Preparation for Leadership (Adult SS)

Consider what we look for in leaders today.

Whether it be heads of business, local or national political positions, non-profit organizations, church administration - what do we typically look at when choosing someone for leadership?

education - are they specialized, certified, an expert in their field

experience - are they knowledgeable and have they worked in there field enough to know it well

temperament - are they cool-headed, team players, able to make rational decisions

Sometimes a good leader rises - but we have to admit, you can have all the degrees and certifications, worked in your field for years, have a solid temperament - and yet make a terrible leader.

My personal opinion - there are few good leaders in the world today. When you are more concern about making everyone happy, not making waves, or doing things the accepted way than actually leading an organization forward and doing what is right - that is not leadership.

How does God prepare leaders in the Bible?

It is not based on the criteria I mentioned earlier - education, experience, temperament.

Most of Jesus’ disciples were not highly educated - Luke being an exception.

Most did not have a lot of experience when called - David was a youth and a shepherd when he was elevated in position.

Peter’s temperament was that of an impulsive hot head.

Yet God chose them to become leaders.

God chooses who he chooses - then He prepares them.

It is often expressed this way:

God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.

His main criteria seems to be this:

Obedience.

Is the person willing to submit to God’s rule and do what is asked of him or her?

In today’s text, we enter into a very tumultuous time in Israel’s history. It is helpful to put ourselves, best we can, into the story. The Assyrian Empire was growing rapidly and consuming surrounding nations. Their military might was unequaled. The Northern Kingdom of Israel would fall under their power. Isaiah lived in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. They lived with this external threat always present. (Cuban missle crisis?)

Their beloved king, King Uzziah, had just died. All in all, he was a good and godly king - he had led them well during this time of uncertainty and things had been looking up - but now he is dead. No one knew what would happen that year, or the next year, or beyond that.

Let’ s read today passage.