As he was pounding away, he noticed that a little boy was watching him. The youngster did not say a word so the preacher kept on working, thinking the boy would leave. But he did not. Pleased at the thought that his work was being admired, the preacher finally said, “Well son, trying to pick up some pointers on gardening, huh?” The boy answered, “No sir, I’m just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.”
The world today is watching, looking for leaders. Leaders who can react in a way that is pleasing to the Lord during trying times. Right before Paul went to Thessalonica, he had been humiliated and abused in Philippi. Then he got into another difficult situation in Thessalonica. In fact, it seems that during most of Paul’s ministry he was “jumping from the skillet into the frying pan.” Through all of this Paul revealed the Lord to the people.
Illus: Someone said that Paul never called ahead to make reservations at the local inn, he pretty much knew he would be sleeping in the city jail.
Nevertheless he always exhibited good leadership qualities through the trials he went through.
Illus: Moses had been a great leader, but under stress he would get angry.
Nowhere do we find that the apostle Paul did anything other than bring glory to the Lord. Moreover, he was a tremendous leader. He taught other men how to be great leaders. Throughout his writings we read that he had men with him who were being trained. Oh how we need men like that today!
Illus: Every church that hopes to do anything for the Lord must have strong spiritual leaders. A church must have someone to lead...
• The music
• The ushers
• The choir
• The Sunday School department
• The youth
• The elderly ministry
• The bus ministry
• The kitchen ministry
• The nursery
• The gymnasium activities
The church has to have many spiritual leaders.
If a church is going to achieve anything for the Lord, the leaders must not be leaders in name only. They have to be able to get jobs completed.
One can buy all kinds of books on leadership, but if you want to be the best leader God would have you be, the best book you can read and learn from is the book of Thessalonians.
There are other places in the Bible that tell us about specific leadership positions within the church, but in Thessalonians we are given qualities that must be inherent in all leaders in churches. What does it take to be a real leader?
I. REAL LEADERS ARE CALLED
Look at verse 6, “Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.”
Notice, Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Christ. The word “apostle” means: “One sent.” In other words, if you had asked Paul:
• Why are you in CORINTH? He would have said, “God sent me.”
• Why are you in EPHESUS? He would have said, “God sent me.”
• Why are you at THESSALONICA? He would have said, “God sent me.”
He was able to say, “I am doing what God has sent me to do!
While Paul recognized God had sent him to do certain things, God did not send everyone else to do the same thing. Look at I Cor. 12:29, “Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?”
The answer to all of those questions is NO! God does not call everyone to be all these things. There are several things to consider here:
• If God has called you to do something, He will equip you to do it and you should do it.
• If God has not called you to do something, you are not equipped and you should not be doing it.
• When a man is called and does not do what God has called him to do, he is out of the will of God.
• If a man is doing something God has never called him to do,
he also is out of the will of God.
For example, a man who acknowledges God has never called him to preach is the pastor of a small church. If you ask him why he is the pastor of that church since God has not called him, he will tell you that he is praying whether or not he should continue to pastor it. Listen, he does not need to pray about it. The fact that God has not called him to preach should tell him that he is out of the will of God to pastor that church.
One of the first things a leader has to do is determine what God has called him to do, then do it! But, if God has not called him, then he should not do it because then he would be out of the will of God.
Illus: This is the reason ministers are ordained. Pastors who know God has called them into the ministry bring pastor candidates before them to examine them to be sure God has called them. Once they are convinced God has called them, then they lay hands on them and send them forth to preach.
Paul knew what God had called him to do. This was why he was known as PAUL, THE APOSTLE. A REAL LEADER IS CALLED. The next thing to consider is that...
II. REAL LEADERS ARE CONSECRATED
Look at verses 6b-8. We read, “...when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.”
Notice, real leaders are consecrated unto the Lord and Christ can be seen in them. Paul said he was “gentle” with the Thessalonians the way a mother nurses and cherishes her little children.
Paul was a man of authority, but he used his authority in a gentle manner.
Illus: Those were “babes in Christ” he was dealing with. He recognized, as a good leader, that babes have to be treated differently than adults. You can change the tone of your voice and make a baby cry.
A good leader in a church recognizes that while everyone may be physical adults, spiritually this may not be the case.
Illus: Warren Weirsbe has pointed out that this passage can be translated, “We were gentle among you even as a nursing mother cares for her children.”
A nursing mother imparts her own life to the child.
Illus: You can not be a nursing mother and turn your baby over to someone else. That baby must be in the mother’s arm, next to her heart. The nursing mother eats the food and it is transformed into milk for that baby.
The real leader shares nourishment with younger believers so they can grow. Real leaders, who are CONSECRATED, also show their love by the way they share their lives.
Look at verse 8. We read, “So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.”
Paul said that they had loved the Thessalonians so much that they were delighted to share not only the gospel of God with them, but their lives as well!
Jesus taught us this truth. Look at Mark 10:43-45. We read, “But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Some of the WORST PASTORS in this country are men who feel their congregation is there to serve them! The BEST PASTORS are men who recognize they are there to serve their congregation. They give their lives to their congregation. REAL LEADERS ARE CONSECRATED. Also...
III. REAL LEADERS ARE CONCERNED
Look at verse 9. We read, “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.”
Illus: Three men were working on building a cathedral. A man came along and asked each one, “What are you doing?”
• One said, “I am mixing mortar.”
• The second said, “I’m helping put up this great stone wall.”
• The third said, “I am building a cathedral to the glory of God!”
As Paul labored for the Lord in each separate segment of his journey he knew he was serving the Lord.
Like the third man in our story, we need to see what gives work eternal value is not the process of the labor itself, but DOING THE JOB FAITHFULLY TO THE GLORY OF GOD!
Real LEADERS WORK HARD! Paul said, “Surely you remember our toil and hardship.”
Preaching, teaching, and witnessing for Christ are often difficult things to do.
Also, a real leader’s work is continuous. Paul said, in verse 9, “...remember...our labour and travail...night and day...”
Many folks have jobs on which they work from 8 to 5. When 5 o’clock rolls around they get off and do not think about the job again until the next morning when they return.
Illus: Many Christians also have this attitude about church. They restrict everything they do for the Lord between the hours of the church services. When the services are over, they do not think about their position in the church until the next time they are there.
Listen, real leaders are not that way. Paul said they not only labor, but good leaders are willing to labor NIGHT and DAY if called upon to do so. There is never a time when a real leader is not thinking of how he can do something for the Lord in a better way. This does not mean one has to be at church 24 hours a day, but it does mean that no matter where he is, no matter what he is doing, he is doing it for the Lord!
REAL LEADERS ARE WORKERS.
IV. REAL LEADERS ARE EXAMPLES
A father was teaching his son what a Christian should be like. When the lesson was over, the father got a shock when the little boy asked, “Daddy, have I ever met one of these Christians?”
That question should never have to be asked if there are real Christian leaders around. Look at verse 10. We read, “Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe.” Real Christian leaders are examples in many areas.
A. REAL LEADERS ARE EXAMPLES OF HOLINESS.
To be “holy” means to be separated from the world, yet giving ourselves toward the salvation of the world. That is, all the while keeping our focus upon God.
B. REAL LEADERS ARE EXAMPLES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
That is, in the sight of God and man they are living a right kind of life. They are right in the sight of God because God’s righteousness has been imputed to them. They are right before men because they live a life of rightness.
That is, we not only accept the righteousness that comes to us through the cross, but we live out that righteousness.
C. REAL LEADERS ARE EXAMPLES OF BLAMELESSNESS.
That is, real leaders don’t live the kind of lives that would allow anyone to be able to point at them and accuse them of being hypocrites.
Sometimes a Christian might be accused unjustly of not living a Christ-like life, but the real leader will not live the kind of life that would cause a normal person to accuse him. That does not mean we will never be blamed for any bad thing, but we will not live the kind of life that invites blame. Real leaders are examples.
V. REAL LEADERS ARE COMFORTERS.
Look at I Thess. 2:11-12. We read, “As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”
Real leaders encourage people to be their very best.
Illus: A father doesn’t do everything for his children, but he encourages his children to do for himself.
Illus: There was once a banker who always tossed a coin in the cup of a leg-less beggar who sat on the street outside the bank. But, unlike most people, the banker would always insist on getting one of the pencils the man had beside him. “You are a merchant,” the banker would say, “and I always expect to receive good value from merchants I do business with.” One day the leg-less man was not on the sidewalk. Time passed and the banker forgot about him, until he walked into a public building and there in the concessions stand sat the former beggar. He was obviously the owner of his own small business now. “I have always hoped you might come by someday,” the man said. “You are largely responsible for me being here. You kept telling me that I was a ‘merchant.’ I started thinking of myself that way, instead of a beggar receiving gifts. I started selling pencils--lots of them. You gave me self-respect, caused me to look at myself differently.”
Illus: An ingenious teenager, tired of reading bedtime stories to his little sister, decided to record several of her favorite stories on tape. He told her, “Now you can hear your stories any time you want. Isn’t that great?” She looked at the machine for a moment and then replied, “No, it hasn’t got a lap.” We all need a “lap.” We all need the closeness of relationship. We all need to know we are loved.
Real leaders approach their followers with encouragement that says, “You are a valuable person because Jesus Christ died for you.”
Conclusion/Summary:
I. GREAT LEADERS ARE CALLED
II. GREAT LEADERS ARE CONSECRATED
III. GREAT LEADERS ARE CONCERNED
IV. GREAT LEADERS ARE COMFORTERS
