LEADERSHIP BY THE BOOK: ASSESSING MOSES’ LEADERSHIP

Moses - A Man of Selfless Dedication/Chapter 14: Why Leaders Crack Up

Charles Swindoll argues that the problem of delegation seems to be the common struggle of leaders across the globe. This problem occurs “when leaders try to do too much on their own, when they neglect to bring others into the job to help them shoulder the load” (218).

Many Christian leaders feel like they must be all they can to all people to assuage lingering guilt or to win someone’s approval (even God). Most times the result of this peril are leaders who become overworked, drained, and exhausted. Following closely comes confusion, vision loss, burnout, and for some, the loss of family.

Exodus 18 is a study in leadership and the fine art of delegating.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.² After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her ³ and her two sons. One son was named Gershom,^[a] for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”; ⁴ and the other was named Eliezer,^[b] for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”⁵ Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountain of God. ⁶ Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”⁷ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent.

Moses received a surprise visit from his father-in-law, a welcomed surprise. Jethro brought along Moses’ wife and kids. One should be grateful when (1) you can let down your guard and share with another leader/mentor; and (2) you have a good relationship with the in-laws.

Jethro ended the day by leading Moses and company into worship. He was not jealous of Moses’ experiences; he rejoiced for his success. Jethro blessed God for his son-in-law and the work God did through him

 Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ He said, “Praise be to the Lord, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods, for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” ¹² Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and other sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

It is a blessing to have good relationships with family members and to have the ear of an encouraging mentor/friend.

ü  Leaders need relational support – encouragement and affirmation.

What Type Of Leader Are You? Consider Moses

 Pivoting Towards Leadership Plurality

Leadership challenges related to growth and maturity amongst God’s people are not a novel concept. As far back as 13^th to 14^th BCE, Moses (prophet and leader of the Israelites) concluded, on the advice of his father-in-law (Jethro), that the most effective way of leading his people was through a plurality of leadership. The book of Exodus provides the context of their exchange:

But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. Surely you and these people with you will wear yourselves out because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it alone. Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. So Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. And they judged the people at all times; they would bring the difficult cases to Moses, but any minor issue they would judge themselves (Exod. 18:17-18, 25-26, BSB).

 

Moses was challenged, and relief was provided in the form of wisdom from an observer. Walvoord and Zuck (1989) posit that Jethro urged a delegation of responsibilities, but Moses was not to abdicate his responsibility to teach the people. Relief would be achieved through a collaborative effort where Moses would “appoint spiritually and morally qualified men as judges to implement the keeping of the Law (Exod. 18:16, 20-21; Walvoord and Zuck, p. 136). Foundry (2018) further describes how collaborative ministry greatly benefited the people of God: Jethro recognized that the current system would fail, as the workload was too heavy for Moses; the result was “the implementation of a multi-tier judicial system of capable leaders with indispensable qualifications” (p. 202).

The Spirt-Filled Life

 The Spirit-Filled Life: Receive Ye The Spirit

You will receive POWER

You will receive POWER

You will receive POWER…….When do you receive POWER?

 

When the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1:8). When does the Holy Spirit come on you (so that you receive power)? When you become a Christian through the NEW BIRTH – Water and Spirit Baptism.

If you have been baptized in Jesus name, then you have been given power. Jesus said, If you are His (through spirit and water baptism), then you shall do GREAT WORKS.

The BreadBasket Mission: Feeding, Serving, & Educating The Bahamas

 

The call of every Christian leader is to show compassion and create a culture of believers/followers who do the same. In the same way God modeled love, so are Christian leaders to make every effort to “do and be love.” Look no further than the account of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10: 25-37) for an example of Christian leaders totally committed to the work of the “church” and are by nature without compassion for the one in need. It was the “non-churched” who assumed the duty to “care-for-the-one-in-need.”

 

In our day, caring for the unfortunate Is mostly the responsibility of the government, businesses and non-profit organizations.

Target groups outside the church: Homeless, Widows, Elderly, Single Parent Families, Children, Low-income households.

Unity & Liberality in the Early Church (Haitian Creole)

 PENNI: WOUT LA/WOUT LA

Inite ak liberalite nan premye legliz la (Travay 4-6)

 

Kounye a, gwoup moun ki te kwè yo te gen yon sèl kè ak yon sèl nanm

• Yon sèl kè - yo te santi yo sanble, yo te enterese nan menm bagay yo, sa ki enpòtan pou Bondye te enpòtan pou yo.

Nou ka aprann nan men premye legliz la. Ranpli ak lespri lanmou (yon kado ki soti nan Sentespri a), kwayan yo te BAY nan sa yo posede liberalman (libèman, pa atann anyen an retou). Piske Bondye posede tout bagay, yo konsidere tèt yo kòm bon jeran benediksyon l yo. Yo te men, kè ak pye Bondye ( Mat. 25:37-40 ). Se poutèt sa, li te natirèl pou yo pataje soti nan depase yo, siplemantè yo, menm nan ti kras yo te genyen. Lidè yo pa t oblije bay yo; yo te tou senpleman eksite pou yo fè pati yon kominote ki pran swen youn ak lòt.

Does the Bible Permit a Woman to Preach?

The Christian leader

 

Can the Christian leader’s influence be driven by a biblically aligned worldview? Indeed, he should! As a matter of fact, he/she is compelled to do so (Jn. 17:21). Authoritarian and opportunistic leaders have self-interest as their goal – “personal promotion, recognition, monetary gain, prestige.” These are antithetical to Christian leadership, but the common factor here is human nature. We still struggle with “the self” (Gal. 5:17). A friend of mine told me some time ago how someone close to her was exploring the pastorate as he felt “there was money in it.” Motive!

The Doctrine of Sanctification

                       

Sanctification is an “inside-job,” performed by the Holy Spirit (1 Thes. 5:23; Eph. 5: 25-7; Tit. 2:14; Heb. 13: 20-1; Gal. 5:15-16). It is a subjective work – happening (perennially) within us, transforming the character and condition of the person. It is a supernatural work – performed by God through the Holy Spirit (Phil. 1:6); Col. 3:9-10). Sanctification is “the continuing work of God in the life of the believer making them holy – a process by which one’s moral condition is brought into conformity with one’s legal status before God (Justified! You are the righteousness of God; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21).[1]

This ongoing process of sanctification implies holiness – a separation from; to be set apart for the purposes of God; of dedicated use; to be cut off from (קָדוֹשׁ, qadosh).

Wisdom's Vindication - A Background (Matthew 11)

WISDOM’S VINDICATION

Matthew 11: 7 – 19 

Background:  Matthew 11:1 – 19

Unusual and unexpected behavior will most likely be vilified and labeled eccentric, foolish, or wrong. Both Jesus and John faced this predicament. Jesus declared that both His and John’s actions “would be proven wise by their subsequent deeds.” [1]

Opposition to Jesus has taken a turn. His rivals will make it clear in no uncertain terms their dislike for Him, His ministry, and His claims. When does this opposition to Jesus begin to ramp up?

“11:1 Now when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to         teach and proclaim his message in their cities.”

When He began to teach “in their cities.”   Note – watch out when you begin to proclaim the kingdom of God in what was formerly the devil’s space. Teachers, don’t be surprised when you encounter opposition to teaching the Word.

What we are about to see are varied responses to Jesus’ actions, His sayings, and those of John a little later.

                                                Not Johnny!!!

A Biblical Response on Race | Sermon by Tony Evans

LEADERSHIP MOVIE ANALYSIS: OCTOBER SKY (1999)

The plot of the movie October Sky (1999) exemplifies the definition of change and change-
leadership. Given that leadership is the bringing forth of change, the movie displays a new vision that communicates direction, aligns people toward a common goal, and motivates change despite the challenges. October Sky is based on the true story of “The Rocket Boys,” from a western Virginia town called Coalwood. It was October 4, 1957. The movie begins with an announcement that the Soviet Union launched a man-made satellite into orbit called Sputnik. The Russians beat the Americans in the race to space, deemed a threat to American national security, and diminishing global influence. October Sky (1999) Sputnik becomes an external force demanding change. It opens with an American radio broadcaster calling the rocket launch “a grim new chapter in the Cold War,” and “a wave of national anxiety that is sweeping the country.” One hour and forty-one minutes of rugged coal miners busy about their business, trains, cars (Plymouths, Chevys Chryslers, Fords), railroad tracks, teens, high school football, and Rock n Roll, propels the viewers back to the American ‘50s.

The Great Baptism Formula Debate: Matthew 28:19 or Acts 2:38

Jesus’ final designation to His followers states:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (NLT)

Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (GNT)

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NLT)

And teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age." (GNT)

GO, BAPTIZE, TEACH, MAKE...YOU ARE AUTHORIZED (AS I AM WITH YOU).

Theological Anthropology versus Anthropology

General anthropology deals with the study of the human experience. Eriksen (2017) describes the discipline as “a comparative study of humans, their societies, and their cultural worlds” (p. 3).  As well, general anthropology seeks to understand who/what is man apart from God and ignores the implications of the Fall of Man (Gen. 3). In contrast, theological anthropology explores the entirety of the human experience, “with all its complexities and ambiguities,” and  “is viewed from the standpoint of the biblical story, which is both the story of sin and the story of glory and the glory of divine salvation” (Cameron, 2005, p. 54). 

Jesus' Final Week: Thursday

 It’s Thursday. Tomorrow, they will kill Jesus. How does Jesus and His followers spend the day?

Well, it was a long day, to say the least. Peter and John are tasked with getting ready for the Passover meal (Mk. 14:13). Would you have liked that job?

Just imagine the pressure of knowing the show is about to start, last-minute details...this is it! Three years of toil. It comes down to this last night before the curtains open. They are gathered for their last meal. Jesus sets the model for servant leadership at the gathering. Remember? 

Preparing & Developing Godly Leaders

Spiritual leadership is intentionally cultivated in the school of life under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. It is God who prepares this kind of leader.  Graduates of this school of leadership become better versions of themselves. When leaders walk in submission and love for God, they model Jesus’ character (Mk. 1:37-8; Jn. 5:19-20,30). Before making his decisions, Jesus spent time in prayer (Lk. 6:12-13; Jn. 17:6-7). He understood “it was his Father’s activity and not his own that was the impetus behind any breakthrough…”[1] His entire life was spent pursuing the will of his Father (Jn. 5:30). Spiritual leaders should seek to understand the will of God and allow God-given directives to set the agenda. This will increase the leader’s capacity to lead and grow the organization.

Christian Education, Leadership & 21st Century Culture

The research has thus far shown that Christian education encompasses more than just the study and delivery of information aimed at spiritual formation. It should intentionally inform all areas pertaining to ecclesia – worship, evangelism, edification, fellowship, ministry and prayer. It is unwise to ignore the educational trends of the culture and society. If the Body of Christ is to stem the tide of decades of secularism in Education, then the way forward must include a reconsideration of Christian pedagogy intentionally driven through Christian community.

Trevor Cooling (2015) recommends exploring two models: First, an awareness of the modernist model which pushes hard knowledge and “treats Christian belief as at best unnecessary clutter and at worst as irrational and even toxic” (p. 21). Second is the postmodern model which promotes the subjective – maintaining that “knowledge is simply a construction of the human mind and there is no objective truth in education” (p.21).

The Divine Agenda

Throughout the ages, God has been moving mankind toward an intended end, one with an eschatological hope. Ever since the Fall of mankind (Gen. 3), the story of mankind has been one of God revealing himself to man, with the intention to reconcile them back to himself (2 Cor. 5:19). What he (God) has, is a divine agenda (Howell, p.300). The Fall necessitated a rescue plan (Gen. 3:16), predetermined before time began and realized in the sacrifice of God’s Son for mankind (Jn. 3:16), a once for all sacrifice (Heb. 10:1-18) that would grant mankind the gift of eternal life and justification for the stain of sin.

With this in mind, leaders who are servants of the King, embrace the high calling to proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel (1 Cor. 15) and with a willing heart, seek to fulfill the Great Commission mandate to reach, teach and make disciples (Mat. 28:19-20). This is the praxis of theology and leadership realized. Howell (2016) uses Paul as an example leader who, having internalized the divine agenda of God for his people regularly “reaffirmed the mission’s core value and message, and contextualized the message” in order to avoid “mission ambiguity, mission drift, and mission confusion” (p. 301). Paul’s modus operandi is a reminder of whose mission it is – God’s. It is his mission, his people, and while there may be benefits along the way for his under-shepherds, the mission remains one of self-sacrifice, with seasons of suffering.

What the Bible says about Marriage, Divorce & Singleness

 

           Divorce & Remarriage

Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul spoke about marriage and divorce in the Bible. They would often speak about both topics interchangeably.  Jesus was concerned about the state of relationships, and was the reason he of ten spoke about “the kingdom of God.” In this kingdom, the motive behind an action was of great concern; more than the emotions. As humans, we often react based on the subjective, rather than the objective. At the same time, one may see an outward act and not know the motive (subjective) behind the act. To make his point, he taught the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5-7).

Divorce was rampant

Here’s the thing, the divorce culture of this time accommodated their sinful lives and ushered in a period of rampant divorce. Macarthur states that Rabbi Hilel allowed divorce for any reason:

“For any reason, unload that woman.” The men were the leaders in this divorce and you could divorce your wife for burning your dinner, for spinning around so that somebody saw her ankles. For letting her hair down, not metaphorically, but literally, for speaking to a man, for making a negative comment about your mother, or for finding someone else that you preferred. And you were obligated to divorce her if she was infertile. That was the reigning view.”[1]

On his way to Jerusalem, the religious leaders accosted him with a question about divorce. It was their intent to discredit him. They wished for him to condemn all divorcees, seeing that it was the common practice of the day. Up till now, men could divorce their wives for any reason. This would be quite the confrontation.

Marriage & Divorce

Divorce & Remarriage – 1 Corinthians 7

During the First Century, there was immense appreciation for ascetic practices that included celibacy. In response to a letter from the churches, the Apostle Paul writes to address prevailing  concerns. He will make the case that while there is good to celibacy, not all people are “called to it.” Celibacy would not be the normative practice; marriage is, as with marriage comes a greater degree of wholeness (not good for man to be alone, cf. Gen. 2:18). Paul prefers celibacy (singleness) in light of the present environment , but it is not something he can impose upon everyone, as celibacy/singleness is a gift from God

²⁶ I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is.”

Christian Maturity

A believer has been given wisdom by God so that they may know the things of God and apply it to their lives (1 Cor. 2:10, 13). But even though they (believers who have been given God’s wisdom) are called to maturity, at times they act worldly, under the control of the world and the flesh (cf. the Corinthian believers whose actions were antithetical to those given God’s wisdom; 1 Cor. 3:3-4). Keep in mind, “while all believers are alive in the spirit, not all believers’ actions and attitudes conform to the status of being alive in the Spirit (Samra, p. 66). Seeing that believers are no longer slaves to sin and are now “sons’” because “God sent his Spirit within our hearts” (Gal. 4:6), it is expected that they should live in freedom, to walk in their new status, not enslavement to the law, the world, nor the enemy.