Conditions For Assuming Leadership-1

CONDITIONS For ASSUMING LEADERSHIP-I—Joshua 1:1-18

New/Begin/Start/Change

A tourist on vacation is driving thru Pennsylvania’s Amish country, drives over a hill & spies a wagon that had spilled a huge-entire load of hay.

A young Amish boy was picking up handfuls of hay & placing them back on the wagon.

The tourist stops, gets out, & offers help saying, Son, it’ll be a lot easier with the pitchfork, watch this!

Oh, no sir, Daddy wouldn’t like it!’

The tourist was incensed that a father would sentence such a small boy to such torment.

Tourist says “Step aside son & we’ll have this done in no time. your Daddy’s not around, you won’t touch it, nobody will be the wiser.”

The amish boy says, “Please don’t sir, Daddy wouldn’t like it!”

The tourist plunges the pitchfork into the hay pile & a blood-curdling scream comes out!

Boy says, “I told you Daddy wouldn’t like it!”

God’s people are in need of leadership/direction.

Need:

Our Nominating Committee is busily working to fit people to key positions within our church.

We can look to the future with...

Joy/Anticipation/Goal/Purpose/Accomplishment/Acceptance/Excitement/Invigoration/New Vision...

OR...

Resentment/Disappointment/Anger/Uneasiness/Fear/Confusion/Anxiety/Paranoia.

Your choice!

We must ask ourselves, ?Am I fit for leadership?

Upon Moses’ death, God called Joshua to lead Israel.

God always calls capable leaders to lead His people.

What is involved in being an effective leader of God’s people?

Conditions for leadership among God’s people.

1—A Condition for Assuming leadership among God’s people is

A Defined/Decisive POSITION(:1-2)

Explanation:(:1-2)New/Ordained

:1—“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:

Moses is called ‘the servant of the LORD’, Aaron is the prophet of Moses & Joshua is Moses’ “assistant.”

Joshua is Not the one who received the Law(as did Moses). Nevertheless, God spoke to Joshua.

Joshua was a Military leader—led the army in & out.

“Servant”—dbe eh'-bed—1) Slave, servant.

“Assistant/Minister”—trv shaw-rath'— (Piel) To minister, serve, minister to. To attend as a menial or worshiper; figuratively—To contribute to.

:2—“Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you & all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel.”

Seeing that YHWH’s/God’s servant(Moses) is “dead”, there is a void which must be filled. This means that whoever fills the void must be YHWH’s/God’s “servant” as well!

Committee heads/Deacons/Pastors/Associate pastors

Argumentation:

Acts 20:28—[Paul to the Ephesian elders]“Be on guard for yourselves & for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

1Pet. 5:1-2,4— “I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder & witness of the sufferings of Christ, & a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you...And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Eze. 22:30—“And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall & stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

Num. 27:15-23—“Then Moses spoke to the LORD, saying: “Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them & go in before them, who may lead them out & bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, & lay your hand on him; set him before Eleazar the priest & before all the congregation, & inaugurate him in their sight. And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, & at his word they shall come in, he & all the children of Israel with him--all the congregation.” So Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua & set him before Eleazar the priest & before all the congregation. And he laid his hands on him & inaugurated him, just as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.”

Col. 3:22-24—“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord & not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Acts 6:1-7—“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples & said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God & serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit & wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer & to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith & the Holy Spirit, & Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; & when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, & the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, & a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”