Luke 6:44, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.” NIV ARCHBISHOP DR SAMUEL S.BOBOR END TIME APOSTOLIC GLOBAL NETWORK RESCUE TIP #1: LOOK OUT FOR THE ICEBERGS! The Titanic received 5 iceberg warnings just before it went down. When the 6th message came during the wee hours of the morning: “Look out for icebergs,” the operator wired back “Shut-up! I’m busy!” Thirty minutes later the great vessel—whose captain said, “Even God couldn’t sink this ship” - was sinking fast! What happened? They forgot the truth about icebergs. What they saw above the water couldn’t have sunk the great ship. But unfortunately most of an iceberg is below the water! Icebergs represent the life of a Leader! The 10% above the water is your Reputation, the 90% below is your Character. And it’s what’s below the surface that sinks your ship! So, what is Character? a. Self-Discipline—the ability to do what’s right, even when you don’t feel like it. b. Core Values—principles you live by in spite of the pressures around you. c. Sense of Identity—a self-image based on who God, not others, says you are. d. Emotional Security—the capacity to be emotionally stable and consistent. Your life’s greatest impact doesn’t come from what you OWN, but from what you ARE! Jesus said, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit...The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.” (Luke 6:44-45 NIV). Whatever’s happening today on the OUTSIDE of your life, comes from what’s happening on the INSIDE. And God ALWAYS puts “Being” before “Doing”. He prioritizes taking care of the INSIDE (Your Heart) because that will determine what takes place on the OUTSIDE (Your Behavior). Leaders, deal with the parts of you no-one else can see—REMEMBERING THAT THE DAMAGE TO THE TITANIC CAME FROM THE PART OF THE ICEBERG THAT WASN’T SEEN! Proverbs 19:20, “Take good counsel and accept correction—that’s the way to live wisely and well.” MSG RESCUE TIP #2: STOP STARVING YOURSELF! John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.” NIV Imagine finding a new bakery. You love going there because the baker creates new recipes, better than any you’ve ever tasted. Soon word gets out and crowds start coming. But the baker doesn’t have enough help and ends up trying to serve all the customers himself. Gradually you see a change. He’s getting thin. Very thin! What’s going on, you wonder. So you decide to sit and observe. Suddenly the problem becomes obvious. He’s busy serving everyone else, BUT NEVER STOPS LONG ENOUGH TO FEED HIMSELF! With food all around him, THE BAKER IS STARVING TO DEATH! Can you relate? A lot of us, particularly Leaders, fail to take care of ourselves Spiritually, Emotionally, Physically and Mentally, and eventually we end up being unable to take care of anybody else. And even when we do read our Bible or listen to CDs, IT’S ALWAYS FOR SOMEBODY ELSE! So what’s the result? We end up busy—BUT BARREN, going through the motions without taking time to feed our souls on the bread of life. And whats worse is, we keep promising ourselves to do better: “when the ministry is thriving...when everyone comes out of training...when the church schedule slows down...when the tithes/offerings are more consistent…when the attendance increases…when I get adequate help…when I finish school…when I retire…when the kids are grown…when I go on vacation.” Solomon wrote: “They made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own.” (Song of Solomon 1:6 NASB). Leaders, even Jesus, who was scheduled to DIE, took time away for Himself: The Bible says, “After He had dismissed the multitudes, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23 AMP). So if you’re going to be an Effective Leader, you have to make sure that while you’re studying the Word to feed the flock, YOU’RE ALSO TAKING TIME OUT TO DINE ON THE BREAD OF LIFE FOR YOURSELF. A SICK PATIENT, DOESN’T WANT A SICK DOCTOR! AND HUNGRY FOLLOWERS DON’T NEED MALNUTRITIONED LEADERS! Proverbs 10:3, “God won’t starve an honest soul, but He frustrates the appetites of the wicked.” MSG RESCUE TIP #3: GET SOME GRIT! 1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” NIV Today there seems to be greater emphasis on the GLAMOUR of achievement than the GRITTINESS of it. Jamie Clark writes about the GRIT that’s Required in Preparing to climb Mount Everest: “In order to get yourself up for the climb, you spend several hours a day walking on a treadmill with a heavy back-pack. You look goofy, you smell funky. It’s an ugly scene. That’s always true. The road to success is not pretty.” The winners in life know this and it doesn’t alarm them. They understand the words of Peter, “Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled.” And Paul adds: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training”. Note the word “STRICT.” Leaders, if you’re not STRICT with yourself you won’t make it as an Effective Leader. The prize is great, BUT THE PROCESS IS GRUELING! Gratification and Achievement are usually Postponed for a Long Time. However, the Disciplined Leader doesn’t pursue ways that are likely to make him or her popular, because pressing in to attain the prize, NOT popularity is their goal. And it’s only after the season of discipline is over and the payoff comes, that you even hear the applause. The runner, the wrestler, the swimmer all push their bodies to heightened levels of performance by demanding of themselves longer, faster, and stronger episodes of physical output. They don’t stop simply because there’s a feeling of fatigue or even pain. They understand that these are mental barriers that must be overcome. THEREFORE, THEY INSIST THAT THEIR BODIES BEHAVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR COMMITMENT LEVEL, NOT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL. And the same is true of every Leader who responds to a call from God to undertake the great task of Leading His people! So if you haven’t sweated out your suit, messed up your Maybeline, or had your perm go puff...you might want to check your Effectiveness as a Leader...because...Effective Leaders...deal with more GRIT then Glamour! Proverbs 20:4, “A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall.” MSG RESCUE TIP #4: YOUR GROWTH…HIS GLORY! 2 Peter 3:18, “To Him be Glory.” NIV After writing, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord,” Peter adds: “To Him be Glory.” Your biggest reason for wanting to Grow spiritually should not be to validate your ordination or elevation, or to simply look good before the people. No, it should be that God may receive the Glory! Paul writes, “Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) Why should we then keep our flesh in check, or watch our attitudes? To Glorify God before those we Lead! The word GLORY refers to something or someone of GREAT WORTH. So when it comes to drawing attention, it should be to God, NOT OURSELVES: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7) We are to promote Him, NOT OUR PERSONAL MINISTRIES FOR OUR PERSONAL GLORY. We are to promote Him, NOT OUR PERSONAL AGENDA’S FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, ACCLAIM AND APPLAUSE. LISTEN: GOD WANTS TO GO PUBLIC! And since He’s invisible to the naked eye, He’s created a people whose full time job is to make Him visible so that the world might be drawn to Him. Think about it: A company intent on promoting itself doesn’t settle for a small ad buried in the back of the yellow pages. Now, it may start out that way, but the idea is to Grow into something bigger, so that more people will be reached and drawn to it. Leaders, we are Billboards Advertising God’s Grace to a lost world and more often than not, to straying sheep as well. God wants us to Grow so that we can display Him More, NOT OUR CREDENTIALS, NOT OUR DEGREES, NOT OUR CROSSES, ROBES AND RINGS. In fact, God has entrusted His public image to us! That says a lot, especially in Hollywood, so how much more should it mean when it refers to the Image of our God?! Glorifying Him is our Most Awesome Privilege and Responsibility. And in case you think this is overstating the fact, Paul Admonishes: “WHETHER YOU EAT OR DRINK OR WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV). Leaders, you ought to be Passionate about Growing for His Glory! Not for status, title, position, perks, a plush seat in the pulpit, or someone handing you a towel with your initials on it. NO! Your Growth is for the Glory of God. “My name is the LORD! I won’t let idols or humans share my glory and praise.” Isaiah 42:8 CEV Proverbs 13:13, “Ignore the Word and suffer; honor God’s commands and grow rich.” MSG RESCUE TIP #5: KNOW WHEN TO DELEGATE! Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work.” NIV Snoopy is lying on top of his famous doghouse, complaining that there’s too much to do. In the final frame of the cartoon, he sighs, “I hate being head beagle!” As comical as that sounds, truth is, Leaders, if you like the Privileges of being Head Beagle but not the Responsibilities, you probably haven’t learned the Scriptural art of Delegation! (Let’s take a look at Biblical Delegation: Acts 6:1-6, “During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.” MSG). LEADERS, IF YOU HAVE YET TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS, YOU HAVEN’T LEARNED HOW TO DO MUCH! D.L. Moody said, “You can do the work of ten men, or get ten men to do the work.” So why are we Unable (or Unwilling) to Delegate? 1. FEAR OF LOSING AUTHORITY: Some of us would rather look for compliant people to implement our wishes, instead of competent ones. Sad, yet true. 2. FEAR OF WORK BEING DONE POORLY: In some cases you’re right! But more often than not, our real hang-up is we’re unwilling to allow others to do the work Their Way. 3. FEAR OF WORK BEING DONE BETTER: That’s Pride! Leaders, you should always surround yourself with people who have the Potential to do an Even Better Job Than You—This Way Your Labor Will Out Live You. 4. UNWILLINGNESS TO TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME: Task-oriented people just want to get the job done. They have little patience when it comes to waiting for others to learn through trial and error and become capable over time. 5. LACK OF TRAINING AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCE: Nobody ever believed enough in us to delegate stuff to us, so we learned to work as best we could as undeveloped, ill-equipped independents. And That My Friend, Will Always Be Fatal To the Future of Any Promising Leader . Theodore Roosevelt said, “The best leader is the one who has sense to pick good people to do what he or she wants done, and enough self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Delegation is a sure sign of Security and Maturity in Any Leader. Homework Assignment: Read Exodus 18:13-27. Then Let Me Know What You Think Would’ve Happened to Moses, His Leaders, and the People if He Denied Delegation? Proverbs 14:28, “The Mark of a Good Leader is Loyal Followers: Leadership is Nothing Without a Following.” MSG
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 15:02:29 +0000