Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24434 - Spiritual Gifts - Gift of Leadership - Acts 6:1-6 & Romans 12:6-8

Transcript

#24434 - Spiritual Gifts - Gift of Leadership - Acts 6:1-6 & Romans 12:6-8 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

0:04
Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
0:08
Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
0:11
Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
0:14
through abounding Grace, Media, or to tune into our live stream
0:17
Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
0:20
co.'s Church or download our free
0:24
Calvary Church app. Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us
0:27
into our study. Amen.
0:31
Amen. Would you open your Bibles?
0:32
Please to Romans chapter 12 as we come now to the sixth
0:37
spiritual gift that are listed out for us in Romans 12, we are
0:42
in a verse by verse study, through the book of Acts, but
0:45
we've paused, we've paused for a little sub-series in equipping
0:49
us with the spiritual gifts for service.
0:53
God is doing a new thing. In our church, he's doing a new
0:55
thing in our hearts and we're grateful for that.
0:58
And we want to be equipped We want to learn what our gifts are
1:02
when then we want to use them because the Holy Spirit wants to
1:06
place you in the very specific position that he has ordained
1:11
for you. That's where you're going to be
1:13
the most effective. And the most fruitful is, when
1:16
you are operating in the spiritual gift that God has
1:19
given to you the primary spiritual gift.
1:22
And then understanding that other gifts are going to overlap
1:25
in your life and God has given to us at least one.
1:30
Of these seven spiritual gifts and I want to draw your
1:34
attention again to verse 6, by way of review in Romans 12,
1:39
where Paul writes, having then gifts differing.
1:42
According to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.
1:47
If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith
1:51
Ministry, let us use it in are ministering, he who teaches and
1:55
teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives with
2:00
liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows Mercy
2:06
with cheerfulness, let love be without hypocrisy.
2:11
So the Bible teaches us as the Holy Spirit.
2:15
That distributes each of these gifts and so it really helps us
2:18
not only to know where we belong.
2:21
But also not to be jealous of other people or Covetous of
2:24
where a person's serving or what they're doing or what are they
2:27
doing? And what am I not doing?
2:28
I can just be right in my Lane. I know where God wants me.
2:32
I know how God wants to use me. And that's where great joy is
2:36
going to come for my life and yours as well.
2:41
And we learned by way of review that these Seven Gifts.
2:44
Represent the fullness of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
2:48
You could say that as these Seven Gifts operate in his
2:51
church it is as if Jesus would be here through US continuing
2:57
his ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit, he's no longer with
3:01
us physically but he's left the church on the Earth today as
3:05
we've learned to be the church and the way that we are the
3:08
church is through exercising. These giftings individually, and
3:14
Corporately. Now remember we have not
3:18
attached, a verb to the truth as we've looked at each one of
3:23
these gifts so we can remember primarily what they are.
3:26
So as we go through them, remember prophecy is declaring
3:30
the truth Ministry or service is practicing the truth teaching is
3:36
explaining the truth. Exhortation is applying the
3:41
truth and then finally, we learned last time, Being is
3:46
supporting the truth. And now we come to the 6th gift
3:50
in this list. The gift of leading or sometimes
3:54
you might hear this gift refer to as the gift of administration
3:59
or administrating and how important it is.
4:02
The gift of leading, is both a verbal and nonverbal gift.
4:06
And we're going to use the word organizing.
4:08
We're going to say that leading the gift of leading is
4:11
organizing the truth. Because the word lead.
4:14
Adding means to stand before. And the idea of leading is that
4:19
you are taking the lead in following Christ knowing that
4:23
people will be following you as you stand before others.
4:27
And it's important that we understand that leading is
4:30
servanthood. We don't need more bosses in the
4:33
church. We don't need more managers in
4:35
the church. What we need is more servants.
4:39
However, there are unique men and women in the church, that
4:42
take more of a leadership role. All because that's what God has
4:46
given you. He has given you this gift.
4:49
Now, this gift refers to those that are gifted by God to
4:53
organize and administrate God's work.
4:57
It could be in a single area of ministering, like ushering or
5:01
something that needs oversight and direction or it could be in
5:05
many different areas of ministry, all at the same time.
5:09
The gift of leading is a gift of administration or overseeing.
5:16
And here's the broader definition, God has given some
5:19
men and women in the church, the supernatural ability to motivate
5:24
Inspire organize and direct others in the work of the
5:30
Kingdom. So the person with the gift of
5:32
leading is often skilled with areas of management.
5:37
But I need to pause here as we're looking at us.
5:39
Spiritual gift. I don't want you to confuse the
5:42
spiritual gift with the way the world does things.
5:45
This the, the, the church doesn't need managers.
5:49
We don't need to just step into thing and manage things and
5:52
oversee things and, you know, like the world, the world has
5:54
changed very subtly, the way the business world is changed.
5:57
They, you know, the if you get in, if you need have a need at
6:00
work. Where do you go?
6:01
You go to Human Resources, that's how the world sees you.
6:05
You're just a resource you're just someone or something that
6:08
we're going to To use and maybe throw a few dollars your way so
6:11
that we can accomplish some other goal.
6:13
For some other reason. That's not the church, the
6:16
church is not a business and you need to understand that no
6:19
matter the size of your church, no matter how small or as it's
6:23
getting larger, the church is not a business.
6:25
It is the very Life Giving organism of Jesus Christ on the
6:29
Earth today. The church is not a business,
6:32
but people, however, there is a need for leadership and
6:37
oversight. Just not like the world doesn't
6:39
Just said that he says you know how the world does, you know how
6:41
the Gentiles? I like the Lord over and they'd
6:43
like to lead one way, but it's not going to be so among you.
6:46
So as you hear some of these perspectives, whether you have
6:49
the gift or you're serving with someone that has the gift, don't
6:52
let the definite, don't let the words in the worldly.
6:55
Definitions of those words, throw you.
6:57
There is a spiritual definition of management and that is
7:01
overseeing as servants. So the greater the greater the
7:05
responsibility you have, the more service, that's Required
7:09
from you, okay? Are you guys with me so far?
7:13
Five people are here. So let me start over.
7:17
Stick with me because there's a lot of information but don't
7:21
plug-in definitions from the way you were taught in the world.
7:23
Don't do that because that's not the gifting from the Lord.
7:27
So there is a need of management in organizing.
7:30
And that's where this gift comes in.
7:31
A person with this gift, tend to be very organized themselves,
7:36
organized people, they like to coordinate, complicated
7:39
activities or Ministries. Someone with this gift can walk
7:44
into the room or walk into a situation and see all of the
7:49
chaos and automatically in their mind, start to bring
7:52
organization to it. It's almost like this.
7:54
They think this, if I was in charge, I would well I love to
7:58
hear those words. If you're in charge, because I
8:00
go do you want to be in charge? Because we need somebody to fix
8:03
all this. And that's your gifting.
8:06
That's your gifting someone with this.
8:07
Gifting is often motivated by goals.
8:10
There are very goal-oriented And task oriented person and I'll
8:16
tell you why goals, bring them to the end of something so they
8:19
can start something else and tasks.
8:22
Help them. See the accomplishment along the
8:25
way so where you may not have this gift and you walk in.
8:28
You see all this chaos, you know I can't believe all this someone
8:31
with this gift sees the chaos tasks that out with an end goal
8:36
so we can move on and so they bring order to it and move
8:39
forward. You may even see them walking
8:42
around. With a notepad out jotting notes
8:44
of what they see. They may have their phone open
8:47
and you think they're playing Angry Birds, but they're
8:49
actually just putting a task list.
8:51
So this this this what we do here is we teach all the Pastors
8:56
in the front of their Bibles. We give them these Post-It note
8:59
pictures are not pictures but paper that we stick in the front
9:02
of our Bible. So whatever.
9:04
They see along the way, they just jot it down so that we can
9:07
talk about what we jot down and get it fixed and you can do that
9:11
without the gift of administration.
9:12
Raishin. But this is my one of my, I'm
9:15
always rustling. What my primary gift is?
9:18
Is it Pastor teacher or is it ministration?
9:21
I tend to think it's going to be Pastor teacher because of the
9:24
role that he gave me but I can't help but exercise the gifts of
9:28
administration that is just how God wired me.
9:31
I can't help but then take something and teach you and
9:35
explain to you and I can be very wordy in that because that's my
9:39
gifting that's how God has used me.
9:42
And so you may see this in your own life where you're organizing
9:45
all the time, you like to make to-do lists and over.
9:48
And over to do this. You're you know, you may have
9:50
Post-it notes all over your office to do to do to do to do,
9:53
and now you need a to do list to finish, all your to-do list.
9:56
That's just how it goes. Those are the gift of leading
9:59
are also known as self starters. They initiate things.
10:03
They aren't waiting for people to tell them what to do.
10:06
They're not waiting to know, man.
10:08
I don't want to step on any toes.
10:09
They just got man. I'm going to step on toes if I
10:11
need to because I'm Get this done.
10:14
They're also known as someone that would be pay, very close,
10:17
attention to details to things that other people don't see, not
10:22
only do they know the details but they also know what details
10:27
they want to know. So they not only know what,
10:30
where they're headed but they also know what the future might
10:33
look like. And they're really living in
10:35
that realm of details for use, without this gift, they scare
10:39
you a little bit because they know some they have so many
10:41
thoughts, they Overwhelming, you think of one thing and they
10:44
think of 100 and it's a little intimidating.
10:47
If you have the gift of leading, your also very resourceful,
10:51
you're also very resourceful, you know, how to get what is
10:53
needed and you know how to get it when it's needed.
10:56
So you can finish the task. You're also a very committed
11:00
person. Your yes is a yes and your no is
11:04
a no and you value that you're committed you're not known as
11:07
someone that quits you're not known as someone that's flaky or
11:12
It. You had just you know don't show
11:13
up or don't finish what you started.
11:16
You're a stick with it, kind of person and you don't usually
11:20
give up that easily if you give up at all and instead of giving
11:24
up, your usually won't go to bed without figuring out a solution
11:28
or the best way to finish the job or what people do.
11:30
I need or what resources, do I need with the gift of leading
11:35
again? We're defining some of the
11:37
personality traits you enjoy getting a job done as quickly
11:41
and as Ugly as possible. So that when the next time it
11:44
comes up, it'll be even easier and more successful.
11:48
We actually use a tool here as a staff as a team, after any big
11:53
event or after any thing that we do here will sit down as a team
11:56
and we'll do, I brought it with me from the corporate world, but
11:59
I adjusted it for the church, we do something that's called a
12:02
SWOT analysis. Some of you might be familiar
12:04
with that. Well, we look at four things.
12:07
I've every event we look at what went.
12:09
Well, the SWAT is OT. By the way, it means strengths
12:13
weaknesses opportunities and threats.
12:16
But the way we apply it here is, what went?
12:18
Well, we want to repeat that. What didn't go?
12:21
Well, we want to avoid that and improve that what really went
12:25
bad that we can never do again, and what does it take?
12:29
And then it was there anything there that would be harmful to
12:32
the name of Christ. Would be something that you
12:35
know, did something happened that we really want to watch out
12:37
for because it's in the super serious category that would
12:40
bring the name of Jesus Christ in the summer approach.
12:43
We don't want that and it's a very challenging meaning to sit
12:47
in on when you're there with your team because you have to be
12:50
willing to receive feedback. You can't be personally offended
12:55
by someone's feedback of especially if you are
12:57
personally, responsible for that area.
12:59
And then on the other side of the table, you know, what really
13:01
didn't work this week. This thing was X, Y, and Z.
13:04
And if you're not careful, you can be all upset because
13:08
somebody gave some feedback on what you did.
13:09
Now, the way the world speaks in this room, Is not feedback.
13:13
It's the phrase constructive criticism.
13:16
I'm sure that if I asked hey, how many of you are open to
13:18
constructive criticism? Many of you are, but I don't
13:21
like that phrase, personally, I don't like it at all.
13:24
I don't like it being used and I don't use it myself because even
13:28
if something is constructive, it's still taking the bent of
13:31
criticism and there's no room for criticism.
13:33
When someone serving the lord, like there are seeking the Lord
13:36
even if great mistakes were made.
13:38
I don't like constructive criticism.
13:40
I don't want to hear your constructive.
13:42
ISM. But I do invite this.
13:44
I would love to hear your feedback.
13:46
I would love to hear your feedback.
13:47
I invite you to give feedback and I invite you to give your
13:51
observations so that we can pray through them and we can learn
13:54
from them but I'm not interested in all your criticism because
13:57
criticism just kind of whether it's constructive or not, it
14:00
Just pierces the heart, but feedback gives freedom in a
14:03
relationship in a love relationship and Christ that we
14:07
could talk about hard things and we just make the commitment.
14:09
I will not be personally offended by you.
14:12
Find a help me with your observations, a person with the
14:15
gift of leadership, this gifting lives in that realm all the
14:19
time. They're always drawing
14:20
information and wanting to improve.
14:23
Like you even you, you know, if you minister with somebody, with
14:26
the gift of leadership and you did something and, you know, you
14:28
just hit a home run with it, you just did the best that you could
14:31
and it just seemed like everything you may not.
14:34
You don't be surprised if someone with the gift of
14:35
leadership saw the same exact thing and saw three different
14:38
ways to improve it. It's not to say you Do a good
14:42
job. It's just how they're wired.
14:44
This is the way God made them and we need you in the body of
14:49
Christ. We need that.
14:50
I for excellence. We need that organizing part men
14:55
and women with the gift of leading often would be be able
14:58
to see the big picture. When other people don't see the
15:00
big picture or another phrase. You might be familiar with.
15:04
They see things in 360 36. That means a full picture.
15:08
Like, for example, if if we were talking about The placement of
15:13
this Podium, this Pulpit on the stage and we were going to, hey,
15:17
let's take a 360 approach to it. They would walk around the whole
15:20
thing and see this side and see this corner and see this screen
15:24
and see this corner and see this side and see this and see inside
15:28
and see down here and all the wires and some of you are like I
15:32
don't I don't really even care about any of that you're
15:35
probably not gifted with the gift of leading.
15:37
That's okay but to take a whole approach and where does it fit
15:41
in? How does it work in every area
15:45
of ministry here at Calvary? We spend a lot of time behind
15:50
the scenes, taking care of what everything that I'm talking
15:54
about right now. So that, when you show up here
15:57
in the place of worship, you can fully worship God and not worry
16:01
about any of it. It's a lot of work behind the
16:04
scenes in order for us to create an environment.
16:08
So that you could truly worship god, without distraction, or The
16:12
least amount of distractions and it takes a few people with the
16:15
gift of leadership to make that happen.
16:19
Because people with this gift or organized, they want to know
16:22
what's up ahead. They want to know what's coming
16:25
because they like to plan their often good planners.
16:30
Now before we move on to see how it operated in the life of
16:33
Jesus, I want to pinpoint just one attribute of this gift.
16:37
That's very important. Those gifted with the gift of
16:40
leadership. Tend to Be very good people
16:43
persons. They tend to be very good with
16:47
people. They just work well with people
16:50
in the world. You might say that they have
16:52
good customer relations or they're the kind of boss that
16:56
you want to work with that you will go.
16:58
I know when I was working in the corporate world and they would
17:00
move me from office to office, there would always be two or
17:03
three people that would come with me and I'd invite them and
17:06
they say, yes, I want to work for you.
17:07
I don't care where you are, how far we need to drive.
17:10
We want to keep this team together.
17:12
And so it's important that you realize this gifting is operated
17:17
within the realm of people. The whole purpose of the church
17:21
is to connect you with other people so you can connect other
17:24
people with the gospel with Jesus.
17:27
And if you're not a good people person, you will not experience
17:30
this. Gift being exercised, it won't
17:34
work. Even if you get a few things
17:35
done, even if you get I have met people that say they have this
17:40
gift but they have been horrible.
17:42
With people and they got things done but it wasn't from the
17:46
Lord. Don't confuse getting things
17:49
done. Because with this operating this
17:53
gift operating don't, I'm trying to formulate this, don't confuse
17:56
getting things done, while people are getting hurt with the
18:01
spiritual gift of leadership because the spiritual gift of
18:04
leadership is getting things done.
18:06
People first, you guys understand that.
18:09
So I just made that up in my head right now.
18:12
So hopefully it came out clear, but it's not like made up.
18:14
It's like it's reality. Like, like I've seen people to
18:17
give the ministration just plow through people.
18:20
You know, where we got Buckley up here and so you have that
18:23
military background and just barking orders, and bossing, I
18:26
noticed, even in the military, there's a sense where there's
18:29
people. I would like to serve in their
18:30
Authority and there's people, I don't like the sir, like the
18:33
church doesn't need a bunch of military, people barking orders
18:36
and telling people what to do because I'll get it done.
18:39
But then you're not working with them, you're not serving them.
18:41
You're not checking on their lives.
18:42
Are not praying for them. We don't need somebody.
18:44
That's just can get things done. We need men and women that are
18:47
operating in this gift. Getting things done.
18:50
As unto the Lord. So we never want to forget that.
18:53
This gift is directly connected with you being good with people
18:58
caring about them, loving them, shepherding them.
19:03
And so what that means is this particular gifting operates
19:07
where you have the ability to see jobs that need to get done
19:11
and you motivate others and you what we, what we would call
19:14
here, raise up people in the ministry, disciple them and help
19:19
them discern. Their Epps and help people find
19:22
where they need a plug-in and it's just an amazing thing.
19:27
So, oftentimes assistant pastors have this gift administrator
19:32
church, but really love people and they do a lot of desk work,
19:35
but they're doing desk work with the idea of ministering and
19:39
helping people. So let's look at it in the life
19:42
of Jesus. Would you turn in your Bibles to
19:43
Mark chapter 6. So we're following the same
19:46
pattern all the gifts. So let's look at this and I'm
19:49
going to show you a very We familiar passage of scripture
19:52
that you may have read hundreds of times and never noticed that
19:56
gift of administration inside of it as Jesus gives Direction.
20:01
So go with me to Mark chapter 6 and when you get there, go to
20:04
verse 38, Mark, chapter 6 in verse 38, This is the feeding of
20:13
the five thousand. It's a big problem or a big
20:16
need. There are hungry people.
20:18
Jesus don't want, doesn't want to send them away hungry, but
20:22
how do you feed 5000 or if they have wives and kids with them?
20:25
How do you feed 10,000 people with very little resources.
20:29
So notice what in verse 38, it says But he said to them, how
20:35
many loaves do you have go and see?
20:38
So he immediately sees the problem and starts to address
20:41
it. We need to find out what we
20:42
have. That's a natural.
20:45
I mean I think any of us would come up with that kind of I
20:47
mean, Maybe not, maybe some of you would come with this and go,
20:49
all we can never do this, we can never do this.
20:51
What are we doing? Why are we here?
20:53
They're going to be so mad at us but Jesus, no, we got a problem.
20:56
What do we have? And then notice what he says, it
21:00
says they came back. They said they have five and two
21:03
fish. And it says, well, how many
21:05
loaves do you have five and two fish verse 39 and they commanded
21:09
them to make them all sit down, notice in groups on the Green
21:14
Grass and they sat down and it's even greater groups in ranks in
21:20
hundreds and in 50s. So he immediately the direction.
21:25
Remember, Jesus is 100% man, and 100% God.
21:30
So in his Humanity here he sets it up and goes we are a lot of
21:32
people here. Let's let's Let's take this big
21:35
group and make it smaller groups because it'll be easier to deal
21:38
with smaller groups. So make them sit down, find out
21:40
what we have is he already knows he's going to be the miracle is
21:43
going to happen but he's also helping the disciples and to
21:46
training them, get them in groups.
21:48
It's going to be easier to feed them.
21:50
We'll know when we finish. If we finish one group and go on
21:53
to the next group, go on to the next group and he just organizes
21:56
the whole thing that fast. He didn't sit down and do the
21:59
math and get out of pencil, you know, I'm a calculator.
22:02
It's like hey I know how I'm going to do this and this is
22:05
what I want you to do and you see it repeated even in Luke
22:08
chapter 9 with this same thing. And if you look carefully,
22:12
especially those of you have the gift Administration, you'll see
22:15
it operating in Jesus a lot. Remember all seven giftings
22:18
operated in Jesus because they represent him but you'll see it
22:21
all over. You'll see how organized he is,
22:24
how focused he is and we know in First Corinthians we learned the
22:28
Of God is that he is a God that loves things done decently and
22:33
in order this is just the heartbeat of God, he loves
22:38
things, he doesn't like disorder.
22:40
He doesn't like disorder. Purpose of one of the reasons is
22:43
that the devil loves to fish in Troubled Waters.
22:46
He loves to fish and disorganized messy chaotic
22:50
situations, where your guard is down.
22:53
God says, no, I want things done decently and in order, God says
22:57
to us, I want you to do the The best that you can with what you
23:00
have, I want you to do it with excellence and give God your
23:04
best, not your second or third best.
23:07
Now where did it operate in the New Testament?
23:09
Number three, we're already in Acts chapter 6 and we see it
23:14
operating in the leadership and Acts chapter 6.
23:16
When there was a difficulty with the widows and the church was at
23:20
a Crossroads, a great difficulty, there's a lot of
23:23
complaining and murmuring and fighting and infighting.
23:26
What did the disciples do? Stood up, they started to
23:30
organize the whole thing. Hey, we can't leave teaching
23:32
we're going to keep doing what we're doing but you know, we
23:34
need help. So here's how we're going to get
23:36
that help. I want you to find these men and
23:38
then when you find them, I want you to put them through a
23:40
vetting process and this is it. I want you to look at their
23:43
character. Make sure they're men with
23:45
filled with the Holy Spirit men of wisdom.
23:47
You they gave the criteria and then there they gave training to
23:50
them on how they're going to distribute everything and then
23:54
the problem was solved. And you read through in a free
23:57
versus, you don't see it but I totally see it.
24:00
Each piece of the ingredient of the direction, was an
24:05
administrative organizing Direction, so that the problem
24:11
might be solved. Let me give you another one.
24:13
That's not from the New Covenant, New Testament, but
24:15
from the Old Testament, people with the gift of administration,
24:19
really loved the life of Nehemiah, he was a gifted
24:25
leader. Now remember, God is the same
24:27
yesterday today and forever. So the characteristics that are
24:30
given to us through the Holy Spirit, they were given to men
24:32
and women to in the Old Testament.
24:34
And Nehemiah remember he came, he came with this great
24:38
Monumental task to rebuild the walls to rebuild the Temple to
24:43
organize, the people that had just given up on God, and just
24:47
let everything go into disrepair and Nehemiah came back to
24:50
motivate them. Stir them, encourage them, and
24:54
direct them. And So people with the gift of
24:56
administration, just love the book of Nehemiah because it is
24:59
all about getting things done in the Lord and you may want to
25:04
read it yourself. Just to say maybe I have this
25:06
gift will read Nehemiah and see if he doesn't encourage you I
25:09
love Nehemiah. He is one of those brothers that
25:12
you would want in your life so that you can he can lead you.
25:16
I love to follow men like Nehemiah, I love to follow men
25:20
and women that have this gifting that know where we're going.
25:25
And what? Willing to take us there.
25:27
Okay, as we wind down again, we're going to end a little
25:30
early today because we're going to end sitting at the table with
25:33
Jesus at Communion. But before we do that, let's
25:37
look at some hazards, or some dangers or some personality
25:41
traits you want to watch out for so they're in no particular
25:44
order. Number one, If you have this
25:49
gifting you risk planning the Holy Spirit out of things, you
25:55
risk planning, the Holy Spirit out of things.
25:58
And and what I mean by that is that you just get so caught up
26:01
in getting things, done that. You forget about people, you
26:04
forget about the empowering in the leading of the Holy Spirit,
26:07
your task list is far more important than the spirit or
26:11
getting something done is far more important than prayer, and
26:14
you could easily run roughshod over people's lives.
26:18
Fives and you don't you're not listening to the Lord anymore.
26:22
Somebody put it this way. There's always a danger thinking
26:24
that perspiration all this hard work can replace inspiration
26:30
because for the person that has this gift you, if you're not
26:34
doing something practical, you think you're not doing something
26:38
at all. And so prayer, just kind of
26:41
waiting on the Lord is Antiquated to any progress in
26:43
your life, but you can make more progress in prayer, then you can
26:46
finishing a task list. Any day of the week, trusting in
26:50
the Lord and getting directions, you want to be careful with
26:52
that. Zechariah 4:6 is one of those
26:56
passages that we cling to in ministry here when zerubbabel
26:59
was faced with the same difficulty that time of
27:02
Nehemiah. And he's looking at what a big
27:04
job, it was and how impossible it was.
27:06
The Lord spoke to him and said, this is the word of the Lord.
27:11
Not by might not by power, but by my spirit, says, the Lord of
27:17
hosts. So, if you get things done
27:18
without the spirit, you really got enough, you really have
27:21
gotten nothing done. It must be led by the spirit and
27:24
where none of us are going to hit this perfectly because we're
27:26
human and we make mistakes and we fall.
27:28
But the goal is to be in the spirit, following his lead and
27:33
obeying him. Number two, here's another big
27:37
danger for someone with this. Gifting you risk lording.
27:40
Over others, you risk, lording over others Shepherds.
27:46
Don't lead by intimidation or by threats, or by asserting power,
27:51
or by dropping titles, or by demanding or commanding.
27:55
Those are not attributes of a Shepherd.
27:58
We lead, by example, and we lead by our servanthood and so be
28:02
sure that this gifting to continually encourage those that
28:05
you work with current courage them and what they're doing.
28:08
Encourage them in the Lord. So that you're not just, you
28:11
don't just become a boss because you've been given a title, but
28:15
the place that you are as God trusted you with this, you've
28:19
been found faithful. So, he's entrusted you with more
28:22
and it's not so you might become a boss and check out or I think
28:25
the phrase that is used today as you just start phoning it in and
28:30
you just start seeing people as your resources instead of the
28:34
Precious Blood Bought men and women that are your friends and
28:37
your co-laborers and that we're in this together.
28:41
Number three, it's they kind of go together.
28:44
You risk using intimidation to get your way.
28:49
You you risk using intimidation. This is totally how the business
28:52
World works just a lot of fear intimidation and this is just
28:57
week worldly leadership. That has no place in the church
29:02
and no place among Christian leaders, intimidating and
29:06
threatening people in order to get something done, if that's
29:09
you just stop it. Or get out of leadership.
29:13
We don't want you here, we don't want your leading like that.
29:15
That's not from the Lord number 4.
29:18
If you have this gifting, you have to be careful with getting
29:21
irritated and grouchy. Or as we learned last night
29:26
grumpy or frustrated all the time, because people aren't
29:32
doing what you want them to do. Many times that's a reflection
29:37
on your leadership, not theirs. And if you're not careful,
29:41
you'll start to project your frustrations on the people that
29:44
God called you to serve. And of course, it's going to be
29:47
hard and of course it's going to be challenging.
29:50
And of course they have something that of course, that's
29:53
part of the package. But you have to be careful
29:56
because your role from God is to bring order from chaos.
30:01
So, as you step into chaos, you have to be careful that that
30:04
chaos doesn't get to you. It doesn't frustrate you and it
30:10
will it will get to you, rub you the wrong way.
30:11
It'll somebody doesn't do. Something doesn't follow through
30:14
or whatever it'll especially if you're working with a lot of
30:17
people because there's always something to deal with you might
30:21
you know you just say your work. You just think of the 12 people
30:23
that follow Jesus. You know, he's dealing with one
30:25
thing with this guy. But then I always got another
30:27
thing, they fixed that one, and he's got another thing.
30:29
They fix out one, and there's three other things and that's
30:32
just a lot. That's your life.
30:33
It's never going to go away. That's why you're a leader
30:35
people if we didn't need leadership, God wouldn't give
30:37
us. Leaders if he didn't, we didn't
30:39
need problem solved. He wouldn't give us things.
30:42
People that can solve problems and so you can easily get
30:45
frustrated because people don't think like you and you can
30:48
easily get frustrated cause they don't see things like you do,
30:51
you can easily get frustrated because even after you explain
30:53
something to someone they do still don't get it and you just
30:56
have to remember this is your gifting and you want to learn to
31:00
walk in the spirit and one of the attributes or the fruit of
31:03
the spirit is long-suffering that's long.
31:07
NG suffering not with circumstances.
31:10
But with people patients and just be patient.
31:15
I know you want to get things done.
31:18
But the chaos needs your help. Another word to be careful of
31:23
with this gifting is that you get irritated a lot.
31:27
You're irritable but just pray that the Lord would give you
31:30
patience. So you could love people that
31:32
you're serving lead them not to your flesh but rather lead them
31:36
to the cross of Jesus because then you'll end up there too.
31:40
And then at the Cross of Christ, you'll remember that he bids us
31:43
to follow him by first denying ourselves.
31:47
And we can't forget the cause of Christ in the church.
31:50
Here's another one. It might be surprising to you.
31:51
If you have this gift number 5, if you have this gifting, you
31:54
have to be very careful because you risk getting lazy.
31:59
And procrastinating. There's a there's a very
32:02
difficult day. You risk getting lazy because
32:06
things come so easy for you because things come so easy for.
32:10
You get a new routine, you're not pressing into the things of
32:14
God. You are you can plan things so
32:16
you can you can run it list or you can run a task this or you
32:19
can you can follow your plans but then what that does is
32:22
develop in you are lack of diligence to keep going and to
32:26
keep growing And so you get lazy.
32:30
That's why Paul says in Romans 12, if you have this gift you
32:34
need to lead with diligence. And I know I know you get tired
32:39
and I know it gets hard and I get it but you need to press on
32:43
because you're important to the body and we don't need the
32:45
people with gifted Administration being lazy and
32:48
then how about putting things off, you know?
32:50
Because you this is a big part of the flesh, it's kind of
32:52
prideful procrastination is not just laziness, but there's an
32:56
element of procrastination. Are well, you know, I know I can
32:59
get it done so quickly, so I'll just put it off instead of doing
33:02
it. Now I can do it last minute but
33:04
then what happens is is you don't make room for emergencies.
33:09
You don't make room like if God gave you some to get done today,
33:12
then you got to get it done today because you don't know
33:14
what tomorrow is going to bring. You can't say, well I'll get it
33:16
done in two weeks. Well you don't know what the two
33:18
weeks, this something may happen in the next two weeks are going
33:22
to take your attention, take you.
33:23
So you don't want to be lazy, you want to be diligent diligent
33:27
and It interesting that some of your strengths like you're a
33:32
strong person that that's diligent already and can plan,
33:35
isn't it interesting that some of your strengths can actually
33:37
be the source of some of the worst weaknesses in your life
33:41
where you start to lean on them instead of leaning on the Lord?
33:44
And we are so complicated. Maybe I'm completely are you?
33:47
So complicated. Our lives have so many layers to
33:50
them that it's best to just surrender to the Lord.
33:55
So good, such a place of rest. Number six, another risk is that
34:00
you get tired burned out and then bummed out and then we
34:06
don't get to enjoy your gift. You get tired burned out because
34:10
you're a doer and people know it, they made up a lot of things
34:13
on. You may come to work tomorrow
34:14
morning and there's a stack of new work on your desk.
34:18
Why? Because somebody sees that
34:20
you're a very diligent worker. Now it's frustrating, you know,
34:22
want to do everybody's work for them but Before you get all
34:25
upset and go into HR about it. Just look at that stack of work
34:28
and go. Wow!
34:29
Got you have given somebody The View that I get my work done and
34:34
then go into HR and say I don't want to do everyone's work but
34:36
that's a different topic altogether.
34:38
We were doing some leadership development.
34:41
That's why I flew off to support.
34:42
The team in Newark is to do some leadership development.
34:46
They do a week of leadership development.
34:48
So, I did a couple classes. One of the questions that came
34:51
up in the Q&A was and this is important for For the gift of
34:55
leadership. One of the questions came up
34:57
about this topic of balance. And so they were saying, you
35:00
know, Pastor how do you, how do you balance everything I do?
35:02
You balance work life and home life, and church life, and all
35:05
that life. And I'm going to give you the
35:07
answer. I gave them the way.
35:09
I gave it to them and and I'll say it this way, you may be
35:12
surprised by my answer and you may not even agree with my
35:16
answer, but I ask you to consider it.
35:18
Nonetheless, you ready? How do you handle balance?
35:21
Let me just answer that. There is no such thing.
35:25
As balance. It doesn't exist.
35:31
It doesn't exist the way that people say.
35:34
So how do I balance? It's almost like I've 100%.
35:37
So, can I give 30% here and 30% their 33 and a third percent
35:40
here and then everything's balanced, life is not like that
35:45
and there's no such thing as balance because you can only do
35:48
one thing at a time. And so, when you're doing one
35:53
thing at a time, that means you're not doing other things at
35:57
that time. I'll give you an example.
36:00
Maybe you've never considered this, but for the 90 minutes
36:04
that you've invested in this worship service, the 90 minutes
36:08
were about 60 minutes into it right now.
36:10
Coming to a close, the 90 minutes that you've invested.
36:13
You will never get back. Never you will never make it up.
36:20
You will never know that. I've got 90 minutes planned
36:23
later this afternoon, so I can make up for the 90 minutes this
36:26
morning. Well, that's another 90 minutes.
36:28
You will never get back, you can't replace time.
36:34
And I think the more you use the way the world in your language,
36:38
the farther you drift from God, the language of the Bible and
36:43
Ministry and particular in a gift of leading.
36:44
Here's the language of the Bible.
36:46
The language of the Bible is sacrifice not balanced, it's
36:52
sacrifice. God has called us to a life of
36:56
sacrifice. So, count the cost, make sure
36:59
you understand. It's going to cost you in.
37:01
This is not just a, the Bible thing, you know, people Say
37:04
things in the world and they think they made it up, they
37:06
didn't make it up. I remember they want or Week 1
37:09
in my macro economics class. They taught us something that
37:13
they called the Eakin are the opportunity cost.
37:17
And you live with opportunity costs every day of your life and
37:19
it's simply this, you ready? If you do a and you choose to do
37:24
a, you cannot do be at the same time.
37:29
A costs, you be little economic class.
37:34
You guys with me, okay? A cost you be it's the same in
37:38
life. If you make a decision to be a
37:41
place you can't be in another place at the same time.
37:45
And so there's no balance on what happens is balance.
37:47
Now has been another burden that's placed upon our shoulders
37:52
that can be quite frustrating because I want you to know you
37:55
probably have never felt in your life you've been balanced ever.
37:59
It's like one day it'll be there.
38:00
One day, it'll be there. It won't.
38:02
If you have young kids in the in the home it's going to be a
38:05
different cost. If your kids have moved out,
38:08
it's going to be a different cost.
38:09
If you're in a place where you have to work, two jobs right
38:11
now, it's going to come with the cost if God has called you into
38:14
leadership. Chip, it's going to come with a
38:16
cost everything costs. So the decision is, is that I'm
38:20
going to live a life of sacrifice that honors God.
38:24
So instead of seeking balance, this is what Jesus said.
38:28
Ready. It's a very simple life seek
38:32
first. Kingdom of God, and his
38:35
righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.
38:39
But instead, we bought the lie and we're going after all these
38:42
things, balanced accountability. Got to make this.
38:46
We're running after all these things.
38:47
And we never have a piece in our heart that God, God has us
38:50
exactly what we're doing, exactly when we need to do it.
38:53
And somebody with the gift of leading has to understand this
38:56
because it's so much And I just the way I've interpreted over my
39:01
life and over my life, is this wherever God has me.
39:04
That's where he wants me. Imma be faithful right there.
39:08
And I'm not going to be worried about where I'm not or what I
39:11
want or Covetous or anything you and it helps you not to be
39:15
tired. Now, I don't mean physically
39:17
tired. Of course we're all going to get
39:19
physically tired, but the language of the of the Bible
39:22
again is not balanced. The language of the Bible is and
39:26
this is this is all elementary stuff.
39:27
This is like ABCs of Walking with God.
39:29
You ready? There's the language of the
39:31
Bible. Work six days.
39:34
Rest. The seventh.
39:36
That's what God says, you're tired.
39:38
Work 6 days and make sure you rest the day and then our Good
39:42
Old Country added a day. Thank you very much so work. 5
39:46
days and rest, two days and make it meaningful rest.
39:51
Not only that, but it pointed to a much greater, the Sabbath
39:54
pointed to a much greater rest and that is in all your work and
39:58
all your play. You need to learn how to rest in
40:01
the Lord because Jesus is your Sabbath.
40:05
So what did he teach us John 15 abide in Christ?
40:09
He says abide in me and I'll abide in you and he takes care
40:13
of those rough edges. So, you have the gift of
40:16
leadership. Be careful because you can be
40:19
irritated and do so much and then you get tired.
40:21
Tired. Then you get burned out then you
40:23
get bummed out and before you know it a stressed-out leader
40:27
will stress out. Everyone who works with her or
40:29
him. And we got doesn't want stress.
40:32
He doesn't want you burned out. He doesn't want you serving to
40:35
impress, everybody just abide in Christ, rest.
40:38
Well and work hard and God will honor that in summary.
40:43
God has given some men and women in the church.
40:45
The supernatural ability to motivate Inspire organize and
40:50
direct. Others in the work of the
40:53
Kingdom. Father, we pray for your spirit
40:56
to take these truths. Thank you.
40:58
God ahead of time for the men and women with the gift of
41:01
leadership, may you multiply their number among us as you're
41:06
doing a new thing among us and doing a new thing in our lives.
41:09
In our church life, we want all of these gifts to rise up and be
41:13
heard and be used so that we might in more ways be the
41:17
church. So bless the men and women that
41:21
are here among us today. And maybe exercise these gifts
41:24
and your kingdom in Jesus name. Amen.
41:29
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
41:31
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
41:35
prayer. Call us at 877, 30 Grace.
41:39
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
41:45
entirety, or to join us for our live stream.
41:49
Visit us online at Calvary. Co dot church or download our
41:54
free Calvary Church app be blessed as you worship Jesus
41:57
this week.