PART 4

 

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:

1. Leadership is a quality. - Management is a science and art.

2. Leadership provides vision. - Management supplies realistic

perspective.

3. Leadership deals with concepts. - Management relates to functions.

4. Leadership exercises faith. - Management works with facts.

5. Leadership seeks for effectiveness. - Management strives for

efficiency.

6. Leadership influences for good with potential resources. -

Management coordinates resources for maximum accomplishment.

7. Leadership provides direction. - Management provides control.

8. 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 - Chicago


Index of Preacher's Help and Notes

These documents are free from BelieversCafe.com, the complete christian resource site with more than 5000 webpages.