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INTRODUCTION
We are taking a short break from the gospel of John to talk about leadership in the church.
Strategic timing as the Nominating Committee is about to start work. They have an important
job to engage in prayerfully and carefully searching out leaders for this active, growing,
diverse ministry.
Leadership is to serve the needs of others. Guiding people to be what God desires of them.
Leadership is influence. It is always group focused.
Pray for this church. Pray about your role in the church. Pray for the nominating committee
and process. Specifically, in this process - if they are willing rotate back in financial
secretary, several ushers (need 4 more), the clerks, and Awana Commander. Also maybe another
treasurer. As far as directional leadership, serious consideration in choices of: 2 Deacons,
2 Trustees, 1 Deaconess. They oversee the ministry and the property and staff. Initially this
series of messages is to draw out careful consideration for those positions. Yet, this applies
to all positions. Including the unelected but appointed offices, helpers, teachers,
committees, leadership of inter-church organizations. If you do something anywhere in
ministry, these messages apply to you too.
Therefore, Two messages: Nehemiah - Leadership on Purpose. Good ole
Nehemiah is a great example of “lay leadership.” He was not a prophet, or a
priest, but common man with an uncommon vision of rebuilding a destroyed city wall around the
Holy City of Jerusalem, who eventually became the Governor of Judah. From him we can learn
what to look for in leaders. I call this series Leadership on Purpose
- because Godly leaders have purposes to accomplish. They have purpose in their life and
ministry. What they do they do on purpose. They are intentional, active, loyal, and committed.
The Leadership Textbook is Nehemiah. The book is quite probably a personal diary of Nehemiah,
gives us an inside look at his actions AND his heart. First 7 chapters are about Nehemiah, the
last 6 are about Ezra the Priest. We will focus on the first 7 chapters and see 7 virtues of a
Godly leader from the life of Nehemiah.
We need leaders, like Nehemiah...
1. We need Leaders…who have Passion 1:1-4
- Passion for his people back home - the Jews..., and for the Holy City itself -
Jerusalem, the wall and gates destroyed, people unprotected
- So concerned was he, he “wept, mourned, fasted and prayed to the God of
heaven...for days...” Deep emotion, profound concern, passion.
- We need leaders who have a passion for people and the circumstances they are in. As we
will see, Passion also for the promises of God, the passion for the places of
God’s work, and passion for glory of God.
- Leaders have passion on purpose. 7 Times in Matt. & Mark Jesus “had
compassion”, “was filled with compassion” - to large
groups, to small groups, to individuals. Paul: Rom. 12:15 “Rejoice with
those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Phil 1:3,7,8. John in 2 John
1-4
- Some books I have: A Passion for Souls about D.L. Moody. The
Passion for Souls by Oswald Smith, Pastor of People’s Church in
Toronto, Canada for 40 years in 1930-1960’s. Spent more on missions than local
church ministry. I almost “retired” the book. But I remembered it was
given to me by Madge Shaw, and I just found it was signed by Oswald Smith 1954. She
meet him in Minnesota at a conference.
- Do you have passion for souls? A passion/compassion to help people in their
circumstances? A passion for God’s work, God’s promises, God’s
glory? Nehemiah did - passion leads to action, the first action is to pray.
2. We need Leaders…who Pray 1:5-11
- When you are facing a crises - first pray. When you need to make a decision - first
pray. Prayer is the leaders vital breath.
- Henry Blackaby in Spiritual Leadership: “More than any other single thing
leaders do, it is their prayer life that determines their effectiveness. If leaders
spend adequate time communing with God, the people they encounter that day will notice
the difference...The holiness of leaders’ lives is a direct reflection on the
time they are spending with a holy God... There will be times when leaders will come
to the end of their resources. In those times they will understand there is nothing
more they can do for their people. Giving speeches will not fix the problem. Issuing
memos will change nothing. Calling in consultants will be futile. There are simply
some things than can only be achieved through prayer.” (151)
- Psalm 50:15: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and
you will honor Me.” “Ask and it will be given you...” Matt 7:7
“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” James
5:16b
- God reopens His word, reveals His agenda, renews our spirit in prayer.
- At the church we pray before events and after - not just a courtesy to God. We NEED
God’s guidance - S.S. classes, business and board meetings, staff meetings,
personal times with each other, and alone. It is our life blood.
- This was not the message I originally planned. The original one I worked on Monday -
Wed. Almost finished. It wasn’t right. Thursday AM came to the office NEEDING to
pray for guidance. God provided it.
- Nehemiah’s prayer: Praise vs. 5; Perseverance (day and
night) v. 6a Penitence for the sin of the people and his own sin vs.
6b-7 Promises of God vs. 8-10, Petition v. 11 He first sought
the King of Kings permission, then he needed the earthly Kings permission and to
personally accomplish this challenging task of rebuilding the Holy City.
- Hudson Taylor pioneer to China: “it is possible to move men, through God, by
prayer alone” (Sanders, 110) Nehemiah prayed, God did it!
- How is your prayer life? It always needs work. Not the length but the love, not the
words but willingness, not the position but the purpose.
- Why pray in the first place? Daniel Henderson (Maximum Prayer, 6). “Because God
is worthy to be sought.” Revelation 4:11
- What was first in Nehemiah’s prayer? Praise to God for being God. Then notice
the place of Nehemiah’s petition? At the end.
- All God’s people need to pray. Leaders need to be ahead of their followers in
prayer. It is hard work, without it work of the ministry is vain.
- That hard work of prayer involves sacrifice. Nehemiah fasted. Fasting is an act of
self sacrifice. We don’t get into fasting much anymore - that is probably
because we don’t get into self-sacrifice anywhere else anymore either - time,
treasures, talents. Somehow, leadership does require some forms of self-sacrifice.
Leaders what are you willing to sacrifice to lead?
- Leaders pray for the people, pray for the programming, pray for the provisions.
Leaders confess your sins and the sins of the people. Leaders pray for souls to be
saved, saints to be strengthened. Leaders claim the promises of God in the Bible, seek
the glory of God in the Body of Christ.
- Nehemiah prayed on purpose. Leaders pray on purpose. And we need leaders who will
pray, and we need people who will pray for leaders.
- Matthew 9:36-38: “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because
they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His
disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech
the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.’”
- We need some laborers in this harvest field of Colfax, IA, First Baptist Church. The
leaders we now have need to pray. The people need to pray.
CONCLUSION
That is all for today. Maybe that is enough to start out with. Search your heart to do these
this week earnestly, and next week we will add some more virtues of a Godly leader from
Nehemiah. I have 5 more, we will see how far we will get.
What is your role in this process? Leader? Follower?
Invitation of Rededication. Time to renew your commitment...
A friend once said to D.L. Moody: “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man
fully consecrated to Him.” D.L. Moody responded “By God’s help, I aim to be
that man.” (A Passion for Souls, flyleaf)
We need more people, maybe you, who will affirm that same passion.
Are you willing to rededicate your life to the Lord today?
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