Spiritual Leadership: The Leader's Role

  • Derek Staples
  • | Jul 20, 2009
  • | Series: Monday Morning Manna

MONDAY MORNING MANNA
“SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP: THE LEADER’S ROLE”

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."  (I Corinthians 1:26-31)

Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus reported recently that there are over 850 different definitions of leadership.  No wonder there is much confusion in the world today concerning leadership: too many standards.  There are too many “self-proclaimed experts” offering the latest fad, designing the newest leadership format, claiming the greatest invention since basketball first hit the scene in Lexington. KY.  Ok, maybe I misrepresented that basketball fact just a little! 

I have always been a fan of Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership, especially his definition: “Leadership is influence.”  Sanders rightly observes that leaders who make no difference in their followers’ lives are not actually leaders.  Sanders’ book is a must read for all in church leadership. 

I am also a great fan of The Book On Leadership by pastor/teacher John MacArthur.  He says, “According to Christ, the truest kind of leadership demands service, sacrifice, and selflessness.”  MacArthur also emphasizes the key in spiritual leadership as one of influence, “someone whose life and character motivate people to follow.”  These have always been my favorite two books on spiritual leadership.  They have stood above all others until now.  I am adding one to the list, and am recommending all three for your growth and development as a leader in Christ’s church.

Blackaby says spiritual leadership can be defined in one concise statement:

  Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.

Blackaby’s definition, while brief, accurately encapsulates the heart of a spiritual leader.  Blackaby outlines the five truths inherent in his definition of spiritual leadership:

1.  The spiritual leader’s task is to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be.  Once the spiritual leader understands God’s will, he must move people to lay aside their own agenda in order to pursue God’s purposes.

2.  Spiritual leaders depend on the Holy Spirit.  We must recognize that as spiritual leaders we cannot produce change in people; only God can do that.  God will use spiritual leaders, functioning in the power of the Spirit, to bring about spiritual growth in others.

3.  Spiritual leaders are accountable to God.  I know a day will come when I will stand before God and give an account of my life as a shepherd (Hebrews 13:17).  While I am certainly accountable to my pastoral leadership team, I am ultimately accountable to God.

4.  Spiritual leaders can influence all people, not just God’s people.  Blackaby states, “Our call applies to the marketplace as well as the meeting place.”

5.  Spiritual leaders work from God’s agenda.  The greatest obstacle to effective spiritual leadership is people pursuing their own agenda rather than God’s agenda.  God is not concerned about our dreams and desires.  He is passionate about His Kingdom being advanced and His people passionately seeking Him at all cost.

Jesus is our role model in ministry.  Blackaby reminds us that “the key to Jesus’ leadership was the relationship he had with the Father.”  We must aggressively pursue our relationship with our gracious God.  Listen to what Blackaby writes as he concludes the chapter on the leader’s role:

God has the vision of what He wants to do.  God does not ask leaders to dream big dreams for Him or solve the problems that confront them.  He asks leaders to walk so intimately that, when he reveals what is on His agenda, they will immediately adjust their lives to His will and the results will bring glory to God.

Until Next Week,

Dr. Derek