“Leader-ship & You”
6/3/2007 - Marsing, ID
Ricardo Rodriguez – pastor_rr@yahoo.com
Prov 29:18
“Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
“18Sin visión (profética) el pueblo perecerá…”
Throughout history there have been many leaders, good or bad, who have made a great impact in our World. If we were to discuss great accomplishments of their time, the Titanic is one of them.
Facts about the Titanic:
• Titanic, the ship, was one of the largest movable objects ever built, measuring in at 883 feet long (1/6 of a mile), 92 feet wide, 46,328 tons, and 104 feet high.
• The ship cost an unprecedented $7.5 million to build-that translates to $400 million today.
• Titanic boasted electric elevators, a swimming pool, a squash court, a Turkish Bath, and a gymnasium.
• A first class (parlor suite) ticket on Titanic cost $4,350, which translates into $90,000 in 2006 USD.
• The Titanic was designed to hold 32 lifeboats, though only 20 were on board; White Star management was concerned that too many boats would sully the aesthetic beauty of the ship.
• The ship took 3 years to build.
• It took the ship approximately 2 hours, 40 minutes to sink.
(http://www.infoplease.com/spot/titanic.html)
When we talk about leadership, we can sometimes relate to what happened in the Titanic. Sometimes we think, I wish I would have done this differently, or I wish I hadn’t said that.
The truth is we can learn from our mistakes and that in itself is a great characteristic of Leadership.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Thomas A. Edison, (attributed)
Character – A Christlike Character
Prov 20:11
“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”
“11Aun el muchacho es conocido por sus hechos, Si su obra fuere limpia y recta.”
“The character of even a child can be known by the way he acts-- whether what he does is pure and right.”
1. Character Is More Than Talk.
Anyone can say they have integrity but• action is the true indicator.
Your character determines who you are.•
James 2:18
“But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
18KJV: Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
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18SpaRV: Pero alguno dirá: Tú tienes fe, y yo tengo obras: muéstrame tu fe sin tus obras, y yo te mostraré mi fe por mis obras.
2. Talent Is A Gift, But Character Is A Choice.
There are a lot of things in our life that we have no control over – We don’t get to pick our parents, our upbringing, our talents, our IQ but we do choose our character.•
In fact, we create it – every time we make choices.
Deut 30:19
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
Prov 1:28-30
(28) "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. (29) Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, (30) They would have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke.
Prov 3:31
“Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways; Will you choose the easy way or the right way?”
3. Character Brings Lasting Success With People.
Lifestyle evangelism is all about relationships.
Good character will open up doors for lasting relationships with those around you.
1Thes 5:22
“Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
22SpaRV: Apartaos de toda especie de mal.
2 Cor 6:3
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed.”
Luke 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
4. People Cannot Rise Above The Limitations Of Their Character.
Have you ever seen highly talented people fall apart when they reach a certain level of success? The key to that phenomenon is character.
Success without a good foundation of character is bound for failure.
The 4 A’s – Arrogance, Aloneness, destructive Adventure-seeking or Adultery.
What can we do to improve our Character?
BRING IT HOME
1. Search For The Cracks.
Look at every aspect of your life; Your relationship with God, your spouse, your children, your peers, your employer.
Identify short cuts and short comings in those aspects of your life and write them down. Pray about each one.
2. Look For Patterns.
Examine your response to this search. What patterns of weakness do you see.
These are character issues. Ask God to deliver you from these patterns.
3.Face The Music.
The beginning ofT character repair is when you face your flaws, repent and deal with them. This is why so many Christians never get delivered. Repentance is a good thing
4. Rebuild.
Don’t stop by facing up to your actions. Begin building a new future.
Keep praying against your weaknesses, Search the word about these areas, be accountable to someone in these areas.
Charisma
• Love life!
• Put a “10” on every person’s head.
• Give people hope.
• Share yourself.
Prov 22:1
1KJV: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
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1SpaRV: DE más estima es la buena fama que las muchas riquezas; Y la buena gracia más que la plata y el oro.
Improving our Charisma
Change your focus
Play the first impression game.
Share yourself
Commitment – It separates the Doers from the Dreamers
Typically, the only commitments made these days are those that are personally beneficial.
Commitments that are made are typically to worldly things. Things outside of God’s economy.
A commitment is more than a mere contribution.
1Thes 3:8
For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.
” Porque ahora vivimos, si vosotros estáis firmes en el Señor.”
Paul writing to the church describing the fulfillment of his life in• their commitment to the faith.
We also really begin to live, when we live a• life that is committed.
Are You Committed To The Essential Things?
Are you committed to building a relationship with Jesus?
• Phil 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
1 Pet 2:7
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,"
1 Cor 2:2
For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Are you committed to overcoming sin?
To serve God you• must be committed to overcoming sin.
To overcome sin you must absolutely• want it out of your life.
Psa 37:1-5•
Prov 25:28
Whoever has no rule• over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.
Rom 12:9 Let• love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Ps• 101:3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
Prov 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to• hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.
Are you committed to your marriage?
A covenant is the highest• form of commitment.
1 Pet 3:1-7•
Heb 13:4 Marriage is honorable among• all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
• Prov 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD.
In Malachi dealing treacherously with your spouse was one of the• things that ticked off God.
• A lack of commitment to our marriage will break• down everything else in our spiritual walk.
Are you committed to your children?
A high-level of commitment is required to raise godly• children.
Due 6:4-7•
Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your• children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Prov 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is• old he will not depart from it.
This is the kind of commitment that• impresses God.
Are you committed to your ministry?
To serve God you• must be committed to His will for your life.
If you want to fulfill your• purpose, you must be committed to it.
2 Tim 4:5 But you be watchful in all• things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
When we are committed to our ministry, miracles begin to operate• in our lives.
• I am reminded of a story about a group of ministers who were considering bringing Dwight L. Moody to town to preach. Rev. Moody’s great successes as well as the profound miracles that followed his meetings were discussed.
One minister who was unimpressed with the report commented, “Does Dwight L. Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Ghost?”
Another quietly answered, “No, but the Holy Ghost seems to have a monopoly on Dwight L. Moody.”
• Commitment is more than contribution. - Take the matter of bacon and eggs. The chicken makes a contribution, but the pig, now he makes a commitment.
God is looking for people he can trust, people that are committed.
How Can I improve my commitment:
Measure it.
Know what’s worth dying for.
Announce it – make it public.
