SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIPTRUE COLORS

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“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Psalm 77:19,20

The mystery and privilege of Christian work is that God uses people like us to accomplish his work. We are his “fellow-workers,” his “ambassadors,” his “representatives,” his “servants,” A sinner to work for the salvation of fellow sinners somehow does not seem right it is surely not a right but a privilege.

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Spiritual leadership: What is it?

Involves general leadership principles

But has certain distinctive

features/qualities

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Like in General Leadership:

spiritual leaders dream big, develop and cast a vision for the people

spiritual leaders are change agents

they influence followers

they have and accomplish objectives

General vs Spiritual Leadership

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In Spiritual leadership

motives and methods are radically different

We acknowledge Jesus as the only leader/Head/Shepherd of the church

We seek GOD'S WILL then lead people to implement God's plan

We march to the beat of a different drummer and the drummer is not a human being, not a community but God Almighty, Ruler of heaven and earth.

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Spiritual leadership is a blending of natural and spiritual qualities utilized for influencing God’s people to accomplish God’s purposes.

These qualities are not self-produced but God-given and therefore reach their highest effectiveness when employed in the service of God and for His glory.

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"In sending forth His ministers our Saviour gave gifts unto men, for through them He communicates to the world the words of eternal life. This is the means through which God has ordained for the perfecting of the saints in knowledge and true holiness." 2TT 78

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Spiritual leadership moves people from where they are to where God wants them to be - God's agenda, purpose, will.

It depends on the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit transforms lives but also uses people to do so.

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Spiritual leadership is accountable to God.

Spiritual leadership influences all people, not just God's people in church.

Spiritual leadership works from God's agenda, not ones own or other peoples agenda.

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Spiritual Leadership is by spiritual people, using spiritual methods to live/accomplish God’s objectives.

If any of these are missing you cease to have true Spiritual Leadership.

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Spiritual Leadership Crisis

NOT NEW

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1. SCARCITY

"The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.”

There is more work to be done than laborers and leaders willing to work

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2. Quality of Spiritual Leadership

God has had issues with his people including leaders.

Leadership that failed by being the opposite of what God intended and expected - brought hopelessness, scattering the flock, killing members spiritually, rendering confusion. Creating a VOID.

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God's concern:

Isaiah 56:9-12

Ezekiel 22:26-30; 34:1-16

Jeremiah 23:1-4

If it happened then amongst God's people, it can happen today. Leadership without Spiritual Leadership.

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3. MULTIPLICITY OF MODELS

Multiplicity of what is interpreted to be Biblical Models of Spiritual Leadership poses confusion

Magnet of Societal/Communal Pressure urging to be like them - shy to be different, distinct.

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Spiritual Leader: A Servant

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Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be

grasped,but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

(Phi 2:6-8 NIV)

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The greatest among you will be your servant.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself

will be exalted.(Mat 23:11,12 NIV)

"But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.

(Luke 22:26 NAS)For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among

you as one who serves. (Luk 22:27 NIV)

“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his

life as a ransom for many."

(Mat 20:28 NIV)

HIGH TABLE MENTALITY

THE TRUE PLACE OF CHRISTLIKE LEADERSHIP – SERVANTHOOD –

IS RIGHT WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE THAN AT THE HIGH TABLE

Luke 14:8-11

IN JESUS MODELTHE TOWEL AND

THE BASIN ARE THE SYMBOLS OF LEADERSHIP

Sometimes, High Tables have replaced the towel and washbasin as symbols of leadership among God’s people.

J. Oswald Sanders: Spiritual Leadership, p 38

Traditional leadership• Self-confident• Knows men• Makes own decisions• Ambitious• Originates own methods• Enjoys commanding

others• Motivated by personal

considerations• Independent

Christ-like Leadership• Confident in God• Knows God• Seeks to find God’s will• Self-effacing• Finds/follows God’s

methods• Delights to obey God• Motivated by love for God

and man• God dependent.

Principle of Humility

SERVANT LEADERS HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND WAIT FOR GOD TO EXALT THEM

HIGH TABLE IS STRICTLY BY INVITATION“If you truly want to be humble, then the direction you must go is down. You must

descend into greatness”Bill Hybels: Descending into Greatness.

Spiritual Leader: A Shepherd

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Acts 20:28 NIV

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

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Servanthood pertains to the task. Shepherding has to do with people.

In 1 Peter 5:2-3 Peter writes to the leaders of the church. “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers–not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

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The primary duties of a shepherd are lead, feed and meet the needs of the sheep. When we stop caring for people we relinquish the right to lead. The saying is true…people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.

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'MASALA'

Spiritual leadership is a combination of acquired traits that when blended together form the basis of leadership.

The more of these traits a leader has and has developed, the more potential impact the leader wields for God.

Some of the foundational traits:

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Spiritual Leadership with Vision

A leader without vision is not a leader. The person God uses has a clear idea of what God wants done and his part in doing it. Moses met with God at the burning bush and received his marching orders. God gave Joshua crystal clear instructions of what he wanted Joshua to do and how he wanted Joshua to live.

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Spiritual Leadership by Example

A visual illustration of the Christian life is far easier to emulate than written theories in a book. As a SL apostle Paul boldly invite his audience “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) “You became imitators of us and of the Lord…” (1 Thessalonians 1 ), “Join with others in following my example…” (Philippians 3:17), “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put into practice.” (Philippians 4:9) “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7)

Leading by example is extremely difficult to do over a lifetime. Once you stop leading by example and begin saying, “I used to do this…” you are gradually climbing down the ladder of SL. You become a consultant or a manager but not a leader by example

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Spiritual Leadership with Integrity

When choosing a king for Israel, God told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height… The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Integrity is a matter of the heart. “And David shepherded them with integrity of heart…” (Psalm 78:72) Once you’ve lost integrity, you’ve lost credibility. Once credibility is gone you won’t be able to get people to follow you. Integrity is built through making and keeping promises and commitments.

It is consistency of life. It is putting all of the areas of our life in the same direction. Integrity does not signify perfection. Perfection is unattainable but integrity is within our grasp. God will not use a leader who lacks integrity.

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Spiritual Leadership and God's Word

Christian leaders are devoted to the word of God. They learn to listen to and depend on God’s word for goals, methods, insight and power. It is the word of God that makes them “adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:17)

Our audience, the people we lead need the assurance that we are regularly meeting with God and hearing his voice–that we are leading them from the guidance we are getting from God. They want to listen to the person who listens to God.

An essential characteristic of Christian leadership is the ability to receive truth from God.

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Spiritual Leadership and Prayer

“We (leaders)...will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:4 The weakest link in the life of a spiritual leader is probably prayer. Since leaders want to get things done, prayer is often seen as in interruption of the work. Yet Jesus, for all he came to do, “would often slip away to a lonely place to pray” (Luke 5:16).

E.M. Bounds wrote, “Men are looking for better methods. God is looking for better men–men of prayer.”

Joshua’s first lesson of leadership was learned on the battle field against the Amelekites (Exodus 17). While fighting Amelekites in the valley, the real battle took place on the mountain where Moses interceded for him, the Israelites prevailed.

Spiritual battles are won in prayer.

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Spirit Lead Spiritual Leadership

Spiritual leadership can be exercised only by peopled filled and led by the Holy Spirit. Other qualifications for spiritual leadership are desirable, but to be Spirit-filled is indispensable. Jesus said “…apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Wherever you see spiritual leadership, the Holy Spirit is behind the scenes, empowering, directing, leading. Paul wrote, “…not that we are competent to consider anything as coming from ourselves but our competency is from God, who made us competent …(by) the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:5,6)

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Spiritual Leadership and Faith

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7)

Philosopher George Santayana said, “It is better to have one lion leading a thousand sheep than one sheep leading a thousand lions.”

A person of faith is a person of inner strength, courage and action. Faith is that which inspires courage in one’s followers. The leader’s faith quotient must be ahead of (or at least on par with) his followers.

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Spiritual Leadership and Home Life

Howard Hendricks says, “If it doesn’t work at home, don’t export it.” If you fail with your wife and children you have failed as a Christian leader…period!

In 1 Timothy 4:12-16 the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about his style of leadership: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift which was given you…Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

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In 1 Timothy 4:12-16 the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about his style of leadership: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift which was given you…Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

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