Thursday, October 16, 2014

The Ten Commandments for Leaders.

This is what we teach pastors and leaders here in Kenya. Today we taught a group of bible college students these concepts. They really, really liked it. 

The Ten Commandments… for Leaders
Five things leaders should always do and five things they should never do.…or
 How Not to ‘Lord Over’ God’s People.

 1. Always keep your relationship with Christ current and lead in spiritual unity with others of like heart.  

2.  Always lay down your life for the church family and show them how to lay their lives down for each other through a demonstration of your everyday life.

3.  Always seek the church family’s counsel and opinion on all matters concerning the church and ask them how you are doing as a shepherd.

4.  Always walk in openness and honesty and never hiding anything from them… let them see your weaknesses. Remain vulnerable.

5.  Always give them a chance to share their hearts with each other and do your best to ‘work yourself out of a job’ and not preach them to death.

6.  Never try to lead God’s people by fear, force or intimidation, but lead  them by way of your example.

7.  Never ask the church to do something you yourself aren’t doing.

8. Never say anything to the church other than what is from a motive of sincere love and their up-building.

9.  Never give them a ‘new word’ until they begin obeying and ‘walking out’ the previous one.

10. Never leave the church with just your opinions, but rather show them what the scriptures say and demonstrate what you mean in your teaching by the conduct of your everyday life.

For what we teach is what we think… but what we do is what we believe.
Scriptural References;

  Scriptural References...

1     2Cor 13:5, Psalm 129:33, 1Cor. 11:31, etc.
Acts 14:23, 15:2, 6, 22,23, 16:4, 20:17, 21:18, 22;5,  1Tim 5:17, James 5:14,  1 Pet. 5:1, 5:5… etc. etc. .
2      John 10:11, 15: 12-13, 1John 3:16, … 1Cor. 4:16, 11:1, Heb 6:12, 2Cor. 12:14
3     Acts 15:22-25, 6:4-5, … 2Cor 12:14
4      1Cor. 2:1-5, 2Cor. 4:2, 2:4  …. All of 2 Corinthians
5     1Cor. 14:23-26
6      2Cor.1:24, 2Cor. 5:20…  1Co. 4:16, 11:1, Heb 6:12, 2Cor. 12:14
7      1Cor. 4:16, 11:1, Heb. 6:12, 2Cor. 12:14
8     2Cor. 2:4,14, 2Cor 7:12
9     Mat. 13:12,  Heb. 5:11-14, Isa. 28:9-10, 1Cor.3:1-3

10             Isa. 8:20, 34:16, Acts 17:11, 2Tim. 3: 15-17, 1John 4:5-6

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for this, Noah. Very encouraging and true. Especially was struck by #9 - this is easy to overlook! And #10 is such a vital thing that is missing so often. Thanks for being a great example of that, though!

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    1. Thanks David, I would like to send you a teaching I just finished teaching the StoneHouse family. It's about what it means to be a member vs. being an 'eternal visitor'. Let me know what you think. Much love Noah

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  2. Thanks for sharing this thoughts. I am sure there are more "commandments" for leaders (and God's people in general) that we can think of. Nevertheless, these ones nailed it down to a very fundamental truth: to die to ourselves, to lead by example (our life is our preaching- a witness of what we really believe), saying not to pride... In summary, leadership is (should be) an expression of our love for God that manifests in us loving/servicing/leading his people.

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