These are my notes from Nowra City Church’s Quarterly Leadership Meeting 29th August 2012
As a leader – you are a leader and you are a follower. I want to you to remember that as we watch this clip
1) A leader needs the guts to stand alone
The Courage of leadership
God told Joshua 4 times, Be strong and Courageous
Joshua 1:3-7
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
The Lion’s Tail
Adrian Rogers tells about the man who bragged that he had cut off the tail of a man-eating lion with his pocket knife. Asked why he hadn’t cut off the lion’s head, the man replied: “Someone had already done that.”
It’s easy sometimes to be cocky, and pretend to be brave..but what Joshua needed was true bravery, and courage.
Let’s take a look at how Joshua could be “strong, and courageous…and how we can as well.
1. Stand on the Promises. V 3. What an awesome promise !
2. Sense the Presence. V.5 ….as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
3. Stay the Path V7. If Joshua is to be “strong, and courageous” he must stay the path…he must not turn…he must not compromise…he must not become distracted….he must not become detoured from what the will of God is.
4. Start the Process. V.11 What God had told Joshua would have been no good if he had not begin to assimilate this plan.
11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”
30 overlooked Acts of Leadership Courage.
Source: http://www.aspire-cs.com/30-overlooked-acts-of-leadership-courage
- Speak up when you know you’ll be judged harshly.
- Shut up and let others have their say even if you think you are right.
- Give critical feedback to someone in power when you know it might have unfavorable consequences.
- Receive critical feedback from others with grace.
- Develop others without fear even when you know they may become smarter than you are.
- Be kind to those who disagree with you because they might teach you something.
- Coach and mentor others even if it’s not part of your job description.
- Say no when everyone else is saying yes.
- Say yes when everyone else is saying no.
- Accept responsibility for the shameful or embarrassing things you’ve done.
- Take the high road when you know how difficult it can be.
- Walk away when the fight isn’t worth it.
- Stay and fight for the greater good when everyone else is running away from it.
- Reflect deeply when you really just want to take action.
- Love your followers even when you’re unhappy with them.
- Forgive others’ failures when you know they’ve learned an important lesson.
- Give others credit even when you’d like to take it for yourself.
- Keep going when the going gets really, really tough.
- Connect with your heart when your head wants to rule.
- Connect with your head when your emotions are threatening to take over.
- Ask “what’s right” when you prefer to be critical.
- Be curious when you’d rather be judgmental.
- Step out of your comfort zone when you hate stepping out or being uncomfortable.
- Listen to others deeply, without giving advice.
- Ask when you really want to tell.
- Do things a different way even though it’s “always been done this way”.
- See the potential in others when everyone else sees what’s wrong with them.
- Admit your failings when you think you’re supposed to be perfect.
- Control your impulses and desires when the temptation is greatest.
- Reduce suffering because you can.
2) Must be easy to follow
2.1) The Power of Leadership modeling
People look to you to see how to behave
At church, someone is always watching you.
- Taking notes in church or facebooking
- What is your response to a sermon or to worship
- When church starts are you in at 10am or do you model that its ok to walk in at 10:08
2.2) The imperative of Leadership reproduction
Matthew 28 – is the chapter on the great commission – we are here to reproduce ourselves as disciples of Christ
Emphasis
- Getting followers is the core definition of leadership
- Transforming followers is the core of leadership
3) The first follower has a crucial role
3.1) He shows initiative
Definition
The power or ability to begin or to follow through energetically with a plan or task; enterprise and determination
Without prompting or direction from others; on one’s own
I think at times there is a lack of initiative amongst leaders in the church universal
We want other people to make things happen for us.
We even get over to the victim mentality – where when something doesn’t happen the way we want we say – woe is me – then get over into Leadership Self Pity
Jonah has Leadership self Pity.
In terms of your leadership be an original thinker, a provocateur. Be a lynchpin in the organisation, someone who brings people together and who makes a positive difference.
3.2) He shares the passion of the lone nut
I have preached a lot over the years on passion, enthusiasm and positive attitude.
They are all very powerful in terms of influence and in terms of getting momentum in your leadership
Dancing Guy was dancing for quite a long time before he finally sparked a movement: Other videos show him dancing for at least 20 minutes before the video above was shot.
It’s noteworthy that the guy the narrator dubs the “First Follower” technically wasn’t first. Those other videos show a dozen people interacting with Dancing Guy before First Follower comes on the scene. Most of those others seem self-conscious, including one man who’s egged on by his friends shooting the video to actually mock Dancing Guy–not that Dancing Guy cared.
What distinguished First Follower wasn’t that he was first in line, but that he shared Dancing Guy’s passion, his unselfconscious playfulness. He wasn’t first, but he was the first to stick around, and that’s what made the difference.
4) The leader embraces him as an equal.
Leadership is not about the prominence or power of position. Its about making meaningful connection with those around you.
How to connect with the people around you
1) Share your heart – be vulnerable to them
2) Love them
3) Celebrate with them
4) Presence yourself with them
5) Share vision and strategy
5)Its not about him anymore, its about them – leadership involves celebrating community
In his book The Connecting Church, Author Randy Frazee writes, “The experience of authentic community is one of the purposes God intends to be fulfilled by the church. The writings of Scripture lead one to conclude that God intends the church, not to be one more bolt on the wheel of activity in our lives, but the very hub at the center of one’s life…..”(36/995)
Acts 2:44 says, “…ALL THAT BELIEVED WERE TOGETHER…”
It wasn’t easy to follow Christ in the first century. Times were tough and persecution rampant. The early believers were bound together into a fellowship, a community. They needed each other; there is strength in numbers.- It also isn’t easy for us to follow Christ and truly live for Him. Discouragement. Temptation. Sin. Apathy. Failure. Materialism. Unbelieving family and friends. Doubts. Rejection. Unanswered questions. We face so many obstacles in our desire to live for the Lord. God, however has not left us on our own to run the race and fight the battle. He has given us each other.
Our text reveals to us the proper focus of a community of believers. Acts 2:42 says, “THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE APOSTLES’ TEACHING AND TO FELLOWSHIP,TO THE BREAKING OF BREAD AND TO PRAYER.”
6) Leadership involves invitation and recruitment
The first follower is now inviting his friends.
Talk about Ohlife.com – I love it and so I rave about it. When we find something good we want to tell our friends. Except when we find Christ or find a good church. Leaders or first followers must be great at inviting and recruiting
When was the last time you asked someone to follow you
When was the last time you invited some to be part of your department
It’s a numbers game – leadership must recruit – thats part of your role
7) It takes guts to be the first follower as you stand out and face ridicule
Don’t be bullied into silence.
The devil walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devor – have you ever wondered what the Plan B is – if the devil cant take you out.
He will neutralize you
Talk about the Gibeonites. They neutralized the rampaging army of the Israelites
One strategy that I see happening right now to neutralize Christians – is to bully them into silence.
The hypocrisy of intolerant tolerance
The definition of tolerance – which espouses ‘validity and equality of all viewpoints’.
The new tolerance movement, teaches that you have to understand, respect, and accept all values and viewpoints.
Its core philosophy of ‘live and let live’ therefore leaves no room for absolute truth and morality.
This new breed of ‘tolerance’, however, is completely intolerant of the viewpoint that other viewpoints can be morally wrong.
So it is not surprising, sadly, that it is often coupled with extreme intolerance towards Christianity.
Quote from Byran Chapel
Nothing is more intolerant than a tolerance that requires the absence of all convictions. Tolerance – once defined as respecting others rights to hold different perspectives, has morphed into a pervasive insistence that no one should hold firm convictions
The ‘gay’movement is in the forefront of such hypocritically intolerant tolerance. :- where they beg for tolerance for their activities on the one hand, but advocate punishing all dissent on the other.
Talk about my experience on facebook – I get slammed for my views – because I am deemed to be intolerant
My question is – shouldn’t someone who preaches tolerance, tolerate those who they deem to be intolerant
But yet my passionate Christianity is not being tolerated.
The danger of the doctrine of tolerance is that we are bullied into silence.
It’s like when people accuse me of being judgmental because I stand for righteousness.
I always ask them the question:-But aren’t you being judgmental by accusing me of being judgmental
Tolerance is aimed at silencing Christians and moving the church to a position where they are unable to define sin. Which then means – if there is no sin – there is no need for a saviour.
I refuse to be silenced.
Tolerance is a tool to tame those who post modernists deem to be offensive.
8) Being the first follower is an underappreciated form of leadership
Talk about the power of appreciation
The power of encouragement
Here are some ways to communicate appreciation
1.A heart felt thank-you note/card.
2.Gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop.
3.Fresh baking for their early morning meeting.
4.Lend a hand when a friend or family member is painting or remodeling their home.
5.Cook a meal so they don’t have to after a long day at work.
6.Frame one of their favorite pictures.
7.Pick up some groceries and drop them off on your way home.
8.Return a favor. If your neighbor always shovels your walk way or mows your grass get out there before him or her and do theirs for a change.
9. Give a hug. Yes it can be that simple.
10. Tell them what you think they are particularly great at.
11. Write notes to leave on a pillow, a computer keyboard, or in a lunch box.
12. Have your own version of Orange Frog – Kitchen Volunteer of the month
13. Make a post on their facebook wall
14. Nominate them for an award – Lynley’s Australia Day Award
15. Celebrate with them when they have a victory
16. Invite people over to your place for a meal
9) The first follower transforms a loan nut into leader
Never underestimate the power of being in a leadership team, but not the senior leader.
“The first follower is the spark that really makes the fire go.”
Talk about the importance of the spreading the fire
Become a Buzz Ambassador.
Positive buzz is so powerful
Talk the church up on social media
Talk your department up
Talk the city up
Be a buzz ambassador
10) New followers emulate other followers not the leader
Leadership Modelling
Here is a good question. If every new person that joined the church over the next 12 months, ended up like you in 5 years time, would the church be a better place
Because that is ultimately what is happening.
11) Now we have momentum
Positive momentum is your best friend
Go through how to get positive momentum
Things to produce momentum
1. Do Something
Doing nothing produces nothing
To attract life and momentum start to inject life into the church.
“Despise not the day of small beginnings”
2. Take responsibility for momentum
3. Apply the principle of massive action.
The most important part of the 100 metre sprint – is leaving the blocks.
4. Effectively promote any success that you have
5. Immediately follow one success with another
6. Strategically use events to generate momentum
7. Make Heros of Momentum makers
8. Be very sensitive to the momentum of your department
9. Have an achievable vision that people can start moving towards– in other words, create a focus and create a win for your team
10. The God Factor.
Fast and pray for the Favour of God
12) They will be part of the in crowd
People want to be part of something that has positive momentum. A community that inspires people is unstoppable.
I would love to have Nowra City Church be more of an inspirational place
13) Courageously follow and show others how to follow
We are all followers. We follow Christ.
Leadership is simply influential followership – where we influence other followers to follow Christ.
How big is your circle of influence as a leader
If this Blog has been helpful to you, please feel free to share it on Facebook or Twitter. Email Subscriptions to my blog are welcome. Have a great day.
Peter
Categories: Nowra City Church, Sermon Notes
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