Leadership that Works
Thesis: Leadership that works has a mindset focused on eternity, has a driving desire to empower people with the Gospel and has the determination to be committed to Jesus Christ at any cost.
Texts:
Romans 12:1 “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Romans 12:6 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”
Romans 12:8 “… if it is leadership, let him govern diligently…”
Introduction:
Bill Hybel’s stated, “Everything rises and falls based on leadership.” Bill Hybels has been a Biblical leader emphasizing the importance of Biblical leadership in the Body of Christ today. He notes that if the leadership is strong then the followers are strong. If the leadership is weak so are the followers. This case holds true throughout the historical data revealed in the Old Testament. When Israel had Godly leaders the nation was strong and the people followed after the Lord. When the nation lost its focus, usually because the leaders had, then Israel suffered tremendous defeats and moral collapse. Eventually the lack of Godly leadership led to Israel being destroyed and many of its residents being led away as captives to a foreign land.
History has a way of always teaching us vital lessons. We can choose to learn from the past or make the same mistake and reap the same consequence. I believe the United States and especially the Body of Christ needs to understand the importance that Biblical leadership plays in the success or failure of a nation or an organization. In our society today leadership has come under attack. It’s looked down on and criticized by arm chair individuals. This is found in the church and outside the church.
I heard many say that leadership needs an overhaul in our country. I agree! We need a revival of Biblical Leadership. If we do not get this revival I predict that this nation will collapse within 25 years. I believe it will splinter apart just like the Roman Empire did and the Soviet Union did. I feel it will be divided into sections that are pro God and anti God – this could happen by regions or even by states. But I genuinely believe we are on this course today. Why? Because our nation lacks Godly leadership and we need more Godly leaders in Government, in society and in Church positions.
Yes, I am excited that President Busch is a Godly Leader but there are many in the Senate, and the House, of this nation “Under God”, that are not. There are many Judges who are not and are making law changes without the consent of the people. They make decisions based on what they think and what they value or believe.
We saw it recently with the latest Supreme Court ruling. Pat Robertson has challenged the church to step to the plate and to pray for leadership changes in the Supreme Court - in other courts - in the Senate and House - and in Government all across our country. I do believe that we need to start to pray and we must start to rise up more Biblical Leaders for the sake of our country and the Body of Christ.
I see a leadership vacuum today in the young people of this day. I know of some schools who cannot get kids to take leadership positions in their classes. I see young people in the church across our country who are running away from anything that has to do with leadership. They just want to come to church and receive but not serve or lead. They want someone else to make a difference for the Kingdom of God but they don’t want to be involved. I see a lack of respect for leadership today in our country and community. I believe this is one reason why no one wants to lead like the Lord has called us too. But the truth is we need Biblical Leaders leading the way today for the sake our society.
If the church and our nation had a surge of Biblical leaders moving into key positions we would experience a revival in our country and in our churches. But we need willing individuals we need leaders to lead. Friends and Christians Jesus needs you to decide to start leading Biblically right were you are at today. Why? Because it works! Why? It makes a difference! Why? Because Bbilical leadership is the hope of the world.
Some may say I want to lead but what is Biblical Leadership? Glad you asked! Here is what Biblical leadership looks like and acts like. Let’s look at the three proponents to Biblical leadership.
I. Biblical leadership that works will always stress “Leading people from here to eternity.”
a. A leader with this mind-set has an eternal view of this life
i. Isa. 26:3,4: You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
b. They know that what matters most in life is what happens after you have died.
i. There focus is on Eternity – not the here and now
ii. Ecc. 3:1: 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
iii. Abraham Lincoln stated, “Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immorality.”(pg. 36, Warren)
c. These leaders have a Biblical world view not a self-centered narrow view of their life.
i. The truth is the way you look at life is that way you live your life. If your mind-set is all about you then you miss the most important lesson about your life.
ii. Rick Warren states it this way, “What is your view of life? …he says many have a faulty life metaphor – a picture of what their life is… he stresses that the truth is we need to see our lives from God’s point of view.
iii. This view is spelled out for us in the Bible. The Bible makes it clear that life is to viewed and defined by looking through the lens of the Bible.
iv. The truth is life is not just about today it’s about how you spend eternity. Truth is this life you are now experiencing is temporary. It may last up to maybe a 100 years. But this speck in the time is what determines your place for eternity. The Bible has given us a glimpse into eternity and tells us that that is our goal. It stresses that God has placed us here on this earth for a purpose. That specific purpose for each of our lives is revealed to us by God as we draw close to Him. Then we find the fulfillment we are looking for in life when we live our life with God’s direction.
d. These leaders stress a call to have people follow them while they follow Jesus.
i. Paul’s challenged us to do this in his writings. ‘Follow me as I follow Christ!”
e. Biblical Leaders with this value system focus consistently on eternity and consistently remind their followers about the ultimate goal.
i. Quote C.S. Lewis and Rick Warren pg. 37 from Purpose Driven Life:
1. “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God ’Thy will be done’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then have it your way.’ Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they chose to live without him here on earth.” Warren adds “When you fully comprehend that there is more to life than just here and now, and you realize that life is just preparation for eternity, you will begin to live differently. You will start living in light of eternity, and that will color how you handle every relationship, task and circumstance’ (37, Warren).
ii. Briner states, “Successful leaders have a plan that they pursue relentlessly.”(89).
1. This plan is an eternal plan given to them by the Lord himself.
iii. Rick Warren states, “The most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short term thinking. To make the most of your life, you must keep the vision of eternity continually in your mind and the value of it in your heart” (38).
1. This is how people find fulfillment in life – it starts with God.
2. The truth is everyone’s life is driven by one of two forces:
a. Either for the good
b. Or for the bad
iv. Rick Warren states this about purpose and eternity:
1. “Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity”(33)
2. “Knowing your purpose focuses your life” (32).
3. “You weren’t put on earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity” (33).
v. Thomas Carlyle stated, “The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder-a Warf, a nothing, a no man.”
f. You see Biblical leaders know this and live by this mind set. They are continually pointing the finger at what really matters and leading their people in that direction.
i. Without this mindset a person can never lead any one into the right direction. Because it is the only right direction – that direction is an eternal focus for life.
T.S. – Biblical leadership works because it has a mindset focused on eternity and it also knows that it has to empower others so that more people go from here to eternity.
II. Biblical leadership works because it empowers people to lead themselves and others through the power of the Gospel.
a. Biblical leadership never seeks to control others or to keep others weak.
i. Its desire is to see others empowered with the Gospel.
1. Biblical leadership leads like Jesus. Jesus told his followers and us that he wants to bestow on us power from on high.
a. Acts 1:8 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
b. Colossians 1:9-14 9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
ii. Maxwell states, “To push people down, you have to go down with them.”
1. Jesus wants to lift people up not bring them down and Biblical leadership will always strive to empower people to go up.
2. In essence it will empower people to raise from the dead.
iii. Biblical leadership always delegates so others can help to carry the load of the work. This is empowering!
1. Moses and Jethro is a prime example of this (Exodus 18:13-27) 13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” 24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. 27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
2. Moses learned from his Father-in-law the importance of delegating – empowering others to do the work of the ministry because more can get done this way.
3. This is why Jesus choose to send the Holy Spirit to more could be empowered to do the work of the ministry- to lead people from here to eternity.
b. Biblical leadership works because it empowers people with the Word.
i. Maxwell states, “Only empowered people can reach their potential ‘(126).
ii. Maxwell also states, “Great leaders gain authority by giving it away.”
1. Look at Jesus as our example
a. Did he give away his authority to others?
b. Did he empower his followers?
c. Biblical leadership that works stresses service to the Kingdom of God over service to one self.
i. Leadership that works challenges it’s followers to discover their gifts and to use their gifts for the Kingdom of God.
1. I Timothy 4:11-16
11Command and teach these things. 12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
15Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
2. I Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
3. This style of leadership strives to challenge people to discover really what matters in life.
a. Which is serving God?
b. Which means using your gifts to influence others toward the way of Jesus Christ.
T.S. – Biblical leadership strives to empower as may people as possible so that the mission is fulfilled but it requires total commitment.
III. Biblical leadership works because it knows that commitment to the cause is an all or nothing deal.
a. Why did the apostles make an impact for the Kingdom?
i. They committed to spread it in spite of the cost to their personal lives.
1. They understood the meaning of commitment.
2. They choose to go all the way!
3. They choose to die to self and carry the cross.
ii. Psalm 37:4-6
1. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
iii. I Peter 4:19 19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
iv. We are never to give up our first love - Jesus!
1. The apostles may have stumbled at first but they learned from their mistake and did it right the second time.
a. They learned not to run away but to lead the sheep out of love for Jesus Christ.
b. What made the difference in the spread of the Gospel --they saw that their leader Jesus defeated death and they knew that if they followed him to their deaths so would they also defeat death.
i. They had an eternal mindset which was committed to the cause! The cause was to empower others to become followers of Jesus.
b. Why has Christianity spread throughout the world? Because missionaries – pastors- evangelist knew what commitment to the cause meant.
i. They decided to go the distance
ii. They decided to pay the price
iii. They decided to count the cost and pay it
iv. They decided to do what it would take and did it
c. They knew that the only way you could fail Christ was to renege on your commitment to Him.
i. They committed to the cost with this phrase, “If it means unto death so be it!”
1. Story of a Martyr John Hus --see the Video clip! From Reformation series
d. They decided to stay course to finish the race like Paul.
i. Illustration; I read of a pastor in California who was discouraged a lot and wanted to quit. He kept talking of moving and wanting to leave his area. Until one day God got a hold of him and he decided in his heart to commit to this place until his death. He actually went out that day and bought a cemetery plot to remind him of his commitment to the Lord and to the area God had called him to lead in.
ii. Some of you here today need to make this same type of commitment to lead in the area God has called you and gifted you in.
e. A leader with this type of fortitude understands that you will win some to the truth and lose some because they reject the truth. They understand that some will reject you and some will embrace you. They understand that some times you will win sometimes you will lose and sometimes you will get rained out and have to wait. But in spite of what others will or will not do you are committed to the cause because it makes all the difference for eternity.
i. Jeremiah demonstrated this kind of commitment in dealing with the nation of Israel.
ii. We need to do the same!
Conclusion:
Leadership that works has a mindset focused on eternity, has a driving desire to empower people with the Gospel and has the determination to be committed to Jesus Christ at any cost.
