a key role.
The family is thought to be the basic building block of society. After we come back home to the land of Israel, every family will practice the faith in Yeshua. However, in the dispersion, many of us do not have families in the faith. Yet whether our physical family is in the faith or not, we have spiritual family in Yeshua’s Spirit. Yeshua said this was to be our main family.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:46-50
46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”
48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Yeshua’s kingdom is His people, and His people are His family.
Whether we have biological families or not, it is the job of the synagogue leaders to bring all of Yeshua’s people in their city or town together as spiritual family, and unite them as one family serving Him. It is a huge job, and of critical importance to the Great Commission.
When we serve Yeshua together as part of a connected and participating Nazarene Israel synagogue, we are connected to His global spiritual kingdom. And when the Nasi of Ezekiel 44-46 is established and his government reigns from Jerusalem, the synagogues will literally be an extension of his government, which is Yeshua’s.
Reciprocal Love, Commitment and Dedication
There are several keys to a successful synagogue, but they all speak of reciprocal love, commitment, and dedication. They also speak of the need for the leaders to set the example that others will follow.
The job of a synagogue leader is to love the people as if they were his own children. However, the other edge of that sword is that the people must love and support the synagogue leadership as if they were their own parents. Without genuine love and commitment in both directions, the relationship does not work as Yeshua intended. However, the leadership sets the tone.
Yeshua set the example of service, wisdom, and love in everything He did. He loved and served the people, and taught them wisdom. And as leaders, it is our job to be filled with His Spirit, and to let it move us, so that we can serve His people the same way He would serve them, if He were physically here. And the more we can love and serve His people, and help them live with wisdom, the more Yeshua’s sheep will draw near to us.
We are to give what we give freely, without cost—and yet there is a cost. And if we are to serve our King in truth, and to build Him a kingdom in His absence, then both those who serve and those who are served must sit down and count that cost most carefully, for that cost is total dedication and commitment, even if it costs us all we have (even our lives). It is extremely serious.
Luqa (Luke) 14:25-33
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27 And whoever does not bear his cross [or stake] and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it —
29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
As we explain in Torah Government, the initial standard for a disciple was to forsake everything, and then to eagerly serve Yeshua for the rest of his life. Yet after the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2 the original standard changed, because now the disciples had become a Melchizedekian priesthood, and there also became a need for synagogue services. We cover the details in Torah Government and Acts 15 Order, but at this point there arose a need not only for a separated priesthood, but also for a congregational priesthood. Both were to work together to glorify Yeshua’s name, and to win souls for Him worldwide.
The Importance of Setting the Example
Both the separated and congregational priesthoods have the mission of immersing disciples, and teaching them to do everything Yeshua said to do. This is a job they are to do together.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 28:19-20
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in My name,
20 teaching them to observe [i.e., do] all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amein.
[Note: For why we immerse in Yeshua’s name only, see, “Immersion in Yeshua’s Name Only”, in Nazarene Scripture Studies, Volume 3.]
Whether we belong to the separated or congregational priesthood, our mission is to grow Yeshua’s kingdom by immersing disciples in His name, and teaching them to do everything that He said.
There is an old saying that you should live as you wish your children would. That is because your children will see the example you set, and actions speak louder than words. In just the same way, the example you set will determine how the people in your synagogue or home fellowship will behave. If you take the mission seriously, they are much more likely to take the mission seriously. Just because you take the mission seriously and set the example in all things does not necessarily mean that most people will do the same, but if you do not set the example in the assembly, no one will. So everything that you do, do it as best you can, unto Yeshua.
It often happens that we get applicants for leadership positions who have not read our materials, and they also have no history of tithing. When we ask them how they hope to serve, they tell us that since they will be the leaders, everyone else will tithe. When we tell them that Yeshua set the example in all things, and expects His under-shepherds to do the same, we never hear from them again. (We cannot help but wonder what they are thinking.)
The Importance of Safeguarding Your Time
So what is Yeshua’s example? He poured Himself out for the people, to become a righteous leader. Yet while He served everyone, He spent His time with those who had dedicated their lives to help Him build His kingdom. The 4,000, the 5,000, and the multitudes all came and went. He taught them, healed them, and fed them, and then He sent them away, because they were not truly dedicated to Him.
Marqaus (Mark) 8:9
9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away….
Yeshua understood that to succeed in His mission, He had to stay tightly focused, and spend the bulk of His time only with those who were eager to help Him fulfill His mission—and because we are to do as He did, this is to be the rule for His priesthood as well.
If you love Yeshua’s people, one of the hardest lessons is the old saying, “the ministry is not to the needy, but to the hungry.” That is, for every disciple who wants to help you build Yeshua’s kingdom according to His instructions, there are perhaps a hundred who do not want to help, or do not want to follow His instructions–and they all think of themselves as disciples. If you are to be effective in serving your King, you must remember to spend the vast bulk of your time with the twelve, and send the 4,000 and the 5,000 and the un-dedicated on in love (as Yeshua also did). Otherwise you will run out of time to do the work that our King calls us to do.
When we love people, it can be hard to accept, but we must limit our time to those who want to work together with us to build Yeshua’s kingdom, or we will run out of time and resources.
That is, we need to work together with those who want to enter a discipleship relationship, with all that entails. Otherwise, we can immerse people all day long, but we will never immerse true disciples. As a point of discipline, make sure the correct Spirit is present before you begin to spend your time. It is essential to listen and obey.
Glorifying Yahweh-Yeshua’s Name Together
Many times Christian ministers will take pride in the size of their assemblies, thinking that numbers bring praise and glory to His name. Avoid this trap. Yeshua does not want a lot of brides—He only wants a pure one.
Another mistake is to focus on attracting tithe-paying believers. It is good when people want to pay their tithes to help the ministry cover the physical costs (which is a necessary part of the work), but maintain your focus on the mission Yeshua gave, which is to immerse disciples in His name, and teach them to do all that He said.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 28:19-20
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, immersing them in My name,
20 teaching them to observe [i.e., do] all things that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amein.
If you will do this, your numbers may grow much more slowly, but eventually you will have a team which can carry on His work in integrity, even when you sleep.
If you are ready, let us begin.