Godly Leadership

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Introduction

It takes more than a busy church, a friendly church, or even an evangelical church to impact a community for Christ. It must be a church ablaze, led by leaders who are ablaze for God. -Wesley J. Duwel

Leadership that Witnesses Jesus

We see here that the twelve disciples were not the only ones that were discipled by Jesus and followed him during his earthly ministry
Luke 10:1 mentions 72 and Acts 1:15 makes mention of 120
The twelve were the main ones though he poured into and were the ones he spent his time with in preparation to lead the birth of the NT church
The twelve was to reflect God’s work in the OT through the 12 Tribes
So when Judas died they were short a leader
What was the requirement for this leader?
A man that witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, and who would have seen the importance and dedicated himself to Jesus
Matthias was chosen as this replacement and what all do we know about him?
That he witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, we know nothing of his back story or what he accomplished. We just know he was called to lead and witnessed the resurrection
So how do we apply this to us as this church today?
To be the church God has called us to be any serving in leadership (Pastor, deacons, teachers, committee members) must be people who have bore witness to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ
meaning
1. To serve in leadership you must have a relationship with Christ
Fruit must be present in your life of a genuine change
this is why a new believer should not serve in leadership, fruit needs time to show
Leadership you should be able to share your testimony, of how you have experienced Jesus:
Testimony is sharing how Jesus changed you
Some questions to guide:
A few personal details about you?
Family, upbringing, hobbies, etc.
How was were life before Jesus?
How were you mentally?
Bad habits?
Were you content?
Did you have anger problems?
How were you saved?
How did the events around your salvation look?
How has your life changed since salvation?
What are some struggles Christ has brought you through since being saved?
2. To serve in leadership you must be in the Word
If you are not in the Word you are not experiencing the full power of the resurrection
As we as leaders stay in the Word it guards us against our opinions
It is not your church, it is not your class, the people entrusted to you are not yours
You were called to that position to be a good steward of it and steward those entrusted to you well
They get enough opinions from CNN, Fox, Facebook, X…over opinionated family members
Signs of good stewardship
What you teach is backed by scripture, not your feelings
You spend time in prayer over what you are teaching
You make time for preparation
You need to meditate on scripture
Psalm 119:97 ESV
Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
Prioritizing time to prepare shows where your values are
Prioritizing to prepare requires sacrifice
Over the last few minutes the leadership has been receiving a charge, and the rest of you were breathing a sigh of relief because you thought you were getting off the hook
1 John 4:1 ESV
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
You are to test what you are being taught by testing it by the word of God
In order to know if your teacher is Biblical you must be Biblical and in the Word so in order you can compare their words to scripture
If they are not Biblical you have the responsibility to start the Matthew 18 process
The accountability your leaders hold you to goes both ways, we are not immune to mistakes
This back forth accountability according to the Word allows us all to grow sharper in our wisdom
Proverbs 27:17 ESV
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
In order to follow a teacher well, you must first follow the Word
be in the Word throughout the week
In the ways you prepare your heart determine the depth of impact church will have on your spiritually
Being in the Word helps you guard yourself against itching ears that search for teachers that make you comfortable and teach you what you want to hear and not what you need to hear
Type of itching ears:
Health and wealth- want a teacher to teach all positive messages, that teaches faith comes with all positive material impacts. You want better health come to Jesus, you want financial success come to Jesus
Matthew 8:19–20 ESV
And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Cultural Movements- want a teacher that takes all the cultural movements and blends it with scriptures in such a way we do not have to be an outcast
John 17:16 ESV
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Emotional- want a teacher that moves emotionally that gives a feel good, really someone good at manipulating emotions
Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Godly Leadership is a Gift from God and Divinely Appointed

Something about Matthias name it means “gift of Yahweh” and he was nominated by other believers because of the quality of his witness, but ultimately the decision was God’s as we see them pray and cast lots
Remember at this point they were not filled with the Spirit, and by casting lots during this time was a way the sought the guidance of the Spirit, but come Acts 13:2 we start to see the Spirit communicate directly
Acts 13:2 ESV
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
How does this apply to us:
God has gifted leaders
Not all are called to lead and teach
Do not take a calling you know you are not called to
An unfilled position within the church is better than a position filled with the unqualified
A unqualified person will harm the church more than the absence of a program
Programs are a good thing but they are not what grows a church and they are not the measurement of a healthy church
What grows the church
Acts 2:41 ESV
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Leaders if you have been called to hurricane and were called into leadership into this church you have divine appointments
God has opportunities meant for you, not necessarily me
I am here to equip you and hold you accountable
Leaders ask yourself this morning what is that divine appointment
Deacons you were called to serve, but are specific appointments God has for you
Sunday school teacher you were called to disciple, within that call what is the specifics

Outro

Invite Sunday school teachers forward
Pray over each teacher
Pray over their classes
Classes pray over them
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