F4S: LEADERSHIP 101?

Saturday, September 27, 2008

LEADERSHIP 101?

Real Leadership Principles Aren't Given For Pleasing Or Paying Men, But Are Rather For Glorifying God.

Leadership, what is it for and what are real leaders like? Godly leaders are real! They're born again (see John 3:3), spiritual, and shaped by the Word (studying all of the Bible, and practicing it with prudence) for Christ... and for the benefit of winning and training others well, rather than for merely benefiting themselves well. People, don’t simply start out in life as good leaders; they must put their own wishes aside to serve others and learn to follow right and then learn to lead in righteousness. Godly leaders love to worship, pray, fellowship, witness and kindly reap a harvest as they learn from thee Leader (Jesus Christ) and from other soul-winning leaders. They're not self-confident, but they depend on the Lord constantly and they consistently set a good example. They won't follow a corrupt example.

I've talked about how we are basically living in a day when many people want to become specialists in the leadership arena—even in Church leadership. And I don't think there is anything bogus about that if Jesus is sought, followed and glorified. But on the horizontal level, how well do you know who you are learning to lead from? Do you pay and listen to popular Mormon (or other cultic) motivational leadership speakers? Have you checked?

Rather than becoming a jack of all trades ..so to speak (one who might lack expertise in a certain area because they are too busy with many areas), many people today want to become masters of one ..for Jesus; training leaders to build big. Hey, I can understand that. I feel that every Christian church needs to be growing 1) Spiritually (in the Word with lots of small Bible study prayer groups) and 2) Numerically (by proper evangelism inside and outside the building, and then with discipleship so new Christians can also win people). Yes indeed, if there are any lost people living within say a hundred miles of that local church, it should have a heart to reach out and grow!

Here in Dallas I keep running into well-meaning life-coach and quality of life trainers who seem to outwardly embody the “American Dream” as they go into churches and use Bible principles together with non-biblical Eastern concepts to try and help people. I've been running into some high and low profile Christian leadership gurus too (not all are doing bad work), multilevel marketing motivational speakers, and some self-help/self esteem consultants that pastors are inviting in (for the financial wellbeing of their constituents as they all invest in gold coins etc). And these guys are charging hefty entrance fees for their "seminars of truth" (nothing like putting the cookies on the lower shelf for the children to be able to reach, right [Inject laughter here]). Yup, even with exorbitant prices for all their slick looking product decked with excellent cutting-edge graphics, the pastors feel their polished events will be "a draw" that will bring in some new tithe-ers.

OK, so there are many Christian ministers who are into doing things in a shoddy non-excellent way, using outdated frumpy, ugly art and packaging—in order to save a buck. Hey, I've been guilty of that before. lately I've adopted a watchword that my pastor says, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right ..which doesn't always have to cost an arm and a leg." Yeah, let's face it; we live in a culture that is so obsessed with youth, beauty, stardom, pleasure and SUCCESS—yes, for the financial benefit of SELF. You know that. And let me make it very clear, that there is nothing wrong with enjoying financial prosperity and success if you have your priorities in order and have Christ leading as your Lord (that's true). God wants all of us King's kids in BMWs and Porsches right (that statement is false, it was just a bad joke.. sorry). But listen, there is really no reason at all ..ever.. for you to receive tainted teachings about how to lead or how to live ..precepts coming from cultists who deny Essential Christian Doctrine. You wouldn't allow your kids to drink from a polluted or poisoned stream would you? I like what Chuck Smith said, "Most of what false teachers teach is true."

Listen, I personally like going sailing with my friends on big Texas lakes. And when the water stays outside the hull, things go great, but when the boat takes on water into the hull, that boat will eventually go down! It'll sink. You know that it's the same way with the Church in relation to the world. There's no room for worldly compromise! We're to be in the world but not of it. That's how Christ lived with full commitment and some got ticked at Him, but when the world gets into the Church, it will go down. Are we Christians to be so gung ho for "success" and "building" that we compromise by quickly sucking in the teachings of every so called high profile Christian preacher, without first checking out the veracity of what they are affirming ..by searching the Scriptures ourselves? No go, Joe! What's real leadership even for? Are we out to please men primarily ..or God?

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