
Jesus Leadership: part 4 - THE 3 YOU NEED, THE 3 YOU DEVELOP
Matthew 4:20 - 22
20 And they straightway left their nets and followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
PURSUING THE KINGDOM IS NOT A
THE THREE YOU ARE CALLED TO DEVELOP:
The following three-character types are discussed throughout the Bible:
Leader
Learner
Lifter
In the beginning we see them as the three parts of the godhead:
1) The Father - the Leader, the Bible calls Him the head of all things.
2) The Son - the Learner. Jesus says I do nothing unless my Father instructs me to do it.
3) The Spirit - the Lifter. He is called our helper, our support, our encourager.
Leader, Learner, Lifter in the EARLY CHURCH
1. Paul – The Leader from the beginning. He had to submit to other leadership before he could function in this role.
2. Timothy – The Learner. He submitted to Paul even to the point of being circumcised by him. Paul basically installed him as a pastor. Timothy would probably not been a pastor without Paul’s influence and leadership. He served and ministered to Paul.
3. Barnabas – The Lifter. He saw the potential in Paul when others didn’t. He gave second chances to John Mark when Paul wouldn’t.
Leader, Learner, Lifter in JESUS’ MINISTRY
Even Jesus had three key people that were with Him constantly:
1. Peter – the Leader. The oldest of the disciples and most influential of them all!
Where Peter went, they followed.
2. James – The Learner. Whenever Jesus did a miracle, taught a lesson, or brought correction, James was there. He hungered for knowledge from the Master.
3. John – the Lifter – He constantly was there for Jesus! He stayed when everyone else left. He believed in Jesus and encouraged Him!
THREE THINGS WITH EACH CHARACTER:
- you must HAVE
- you must BE DEVELOPING
- you must BECOME
IN JESUS’ MINISTRY WE ARE REFERRING TO SIMON PETER.
PETER WAS CALLED TO BE A LEADER.
JESUS HAD A LEADER. Jesus’ leader was the Father God.
Jesus stepped into his role by asking people to follow - JESUS BECAME A LEADER.
Jesus developed Simon Peter into the leader the church needed - JESUS DEVELOPED A LEADER.
HAVING A LEADER = who do you look to for advice? Who is giving you direction?
God doesn’t ALWAYS choose the obvious person - He chooses the anointed person.
To lead His people, Israel, from out of Egypt, God chose Moses.
WE SHOULD ASK 2 QUESTIONS:
Question #1 - WHO HAS
One thing must be certain - you must know that you are called to GLEAN and LEARN and ABSORB as much as you can for the “headship” God has placed over you.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT A
Romans 13:1 - 5 NLT
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you.
4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.
5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.
REBELS = set oneself opposite.
PUNISHED = NOT just by them, but by God. God says there are consequences when He put you under someone and you make yourself opposed to their direction or leading.
PUNISHMENT = least of your concerns.
CLEAR CONSCEINCE = knowing that you are on the side of God.
v. 6 - 7 KJV
6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Question #2 - HOW CAN I
Sowing HONOR can be shown in different ways.
1 Timothy 5:17
17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
ELDER is another term for PASTOR in the NT.
“Elders who rule” were different than “leaders who teach”.
AS A LEADER - YOU MUST NEVER DEMAND HONOR!
YOU MUST SOW HONOR TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND EXPECT A RETURN UPON YOUR SOWING.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 - 14 KJV
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.
Philippians 2:29
29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
BEING A LEADER
PETER - One of the 3 that Jesus called to be a leader.
1 Peter 5:1 - 5 NLT
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Peter learned 5 things about what it meant to BE A LEADER:
1. SHEPHERD
- SHEPherding is not forcing… it’s leading.
Presenting the opportunity -
Giving a nudge -
Seeing if they respond - IF THEY DON’T RESPOND - it means praying for their understanding.
- SHEPHERDING also means looking out for wolves.
2. EXCERCISE OVERSIGHT-
- Understand the responsibility and take it.
- BE WILLING TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN.
Leadership means taking on the difficult aspects of decision-making, conflict resolution, and discipline that no one wants to do, but someone has to. It is taking blame and receiving ridicule when you don’t choose what some people want.
OVERSIGHT is being an investor.
Investing is to devote one’s money, energy, time or effort with the expectation of a worthwhile result.
One of the greatest questions a leader needs to ask when it comes to those God has called them to is being able to identify:
- WHO NEEDS MY NOURISHMENT?
- TIME AND EFFORT
- WHO IS MANIPULATING MY CALL FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT?
3. DO NOT DO UNDER COMPULSION, but WILLING.
What could possibly motivate a man to LEAD under compulsion?
Here are some possibilities:
- his love or desire for the praise and approval of others
- his desire to avoid the rejection of those whose approval and respect he craves
- he sees it as an opportunity to become famous and well-known & acknowledged in public
- he yields to pressure put upon him by parents, educators
- he feels incompetent to do anything else in life
LEAD WITH JOY - (WHEN YOU ARE NOT LEADING WITH JOY - PRAY - PAUSE)
How do we develop a WILLINGNESS to lead?
- REMEMBER that people want to be loved - so love them THROUGH CHRIST
- CARE about them deeply
4. NOT FOR SHAMEFULL GAIN
- Compulsion was about influences
- Shameful Gain = gain that is self serving
- It is what do I deserve - what should I get?
5. EAGERNESS - God wants us to be eager to lead!
Like the faithful Bereans, receive his word “with all eagerness”, we must be eager to do what God called us to do.
Acts 17:11
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Paul himself modeled it:
- eager to preach the gospel (Romans 1:15),
- eager to remember the poor (Galatians 2:10),
- eager to see his converts face to face (1 Thessalonians 2:17),
- eager to honor Christ in life and in death (Philippians 1:20),
Paul lived with a kind of heart hunger, a kind of holy discontent, and a kind of contagious eagerness.
DEVELOPING A LEADER =
Jesus modeled this throughout His ministry but ESPECIALLY WITH PETER.
He was the LEADER Jesus was called to develop.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE SOMEONE WHO CAN TAKE OVER YOUR POSITION FOR YOU - YOU ARE NOT REALLY LEADING - YOU ARE MANAGING.
5 STAGES OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODELED BY JESUS:
1. I do. You watch. We talk.
In this first step, the discipler takes his apprentice with him and demonstrates the skill he’s trying to teach. The one being discipled only observes.
Jesus did this constantly in the first months and into the first year or so of His ministry.
He would take them… they would watch Him doing things… then they would discuss it after.
2. I do. You help. We talk.
In this second step, the discipler still does the majority of the work, but he gives the one being discipled a chance to help in a small way. Then there is a debrief.
- What worked?
- What didn’t work?
- What can be improved?
- What did you notice?
Jesus would ask questions of the disciples at times to see what they understood.
3. You do. I help. We talk.
In this third step, the apprentice takes the lead, but the discipler is there to offer guidance and help when it is needed. After the event, once again there is a discussion and evaluation with an opportunity for further training.
4. You do. I watch. We talk.
Step four has the disciple leads fully. The discussion afterward is about whether he/she is ready to launch out with their own discipling. GO OUT 2 by 2.
5. You do. Someone else watches.
This is how exponential growth occurs.
The DISCIPLED PERSON (now leader) recognizes that it is not enough to simply lead. Rather it is important to multiply oneself and create more leaders.
Don’t simply do the ministry……
1. Develop LEADERS who can do the ministry.
2. Then challenge them to pass on what they have learned.
3. GO into all the world and MAKE DISCIPLES.