The Making of a Leader:A Study in the life of Joseph

Hebrews 13:7-8

Introduction

Dr. J. Robert Clinton studied the lives of more than 800 historical, biblical, and contemporary leaders. He gained perspective on how leaders develop over a lifetime. He identified six(6) stages of leadership development.

Sovereign Foundations

God providentially uses both the good and bad experiences in leaders’ lives to prepare them for later use under his lordship. The story of David is a good example. Despite having seven older brothers and a father unconvinced of his merits, David felt he was destined for a greater purpose. As he writes in , , “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ... All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Inner-life Growth

Leaders seek to know God more intimately through the use of spiritual disciplines. Formal involvement in ministry often occurs in this phase. God patiently develops discernment and obedience through tests; each successive test building on the previous one. If a leader fails or skirts a test, God graciously provides another opportunity for him or her to succeed.

Ministry Maturing

God helps leaders foster their spiritual gifts and navigate relationships within the body of Christ. God is working in the leader rather than through the leader, and at times the ministry benefits as a result.

Life Maturing

Leaders are now mature enough for God to begin to work through them. They have also gained enough wisdom to prioritize their spiritual gifts and understand where to focus their efforts.

Convergence

God opens a distinct role for leaders that showcases the best of what they have to offer. There is a clear fit between the needs of the ministry and the gifts of the leader.

Afterglow

Leaders receive recognition for a life well lived. They enjoy a wide range of existing relationships spanning a long life, and have accrued a great amount of wisdom that benefits younger leaders. Very few arrive here

All of us will lead in one capacity or another - small groups, teams, husbands lead wives, moms and dads lead children, etc

Leadership might be good or bad.

All of us have leaders in our lives - even old guys like me. If we don’t have them we should.

What real spiritual leadership is not.

Charisma - the primary way to know you are a leader is people following. Just because they follow doesn’t mean you are spiritual leader. People think they have the gift of leadership because they have the ability to gather groups of people around them because of there personality.

What is leadership

Leadership development falls into primarily 2 categories: Character and Skills

In the market place you are hired for your skills and fired for character.

As we think about

There is much that we can learn from the life of Joseph about what it is that grows us in leadership.

Amplified Bible 7 Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

Amplified Bible 7 Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of God; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on God with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness]. 8 Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

Do you want to grow in your leadership.

Do you want to grow in your leadership.

Hebrews 13:7-8

Where are you now?

You are most likely just leaving Sovereign Foundations and moving into Inner Life Growth. Your foundation has been laid and now it is time to build on it. We all have both good and bad in our lives to build on.

Inner-life Growth

work on developing depth in spiritual disciplines

faithfulness is a key.

Life of Joseph: Destined to Rule

But He sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who had been sold as a slave. His feet were kept in chains,

And an iron collar was around his neck, Until what he had predicted came true. The word of the Lord tested him.

Sovereign Foundations

I know that many of you have faced significant difficulty in your life - Many of you come from broken homes, raised by a single parent, some of you have been abused sexually or verbally. Some of you have felt unloved by parents or siblings, you are fighting addictions or dealing with depression. I want you to know that you are precious to God. If you will submit to the Lordship of Christ God will begin to do a work in your life bringing good out of the things you have experienced. Remember the 6 stages of leadership development -

No one leader experienced all of the 6 stages in his/her growth and development. Life is never that neat or predictable. Let’s briefly talk about the sovereign foundations in Joseph’s life.

One other thing before we look at Joseph. Don’t try and figure out what God has for you as you think about the foundations laid in your life. As I look back over the past 50 years I can see how God was at work preparing me for the Life Peggy and I had together. I would never have been able to imagine it 50 years ago

So what should our response be to difficulty we face - gratitude and trust.

Remember those who have gone before you

Remember that Jesus is the same today as he was to those who went before us.

Hebrews 13:7–8 NIV

Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

How bad was it for Joseph?

Favored by Jacob - many scholars believe that the coat of many colors he received was a foreshadowing that Jacob was going to make Joseph the next head of the family.

He grew up in a family that had history of deceit and treachery..

Laban deceiving Jacob

Rebekah deceiving Isaac

He grew up in a family filled with jealousy - he was the favorite son. His brothers wanted him gone.

He was sold into slavery, he was isolated from family and relocated against his will.

Foreshadowing

He grew up with a sense of destiny - given to Rachel as answer to her prayers. It was a reminder of God’s intervention. Coat of many colors was probably a sign that Joseph would be the one to get his father’s blessing.

on.

God’s hand - dreams.

What kind of person was Joseph?

arrogant /or naive? You will bow down to me in future

No real control over his tongue.

Favorite son - most likely one who succeed Jacob.

Teachable

man of integrity - He refused to sleep with Potiphar’s wife and did not look for easy way while he was in prison. worked hard to serve. This is significant significant in light of the deceit he saw modeled in Laban, (tricked Jacob into marrying Leah before he could have Rachel) Jacob who was part of the conspiracy to trick Esau and then what Jacob did to increase size of his herd, his brothers who sold him into slavery and then lied to father. These are just a few of the events that were part of the sovereign foundations.

What can we learn about God and what he might be doing to make you the man or woman he wants you to be through events in your life.

Growing up in a dysfunctional home or with brokenness and rebellion in your past does not mean that you will not be used by God.

God does have good plans for you.

We can derail God’s plans by not submitting to Lordship of Christ.

Nest Step is Inner-life growth

What can we learn about God and what he might be doing to make you the man or woman he wants you to be through events in your life.

That is where you are right now. You are starting to build on the foundation that you really didn’t have control over.

Commitment to Lordship

Spiritual disciplines - word, prayer, faithfulness

You are going to be tested.

What are some of the tests that came Joseph’s way?

Servant heart - he earned leadership in Potiphar’s house and prison

Integrity/Holiness when falsely accused

So what do we do with all of this.

We are all going to be leaders - husband, parent, work, etc.

Luke 16:10 NIV

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.

We are currently in God’s training program - He is working in our lives in such a way as to bring us good and Him glory.

REMEMBER: