Sermon Tone Analysis

AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTION:

Diamond Ring – Jewelery  … lots of cubic zircona….

Lots of sparkle….

But cheap…

Leadership… a lot of Imposters….

Apostle Paul was concerned about

2 Timothy 3:1-27 (ESV) \\ 1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

Avoid such people.

6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

…

13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Paul warned friends to AVOID impostors….

In the passage we note that women are particularly susceptible to being deceived by them….

Three Necessities to avoid impostors and stay real in leadership…

\\ Necessity # 1 LEARN TO DISCERN

18 Traits….

Can be divided into 4 categories:

A. Fakers have problems with Affection

v    Towards God

“lovers of money” (can’t serve God and Mammon)

“lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”

“unholy” – love sin

“not lovers of good”  (despisers)

 

v    Towards Family

“disobedient to parents”

“without love” –

Greek phrase is actually “without family love”

 

v    Towards Others

“lovers of themselves”

“unforgiving” (resentful

“Treacherous”  (unfaithful – backstabbing)

 

Who or What we love the most is evidenced by our priorities… how we spend our time….

\\ B. Fakers have problems with Authority

They are unsubmissive & unteachable

v    “conceited” (high-minded)

v    “proud” (haughty)

v    “reckless” (headstrong)

v    “disobedient” (unyielding)

God says that rebellion is akin to idolatry…  a genuine leader doesn’t have problems following… in fact, true leaders are the best followers… They don’t HAVE to be in charge….

Don’t have control issues….

Humble, teachable spirits….

Like Jesus… who emptied himself and took on the form of a servant….

(Phil.

2)

C. Fakers have problems with Affliction

v    “unthankful” (attitude of entitlement)

v    “lovers of pleasure”

v    “railers”  - complain if something isn’t going their way….

\\ \\ \\ A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.

The mule fell into the farmer's well.

The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells.

After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.

Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

\\ \\ Initially, the old mule was hysterical!

But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him.

It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself.

No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! \\ \\ You're right!

It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!

What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

Facing problems and responding to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...is one of the primary characteristics of authentic leaders.

THEY REALIZE THAT THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY THEM USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS THEM!

/ /

\\ /Brent – newspaper headline….

“if it bleeds it leads…”/

/Genuine Leaders accept suffering as part of the cost….They know that if it leads it bleeds /

Self-Sacrificial leadership is just that….

Sacrificial… it hurts…

Paul’s afflictions:

2 Corinthians 4:8-17 (ESV) \\  8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

… But we do not lose heart.

Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.

17 For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,

Imposters aren’t willing to suffer…  Genuine leaders are…

 

D.

Fakers have problems with Abrasion

They don’t have control of their tongues…

v    “boastful” (bragger)

v    “abusive” (evil speaker)

v    “slanderous” (whisperer)

v    “without self control” (temper)

v    “brutal” (mean, fierce)

 

v    Paul says that Imposters will be exposed:  their folly will be clear to everyone.”

Vs. 9 \\ Lana Nguyan – hired in 1998 as professor of software and systems engineering at the University of Regina

v    phD in Science – computer engineering, but the dgree actually belong to her ex-husband, who had returned to his native country.

v    Taught for several years

v    Member of association of professional engineers and geoscientists

v    Started a research company – had students investing thousands of dollars… grants

v    But she couldn’t teach… she called her students stupe is they didn’t understand her explanations…

v    She knew how to talk the talk… but it didn’t last, and she eventually got caught, because her walk didn’t match her talk

v    She was an imposter

Easy to point fingers….

Most of you are sitting here nodding… no doubt you’ve encountered imposters in church leadership… but the question I want to challenge you with is this…

Is there an imposter in your mirror?

Necessity # 2 TRASH THE MASK

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Paul was an open book….