The Organization Of A Godly Leader Series

The Organization of a Godly Leader

Nehemiah 3 (1-8 for Text)

It is no secret that leadership presents its own set of challenges, and those who lead within the church are not exempt. Pastors in particular, and those in leadership positions within the church, often feel overwhelmed by the challenges associated with Kingdom work. According to research by Lifeway, 54% of pastors find their work overwhelming. (i.) Someone once said, “Most pastors are not overworked, they are under organized.” Could that be true of pastors and those who lead others within the church? Could the anxiety and stress be attributed to a lack of organization? While good organization cannot alleviate every difficulty leaders face, it certainly can provide a healthy structure within the church to accomplish the task at hand.

After spending a few weeks in Nehemiah, surely you will agree that he was an effective leader. Our text today reveals another significant aspect of Nehemiah’s leadership. Not only was he able to influence others and motivate them to engage in a worthy endeavor, he was also able to organize many people to effectively accomplish an enormous task.

One could possess many attributes of effective leadership, but if a leader is unable to organize the work and those serving in the work, the leadership skill possessed will be of little value. One must learn to effectively organize the task at hand, as well as effectively organize teams of workers to engage in the work. As we examine the chapter before us today, we will discover the organizational abilities leaders need to possess. Let’s consider: The Organization of Godly Leaders. Nehemiah modeled this in:

I. The Division of the Work – Had we taken the time to read the entire chapter and analyzed the information, we would have discovered that there were 41 different teams at work around the city, rebuilding the walls. Such an enormous task required many workers. Nehemiah effectively organized 41 teams to spread out around the city, working together as individual teams and as a corporate workforce to rebuild the walls that lay in disrepair.

Remember, the wall was some two miles around, encompassing around 90 acres of land. Nehemiah began his description on the north end of the city wall at the sheep gate, and worked counterclockwise around the wall. Such a task required many teams, strategically placed along the wall.

Effective leaders must be able to assess the task at hand and formulate a plan to complete the task. Often, this requires dividing the work among individuals or teams to engage in the work so that it can be completed in a timely fashion. Can you imagine Nehemiah trying to rebuild two miles of city wall by himself? The task before us is great and leaders need to effectively evaluate the task and divide the work among others willing to assist.

II. The Delegation of the Work (1-12) – Following the creation of teams to divide the wall into manageable sections, Nehemiah delegated the work expected of the teams. This was necessary for timely completion, but it was also done with purpose and beneficial. Nehemiah delegated:

A. To Create Unity (2-5ff) – As we examine the text, we find a phrase repeated many times: And next unto him…The individuals named in the text were team leaders. Each team worked beside another team. They were quite literally working shoulder to shoulder with one another.

This served to create a sense of unity among the people and, no doubt, brought encouragement to those laboring on the wall. Each day they gathered for work next to those who shared the same burden and vision. Working side by side created a sense of community and commitment. Each team realized others were depending upon them to complete their portion of the wall.

Effective leaders are aware of the need and benefit of unity. God can and does use individuals at times, but more often He chooses to use us collectively. Unity creates a sense of community and commitment within the church as well. Others assist us in the work and we realize their dependence upon us for the accomplishment of the greater task.

B. According to Ability (8) – Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall. Nehemiah delegated according to individual ability. We find that Uzziel was a goldsmith and Hananiah was an apothecary (a maker of perfume). This was strategic organization. Nehemiah was aware of the giftedness of the people and used them in areas where their gifts could be effectively used in the reconstruction.

Effective leaders know their people and their spiritual giftedness. They delegate tasks according to these gifts. It would be unwise to expect one of our men who is good at building and working with his hands to serve in the nursery, never having the opportunity to use his gifts and talents, and vice-versa. Eph.4:11-12 – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.