Book report of
Spiritual Leadership
Author: J. Oswald Sanders[The 1967, 1980 revised edition is non-KJV based; Author is weak on separation. -- C.H.M.]
1. An Honorable Ambition (I Tim. 3:1; Jer. 45:5)
At the time that Paul wrote the office of an overseer
involved danger, hardship, contempt, rejection and
responsibility. The leader was the first to suffer. The call
is to be spent for others, to glorify God, to be servant of
all (Mark 10:42-44). True greatness, true leadership is
achieved by giving oneself selflessly to serve others. Our
passion must be Jesus, and His work alone. Our goal is to
be small, humble and serve.2. The Search for Leaders (Psalm 75:6-7)
God is searching for a man, one man at a time. Men
after His heart (I Sam. 13:14). Sometimes He has come up
empty handed (Jer. 4:25). He seeks for men with good
judgment, truth seekers, and merciful men (Jer. 5:1). He
looks for intercessors (Ezek. 22:30). Men like Moses,
Gideon, David who were God-anointed and God-mastered.
Dedicated, authorities, spiritual and sacrificial men are
rarities. Authoritative because he must aspire confidence,
strength and wisdom, who adheres tenaciously to set of
beliefs, spiritual in the sense of his heavenly service,
sacrificial like Jesus and Paul. We need men who are
willing to suffer for a set of objectives that can only be
accomplished through whole hearted obedience. God makes
leaders and sets them aside for service (Acts 9:17; 22:21).
God wants to show Himself strong in men (II Chron. 16:9).
Men willing to pay a price.3. The Master's Master Principle (Mark 10:43-44)
The word leader/leaders is found six times in the
Bible. Leaders in the Bible are not so called, but rather
are called servants. Greatness is found in service to one
another (Gal. 5:13). Heavenly rulership is based on
followship of Christ (Matt. 19:28). The call is for shame,
not glory; a cross, not a crown, servants not masters. God's
sovereignty chooses leaders (Mark 10:40; John 15:16).
Suffering always follows spiritual leaders (Mark 10:38).
Greatness comes only by the way of service to God. The
example of Jesus is foot washing and suffering (John 13:15;
I Peter 2:21). Suffering and servanthood were the marks of
Christ. Isa. 42:1-8 reveals the spirit of servanthood. A
servant is dependent on God (Isa. 42:1; Phil. 12:7). A
servant is an approved of God (Isa. 42:1; Psa. 40:8; Rom.
12:1-2). A servant is humble (Isa. 42:2; Isa. 45:15). A
servant is merciful (Isa. 42:3; II Peter 3:9). A servant is
optimistic, not easily discouraged (Isa. 42:4). A servant is
spirit led, controlled (Isa. 42:1; Acts 10:38).4. Natural and Spiritual Leadership (I Cor. 2:1,4)
Lord Montgomery said, "Leadership is the capacity and
will to rally men and women to a common purpose, ...." A
leader knows the way, keeps ahead, and brings others along.
Natural leadership is based on personality. Spiritual
leadership is based on Holy Spirit fullness. Leaders must be
able to gain a following. Natural leaders are self
confident, decision makers, knowledgeable about men,
ambitious, inventors of methods, like commanding others and
are independent. Spiritual leaders are confident in God,
know men and God, seek God's will, follow God's methods,
delight in obedience, motivated by love and are God-
dependent. Dr. A.W. Tozer's conviction was, "A true and safe
leader is likely to be one who has no desire to lead, but is
forced into a position of leadership by the inward pressure
of the Holy Spirit and the press of external
situations . . . The true leader will have no desire to lord
over God's heritage, but will be humble, gentle, self-
sacrificing and altogether as ready to follow as to
lead...." The call is for men with a good reputation full of
the Spirit and of wisdom (Acts 6:3).5. Criteria of Leadership Potential (Numbers 13:2)
Jesus chose men with little formal education. He
choose men who were able to grow. Areas where you must
excel: growing, crisis', decision making, criticism,
disappointments, followship, discipline, peacemaking,
difficult and delicate situations, opposition, friendship,
approval/disapproval, not prejudice, tact, strong and
steady, optimism, focused and responsible. A leader must be
able to see his followers flounder and fail and seek to
cultivate, develop and encourage people to a higher plain.6. Pauline Sidelights on Leadership (I Tim. 3:2-7)
To be a leader one must have outstanding character.
Our ambitions must be Christ-centered and motivated by love
(Rom. 1:14; II Cor. 5:14). He felt indebted to all men. To
be a leader one must be qualified socially. His public
standing must be blameless, and be respected. Secondly, he
must be morally qualified. Thirdly, he must be mentally
qualified. He must have a sound mind and able to teach, "a
man of the Book". Fourthly, he must be personality
qualified. He must be gentle, patient, considerate,
forbearing, hospitable and tactful. Fifthly, he must be
domestically qualified. He must be able to rule his
household well. A well ordered and well controlled
household is a must. He will not neglect his family, which
is his personal and primary responsibility. Finally, he
must be qualified by maturity. He should not be placed in
leadership, too quickly lest he become a casualty.[2]
7. Petrine Sidelights on Leadership (I Peter 5:1-7)
Take care of your personal flock, first (I Peter 5:2)
Willingly give of yourself to them because you love them.
Remember who the sheep belong to. "Feed the flock of
God...God's heritage[.]" You are an undershepherd, God is the
chief shepherd. We are to forebear, forgive, love, and
teach them as stewards of God. Not a dictator but an
example to the sheep (I Tim. 4:12). A leader must learn to
follow first and to serve humbly. Leaders must let God
humble them, and to trust the Lord when the care of the [local]
church grows too heavy! Leaders must place the care of his
people in God's hands.8. Qualities Essential to Leadership (I Tim. 3:2-7)
Teach by example as well as precept. Jesus used
internship (Luke 10:27-24) so they could learn through
experiences (Mark 9:14-29). He delegated authority and
responsibilities to them as they were able to bear them.
Leaders need self-reliance balanced by humility, zeal
balanced by prudence, patience, self-forgetfulness, courage
and a passion for souls. He needs to be honest, sincere,
inflexible in doctrine, full of faith, compassionate,
prayerful, persevering and simplicity. He needs personal
disciple first, he can't be lazy and disorganized. He must
learn to follow. He will work when others play. Discipline
is gained through obedience, ceaseless labour, trials, and
hardships overcome.9. Qualities Essential to Leadership (I Tim. 3:8-10)
A leader must be able to laugh. It is a safety valve
when we can laugh at ourselves and others. Laughter should
never control us, we should control it or it turns to
frivolity. He needs to know when a joke is appropriate.
Anger is essential in leadership. Jesus looked on them with
anger (Mark 3:5). Righteous wrath is a noble quality in a
leader. A leader must be patient, which means to show
kindness, mercy and forgiveness like our Lord. He cannot be
impatient with the weakness of his followers. He must slow
down, so others can follow. A leader must be a friend to
his followers. A leader must have tact and diplomacy. He
must be able to deal with people in sensitive situations and
manage affairs. He must be appropriate in how he reveals
truth. A leader must be able to inspire others to service
and sacrifice. A leader must be a good listener. Listening
allows you to understand the person and situation before
acting foolishly. He must not be too busy to listen. A
leader must be able to write effectively. Paul's pen was
dipped in tears (II Cor. 2:4). He must understand the power
of words (II Cor. 7:8-9). It is said of George Whitefield[3]
that after preaching to large crowds, he would sometimes
stay up until 3:00 a.m. writing letters of encouragement to
new converts.10. The Indispensable Requirement (Acts 6:3,5)
Spiritual leadership must be exercised by Spirit-filled
men. Nothing should be done until this power fills the man.
(Acts 1, 2:4; 4:8; 6:3-5; 7:55; 9:17; 10:38; 11:24; 13:9): A leader
must let God control him. The spirit of God must control
the man of God (Acts 8:28; 10:29; 11:24; 13:1-4; 16:6-
7; 19:21; 20:22). We must be led of the Holy Spirit to
oversee (Acts 20:28). His job is develop the spiritual
gifts of others as well as his own.11. The Leader and His Praying (I Tim. 2:1)
In nothing should the leader be ahead of his followers
more than in the realm of prayer. We often fail to pray
though we know better. To pray more and better should be
our desire. There is no way to learn to pray, but by
praying. Prayer allowed Jesus to follow God and endure
perfectly unto death (Luke 5:16). Jesus prayed regularly to
God (Luke 6:12; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 9:28). Prayer is work and
requires concentration (Heb. 5:7; Col. 4:12). We need to
pray with the Holy Spirit helping and assisting us (Eph. 6:18).
You can move men by prayer only, sometimes (Luke 10:19).
Moving men will only happen if a leader can move God through
prayer (Gen. 32:28). Belief is essential to answered prayer
(Heb. 11:6).12. The Leader and His Time (Eph. 5:16)
Each moment of the day is a gift of God. The value of
life is measured by donation, not duration. We need to
number our days (Psa. 90:12). Time is opportunity, therefore
each day should be planned. Spend time on things that
matter, refuse the unimportant. Interruptions, God's way,
of sending people our way to ministers, too. God is simply
re-arranging your schedule (Eph. 2:10). John Wesley [heretick] and
F.B. Meyer divided their day into five minute segments.
Procrastination is a thief of time and is fatal to leadership.
We need a do it now attitude, we need to set deadlines and
not overrun them.13. The Leader and His Reading (II Tim. 4:13)
Paul told Timothy give heed to reading. A pastor must
selectively choose what to read. Read for spiritual
quickening and profit. Seek to acquire information[,] read the
best books, and biographies, challenge your intellect. Read
books thoroughly, read, and re read, make notes and analyze
it. Little is learned through many books hastily read.14. Improving Leadership Potential (Rom. 12:8)
[4]
We need to be the best we can be for God. Discover
your weakness and cultivate sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2).
Leaders need zeal (Rom. 12:11). Christ had a great zeal for
God. We need to pray for growth and help where we need to
improve (Luke 11:9). We need to amend the defective and seek
to supplement areas we are lack.15. The Cost of Leadership (Mark 10:38)
True leadership always exacts a heavy toll on the whole
man, and the more effective the leaderships, the higher the
price to be paid. Daily self-sacrifice is part of the
price. We ought to lay our life down for the brethren (I
John 3:16). The goal is to serve and give our life for many
(Mark 10:44-45) sacrifice personal preference, natural
desires and to gain battle scars in service (Gal. 6:17), (II
Cor. 4:8-11). Leadership is lonely because you're in the front
leading the way in faith, service and labour. He must stand
alone at times. A leader must endure tiredness, he must be
willing to rise early and stay up later than others (John
4:6). A leader must be able to take criticism.16. The Responsibilities of Leadership (II Cor. 11:28)
We must be servants to fulfill God's mission for us.
Therefore of others is the leaders concern. Faithful
servants always make good leaders (Exo. 33:11). He must
discipline when necessary with a strong, but loving hand.
He must guide the flock (John 10:4). He is to be an example
to follow (I Cor. 11:1). He needs to be an initiator. He
must take prayerful and careful risks. He makes things happen.
He's a self-starter and is always looking for improvement.
He must step out by faith and lead the way. He must be
willing to get involved and take responsibility for his
sheep. He must live above trivial matters, murmurings,
applause of men and like matters which can defer him and
hurt his effectiveness for God.17. Searching Tests of Leadership (Gen. 22:1; Matt. 4:1)
There are tests to leadership as well as tests of
leadership. Moses was tempted to compromise with Pharaoh
about Jews leaving (Exo. 8:25,28; 10:11,24-26). Moses was
tempted by God to self-advancement but he refused (Num.
14:12). Another test is facing the impossible. Moses at
the Red Sea, with army of Pharaoh closing in on him. He said
don't fear when there was reason, he said stand still and
watch God help us through the impossible (Exo. 14:11-13).
Overcoming tasks for God-impossible, difficult, done. A
fourth test is how does he deal with personal failure or
failure in service. Peter's failure and denunciation of the[5]
Lord didn't wash him up. Where sin abounded, grace did much
more abound. Failure helps us to see that God is a God of
second chance. A fifth test, you'll face is
jealousy. Moses was faced by his brother and sister, who
weren't content being in second place. Moses dealt rightly
with them because he was meek (Num. 12:3). God sent
leprosy, Moses interceded for his sister (Num. 12:8).
Later, he faced Korah and his company (Num. 16:3). Here we
see that it is not a good to touch God's man.18. The Art of Delegation (Exo. 18:25-26)
A leader must choose men who he can safely trust in helping do
the work. He must allow power to be given to others as they
prove themselves. By giving responsibility and authority to
others he allows them to gain experience. Without
delegation a leader will over burden himself. Show
confidence in those who you promote. Jethro taught Moses
this principle (Exo. 18:1-27). The leader still should deal
with the hardest cases. Moses chose men of ability, piety
and honor.19. The Replacement of Leaders (Joshua 1:2,5)
God appoints new leaders in God's time. God prepares
men to replace men. No leader is irreplaceable. God may
replace him with a lesser man inability, only so he can show
himself strong (I Cor. 1:26-29). When a leader renounces his
gifts and abilities and his own power and wisdom and depends
on God's, there is no limit to the way in which He will use
them for glory.20. The Reproduction of Leaders (II Tim. 2:2)
It is the responsibility of leaders to reproduce and
multiply themselves. Barnabas allowed Paul to take over as
leader of the missionary team. Leaders need to trust their
subordinates even as they watch them make mistakes. The
Lord spent three years training twelve by molding their
character. Paul poured himself into Timothy and Titus.
Paul allowed Timothy to preach and disciple the
Thessalonicans. Multiplying oneself in the lives of
promising young men is the goal of the missionary.
Disciples are not manufactured, they are produced one by
one.21. The Peculiar Perils of Leadership (I Cor. 9:27)
Pride will stop a leadership short until he humbles
himself or is humbled of God (Prov. 16:5). Satan fell by
pride and so have many men. Three tests for pride:
precedence, sincerity, and criticism. The second fault we
can find ourselves in is egotism. This is the thinking of[6]
oneself as more important than God in the work of God.
Egotistic can't see their own ugliness. Beware of jealousy
between peers (Num. 11:28). Popularity is another trap
which we can fall into. Don't exalt one spiritual leader
above another, especially preachers (I Cor. 3:4-6,9). All
leaders are to be esteemed very highly in love for their
work's sake. Beware when all men speak well of you.
"Success can go to my head, and will unless I remember that
it is God who accomplished the work, that He can continue to
do so without my help, and that He will be able to make out
with other means whenever He cuts me down to size", are the
words of Spurgeon.22. Nehemiah, an Exemplary Leader (Neh. 13:31)
His character was outstanding. He was a man of prayer,
he prayed always and in all situations as he depended on
God. (Neh. 1:4,6; 2:4; 4:4,9; 5:19; 6:14; 13:14,22,29). He was
courageous in the face of danger (Neh. 6:11). He was man
with genuine concern for others and God's work (Neh. 2:10).
He was a man of foresight (2:8). He was cautious, yet
venturesome (Neh. 2:11). Nehemiah was a decision maker
(Neh. 2:18). He empathized (4:10-12; 5:1-5). He was
impartial (Neh. 4:9; 5:7). He accepted personal
responsibility. His methods were good. He lifted his
colleagues up (Neh. 2:20; 8:10) by faith. He was an
encourager (Neh. 2:18). He helped others overcome obstacles
(Neh. 4:10-16). He helped the good workers forget the
slouches (Neh. 5:1-5). He discipline (Neh. 5:7-12).
Nehemiah restored the authority of the Word of God (Neh.
8:1-8). Ordered the restoration of the Feast of
Tabernacles, which had not been observed since Joshua's day
(Neh. 8:14). He was a skillful overseer and careful one
(Neh. 2:11-16). He delegated authority to faithful men
(Neh. 7:2). He faced opposition by prayer (Neh. 4:9; 4:16).
He finished the job, he wasn't a quitter (Neh. 6:15).[7]