“The greatest crisis in the world today is a crisis of leadership and the greatest crisis in leadership is a crisis of character” (Howard Hendricks).
“I have met many of the great men of my time, but Lee alone impressed me with the feeling that I was in the presence of a man who was cast in a grander mold, and made of different and finer metal than all other men.” This was the observation of Field Marshall Viscount Wolseley after he met
What inspired such loyalty among Lee’s followers? One thing is certain: it was not his rank as general. Other generals did not enjoy such loyalty from their troops. Nor was it Lee’s ability to court-martial traitors; he was generally loath to do it. It is best concluded the key was Lee himself. Lee’s soldiers followed him because of who he was.
"Should it not be the office that seeks the man, rather the man the office” (J. Oswald Sanders).
[Tombstone Illustration – Take a 3 x 5 card and write on it what you would put on your tombstone (not the dates, but how you want to be remembered, or for what you want to be remembered). Have people share. Also, you can discuss the question of what someone else would put on your tombstone.]
Samuel’s Challenge
A) 1 Samuel 12:1-5. How did the people respond to Samuel’s challenge?
1) Samuel - last of the prophets to run the nation of
the nation - kind of like the Prime Minister. Basically, he said, “If you have anything against me; if I have lied, stolen, made false accusations, torn someone down, cheated anyone, falsified anything, abused people or my position, took a bribe to keep my mouth shut, outwitted the law or didn’t follow the law in any way, gossiped, spoken ill of a person, done anything to intentionally hurt someone -- TELL ME RIGHT NOW SO I CAN MAKE IT RIGHT!!!” He was totally transparent and vulnerable with the people he served.
2) The peoples’ response was a resounding NO! To hundreds of thousands, to maybe
over a million people he had a clean slate. Remember here was a man who had sons who were to follow in his footsteps but did not walk in their father’s path –
1 Sam 8:1-5
3) Samuel was not a perfect person; he had his faults but he pursued a blameless life,
one above reproach as leader of
A TOP LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE OF JESUS
Example - Live the Life Before You Lead Others
a. Prayer - The perseverance and integrity of Job –
Job 2:1-3, 9 – Job lived a holy, righteous life before everyone.
Job 27:2-6 – No matter what happened in his life, Job would pursue righteousness.
Psalms 139:23-24 – Ask God to show you where you may not be living a life of integrity.
b. Jesus never begged anyone to believe in him. He knew that integrity cannot be proven. It must be discerned. He never wasted time with critics. He kept his attention on his goal. He stayed focused. “Jesus never strived to ‘look good.’ He simply was good. He did not labor to appear truthful. He never struggled to have a good reputation. He had character” - Mike Murduck
c. Abraham Lincoln - The architecture of leadership, all the theories and guidelines, fall apart without honesty and integrity. It is the keystone that holds an organization together. “Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing,” wrote Bennis and Nanus. James McGregor Burns warned, “Divorced from ethics, leadership is redu
d. I must live my life before others just like Jesus, walking slowly thru the crowd. Leadership is example.
John 13:12-15, 34-35- Just as Jesus showed the apostles how to serve, they and all believers should follow the same steps and serve. By our love for others, people will know we are His disciples.
Matt 28:18-20- We are to follow Jesus’ example and share the Good News of Christ to all people, and develop the believers.
Luke 19:10, John 17:4 – Jesus came to seek lost people and he completed His purpose for
coming to this earth.
1 Corinthians 11:1 - Paul said to follow, imitate his way of life and you would follow Jesus.
e. 1 Thess 2:7-12 - People need to see Jesus in me – Sponge illustration – See page 20
f. A leader’s most important asset is people skills.
The main point is Jesus was completely holy, full of integrity and totally blameless. May we be developing our godly characters before being called upon to lead others.
B) 1 Timothy 3 lists qualifications for spiritual leadership the Church is to follow. We need to inspect our lives with the standard Samuel set for us. Questions may not faze you at all but one or two might hit you right between the eyes ... ask yourself why and work on it.
1) Blameless or above reproach
a) Why blameless??
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so we will be blameless, faultless before the world’s eyes.
Matthew
The I Timothy section is not to stir controversy, because a few of the descriptions of an overseer can evoke such discussion. Though it is written for an overseer or elder, we as believers need to be pursuing these qualities for our own lives. The questions for each characteristic are to evoke the thought process and really think through about our relationship with Christ.
We are talking integrity and character here. In ancient
b) Integrity’s definition - Wholeness, completeness, what we see on the outside
is the same on the inside. A building can be of good integrity if the outside is whole and the same for the infrastructure of building. Character’s definition - in Greek - “to chisel” or to carve out in stone, to hammer out.
c) Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks more than your talk
talks. Modern day - Are you a trash-talking Christian??? How is your relationship with Jesus right now? Is it vibrant or am I putting up a good front? Actually am I sure I am a Christian?? Is what is done in secret the same as what is done openly??
d) During Jesus’ day, hypocrite was a theatrical term - big mask carried by the
actors in plays in Caesarea
e) Secular studies clearly show that the highest attribute people seek in their
leadership is integrity. How is my reputation among people? (1 Tim. 3:7) Do I have a good testimony or am I not above reproach, lacking integrity with others and thus fall into the devil trap, the trap that so easily ensnares a Christian. (Hebrews 12:1) one of two things that can make the Christian life tough or impossible to run. Do I do what I say - definition of integrity.
2) How do I handle the “little people” in my life? Do I take advantage of those under me at home or at work or at school? Am I hospitable, fond of others, friendly, approachable, putting others ahead of self (I Tim.3:2)?
3) At home - how do I treat members of my family (spouse, children, parents)?? With gentleness (3:2 - not violent but gentle), care, compassion?
4) Do I manage my family well, (3:3), how important are they to me, do I build them up, are their needs more important than mine?? Do I treat my children with dignity and respect so they want to obey me; in other words, do I have a growing relationship with them or am I like Charlie Brown’s teacher - Blah, blah, blah!!!?
5) Is my behavior respectful of others; (3:2) Am I self-restrained with family, friends, workers, not easily flying off the handle?? Am I reasonable with them, taking seriously my responsibilities (sober – 3:2)? Am I demanding? Do I show preferential treatment?
6) “A husband of one wife” (3:2) – Some believe this is talking about polygamy and bigamy which were rampant in that culture and had permeated the church, while others feel this deals with divor
7) Do I admit wrong doing without being asked or pressured? What level is my forgiveness barometer (Matthew
8) Am I transparent and vulnerable, willing to be accountable to others from thought life, to how I treat family member to workers to fellow students?
9) Do I cheat God with my money and talents (3:3)? Am I a lover of money, by holding back because you never have enough, or my goal is to have as many toys, nice-ities as possible? My possessions, are they God’s or mine?
10) When I have problems do I go to God for direction and help or “get an aspirin right away” including alcohol (3:3), pornography, other drugs?
C) The Extra Mile
1) Do I, or am I willing to do the extra things in my life to be able to be like Samuel and allow the people to go over your integrity and character with a fine-toothed comb. (Romans 14:13-18)
2) It only takes a split second to lose years of building your character. Gordon McDonald’s story – In the early 1990’s, Gordon was pastor of a huge church on the east coast of the
David, even after committing adultery and murder, was called a man after God’s own heart. The key is the redemptive heart and time.
3) Time is so important. That is why a new Christian does not qualify for spiritual leadership. A novice has not had time to mature. (1 Tim 3:6)
4) Able to teach is the aspect related to skill. All others are character issues. “We set young leaders up for a fall if we encourage them to envision what they can do before they consider the kind of person they should be.” - R. Ruth Barton
5) Philippians 4:8-9 – Pursue only things in life that will honor God.
If you put out the challenge that Samuel did, what would the response be????
What quality or question hit home??
“The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners
and refuses to be buried is the character of a man. What a man is - survives him. It cannot be buried.” - J. R.
D) God authenticates His leaders. God chooses to affirm leaders before the eyes of their leaders. No need to defend yourself. No need for power plays. People will follow you because you have proven yourself to seek after God and have the courage to do what needs to be done.
1. Joshua (Joshua 1:1, 5-9). God was with him through everything.
2. Moses (Exodus 12:3, 6-8). God proved Himself through the instructions
given to Moses.
3. Jesus (Matthew
4. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech, Abednego (Daniel
a) What kind of courage did these three show?
They were willing to die for the sake of God’s name and honor.
b) How did Nebuchadnezzar react at the end of the chapter?
He worshipped God.
5. Joseph (Proverbs
He saved Pharaoh and Pharaoh honored Joseph.
6. Paul (Philippians
a) What was Paul’s perspective? Where did he get this perspective?
To be content in whatever the circumstances, and his strength came from God.
b) What did his circumstances have to do with his attitude?
His attitude was that God was in control and, no matter what, to be content. He then could handle any circumstance.
E) Be faithful in all things – Luke
Leaders who are faithful in every assignment God gives enjoy a tremendous sense of peace and confidence. An observer of General
“The definitive measure of leaders’ success is whether they moved
their people from where they were to where God wanted them to be”
– Henry Blackaby
