we will... lead

We will…
Lead and transform
Father’s Day 2007
2 Timothy 1: 3-18


The last two weeks we’ve looked at a couple of passages that show clearly the church is to primarily participate in and encourage Worship.
An effective church is a body of believers living a 24/7 lifestyle of worship and encouraging others to worship through evangelism and missions. This church encourages worship through making disciples and growing as disciples.
An effective church does not lose this primary focus: to worship God and call others to worship. Keeping focus on God and worshipping Him through making disciples is the sign of an effective church.
*It is not the church who makes disciples but the members of the church. Sometimes when we talk about “church” we can think of an institution or a religion like Christianity. When I talk about church today I want us to think in terms of relationship with God, each other, and the community – the kind of gathering that we talked about last week from Acts 2. In Matthew 28, when Jesus gave the command to make disciples of all nations he gave it to his followers – the church – not as an institution but as individuals.
We have a real, spiritual, faith relationship with Jesus and part of that relationship is to befriend others, tell others about Jesus, and call people to worship Him – the 24/7 lifestyle of worship, not just coming to “Church” on a Sunday morning.

How do we develop that kind of relationship with Jesus? How do we become a church of leaders who lead others to worship?

Leadership today, unfortunately is more often based on skill than character. The need of leaders starts with character, not skill or gifting. Your skills or you spiritual gifting can carry you to places that your character will pull you back from unless your character is ready to sustain you. Some thieves are highly skilled – but aren’t leaders. In High School the most skilled athletes can be captains, but the character isn’t there to sustain them. A church of leaders must be a gathering of believers who worship and live their devotion to God all the time, upholding the Bible, loving God, and living for His name.

Today, Next week, and the week after I return from vacation (we’re going to Rapid City, SD, catching a Cubs game on the way, fireworks at Mt. Rushmore, and hopefully stamp our National Parks Passport at the Badlands – as well as a family wedding), these next several weeks we’ll be digging through some passages in 2 Timothy that can help us answer those questions about how to develop as leaders and what spiritual leaders are.

I’m excited to start with today – because today is Father’s day. There are a few father’s here, and there are a few of you who will one day be father’s so I hope that what is said will help you on the journey of fatherhood. Ultimately, fathers, fathers – to – be you are leaders in your families.

The examples and instruction from 2nd Timothy come from the last letter Paul wrote before His death. He is passing on final instruction and encouragement to Timothy, his friend and “son in the faith.” Their relationship will show us a lot about being spiritual leaders: people who lead others to God, and authentic Christians: believers who put God first despite the consequence.

Read 2 Timothy 1:3-18.

1. A good leader has “deep” relationships. 3-7
a. Why “Deep” relationships? Because most of our relationships today are pretty superficial: it is work to get beyond the weather, food, sports, or the activities of life. It is work to love and share life. Most of us feel like if we can love one other person – a spouse maybe – our needs are met and we’re fine – not really needing more. But that’s not it: we are meant for so much more. Among humans your spouse if married should be your first relationship, but not the last. It should be a special, intimate in a way that no other relationship you have will be; it should be unique in character and quality – it should be a witness of Christ and His church to everyone around you. But if you make it an end in itself, then there will be no one to witness its beauty.
b. So what am I talking about in a deep relationship? It is a relationship that moves beyond the mundane of life to spiritual issues, life issues – parenting, dating, encouragement, celebration and mourning together.
c. It starts with God.
i. Paul thanked God for Timothy. Do you thank God for your relationships? All of Paul’s life flowed from His relationship with God.
1. He served God with a clear conscience – the way his forefathers did.
a. We’ll start with the back of that statement first: we have models in the faith: older Christians, more mature Christians who pass the good news on to us, and we should do the same – as Paul is to Timothy. Leaders lead and follow. Jesus was a leader of 12 and follower of 1: His father. If you’re in a debacle, call on those older in the faith. Now, about the clear conscience (how hard is that to obtain – I can think at night of things I did years ago without even remembering it in the mean time).
2. Prov. 4:23
3. The springs flow clear or dirty. More on that in a couple of weeks, but for now know that your heart relationship with God defines how you relate to other people. You will be a source of refreshment, or a polluted stream pulling others down.
4. Paul was confident in God, faithful in prayer, and committed to Him.
d. 2nd the leader relates to friends.
i. Paul and Timothy had a deep relationship: Timothy cried as he and Paul went their separate ways.
ii. Most of us will build walls to insulate us from such pain before we build such a close relationship that we cry, long to see each other, and hurt over separation.
1. We insulate ourselves with our work, our family commitments, our own kids can be easy to hide behind, our educational commitments, or just making ourselves so busy that we simply can’t spend time hanging out, fellowshipping, growing together.
iii. Spiritual leaders take time for friends – no matter how close or far. My brother and one of His friends live about 8 hours apart – they meet for breakfast about 6 in the morning every 3-4 months to continue their relationship and encourage each other. They make time, make the effort, and are rewarded well. Paul constantly remembers Timothy, and in His pain drew comfort from God, who he thanked – so that he would be filled with joy.
iv. In our pain, we can have joy if we can see past the hurt to thank God for the friendships, the opportunities, and the lives He has given us.
v. Leverage your friendships for God’s glory. Paul, in v. 6 calls Timothy to obedience for the Kingdom. If we build great relationships, but never share Christ or leverage them for spiritual purposes, we’ve missed the point of being a leader: one who leads another to worship.
e. 3rd go deep with family. Timothy’s mother and grandmother poured into Him, so evidently that Paul knew about it, and knew first hand their faith. Fathers, Parents, pour faith into your kids – it starts with your heart, let clean streams of faith flow into their lives. If you’re the only Christian in your family, don’t forsake them, witness to them. If they won’t hear it, win them by your actions so they will see it. I Corin. 7:14 (read). Your faith will sanctify them – your clear stream of life will clean up a polluted stream. But, listen, they are not justified, they just know by your example the behavior they should live, but the faith is not evident in their lives until they confess it. So live that they may see God in you, be sanctified, and pray that they will come to faith and be justified – that is they will be saved by grace through faith – not by works.
2. Leaders are Courageous (v.7-12, 16-18)
a. Attempting great things for God takes courage. Wed. Debra, Mandy, James and I made a trip to Williamstown, MA, 3 hours away near the NY/VT border. We went to the Haystack monument on the campus of Williams College that commemorates the beginning of the American Foreign Mission movement in 1806. Haystack story: 5 men, ministers, missionaries, 80 years later 20,000 students with 80,000 student supporters; Luther Rice…
b. Those 5 men, led by a freshmen, had courage. Courage comes from confidence in God: read 7, 12
c. Suffering for the Gospel is part of being a leader. No leader is immune from suffering from personal attacks, pessimism, doubt, slander. But a confident leader can suffer for the Gospel – by the power of God, live their holy calling, and rejoice in the destruction of death and the light of life and immortality. Take Courage, believer, God is able and willing to meet you, empower you, and lead you to make His name great. The Haystack monument had 5 names on it, erected by a secular campus. Names of men: but their work, the movement, the power, the outcome is all about God. I don’t even know all their names, but I know the One whom they believed and preached.
d. Courage involves action: Onesiphorus: sought Paul out and ministered to Him – in Ephesus and Rome. He was a leader, a servant leader who was not ashamed of the chains. Courage to travel, go to prison, be identified with a prisoner. A spiritual leader's actions speak for them. Friends of ours who live elsewhere recently spent an evening with an acquaintance that was hurting and suffering. They got to know each other – but he was encouraged all the more by their presence. Sometimes our actions, like Onesiphorus speak so much louder than words: Maria & the Silent children.
3. Leaders hold to the truth. (13-14)
a. Get a firm grasp on the gospel – in your head and in your life. And Guard it by the Holy Spirit. There is one truth, one way, one salvation, one baptism, one Lord, one Savior, one God and Father of all. We live in a world of many that refuses to recognize the One.
i. This is gay pride month. Either homosexuality is a sin, therefore morally wrong and destructive in the end to society, or it is not. God is not making up His mind. He is not on the fence. With Him it is one way or the other. The world promotes many paths, many gods, many ways of life. But in the end, Jesus says, “I am the alpha and omega, beginning and end.” And “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the father but by me.” Hold firmly to Jesus and guard the faith of your life closely.
b. Read 1 Tim. 1:18c-19 rejecting the faith, letting the stream of your life flowing from your heart become muddied, and embracing the ways of the world will shipwreck your faith. Leaders persevere and hold the faith close.

Leaders go deep in relationships, are courageous, and hold the Truth. The power of the Gospel allows this. When Jesus Christ lived, and died on the Cross, he freed everyone who would call to Him and believe from every action that muddies their heart, every belief that ensnares them, and every attitude that enslaves them. When he rose again he defeated death. There is always hope! Pray.