Marks of a Leader

Neh. 1

You maybe saddened to learn of the death of one of our church’s most valuable members, Someone Else. Someone’s passing created a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years, & for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person’s share of the work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results: "Someone Else can work with that group." Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone’s lists- Someone Else! "Let Someone Else do it" was commonly heard throughout the church. It was common knowledge Someone Else was among the largest givers in the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference. Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman; but a person can only do so much. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? Remember- we can’t depend on Someone Else anymore!

Most often the Problem is, we doubt how much everyone else cares!

There was a man, a prison as a prisoner of war, He hoped and thought that at any moment his comrades would come and retrieve him but it never happened. Instead he spent day after day in a prison with a floor of mostly dirt with only light coming from a crack in the roof. He even got so despondent he cried out one day,  “Does anybody care about me?” The next week a small plant began to grow in his cell responding to the light from the crack above. Day by day it grew bigger till one day it bloomed into a beautiful flower. On that day he learned something. This man learned that yes somebody does care for him…God does.
We know that God cares about us.        Who really cares about God?
It is one thing to say you care about God. It is quite another to live it out.
In 1984, just before I was called to be Pastor, the church was having a Revival with Roger Spradlin. While preaching the Wed. night service, his daughter Charity who was 6 yrs old, was going to her first grade open house. As she and her mother prepared to cross the street, Charity took off first, knowing her school, and was hit by a car. She died. Her Mom, Dad, most of their church members would have gladly jumped into harms way, if they had only seen! Her Dad would have given his life, in place of little Charity. Most would have jumped into harms way, because you  care.
We live in a day, when God’s church is being challenged at every turn. The government is slowly taking away our rights, including the right to preach. The right to collect monies, to assemble, etc.  (more to come!)This is a day when morality is at a low ebb. God’s standards are tossed out! WHO cares about God and God’s plans?

SURE you do, but do  you care enough to do something about it.
Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king. This was a very trust worthy job…but when you think about it…Nehemiah had it made. While most Jews were suffering back in the promised land and in captivity trying to make a go at it…Nehemiah was able to live the good life in this palace. He had a place of safety.       He had a place of comfort. He had the trust of the Persian king. Nehemiah sees his brother one day in the palace and he could have asked many questions. The questions he asks concerns the people & city of God. The response that he hears is not good.
The wall of Jerusalem is broken down…the gates have been burned with fire. Not only that but the people of God are continuously being attacked by the enemy. WHAT IS A MAN TO DO?

A man who is one of God’s children. A man who is called to live for God.Here is the principle, one that all who believe should live by…..Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Nehemiah went and fasted and prayed and wept for many days.   WHY? Here was a man that cared.
He cared about what was happening to the people of God.He cared about what was happening to the worship of God in the city of God He cared enough that he did more than just cry and pray.It bothers me sometimes hearing Christians say… I’ll  pray for you.   I’ll pray about it!    Then I don’t hear or see any praying, or any answers to their prayers, and I don’t see feet and hands being put to their prayers.      NO response, NO comments, NO change in circumstances.

Nehemiah cared enough to leave all the comforts & to go to Jerusalem. He cared enough to GO and to DO. To become a leader. Nehemiah cared enough so that he was brokenhearted. If we take a close look at what happens next, from

vs 4-11 

We can discover some qualities of CHRISTIAN LEADERS… LEADERS = those who are set apart, who lead, not follow where people go.

 I. A Leader has RECOGNIZES NEEDS.  VS. 4

    A.  Leaders take personal concern of the needs of others. .

        1. The world teaches, “Don’t get to involved, don’t take it personal”

        2.What if David didn’t take it personal when his Dad said keep the sheep

            You have to be where the sheep are to see their needs.

            You also need to have a little anticipation: When God shows you.

        3. When you love them, you care, you watch to see things coming

II. A Leader takes the problems to GOD.  vs. 5

    A. Genuine Prayer: He sought God’s will.

    B. Genuine request: With consistent, faithful, repetitive, urgency.

    C. Genuine repentance. vs. 6-7

        That’s the first thing God wants to here from any of us.

    D. He PRAYED THE SOLUTION vs. 9

III. A Leader responds with ACTION. vs. 11

    A. Not just talking to God, but taking personal physical action.

            Jas 1:22  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

    B.  There is always something God wants leaders to do.

        1. Be Faithful

            a) stay obedient to God: keep doing the last thing He said

           b) repenting when you sin: 

           c) regularly worship God

        2. Live Honor – knowing what is right and doing it

        3. Stay Loyal – committed to action true to who & what your serve

           God; God’s Family; God’s commands.

        4. Be Diligent –keeping focused in the face of distraction & opposition

        5. Lead – influencing others for the good of all and the glory of God

            SALT & LIGHT must be where it can have an affect on others.

    C. That doesn’t mean you do it all yourself.

        A leader is not a leader, if no one follows or walks with…..  

IV. A Leader shares the burden.  vs. 11

    A. Their were many others praying Do you have prayer partners,

        Do you get the prayer list from the church, web-site, Wednesday???

     B. Later we will read how he told the King

        There are people God wants to use to HELP.

    C. He then include the leaders in Jerusalem

        As we study, NEHEMIAH, we will find that He enlisted leaders.

        As Christians we are to reproduce Christians

        As Leaders we are to reproduce Leaders.

    D. He shared the burden w/ the people, & they took on the work.

        Eph 4:11-12 ...He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

        12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

         1. Equipping saints  2. For the work of ministry  3. edify the body of Christ

        Don’t think for a minute that the leaders of this church can do it all

        by ourselves.  IT WILL TAKE ALL OF US, doing our share.Like Nehemiah we must all decide and be dedicated to

        serving & leading.

   Invitation Hymn 305 “I Have Decide”