THE MAKING OF A LEADER
Study Text: 1 Kings 6:7.
And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
- God takes time to prepare a man before He presents them for use. The stones in the above text were pre-finished, cut into shapes and sizes to fit into specific positions in the temple.
- We are the stones that God will like to work upon outside the temple before bringing us to the temple site. The nature of use is a function of the readiness.
- 2 Tim 2:20-21: But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
If a man therefore purges himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
- No one was brought to the temple site for trial and error. No one was forced to fit in by the use of any iron tool, but every one should have submitted himself to the preparation of the almighty God before he appeared in the seen.
- Today there is so much competition, rivalry, self-promotion and slf-placement in the church. This is because the church today is filled with men and women who escaped the preparation by God to fit the specific calling on their lives.
- We shall be looking into the life of Joshua as a case study. He is a sure example of a man that God thoroughly prepared before hand before releasing him into His service.
- Josh 24:29-31: And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the LORD, that he had done for Israel.
- Joshua is a role model for both people who are leading and people who might one day serve as leaders.
- There are certain qualities we can see in the life of Joshua that showed his thorough preparation by God before being involve in the service of God. Every one that want to go far with God and that want to remain relevant in the kingdom assignment must labor to see these qualities grow in their lives.
1. Humility
-Joshua was a man of humility. He served under Moses for forty years with great humilty. Ex 33:9-11: And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
- Any one that will become a great leader must be humble enough to serve other people. As a leader, Joshua was still willing to serve one greater than himself.
Josh 5:13-15: And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD's host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
- Great leaders will not allow their positions to make them proud; they are humble to serve once a gain. If you are going to be great, you must develop the grace of humility and continue steadfastly in manifesting that grace. The Bible says God will resist a proud man and give more grace to the humble.
2. Faith and Trust in God
- When some spies were sent to spy the land of Canaan, only Joshua together with Caleb brought a different report on the land. Their report demonstrated that they showed great faith and trust in God. Num 14:6-9: And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
- Joshua also trusted in God so much that he followed all the instructions given to him by God. He never gets wise in his own eyes, but believed the word of God to letters and obeyed Him. For instance, he followed all the instructions given to him over the fall of Jericho. Josh 6:1-3: Now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
3. Dilligence in the Word of God
-Joshua had been taken the word of God serious in his life all the days he was serving Moses, then when he took over the battle from Moses, the greatest instruction God gave to him was to be diligent in the study, doing and teaching of the word of God. Josh 1:6-8:Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
- Any man that want to be great must be diligent in the study and hearing of the word of God, and must see to it that he does what is written therein.
- Even at the end of Joshua’s life, he encouraged the people to keep the word of God. As we obeyed the word of God, we must also be diligent in the preaching and the teaching of the word of God to other people, so that the will of God can be multiplied in the lives of other people. Josh 23:6-8:Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.
4. Fervency in Prayer.
-Joshua was a man of fervent prayer. Some examples of his prayer life include: His prayer after the defeat at Ai. Josh 7:6-9: And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan! O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies! For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
- He prayed to find out the reason why Israel could not have victory as promised by God, and God revealed His mind unto Joshua. It is strength to wait for the Lord and make enquiries even when things did not go as expected.
- His prayer life also includes the time he prayed in the midst of warfare. Josh 10:9-14:Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Beth-horon, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
- We saw Joshua making a great history in the place of prayer. He got the impossible possible, he moved the hand of God through a prayer of faith. Anyone that will be great in the service of God must know God at the place of prayer. Prayer will renew and increase our relationship and fellowship with God and will draw His power to work more on our behalf for mighty exploits.
5. Putting God First
-Joshua was a man that put God first in all that he does. While he was still serving with Moses, he had a clear and distinct love for God. He was the only one that went to look after Moses when he went to receive the laws, and became the only one that did not worship the idol that Aaron made for them.
- He cared not what others might say or believe or do, he was resolved to serve God wholeheartedly and to ensure that his household are brought up in the will of God. Josh 24:14-16:Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
-Joshua’s strong stand in the Lord also influenced the people to take a decision to follow and serve the Lord all the days of their lives. To be great in the service of God, we must e ready to put God first in our lives and then have a positive influence in the lives of other people by drawing them to God.
- These qualities are outstanding in the life of Joshua, and he became one of the greatest leaders that God used in achieving His purpose in the Lives of men.
- Friends, do you desire to be great and be used in the service of God? Then you must be careful to follow God by applying the principles in the word of God, and by looking into these qualities in the life of Joshua, while you pray unto God to see these qualities also being fully formed in your life.
