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Presented, November 23, 2008 pm

HOW TO LEAD

As I have said in times past, we need more godly leaders. There is a great need for more men to step up and fulfill the God appointed roles prescribed in scriptures. We need more elders, deacons, worship leaders and teachers to stand up and move the church in a forward direction. However, with respect for the boundaries God has set, we all need to be leaders. Built into being a Christian is a need to stand up and stand out for good.

In my lesson this morning I want to talk about 4 ways we need to lead. Rather than speaking of specific leaders, I want to note some things we ALL need that if we adequately develop them, will NATURALLY bring out the leader in us. These 4 things can be easily remembered with the acrostic, L.E.A.D. We need to lead by:

I. Love –

a. This is the first thing we need in dealing with others. Godly love is spoken of so often so often, yet it is something that seems to be lacking in far too many circumstances.

b. Without that love we cannot please God, 1 Cor. 13:1-3, Gal. 5:6, 1 John 4:8, etc.

c. How important is love in being a leader?

i. Traditional leaders need love in the decisions they make. The Lord’s church is not a business corporation where profits are the primary goal. It is an organization concerned about souls – as many as it can impact. This requires a genuine concern for people by its leaders.

ii. Love will cause all of us to think about others – One thing that ought to weigh heavy on our minds is the lost condition of so many, even among those we know and meet.
There is not better example of this than our Lord Jesus. All He did was motivated by love for others. Even as He was about to die, He prays to the Father, “Nevertheless, let your will be done.” (Matt. 26:39).
John 15:13, His greater love caused Him to lay down His life for His own friends.

iii. Love will cause us to act in their best interest –
1 John 3:16-18 speaks of how our Lord acted on our behalf. The text also notes that we “not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” This is not simply sitting back and waiting for instructions. We
1 Cor. 9:22-23 where Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

iv. Love will cause us to think about how our actions will affect others – James 2:8 says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’, you do well…” One of the many times that speaks of our need to love our neighbors as ourselves (see Eph. 5:20-21).
To do this means we act toward them in a favorable way (what is best) and consider how our actions affect them. And it has to be done with a pure motive.
As we have said before, PEOPLE DON’T CARE how much you know until they know how much you care.

v. Love will cause us to temper our speech – weigh our words.
Few things, if any, do more damage than poorly selected words that injure and insult. If we truly care about others, we will consider what we say to be as effective as possible.
Colossians 4:6, Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.

d. As we speak of love as a leader, we are talking about our attitude. Any successful leader in dealing with others will weigh his attitude. That is why this is the FIRST thing to remember as we ALL lead.

II. Example

a. There are many types of leaders that are limited to certain individuals. Not everyone can be an elder, deacon, class teacher, song leader, etc. God placed the limitation there. NOT everyone has the ability to lead in certain roles (i.e. one needs more than desire to be a preacher or even to lead home studies).

b. But we can ALL lead by example. In fact, being a godly example is perhaps the most effective way of leading. Consistency in one’s life is crucial if we desire to be heard.
Matthew 5:13-16 speaks of us being salt and light to the world. Phil. 2:15 speaks of being a light “in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.”

c. How important is being an example as a leader

i. It is something we ALL can do. It is the ability (or talent) we ALL have.

ii. Credibility – People are more likely to listen to or follow someone whose life and actions are consistent with what they say and teach. We all know of people we respect and whose words we would give more weight to than others. Why? Because they have proven themselves credible. Remember the E.F. Hutton commercials? “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen.” The concept is true.
AND it is established by being a proper example.
Titus was told to instruct young men to be “sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” (Titus 2:6-8)
Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth.” While youth often lends itself to being despised (because of rebellion, disrespect, arrogance, etc.) Paul gave Timothy instructions to NOT be a typical youth. And then he told him HOW: “But be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” 1 Tim. 4:12
Timothy’s example would give him credibility in what he said.
Peter encouraged these brethren to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Pet. 2:11-12)

iii. It shows others HOW to serve God –
One’s example is the greatest teacher. It is better to show someone what to do than simply to tell them. When we lead by example, we are SHOWING others that it can be done AND how to do it.
1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
Consider how Timothy received His faith, 2 Timothy 1:5 it was first in his mother and grandmother.

III. Authority

a. All that we do must be with authority. The idea of authority is that we have permission to act a certain way. Col 3:17, “Do all in the name of the Lord.”

As we strive to lead we must respect the boundaries of God’s word (1 Cor. 4:6, Rev. 22:18-19). This means we do NOT do what is forbidden.

b. We need to lead WITH AUTHORITY!

c. How important is authority as we lead?

i. It gives us direction as to what we teach and do. Far too many today act WITHOUT authority. They do what they want to do instead of what God TELLS them to do. They make up the rules, sometimes as they go along. God is not pleased when we do things our own way (cf. Genesis 3 – Adam & Eve, Lev. 10:1-2 – Nadab & Abihu, 2 Samuel 6 – Uzzah, etc.). MOST employees have a job to do and rules to follow. If they don’t there are consequences. I think of the military where at times you are required to act, even if you don’t understand the reasons behind something. Information is given based upon security clearance, etc.

ii. It keeps us on track. We realize it is not about us (Phil. 2:4, 1 Cor. 10:24, “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being).
We have been given a job and that is what we need to do. That job just happens to involve striving to teach and influence others (Mark 16:15, Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Tim. 2:2, etc.).
When we know our place, it helps keep us focused and going in the right direction.

iii. It gives us confidence. Leading with authority is more than permission to do what we do, it also involves attitude (2 Tim. 1:12, Heb. 13:6, we may boldly say, “the Lord is my helper”)
In our efforts to teach others we need conviction and confidence – 1 Pet. 3:15. IF we know God’s word, we can teach and act with the confidence we need. People are more willing to listen to one who speaks with confidence in his “product.”

iv. It gives us respect - Jesus amazed the people as He spoke with authority (Matt. 7:28-29). When we have authority to do something and we show it people are more willing to listen to us.

IV. Discipline (Self-control)

a. Discipline can describe either a process of teaching (instruction and correction) or it describes the control one has over his own life. It is in this latter sense that we apply the word in this study
2 Timothy 2:1-5 which speaks of the discipline of a soldier and an athlete

b. Our discipline (self-control) in our lives will have an impact on everything we do. It will determine how well we do things
1 Cor. 9:24-27 where we find the athlete is temperate in all things and even Paul disciplined his body.
Romans 6:12-13 – therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts.

c. How important is discipline as we lead?

i. Discipline keeps us going in the right direction (even when we don’t want to) – 1 Cor. 9:27, Phil 3:13-14, “Brethren I don count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”.

ii. Discipline gives us patience as we deal with difficult circumstances. It keeps us from losing our tempers and being a bad example. 1 Cor. 13:4, “Love suffers long”

iii. It helps us complete our tasks. Far too many today set out with good intentions and start strong, but they quit before the job is done. 2 Cor. 8:11, “but now you must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.”

iv. It impresses others – like authority, when one sees someone in control of their lives (they have their act together and orderly), they are more likely to listen to them.

When you think of the great leaders you know (and even the ones that are not so well known) if you examine them you will find at the foundation of their ability is the attitudes we have discussed today. Godly elders LEAD with these things. Preachers and teachers instruct with these things. The point in such lessons is to help us understand and see that there is not much that separates the great leaders and each of us IF we are striving to be Christians. There are more of us who could become greater leaders in various capacities, if we would simply fully develop traits that we are expected to have ANYWAY! With whatever capacity God has blessed us, let us learn to LEAD others. Remember what ought to be our ultimate goal in life: To get to heaven and take as many people with us. Are you willing to lead others?