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September 16, 2007AM
Romans 12:8
YOUR LEADERSHIP
It is a spiritual crime to not use the gifts given by the Holy Spirit.
A spiritual gift is not a trivial matter.
A spiritual gift is unlike any other gift you will receive.
A spiritual gift is given by God.
It is a gift you have received from the One who created you.
The God who knows you perfectly has given you Spiritual Gifts.
The God who loves you supremely does not give you a mere trinket.
His gifts are not more clutter in our lives.
They are given to de-clutter our lives.
They are given so we know what our purpose is.
If we fail to use His gifts someone will stumble spiritually.
To not use God’s gifts will isolate someone from God’s presence.
It will prolong their lostness in sin.
The longer that lostness continues the stronger sin’s hold becomes.
The gifts are given for the ministry of the church.
Not just ministry to the church.
They are given so the church may effectively reach the world.
The gift you have is designed to make an eternal difference.
Our first priority as disciples is to think of God’s will.
We are to follow His leading first.
What we do for Jesus should not be an afterthought.
We should not be trying to get away with the minimum.
That is a far cry from total surrender.
A far cry from “My Jesus, I love Thee; I know Thou art mine.
“For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.”
I don’t see a lot of resigning.
I see a lot of pursuing the things of this world.
The folly of this world is a best seller in the Church.
This becomes starkly evident when we consider the next gift Paul mentions.
“He who gives aid, with zeal.” (RSV)
Your translation might describe that gift in a totally different way.
“If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously” (NLT).
“If you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond” (TM).
“He that ruleth, with diligence” (KJV).
“If it is leadership, let him govern diligently” (NIV).
No matter the translation the message is the same.
God needs those who step to the front.
God needs those who will lead.
I The first thing we learn about this gift is WE LEAD WITH DEEDS
We do not lead or rule as the rulers of this world.
It is not a self-serving leadership.
It is a leadership of sacrifice, of caring deeds, and loving aid.
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’” (Matthew 20:25-28)
Paul says that not every person has the gift of leadership.
But God has so designed the Church that for everything He calls the church
to do He provides adequate gifts.
There are always enough with the gift of leadership to care for the needs.
But in most churches there is a shortage of leaders.
Why?
There are a lot of Christians who are not using their gift.
That, my friends, is nothing short of disobedience.
William Barclay makes this sad comment about the gift of aid or leadership.
“One of the most difficult problems for the Church today is the getting of leaders in all departments of its work. There are fewer and fewer people with a sense of service and of responsibility, willing to give up their leisure and their pleasure to undertake leadership. In many cases unfitness and unworthiness is pleaded when the real reason is disinclination and laziness.” (The Letter to the Romans, page 162)
Is there something wrong with God when a church struggles to find leaders?
Has God short-changed the church when it lacks teachers?
Is God to be blamed when a church in unable to offer new ministry opportunities?
Are these struggles caused by the world around the church?
Let me repeat William Barclay’s heart-wrenching statement.
“There are fewer and fewer people with a sense of service and of responsibility, willing to give up their leisure and their pleasure to undertake leadership. . . . The real reason is disinclination and laziness.”
God has given the gift of leadership or aid.
The gift of leadership is given so God’s deeds can be done on earth.
It is given so His will can be done on earth.
To refuse or fail to use this gift is to impede God’s will.
We are to LEAD WITH DEEDS.
II And Paul tells us how we are to use this gift of leadership.
The gift of leadership is to be used with zeal.
The word that Paul uses for zeal is a familiar word to us today.
It is from the Greek word spoudai.
The root of spoudai is speudo translated into English as Speedo.
Those who want to move quickly and lead the pack wear Speedo sports wear.
In Speedo they move with efficiency.
In Speedo they reduce friction and complete the task.
That is how we are to lead.
LEAD WITH SPEED.
William Barclay encourages us that leadership “is to be taken up with zeal. . . . There are two ways in which a teacher may prepare a lesson – with heart and mind or in the most perfunctory way. A man may dully and drably go through some task in the Church, or he may do it with the joy and thrill of zeal. The Church today needs leaders with zeal in their hearts.”
There are other ways of saying LEAD WITH SPEED.
Lead with diligence.
Be earnest in your leadership.
Constantly be alert.
Keep your eyes open.
Ask, “Where do I need to take leadership next?
“Where else can I give aid?”
Be quick in its use.
APPLICATION God wants to be seen in and by the world.
He wants people to know Him.
He wants them to trust Him and worship Him.
There are many ways He can accomplish that.
But the primary way that others will come to know God is through you.
There is not a close second.
Yes He has angels who pass on His messages and give direction.
But angels come and go.
They are not consistently evident.
Yes there is an abundance of nature which can point to God.
But nature in this fallen world is not reliable.
Natural disasters distort people’s ideas of God.
Loss of life and shelter by storms do not speak of a God of love.
Nature has fallen.
It is groaning under the weight of sin in this world.
It cannot always show the holiness and compassion of God.
We are God’s number one communicator.
The reason for that is because sin can be dealt with in our lives.
Jesus died on the cross to offer us forgiveness.
His blood can cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We can be a holy people.
We are called to be holy as our Father in heaven is holy.
Let Him be seen in your forgiveness.
Let Him be seen in your perfect love for others.
That perfect love that leads with deeds and leads with speed.
Don’t delay! God is waiting, others are waiting.
To fail is to live a life that is mundane.
A gift left unused makes life commonplace and humdrum.
Don’t wait to use your gift.
There is a symbol for surrender that has been around since about the time of Jesus.
If someone waved a white flag it meant a stop in the battle.
It is illegal to use a white flag to fool or trick the enemy.
Such an act is forbidden and considered to be a war crime.
How much more serious is our surrender to Jesus.
To profess surrender to Jesus and then reject His gifts is like waving a white
flag insincerely.
Let’s wave the white flag sincerely.
Let’s yield our lives.
Let yield anything that diminishes our use of His gifts.
Let’s be that sacred place of God’s presence where other’s can see Him.
What do you need to surrender to Him today?
Maybe it is a sin that needs to be confessed.
Maybe it is a schedule that is too pressed.
Maybe it is a leisure activity that dominates your time and energy.
Whatever it is, surrender it to Jesus in faith.
Let Him shine brightly through the aid you give with zeal.