Five Imerfections of Good Men
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1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Negatives that short-circuit and kill good people
In leadership in the church
My greatest joy is helping other succeed in their ministries.
People Building
My greatest frustration: Good people whose fatal defects become evident only after a period of time and stress. They become casualties after time, money and effort has been expended on them in large quantities.
Let’s look at Five Major Defects!
1. People who do not see the BIG picture.
1. People who do not see the BIG picture.
Luke 11:2 (KJV)
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Matthew 26:39 (KJV)
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
In other words, these people cannot see beyond their own agenda. They are self centered. THEY ARE NOT KINGDOM PEOPLE.
It’s their future —
their position —
their departement,
their church.
All of their energy and talents are used to promote their own power base.
Moving up the ladder is their sole goal. Public acclaim is ther consuming reach. It is extremely hard for this type of person to:
take leadership’
take council
take direction
to loose themselves to a bigger cause than themselves.
NOTE: Sooner or later they cut and run. They usually resign to fulfill their own little agenda.
They become a falling star!
Dr. Kenneth Hilderbrand: “One of life’s greatest tragedies is a person with a 10 x 12 capacity and a 2 x 4 soul.”
2. People with split minds: The Bible calls it DOUBLEMINDEDNESS.
2. People with split minds: The Bible calls it DOUBLEMINDEDNESS.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
How do you handle people with split minds?
Sunday School teachers who are entrusted with a little congregation of children who just all of a sudden drop out and quit!
Church budgets plundered by tithe payers who got tired of honoring God.
People who take jobs and responsibilities until they have a mood change.
Remember Israel? The church in the wilderness was check-mated because of a split mind. Their double-mindedness got them at the border of Caanan.
Remember Reuben? He had a lot going for him.
Birthright
Strenth
Dignity
Power
One thing did him in - A SPLIT MIND!
3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power.
4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel, Because you went up to your father’s bed; Then you defiled it— He went up to my couch.
180 Yards from the top of the world.....
Lost their minds first in their minds and then on the slopes.
The most serious threat to the end-time church is DOUBLEMINDEDNESS.
Doublemindedness… brings with it instability and confusion!
Doublemindedness… brings with it, perpetual re-evalution and change!
Doublemindedness…is the companion of insecurity and depression!
Doublemindedness… produces ministers who become opportunist instead of warriors!
Jude had strong words for this restless breed of split minded beleivers.
He called them: “clouds without water .. carried about by every wind … withered fruit… twice dead … plucked up by the roots… raging waves of the sea … wandering stars”
WOW! Is he serious or what?
Jude must have seen too many people -
always changing their minds
always changing their church
always changing their doctrine
always changing their standards
always looking for green pastures.
NEVER TOTALLY COMMITTED.
3. People who Possess a Losing Attitude
3. People who Possess a Losing Attitude
ATTITUDE: Author Unknown:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitudes on life. Attitude is me.
It’s more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company — a church — a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.”
We cannot change our past… we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it - we are in charge of our attitude.
Powerful Stuff!
The scary thing is this: I create my own attitude by the things I think about. Too many losers arrive there because they refuse to take care of their thought life.
Thoughts create attitudes.
Attitudes create my environment.
Our environment is a picture of ourselves.
Powerful Christian Living Has Nothing to do with:
Chance
Circumstances
The Breaks
Who You Know
Who You Don’t Know
IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ATTITUDE
Millions live small, shaded, cloudy, dead-end, frustrated lives. They are defensive towards themselves and reactionary towards others and the world.
In their hand, they hold a giant marker and everywhere they go they mark it gloom — depression — despair.
THE SAD THING IS: Many call themselves Christians. Many of us look on and say “come on!”. Christ has nothing to do with a gloom and despair syndrome.
NOTE:
Many prospective leaders, like Saul, start out:
GOOD — HUMBLE — SUBMISSIVE
They end up:
PROUD — ARROGANT — REBELLIOUS
A CHANGE IN ATTITUDE DID HIM IN!
4. People Who Stop Growing
4. People Who Stop Growing
Dr. Charles Garfield: “Peak performers do not see accomplishment as a fixed state, nor as a safe haven in which the individual is moored completed, finished. Not once have I ever heard a peak performer speak an end to challenge, excitement, curiosity and wonder. Quite the contrary. One of their most engaging characteristics is an infectious talent for moving into the future, generating new challenges, living with a sense of more work to be done.”
Chuck Swindoll: “There is an enormous difference between growing old in the Lord and growing up in Him. One is automatic and requires no effort at all… just aging. But the other is never automatic or easy. It calls for personal discipline, continual determination, and desire. Churches are full of sleepy saints who are merely ‘logging time’ in God’s family.”
“… growing up in him in all things.” Eph 4:15...
“… let us go on unto perfection:” Heb 6:1...
“…desire the sincere mild of the word that ye may grow thereby...” (1 Pet 2:2)
“But grow in grace, ...” (2 Peter 3:18)
To stop growing is to stagnate.
Stagnation opens the door to backsliding...
Great leaders are ever learning, expanding, reaching, discovering.
Growth is essential to survival..... ministry..... leadership.
5. People who lack the energy for successful harvesting in the endtime.
5. People who lack the energy for successful harvesting in the endtime.
… in other words lazy!
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
LABOURERS NOT LOAFERS!
The Lord is angered by this spirit when it creeps into the church!
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
CHARACTERISTICS OF SLOTHFUL SERVANTS
Charging church and pastor with “burning them out.”
Pastors canceling heavy service schedule (Would industry survive on this schedule)
dormant talents....
heading to the rapture relaxed!