A photographer from a well-known national magazine was assigned to cover the fires at Yellowstone National Park. The magazine wanted to show some of the heroic work of the fire fighters as they battled the blaze.
When the photographer arrived, he realized that the smoke was so thick that it would seriously impede or make it impossible for him to photograph anything from ground level. He requested permission to rent a plane and take photos from the air. His request was approved and arrangements were made. He was told to report to a nearby airport where a plane would be waiting for him.
He arrived at the airport and saw a plane warming up near the gate. He jumped in with his bag and shouted, "Let's go!" The pilot swung the little plane into the wind, and within minutes they were in the air.
The photographer said, "Fly over the park and make two or three low passes so I can take some pictures."
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I am a photographer," he responded, "and photographers take photographs."
The pilot was silent for a moment. Finally he stammered, "You mean you're not the flight instructor?"
When it comes to our spiritual lives, we better be certain that someone competent is in control. If we assume (as did the two men above) that someone else has the ability to guide us safely, we may well be headed for disaster (unless that someone else is Christ).
"And He spoke a parable to them: 'Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:39-40)
In the next few weeks we will be in the process of selecting additional Elders – we know the importance of the task; and the seriousness
Exodus 18.12-23
12 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God. 13 The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”
17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone. 19 Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you!
You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, 20 and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.
21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
Jethro – “What are you doing?” “This is not good.”
I. The Burden on Leadership
[Number of People at SY – Members + Children + Regular Visitors =
A. Primary Role to Equip Members for Ministry – Ephesians 4.11-13
Training/Caring For/Leading/Mentoring
[Barna Survey – 10% of church members are active in any kind of personal ministry (does not have to be official church ministries); 50% of all church members have NO interest in serving in ANY form of Ministry –
Reason we are uninvolved – Don’t see a need – saved by grace; waiting to die
B. Danger – Burnout – Numbers 11.11
Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?
1. Massive Numbers – 3 Million for Moses
2. 6 Elders for All of SY
3. Can’t be done
C. A Solution – More Leaders (18.21-23)
21 Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”
1. Levels of Leaders (efficient at 1:10; early church 30 members)
2. Qualified Leaders – CAPABLE – Ability; FEAR God – Spiritual; TRUSTWORTHY – Honest/Integrity; HATE A Bribe – No Dishonest Gain (Ezekiel 34)
Qualifications Continue: Deacons – Acts 6; Elders – 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1
II. The Delegation of Leadership (Matthew 10.1 – power given by another; not inherent)
A. Acknowledge Limitations
1. Community/Body (1 Corinthians 12.1) is significant
2. No one can do everything; all can do something
[T-Shirt – “I know 2 things – There IS a God; and You are NOT Him!”
B. Determine Priorities [Flight 401 – E. Snyder; Divine Right
Flight 401 was bound for Miami from New York City with a load of holiday passengers. As the huge aircraft approached the Miami Airport for its landing, a light that indicates proper deployment of the landing gear failed to come on. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked out the light failure. Their question was this, had the landing gear actually not deployed or was it just the light bulb that was defective?
To begin with, the flight engineer fiddled with the bulb. He tried to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge. Another member of the crew tried to help out...and then another. By and by, if you can believe it, all eyes were on the little light bulb that refused to be dislodged from its socket. No one noticed that the plane was losing altitude. Finally, it dropped right into a swamp. Many were killed in that plane crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced and seasoned pilots messed around with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, an entire airplane and many of its passengers were lost. The crew momentarily forgot the most basic of all rules of the air -- "Don’t forget to fly the airplane!"
1. Moses was called to Lead/Represent God to the People; People to God
2. NOT to be a Counselor (Even Jesus understood this – Luke 12.13-15 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”)
3. #1 Goal – get people to the Promised Land
4. Examples
Apostles – Ministry of Word & Prayer
Elders – Ephesians 4.11-12 (People, not programs)
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
C. Train Leaders
1. Leadership is Influence – “Charge It!”
A mother took her young son shopping. After a day in the stores, a clerk handed the little boy a lollipop. "What do you say?" the mother said to the boy, to which he replied, "Charge it!"
2. “A good manager gathers followers; a good leader gathers leaders.”
Andrew Carnegie, the famous philanthropist said, "I owe whatever success I have attained, by and large, to my ability to surround myself with people who are smarter than I am."
Theodore Roosevelt said, "The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it."
D. Restrain Ego
The American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital." The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000." Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in."
1. What do I give up to delegate?
2. Is this about ME or Jesus?
E. Accept Ultimate Responsibility
[Jethro did not tell Moses to take a vacation
1. Be available
2. Jimmy Carter – detail-oriented; scheduled use of White House tennis courts
III. Our Selection of Leadership
Mrs. Baker, a fifth grade teacher, observed a student in her class flipping a coin as he answered each true/false question on a test. This answer selection method continued all the way through the exam. Mrs. Baker then watched as he went through each question again, pausing to flip the coin each time. She finally got up out of her chair, went over to his desk, and asked, “Norman, what are you doing now?” To which Norman replied, “I’m doing what you always tell us to do! I’m checking my answers!”
I’m thankful that we don’t have to flip a coin when it comes to selecting servant leaders in the church. The Bible is very clear about the test for Elders and Deacons and this morning we’re going to check our answers with Scripture. While our series is centered on the Book of Titus, for a comprehensive understanding of this topic, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Timothy 5:17-20, James 5:14-15, 1 Peter 5:1-4 should also be studied.
Methods:
A. Casting Lots to Replace Judas (Acts 1) – Qualifications/Choices
B. Deacons – Qualifications – select from the people (Acts 6)
C. Elders – Qualifications – Timothy and Titus
D. Hybrid Model – Qualifications – Preacher – PEOPLE
Remember, we are looking for Shepherds, not Administrators
1. The process begins today
2. Prayerfully consider anyone meeting the qualifications (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) who are shepherding and could be shepherds within our congregation
3. Remember, it is about ability; availability; and Spirituality
4. It’s about SERVICE
Jimmy Durante was asked to be a part of a show for WW II veterans. He told them his schedule would only permit a few minutes. When he got on stage and did his short monologue something happened. The applause grew louder and louder and he kept staying. Soon, he had been on 15, 20, then 30 minutes. Later someone asked, "I thought you had to go after a few minutes. What happened?" Jimmy answered, "I did have to go, but I can show you the reason I stayed. Look on the front row." There say two men, each had lost an arm in the war. One had lost his right arm and the other had lost his left. Together, they were able to clap, and that’s exactly what they were doing, loudly and cheerfully (Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, 1987).
