Archive for the ‘Six Marks of Leadership’ Category

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Six, “The Leader Handles The Opposition of Personal Attacks” (Nehemiah 6:1-14) Part 3

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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It helps leaders to have a sense of humor.

Spurgeon would occasionally find a nasty anonymous letter lying on his pulpit when he would stand up to preach. There would a letter but no name. One day he got to the pulpit and there was a piece of paper with one word written in large letters … “idiot” … So Spurgeon said, “Normally I get letters without signatures, but today I got a signature without a letter.”

I hope Nehemiah possessed a sense of humor because he also received nasty, anonymous letters. One such letter is recorded for us to read in chapter six. If you like to read other peoples mail you are going to like Nehemiah 6.

Nehemiah was the consummate lay leader

1. He Showed concern for God’s work (Nehemiah 1:1-4

2. He Prayed for God’s people (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He Followed his leader (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

4. He Motivated his followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He Organized his work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He Handled his opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

A. He handled opposition from without (4) Ridicule and threats from the enemy which produced discouragement

B. He handled opposition from within (5) Selfishness from believers

C. He handles opposition from without (6) Personal attacks from the enemy

Sanballat and the other enemies once again attack God’s work but with a new strategy: Attack the Leader. “Sack the QB”; Shoot the officers; kill the snake by cutting off its head.

The enemy lauches a three prong attack against the leader:

1. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Compromise (6:1-4)

A. The opposition comes after a great accomplishment (6:1)

B. The opposition comes disguised as an opportunity (6:2)

To the request to stop his great work and meet in Ono, Nehemiah said, “No!” Most leaders have “To Do” lists. I write one out every Monday. Most leaders need to write out a “To Not To Do” list. I am not talking about a “To Not To Do Sin” list, but a “To Not To Do Good” list. Good can take the place of best in our lives. Lee Iacocca is an example in “Good to Great” pages 131-133

Nehemiah kept saying “No!” in 6:4.

2. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Rumors (6:5-9)

Someone defined gossip as “news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before people find out it isn’t true.”

A. The source of rumors is usually unknown.

B. The content of rumors is wrong.

C. The result of rumors is hurt. The intent of this slander was to hinder Nehemiah from doing God’s work. Chuck Swindoll, “I am personally convinced that the number one enemy of Christian unity is the tongue It’s not drink, not drugs, not poor homes, not inflation, not TV, not even a bad church program—-it is the tongue” (Hand Me Another Brick, page 131). God’s thinks so also. Just read Proverbs 6:16-19. Some believers need to get a post it, write 3 of the 7 things God hates and stick it on their cell phones. Who is ultimately hurt by rumors? The person who spreads them. God blessed Nehemiah not Sanballat and company.

D. The response to rumors is two-fold (6:8-9). Deny the rumor to the person spreading it. Pray for God to give you strength. You will need it.

3. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Peer Pressure (6:10-14)

Nehemiah refused to run (6:10-11). When appeals to compromise did not work and rumors did not hinder, the enemy reverted to threats in 6:10. Nehemiah refused to run from his great work in 6:11. Nehemiah’s ratings in the polls bottomed out in 6:14. Nehemiah prayed in 6:14 and went back to work in 6:15.

Warren W. Wiersbe writes that Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan on more than one occasion was the target of savage gossip that accused him of unfaithfulness to the Christian faith. His usual reply was, “It will blow over. Meanwhile, I go quietly on with my work” (Be Determined, page 76).

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Six, “The Leader Handles The Opposition of Personal Attacks” (Nehemiah 6:1-14) Part 3

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
Tags: , ,
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It helps leaders to have a sense of humor.

Spurgeon would occasionally find a nasty anonymous letter lying on his pulpit when he would stand up to preach. There would a letter but no name. One day he got to the pulpit and there was a piece of paper with one word written in large letters … “idiot” … So Spurgeon said, “Normally I get letters without signatures, but today I got a signature without a letter.”

I hope Nehemiah possessed a sense of humor because he also received nasty, anonymous letters. One such letter is recorded for us to read in chapter six. If you like to read other peoples mail you are going to like Nehemiah 6.

Nehemiah was the consummate lay leader

1. He Showed concern for God’s work (Nehemiah 1:1-4

2. He Prayed for God’s people (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He Followed his leader (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

4. He Motivated his followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He Organized his work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He Handled his opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

A. He handled opposition from without (4) Ridicule and threats from the enemy which produced discouragement

B. He handled opposition from within (5) Selfishness from believers

C. He handles opposition from without (6) Personal attacks from the enemy

Sanballat and the other enemies once again attack God’s work but with a new strategy: Attack the Leader. “Sack the QB”; Shoot the officers; kill the snake by cutting off its head.

The enemy lauches a three prong attack against the leader:

1. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Compromise (6:1-4)

A. The opposition comes after a great accomplishment (6:1)

B. The opposition comes disguised as an opportunity (6:2)

To the request to stop his great work and meet in Ono, Nehemiah said, “No!” Most leaders have “To Do” lists. I write one out every Monday. Most leaders need to write out a “To Not To Do” list. I am not talking about a “To Not To Do Sin” list, but a “To Not To Do Good” list. Good can take the place of best in our lives. Lee Iacocca is an example in “Good to Great” pages 131-133

Nehemiah kept saying “No!” in 6:4.

2. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Rumors (6:5-9)

Someone defined gossip as “news you have to hurry and tell somebody else before people find out it isn’t true.”

A. The source of rumors is usually unknown.

B. The content of rumors is wrong.

C. The result of rumors is hurt. The intent of this slander was to hinder Nehemiah from doing God’s work. Chuck Swindoll, “I am personally convinced that the number one enemy of Christian unity is the tongue It’s not drink, not drugs, not poor homes, not inflation, not TV, not even a bad church program—-it is the tongue” (Hand Me Another Brick, page 131). God’s thinks so also. Just read Proverbs 6:16-19. Some believers need to get a post it, write 3 of the 7 things God hates and stick it on their cell phones. Who is ultimately hurt by rumors? The person who spreads them. God blessed Nehemiah not Sanballat and company.

D. The response to rumors is two-fold (6:8-9). Deny the rumor to the person spreading it. Pray for God to give you strength. You will need it.

3. The Enemy Opposes the Leader with Peer Pressure (6:10-14)

Nehemiah refused to run (6:10-11). When appeals to compromise did not work and rumors did not hinder, the enemy reverted to threats in 6:10. Nehemiah refused to run from his great work in 6:11. Nehemiah’s ratings in the polls bottomed out in 6:14. Nehemiah prayed in 6:14 and went back to work in 6:15.

Warren W. Wiersbe writes that Bible teacher G. Campbell Morgan on more than one occasion was the target of savage gossip that accused him of unfaithfulness to the Christian faith. His usual reply was, “It will blow over. Meanwhile, I go quietly on with my work” (Be Determined, page 76).

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Six, “The Leaders Handles the Opposition of Selfishness” Part 2

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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This classified advertisement appeared in a rural New York newspaper: “Farmer, age 38, wishes to meet woman about 30 who owns tractor. Please enclose picture of tractor.”

I often wondered if this selfish farmer got pictures of John Deere tractors from desperate women.

Nehemiah was also dealing with believers who valued possessions over important relationships.

In Nehemiah 4-6, leaders handle opposition:

1. In Nehemiah 4, the leader handles opposition from without i.e., Sanballat, etc.

2. In Nehemiah 5, the leader handles opposition from within i.e., greedy believers.

Billy Sunday said, “The devil would rather cause a fuss between believers than sell a barrel of whiskey.” That was saying a lot for the preacher who almost single handedly produced the prohibition movement.

Nehemiah describes the bad economic times for God’s people in Nehemiah 5:1-5.

There was high inflation. A famine had driven prices sky high. There were high taxes and interest. Wealthy Jewish believers were exploiting poorer believers. The rich believers were loan sharks.

How do leaders respond to crippling selfishness? Nehemiah shows us how to deal with greedy believers.

1. Leaders deal with selfishness with anger at the sin (5:6)

Nehemiah was not angry at Sanballat, Tobiah, or Greshem who were threatening from the outside. He was angry at the fifth column internally defeating the work. The enemies that will paralyze our personal relationships and local ministries are not the ACLU, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court with their anti-marriage rulings and decisions. The greatest threat comes from our bent to have it our way.

Nehemiah was angry at God’s people for disobeying Scripture that forbad usury or charging high interest on loans to God’s people: Exodus 22, Leviticus 25, and Deuteronomy 23.

2. Leaders deal with selfishness with self-control (5:7a)

Nehemiah “consulted with himself” or had a committee meeting of one. Before he hauled off dealt with this sin in selfish anger, he “sinned not.” He got composure with God’s help and then he rebuked the sin.

3. Leaders deal with selfishness by rebuking the sin (5:7b-13)

Nehemiah rebukes this sin privately and then publically.

In private, he tells the guilty leaders, “You should love your brothers. Be a brother not a broker.” In public, he rebukes the poor testimony their selfishness had produced in the unsaved community. Contrast the selfishness in Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day with the unselfishness in the early church and the powerful impact these generous believers had on their city in Acts 4:32-33.

To their credit, the believers Nehemiah reprimanded, repented in 5:10-13.

To guarantee that the guilty were not just responded emotionally, Nehemiah called the priest to witness their promise to repay with interest which they had wrongfully taken. Because this was not just a business transaction, the priest was called not the Notary Public.

Next, Nehemiah informed the repenting believers, if they did not fulfill their pledges, lawyers who sue would not be called, God would be summons who would judge them.

Finally, when the witnessing congregation heard all Nehemiah had accomplished they shouted “Amen” not a second and a motion. This was not a business meeting. This was a revival service.

4. Leaders deal with selfishness by set a generous example (5:13-19)

Nehemiah did not take his Persian Perks like his predecessors had. He generously shared his wealth with the needy in Jerusalem by feeding over 150 people daily.

Nehemiah set an example for the greedy to follow. Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) set the ultimate example of unselfishness. Paul describes Jesus’ sacrificial coming to earth to die for our sins: “For you know of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.”

We can also defeat the internal rotting of  greed by getting angry at selfishness and sinning not,  by checking our own emotions lest we fall prey to selfish retaliation, by privately and if necessary publically exposing greediness, and by modeling sacrificial leadership like Nehemiah and more perfectly Jesus Christ.

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Six, “The Leader Handles the Opposition of Discouragement” (Nehemiah 4:1-23) Part 1

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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Chuck Swindoll tells an incident in the life of the great inventor Thomas Edison. Thanks to his genius, today we enjoy the microphone, the phonograph, the incandescent light, the storage battery, talking movies, and more than a thousand other inventions. But above and beyond all that, he was a man who refused to be discouraged. His contagious optimism affected all those around him.

His son recalled a freezing December night in 1914. It was at a time when still unfruitful experiments on the nickel-iron-alkaline storage battery, to which his dad had devoted almost ten years, had put Edison on a financial tightrope. The only reason he was still solvent was the profit from the movie and record production.

On that December evening the cry of “Fire!” echoed through the plant. Spontaneous combustion had broken out in the film room. Within minutes all the packing compounds, celluloid for records and film, and other flammable goods were in flames. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived, but the heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that the attempt to douse the flames was futile. Everything was destroyed.

When Edison’s son couldn’t find his father, the son became concerned. Was he safe? With all his assets going up in a whoosh, would his spirit be broken? After all, he was 67—no age to start all over, thought his son. Then—in the distance—young Edison saw his father in the plant yard running toward him.

“Where’s Mom?” shouted the inventor. “Go get her, Son! Tell her to hurry up and bring her friends! They’ll never see a fire like this again!”

Early the next morning, long before dawn, with the fire barely under control, Edison called his employees together and made an incredible announcement: “We’re rebuilding!”

He told one man to lease all the machine shops in the area. He told another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Erie Railroad Company. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Oh, by the way. Anybody know where we can get some money?”

Later he explained, “We’ve just cleared out a bunch of old rubbish. We’ll build bigger and better on the ruins.” Shortly after that he yawned, rolled up his coat for a pillow, curled up on a table, and immediately fell asleep” (Hand Me Another Brick, pages 82-83).

Nehemiah in the face of equal discouragement likewise said, “We are rebuilding.”

Maybe you are discouraged as you face rebuilding a relationship with your mate, or renewing your walk with the Lord or just rebuilding your life which is a mess. Nehemiah shows us how.

1. The Opposition of Ridicule (4:1-6)

2. The Opposition of Threats (4:7-9)

3. The Opposition of Discouragement (4:10-23)

The criticism, insults, and threats finally took their toll on Nehemiah’s workers and discouragement set in. What caused their discouragement? They focused on their weaknesses, the rubbish of the torn down wall, their inabilities, and the enemy instead of concentrating on wall that would protect them, their families who needed their ministry, what they already accomplished, and the Lord who was great and awesome.

1. Who Gets Discouraged?

A. Leaders.

Judah, in 4:10-11, the tribe who would produce the Messiah according to Genesis 49:8-10 was spreading discouraging words. Yes, even leaders can experience discouragement. Charles H. Spurgeon had his fits of depression.

B. People with negative friends

In 4:12, the Jews who lived near the enemies were listening to these discouraging people. We know from chapter three that some of the Jews lived outside of Jerusalem. The residents of Tekoa, Gibeon, and Mizpah were listening to the naysayers and being defeated by them.

“It’s important to note that the discouraging information came from people who lived ‘near’ it. You cannot constantly hear negativism without having some of it rub off on you. If you are prone to discouragement, you can’t run the risk of spending a lot of your time with people who traffic in discouraging information” (Hand Me Another Brick, page 84).

2. Why Do We Get Discouraged? Notice that each of the reasons for discouragement is self-centered.

A. We focus on our weakness “The strength of the burden bearers is decayed.”

God’s people were agreeing with the ridicule of God’s enemies in 4:2: “What do these feeble Jews?” Remember Elijah wanting to die when he was physically exhausted?

B. We focus on the negatives “There is much rubbish. They are like the 12 spies who Moses sent to check out the land promised to them by God. Ten of the spies focused on the giant obstacles and two, Joshua and Caleb, focused on the flowing milk and honey.

Moses recounts the impact of the 10 negative spies: “For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them” (Numbers 32:9).

The result of the negative discouragement was 40 years of wandering in the wilderness of an entire generation instead of conquering the Promise Land.

C. We focus on our inability “We are not able to build the wall.”

They had already built the wall to half way.

D. We focus on the opponents “Our adversaries said.”

We remember the cartoon character Pogo saying, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Here is one person’s response to that I found on the internet. “Yes, my greatest enemy is not the old woman in my neighborhood who is always finding fault with me, my enemy is not my step mother, my enemy is not my boss nor my fellow staff who is always reporting me to my boss, my greatest enemy is me. You see, most times when I attend church and we are asked to bind the enemy, most times, I feel reluctant because I know I can cause myself more harm than 1000 enemies put together. I know you want to ask me how you are your greatest enemy. If you refuse to work when you are supposed to work, you are plotting your own downfall, if you have a meeting that will lead to a major contract but you don’t make it to the meeting, you can’t blame anybody for not getting that contract, If you are always late to work and your boss sacks you, you have no one to blame. If you are always sleeping on duty and that gets you suspended from work, no one is to blame but yourself. All I am saying is, you need to start taking responsibility for your actions instead of trading blames.”

3. How Can We Deal With Discouragement?

A. Focus on the positives instead of the negatives (4:13)

Instead of focusing on the rubbish concentrate on the wall. “Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places.” Nehemiah placed these workers behind the wall so they could not so easily see the rubbish.

Life is not Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas petting porpoises and riding water slides. Have you seen the commercial? Life has rubbish!

The rubbish of abusive parents, mates who walk away, ungrateful children, sin in your life, or failure in the past. Focus on the ministry of rebuilding your life or a testimony for God. John Mark who failed could have remained defeated because of his failure. But he rebuilt his testimony and regained the confidence with Paul.

B. Focus on your people instead of the opponents (4:13)

“I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.” Focus on those people who will respond to your ministry. Henry Blackaby says that 20% of our people do the work in 80% ministry. Why not as leaders devote 80% of our mentoring time on the 20% who are devoted to the Lord rather than on the 80% who are uninvolved.

C. Focus on the spiritual not your physical weakness (4:14a)

“And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people.”

Nehemiah stopped the work project and conducted a brief spiritual retreat. They rested physically and were renewed spiritually.

Nehemiah speaks publicly three times to his people.

Mark Dever in 9Marks of a Healthy Church lists as the first mark: Expositional Preaching. The other 8 marks flow out of the first. God’s Word gives life if you will read it and hear it. Therefore as preachers and spiritual leaders we must lead our people spend time in God’s Word. This year we are reading through the Bible. On Sunday evenings, I preach and survey the chapters our people will read for the week. Many have testified of the great blessing God’s Word has been in their lives.

D. Focus on the Lord and not your inability (4:14b)

“Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible.”

The original problem was great (1:3). Nehemiah did not focus on the great problem but he prayed to his God who was greater (1:5). Now he faces another great problem but he focuses on his great and awesome God at his spiritual retreat. Nehemiah shows how his great God was already working (4:15).

Mark Dever also said, “35% of self-professed born-again Christians say they are still searching for the meaning of life—the very same percentage as for non-Christians. What good does it do for you to think you have the Word of God, if you won’t give attention to it, if you won’t read it and pray over it and put your life under it?” (page 54).

We must build the positives in our lives and fight the negatives.

We are both builders and battlers.

1. We Fight the Negatives. Nehemiah converted his work place into an armed camp. Half of his men worked and half of his men stood guard (4:16). Nehemiah divided his work force into two groups: Some carried a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other (4:17). Others wore a sword on their side and worked with both hands (4:18).

2. We Build the Positives. Build because “The work is great” (4:19).In 6:3, the enemy wanted Nehemiah to stop his great, but he refused.

3. Fight the negatives and let God fight your battles in 4:20.

A. Focus on the positives instead of the negatives. Not the rubbish but your ministry to your mate, children, grandchildren, friends, co-workers, members at church.

B. Focus on your people instead of the opponents.

I am going to build relationships with people who will encourage me and people I can encourage. God gave Elisha to discouraged Elijah. Ask God to give you a Jonathan or a Barnabas.

C. Focus on the spiritual not your physical weakness.

Take a spiritual retreat. Spend extra time in prayer to your Great and Awesome God and Bible study. When you are tempted to pick up the phone and spread discouragement, pick up God’s Word. Read, meditate, and pray a Praise Psalm like

Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name”

D. Focus on the Lord and not your inability.

List some of the ways God has already used you. Write down how God has recently shown Himself strong in your life or circumstances. That is what I did in the bulletin. “Think on these things.”

Last week I heard Tim Lee preach. His legs were blown off in the Vietnam War. He could focus on this huge negative in his life, his physical handicap or his inabilities. He doesn’t! He serves the Lord with great joy and effectiveness.

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Six, “The Leader Handles the Opposition of Discouragement” (Nehemiah 4:1-23) Part 1

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
Tags: , , ,
0

Chuck Swindoll tells an incident in the life of the great inventor Thomas Edison. Thanks to his genius, today we enjoy the microphone, the phonograph, the incandescent light, the storage battery, talking movies, and more than a thousand other inventions. But above and beyond all that, he was a man who refused to be discouraged. His contagious optimism affected all those around him.

His son recalled a freezing December night in 1914. It was at a time when still unfruitful experiments on the nickel-iron-alkaline storage battery, to which his dad had devoted almost ten years, had put Edison on a financial tightrope. The only reason he was still solvent was the profit from the movie and record production.

On that December evening the cry of “Fire!” echoed through the plant. Spontaneous combustion had broken out in the film room. Within minutes all the packing compounds, celluloid for records and film, and other flammable goods were in flames. Fire companies from eight surrounding towns arrived, but the heat was so intense and the water pressure so low that the attempt to douse the flames was futile. Everything was destroyed.

When Edison’s son couldn’t find his father, the son became concerned. Was he safe? With all his assets going up in a whoosh, would his spirit be broken? After all, he was 67—no age to start all over, thought his son. Then—in the distance—young Edison saw his father in the plant yard running toward him.

“Where’s Mom?” shouted the inventor. “Go get her, Son! Tell her to hurry up and bring her friends! They’ll never see a fire like this again!”

Early the next morning, long before dawn, with the fire barely under control, Edison called his employees together and made an incredible announcement: “We’re rebuilding!”

He told one man to lease all the machine shops in the area. He told another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Erie Railroad Company. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Oh, by the way. Anybody know where we can get some money?”

Later he explained, “We’ve just cleared out a bunch of old rubbish. We’ll build bigger and better on the ruins.” Shortly after that he yawned, rolled up his coat for a pillow, curled up on a table, and immediately fell asleep” (Hand Me Another Brick, pages 82-83).

Nehemiah in the face of equal discouragement likewise said, “We are rebuilding.”

Maybe you are discouraged as you face rebuilding a relationship with your mate, or renewing your walk with the Lord or just rebuilding your life which is a mess. Nehemiah shows us how.

1. The Opposition of Ridicule (4:1-6)

2. The Opposition of Threats (4:7-9)

3. The Opposition of Discouragement (4:10-23)

The criticism, insults, and threats finally took their toll on Nehemiah’s workers and discouragement set in. What caused their discouragement? They focused on their weaknesses, the rubbish of the torn down wall, their inabilities, and the enemy instead of concentrating on wall that would protect them, their families who needed their ministry, what they already accomplished, and the Lord who was great and awesome.

1. Who Gets Discouraged?

A. Leaders.

Judah, in 4:10-11, the tribe who would produce the Messiah according to Genesis 49:8-10 was spreading discouraging words. Yes, even leaders can experience discouragement. Charles H. Spurgeon had his fits of depression.

B. People with negative friends

In 4:12, the Jews who lived near the enemies were listening to these discouraging people. We know from chapter three that some of the Jews lived outside of Jerusalem. The residents of Tekoa, Gibeon, and Mizpah were listening to the naysayers and being defeated by them.

“It’s important to note that the discouraging information came from people who lived ‘near’ it. You cannot constantly hear negativism without having some of it rub off on you. If you are prone to discouragement, you can’t run the risk of spending a lot of your time with people who traffic in discouraging information” (Hand Me Another Brick, page 84).

2. Why Do We Get Discouraged? Notice that each of the reasons for discouragement is self-centered.

A. We focus on our weakness “The strength of the burden bearers is decayed.”

God’s people were agreeing with the ridicule of God’s enemies in 4:2: “What do these feeble Jews?” Remember Elijah wanting to die when he was physically exhausted?

B. We focus on the negatives “There is much rubbish. They are like the 12 spies who Moses sent to check out the land promised to them by God. Ten of the spies focused on the giant obstacles and two, Joshua and Caleb, focused on the flowing milk and honey.

Moses recounts the impact of the 10 negative spies: “For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them” (Numbers 32:9).

The result of the negative discouragement was 40 years of wandering in the wilderness of an entire generation instead of conquering the Promise Land.

C. We focus on our inability “We are not able to build the wall.”

They had already built the wall to half way.

D. We focus on the opponents “Our adversaries said.”

We remember the cartoon character Pogo saying, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Here is one person’s response to that I found on the internet. “Yes, my greatest enemy is not the old woman in my neighborhood who is always finding fault with me, my enemy is not my step mother, my enemy is not my boss nor my fellow staff who is always reporting me to my boss, my greatest enemy is me. You see, most times when I attend church and we are asked to bind the enemy, most times, I feel reluctant because I know I can cause myself more harm than 1000 enemies put together. I know you want to ask me how you are your greatest enemy. If you refuse to work when you are supposed to work, you are plotting your own downfall, if you have a meeting that will lead to a major contract but you don’t make it to the meeting, you can’t blame anybody for not getting that contract, If you are always late to work and your boss sacks you, you have no one to blame. If you are always sleeping on duty and that gets you suspended from work, no one is to blame but yourself. All I am saying is, you need to start taking responsibility for your actions instead of trading blames.”

3. How Can We Deal With Discouragement?

A. Focus on the positives instead of the negatives (4:13)

Instead of focusing on the rubbish concentrate on the wall. “Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall and on the higher places.” Nehemiah placed these workers behind the wall so they could not so easily see the rubbish.

Life is not Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas petting porpoises and riding water slides. Have you seen the commercial? Life has rubbish!

The rubbish of abusive parents, mates who walk away, ungrateful children, sin in your life, or failure in the past. Focus on the ministry of rebuilding your life or a testimony for God. John Mark who failed could have remained defeated because of his failure. But he rebuilt his testimony and regained the confidence with Paul.

B. Focus on your people instead of the opponents (4:13)

“I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.” Focus on those people who will respond to your ministry. Henry Blackaby says that 20% of our people do the work in 80% ministry. Why not as leaders devote 80% of our mentoring time on the 20% who are devoted to the Lord rather than on the 80% who are uninvolved.

C. Focus on the spiritual not your physical weakness (4:14a)

“And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people.”

Nehemiah stopped the work project and conducted a brief spiritual retreat. They rested physically and were renewed spiritually.

Nehemiah speaks publicly three times to his people.

Mark Dever in 9Marks of a Healthy Church lists as the first mark: Expositional Preaching. The other 8 marks flow out of the first. God’s Word gives life if you will read it and hear it. Therefore as preachers and spiritual leaders we must lead our people spend time in God’s Word. This year we are reading through the Bible. On Sunday evenings, I preach and survey the chapters our people will read for the week. Many have testified of the great blessing God’s Word has been in their lives.

D. Focus on the Lord and not your inability (4:14b)

“Be not afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible.”

The original problem was great (1:3). Nehemiah did not focus on the great problem but he prayed to his God who was greater (1:5). Now he faces another great problem but he focuses on his great and awesome God at his spiritual retreat. Nehemiah shows how his great God was already working (4:15).

Mark Dever also said, “35% of self-professed born-again Christians say they are still searching for the meaning of life—the very same percentage as for non-Christians. What good does it do for you to think you have the Word of God, if you won’t give attention to it, if you won’t read it and pray over it and put your life under it?” (page 54).

We must build the positives in our lives and fight the negatives.

We are both builders and battlers.

1. We Fight the Negatives. Nehemiah converted his work place into an armed camp. Half of his men worked and half of his men stood guard (4:16). Nehemiah divided his work force into two groups: Some carried a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other (4:17). Others wore a sword on their side and worked with both hands (4:18).

2. We Build the Positives. Build because “The work is great” (4:19).In 6:3, the enemy wanted Nehemiah to stop his great, but he refused.

3. Fight the negatives and let God fight your battles in 4:20.

A. Focus on the positives instead of the negatives. Not the rubbish but your ministry to your mate, children, grandchildren, friends, co-workers, members at church.

B. Focus on your people instead of the opponents.

I am going to build relationships with people who will encourage me and people I can encourage. God gave Elisha to discouraged Elijah. Ask God to give you a Jonathan or a Barnabas.

C. Focus on the spiritual not your physical weakness.

Take a spiritual retreat. Spend extra time in prayer to your Great and Awesome God and Bible study. When you are tempted to pick up the phone and spread discouragement, pick up God’s Word. Read, meditate, and pray a Praise Psalm like

Psalm 103: “Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name”

D. Focus on the Lord and not your inability.

List some of the ways God has already used you. Write down how God has recently shown Himself strong in your life or circumstances. That is what I did in the bulletin. “Think on these things.”

Last week I heard Tim Lee preach. His legs were blown off in the Vietnam War. He could focus on this huge negative in his life, his physical handicap or his inabilities. He doesn’t! He serves the Lord with great joy and effectiveness.

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Five, “The Leader Organizes His Work” (Nehemiah 3)

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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I read a small book many years ago on pastoring the small church. The author said, “Most pastors are not overworked, they are under organized.” Maybe that is the way you feel about your life. I am overworked because I am under organized. Nehemiah’s leadership in chapter three could help remedy that problem.

It is what OT scholar Howard F. Vos calls “an incredible feat of organization” (Bible Study Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987, p. 96).

Nehemiah puts on his hard hat and gives us a guided tour of his work site: The reconstruction of  2 miles of the broken down walls of Jerusalem. He focuses on the ten gates that were under construction. The gates would be the first place enemies would enter the city.

Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem was not just a material building project; it was a spiritual accomplishment for the glory of God. Listen again to Nehemiah challenge God’s people just before the rebuilding began in 2:17-20. Jerusalem was the City of God. The walls down around God’s city was a reproach on God’s name.

Nehemiah starts at the North Wall at the Sheep Gate and the Fish Gate in 3:1-5 and moves counter clockwise describing the 41 workstations.

Next he describes the West Wall in 3:6-13 with the Old Gate and the Valley Gate

The South Wall is next talked about in 3:14-27 and the Dung Gate and Fountain Gate.

Finally, Nehemiah completes his tour in 3:28-32 of the East Wall and the Water Gate, Horse Gate, East Gate, the Inspection Gate and then ending where he began with the Sheep Gate.

Here are the Six Marks of Leadership:

1. He/she shows concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

2. He/she prays for God’s people (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He/she follows his leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)

4. He/she motivates his followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He/she organizes his work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

I went to an AWANA Conference in Charlotte, NC and there 800 AWANA workers in attendance and only 10 pastors. Was that good or bad that there were only 10 pastors there? It was neither good nor bad. What would have been bad had there been 800 in attendance and only 10 AWANA workers. AWANA is a lay workers’ ministry.

1. The Leader Divides the Work into Manageable Section

The two mile wall was divided among 41 teams making what would have been humanly impossible task for a few people workable. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time? When you do start studying for Final Exams? How do you read through Scripture in one year? You don’t procrastinate unto December.

2. The Leader Delegates Responsibility and Authority

D. L. Moody is credited with saying, “I’d rather get ten men to do the job than to do the job of ten men.”

Nehemiah delegated responsibility to those with a vested interest (3:1) (repairing the wall closest to their families.

He also delegated to secure unity (3:2-5) “next unto him built.” That statement or its equivalent is mentioned 28 times. There was a 2 mile unbroken circle of unity. Of course, some did not help (3:5). The nobles from Tekoa would “put not their necks to the work of their Lord.” This expression is similar to Jeremiah 27:12 of oxen that refuse to pull together in the yoke. Therefore others had to do double duty (3:4, 27, 21, 30).

James Montgomery Boice said “the churches more than anything else resemble a football game played in a large stadium. There are eighty thousand spectators in the stands who badly need some exercise, and there are twenty-two men on the field who badly need a rest” (Nehemiah. Old Tappen: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1990, p. 68).

Nehemiah delegated according to nobler interest (3:7). These workers from Tekoa, Gibeon, Mizpah did what was good for others more than themselves. If Jerusalem the capital falls to the enemies their cities will also go down. Why should I support the youth, I don’t have any young people participating. What about the next generation of leaders at Gospel Baptist?

Nehemiah delegated according to abilities or in areas of giftedness (3:8-9). Goldsmiths with soft hands for intricate work. Maybe they helped with the locks which were necessary to keep the enemies out (Enemies have already verbally attacked 2:19). Apothecaries or perfume makers, perhaps, about 2:00 in the afternoon when BO was bad, the apothecaries sprayed some cologne around.

Nehemiah delegated to all, including women and children (3:12) and to servants (3:13-14). He delegated to those who are willing to serve in less than glamorous ministries and unnoticed by man (3:13-14). I don’t want to ride on the back of the Garage Truck but I’m glad somebody does.

He delegated to those willing to do mundane tasks (3:26). The Nethinims from Joshua 9 were water haulers. The people who make a first impression on our quests are our ushers and greeters. Not the choir or the pastor.

Nehemiah delegated responsibility and authority. These 41 teams had 41 leaders. Apparently

Nehemiah did not micromanage. Becky and I took a Concealed Weapons Class yesterday. When I am out of town or state, I want her to be able to protect herself in case of a home invasions. We may start packing heat we will let you know. Our instructor was really good. He did not demand we hold the pistol just like he held his. He also allowed us to make mistakes in the learning process. You shot at five, seven, and ten yards sometimes standing still, bending down and moving toward the invader, and backing away stepping over objects. At our first practice at 5 yards one guy missed the entire target. Our instructor did not panic. By the end of the day, that guy improved and pasted.

Hans Finzel said, “I believe the 80/20 rule of success. Eighty percent of the time I’ll make the right decision, and 20 percent of the time I will make mistakes or not do something as well as it could have been done. I allow my subordinates the freedom of the 80/20 rule as well and give them grace and room to fail” (The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make, p. 125).

3. The Leader Recognizes His/Her Workers

There are three kinds of material in Nehemiah: Narrative makes up 36%; Prayers make up 11 %; Lists of names make up 53%. Someone said Nehemiah Three sounds like a Hebrew Phone Book of hard to pronounce names. There are 71 Hebrew names mentioned.

A. Leaders give credit to others (75 individuals are named and recorded in Nehemiah). Nehemiah would have agreed with this statement, “Compliments by their very nature are highly biodegradable and tend to dissolve hours or days after we receive them—which is why we can always use another” (The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make, p. 63).

B. Leaders do not take credit for themselves. Whose name is conspicuously absent in chapter three? Nehemiah. Luke in Acts records the spiritual success of the early church of which he is a great part. He never mentions his name.

Jim Collins in Good to Great analyzed 11 companies that went from good to great companies. Walgreens was a mediocre company for 40 years but took off in 1975 and outperformed all of its competitors. There was no one reason but a combination. They stopped doing what was hindering growth. Ten out of the 11 grew their own leaders to take over as the next leader. They did not bring in outside CEOs. They had CEOs who were humble. There were no Lee Iacocca with big egos and personalities. Iacocca saved Chrysler from the brink of catastrophe “but in the second half of his tenure, Chrysler’s stock fell 31 percent behind the general market” (p. 29). Collins’ Level 5 leaders were “quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing” (p. 27) and willing to take the blame for mistakes and take no credit for successes.

C. Leaders give ultimate glory to God (6:16). Contrast this to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30. After Nebuchadnezzar had completed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the city of Babylon with its hanging gardens, he boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?”

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Four, “The Leader Motivates His Followers? (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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I am reading a book now that has challenged my thinking in the area of leadership by Hans Finzel entitled The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. He defines leadership and identifies leaders:

Finzel’s definition of leadership: “Leadership is influence. Anyone who influences someone else to do something has led a person. A leader takes people where they would never go on their own.” That definition includes you!

Finzel’s identification of a leader: “You are a leader if you are leading a company, a ministry, a department, one or two coworkers, a Girl Scout club, and army platoon, a committee, or your family” (Hans Finzel. The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. pages 19-21). That identification includes you!

Here are the Six Marks of Lay Leaders in Nehemiah:

1. He/she shows concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

2. He/she prays for God’s people (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He/she follows his leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)

4. He/she motivates his followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He/she organizes his work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He/she handles his opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

Nehemiah is now actually facing his second impossible situation as a leader.

The first was persuading a Persian King to change his law. But through prayer and planning God enabled Nehemiah to influence King Artaxerxes to reverse the Law of the Medes and Persians.

Now, Nehemiah faced his second impossible situation: Motivate God’s people to rebuild the walls that had been broken down for more than 100 years.

1. This situation was impossible with three conflicts:

Conflict Number One: Enemies Opposed his Leadership (2:9-10)

1500 miles and two months later, Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem. Nehemiah in his planning anticipated opposition and had secured the king’s army to accompany him.

Every significant work for God will be opposed. Read the book of Acts for confirmation.

What is the saying, “If you can’t stand the heat get out of kitchen.” The only problem your life as a leader is the kitchen. You live in the kitchen or maybe the pressure cooker in the kitchen.

Conflict Number Two: Overwhelming Task (2:11-16)

There were almost two miles of broken down walls with massive stones that had been tumbled into the valleys below.

Maybe your impossible task is not a broken down wall but an unsaved person who refuses to even listen any more to your gospel nor pleas.

Conflict Number Three: Complacency about God’s Work

The wall had been down for over 100 years and the people had grown accustomed to the status quo. Another attempt was made about 13 years before and Artaxerxes stopped it as recorded in Ezra 4.

You’ve tried to conquer that sin, but you have failed again and again and now you are just worn out. You’ve tried to grow your ministry and it has declined. You are defeated.

2. The Solutions for these Impossible Conflicts

Solution Number One: Identify the Problem (2:11-16)

One verse covers two months of travel (2:11) and six verses (2:12-16) describe one night of fact gathering.

Again we see Nehemiah planning. He had generally planned before his arrival and now he gets specific. He does not just haul off and do something.

Proverbs 18:13 “He that answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

Nehemiah saw both the problem and the potential but he did not sugar coat the conflict. Nehemiah 2:13-16 is Nehemiah’s “Houston, we have a problem.”

What is the problem you face? Is it that unsaved person? Is it a habit? Is it a broken relationship? Is it your ministry that is stale? Do we have the courage to admit there is a problem or that I am the problem?

Solution Number Two: Challenge God’s People (2:17-18)

A. We must identify with the people “us” and “we” (2:17a). In 1 Thessalonians 5:12, leaders “Labor among and preside over.” Leaders not only identify the problem, they volunteer to be part of the solution. Nehemiah was not a top-down autocrat buy a bottom-up servant leader.

Peter F. Dunker in Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices wrote, “The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say, ‘I.’ They think ‘team.’ They understand their job to making the team function. They accept the responsibility and don’t sidestep, but ‘we’ gets the credit” (quoted in Hans Fenzel’s “The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make” page 103).

B. We must challenge with godly inward motives not external financial rewards (2:17b)

1. Nehemiah did not offer bonuses nor all-expenses-paid vacation to Hawaii.

2. Nehemiah did not want to build a memorial to himself: Nehemiah Memorial Church.

3. Nehemiah wanted to honor God.

It would be like me challenging you to read through God’s Word this year with the reward of $500.00. What is a better reward? Read in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ in order to be a more useful servant of God.

C. We must challenge with God’s past faithfulness (2:18a)

1. Nehemiah challenged with the past victory God had just given with King Artaxerxes.

2. David did the same as he faced his impossible situation (Goliath) in 1 Sam 17. Take a minute and recount recent answers to prayers and be encouraged.

D. Response of the people to the challenge (2:18b). The people rise to Nehemiah’s challenge with “Let us rise up and build.”

Dale Carnegie tells of a mill manager whose men were not producing. The owner, whose name was Charles Schwab, asked why. The manager had no idea. “I’ve coaxed the men; I’ve pushed them; I’ve sworn and cussed; I’ve threatened them with damnation and being fired. But nothing works. They just won’t produce.”

“How many heats did your shift make today?” Schwab asked.

“Six.”

Without saying another word, Schwab picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a big figure 6 on the floor. Then he walked away.

When the night shift came in, they saw the 6 and asked what it meant. “The big boss was here today,” someone said. “He asked how many heats the day shift made, and we told him six. He chalked it on the floor.”

The next morning Schwab walked through the mill again. The night shift had rubbed out the 6 and replaced it with an even bigger 7. When the day shift reported the next day, they saw the 7. So the night shift thought it was better than the day shift, did it? They’d show them. They pitched in furiously, and before they had left that evening they had rubbed out the 7 and replaced it with a 10. It was a 66 percent increase in just twenty-four hours, and all because of Schwab’s challenge. Carnegie concludes, “If you want to win . . . spirited men . . . to your way of thinking . . . throw down a challenge” (Dale Carnegie. How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1963, pages 173-176).

“Leaders can’t do the job by themselves and workers can’t accomplish much without leadership” (Warren W. Wiersbe. Be Determined. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1992, page 33).

Solution Number Three: Overcome Problems

A. The Problem (2:19)

1. The opposition ridiculed “they laughed us to scorn.” Why? Only because Nehemiah was doing what God had put in his heart.

2. The opposition “despised us.” Why? Only because Nehemiah was saving God’s work from extinction.

3. The opposition criticized “What is this thing that you do? Will you rebel against the king?” Criticism is the weapon of those who have no other. Suggestions for improvement are not the same as criticisms. Suggestions for improvement are welcomed and necessary.

B. Overcome with (2:20)

1. Trust in the God of Heaven who is not opposed to the work. Nehemiah was God centered.

2. Focus on building not on the opposition. Nehemiah did not allow others and nor circumstances to be an excuse for quiting or not succeeding. Jim Collins in his Good to Great analyized 11 Fortune 500 companies that transitioned from good to great companies. The CEOs of these company refused to take the credit for their success and never blamed others or circumstances for poor results. Collins calls these leaders Level 5 Leaders. Nehemiah could be described as a Level 5 leader in many ways.

3. Do not cave or compromise. I read this week where leaders should shoot for being right 80% of the time and learn to live with being wrong 20% of the time. You are not going to be right 100% of the time. You are not perfect leaders.  Nor are your leaders perfect.

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Three, “The Leader Follows His Leaders” (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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We all have seen Canada Geese fly in their V formation with one leg of the V formation longer than the other leg. Why do they fly in the V formation? The lead goose is making it easier for the other geese who are following his lead. He is moving the wind resistance of the other geese following him. The rest are cruising. But after awhile the lead goose gets tired and the next goose moves up. Engineers in the wind tunnel experiments have discovered that geese flying in the V formation can fly 72% further than by themselves flying alone. Geese flying in the V formation illustrate the necessity and advantages of practicing both leadership and followship.

Cyril Barber, in his commentary on Nehemiah, transfers this principle into all of life; “Middle management involves being able to translate the ideals of one’s superiors into practice and, at the same time, knowing how to motivate one’s subordinates. It necessitates keeping corporate goals in mind, while encouraging individuals to strive for personal achievement” Cyril J. Barber, Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership, page 26).

Most of us live in a middle management role of some kind. Most of us have superiors who lead us and subordinates whom we lead. We are all accountable to someone.

Middle managers lead line workers and follow their senior management.

Executive pastors leads a congregation and follows their lead pastors.

Teachers instruct students and follow their principal.

Wives train their children and follow their husbands.

Nehemiah teaches us the third mark of lay leadership: He follows his leader.

Here are Six Marks of Leadership in Nehemiah:

1. He Shows Concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

2. He Prays for God’s People (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He Follows his Leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)

4. He Motivates his Followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He Organizes his Work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He Handles his Opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

How can we practice followship in order to also exert leadership?

1. By Praying for your Leader (1:11)

Nehemiah prayed four months for his unsaved leader. Nehemiah prayed from December to March with no results. There were no entries in his prayer journal for four months. We know from his model prayer in 1:5-11, he used promises from Scripture in his prayers. Maybe he also used Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turns it wherever he will.” Swindoll really develops this verse in light of Nehemiah’s crisis with his superior. The word “rivers” means channels and refers to irrigation canals carrying water. The king’s heart is not a river randonly flowing with no direction or purpose. But the heart of the king and your superior is a divinely directed canal under the sovereign control of the God to whom we pray (Hand Me Another Brick, page 44).

Nehemiah talked to his Divine King before he negoiated with his human king.

This principle is also taught in the N T (1 Tim 2:1-2; Rom 15:30). These verses should be seriously studied and applied. Do we pray for our President and members of Congress? Sometimes we say if someone has not registered and voted then he has no right to criticize the current state of affairs. The same applies to praying for our leaders. If we have not prayed then we should not be critizing. Do we pray for our pastors? These verses command us to pray for these leaders in our lives.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is one of the most influential and most quoted pastors of all time. Yet Spurgeon gave the credit for the success of his ministry to his praying church. Spurgeon would take visitors to the basement prayer-room where a significant group of his members were on their knees praying for him. Spurgeon called that prayer room the powerhouse of his church.

Here is how Spurgeon described the importance of his people praying for him: “I always give all the glory to God, but I do not forget that He gave me the privilege of ministering from the first to a praying people. We had prayer meetings that moved our very souls, each one appeared determined to storm the Celestial City by the might of intercession.” Spurgeon’s Monday evening prayer meetings nearly filled Metropolitan sanctuary and had a world-wide testimony.

Maybe more churches would produce more Spurgeons if more churches prayed like Spurgeon’s church.   

Paul Osterman, professor of human resources and management at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management and author of The Truth About Middle Managers (Harvard Business Press), believes middle managers are integral to any organization’s success.

In an interview with Fortune, Osterman discussed two different views of middle managers: the victim and villain middle managers. “The victim view is the Organization Man perspective, in which they’re conforming to a larger organization and have very little identity of their own. The villain view is the one in which they’re seen as kind of wasteful overhead.”

Osterman mentions last the hero-empowered view. The hero view is the perspective of business historians, that the growth of large-scale American enterprise depended on middle managers because you just couldn’t achieve the scale that we have without people doing the kind of planning work that they do.” This view comes the closest to Artaxerxes’ view of Nehemiah. As we see next, Nehemiah earned this kind of respect from his superior.

1. By Praying for your Leader (1:11) 

2. By Practicing Loyalty (2:1-3)

Nehemiah was really cross cultural to the 21st century mind set. Paul Osterman describes middle managers today as loyal to their tasks but not their senior management. “One reason is they perceive top management as having feathered their own nest, been greedy, and a lot of the management that I’ve talked to made comments to that effect, and it really does have an impact on their attitudes.” If a senior manager was all of the above, Nehemiah’s was.

When the king noticed Nehemiah’s sad countenance, Nehemiah admitted he was afraid. “Nehemiah had good reason to be frightened. Subjects who were noticeably sad or melancholic in the presence of the king were usually killed for ‘raining on his parade’ (Charles R. Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick, page 48).

Because dictators were insecure from the possibility of assassinations, the job description of cupbearers included having pleasant personalities, wearing bright clothing, and smiling a lot. Nehemiah was genuinely loyal to his leader which was expressed in his reply, “Long live the king.” This was not just proper protocol for Nehemiah. Nehemiah had not fallen into the two extremes among followers: followers who are simply “yes men” and others who live to make their leaders look bad. Nehemiah was geniunely loyal.

Nehemiah was not the exception to this mark of leadership which additional examples prove. David was loyal to wicked king Saul for 15 years in between David’s two anointing when David was a fugitive on the run from King Saul. David had two chances to retaliate and take Saul’s life in 1 Samuel 24 and 26 but he did not. If you read these two opportunities David had to kill his enemy you will be amazed at David’s love and loyalty for his superior who was out to get him not promote him.

Ruth was loyal to Naomi her mother-in-law in the days of disloyalty (Judges 21:15). Ruth 1:16 is not what a bride vows to her groom at their wedding ceremony but what a daughter-in-law vows to her mother-in-law.

Peter Drucker gave this warning to those who would push back this principle, “Contrary to popular legend, subordinates do not, as a rule, rise to position and prominence over the prostrate bodies of incompetent bosses. If their boss is not promoted, they will tend to be bottled up behind him. And if their boss is relieved for incompetence or failure, the successor is rarely the bright, young man next in line. He usually is brought in from the outside and brings with him his own bright, young men. Conversely, there is nothing quite as conducive to success, as a successful and rapidly promoted superior” ( The Effective Executive. New York: Harper & Row, 1985, page 93).

Loyalty is necessary because it is Biblical (Hebrews 13:17) and because it promotes the unity and effectiveness of the ministry where it is practiced.

3. By Expressing Yourself with Tact (2:5, 7).

Twice Nehemiah respectfully said to his superior, “If it please the king.” Andrew Carnegie gave insight to this principle, “If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive” (How To Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1963, page 19). Nehemiah did not slam his fist down and demand his rights.

Again Nehemiah is not the exception of this mark of leadership. Aquila and Priscilla were tactful to Apollos in Acts 18:24-28. Because Aquilla and Priscilla had sat under the ministry of Paul they were cutting edge in their knowledge of Scripture. Apollos was at least 20 years behind theologically still holding to the baptism of John the Baptist. To bring their preacher up to date they took him aside privately and brought this to his attention. Because Aquilla and Priscilla and Apollos were humble and tact was practiced, the church was better for it.

J. Oswald Sanders defined tact as the “skill in reconciling opposing viewpoints without giving offense and without compromising principle….The same thing can be said in a tactful and in an untactful manner. One shoe salesman said to his client, ‘I’m sorry, madam, but your foot is too large for this shoe.’ The other salesman said to his client who was in a similar situation, ‘I’m sorry, madam, but this shoe is small for your foot.’ Each used almost exactly the same words, but tact and diplomacy caused one to make a slightly different emphasis by a slight difference of phrasing, and secured a loyal and satisfied customer” (Spiritual Leadership, page 67).

Nehemiah wanted something the king had forbidden 13 years earlier in Ezra 4:21. Because Nehemiah acknowledged his leaders right to disapprove, he requested permission to do what God had put in his heart. Daniel also displayed this attitude in Daniel 1 when he refused to eat the king’s meat yet “requested” of his superior “that he might not defile himself.” God blesses respectful attitudes not talent, I.Q. nor skill.

4. By Offering Positive Alternatives (2:6-8)

Nehemiah did not criticize the king’s plan. Nehemiah carefully researched and offered an alternative plan. Perhaps Nehemiah picked his brother’s brain who just returned from Jerusalem.

Nehemiah not only prayed for four months, he planned for four months. Nehemiah knew he would need a visa, a passport and protection. And once in the king’s forest which was under the supervision of Asaph, Nehemiah would also need a requisition to secure lumber to rebuild the walls. All of this was carefully thought out in the plan Nehemiah presented to the king when God answered his prayer to change the king’s heart. Finally, Nehemiah included himself as part of the solution.

This is the way to respond to a ministry or situation in your church or organization. If you disagree, instead of simply finding fault, come up with a positive alternative and volunteer to be in charge.

5. By Giving God the Glory (2:8c)

Nehemiah was a forceful leader as we shall shortly see. First he was a faithful follower. His followship was not a sign of weakness. He knew his place in the chain of command. Nehemiah was most importantly blessed by God because of his humble and godly attitude. Nehemiah knew his success with his superior was not because of his people skills nor his visionary planning but rather because God’s good hand was upon him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark Two, “The Leader Prays for God’s People” (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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Chapter Two of Swindol’s Hand Me Another Brick, (his commentary of Nehemiah’s leadership) is entitled “A Leader—From The Knees Up.” This characteristic of leadership is certainly seen in Nehemiah’s ministry. One out of every ten verses in Nehemiah is a reference to prayer.

J. Oswald Sander in his Spiritual Leadership writes: “Since leadership is the ability to move and influence people, the spiritual leader will be alert to discover the most effective way of doing this. One of the most frequently quoted of Hudson Taylor’s statements is this expression of conviction that ‘it is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone’” (page 82). Nehemiah moved Artaxerxes through his model prayer that we will look at now.

Here are Six Marks of Leadership in Nehemiah:

1. He Shows Concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

2. He Prays for God’s People (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He Follows his Leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)

4. He Motivates his Followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He Organizes his Work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He Handles his Opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

The Second Mark of Leadership: The Leader Prays for God’s People

Peter Drucker in Effective Executive wrote, “Effective executives do first things first.” Nehemiah is following this principle when he prays before he jumps into any other problem solving method.

Before Nehemiah addresses his human king (2:3), he addresses his divine king (1:5-11). When there is a problem in our life or ministry what is our first reaction?

Do we first attack the person with whom we disagree? Nehemiah did not attack Artaxerxes who was standing in his way of returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. About 13 years earlier Artaxerxes had decree that no more work be done on the wall (Ezra 4:21).

Do we attack the problem in our strength or wisdom? Do we whip out our smart phone and start wheeling and dealing?

The proper response is the response of Nehemiah: Attack the problem on your knees.

Here are the elements of a leader praying for his people who need his leadership. This pattern is seen in other model prayers such as Ezras’ in Nehemiah 9, Daniel’s in Daniel 9 and Jesus’ in Luke 11.

A. Praise for Who God Is (1:5)

1. Praise for His Greatness

Even though the problem in Nehemiah’s life is “great” (1:3) Nehemiah focuses on his “great” God (1:5). The greater God becomes in our thinking, the smaller become our problems. Prayer is our response to Christ’s words “Without me you can do nothing.”

2. Praise for His Awesomeness. Notice how often “the great and terrible God” appear together in praise to God in the Old Testament (Nehemiah 1:5; 4:14; 9:32; Daniel 9:4). Praise to God puts our problems in perspective.

Henry and Richard Blackaby in Spiritual Leadeship in chapter seven “The Leader’s Influence” stresses that leaders influence others through prayer. They give six reasons why leaders should pray. The fourth reason is “God is all-powerful. . . .God can do far more than even the most resourceful leaders. God’s promise is open ended: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock; and it will be opened to you’ (Matt. 7:7 NIV). If someone is angry with a leader, reconciliation might look impossible. But God can melt the hardest leader. Leaders can be stymied when people refuse to cooperate. But God can change people’s attitudes overnight. There are times when even the most powerful CEOs in the world can do nothing but retreat to the privacy of their executive office, pray, and let God work.”

The Blackabys next gave this example. “When Nancy Reagan was diagnosed with a malignant tumor and had to undergo a mastectomy, her husband, though he was President Ronald Reagan, realized that even being the most powerful executive in the world had its limits. Commenting on that day, Reagan confessed: ‘For all the powers of the president of the United States, there were some situations that made me feel helpless and very humble. All I could do was pray—and I did a lot of praying for Nancey during the next few weeks’” (Spiritual Leadership, pages 149-150).

B. Confession of Sin (1:6-7)

1. Identification of Sin in 1:6 is heard in this petition:“we have sinned against you.” After worshiping God’s greatness and awesomeness it is easy to see our littleness and our sinfulness. The closer we get to God the bigger become our sins. This was the experience of Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5. After Isaiah saw the exalted holiness of God all he could was cry, “Woe is me for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips.”

2. Definition of sin is heard in 1:7. Sin is not only breaking God’s rules (1 John 3:4) but sin is also offending a holy God who can be grieved. Someone said, “Grieve is a love word. You can only grieve someone who loves you.” When we sin we break the heart of our Heavenly Father. David realized this neglected petition of sin when he confessed, “Against thee and only thee have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4).

It is refreshing to hear a leader take responsibility for his sin rather than blaming others.

C. Claim of God’s Promises (1:8-10)

Nehemiah quoted God’s promises from Dt 28:63-67 and 30:1-5 in his prayer in Neh 1:8-9. Nehemiah had to know God’s Word in order to claim the promises of God’s Word. About George Muller it was said he read his Bible on his knees. We should read God’s Word as leaders not to become scholars who impress our followers with our Google knowledge but we should read God’s Word to pray with power for our people.

D. Surrender to be the Answer (1:11)

Our prayers can move the heart of God to move the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1). But then we surrender to be the person God uses to move the king (1:11). It has been well said, “It’s great to get answers to your prayers. It is even greater to become the answer to your prayer.”

God had providently move Nehemiah into a position and relationship with Artaxerxes to be His instrument of change. In Persian art, the official cupbearer is shown to be next to the crown prince in attending to the king. God has strategically placed each of us in places of influence to pray for and be the answers to our prayers to move people onto God’s agenda. Who is the Artaxerxes in your life that God has positioned you near so you can move him/her to God? Is he your boss at work or your neighbor? Are you praying for the opportunity to impact him/her for God’s glory? Lets ask God to use us to be the answer to our prayers as we lead God’s people to accomplish great exploits for Him.

6 Marks of Leadership, Mark One, “The Leader Shows Concern for God’s Work” (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

Posted: April 6, 2012 in Six Marks of Leadership
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Mark Dever promotes Four Aspects of Leadership in Nine Marks of a Healthy Church with the acrostic BOSS.

B=Boss. The leader “reproves, rebukes, and exhorts with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

There is a delicate balance in local churches between pastoral authority (Hebrews 13) and congregational authority (Matthew 18).  The pastors must exercise his authority to preach and lead in order for the congregation to fulfill its authority of approving correct doctrine and rejecting false doctrine (Galatians 1:9).

O=Out Front. Dever talks about one of the most feared generals in WWII. That general was the German tank commander Rommel, the ‘Desert Fox.’ When a battle involving his forces would begin, the word would go out, “Rommel in the lead.’ That message galvanized the troops of follow. Good leaders take the initiative.

S=Supply. Leaders supply or equip their followers to become leaders as Paul practiced in 2 Timothy 2:2.

S=Serve the Lord. Christ came not to be served but to serve. Servant leadership is described in 1 Peter 5:1-4. The leader gives away every ministry possible to others so he can focus on what God has equipped him to best do, serve his people by serving them God’s Word (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, page 236).

Nehemiah was the BOSS when

1. He showed concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

2. He prayed for God’s people (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

3. He followed his leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)

4. He motivates his followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20)

5. He organizes the work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)

6. He handles opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)

What is the Context for Nehemiah’s Leadership?

Under King Solomon the Nation of Israel divided (1 Kings 11:11). The Northern Tribes were taken captive in 722 BC by Assyria. Next the Southern Tribes were taken captive in 606, 507, 586 BC (2 Chronicles 36:19). God used three leaders to restore His people to the land and Himself:

1. Zerubbabel the Builder in Ezra 1-6

2. Ezra the Teacher in Ezra 7-10

3. Nehemiah the Motivator in Nehemiah 1-13. These three men were very different. God knew which leadership styles and unique gifts and talents His people needed in their leaders at different stages of their lives. G. Campbell Morgan pastored Westminster Chapel and emphasized the Gospels in his preaching. His associate, Martin Lloyd Jones, succeeded him. Jones believed that he followed Morgan because his passion for the Epistles would compliment what Morgan had preached from the Gospels. Their unique ministries gave the members a more balanced diet.

What Kind of Leader was Nehemiah?

A. Nehemiah was a layman. Nehemiah was not a preacher (priest or prophet). Nehemiah worked a secular job (1:11 “the cupbearer) for the government of Persia. The cupbearer was an important advisory position to kings (Genesis 40:9-15; 41:9-13). James Boice described this position as “Chief of Staff” (Nehemiah, page 18). The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President. The office-holder has been dubbed “The Second-Most Powerful Person in Washington” due to the nature of the job (Wikipedia). Nehemiah wielded the same kind of influence on his superior and exerted great spiritual influence like Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon.

B. Nehemiah was not only a layman and but a volunteer. Nehemiah took a 12 year leave of absence without pay and volunteered to help rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He left this soft bed in the palace in Susa, the capital of Persia, to sleep in a sleeping bag in Jerusalem.

The local church today needs lay leaders like Nehemiah who volunteer in the Lord’s work. The local church cannot nor should not hire professionals for every position in the church while the rest look on as spectators.

1. Leaders Show Concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)

A. Leaders must ask the tough questions.

1) Nehemiah asked his brother who just returned from Jerusalem how his people were (1:1-2). The answers revealed that Jerusalem was both unprotected and in reproach to God.

2) We must ask, “How is our church?” How is our family?” How is our particular ministry?” “Are these ministries a reproach or a pleasure to God?”

B. Leaders respond to realistic answers. The walls down meant

1) God’s people were unprotected physically (Deut 22:8) and spiritually (Isa 49:14-21). Not only could the enemies attack and conquer physically but they would also enforce their heretical views onto God’s people.

2) God’s people had no testimony (Psalm 50:2). The heathen were saying, “What kind of God can’t even keep the walls up around His city.” That is why Hanani said the people were in great reproach. Followers identify problems. Leaders solve problems. It is easy to be critical. Leaders are concerned.

C. Leaders are concerned to get involved in the solution.

1) Nehemiah was not the last to weep over Jerusalem (Mt 23:37). Believers who do not get involved in the solution are like citizens who complain about their government but never vote. They have forfeited their right to complain.

2) Nehemiah was concerned enough to pray. The second mark of leadership is ”He prays for God’s people” (Nehemiah 1:5-11) which we examine in our next post.

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