“Understanding What Leaders Do”
Selected Scripture
Journalist Brock Brewer wrote that if Martian spacemen were to descend to our planet and demand, “Take me to your leader,” the earthlings would not know where to direct them. This confusion about leadership not only exists in the world but in the church as well. A quick survey of history helps us see a very important fact, every great movement in history started with great leaders. In fact if the church is going to flourish, there must be Godly leaders to faithfully shepherd the flock. The church needs dedicated, educated and motivated leadership that are consistently stepping out on faith and making things happen. This is of the upmost importance because no church will be stronger than its leaders. The question is, “How do we recognize good leaders?” A good leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. They know others and know exactly what motivates them. Today we are going to take the next logical step in our journey to unravel the mystery of effective leadership. Let’s spend some time looking at the three main things that leaders do.
I. Leaders shepherd God’s flock.
A. The lives of leaders need to be invested in their sheep.
1. At times Jesus taught thousands of people but He made an incredible investment in a small group of twelve men.
2. Jesus modeled the fact that discipleship was interpersonal. Discipleship best happens in the midst of intimate relationships.
3. They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. (Mark 9:30-31a—NIV)
4. Jesus took the time to privately teach His disciples and prepare them to carry out the ministry when He returned to Heaven.
5. Jesus believed that the investment in that small group of people was essential to accomplishing His mission and He was right. Those twelve men took the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
B. The New Testament church understood that community was an essential part of shepherding.
1. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:46-47—NIV)
2. We must understand that people are not looking for a friendly church, they are looking for friends. People desire others to share life with.
3. The New Testament church was not a church that had small groups on the side; they were a church made up of small groups.
4. The people shared life together on a daily basis, their relationships and worship went beyond the four walls of the worship center.
5. Building relationships through small groups is not only essential for growing healthy relationships it is Biblical.
C. Leaders must learn to shepherd in our fast paced world.
1. The fast pace lives we live presents some unique challenges for the 21st century shepherd.
2. It is really easy to allow our technology saturated culture to swallow up God’s plan for the church.
3. The impersonality of our advanced modern technology definitely presents some huge downsides, but technology can be an effective rod and staff in the hands of a loving shepherd who uses it intentionally.
4. Being a shepherd in our fast paced, technologically advanced culture is not easy, but if we are creative and thoughtful it can be done and done quite effectively.
II. Leaders grow people through mentoring.
A. Mentors model behavior, values and faith through sharing their lives with others.
1. In both the Latin and Greek languages, the term mentor literally came to mean advisor or wise man.
2. Mentoring involves all of life for individuals and for communities.
3. When people are fortunate enough to be surrounded by healthy, functional, caring people, we tend to become like them.
4. Because of the way human beings are wired, mentors are essential for healthy human development.
5. God has written the mentor concept into human nature, and that is why the concept is written into the Bible.
B. The leadership styles of Jesus and Paul both modeled the idea of mentoring.
1. Jesus’ style of leadership was completely opposite from the leadership styles of the world which were aggressive, competitive and controlling.
2. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—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.” (Matthew 20:25-28—NIV)
3. Jesus made it clear that His leadership style was based on submission and service, not on authority.
4. Paul too stated the importance of mentoring; “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1—NIV)
5. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9—NIV)
6. Paul and Jesus modeled their teaching. What they taught was transmitted by example.
C. Effective mentors succeed in doing three main things.
1. A good mentor lives there life out in way that makes you desire to be like they are.
2. An effective mentor will not tell us how to live but through their day to day example, they will show us how to live.
3. An effective mentor lives faithfully and their faithfulness inspires hope in others when they are ready to give up.
4. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17—NIV)
5. We need to remember even the greatest mentors have imperfections but we all follow a perfect Savior.
III. Leaders equip people for active ministry.
A. A healthy church is one that equips people for ministry.
1. God’s desire is for His church to grow, but long term growth is dependent upon assimilation and equipping.
2. Growing churches always help people find a place to serve and equip them with the skills to serve effectively.
3. Christ has charged leaders not with doing everything by themselves but to equip people for ministry.
4. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12—NIV)
5. Paul’s statement of the importance of equipping has one main goal so that the church may grow.
B. Jesus not only recruited followers, He equipped them.
1. Jesus though fully God, was also fully human and rather than burning Himself out a devised a strategy to equip others for ministry.
2. However equipping does not happen at the large scale. Jesus’ equipping became evident in how He taught and prepared the twelve.
3. Jesus did not share the same degree of intimacy with all twelve of the disciples; He seemed to have a deeper relationship with Peter, James and John.
4. Not even Jesus was capable of an unlimited number of intimate relationships, but His style of leadership showed that discipleship happens in small groups.
C. Equipping best happens through a shared life experience.
1. Jesus had frequent and long term contact with those whom He equipped. Jesus and His twelve spent most of three years on the road, walking together.
2. Jesus enjoyed warm and loving personal relationships with His disciples.
3. Those equipped by Jesus observed Him in almost every conceivable life setting.
4. Jesus practiced what He preached as well as explaining the implications of His actions.
5. Perhaps the backyard barbecue is a better equipping place than the Sunday morning podium.
A group of tools once came together for a meeting with Mr. Hammer presiding. Brother Screwdriver said, “Brother Hammer must go because he is always making noise, always knocking.” Hammer said, “Brother Screwdriver has to go because you have to turn him around all the time to get him to do his job.” Someone else said, Brother Plane has to go because he always wants to just touch the surface. He never goes deep.” Plane said, “Brother Sandpaper has to go then because he is always rubbing people the wrong way.” Sandpaper spoke up, “Then Brother Saw must go because he is always cutting things up and leaving sawdust all over the place.” Then the Carpenter from Nazareth came in and said, “I need all of you. We have a job to do. Put yourselves in my hand. Let me use you.” Hammer said, “Here am I, Lord, use me.” Screwdriver said, “Here am I, Lord, use me.” Plane said, “Here am I, Lord, use me.” Sandpaper said, “Here am I, Lord, use me.” Saw said, “Here am I, Lord, use me.” So when each gave himself to the Carpenter from Nazareth together they built: A church in which the Gospel could be preached. A bridge of understanding so different groups could come together. A house so that a home could be built and a coffin to bury Satan in. That is what happens when all the tools are used for the purpose for which they were made.
