Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 115 - Essential qualities of leadership: Review of our work thus far.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 115 - Essential qualities of leadership: Review of our work thus far.

 

Announcements / opening prayer:

 

 

The doctrine of leadership.

 

7. Essential qualities of leadership.

 

Under essential qualities of leadership, we have covered:

 

A. Discipline

B. Vision

C. Wisdom

D. Decision

E. Courage

 

Courage: the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult, or painful, instead of withdrawing from it; quality of being fearless or brave; valor [Webster's]

 

Courage is faith in action. Faith says that the battle is the Lord's and that He will deliver in His perfect time, and so faith equals perseverance which is courage in operation.

 

Psa 23 A Psalm of David.

 

PSA 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

 

PSA 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

 

PSA 23:3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

 

PSA 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

 

PSA 23:5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

 

PSA 23:6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

F. Humility

G. Humor

H. Righteous Anger

I. Patience

J. Filled with the Spirit

 

Humility: obeying the Lord and serving others, considering them as more important than yourself.

 

We have talked a lot about humility. Humility is the beginning of love. It is faith in what God has shown you to be and not what the sin nature wishes you were. The sin nature wishes you were the sovereign of the universe whereas faith in God's word says that you are nothing [sheep, grasshopper, little child, etc.] and that every good thing you have is a gift from God.

 

Php 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;

 

Php 2:4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

 

Php 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

 

Php 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

 

Php 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

 

Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

Humor: the best way to relieve tension is good laughter. The leader should be relaxed and enjoy the ride, having proper and timely humor.

 

Timely means that not everything is a joke. It means that there is an appropriate time for humor.

 

Faith says that you don't have to serious all the time, which will wear you out. Yet you do have to be serious a great deal of the time. Faith knows when it is time to rest and when tensions are reaching a point that demands some humor to release that pressure.

 

PSA 2:1 Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing?

 

PSA 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed:

 

PSA 2:3 "Let us tear their fetters apart,And cast away their cords from us!"

 

Attacks against us should not cause us to get tense, but to actually relax and laugh as we put the opponent in the hands of the Lord and we do good to our enemies and pray for our enemies.

 

PSA 2:4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.

 

PSA 2:5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury:

 

PSA 2:6 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain."

 

PSA 2:7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee.

 

PSA 2:8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.

 

PSA 2:9 'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.'"

 

PSA 2:10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth.

 

PSA 2:11 Worship the Lord with reverence, And rejoice with trembling.

 

PSA 2:12 Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!