Lifestyle Leadership 10 class LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Class One
. James 3:1 tells us of the greater responsibility of the leader as called by God: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.” . It is important that we take note of the fact that a leader will be held in more severe and stricter judgment than his followers. The very next sentence informs us that “For in many things we offend all.” . Because we stumble as humans will, and because we offend others when we “slip” we usually maintain that we are not “called to be a leader.” The world has set up many standards for leadership, which many believers think should be the standards that God uses to select His leaders. Using God’s WORD and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will look at the examples God has set before us to see what God wants us to know about leadership in His Kingdom.
MOSES
. What do we know about Moses? We are usually well versed in the life of Moses and the reed basket that carried him to the daughter of Pharaoh. We also know that he was highly educated, and accustomed to power, prestige and comfort. At his calling by God, where was Moses? At the backside of the dessert engaged in one of the lowliest occupations of that day. He could have been embittered and blamed society for his troubles. He could have been to his own party, a pity party, and been so wrapped in his decline from acclaim that he might have missed the calling of the Lord. (He was even, in this job of sheep herder, having to work for his in-laws!) . Let’s turn to Exodus 3:2 and see what happened. “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed.”
. It is important to take special note that the very FIRST action taken by God was to reveal Himself to Moses (v:5,6). If we are asked to serve in some capacity, make certain that God is in it. Don’t move an inch until you have determined the will of God in the matter. Many times the will of God is made clear to us suddenly, other times we have to wait, abide, until He makes it clear. We can be certain of this – God will show you. God is not a God of confusion and He is well able to communicate to His children, if they are listening. . In Psalm 32:8 God tells us “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.” Guidance is God’s responsibility – “I will instruct. I will teach. I will guide.” In Psalm 48:14 we are informed: “For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death.” Just as Moses was certain, we can be certain that God has spoken. . The second action taken by God was to reveal to Moses that He, too, had a burden for His people. “And the Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows'”(3:7).
. Can you picture Moses? The very burden that had been the cause of his removal and exile from Egypt was shared by God! Then God stated “I AM come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey” (3:8). . Now picture Moses. I can see him thinking, “OH BOY! This powerful God is going to remedy the matter and straighten everything out! God, Himself, was going to PERSONALLY take charge!” . Then the other shoe is dropped! God tells Moses “Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (3:10). . Now, what is running in the mind of Moses? “But-But-But YOU said YOU were going to do it YOURSELF! If YOU are going to do it, why do I need to go?”
. Right here is the crossroads of our lives in our relationship with God. It is important to commit to our hearts that God’s method is to use His children to accomplish His plan and purposes. When we can understand this, then we can begin to understand our role in the Kingdom of God.
. What is the immediate response of Moses in verse 11? Look at his statement. What was God’s response to that question? It was so immaterial to God’s plan that God did not even acknowledge the “Who am I” of Moses!
. Here, God allows us one of the first concepts of leadership in His kingdom. In verse 12 God states: “Certainly I will be with thee.” God tells us all a powerful truth by His not acknowledging the cry of Moses. In our terms, God told Moses that it didn’t matter who Moses was, whether he was qualified or unqualified, whether he was capable or incapable. God states clearly “I AM going to be there, I AM going to do it, and I AM going to give you the blessing and privilege of being in it with me – in fact I AM going to use you as my instrument of deliverance.”
. In II Corinthians 3:5, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.” In God’s Kingdom, it is an asset, not a handicap, to have a strong sense of need and inadequacy. Later, in chapter 12:9,10, Paul confirms this idea. “And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me …. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Look again, Paul – the Apostle to the Gentile (us) felt exactly like we do! But, because he acknowledged the method of God was to work through men, God used him in a mighty way to accomplish His Plan and Purpose – to give the Gospel to us! . Let’s go back to Exodus 3:13 where Moses says to God “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and say unto them, ‘The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you’: and they shall say unto me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say unto them?” . Again, in God’s way we are given an answer that man would not have conceived: “And God said unto Moses, “I AM THAT I AM”: and He said, “thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘I AM hath sent me unto you.'”
. Now read through verse 15. I have always looked at that statement of God and His declaration of His self-existent nature – that is until this study. Can you see what I see in that statement of I AM? I see God telling me: “Whatever you need to do as I send, that is what I AM.” He is telling each of us that whatever we need – Comfort? – I AM your comfort (1 Peter 5:7) Victory over a sin that ails us? – I AM your victory (I Corinthians 15:57) Love? – I AM love (I John 4:8). Look it over – is there any area that you can think of that God cannot fill. God’s statement of I AM can be held in our heart as “I AM all that my people need.”
GIDEON
. Our knowledge of Gideon is usually centered on the many battles and victories won by this warrior of God. With just a handful of men, Gideon was able to defeat large armies. Bold, courageous and valiant are terms that I have heard used to describe this mighty man of God. Let’s look at the record in Scripture. Judges 6:1 tells us the condition of the children of Israel. They were suffering oppression under the rule of the Midianites – hiding in caves in the mountains – their crops ruined by their oppressors. Why? Verse 6 tells us: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” . One night, Gideon was found by God threshing some wheat to hide it from the Midianites. God sent His angel to tell Gideon that he was to be God’s instrument to deliver Israel from the Midianites. Verse 15 gives us Gideon’s first response: “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Look at God’s response. Recall Moses? . Again, God pays no attention to the cry of man to prove his worthlessness – God is well aware of that fact and needs no reminder! . God responds: “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” God, in essence, tells Gideon and us that “it doesn’t matter who you are, but that I AM with thee. It is not how weak you are, but how My strength will work through you.”
JEREMIAH
. One of the great prophets of God. Called the “weeping prophet” because of his broken heart at the sin of Israel before the Lord. Recalled by every minister of the Gospel for his success and his determination to do God’s will. Let’s look at the record. . Jeremiah 1:4,5 shows us how God took the first step and communicated with Jeremiah: “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.'” Now, a prophet is to declare the Word of God. In the Old Testament, prophets declared God’s doctrines, today they expound on them. Do we find Jeremiah jumping at the chance to answer this call? “Then said I, ‘Ah, Lord God! behold I cannot speak: for I am a child.'”
. The next two verses give us the response God wants each of us to acknowledge when we come off with excuses. Read these verses. “Say not, ‘I am a child,’ for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I AM with thee to deliver thee.” Again, “I AM with thee.” God was by Jeremiah’s side and He promises to be at our side. God further promises to us, through His words to Jeremiah in verse 19 “And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I AM with thee ‘sayeth the Lord’, “to deliver thee.” . Now, Jesus Christ gave each of us one last order before He departed: “Go and make disciples of all the nations.” He then proceeds in Matthew 28:20 to give us the same basis for serving Him with confidence that He gave to these others of the Faith, “Lo, I AM with you always…” The message is still the same “Yesterday, today and tomorrow” and we need to plant it in our hearts “I AM with you.” . One of the areas where the devil has a playground and neutralizes our response to God’s call is to make some disparaging remark about something EVIL in our background. Satan tells us that we cannot be used of God with THIS THING in our past or that it will hinder any work God may have for us. Again, God’s way is not the way of the world. Turn to Acts 22:19-20. In shame, Paul tells us what his past was “I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on Thee; And when the blood of Thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the rainment of them that slew him.” Paul further elaborated in I Corinthians 15:9 in claiming that he was “not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”
. Do you relate to this? Look at I Timothy 1:12,13 where Paul states why he is at peace by saying “I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious.”
. Now, according to the standards of the world (Satan) this man Paul was unfit for anything! But in God’s way and God’s plan Paul was to be a mighty vessel for God to pour forth His Love to us all. However; even the Apostle Paul showed how human he was when evaluating others for leadership.
. We look at the matter of John Mark. Because of prior failures and unfaithfulness, Paul refused to allow John Mark to accompany him (Acts 15:36-38). This is the very man that God had called to be the author of the Gospel of Mark, which is the Gospel that tells us about the faithful servanthood of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t on the basis of Mark’s background that God selected him for His service. . The point is, when God calls you, by His Word, by His servants and ministers or by answer to prayer we are to let neither a feeling of being inadequate or having a “past” restrain us from following His call. As a final message, look at Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do His good pleasure.” I ask that you seek Him to outline to you the area of leadership that He has called you to as an immediate area of service, whether it be in the home or on your job, as father or mother, as supervisor or employee, as a Sunday School teacher or a youth counselor. Wherever God has called, pray that He will communicate to you what He wants done and that you will be open to follow His leading. . If you want to have a guideline on how to determine or test an INNER MESSAGE I suggest the following:
(1) Is it scriptural and in context with the entire Bible. (The Bible is consistent from Genesis to Revelation and should be followed in context. Out of context, the Bible is used to justify many actions that God would not want.)
(2) Look for counsel from friends who are (also) seeking God’s leading. (God uses your friends as His voice many times, and encourages the fellowship with one another for this purpose.)
(3) Acknowledge and expect Providential circumstances. (God will open doors for His plan to be accomplished. He will arrange for certain people or circumstances to confirm His will and plan.)
(4) Apply our own judgment in a form of Sanctified Common Sense. (So many believers today are less than effective in their witness due to their failure to hear that inner voice of the Holy Spirit and to heed that voice. Once we hear that voice and the above conditions are met, then we are to APPLY that to our daily living.)
Computers For Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Communication EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP
. The story is told about a mouse and an elephant that traveled together for many years. One day they arrived at one of those hanging rope bridges over a ravine and began to cross it together. As they stepped on the bridge the ropes strained from the load and the wood slats creaked and swayed in the wind. When they arrived on the other side of the bridge, the mouse looked up at the elephant and said, “Boy we really shook that bridge, didn’t we?” . We, as Christians, many times fail to recognize the FACT that we are chosen to have the CREATOR of the UNIVERSE along side each of us. “If God be for us, who can stand against us?” As leaders, as EKKLESIA, we need to be mindful of this fact in our lives. Prayerfully we will look back after a “shaky bridge” of life and be able to look at God and say the same words as that little mouse – “Boy did WE really shake them up, Lord!”
. One major area where many of us need special grace is in the area of COMMUNICATION. God left His Word to allow us to be informed. WHY? Because it is the very nature of God to inform His people of what is necessary to allow us to perform our calling. The Psalmist tells us that “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel” (Psalm 103:7).
. “In the know” is a catch phrase used to designate a special group of people with extra information not normally given to others. The Leader of Christ’s Kingdom should make certain that everyone that the leader is in authority over, is assured a position of being “in the know.”
. Turn to Colossians 4:7-9 and see what Paul told this body of believers. Look at II Timothy 4:20. Look at Romans 16:21, and II Timothy 4:11. Why does God through Paul allow so much Scripture to be used to “update” some of the believers. WHY? To motivate or keep them motivated? To involve them with what Paul was doing? To inspire some additional prayer warriors? To show them they were important to the Kingdom of God and His work in the world? ALL OF THE ABOVE! We should take special note and put this concern for communication to others in our heart. Our LIFESTYLE should reflect that we inform those with whom we are working.
. Proverbs 15:7 gives us the reverse to review. “The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so.” A wise leader spreads the word – a fool does not. Pretty simple? The Truths of God are in line with this truth, simple and clear. We, when we give consideration to our own needs, realize that we have an insatiable desire to know what is going to affect our lives, yet we think that some people don’t need to be “let in” on certain matters until we deem it necessary. By so doing, we breed confusion and misunderstanding and we demoralize those we are charged to lead. . We need to increase our ability to be pleasant. “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). A leader needs to inform the people with pleasant tones and strive for the result that everyone involved will have high morale. . Solomon had many words on the different kinds of information that a leader is to provide:
. “A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!” (Proverbs 15:23) There is a time to speak. If we jump the gun and give information before the people are ready we may cause our brother to stumble; yet if we wait too long, the “rumor mill” gets into gear and causes disruptions. The leader must seek God’s will and plan and time. God will make certain that the leader is given what is necessary to perform as God would desire. “Loyalty and truth preserve the king, and he upholds his throne by righteousness” (Proverbs 20:28). People will not, knowingly, follow a liar, anyone who does not tell the full truth at all times. The leader who tells the TRUTH in all situations creates an environment of trust, and God uses this environment to move His kingdom forward. Even “white lies” can prepare a road that people do not trust, and where people cannot trust fully, people do not go. “The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable” (Proverbs 15:2). Too much, too soon can breed many negative fruits. A Leader needs to pray continually for guidance that he tells the necessary information to those under his charge and does not “overload” the circuits by giving too much. The information withheld cannot be vital information, but information that would not assist the follower.
. “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips.” Leaders motivated by their hearts are persuasive. How many of you have been turned off by a leader quoting from so-and-so or Dr. So-and-So? Leadership means that you have taken a position in front and are ready to share what happens to you “up there” to those behind you to show that God provides.
WHOLEHEARTEDNESS
. Paul, again to the Colossians wrote: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest” (Colossians 3:23 & Ecclesiastes 9:10). God through two men of diverse heritage and separated by many hundreds of years both spoke what God told them to say – exhorting us to strive for the excellence and wholeheartedness that God does EVERYTHING! . How do we respond, we say “Take it easy” or “Don’t Burn Out” or “Don’t work too hard, buddy.” This whole attitude is seen in the world today and contributes to its mediocrity. We best be aware that that is what lies ahead for us if we adopt this half- hearted attitude. Our standards and our performance MUST be high. God set a standard of PERFECTION. We must open our hearts to have Him produce His PERFECT works through our wholehearted dedication to Him. . Jesus tells us today: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me,” and Jesus MEANT every word of this passage! We as leaders are blessed that we build for the present. What we do has present results. We must be mindful that our LIFESTYLE also builds for the future. If our heart is not TOTAL for the Lord, what will our “charges” be like? Fire is the only thing that kindles fire. We are charged by Jesus to be the igniters of the world, yet many of us think, “Well, I spent my hour of devotion today, now I’ll watch the football game!” In John 2:17, we read the words “The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up.” Can we show the power of Christ and have the zeal of Christ? If not, then who!?
. Jesus also gave us the commandment of Mark 12:29-30. Read these verses. They remain in His Word and are as valid TODAY as they were when Jesus spoke them. In the Army, there is a saying: “When we play men’s games ONLY men will come to play.” If we have a LIFESTYLE of this standard of WHOLEHEARTEDNESS, we will attract those of like desire.
SINGLE-MINDEDNESS
. Everything in this world will pass away. Nothing is going to remain! Two things will survive the events of Revelation, the Word of God and the souls of mankind! Each of the leaders we read of in the Scripture were not sidetracked from their chosen path, or were fainthearted because of overwhelming odds. Ridicule, opposition and even death did not deter those who had given their whole heart to God and were of one purpose – single-minded in purpose. . Our life is too short. James 4:14 gives us God’s view. Keep this in your minds and hearts. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us where we are to look. Turn there.
. Everything that we do as ‘sent’ messengers and ambassadors of the King is another reason for singlemindedness. I Corinthians 15:58 tells us “Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN in the LORD.” We are GUARANTEED that what we do in service TO THE LORD is worth something EVERLASTING! . A rich woman had a dream about being allowed to walk on the streets of heaven. She came to a large structure and asked who that MANSION was being built for. She was told the name and she remarked, “That is my gardener. He wastes his money on the poor and lives in a small house. Why should he get such a house?” The workmen told her to take the matter up with the Master Builder; so she proceeded down the street. Shortly she came to another structure, very small and shabby. She asked who that house was for and she was given a name. She realized that it was HER NAME! She stated, “Why, I live in a big mansion and have a big car and want for nothing. Why should I live here?” Again she was told to take the matter up with the Master Builder. She then dreamed she was before the Master Builder and asked why the difference in buildings. The Master Builder looked her in the eye, and tears were in His, when He said; “Daughter, I can only build with what you send up here for me to use.” . Luke tells us of the time that Jesus “Steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Jesus is our best example, and Paul sets the course in his letter to the Philippians (3:13-14). Read this passage. In both instances, both knew what lay ahead of them. One, Jesus, was the LEADER by LIFESTYLE and Paul, the follower of the Perfect Leader. Paul elaborates in Acts 20:24. Read this passage. Now, I call your attention to Colossians 4:17, where WE are told: “Say to Archippus (or John, or Sally or …), “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou may fulfill it.” . Each of us is called to a LIFE and a LIFESTYLE to follow, a mission to complete, a path to walk on without straying. We need God and His indwelling power and strength to make it to the end, because it IS HARD! Praise God that you have been chosen to lead where many do not walk.
Computers For Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Difficulties and Resolution
. You have been chosen to lead. You have prayed about the calling and are doing all possible to be in the Will of God. Yet, you find the going tough, difficulties arise and problems abound. The problems always seem to fall into two categories – problems in our personal lives and witness and problems or friction in the group. . God, in His Holy Scriptures gives us many “case histories” of leaders who became embroiled in difficulties and problems. We have reviewed many of these leaders in this study, but not in relation to the problems that they faced.
. Moses was the first leader that we began with, and we now are able to use Moses as our example of how problems come about and how they can be handled in the manner God would desire. Moses got himself into a situation because he acted in much the same way that we seem to operate. Moses came to believe that he alone was capable of leading the nation of Israel. Today, we have many people who have the motto “If you want a job done right, then you have got to do it yourself!” . All that we read about Moses shows us that he was involved in the lives of his charges – the children of Israel. This very strength became his weakness.
. Turn to Exodus 18:13. Can you picture the situation? Moses was spending the entire day helping the very people who had tried to kill him by stoning. Moses was taking all this time to help these people. It is easy to assist those you like and are nice to you, but to take this time to help people who have tried to do you wrong?! People who were hateful? Who did not appreciate Moses or his efforts? But Moses was doing all things “as unto God” and was demonstrating qualities of God.
. Now, in Exodus 18:14, we find the father-in-law, Jethro, observing Moses and his “waste of time” and questioning Moses as to why. In the next two verses, Moses gives rational reasons. Jethro then gives advice, unsolicited, to Moses in the next five verses. . As we covered in our first session, we now take another look at the matter. Moses did not “pull rank” or tell Jethro to keep his opinions to himself. Moses, being a servant of God, listened to the advice and adopted the counsel. Why? Let’s take a close look at the advice and counsel.
. Moses’ first function as a leader was to pray for the people placed under his charge. Paul confirms this advice in Colossians 4:12 when he makes the statement: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in the will of God.” We need to pray for each person God places in our path – BY NAME. In our jobs, we need to pray for each person that reports to us, and that we report to – BY NAME.
. Moses was to teach the Word of God. Our people given to us to lead cannot DO truth if they don’t KNOW the Truth. . Moses was to be SEEN by the people. We, as leaders must tell our people WHAT, tell them WHY, and show them HOW. Our LIFESTYLE must be one of showing them how to walk with God and how to work for God. People don’t learn from lectures and sermons, alone. The lectures and sermons MUST be accompanied by LIFESTYLE. Those given to us need a pattern to follow, and WE are to be that example. . Moses was to delegate his responsibilities. Moses was trying to do it all by himself. He was doing all the governmental functions, spiritual functions, and social functions by himself. Jethro tells Moses to “share the load” with hand picked people. These selected few would have to have spiritual depth, have a close relationship with God and with the world around them. I’m sure that Moses knew that it was imperative that the choice was of Godly leaders. It is easier to get a person into a position than to get them out of it. When we have the right people in the right place, we are able to break down the functions of any job into smaller, more manageable sections.
CO-LABORERS
. We, as leaders must be cognizant of the FACT that those appointed under us are in fact future leaders. By our actions or lack of action, we direct these charges into the path that they, too, will be leaders of their own flock. Several Scriptures give us the required qualities of these future leaders:
LIKE-MINDEDNESS
. “For I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Phil 2:20-21). A leader must have co-workers that can see the leader’s vision and share the leader’s goals and objectives. But it goes beyond JUST sharing. The co-workers should have the ability to adopt the leader’s goals as their own goals, the leaders vision as their own vision. The leader, then, must be prepared to allow the coworker to carry out these goal and visions in their own way. The leader needs full agreement on the goals. The leader needs to be flexible and allow latitude to the co-workers on the methods and means to accomplish the goal.
. A prime example of similar goals and totally different methods can be found in the two men of God, Ezra and Nehemiah. Each was commanded of God to rebuild Jerusalem. Turn to Ezra 8:21-23. Now turn to Nehemiah 2:7-9. See the difference?! Another striking difference was in the way that sin in the body was handled. Read Ezra 9:3. Now read Nehemiah 13:21, 25. Now, the same God commanded each of these men to rebuild the city, and each did it in exact opposite to the other. Does this mean that one of the men was wrong? NO, it only means that God dealt with each man differently, but accomplished the Will of the Living God.
FAITHFULNESS
. “A faithful man, who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6). A co-worker must be faithful, but such a person is so rare that the Scriptures ask the above question. We make the statement and cry that today’s age is not one for finding faithful people of any nature. Psalms 12:1 tell us “Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fall from among the children of men.”
. Solomon tells the leader to wait for this faithful person. Psalm 25:19 states “Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.” . Jesus taught that a leader starts a co-worker out in small task. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much” (Luke 16:10). A co-worker that cannot carry out the small assignments and places IMPORTANCE on any function as being different that any other function will fail at larger assignments. Take notice on those who set up tables or greet people at a function. If their heart is not into these task, they will certainly not be in running the function. . Jesus also taught that co-workers must be FAITHFUL IN WORKING WITH OTHERS. “And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is of your own?” (Luke 16:12). Jesus clearly wants each of us to know that BEFORE He will give us responsibility of our own, we need to demonstrate that we can work with others and assist them with their responsibilities. . If you really look at it, this is why there is so much room at the top. No one, it seems, wants to “pay the dues” to be entrusted with the top. Think of Joshua or Elisha – both of these men were servants of another called of God, until that person was called home. THEN God chose these two to lead at the top. So few people, today, are willing to commit to the life and schedule and responsibility of another. Until that happens, God waits to give us greater responsibility.
INFORMATION UNLIMITED
. In Acts, we are told that Moses made the mistake of assuming. “For he supposed his brothers would have understood” (Acts 7:25). They didn’t and Moses had a problem brewing. Disaster is the result of assumptions. A leader, by LIFESTYLE, will make communication a priority. We discussed this last session, but this is of such importance that we are looking deeper into this area of leadership. Scripture, again, provides a perfect example of lack of communication. Turn to Joshua 21:43 / 22:10-12. The resolution of this near disaster is found in verses 26 and 27. The matter dropped (verse 30). . A pattern develops – quick suspicion leading to incorrect accusations. Anger developed which led to division, which almost led to war! A leader must always be on the alert for the attack of Satan in causing division. The leader must KNOW that Satan must disable the work of Christians, and this finds its best avenue through lack of communicating the activity of the group to the whole group. The leader must share the actions and thoughts for accomplishing goals if the co-worker is to adopt the goals as his own. Leaders must make personal reports to the co-workers.
. Leaders must be even-handed in administration and coordination of the co-workers. No job is to be slighted at the expense of another job, which may be more unpleasant. We see fund drives rolling without regard to evangelism; or we see strong evangelism efforts without discipleship being considered. Imbalance of this nature occurs when the leader focuses on those tasks that he enjoys and neglects those that take more time or are less enjoyable. The leader must take the whole job and consider each part important – the bitter with the sweet. More than this, the leader must be of a willing heart to adopt this attitude, not out of resignation, but out of joy and thanksgiving unto the Lord.
PERSONAL PROBLEMS
. Paul states that tribulation is our glory! “And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:3-5). Leadership does not remove the leader from trials and tribulations. Leaders have been known to have arguments with their wife, have financial difficulties, fall ill – in short – have the storms of life afflict the leader! Heartache, tension and confusion are not removed from the leader – JUST because of the leadership. . “How can any sane person GLORY in tribulation?” The word TRIBULATION is derived from the term used to describe the tool used by harvesters to thresh the wheat to separate the wheat from the chaff. The TRIBULUM was chosen for this term and gives us a clue as to why Paul and other writers tell us that we can GLORY in tribulation. (James 1:2-4 and I Peter 4:12). I ALWAYS have joy when I “get out of the pit” – Not when I fall into it! Paul and these verses tell us that God uses these attacks of the Evil one to build our character in Christ. Endurance is manifested through these tribulations. Leadership does not exist without endurance, and God uses tribulation to instill endurance into a leader.
. God is greatly more concerned for our completeness in Christ than our comfort in the world. God desires that many aspects of the life of Christ be manifested through us. Paul and Silas sang in prison. God used that adversity to bring glory to the Kingdom of Christ. Paul and Silas had been deprived of their civil rights and unjustly imprisoned. They COULD have become bitter, but in light of the cross of Jesus, they expressed the Joy and Peace that passes all understanding.
. Let’s read Isaiah 55:8-9. God has His ways and His timetable and His reasons for the ETERNAL picture and result. Paul was threatened with death in Antioch and Iconium and left for dead in the town of Lystra. Turn to II Timothy 3:10-11. Paul states that God delivered him from all THREE matters! You see, God chose to deliver Paul twice FROM the stones, and then elected to deliver Paul ONCE THROUGH the stones! We need not speculate on which method Paul preferred! Paul concludes with verse 4:18.
. We need to be reminded that Jesus is to bear our burdens. We cannot share them, they must be cast upon Him or we must bear them. If we bear them, we will have sleepless nights and tension filled days. We are entrusted of God to do His will. He has guaranteed that HE is responsible and will fulfill our needs. HE IS ABLE. We are only vessels He has chose to pour forth His glory THROUGH. Allow Him to pass through, and we find ourselves used for His glory beyond our thoughts. We find His Ways to be far better that we could have ever thought possible. We need to express in our LIFESTYLE as John the Baptist. “I must DECREASE while He INCREASES.”
Computers For Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Source of Power
. In our last discussion we demonstrated the difficulty that many have with the required traits for leadership in the world and in the Kingdom. It is important that we take a deep look at these differences:
NATURAL SPIRITUAL Self Confident Confident in God Knows men Knows man and God Makes own decisions Seeks God’s will Ambitious Self-effacing Originates methods Finds God’s methods Enjoys commanding Delights to obey God Personal motivations Agape motivations Independent God-dependent
. Now that we have this table, we should note another difference – that of LEADERSHIP and MANAGEMENT. Leadership is an attitude and an action. Management is an action. In illustration, we can make the following comparison:
- Leadership is a quality. – Management is a science and art.
- Leadership provides vision. – Management supplies realistic perspective.
- Leadership deals with concepts. – Management relates to functions.
- Leadership exercises faith. – Management works with facts.
- Leadership seeks for effectiveness. – Management strives for efficiency.
- Leadership influences for good with potential resources. – Management coordinates resources for maximum accomplishment.
- Leadership provides direction. – Management provides control.
- Leaderships thrives on finding opportunity. – Management succeeds on accomplishment.
. It is not unusual to find a leader who can manage; However, a manager is usually utilized exclusively as a manager.
TRAITS OF LEADERSHIP
. I have found only one place where traits of leadership are given a commentary. Turn to HEBREWS, chapter 11:24. We find the following:
FAITH. (:24 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”)
INTEGRITY. (:25 “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.”)
VISION. (:26 “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.”)
DECISIVENESS. (:27 “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.”)
OBEDIENCE. (:28 “Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyeth the firstborn should touch them.”)
RESPONSIBILITY. (:29 “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.”)
. SO, we see from the above that leaders have specific traits that God honors with blessings. Blessings that come only from the “stepping out” that a leader must do. This “stepping out” is not a one-time occurrence, but is a lifestyle. It is one that is open to scrutiny of the body and the world. Then we come to the matter of “How does a leader have the strength or power to accomplish his calling?”
. With little exception, especially in a church environment, the answer to the question “What is the source of power for a Leader?” would result in the immediate answer – “GOD!” But how many of us really tap Him as the sole source of power in our lives? Why do so many believers lead defeated lives?
. In our last discussion, we covered the I AM facet of God’s nature. We found that God is to be our sufficiency. Today we discuss another I AM of God. He is telling us: “I AM your power and your strength!”
. We then have the task and question “HOW DO WE AVAIL OURSELVES OF THIS POWER?” Let’s look at the people called by God to lead. What major feature of their lives prepared them for leadership under GOd? Scripture shows no one passing ROTC or ADMINISTRATION 101 or any other worldly school of preparation. It was the time spent with God that made them ready to be a leader under God. Fellowship with our creator was the primary purpose for the creation of man in Genesis, and Isaiah 43:7 gives us the continuing purpose for mankind: “Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”
. Turn to Philippians 4:13 where Paul tells us, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This is similar to David’s proclamation of II Samuel 22:33 where we are told the basis for David’s strength – “God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.”
. In order for a person to lead, that person must first identify the direction they are going. There was one person who was able by every thought, word and deed to glorify God. That person is Jesus Christ. Jesus told His Father in John 17:4, “I have glorified Thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do.” What does that have to do with each of us?
. Romans 8:29 tells us that God’s desire is that we become like His Son. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethen.” To become like Christ is to glorify God! . How do I become like Christ? Have you ever noticed how a man and wife, after several years of marriage become truly one flesh? They act alike, they talk alike and they even think alike. If you have noticed the couples that enjoy their 50th anniversary, they even look alike. They become this way because they are together by choice. We become like Jesus only when we spend time with Him. By being around Him, talking with Him and doing things together with Him. To be “conformed to the image of Jesus Christ” we must develop a relationship with Him and invest time alone with Him. God wants each of us to be like this, He even searches for that person. Look in Ezekiel 22:30 where God tells us, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.” When God finds this type of person – one who places FIRST priority on an intimate and personal relationship with Him, God directs His power and wisdom into and through that person. God can change the world with such a man.
. Implementing this fellowship has three basic elements:
I. THE WORD OF GOD
. We must get into the Word. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (II Timothy 3:16,17)
. We must get the Word into us. “O how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97) . Just like our physical food, we must meditate on our spiritual food to make it a part of our very life. The word Meditate means to ponder or to contemplate, and indicates that we are to probe below the surface for meaning. (Psalm 119:35, 112:1, 119:47)
II. PRAYER
. In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus Christ told about different kinds of praying that men practice – even today! Please read this section of God’s word.
. Take special note that Jesus stated, “He prayed thus with himself.” The one man had his business with God, and wanted to accomplish something with God, the other to impress other men. James 5:16 states, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” We must be aware that a prayer has to be FERVENT to be effective. The greek term translated FERVENT is the term used to describe the intensity of feeling a person has when being pulled apart on a torture rack! Some of us pray as though God has a pair of heavenly earphones – we should be praying as though God hears us through a heavenly stethoscope! The call of Jeremiah is as valid today as when he first called God’s chosen to “Pour out thine heart like water before the face of our Lord.” (Lamentations 2:19) We hear so many say, “I’ll be praying for you” as a form of saying goodbye. We should do as Paul did: “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” (Romans 1:9) . We must always be aware that a worldly Christian stops praying while a praying Christian stops the world!
III. OBEDIENCE
. This last facet of fellowship with God is the most ignored by believers. In all walks of life there is no fellowship with a superior unless there is obedience to him. Our Superior, or Leader, is the Lord Jesus Christ, and to have fellowship with Him, we must obey His commandments.
. In John 14:21 we find our Lord telling us, “He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”
. Luke 6:46-49 is where our Lord Jesus Christ tells us the danger of disobedience – turn to this passage and read it. . A leader who leads a life of obedience is the greatest motivation to those who follow him. A leader must be able to state as Paul did in Phillipians 4:9 where he told Christians to follow him as he followed Christ. The secret of his following is the same as John the Baptist stated, “I must decrease while He increases.” . Pray that God will touch your heart to create a desire to begin a fellowship with Him based on these three points – The WORD, PRAYER and OBEDIENCE. Pray that God will become the priority of your life and that the fellowship that comes from that dedication will be honored by His power flowing through you to this needy world, beginning in our own homes. AMEN
Computers for Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Lifestyle traits of character EXCELLENCE
. In the church, today, there are many programs and classes being held for all kinds of reasons and for all kinds of purposes. Some of these result in changed lives and others seem to, at best, add to the status quo. The SPIRIT of EXCELLENCE must be a major quality of any leader called of God to be the residence for the Holy Spirit. If the leader strives for excellence, the leader will never be counted as part of the “also-rans’ of life. It is an attribute that is developed within the leader – but how do we acquire this trait? How can we, as leaders, acquire a trait of excellence when the world is willing (even demanding) for anything to be considered “good enough?’ We, as members of the EKKLESIA of God, have an easier path to acquire this, we ONLY have to look to the excellence of God!
. We need to remember that God’s name is excellent: “Oh Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Who hast set Thy glory above the heavens” (Psalms 8:1). “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.” (Psalms 148:13)
. We need to remember that God’s loving kindness is excellent. “How excellent is thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings” (Psalms 36:7). . We need to remember that God’s salvation is excellent. “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, ‘Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth'” (Isaiah 12:2-5). . We need to remember that God’s work is excellent. “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth … Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:1-4)
. We need to remember that God’s way is excellent. “As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a shield to all them that trust in Him.” (II Samuel 22:31) . We need to remember that God’s will is excellent. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2) . I need not go further. Many verses of the Old Testament and the New are dedicated to this theme of the excellence of God. We, many times read these verses and associate the excellence of God to God ONLY. The Holy Bible is filled with the exhortation to mimic God’s attributes. As leaders, our LIFESTYLE should show that the spirit of excellence is a reflection, in the leader, of one of God’s attributes. This is not to be confused with efforts of the flesh, or ambitions to SUCCEED. SUCCESS and FAILURE, again, are not terms of the Bible – they are terms of man. God looks at the hearts purpose for everything that we do.
. Turn to I Chronicles 22:5. Here we see David insisting that the temple of God be of ‘exceeding magnificence’ in quality. Why? Because David knew that it reflected on the very name of God. We must be mindful of the FACT that what we do or we DON’T DO will reflect upon God and our Savior. We must always be mindful of the FACT that what we do in the name of God must reflect well on that name. We must be certain that it is ‘magnificent’ for our Lord. . Mark relates that “He hath done all things well” (7:37). Many times we see leaders of the church show the compassion and love that Jesus would expect, yet the work that they do is haphazard and sloppy. Sometimes so much so that they are a disgrace. It seems that many people don’t find it necessary to strive for excellence in EVERYTHING. Wouldn’t it be sad if the God we worship wasn’t a God of perfection and excellence? Everything done by God is perfection and complete. . Keep in mind the parable of the talents. The slothful servant is denounced as WICKED because of his slothfulness. In God, we find perfection and strength to strive for the same perfection. . Several Scriptures allow us to see how God can bring about this excellence in each of us – make it a part of our LIFESTYLE. . As we search the Scriptures for our own edification. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16-17). . Through the prayers of others. “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
. By helping us realize our own weaknesses. “And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (II Corinthians 12:9)
. Through someone sharing the Word with us. “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith” (I Thessalonians 3:10). . Through sufferings. “But the God of all grace, who hath called upon us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” I Peter 5:10)
. By giving us a hunger for holiness. “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (II Corinthians 7:1).
. By our desire to have the fruit of our lives brought to perfection. “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when that have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14). . All the above will work to bring excellence into our very character – when we recognize that our MOTIVATION is the key that unlocks the door to allow God to do His work in us. If our motivation is incorrect – if we do anything because WE HAVE TO FOR DUTY or WE WANT TO BE SEEN – whatever, we close the door to His perfection. Mark told us that Jesus did ALL things well. Unless it has escaped you, Jesus is the ONLY person who ever lived who was able to have such a claim made! Read Hebrews 13:20 and 21. . No amount of effort on my part can accomplish what Christ can accomplish THROUGH us. Only THROUGH JESUS can any leader make a LIFESTYLE of excellence. Only THROUGH HIM, who did ALL THINGS well, can it be done.
INITIATIVE
. A person who has a LIFESTYLE of leadership does not wait for something to happen – the leader helps make things happen. This is one reason many people do not step out into leadership responsibility. As we discussed in the first session, a leader (teacher) will be held more accountable before the Lord. A leader knows and accepts the FACT that all are called to lead, only some refuse to participate. . Joab, of the Old Testament, is one example of such initiative. In I Chronicles 11:6, we read “And David said, ‘Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain.’ So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.” We also have discussed the calling of Isaiah: “Whom shall I send and who will go for Us? Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.'” – Isaiah 6:8. . In Genesis 24:14-21, God tells us about Rebekah, who became the wife of Isaac because she took the initiative and served water to the servant of Abraham. This act of initiative marked her as God’s chosen bride for Isaac.
. In John 6:9-11 a small boy was made the focal point of the Holy Scriptures because he took the initiative and offered his small lunch to help feed the multitude. Can you imagine the attack of Satan in that matter? “What’s wrong with you? You can plainly see that there are THOUSANDS of people here and you want to offer you little amount of food? You could cause a riot here! Better that you just kept quiet!” But the boy did not remain quiet and was the instrument that God used to have a miracle happen.
. In reality, isn’t that the primary function of Christian leadership – to make an opportunity for God to pour forth His blessings. A leader with initiative opens doors for the miracles of God to come forth when the leader responds to the commands of God and listens NOT to the advice of the world. . But the greatest act of initiative is found in God, Himself. In Acts 15:14, we are told: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.” If we had been left to ourselves, we would never have come to God. God took the initiative: “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8. . If we take the initiative, we demonstrate one more characteristic of God. Service to one another in the primary area that we need to demonstrate initiative. Another important area is in our function as the Priest of God’s kingdom – to reconciliation. Matthew 5:23-24 gives us clear guidance: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the alter, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee: leave there thy gift before the alter, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” In Matthew 18:15, we have reinforcement of this: “Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained a brother.”
. In the world, it seems unfair – If WE offend a brother, we are to take the initiative AND if a brother offends US, we are to take the initiative! In either case, WE ARE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE! . Pride is the obstacle to initiative of this kind. Satan wants us to think that if we humble ourselves before our mate or friend that they will look down on us. Nothing could be farther from the truth of God. When we act in this manner, we demonstrate the love and initiative of God, and the brother will recognize this as truth. God will honor the leader and the leader may gain a loyal follower, friend or brother in the course of acting in this godly manner. . One more area of initiative need is in gaining the knowledge and wisdom of God. Proverbs 20:5 tells us: “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.” . A leader can NEVER know ALL there is to know about everything. It is imperative that the leader seek out knowledgeable disciples of Christ and learn from them. Obtain the wisdom that they have gained in trying what you may be about to attempt. How many times have we been in gatherings or meetings where we failed to speak up for fear that we would show our ignorance! This, again, is the counsel of Satan. If we ask the “dumb” questions, we will find that we are not the only ones that needed the information, and we can open doors that will allow ourselves, and possibly many others, to serve more properly. Pride prohibits the Godly from being useful. Pride closes the door to the heart, and cools the love we need to show our brethren.
. The SPIRIT NEEDED TO ORIGINATE ACTION is a good definition of initiative. To develop this quality, we need to use the brains that God gave us and the ability to utilize our imaginations – to think ahead and visualize the results that we seek. We, as leaders, must see MORE than others do, see FARTHER than others do, and see BEFORE others do. (See I Corinthians 1:25)
CREATIVITY
. Leaders must be creative to show excellence. In the flesh we struggle to conform. The apostles were never found to be stiff or monotonous, they never tried to conform to man’s standard. The factor to look at is that they represented the very nature of God rather than the nature of man. Look at the creation. The Creator made variety while maintaining order. Man seems to thrive on conformity, which always ends in disorder. How different the standard of God. Think of the possibility of God making creation like the developers of our “modern” homes! Row of row of men that look exactly alike! YUK! God loves variety. Now think of a zoo. Look at the wonder of the variety that God has made. Science tells us that NO TWO snowflakes are identical! Make a comparison of the work we do for God against the work that HE does. To say that we lack creativity in our LIFESTYLE falls short of the depth of that shortcoming. . The creativity that we should have in the concern for others is clearly given to us in the story found in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, verses 2 through 5. Read them carefully. Do we have that much concern for the terminal cases we know to do all we can to bring them to Christ? Would that we would be so bold as to do what has not been done before. Think of the open-mindedness of these four men. They weren’t concerned for the impact that the crowd may have had – they only knew that Jesus could help their beloved friend. Because they had open minds and BECAUSE they were creative, Holy Scripture records their deed. Just to tell an interesting story? “All scripture is for …..” Which reason has God used to touch you by recording this story?
. The next question, “How do I develop this LIFESTYLE of creativity?”
. Set your heart and your mind, especially your “mind of Christ” to find the “better way” to do anything and everything. Question. “Test all things; Hold fast to that which is true.” Ask God for boldness, for courage to try a new way, when His Spirit moves you. This is impossible without prayer-intimate communication and fellowship with the living God, through Christ Jesus.
. Scripture tells us that Jesus made everything – nothing was made that was not made by Jesus. If we are to have a creative nature or LIFESTYLE, then we must have more fellowship, more time in prayer with Jesus, the CREATOR of all things. Jesus did things differently than the men of His time. Jesus spoke differently than the men of His time. Praise God that He did! Allow Jesus to place His hand on you and say “Behold, I will do a new thing!” . To sum up this section .. As a LIFESTYLE, excellence, initiative and creativity must be ours. Once we have committed to this path, we must ABIDE in the only source of provision of these traits, the Lord, Jesus Christ. Remember always that Jesus, and ONLY Jesus, “did all things well.”
Computers for Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Dangers of Leadership SURVIVAL
. We all face dangers of one kind or another. Some face the freeways of the commute to daily work while others face the most dangerous place, according to statistics, there is – the HOME! As we grow up, we learn that to put a wet finger into a wall socket is more than just another way to get a charge out of life. We do learn to avoid certain dangers because they are obvious. The dangers that befall a leader are far less obvious, and thus far more deadly – causing the death of the leader’s leadership!
CO-WORKER SELECTION
. I have seen several leaders select co-workers that were not believers – on the premise that their participation would be a factor in bringing them into the Kingdom of God. Matthew 6:24 addresses this very matter in explicit and clear words. It is obvious that we would not select an “enemy” of the cross, yet Philippians 3:17 to 19 tells us that they are enemies when they are clearly concerned with the things of this world rather than the things of God. When a leader selects co-workers to share the ministry, the leader must select based on the LIFESTYLE as DEMONSTRATED by those who will assist the leader. We must also make CERTAIN that we have a LIFESTYLE that does not, in any size, shape or form, demonstrate the above mentioned characteristics. Giving of ourself to others is to be the basis of our LIFESTYLE. A basis which is IMPOSSIBLE without the power of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit being given full reign in our lives.
JEALOUSY – COVETOUSNESS
. Look at I Thessalonians 2:5. Paul makes a special point that he and his co-workers were not guilty of coveting anything, and cited God as his witness. In his letter to the Colossians (3:1-5) he states in the absolutes of our Risen Lord that covetousness (and other worldly traits) is not permitted. “If ye then be risen with Christ…” . Many people don’t like to see this verse – it clearly connects covetousness with idolatry! When a leader becomes caught up in covetousness, leadership ceases! One cannot become covetousness without taking his eyes off Jesus and putting them on the world. The leader must FOCUS his life on this world, and Jesus has told each of us “My Kingdom is not of this world…” The goal of the leader, the very LIFESTYLE becomes temporal and loses the eternal. The actions and ministries of the leader become unprofitable – both for the leader and for the Kingdom!
. Our admonition is found in I JOHN 2:15-17. Peter tells us in ACTS 3:6 that “Silver and gold have I none…” but ACTS also records that Barnabas sold his land and laid the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles. The admonition is exclusively to make certain that we do not increase our worldly position. One major factor of the lives of the Apostles is that not one of them died with any worldly estate or treasures. They had a LIFESTYLE that proved they lived what they preached and believed – to set their treasures up in heaven. . I believe that the major reason that we cannot allow the world into our values by coveting the things of this world is that when we do that, we set God at position #2. When we do not place God FIRST, God always ends up with NO PLACE AT ALL! . Idolatry is loving ANYTHING more than we love God. Exodus 20:3 is the Commandment of God that we shall have NO OTHER GOD before Him. The gods of America have Fiberglas or metal bodies, glass, wool, silk or electronic variations. It arrives in a leader by searching out the hidden section of heart, and then waits for the “”Nothing’s wrong with this little…” We purchase a small game to “entertain” the children, and then we look back and see the average amount of money spent on one of these machines in a three year period EXCEEDS $2,100.00! . Paul gives us an idea of what our LIFESTYLE should be in his second letter to the Corinthians (5:14-15). . Covetousness is not found in our checkbooks or our bank accounts. Our material blessings have nothing to do with covetousness. Covetousness is found in the heart. We can be possessed by our possessions or our possessions can be slaves to the cause of Christ. WE DECIDE!
. The pain that I have when I see this in another person can be related to Ecclesiastes 5:10. “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” The truth of God rings again and again. . Man’s folly continues to show the shallowness of his own plans and gains. How is that a millionaire commits suicide? Can the Word of God be true? Can a LIFESTYLE of seeking the things of this world truly end with emptiness? You KNOW it can and does. Our LIFESTYLE and our MESSAGE is to be one that will allow those who are seeking this world that satisfaction is exclusively the possession of those who KNOW that they can present themselves to God as His children and not as those to be judged.
. Paul decried the loss of one of his co-workers, Demas, when Demas “having loved this present world” forsook Paul and was undone. Two classes were addressed by Paul – the ones who live TO BECOME RICH and those WHO ARE RICH. In I TIMOTHY 6:9-10 we find the first group and in verses 17-19, we find the second. If a follower of the apostle could be caught in this snare, why do we feel that we are above such temptation?
. Jesus spoke clearly, as Luke tells us (12:13-15). Our LIFESTYLE must be one of constant awareness that the traps Satan sets have been in place for thousands of years. Only the guidance of our Lord Jesus is capable of steering us on the proper path to avoid the pitfalls.
SELF GLORY
. Jesus spoke to me in a verse. MARK 12:38-40. I found myself being examined by my Lord and having to respond with a loud and painful “YES” when I was asked, “Are you enjoying the acclaim of the groups you are speaking to?” My Lord Jesus is so kind and loving, but I felt two inches tall and confessed to Jesus my failure to point to Him in all that I do. He is just and forgave me. Now I find myself saying “Are you about to join the ranks of the scribes?” . Our ministry is to minister “not with the eye service as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.” (EPHESIANS 6:6).
. The first area that I found my pride getting enlarged was in giving. I found this to be the most simple of “pride of life” situations. Again, my Lord came to show me the way – MATTHEW 6:1-4. . The next area seems to be the very area of service and harvest for the Kingdom. We must REMEMBER that the LORD ADDS to HIS CHURCH. We are ONLY vessels for Him to use. We find some that will perform in totally different behavior when the pastor is around than when “ordinary” people are around.
DISCOURAGEMENT
. After a triumph for the Kingdom, Satan finds it most open to slip in the problem of discouragement for a leader. Satan will mount his most stringent attack immediately after a victory and cause us to fall. His attack can make us the NEXT POSSIBLE BEST AGENT for darkness BY NEUTRALIZING our witness. He can get to us by giving us false values. We want to escape from the persecution or the attack. We want to be removed from the very place that God has placed us. We place OUR value – or our desires – ahead of those of God.
- OR – . Satan makes us point our finger at others and blame them for the problems we encounter. We fail to be responsible before the Lord God of Host, and we want to point to others as the ones responsible for the not-so-good circumstances that we are presently in.
- OR – . We lose perspective. We seem to believe that we and WE ALONE are the only ones faithful to the Will of God. ONLY WE are truly doing what He want done. We then lose the perspective that God is IN CONTROL – AT ALL TIMES! It is at these times that we develop the uncanny capacity to INSTANTLY change molehills into mountains. . We need to be aware that there are NO HUMAN DEFENSES to these traps set by Satan! I Chronicles 29:11-13 tells us all how we can survive these traps. “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou are exalted as head above all … Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name.
Computers For Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Attitude toward others
. “Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5). . In the previous discussions, we looked at the calling of the “ekklesia” of Christ. The “called out assembly” of priests for His Holy Kingdom. We have taken note of the need for all of His children to recognize that we ARE LEADERS – we have no choice in the matter. The choice that we do have is to allow God to perform HIS perfect work THROUGH us in whatever capacity that God has for each of us to fulfill. The verse above shows that the ultimate objective of Scripture, especially the New Testament, is to teach and produce Agape love toward others – to believers and non believers, alike. The second emphasis is to have a good conscience about ourselves, and finally, a TRUE faith in God. This is the foundation for a life of JOY. By using the first letters of Joy, we reveal how we have joy.
. Jesus first,
. Others second, and
. Yourself last.
. We now need to look at the lifestyle traits that the leader should reflect to enhance the relationship of the leader with those who will follow.
NEW CREATURE ATTITUDE
. “Therefore, if ANY man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)
. In the Gospel of John, Jesus clearly informs each of us that we can do NOTHING without Him, and we can only allow HIM to do something when we are BORN AGAIN. Paul confirms this attitude when he tells the Philippians that “For me to live is Christ.” . In Ephesians 4, Paul instructs us on our relationships with others, in a moral sense, starting in verse 25. In verse 24, Paul admonishes us saying that we must “Put on the New Man” – The ONLY one who can be successful in living with others is Jesus Christ, and Him living through us. ONLY HE can accomplish what Paul is about to instruct. Paul tells us this ‘new man’ is ‘after God’ – recreated in God’s image. This clearly means that the ‘new man’ IS equipped, through God’s work of grace, to accomplish the things that God would have done! Most of us rely on improving our old nature, and God wants us to know that BECAUSE Christ is in our heart we ARE ABLE to live with others and love them as He does. Ephesians 4:24 tells us that THREE things about a disciple are new. The verse gives us a NEW MAN, using NEW MATERIAL and NEW MOTIVES – New motives of RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUE HOLINESS.
. If we put these into our daily lives, the very words ‘success’ or ‘failure’ cease to be a part of our vocabulary! Our ‘success’ will not be based on how well we treat others, but how Christ is allowed to love them through us. Any ‘success’ then becomes His and His glory. . We must take time to adjust our thinking and really communicate with others – intellect to intellect and spirit to spirit. Ephesians 4:25 tells us that we must be honest in all our interaction with others – not just in a business sense but in a daily environment. In John 1:6, we are exhorted to DO the truth. We must have a lifestyle of honesty with no possible room for reproach. We must live Holy lives if we are to point the way to the Holy and Living Christ. . We must care for others as Christ cares. We must do so with NO ULTERIOR motives, whatsoever! Jesus always saw the lovely in the unlovely, the possible in the impossible. Jesus made it very clear that He wants to show us, buy living within us and being allowed to work through us, that we can experience this same joy. . Ephesians 4:26,27 shows us that a Christian can be angry and, maybe should be angry – but without sin! Anger becomes sinful when it is prompted by our selfishness. Danger lurks in anger as Satan finds a place to stir our anger to his purposes. Every emotion of a Christian should be the way Christ would have shown it. . Ephesians 4:29 tells us that EACH OF US have a ministry of Grace.
. God’s
. Riches
. At
. Christ’s
. Expense
. This ministry, to be effective mandates that our Will is subjected to the will of God. Christ stated, “Not my will, but thine, be done” and left us the perfect example of where our will is to be – at the altar of God.
. “Ye are not your own … ye are bought with a price” clearly tells us that we have NO RIGHTS – except that right to give up our rights in favor of the RIGHT of GOD to our very being. As He paid the price for each of us, He is now the one responsible for us.
SERVANT’S HEART
. “For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) . Jesus thus summed up His life and His mission on earth. In the Old Testament times, to serve God we would take an animal to a hillside, start a fire, sacrifice the animal and present it to God. Jesus changed all that. This is a fact that we must make an integral part of our daily lives – nothing that WE do is sufficient sacrifice to God since Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the Law. Our way to serve God, by the example Christ set down for each of us, is to serve others. The leader must have a lifestyle of offering his own life on the altar of God to be consumed in the flame of God’s unquenchable love, in service to others. John, in his first epistle tells us in verse 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
. In the business world, this is reversed. Look at any organization chart in the world. You will see a box with one person’s name in it and then several other lines leading downward to other boxes and more lines leading from these boxes until the lowest position in the company is represented by a box where the lines stop. Each level of this chart expects and demands service from the levels lower than they. Jesus totally reversed this direction, yet maintained the perfect image of leadership. Read Matthew 20:25-28. . Most of what Jesus taught was revolutionary and against all that man had thought to be best. The world tells us to climb to the top of the ladder – the Bible tells us that the leader will serve all others. . In Luke 12:15, Jesus tells us that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The world has certainly forgotten this and strives to meet only the physical and material needs as the fulfillment that man needs. The failure to meet the spiritual needs does not eliminate these needs, it only makes man more confused and lost. In living with others, it is our function in God’s plan to point others to the only source of satisfaction of all of man’s desire and longings – we must point them to Jesus Christ. . “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” (Romans 12:9,10)
. Living with others is an ART which we seem to have lost as we base more and more of our lives on materialism and mechanical pleasures. The entire world system is the domain of Satan and the COSMOS is being used by Satan to build up to the final conflict between the world and God. We must be aware that all systems of this world are of Satan, and we are ‘called out’ of that system. The very jobs that we occupy in life, without regard to the spiritual nature that it may have, is the domain of Satan, and we must take measures to have Jesus cleanse us DAILY from the contamination of that necessary contact.
. Jesus called us the ‘salt of the earth’, and we cannot ‘salt’ if we remove ourselves from the world. Pious attitude, if removing us from the world is hypocrisy. The Psalmist states many times in different ways that God lifts us UP – not OUT of the world. When we are spiritual, we know this truth; However, when we live Monday through Saturday we find ourselves overlooking this opportunity to be LIKE our Lord, Jesus Christ, the perfect example of a true servant at ALL times. Jesus did all things “as unto the Lord” – do we? It is easier, in the flesh, for my wife to put the dishes in the dishwasher, while I read. It has been a long time since I washed anyone’s feet! When the OPPORTUNITY to serve another arises, we hide behind ourselves – we state that we don’t have time – or – that we are in the middle of something ‘very important’ – anything but that which will have us ‘lose face’ and serve humbly the needs of another. “I am among you as He that serveth” (Luke 22:27). Are we the one that is in the midst of a group and others can see CHRIST working? The small area of where a spotlight shines can be crowded, but there is always room for the one more servant in the areas where the spotlight does not shine. . We need to look at Stephen. Stephen was full of power and faith. He was a powerful force of God and had a deep understanding of God’s Word. When the Apostles came to Stephen, he was unaware of what they would ask. In our minds and with his abilities, we might think – “They probably want me to handle the greatest task!” Then he is told that there was going to be a dinner for Grecian widows and would he serve as a waiter! Stephen eagerly took his place among six others and waited on the tables. Christ could select only one man to be the first martyr for Him, and Stephen became His choice and occupies the spotlight of history. “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11- 12). . In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus gave us the perfect example of being sensitive to the needs of others: “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples unto Him, and saith unto them, ‘I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way:’ for divers of them had come from afar.” (8:1-3) . Let’s remember that Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights in the wilderness. If He had been us, He might have said, “Don’t you talk to me about being hungry – why I have gone without eating for 40 days, you complain because of just three! Quit complaining!” Jesus didn’t evaluate His abilities or capacities and expect all others to measure up to them. Jesus recognized that some need more time and move at a slower pace than He did. Do we? As a leader we work harder, longer – pray more – have more intense hunger for God’s Word – whatever! But, we fail to realize that this is WHY God has chosen us for leadership among the leaders or ‘ekklesia’ of God. . A leader must be sensitive to the needs of others, compassionate in his relationships with them and get to know each one of them as individuals. All humans need to be recognized for who they are. Individually, and collectively, as leaders we need to recognize this need and invest time with those who show an interest in God. We, as leaders, need to know those whom He sends to us and know their personal needs and desires.
. First Thessalonians 5:14 gives us this instruction: “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient to all men.” . Humanity is divided into some categories that each of us can associate with – the UNRULY, the FEEBLE-MINDED, WEAK and ALL MEN. We sometimes fall into one or more of the above, but we always fall into the last one. The unruly refers to a greek term for sheep that do not stay in the flock but go astray and harm themselves. It can also include those who ‘throw in the towel an quit’ when the situation gets rough. It is easier to quit. This person needs to be handled with ‘kid gloves’ – why? Because this person is a ‘kid’! . The second group is the feeble-minded. This does not require the person to be mentally retarded, it implies a timid person or one who is ‘afraid of his own shadow’ and needs to be held by the hand to reach a place where they are able to take a step of faith and begin to experience God’s action in their lives. The history of the church has many examples of ‘faint hearts’ who have become bold for the Kingdom because someone took time to lead them to the point where God was able to manifest Himself in their lives.
. Next come the weak. These are the ones who are overcome – not overcomers. They are the ones who are losing the battle with sin in their lives. We are told to “Help the weak” and we accomplish this by giving personal time and counsel. In many cases these people are given strength simply by being allowed to talk to someone about their weaknesses. By vocalizing their weaknesses, they become more aware of them and God sets before them the path out of the weakness. It is important that the person is convinced that they may come to the leader and not have their problem ‘let out of the bag’ with others – the leader will keep quiet about all that is discussed between them. Even when a leader changes the names to protect the innocent (or guilty), it is frightening to hear your story being given before others!
. We all have to deal with sin in our lives. Some handle it better than others, and these are usable by God to help the others who are ‘weaker’ than they. Many people used by God in mighty ways began their Christian lives overcome by sin, but through the love and compassion of others in the Body, they were nurtured back into the body. The founder of the Navigators had a problem with profanity and foul language and desires. Through the help of a Sunday School teacher, Dawson Trotman was used by God to create one of the most powerful teaching ministries in the world! . We, as leaders, must get to know those who need a fire built under them, and those who need restraints of love around them. We need to recognize, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, those who are not using their abilities and talents so that we can direct them into use of these in the Kingdom. We need to be ready to counsel others that the word NO is not improper! Sometimes the word NO is what the Holy Spirit wants us to say to permit His working in the lives of others. Many a witness has been removed by getting in ‘over their heads’ and sinking into an abyss of incomplete efforts. We need to have the Holy Spirit of God reach into our hearts and give us the discernment of the need of the individuals that HE has placed under us. We need to make it a daily attitude of our prayer as in I Kings 3:9-10:
. “Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?”
. Pray that God will grant you these requirements of leadership in His Kingdom – A NEW CREATURE ATTITUDE, SERVANT’S HEART and A SENSITIVE SPIRIT. These traits are the building blocks for all other traits that God wants to manifest in each of us. Since we are to lead, these must be crucial to our lives and will result in God’s use of us in a mighty way.
Computers for Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Inner Lifestyle I
. In previous sessions we have found in God’s Word that each of us, as members of the ekklesia are “called out” to be leaders in the areas of our lives that we are presently in. We have investigated the calling of several of the people used by God in mighty ways, and have discovered that they, too, felt insufficient for the task that God called them for. The most important discovery seems to be the very fact that it was BECAUSE of this insufficiency that God chose them. Only through the use of persons who would not, under ordinary conditions, accomplish what God called them to be could God prove His existence. Only when God made His plan come through individuals that were not, to the world, capable of performing in such a manner was God able to impress the FACT of his existence and interaction with mankind.
. We then discovered that God is not a respecter of persons, that is, God does not look at what a person is doing, He looks at what they are.
. It is important that we take note of the FACT that God did not give to Moses, Peter or Paul anything that He has not, or is not, willing to give to each one of us. What is the difference, then, between those individuals and us?
COMMITMENT
. What makes our fellow Christians look at us and call us ‘fanatics’? What is it that makes one Christian move through trials with joy and others seem crushed at the smallest tribulation? Why do some persons attend a church and not join the membership? The answer is always COMMITMENT. The commitment of the believer is the lacking factor in America. Why? Let’s look at what Exodus can teach us. . In Exodus we read that it took God working through Moses only a few days to get the people out of Egypt and on the road to the promised land, but it took over 40 years to get Egypt out of the people. The testimony of CHRISTIANS should be exclusively of CHRIST. When we look around us, what do we see? Egypt. We see our Egypt in the riches that have been bestowed on us to such a degree that we begin to feel we have been worthy of these blessings. We take on the love of money rather than the love of God. We not only love the world, we want to “own a piece of the rock” and forsake the “rock” of Jesus Christ. We become like the young ruler in the Gospels who truly wanted to know how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. When our Lord informed him that he must sell everything and follow Him, we see the young ruler backing off, just as we do so often. . In I John 2:16 we find the ‘trinity’ that Satan has developed as a barrier to the life that God intends for us. This ‘trinity’ is: Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes and Pride of Life. It can be better expresses by stating LUST OF THE FLESH as a consuming passion TO DO, LUST OF THE EYES as a compelling urge TO HAVE and the PRIDE OF LIFE as an overpowering demand TO BE.
. Passions, possessions and pride sum up in three words the way ALL temptations throughout the ages have been handled by the prince of darkness. In a subtle way, we can state that with these three items of temptation, the devil literally has “something for everyone!” When the lust of the flesh does not appeal, then maybe the lust of the eyes or the desire for possessions will be the method Satan chooses. If these two fail, the next could be the “pride” that comes from not falling into the snares of the other two! Temptation is not sin. Jesus, our Lord, was tempted. Sin is defined in Romans 14:23 where we are told, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” . The difference between a “natural man” and a Disciple of Christ is that the natural man claims independence from God. The five “I WILL” statements of Satan in Isaiah show that Satan still tries to negate our leadership by trying to tempt us with anything that will get us to fall into his sin – trying to walk in independence of God. Even Jesus shows that it is total dependence upon Him that makes the difference, regardless of the “goodness” of our actions when, in Matthew 7:21-23 we find some leaders of religion that, on the surface, must look like great men of God. Read this section and see that the outside of a man is not what Jesus looks at. Does our heart know Him? Our work will never introduce us to Jesus, but an introduction and reception of Jesus into our heart introduces us to works that are eternal in nature.
. The inner life, the “real” life inside the skin of a leader is the “proof of the pudding” that God has called us and that Christ is working through us. The best example of this is in the life of Daniel.
. Daniel was only a child when chosen by the king of the most powerful and most pagan nation on earth to be trained for leadership due to certain qualities. Daniel 1:4 gives us the qualifications of an elite group of youths from the captive Hebrew nation. Read this section.
. Now, God found one of the group to be used by this pagan nation in the highest appointive office of the land, and in so doing made Daniel the only one that He made the spiritual leader of Israel. We need to look into the important qualities of Daniel that God found and was able to build upon.
PURITY OF LIFE
. “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.” (Daniel 1:8)
. Daniel chose not to sit on the fence. He probably noted that God divided the light from the dark and from that date on there were only the two – light and darkness, and Daniel chose the light. . The Apostle Paul further elaborated on this in II Corinthians 6:14-16. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God.”
. Let’s look carefully at the five areas that Paul uses to draw the line between God and Satan:
. CHRIST SATAN
. Righteousness Lawlessness . Light Darkness . Satan Christ . Faith Unbelief . House of God False Worship
. You MUST CHOOSE to live on one side or the other. By not making a direct choice for Christ, you make a choice to remain on the side of Satan. Even though this choice is obvious, our tendency is to compromise the Word of God to the world. A leader must set the example and a standard that Paul tells Timothy, “A Bishop then must be blameless” (I Timothy 3:2).
. Let’s turn to I Samuel 16:7 and see what God sets as the basis for considering a leader. “Look not on his countenance, or the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for a man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
. So it is with many of us. If we attempt to put on an outward show for the people, we do not fool God. God sees the heart and will permit trials to be brought to a leader that will show that the heart is not as the outside. One day a test will reveal a leader’s true nature and character. A leader MUST live a pure life. Paul further explains: “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
. The very criteria that God uses to decide whom He will use for His eternal purpose is found in this verse of II Timothy 2:19-21. Those who purge themselves of dishonorable characteristics will be vessels of honor. Pay attention to the term “Sanctified.” God promises to show Himself to others THROUGH the leader who is SANCTIFIED: “And I will sanctify My great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, ‘saith the Lord God,’ when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.” (Ezekiel 36:23) . In the study of God’s Word, I have been approached many times by people asking me whether something is right or wrong. The Bible has specific teachings on lying, stealing and other areas – but what of those areas where there is no specific teaching? I then discovered some principles to place any such issue. Corinthian Principles of Purity is what I have labeled the principles found in I Corinthians 6:12, 8:12-13, 10:31.
. DOES IT HELP? “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” Does it help me physically, mentally or spiritually? Does it draw my being, mind or spirit toward God, or toward sin? This led me to evaluate my TV viewing and book reading. Does it help me grow in the Lord or hinder my progress in His Kingdom? . WHO CONTROLS WHOM? Do I have a habit that I cannot break? Am I in the grip of anything except the Lord? . WILL I CAUSE MY BROTHER TO STUMBLE? “But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” (I Corinthians 8:12-13) If I do this could I POSSIBLY cause another to stumble? Maybe I can handle it and have no problems, but can anyone else see me and handle it? I must acknowledge that I am the ONLY example some have of Christians – my life must support my beliefs. . IS IT GLORIFYING TO GOD? “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of god” (I Corinthians 10:31). Is what I want to do going to bring glory to God? Simple question, but one that many people will answer, “Well, not everything I do brings glory to God!” This is probably true, but our chief purpose for being created is to bring Glory to God and for His good pleasure. . A leader MUST lead a pure life. I am not saying a sinless life. A human will sin. A Christian leader will sin. It is not that we are sinless, but as Christians we are to sin less. A leader makes continual reference and use of I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
. A leader does not need to go outside his home or his job, his country or his community. A leader only has to go outside of himself.
Computers for Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Inner Lifestyle II
. In this session, we will continue the discussion of the leader’s inner life, and how the inner being must conform to the image of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In the last session, we talked about Purity of Lifestyle, and we will continue in this same direction with another trait of a leader:
HUMILITY
. Again we look to Daniel as an example of how a person remained a servant of the Lord even when he had risen to levels of power that few of us will ever attain. When Daniel was afforded an opportunity to exalt himself, he directed the glory to the living God. We need to “turn on our Lights unto the World” to Daniel 2:27-30 and read those verses.
. Notice that Daniel did not say that he knew the answer, but that God in heaven knew the answer. Daniel attributed to God all that he was able to discern for the king.
. A humble spirit is the most evident hallmark of a leader. In Isaiah 42:8 we read, “I am the Lord; that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” God always has a way to bring His wayward children back to the straight and narrow. Humility demands recognition of the fact that others have traveled farther and are able to provide counsel and should receive honor. “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed in humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (I Peter 5:5-6)
. Almighty God is not one I would want to be resisting me, and we are told clearly that God resists anyone who is proud. In Micah 6:8 we read the requirement of god in this area: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” In Proverbs 6:16-17, notice what heads the list of things God hates! The same thing is evident in Proverbs 8:13. . Why does God oppose pride with such strength? Just as all Scripture, the Lord is making the path for us to be conformed to His standards for our own well-being. It is accepted in our minds that the way to a full and happy life is to get our eyes off ourselves and live for others. Leadership occurs when that is our lifestyle. . Pride, as shown, is the prime tool used by Satan to neutralize the witness of a Christian by getting us to keep our eyes on ourselves and off others and God. When we look at ourselves, we become insensitive to others, we offend without being aware, we use others or abuse others to gain our ends. Whenever we, as leaders, allow this to happen, when we fail to “purpose in our hearts not to defile ourselves” we lose our effectiveness in being a vessel of honor for God, and cease to be usable.
. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better then themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We have heard the story of King Uzziah in II Chronicles 26. The story tells about a king of sixteen years old that sought God, and God made him prosper. If we look at the verses from 3 to 8, we observe that God made Uzziah a powerful man. In verse 16, we see the pride rise up in Uzziah to the point where he thought that he was doing a favor for God and would present the sacrifices to the Holy of Holies himself! Here is a man that should be a warning to us all. He couldn’t handle success! Overcome with the “pride of life” Uzziah was struck down by God to die a piece at a time, which is a literal representation of the way that we die inside when we duplicate the pride of Uzziah.
. Leaders arrive at points where they must communicate their objectives and seek the best path to reach those objectives. At this juncture, Satan is ready to provide the greatest enemy – pride. When a leader is full of pride they cannot see the best way of reaching their goals – they see only the path that brings them glory, honor or acclaim. Pride blinds us to the best path and our mind refuses to be discerning. Pride only allows us to see what it wants us to see. Pride is deadly in its consequences as we see in Daniel 5:20. . “But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took glory from him.” We can compare this to the portrayal of the leader God seeks and uses as found in Isaiah 66:1,2.
. “Thus saith the Lord, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: where is the house that ye build unto Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been,’ saith the Lord: ‘but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.'”
. We are told in no uncertain terms that we are to give ALL the glory to God, and IF we try to hang on or touch that glory, we are finished as His ambassadors!
. Pride, a disease in its own right, spawns two more diseases of the soul. IGNORANCE is the first to manifest itself in a prideful person’s life. Pride makes us think that we are self- sufficient and we become unteachable. We become blinded to our own needs, and we even ignore the advise and counsel of the Godly. “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counselors they are established” (Proverbs 15:22). The counsel of this nature MUST seek the interest of the Lord. Many of us seek only the advice of those that we know will agree with us or we become discouraged because we can’t find unbiased opinions. Counsel given by anyone who has your best interest at heart can result in advice that is dead wrong. History is full of the leaders called of God that, if they had listened to friends and relatives, would never have gone out to where they were called.
. Before seeking counsel, leaders must take an inventory to make certain that they have the following: They must be teachable without being gullible. They must weigh, carefully, the counsel received to the Scripture and to the welfare of God’s kingdom. Just as Moses listened to Jethro, his FATHER IN LAW, we must have our hearts open and they must remain open to receive and be taught by others. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). . The second disease brought on by pride is INSECURITY. The leader with his eyes on himself is excessively obsessed with how he appears to others. He constantly compares and measures himself by the yardstick of other people’s performance and becomes compelled to outdo them or equal them in his efforts. God tells us to forget it – “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (II Corinthians 10:12)
. Instead of abiding in the knowledge that “God set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him,” the leader with insecurity worries about what others think of him. His effectiveness is reduced – he looks at himself – he no longer looks at the objectives. Co-workers become a threat rather than a help. . This leads a leader into two extremes. 1 – The leader will try to impress others with ambitious and big plans and programs designed to “show them what he can do” – or – 2 – He will retreat into inaction. Neither of these can be of God. God, as the One in total control, can use anything to His glory. If this leader launches the ‘BIG’ project, it is probable that the energy of the flesh will begin it and this will lead to failure. The other extreme is just as bad. The HUMBLE spirit in the life of a leader is a powerful force in the hands of the Almighty God.
. Paul tells us how his weaknesses were glory to God, with attention drawn to his ‘thorn’ – “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: For my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (II Corinthians 12:8-9) . How can a leader maintain a humble spirit before the Lord? It might be better to ask how can a leader NOT have a humble spirit before the Lord, but we need to address the first question. Many books are written on this subject, and I won’t recover old ground. I have noticed that one thing stands out from the lives of other great vessels of God. To walk humbly before the Lord we need to have a lifestyle – to live our entire lives – as one of true PRAISE. In Heaven, we are told in Revelation and Isaiah that the beings who surround the throne spend their time in praise to God by singing “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty.” When we live in this spirit of praise, we are more and more aware of our sinfulness and our weaknesses. This reminder is not unhealthy introspection but one from a heart that is filled with His praises to God for being Holy and Almighty. God will use this, in turn, to thrust the leader out in faith. We have the promise of God that He will do it all, when we read “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Computers for Christ LIFESTYLE LEADERSHIP Inner Lifestyle III FAITH
. “NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS UNSEEN” (Hebrews 11:1).
. “Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
. We are constantly beseiged by new believers about faith. What is it? What is involved? We will, in this session, discuss the leader and faith in four aspects.
. First, faith means that we believe that God will provide. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (II Corinthians 5:7) – “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Do we trust that our God is our Father? Many people comment that they have been put to the test by God giving them cancer to learn a lesson – or that God took a young wife to heaven just to teach the husband a lesson. Would you, as a parent teach your child by this method? Why would you think that a loving Father in heaven would do such an act to one of His children? Jesus Christ told us about the care that God has for all living things and that He knows the number of hairs on our head. Why, then, can anyone think that our loving Father would bring on horrors to teach a lesson? Horrors occur on earth because we are on earth. God promises to provide for our needs! Our needs, not our wants. Our needs as He sees them in the eternal picture of life, and not in our finite frame of reference. . The second meaning of faith is that we believe that what we do for God will prosper. “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).
. We are forever under His constant watch and care. We are surrounded by the rivers of His love, mercy and grace. The psalmist stresses this point time and time again. “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand” (Psalm 121:3-5). . Faith also means believing that God is absolutely trustworthy. How many times do we have our children say, “whatever you think is best, Dad(or Mom)” when we have them looking for some clothes or a bike? We lose sight of the fact that God is ALMIGHTY. God’s attributes include three that man will never have – OMNIPOTENCE – OMNIPRESENCE – and OMNISCIENCENT. ALL POWERFUL – EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES – and ALL KNOWING. Can you picture the effect of asking God anything? God can respond with an immediate answer to ANYTHING! No matter where we may go, we KNOW that God is ALWAYS THERE! Whenever we are in need or trouble, we know that God can SOLVE EVERYTHING! . “Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright are Thy judgements. Thy testimonies that Thou has commanded are righteous and very faithful” (Psalms 119:137,138). God has never done a single thing wrong! What He calls upon us to believe and do is absolutely right. Everything that He has said is trustworthy. What He decides, where He leads, and what He says is ALWAYS right. His promises are sure. His will is good, acceptable and PERFECT!
. I find that the story of the father that took his child to Jesus to see if he could be helped as related in Mark 9 is of value to those of us that need to know about faith in God. This is the story that has the father arriving at the camp of Jesus when Jesus was at the mount where He had been transfigured. When Jesus returned to the camp, He saw that the father had besought the disciples for help, but they had been unable to help. Jesus then asked the father how long the child had suffered. In verse 21, the father relates the horrors that the child had been going through, and that he was at the end of his rope. The father asked for ANYTHING and Jesus responds in verse 23 with ALL THINGS. The father said “if Thou canst do” while Jesus responds “if thou canst believe.”
. The problem is never, repeat NEVER, what or how much Jesus can do. The problem is what we can believe that He can do. Matthew 9:29 confirms this.
. THE INNER LIFE OF THE LEADER WILL MAKE OR BREAK HIM. If the leader forsakes the cultivation and practice of purity, humility and faith – if the leader fails to “purpose in his heart to not defile himself” then the leader will be removed by God from the position of leadership. If the leader does purpose in his heart to seek FIRST the kingdom of God, then that leader can be used by God in a mighty way. To make leadership a lifestyle, each of us must do as Paul instructs us – “Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16). . “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love …” (I Thessalonians 5:8). . The use of a leader, by God, in the world is for his lifetime, the use of man by God is for an eternity. What we do as leaders has an immediate implication, but it also means that we have an ETERNAL result of our actions or lack of action. “The eyes of the lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him” (II Chronicles 16:9).
. Here are some observations on the matter of faith and the life of a leader and the BODY as a whole. I have discovered many counterfeits of faith that are created by man. Counterfeits such as Enthusiasm, Piety, Legalism, and others; However, my most impacting observation was on what faith should mean but seems to have lost in today’s church.
. We need today to be reminded that the Kingdom of God does not consist of rituals, works or any outward observances of any kind or manner. The Kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This kingdom, moreover, is a gift of God, not a human accomplishment. Its foundation is the vicarious atonement of Jesus Christ on Calvary. It was carried forward by the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. . The disciples before Pentecost were only disciples. They tried to follow Jesus and His teachings as best they could, but they did not know true faith. It was only at Pentecost that they were truly made Apostles. At that time, each of them experienced the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At that time, each of them was emboldened by the Holy Spirit to bear witness of Christ in public. Whereas previously they were disciples of the One whom they saw as the Messiah of Israel, now they were ambassadors and heralds of the risen Christ. Instead of seeking faith that is a dead work of the law, they now had the faith that empowers and redeems. Previously they had the faith of servants, now they had the faith of sons of the Living God. Previously they were plagued by timidity and fearfulness, now they were ready to die for the sake of their Master and Savior. . Faith includes intellectual assent, but its essence is a personal relationship with the Living Savior, Jesus Christ. It consists, basically, in a living union with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. True faith means being before doing – being in the favor of God before doing the will of God. It means being grasped by the Spirit of God. It is an opening of our inward eyes to the reality of God’s incomparable love poured out for sinners in the sacrificial life and death of Jesus Christ.
. Yet, faith is not an almighty action of the Holy Spirit on the soul, it is also in our action in the power of the Spirit as we are sent forth into the world as witnesses and ambassadors of Christ. Faith entails both radical passivity and radical activity. Luther once observed: “Faith … is a living, busy, active, mighty thing … so it is impossible for it not to do good works incessantly.” . The deficiency found in many churches today is an empty formalism or barren biblicism, either of which degenerates into an oppressive legalism. Other churches that seem more vital are plagued by perfectionistic enthusiasm or frenetic activism that borders on humanism. What is needed is a recovery – a revival – of the depth and breadth of Apostolic faith.
. A revival must start in the heart of one individual – me. Each believer, with God, can work the miracle of revival – ‘Breaking up the fallow ground’ only in their own heart and life – then God can use that person to spread His revival to the world! . It is imperative that we bear in mind that Jesus Christ is not just a moral ideal or prophetic genius – He is a LIVING SAVIOR. He is not simply the human representative of God, but God Himself in human flesh. It is not enough to know the historical facts about the life of Christ, how He lived and died, each person must know that Jesus died for them personally!
. True faith does not consist of imposing our views on others, but in sharing the light given to us. In our evangelistic task we must not approach others with any pretension to greater virtue or intellectual acumen. Instead, we present ourselves as fellow sinners whose eyes have been opened both to the gravity of the human predicament and to the reality of God’s unconditional grace and love. The word that we proclaim stands in judgment over our lives as well as the lives of our hearers. We are beggars telling others where they can get food. As “fishers of men” we are instrumental in advancing the Kingdom of God, but it is not through our cleverness that people are won to Jesus Christ; our task is simply to let down the net of the Gospel. As the vehicle of the Spirit, the Gospel itself brings in souls for the kingdom. (Luke 5:2-10)
. This is not to imply that Christians should never use apologetic arguments in defense of the faith, but our purpose in doing so is not to induce a decision of faith. (Only the Spirit does that through the preaching of the Word.) Rather, our aim is to intensify the hunger for faith in the human soul and to help those who already believe to better understand their own faith. We can show the intellectual relevance of our faith by argumentation, but faith’s concrete relevance to the human condition can be grasped only by those whose minds have been touched by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. . Our witness is not to some “zapping” peak experiences of the sacred, but to the incursion of the sacred into the secular which we see in Jesus Christ.
. Our appeal is not to external evidences for the faith but to evidences that faith itself provides:
. The empty tomb.
. The transformed lives of the disciples. . The interior witness of the Holy Spirit.
. In carrying out the evangelistic mandate, we must bear in mind that Holy Scripture is its own best interpreter, that is to say, Scripture illumined by the Spirit of God, its author. Holy Scripture in the hands of Spirit directed believers is sufficient to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) . We should never confuse religion with techniques for cultivating spirituality or programs of church growth. It is God who gives the increase, though it is up to us to plant the seed. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) Our responsibility is to hear the Word and then share the Good News. We can serve the Kingdom of God, but we cannot build it. The kingdom is a gift from God that can only be received with thanksgiving and gratefulness.
. There is a difference between believing that Christ is the Savior of humankind in general and coming to know Him as one’s own Savior. Faith, understood as an interior awakening to the glory and meaning of the cross, is a gift of God. It is a work of the Holy Spirit within us. If we do not have this kind of faith, let us seek it. Let us pray for it as the Apostles did. (Luke 17:5) The key to discipleship is given by our Lord:
. “Ask, and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) . True faith is inseparable from the experience of divine holiness and divine love. Sometimes that experience will take dramatic form, such as when the apostle Paul was lifted up into the ‘third heaven.’ (2 Corinthians 12:2) Yet those who have such experiences do not dwell on them. People of faith are not spiritual exhibitionists, but heralds and ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Living on a ‘religious high’ is not serving the glory of God and advancing his kingdom. John the Baptist furnished the model of true spirituality and faith when he declared: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
. Humility such as this is an indispensable mark of authentic piety. No one can be confronted by the Holy God without having a poignant sense of one’s own creatureliness and sinfulness. (Isaiah 6:1-5) What shows us the depth of our sin and the magnitude of God’s grace is not just an awareness of God as the Holy One, (which all people have to some degree) but the knowledge of the Holy Love of God reflected in the life and death of Jesus Christ. Humility is the key to the love of other human beings for God and for one another. Proud people cannot love, because love means to be emptied of self and dedicated to the glory of God and the welfare of his creatures. . The cardinal evidence of true faith is works of self-giving love which are visible to the world as shown in Matthew 7:20, John 13:35 and other scriptures. Such works, however, are not visible to those who do them, for the focus of the faithful doer is never on their deeds (to which they are more likely oblivious) but on Christ and His great, completed work of Atonement.
. The essence of true religion, the righteousness of faith, is known only to God. True faith will be manifested in fruits, but before we can bear fruit we must be rooted in Christ, engrafted into Him. We must be born again from above by the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12-13, 3:5-8, 1 Peter 1:3)
. Frank Kafka once wrote: “The fathers of the Church were not afraid to go out into the desert because they had a richness in their hearts. But we, with richness all around us, are afraid because the desert is in our hearts.”
. Let each and every one of us, today, make the commitment to be His servant and to seek the knowledge of His Grace and Mercy. Let us become the vessels of His workings in this world. Let us have the richness in our hearts. Let us have FAITH that will set us apart from the world and that will make the world want to know more about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
Computers for Christ