Leadership Fridays: 10 Lifetime Leadership Lessons from Chuck Swindol

From Justin Taylor's Blog (HT: Z):

Chuck Swindoll, accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at Catalyst 09, offered the following lessons he has learned:

1. It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.
2. It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually he uses leaders who have been crushed.
3. It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in Seminary.
4. It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.
5. It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.
6. Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7. Attitude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.
8. Integrity eclipses image. Today we highlight image. But it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.
9. God’s way is better than my way.
10. Christlikeness begins and ends with humility.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4.16)

A Passionate Plea to Reject the Prosperity Gospel (video feat. J. Piper)

Many have referred to this and I will risk being redundant, it is simply too good to not post.

John Piper explains why the so-called "prosperity gospel" is not the gospel.

"Real, Gritty Joy: Stand Firm" - Week 9

Week 9 in our series on Paul's letter to the Philippians.

"One of the tests that can be applied to determine whether a movement is of God - though certainly not the only one - is to observe to what degree those affected are making it their aim to be known for gentleness. In this, they are becoming like their Master." D.A. Carson

Summary: "Stand Firm: Philippians 4:1-13"

After establishing the case for enduring joy in the Lord, Paul turns in Philippians chapter 4 to what will allow us to stand firm in that joy.

Paul contends that we can hold our joy firm to the end if we:

1. Let our gentleness to all reveal the true depth of the Gospel in our soul.
2. Let our requests be made in the light of the Gospel when we are anxious.
3. Let our mind proactively ruminate on the Gospel when we are not anxious.
4. Let our expectations be solely on the promises offered to us in the Gospel.

We risk a life of anxiety and self-centered concern if we don't. This misses the point of our salvation and robs us of our joy.

Stand firm the joy of your salvation: rejoice, be gentle to all, pray and think like the Lord is near.

Listen to "Stand Firm"

Additional Resources

Discussion Questions

"Lurking and nourished sins are always a sign..." (D.A. Carson)

"crisp, bold and unqualified" and nailed to the door: Reformation Day Reflections

Today is a day to celebrate the perseverance of the most attacked message in history. It was in Martin Luther's day. It is today. And, as it survived utter distortion in Luther's day, it will survive every attack today. The Gospel of Jesus Christ's death in the place of sinners as the sole ground for their salvation will remain.

Consider what Luther stood against on this day in 1517. Nearly the entire Christian world had accepted another "gospel." Indulgences and religious works cleared the conscience of the faithful. The Church was the mediator between God and Man. The cross of Christ was relegated to a magic symbol and Jesus Christ stood, not as Savior, but as the supreme law giver.

This dark day is well described in Roland Bainton's Here I Stand:

The proclamation of this indulgence was entrusted to the Dominican Tetzel, an experienced vendor. As he approached a town, he was met by the dignitaries, who then entered with him in solemn procession. A cross bearing the papal arms preceded him, and the pope's bull of indulgence was borne aloft on a gold-embroidered velvet cushion. The cross was solemnly planted in the market place, and the sermon began.

Listen now, God and St. Peter call you. Consider the salvation of your souls and those of your loved ones departed. You priest, you noble, you merchant, you virgin, you matron, you youth, you old man, enter now into your church, which is the Church of St. Peter. Visit the most holy cross erected before you and ever imploring you. Have you considered that you are lashed in a furious tempest amid the temptations and dangers of the world, and that you do not know whether you can reach the haven, not of your mortal body, but of your immortal soul? Consider that all who are contrite and have confessed and made contribution will receive complete remission of all their sins. Listen to the voices of your dear dead relatives and friends, beseeching you and saying, "Pity us, pity us. We are in dire torment from which you can redeem us for a pittance." Do you not wish to? Open your ears. Hear the father saying to his son, the mother to her daughter, "We bore you, nourished you, brought you up, left you our fortunes, and you are so cruel and hard that now you are not willing for so little to set us free. Will you let us lie here in flames? Will you delay our promised glory?"

Remember that you are able to release them, for

'As soon as the coin in the coffer rings,

The soul from purgatory springs.'

Will you not then for a quarter of a florin receive these letters of indulgence through which you are able to lead a divine and immortal soul into the fatherland of paradise?

This was too much. Again on the eve of All Saints, when Frederick the Wise would offer his indulgences, Luther spoke, this time in writing, by posting in accord with current practice on the door of the Castle Church a printed placard in the Latin language consisting of ninety-five theses for debate.

Luther's Theses differed from the ordinary propositions for debate because they were forged in anger. The ninety-five affirmations are crisp, bold and unqualified.

There is good reason to be thankful for Luther's crisp, bold and unqualified affirmations. It took tremendous courage to pound those nails and God used them to fasten the Gospel on the centuries that followed.

But the attack continues. So on Reformation Day it is fitting to celebrate the sovereign preservation of the Gospel while being mindful of the steady assault. Where do you find your significance? What determines your stature or your reputation? What is your food? Where do you find peace and security? Wherever the answer is something other than the cross of Christ there you have found the attack.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1.6–8)

Additional Resources

• The Martin Luther page at theopedia.com
• The 95 Theses
• Martin Luther: Lessons from his life and labor - J. Piper
• Luther's "Here I Stand" speech read by Max Mclean. You can download it for free through Sunday, November 1. (HT: Andy Naselli)
• Joseph Fiennes reciting Luther's "Here I Stand" speech from the 2003 movie "Luther"
• Luther Puts a Nail in the Heart of Bad Religion (at theResurgence)

Leadership Fridays: Delegate and Disciple

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12.3–8 -emphasis added)

Some great empirical examples of this idea are detailed in Jim Collins and Jerry Porras' book Built to Last. This description of the gift-fostering culture created by William McKnight of 3M is one such example:

"McKnight did not want the evolution and expansion of the company to depend only on himself. He wanted to create an organization that would continually self-mutate from within, impelled forward by employees exercising their individual initiative. McKnight's approach was captured in phrases that would be chanted often by 3Mers throughout its history:

'Listen to anyone with an original idea, no matter how absurd it might sound at first.'

'Encourage; don't nitpick. Let people run with an idea.'

'Hire good people, and leave them alone.'

'If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.'

'Encourage experimental doodling.'

'Give it a try - and quick.'

...

Again quoting McKnight: 'Mistakes will be made [by giving people the freedom to act autonomously], but... the mistakes he or she makes are not as serious in the long run as the mistakes management will make if it is dictatorial and undertakes to tell those under its authority exactly how they must do their job. Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative and it's essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow.'"

As church leaders, we have a biblical mandate to lead a body of many parts, each doing its work, to grow up into Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). It's important to remember that each of these parts (ourselves included) is a sinner in need of grace. So, when we encourage each part to do its work, there will be mistakes and methods different than our own (which may, by the way, be wrong). Because they distrust God and what He has ordained, lording leaders are never comfortable with that (Ephesians 4:11-12, Matthew 20:25-28, 1 Peter 5:3).

Delegate and Disciple

Give people opportunities to grow and strengthen the church and then get involved with their success. Don't sit back with crossed arms saying "We'll see how you do with this and, when you mess up, I will clean it up and you'll see how hard my job is." Dream with them. Plan with them. Pray with them. Celebrate with them. Be an encouraging support. Put a biblical rock under the bad times and the good. Value Christ's exaltation in their faith-filled service above being recognized or being right yourself. Remember, the body, when working properly, builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16).

This Is Not To Say...

I realize that some leaders (especially the more visionary types) may read this and say "that sounds touchy feely at the expense of focus and progress" and, yes, there are balancing biblical concepts. We must realize that, in encouraging each part to do its work, the Bible is not saying:

• That individual success or ability is championed over service to the body (Romans 12:10, Ephesians 4:1-6).
• The exercise of gift is superior to the worship of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:10-11, Titus 2:13-14)
• That the church is a democracy without distinguishing roles for leaders (Hebrews 13:17).
• That leaders do not lead (Romans 12:8).

Ask Yourself (or someone close to you) Some Questions

So how are you doing here? A periodic examination is good for every leader.

• What am I doing that some one else could do?
• What responsibilities could I delegate?
• Where could I encourage creativity in the people I lead?
• How could I give them more ownership of the organization?
• What am I uncomfortable delegating? Why?
• What are the gifts and abilities of the people I am leading?
• Do I desire the "success" of the people I lead? Success even greater than my own?

Additional Resources

Video/Media Content from Jim Collins

"Lurking and nourished sins are always a sign..." (D.A. Carson)

From "Basics for Believers" by Don Carson:

"...we are exhorted (in Philippians 4:4) to rejoice in the Lord. The controlling issue is not the style of the rejoicing, but the ground.

...

Our delight must be in the Lord himself. That is what enables us to live with joy above our circumstances. As Nehemiah puts it, "The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

...

Whatever the mysteries of evil and sorrow, they do have the salutary effect of helping believers to shift the ground of their joy from created things to the Creator, from the temporary to the eternal, from jingoism to Jesus, from consumption to God.

...

Obedience to this command is possible because the ground of this rejoicing is changeless. Our circumstances may rightly call from us grief, tears and sorrow. Unless the Lord comes back first, each of us will face death - our own, and if we live long enough, the death of loved ones and friends. And we will weep. But even in our tears, we may rejoice, we will rejoice, we must rejoice, for we rejoice in the Lord. He does not change. And that is why we shall rejoice in the Lord always.

God well knows that a believer who conscientiously obeys this command cannot be a backbiter or a gossip. Such a believer cannot be spiritually proud or filled with conceit, cannot be stingy or prayerless, cannot be a chronic complainer or perpetually bitter. The cure for a crushed and bitter spirit is to see Christ Jesus the Lord and then to rejoice in him. Lurking and nourished sins are always a sign that our vision of Jesus is dim and that our joy in him has evaporated with the morning dew."