Learning To Lead Series

LEARNING TO LEAD

Retreat Session 2

A husband and his wife got up one Sunday morning and the wife got ready for church. It was almost time for them to leave when she noticed her husband wasn’t dressed yet. Perplexed, she asked, "Why aren’t you getting dressed for church?" He said, "I don’t want to go”. She asked, "Why don’t you want to go to church?" He said, "I have three good reasons. First, the church is cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don’t want to go. The wife replied, wisely, "Well, honey, I have three reasons why you should go. First, the congregation is warm. Second, there are a few people there who do like you. And third, you’re the pastor! So get dressed!"

While this in no way describes where I am at this morning it is unfortunately the feelings that many have who God has called into leadership in churches today. Today we are talking about learning how to lead. God is calling us as men to mature in our faith. One mark of maturity is leadership. Leading ourselves first, then our families and then the church.

1Ti 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self- controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?

Leadership is a noble task but leaders can often become discouraged. Leadership in the church can be very difficult and takes a special kind of calling. As one author put it:

Christian leadership is both a meaningful and maddening vocation. -- Jay Kesler

Luke 5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Jesus had a problem, though it isn’t one that I have ever had. He is giving a message and the longer he talked the greater the crowd became (usually it is the opposite with me). He wants to address the people but He was also wanting to begin calling His disciples and building a leadership team. Jesus is still looking for disciples today. This passage talks about the kind of people Jesus is looking for to use in building His church:

1. People of Action – not just talkers but doers (vs. 1-3)

There were 2 boats there, why did Jesus choose Peter’s? Jesus could have easily rowed out by himself but instead gives Peter a test. Jesus had a problem and gave Peter the opportunity to help him with it. Peter responds by helping, by being part of the solution.

Leading a church can be difficult. When looking for people to lead it is important to find people who are willing to help you to turn problems into solutions. Leaders are people who run towards difficulties instead of running away from them. There are always lots of problems in every church and there are always those who are quick to point them out to you. They come with lots of ideas and issues and often are very capable to do what it takes to resolve the issue. The problem is that they refuse to be part of the solution.