Choosing a Winning Apostolic Team - Part III
Recruiting After the Spirit
by Dr. John Tetsola

Last month we saw the power of an apostolic team. You can whistle a tune, but you cannot whistle a symphony. It takes a lot of different people to make it happen. Vision requires gifted, talented, and great people who are willing to connect and provide their time, strength, skills, and finances to make vision work. Team members should be recruited after the Spirit. When choosing a man, God examines the heart because that is where true character lies. Similarly, when choosing an apostolic team, see the significance of recruiting and connecting not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David.

And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.

Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

1 Chronicles 12:16-18

David didn’t beg or seek after men for number’s sake. Neither did he choose men based on talent alone. In fact, 1 Chronicles 12:18 reveals that David didn’t receive any of the men until they revealed what they had come for. This is because David recruited men after the Spirit. How? By asking questions that helped David discern their true motives. “Why are you here? Are you here peaceably? What about hidden agendas or motives? Do you have any hidden goals and desires? Have you come to serve God through the vision He has given me?” The Bible says that the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief captain, who responded, “David, we are yours. We’re here to serve you because God is with you.” Their desires, ambitions, and motives were laid aside to uplift the vision of the team, spearheaded by David. Those sent by God to be a part of your team will always recognize the gift of God inside of you. They’ll respond to a spiritual connection and will follow the leader by giving themselves to the vision, and the leader will in turn receive them.

When you recruit after the Spirit, the leader chooses people he’s comfortable putting his spirit on. That was one of the requirements expected of Moses in Numbers 11:16-17 when God told Moses that the men he chose had to be true leaders – men who were able to stand with him, and men he was comfortable putting his spirit on. As a leader you will not be comfortable with all men who come into your life, and not all men are willing to stand with a vision that is not their own. It takes the release of your spirit upon them for men to see beyond their own needs and to connect with something bigger than themselves. Those with you must be willing to stand against anything the enemy brings against the team. Be careful to recruit people that you’re certain are willing to bear the burden and load of ministry with you, not just people who are more concerned about the attention and the glamour. When people are chosen after the Spirit they won’t break rank because they are able to discern the gift inside each member of the team and will stay connected. Recruit after the Spirit. You’ll be glad you did.