Hallmarks of Leadership

October 23, 2011

by John Partridge Scripture: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

As we have approach our Charge Conference and as we nominate our church leadership for next year while at the same time we are approaching our national elections in November and the ongoing Presidential campaigning (which will continue for yet another year) our thoughts often turn to leadership and what it means to be a leader. When we try to discern who would be a good leader for our church or for our nation we should spend time thinking about what it is that makes a person a good leader. Whenever we talk about history, whether it is American history, local history, world history, church history or any other kind of history, we normally end up spending a great deal of our time talking about the leaders who guided the events of that day. We cannot talk about the American Revolution without discussing George Washington, General Charles Cornwallis, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. A conversation about the American Civil War will inevitably bring up names like Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and Stonewall Jackson. We cannot begin to talk about World War Two without mentioning names like General Dwight Eisenhower, General George Patton or Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. Likewise, when we talk about the historical events described in the Bible, we inevitably talk about Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus. History is framed and understood by knowing the people who led others during that period of time. So what is it that makes a good leader? If you look up leadership qualities on the Internet you will find descriptions like: character, enthusiasm, confidence organization, focus, cool-headedness, honesty, responsibility, patience, reliability, decisiveness, determination and courage. Whether you look on the Internet or read books about leadership, you will find similar lists of what constitutes a good leader. While these lists are good ones and we can learn from them, is there something else that we should consider? As Christians, as followers of God and as followers of Jesus Christ, are there other things that we should look for in our leadership? Even more demanding, are there characteristics of leadership that God looks for in all of us as leaders of communities, churches, homes and families? Certainly, the answer to these questions is yes. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been given the word of God contained in the Bible and we have been taught about the leaders that God chose for his people. Since God has seen fit to show us the kinds of men and women that he has chosen for his people, it would seem wise for us to examine what kind of people that God called so that we might look for the same sorts of characteristics in our leaders today as well as the kinds of people that we should strive to become as we lead our church and our families. The scriptures that we will read today are, for the most part, those that recommended for this week in the lectionary, the three year plan that we use to read through the Bible. There are many scriptures that specifically address the qualities of good leaders, but as important as they are, I think that it is also instructive to look at more ordinary scriptures and see how the qualities of leadership naturally become apparent through them. We begin reading today in Deuteronomy 34:1-12. Here we meet Moses as God shows him the Promised Land and as the people of Israel prepare to end their forty years of wandering in the desert and as they prepare to change leadership 1

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole landfrom Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it. And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. 6 He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. 7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over. Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the LORD had commanded Moses. Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the LORD sent him to do in Egyptto Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. Moses has been leading the people of Israel since God spoke to him while he was tending his father-inlaws sheep and called him to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. By this time, Moses is no longer young, in fact, we find that he is one hundred and twenty years old, still healthy, strong and vital, but no longer young. Let us keep this passage in mind as we read Pauls advice to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1113. Paul says,
12 10 9 5

Dont let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Timothy is believed to have been in his early 30s or even younger. In those days, a position of leadership such as Timothys would have ordinarily been given to someone considerably older and so at an age that was much younger than expected, Timothy was given the leadership of the church that Paul had founded in Ephesus. From these two scriptures, with Timothy on one side and Moses on the other, we can see more clearly, that whatever other qualities of leadership that we may identify, age should not be one of them. Next, we see that Joshua was to take over the leadership of the people of Israel after Moses because he was filled with the spirit of wisdom. Secondly, we see that Moses had laid hands upon Joshua, meaning that Moses had selected Joshua for the position but also that he had given Joshua his blessing and had prayed that Gods blessing would also be upon him. These two qualities remain apparent today. We pray that our leaders would be not only intelligent but also wise. Wisdom is the quality that often seems to be missing in many of our political leaders and is the one quality that often distinguishes an average politician from a great one. In both politics and religion we also see the idea of succession or of selection. We often trust our religious leaders to help us select other leaders. We ask our pastor and our lay leadership to help us to identify potential or emerging leadership for the future, we trust the district and the conference boards of ordained ministry to identify and examine those persons who are called into ministry and we also trust District Superintendent and our Bishop to appoint pastors to local churches that will be a good match for 2

both of them. Politically we see the same sort of thing. A retiring politician who has earned the trust of the people will often name a successor that he or she recommends. In an election year, such as this one, candidates who have built a following but who will likely be unable to win will endorse one of the remaining candidates in hopes that their followers will trust their judgment and begin supporting this other person. This short verse from Pauls letter to Timothy reveals a few more qualities of leadership. Paul instructs Timothy that he should set an example for people in his speech, in his conduct, in his faith, in love and in his purity. Although some politicians are known for occasionally doing so, in general we do not care for political candidates or religious leaders who swear like a dockworker on a Saturday night. Pauls instruction to Timothy remind us that, as Christians, we should also be looking for leaders who set an example for others in their conduct and in faith, who love others abundantly, and who remain pure when the world around them seems to be sliding into corruption and decay. In our generation, I dont think that we often have been able to describe any political candidate as pure, but certainly these are the sort of people that we are looking for to lead the church. Paul gives us more instruction in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. Here, (1 Thessalonians 2:1-8) Paul says,
1

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greedGod is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Here we see that Paul and his friends modeled who leaders should be and how they should behave. We see that leaders should preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and should be motivated by what is best for the church and not by what is showy, what makes the leader look good or what is profitable. Church leaders should have pure motives, not being greedy but giving, not showy but sharing, not seeking to please people but seeking to please God, people who are caring, compassionate and concerned about others more than they are concerned about themselves. In a passage that is not specifically about leadership but one that is instructive to every one of us we read these words in Matthew 22:34-40
34

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
37

As we look for people who are qualified to lead the church and as we examine ourselves we see that love is the first, last and most important item on every list. As leaders and as followers of Jesus Christ we must be sure that our hearts are in the right place. We must love God and always seek to put his interests ahead of our own and in the same way we must love others and seek to do what is best for them as wholeheartedly as we seek to do what is best for ourselves and for our families. We are disappointed when our political leaders play politics and put their popularity and reelection ahead of what is best for the country, but we are not surprised when they do. In the church, however, Gods desire is that this sort of selflessness must be so normal that every member of the church must be known and recognized in the community for demonstrating this sort of selfless love. Whenever we talk about history we normally end up spending a great deal of our time talking about the leaders who guided the events of the day. In light of what we have learned from the scriptures today, is it any surprise that the leaders that we remember the best and remember most fondly are those who loved God and who loved others more than themselves? May God lead us and guide our hearts so that we may all be known first and foremost for loving God and for loving others. Then we may be ready to lead the church.

You have been reading a message presented at Barnesville First United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor of Barnesville First. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Barnesville First UMC at 123 W. Church St., Barnesville, OH 43713. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@barnesvillefirst.com. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.