Paul was
the greatest leader of the early church.
His life of service to the Lord is an example for us to follow. Once he was called into ministry from the
Damascus road experience, there was no turning back. It was full speed ahead for him when he was released
into ministry. Immediately after his
conversion experience Paul’s zeal for God and his love for his fellow Jews was
apparent in his attempt to preach the gospel and share his experience with
others. Paul was not warmly received
initially because of his former reputation.
To spare his life and provide him with additional training by the Lord
he was sent back to his home in Tarsus for a time. God had a special calling on Paul’s life and
he needed to be prepared for the great mission God had for him. God’s calling and his timing are important
aspects of every leader’s life. Sometimes
it takes years of preparation for a called person to be equipped for the
ministry God has for them. Many people
like Paul initially did, want to jump into ministry before they are prepared
and the results can be disappointing or even disastrous. In God’s timing, he will release those he has
called to his work.
Paul was
greatly aided in his ministry calling by Barnabas an often overlooked leader in
the early church. Barnabas was a wealthy
land owner from Cyprus who generously gave to help meet the needs of the early
church. He was one of the early leaders
of the church whose very name means “son of encouragement.” It is said that everyone needs a Barnabas in
their life, one who comes along side to encourage and develop the disciple into
a mature believer. Barnabas made the
effort to go to Tarsus to find Paul to bring him into the ministry of the first
missionary journey launched from the church in Antioch that had become the
center of Christianity. Paul and
Barnabas worked together, they complemented each other and Paul grew in his
leadership calling. Eventually there was
a split in the leadership as they prepared to go on the second missionary
journey. John Mark, the cousin of
Barnabas, became a point of contention between Paul and Barnabas. Paul did not
want him to come along as he had abandoned them on the first missionary journey
for reasons unknown to us. Barnabas felt
otherwise and decided it was better to separate and take John Mark with
him. Paul chose Silas as his ministry
partner and in the end the ministry multiplied.
Paul met
Timothy on his journey and invited him to be a part of the team. Leaders are always on the lookout for men and
women who have the potential to become leaders and they freely invest their
lives into them to provide the training and experiences needed. Paul and Timothy became very close and it is
very evident in Paul’s final letter in 2 Timothy. Timothy was like a son to Paul and he had
great responsibilities as the leader of the church in Ephesus. In the second letter Paul wrote he gives 7
traits of a leader that he modeled in his life and wanted Timothy to do the
same. Paul uses 7 different images to
explain what a leader should be like.
1. Teacher
2 Tim 2:2 –
“…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Paul spent
time teaching Timothy, training him to be able to carry out the work of being a
pastor. Paul’s life was an example that
Timothy could model but Paul also spent time teaching and instructing
Timothy. Leaders need to invest time in
those being raised up in leadership positions.
Much of training is learned through trial and error if someone is not
there to teach and train. This can be a
very painful and discouraging time that could be avoided if proper training
took place. Paul was Timothy’s mentor in
ministry. We all need someone like Paul
to help us grow and avoid ministry traps that happen due to lack of training
and experience. Timothy was facing some
difficult situations in the church and Paul gave specific advice to help him
make decisions and institute policies that would help him be a better leader.
Paul encouraged Timothy to find quality and capable people to teach and train
them in the ministry. Leaders have to reproduce themselves in others for the
ministry to continue but also to enable the leader to focus on other aspects of
the ministry by delegating ministry to others.
Moses learned the value of delegation but it could only be done by
properly training people to take over the work he was doing.
2. Soldier
2 Tim 2:3-4
– “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets
entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted
him.”
I am
familiar with the life of a soldier having served in the army for 2 years. Once you raise your right hand and pledge
your obedience to the military for your term of service your life is no longer
your own. The transition from civil to
soldier was very abrupt and intimidating.
The drill sergeants made it very clear that you were now a soldier and
you had to obey whatever they asked you to do. Failure to obey was immediately
punished. The training day began at 5
a.m. and lasted into the evening. Your day was planned for you, there was no
democratic rule in any decision. Your
identity was now a soldier, a lean, mean killing machine is what we were told.
Paul knew
the price of leadership, that it required 100% devotion to do it
successfully. There was too much work to
do to try to take on anything else. It
would diminish Timothy’s effectiveness as a leader. The soldier symbolizes one
who is focused and dedicated to the mission he is called to perform. Nothing can distract them from making this
their priority. Soldiers are asked to
make sacrifices and they willingly accept the suffering that goes with the
calling. The physical suffering of
enduring the hardships are part of the job.
Long days, harsh living conditions, separation from family, food that
may not be all that great, physical pain from injuries and wounds are all part
of being a soldier.
Paul knew
what suffering for Christ meant. He had
a track record of hardships that would make most people look for another
occupation or calling. Paul endured the
hardships and encouraged Timothy to do the same. It is not an easy calling and suffering comes
with the calling.
A soldier
has to be willing to lay down his life for the mission. The call and the commitment cannot be
compromised for personal preferences. As
soldiers of Christ, leaders take up the cross, a symbol of the ultimate
sacrifice they may be called to make.
3. Athlete
2 Tim 2:5 –
“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”
The
Olympics are now taking place in Russia and it is exciting to see these
athletes who have dedicated years of training have their day to display their
talents. The image Paul had in mind was
that of a professional athlete not one who participated part time or for
recreation. They like the soldier were
completely dedicated to intensive training.
Leaders are
called to lead lives of discipline and self-control in every area of their
lives. Oswald Sander stated, “Before we conquer the world, we must first
conquer the self.” Sanders
Life belongs to those who are disciplined in
every area: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The athlete must say no to things that will
be a detriment to their performance. A
leader must say no to temptations that will lead to moral failure, say no to
laziness in their spiritual disciplines of study, prayer, fasting, witnessing,
worship and fellowship, say no to thoughts of pride and attitudes of arrogance
or favoritism, say no to misuse of ministry funds and say no to anything that
would give the appearance of evil. A
leader must be a person like an athlete who is highly disciplined and committed
to following the directives of the Word to govern his conduct.
For the
Olympic athletes winning a medal is a highlight of their life and they dream of
one day being on the stand to have it placed around their neck. The years of discipline will be rewarded only
if the athlete competes according to the rules of the game. I played baseball a lot growing up and loved
the game. We did not have performance
enhancing drugs that have plagued many players today who secretly used them but
later were discovered. Their accomplishments
are now tainted with skepticism and anger by those who played by the
rules. Leaders cannot circumvent the
laws God has established for personal conduct and ministry. He expects complete compliance and rewards
those who follow his ways.
4. Farmer
2 Tim 2:6 –
“It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.”
In Paul’s
day farming was very hard work. Today it
is not the same with all the machines that are available. A farmer worked with limited tools and if
they were prosperous had animals to help them.
It was back breaking labor plowing the fields and planting the seeds,
cultivating and caring for the crops to keep them from being overrun by weeds,
insects and animals. Harvest time was
done by hand.
Ministry is
hard work and if a leader wants to be successful it will require all of his effort. One of my Bible school teachers said if you
can find anything else to do besides ministry do it. He was not discouraging people from the
ministry but making it clear that the cost was great and the work was going to
be hard.
Ministry is
hard work but it is also rewarding. The
farmer receives the fruit of their labor. For Paul the lives of the believers
whom Christ had transformed was his reward.
For John it was seeing his disciples walk in the truth that brought him
fulfillment. The farmer must have patience waiting for the crop to mature. Leaders have to wait at times for years
before they see the fruit of their labor in the transformation of the lives
they have sown their lives and the Word of God.
Leaders are not in the ministry for the money,
at least true godly leaders, but they are in it in obedience to the calling and
the opportunity to be used by God to bring about change in the lives of
others. Paul labored to see Christ be
formed in the believers and it brought him great joy to learn of their faith
and love. The rewards are intangible but
also eternal.
5. Worker
2 Tim
2:15-17 – “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker
who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid
irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and
their talk will spread like gangrene.”
The word
translated “approved” has a deeper meaning in Greek. It means to have stood the test and is
purified and fit for service. William
Barclay comments on these 3 aspects.
“For
instance, it describes gold or silver which has been purified and cleansed of
all alloy in the fire… is the word used for a stone which has been cut and
tested and is fit to be fitted into its place in a building. A stone with a flaw in it was marked with a
capital A, which stands for the Greek word adokimastos,
which means tested and found wanting. So
Timothy was to be purified and tested that he might be a fit weapon for the
work of Christ, and therefore a workman who had no need to be ashamed.”
A leader
must be skilled in handling the Word of God.
It takes work to study and prepare for the ministry of sharing the Word.
Lack of knowledge of the word as the prophet Hosea stated destroys lives. Dedicating time to study and know the Word
deeply should be the mark of a leader.
Derek
Prince was a great teacher of God’s word stated that you can tell the depth of
love a disciple has for the Lord by the depth of love one has for the study and
practice of the Word of God. Love for Jesus is measured by our love for the
Word, they are inseparable.
Smith
Wigglesworth was a man God greatly used in a ministry of incredible
miracles. He was a plumber before he was
saved later in life. He determined after
his salvation to only read the Bible or at least spend almost all of his time
of study in the Word of God. He felt
that he had wasted so many years of his life not knowing the Word of God that
he wanted to redeem the time he had remaining.
His knowledge of the word increased his faith to believe God for great
things in his ministry. Leaders know the
Word and share the Word rather than get caught up in conversations that are
fruitless. Leaders take advantage of opportunities to share the Word whenever
the situation presents itself.
6. Vessel
2 Tim
2:20-22 – “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver
but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a
vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy useful to the master of the house,
ready for every good work.”
A leader is
God’s vessel in whom he has placed a calling and a vision for the work he
desires to accomplish. The leaders has
knowledge, experience and passion for the mission and this must be passed on to
others. A leader is not a container that
simply stores great things but is one who pours out his life to share the
things God has placed in their lives.
Leaders impart passion for the work of the ministry. They are excited about what God has called
them to do and readily invite others to be a part of the work.
They are
careful about what gets put in the vessel and do not allow anything that will
contaminate or bring dishonor to their lives or their ministry. The leader as God’s vessel is set apart for
his service and his desire is to be used by God for every good work. He constantly wants to be used for greater
works in the Kingdom and keeps himself pure that God will be able at any time
to move him into other works of ministry.
Paul was
constantly pouring out his life for the believers. He always wanted to leave a deposit of
spiritual blessing wherever he went.
Leaders leave people feeling refreshed, encouraged and comforted.
7. Servant
2 Tim
2:23-26 – “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know
that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but
kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his
opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a
knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the
snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”
Servant
leadership is the model Jesus gave his disciples. He came to serve the will of his father and
train the disciples to continue the ministry he began. Being a servant or a slave of others requires
humility. Servants do the tasks that
others do not want or like to do. They
do it out of love for God and the people they serve. Nothing is beneath them. They do not look for
rewards, special privileges, places of honor, recognition or titles. They simply want to serve the needs of others
and in doing so are fulfilled. The
greatest in God’s Kingdom is the one who is servant of all. Jesus modeled this by washing the disciples’
feet and even those of Judas whom he knew would betray him that very
night. If you knew someone was setting
you up to die would you be willing to wash their feet?
A servant
is concerned about the success of others. He focuses his energy on helping them
fulfill their calling and realize the potential God has placed in them.
A servant
is known for their kindness to others.
They go out of their way to make people feel welcomed, valued, love and
important. The look for ways to make
someone else’s life easier. They have
eyes that are trained to see what needs to be done and do it without drawing
attention to themselves.
Leaders are
servants of those they lead which is paradoxical to leadership in the world
where people seek to control others for their own benefit. Our identity as a leader must reflect that of
a servant.
Paul’s idea
of a true leader was a:
Leader who
was a capable teacher who could reproduce other leaders.
Leader who
was like a soldier, completely dedicated to their calling and willing to make
sacrifices.
Leader who
was like an athlete, dedicated but also disciplined to follow God’s guidelines.
Leader like
a farmer who worked hard and patiently waited for the fruit of their labor to
be realized in the transformed lives of those they lead.
Leader who
is like a worker that diligently and skillfully studies the Word of God to be
used by God to impart it to others.
Leader who
like a vessel, purified and ready for any good work God calls him to do.
Leader who
is like a servant who serves with kindness and finds joy in serving the needs
of those they lead to see them fulfill their calling and potential in God’s
Kingdom.
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