One of the joys of conducting the personal interviews for my latest book, Master Leaders, was learning from some of my leadership mentors. Lou Holtz is always fun to be with – but, in the midst of fun, he teaches invaluable lessons. During one of our conversations, Lou reminded me that great leaders can measure success by determining whether they motivated and empowered people to achieve more than they thought possible, in tandem with the vision that the leader set before them. As I have been thinking about the churches I’ve visited and studied this year, I wonder how many people in those congregations have been changed by the confidence that their leaders showed in them. For that matter, I know from Barna research that few congregants are aware of a godly vision that their church leaders are committed to pursuing. Lacking that vision, motivation has to come from the charisma of the leader – and that’s always an inferior and potentially dangerous source of inspiration. It’s much better to inspire people on the basis of what God has dreamt for them.
In your community of faith how many participants are inspired by the clear and compelling vision conveyed and pursued by the leadership?
February 15, 2010
As a teen, I struggled with a overtly reformed fundamentally conservative independent church, who frowned not on what I did, but just me as a individual. The years of reconciliation after that happened because of Leaders with compassionate vision, that created a synergy for the congregation. It would mobilize me to seek healing and then study under a Pastor and Bible classes as well, only to engage me to start the long term goal of Church planting – where I am just about a year out from now. I hope the vision I have for the area I want to church plant, and the love vision I have for the people – are half as contagious as the vision that rescued me by leaders that set vision.
February 21, 2010
1. The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. 1 Sam 3:1 NIV
2. Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Prov 20:18 KJV
3. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no PRIEST to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. Hos 4:6 KJV
The trend and tendency to neglect scripture use in homilies has the usual effect of promoting and /or perpetuating the carnal mindset of humans.
Humans are deceivd LAW trashing, God hating ( Jer 17:9/Rom 8:7) rebellious criminals. The moral pillars of society (clergy) will either be partners with God in sanctifying those who accept Christ, by faithfully presenting a significant amout of His inspired word, or they will cause increased immorality and infidelity by voiding the scripture exposure through emphasis on news, allegories and anecdotes. CRIME and CLERGY Connection = Trickle Down Immorality.
1. Almost all contemporary homilies are subtle hope killing presentations because they are lacking emphasis on the VICTORY, overcoming themes/passages presented in scriptures – JUDE 24, etc. Presentations are constantly of the reactive, damage control, nurture, defeatist nature.
2. The clergy need to be weaned off of non fat dry milk typical TOPICAL homiletics and start preaching a VARIETY of themes in a single presentation. So many mention about JESUS being our example. It would be beneficial to focus on the sermon on the mount, where JESUS covered several themes in 111 verses..which can be read in 10 minutes. Supposedly the clergy are seminary/college educated. Should just a small segment of the congregtion be targeted each week with a topic which can be grasped in a few minutes yet where the preacher blows off 20-45 minutes?
3. The present methodology assumes that the person in the pulpit is the promptor/actor and the sermon soaked, doctrinally constipated pew potatoes are the spectators/audience. The gospel commission will be in a slow progress mode until more emphasis is shifted from informing to involving Christians. (EPH 4:12) Satan can keep many saints out of the war by having the seminaries maintain the trend of having only officers in the battle. When the clergy catch the vision of how to train the laity in practical, contemporary outreach methods, the war will escalate.