Spiritual Gifts, pt. 7

The Gift of Leadership

Rom. 12

 

Aka:  ruling (Rom. 12)/administration (test)/governments (I Cor. 12)

 

Rhetorical Questions:

Would the children of Israel have ever left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea w/out a leader:  Moses?

…conquer Promised Land w/out Joshua?

…rebuilt walls of Jerusalem w/out Nehemiah?

…how did David go from shepherd to King?

        Leadership!

…how did Joseph rise to the top like cream, even when thrown into the pit/prison?

        Leadership took him to the Palace!

…but, what took Nehemiah from the lavish luxuries of the palace and placed him on the construction site?

        Leadership!

 

Definition:

Ruleth:  lit.  “headship”  [2 heads is a monster/no heads is a freak]

Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents, or a boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be without the popes?

 

[Good leader surrounds himself…]

I Cor. 12: “governments” comes from word which means pilot [cattle ranch!] or helmsman, steering ship into harbor, avoiding rocks and obstacles.

 

“The special ability to lead, administrate, and organize a portion of the body of Christ in a particular area of service”

 

Every car needs a driver/ship needs a captain/business needs a boss/body of Christ needs a head/each particular ministry of the church needs leaders.  And every family has leaders.

 

It matters not how many gifted musicians/accompanists we have, if there’s not a leader “conducting” it all.

Children need a leader

Teens/need a leader

Church/needs leaders

Someone to be responsible/accountable.

 

Description:

Nehemiah is our example:

Neh. 2

 

Leaders think differently than followers. 

It’s not a personality type: extrovert/overbearing/driven

        Many gifted leaders are quiet, unassuming, laid back.

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, colors and flavors.

 

It’s not a style:  I used to think a leader had to be dictatorial, autocratic, “my way or the highway” style.  Grew up with that.

        Not so, matter of fact, that’s one of the worst styles of leadership…it’s not about my way or your way, but the body of Christ all looking for God’s way.

 

There are so many different varieties and mixtures of leaders…but there’s 1 thing all true leaders have in common:  the way they think!

 

There’s a mindset…a way of thinking that is different than everyone else’s.

 

Neh. 2:12—leadership can be a lonely place

13-15—viewing, surveying (vision)

16—more loneliness and deep thought

17—where everyone else sees obstacles, this leader is seeing opportunities (thinks differently)

problems / potential

tangibles/Neh. Is living by principles

others: that’s the way it is / Neh.:  but it’s not how it should be!

 

4 ways leaders think differently:

1. Continually

Followers think when convenient/when forced to

        Leaders think while lying in bed (body resting…but wheels still turning)

They write on scrap paper in the night/get up and go to computer

While driving:  [wreckingball] look like daydreaming, but in deep thought

Away from office:  write on hand

 

Often you’ll hear a leader say:  think w/ me, or, what in the world were you thinking?  Very thoughtful / conscientious…

 

2. Outside the box

Leaders don’t stay w/in the lines all the time.

Ill—Hershey's syrup commercial/little boy/can empty/knows some stuck to inside of can/pours milk into can/shake!

While others would say it’s all gone / go buy another one, the leader is looking from a different angle.

 

Talk about creativity…you say, I’m not creative

Survey:

40 year olds—2% creative

30—2%/20—2%/10—2%

7—10%

5—80%

 

What happened at 5?  They went to school, and were told to stay w/in the lines, be logical, be practical, this is the one way to do this, the only way, don’t be different, other kids will laugh at you!

 

Think outside the box…try something you’ve never tried before, in a different way than you’ve done it in the past.  Attempt something great for God and expect something great FROM God!

 

The Wright Bros. Built a plane and they laughed them right off of the beach…into the air!

They laughed at Alexander Graham Bell … so he hung up on them!

 

Know how long the walls of Jerusalem were broken down before Nehemiah came along and said, let’s fix it?  70 years!

        For decades the Jews saw those broken-down walls, and no one got motivated to do something about it…God had to raise up a leader!

 

And as they looked at those broken down walls they would say:  It’s just the way things are/you can’t fight city hall!/we’re tired!/we just have to learn to accept it!

 

But a leader came along who dared to dream…who thought differently…outside the box!

He dared to dream/shared his dream/prepared his dream/repaired the wall!  [built a wall, and made Persia pay for it!]

 

3. Think in terms of continual progress

Down the road/ahead of everyone else/look farther into future than others (new classes/outreaches/new visions)

“If what you did yesterday still looks big to you…you haven’t done much today!”

 

Before Nehemiah came along, some had made effort to repair the wall… a little here, a little there, but not consistent at all, only in spurts, and it deteriorated as quickly as it was repaired.

 

Leaders don’t bask in present success…they’re already thinking of the next project.

 

4. Leaders think in terms of “success” [they are positive, for if they are not, they won’t lead anyone anywhere positive.  They have to be corrected sometimes, but have a way of even turning that in a positive direction.]

 

5 things leaders assume:

• it’ll work—plenty of naysayers to throw cold water on it
• it’ll work out—when back against the wall, in a pinch
• people will follow (If you build it:  they will come)  For this reason, insecure people don’t make good leaders, because they can’t risk failure, put themselves on the line / will live in denial / not correctable
• setbacks will occur—not idealists, w/ head in clouds – they know that challenges will arise, and are not afraid to take them on head first!

• Resources will come—knows that where God guides He provides… “That’s God’s problem!”

 

Leaders think differently:

Continually/outside box/progress/success

 

Much more on leadership, including dangers (many)

 

Pray for leaders of our church