Portrait Of A Church Leader
Nehemiah 7:1-2
Intro: A small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness
to the stand in a trial -- a grand-motherly, elderly woman.
He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"
She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve
known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a rising big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you will never amount to anything more than a
two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he
pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?"
She replied, "Why, yes I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he
was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And
he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He’s lazy,
bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him."
At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence
and called both counselors to the bench.
In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of
you asks her if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for contempt!"
. Many times the people we think are great leaders are not what we think they are.
. We place people in areas of responsibility and leadership but we really don’t know who they are.
. Just what are the qualifications for leadership and specifically what are the qualifications for Christian leadership.
. Many times we appoint or elect leaders by the world’s standards and not God’s.
. I found an illustration that really highlights this concept.
. In my research for today’s sermon I ran across a fictitious letter that was written to Jesus about choosing leaders.
. Let me share this with you.
. Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafter Carpenter Shop
Nazareth, Galilee
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the 12 men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization.
All of them have now taken the battery of tests and we have run them through our computers. It is the staffs’ opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, educational and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking.
They do not have the team concept. We would suggest that you continue your search for persons with experience and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper.
Andrew has no leadership skills at all.
The 2 brothers, James and John, place personal interest above company loyalty.
Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.
We feel that it is our duty to inform you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau.
James the son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus have radical leanings and registered high manic-depressive scores.
Only one of the candidates shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness who meets people well and has a keen business mind.
He has contacts in high places and is highly motivated, ambitious and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely yours,
Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem, Judea
. It seems that the twelve that Jesus chose would have a hard time qualifying for leadership positions in society wouldn’t they?
. That’s because the world looks at leaders differently than the church should look at leaders.
. Our scripture this morning is out of Nehemiah chapter 7 as we work our way through this amazing book.
. Let me refresh your memory about what’s going on. Nehemiah has come back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the walls around the city. The last time we were in the book we saw that the walls had been completed and all that was left to do in this project was to place the doors and gates on their hinges and make them operable.
. Nehemiah 7:1-2
. 1After the wall was finished and I had set up the doors in the gates, the gatekeepers, singers, and Levites were appointed.
2I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
. If you read on through the chapter you will see Nehemiah’s management style of getting everyone involved in doing the work but I want to focus this morning on the three men that were leaders in Jerusalem.
. They are a model that should be used in choosing people to fill positions of leadership within the church.
. The first principle that I want to see here is:
. A Leader Must First Be A Follower
. The leadership team can tell you that this is and has always been my philosophy.
. You cannot lead in the kingdom of God unless you are a follower of God.
. When God chose Nehemiah to lead, He chose someone who believed in Him and was a follower of Yahweh. He was also grooming Hanani to lead.
. He sent him to the fortress in Susa to inform Nehemiah of the problems in Jerusalem so that God could use Nehemiah for His purpose.
. Hanani had a heart for God’s people.
. Look at what Nehemiah did when he realized that there was a need for someone to lead the people.
. I have taken some plea’s from Nehemiah’s prayer from chapter 1.
. I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven….O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God…
10“The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.
11O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you.
. Nehemiah was first and foremost a follower of God.
. He delighted in honoring and following his God.
. God would not have elevated Nehemiah into this great position of leadership if he had not first been a follower.
. In order to be a leader for God, we must first be a follower of God.
. That goes against our culture doesn’t it?
. Nobody wants to be known as a follower do they?
. A young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst.
To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."
. Nobody wants to be a follower.
. But in order to be a leader folks, we must first be a follower of Jesus Christ.
. Church leaders must be born again Christians who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
. Often times though we choose leaders for the church because they are successful leaders in the secular world.
. They do a good job in their business or job, they must be good leaders.
. Church leadership is different, the leaders must be followers and realize who the leader actually is.
. Scripture tells us who the head of the church.
. Who we must be followers of.
.Eph1:22, 22God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
. Eph 5:22, … Christ is the head of the church…
. We must first be followers of Jesus Christ if we are to lead His church.
. When looking at the portrait of a church leader, you must be able to see that they are a follower of Jesus Christ.
. Next, when looking at a portrait of a church leader, you must be able to see that they are ;
. Faithful
. In order to lead in the church a person must be faithful.
. Look at verse 2 again.
.I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful
. Hananiah was placed in a leadership position because of his faithfulness.
. What does it mean to be faithful?
. What does a faithful Christian look like.
. There are many characteristics that should be seen in someone who is faithful and I want to look at a few of them this morning.
. A faithful Christian should be a Christian who serves.
. A leader should be a servant.
. Jesus lays out this principle much better than I can in Matthew 20: 25-28
. 25But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.
26But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,
27and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.
28For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
. Jesus says that our leadership model should be different from the worlds.
. Our leaders must serve.
. They must be faithful in their service.
.They must also be faithful in their attendance.
. You can’t lead people you never see.
. They must be faithful in their attendance.
. One sunny Sunday morning, Henry Jones awoke to find his wife standing over him, shaking him by the shoulder.
"You have to get up," she urged. "We have to get ready for church.” "I don’t want to go to church," he replied. "I want to stay in bed.” Crossing her arms over her chest, his wife demanded,
"Give me three good reasons why you should stay in bed and not go to church."
"OK," he answered. "First, I don’t get anything out of the service. Second, I don’t like the people there. And third, no one there likes me.
Now can you give me three good reasons why I should go to church?"
His wife responded, "First, it will do you some good.
Second, there are people who really do like you, and they’ll miss you if you aren’t there. And third, you’re the minister!"
. We must be committed to the church enough to attend.
. Faithful people are committed to attendance.
. We could go on and on this morning describing the characteristics of a faithful Christian. They are tithers and givers, they witness for the Lord when the opportunity arises, they have an active prayer life. ( for many, the only prayer they lift up or hear are the prayers of the preacher on Sunday morning), they long for a word from God through the reading of His word.
. When you look at a Christian leader, their faithfulness should be obvious in their lives.
. A portrait of a Christian leader must include faithfulness.
. Lastly, a portrait of a Christian leader should show someone who is:
. Fearful
. Look at verse 2 again:
. 2I gave the responsibility of governing Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the fortress, for he was a faithful man who feared God more than most.
. Nehemiah says that Hananiah feared God more than most.
. To find a person today who fears God at all is an accomplishment.
. We talk of God being the God of love and mercy and second and third chances that somehow our view of God gets skewed.
. He is a God of love and mercy and tenderness and forgiveness but He is also a God of Justice.
. He is the creator God.
. The fear of God is an awesome respect or reverence growing out of the greatness and power of God.
. Job 37:23-24 tells us why we should have this reverent fear of God.
. We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though He is just and righteous, He does not destroy us.
. No wonder people everywhere fear Him. All who are wise show Him reverence.
. Being fearful of God shows that we recognize just how powerful He is.
. We have an awe and reverence for God.
.C.S Lewis portrays Jesus as a lion in his books the chronicles of Narnia. This lion is powerful yet tender. His wrath is terrible yet his love is tender.
. Let me read a quote from one of the books.
. "As the Lion passed by they were terribly afraid He would turn and look at them, yet in some queer way they wished He would." Naturally one would be nervous meeting a lion! The question was asked to one who knew this Lion well, "Is He safe?" I find the answer both wise and startling: "Safe? Who said anything about safe? Of course He isn’t safe. But He’s good. He’s the King, I tell you."
. He is good, He is the King, He is to be feared for who He is!
. Not a paralyzing fear but a fear born out of the realization that He was powerful enough to create us, He is powerful enough to hold our future in His hands.
. A Christian leader must show this awe and respect for the creator God of the universe.
. In this portrait of a Christian Leader, we can see someone who recognizes and fears God for who He is.
(. Closing)
. A Christian leader must be a follower of Christ who is faithful to God in their actions and has a fear and respect for God and His awesome power.
. Folks we talked about leaders this morning.
. We may not all be leaders. Maybe that’s not what God has intended for you.
. One thing we all have in common though is that we all must be followers of Jesus Christ.
. Are you a follower this morning?
.Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
Illustrations from sermon central
