Leadership Development - Jesus Taught the Crowds & Instructed the Apostles

 

  This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders. 

Our topic for 2026 is Leadership Development. In my previous podcast, we looked at the way Jesus spent time with His apostles, and how this impacted their leadership development. Today, we want to explore this in greater detail. 

Jesus taught the masses, and He provided greater explanation and instruction to the apostles. One such instance is the Parable of the Sower found in Mark 4, where we read in verses 1 and 2 that “the crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables …”

Later in the chapter, we see in verse 10, “When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.” Jesus then took the next 10 verses to explain the parable and to instruct the Twelve. Later in Mark 4, Jesus shares the parable of the Mustard Seed, and the account concludes in verses 33 and 34. ”With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” [emphasis added]

Elsewhere in Matthew 13, Jesus taught using the Parable of the Weeds.  In verse 36, we read, “Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 

As we apply Jesus’ method to our approach to leadership development, the principle that I want to draw out is that while Jesus taught the crowds broadly, he explained his parables to his closest circle. Often it is the same with church and VCP leaders today. Information can, and should, be shared broadly, but the explanation about the thought process and all the considerations that went into that decision are frequently reserved for insiders. 

This also applies as we assist emerging leaders in their development. As we make decisions that impact them, it is often very helpful to have a conversation with them, explaining our thought process. This can help them sharpen their own analytical thinking and decision-making skills and prepare them for greater responsibility in the future.      

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.