Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction: Today, my message is about leadership 101.
I felt that this was appropriate seeing as we are preparing to begin a new church year...
I ran across a few quotes about leadership that I thought you might enjoy.
Many of these quotes are from well known people.
Franklin D. Rosevelt once said, “It’s a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead - and find no one there.”
George Patton said, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”
Lewis Grizzard once said, “Life is like a dogsled team.
If you ain’t the lead dog,the scenery never changes.”
Zig Ziglar said, “Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker.”
John Naisbit said, “Leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it.”
Robert Bloch said, “The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.”
Will Rogers said, “Always drink upstream from the herd.”
And lastly...
A quote from the movie, A Bug’s Life, “The first rule of leadership; everything is your fault.”
Today’s passage is part of a farewell address that Paul Gave to the leaders of the church in Ephesus.
In his message to the Ephesian elders, Paul gave them some leadership principles that I believe apply to us today - to any leader.
Paul is leaving behind three incredible years of ministry in Ephesus.
We know the work he did there was impactful because at one point, it generated a riot; many Ephesians were turning away from their idols to serve Jesus Christ and this had a financial impact on those who made and sold idols.
Paul had departed from there and he called for the elders of the church in Ephesus to meet him in Miletus where he gave them his farewell speech, knowing that he would never see them in this life again.
Their love for him and his ministry was so great, Paul had to tear himself away from them.
His face was set toward Jerusalem, and ultimately to Rome.
The first principle that he gives to these leaders is to...
Take Heed (vv.
28-30)
Proverbs 4:23
The first and most important task of a leader is to guard their own heart and mind.
To keep a watchful eye on themselves first, then the flock second.
You can’t lead and feed others without first leading and feeding yourself.
There is no auto-pilot for your spiritual life.
Illus.
“The godly leader knows that effective leadership flows from a life, not just knowledge.”
~ David Guzik
First, a leader must guard their own personal relationship with Christ.
There is always a temptation to get so busy and involved with serving that we neglect our own walk with God.
I’m preaching to me this morning.
Leaders may still read and study the Bible, but only in their effort to prepare to teach.
We no longer read it to hear from God.
We may stop singing praises to God or praying in order to enjoy God and do so only because it is required of us.
Not paying attention to our own spiritual walk makes us vulnerable to attacks from the enemy and to temptation.
That makes us vulnerable to attacks from the enemy and to temptation.
Illus.
I used to love to watch nature shows.
I was fascinated with how the lions would stalk their prey and would single out the weakest antelope from the herd and inevitably take it down for his dinner.
Well, we are told that our adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
He will take out the weak one first and we are at our weakest when we don’t guard our personal relationship with Christ.
Second, a leader must make sure that they are not living in the very sin that they are condemning.
Romans 2:
Matthew 7:
In no way does this mean that a leader will be sinless…it does mean that a leader deals with their own sin by confessing and repenting of their sin when they are convicted of it.
To borrow a phrase from the Puritan, John Owen, You best be killing sin or sin will be killing you.
Paul pointed the Ephesian Elders to the manner in which he lived his life among them.
Acts 20:18-19
As leaders, we ought to be able to do the same provided that we lead with integrity.
What manner of life are you leading before the flock?
He also pointed out that leaders are to take heed over the spiritual condition of their flock.
Even though Paul was addressing the elders of the church, I believe that this applies to any leader that God has called to serve his church, but especially to those who teach.
Dangers from outside the flock - Paul describes them as fierce wolves who will not spare the flock.
False teachers who would not teach sound doctrine.
How do you guard against these false teachers?
Dangers from within the flock - “Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure disciples after them.”
I think this is referring to people who are seeking position and power within a church - many times in opposition to the pastoral leadership of a church.
Godly leaders will see this kind of divisive spirit and they will speak against it.
They will do all that they can to put an end to this kind of behavior and preserve the unity of the local body.
3 john 1:9-11
Feed and Lead (v.
28)
Feed and Lead (v.
28)
Paul told these leaders to care for the church of God.
He continued image of a shepherd and his sheep.
Leaders feed the flock by leading them to places where they would find good food.
That good food is the Bible.
We ought to be able to do the same provided that we lead with integrity.
Illus.
Someone once said that the Bible was bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.
Paul told the Ephesian Elders...
As leaders, our job is to declare the whole counsel of God.
I can assure you that when I preach, I will be preaching the Word.
I promise you I will never preach a longhorn sermon…You know what a longhorn sermon is, don’t you?
I point here, a point there and a whole lot of bull in between.
Some preachers preach like Pharoah…they won’t let God’s people go either.
I promise not to be like that.
A Shepherd also tends to the wounds of the sheep.
You will recall in the 23rd Psalm, the image of a shepherd anointing the sheep with oil.
This anointing was done for a number of reasons, but particularly whenever a sheep was injured or affected by certain parasites.
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