Leadership Lessons

1 Samuel 7:15-8:9
Darrin Mariott, Lead Pastor

Big Idea: Spiritual leadership must be founded on the Word of God, filled with the Spirit of God, and fiercely committed to the ways of God.
1 Samuel 7:15-8:9
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord.
1 When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 Yet his sons did not walk in his ways but turned aside after gain. They took bribes and perverted justice. 4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7 And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. 8 According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. 9 Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”

I. Samuel: A Model of Leadership (vv. 7:15-8-9)

A. Samuel had his faults, but in contrast to his contemporaries, he was fiercely committed to God’s Word and God’s ways. God isn’t looking for perfection, but for those who trust in Him and demonstrate it with faithfulness and obedience.

B. In Samuel’s example we see:

1. Integrity (vv. 7:15-8:3) - The contrast between Samuel and his sons reveals the importance of integrity in leadership.

a. Personal integrity – Honesty, fidelity, etc. (vv. 8:1-3).

b. Spiritual integrity – Holding to God’s Word (cf. Deut. 30:19-20).
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

2. Vision (vv. 8:4-7) – The idea of vision here is not some grand picture of the future, but rather:

a. A sense of who God calls us to be (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-10).
1 Peter 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

b. An idea of how we are to get there (cf. 1 Pet. 2:11-12).
1 Peter 2:11-12
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

3. Service (vv. 7:15-17) – “Servant leadership” is more than a slogan, it’s a description of the leadership Jesus modeled and calls us to (cf. Mk. 10:42-45).
Mark 10:42-45
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

4. Example (vv. 8:1-5) – Our faith is not meant to be confined to the walls of the church or the privacy of our homes, rather, it is also to be lived out in the world (cf. Matt. 5:13-16; Jn. 13:12-17).
Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

John 13:12-17
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

5. Connection (vv. 8:3-9) – Godly leadership is not done in a vacuum, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Such leadership occurs in connection to God through Christ and is:

a. Submitted to God’s Word (cf. 2 Tim. 3:14-17).
2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

b. Dependent on the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5-7).
2 Timothy 1:5-7
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.