Kingdom Leadership – Part 3
By Duane Huck
•Kingdom leaders are committed leaders…no one has ever led
something great without first being committed to that which they were leading
•Committed leaders are engaged and passionate about a
particular course of action…commitment separates those who get things
accomplished from those who dream of getting things accomplished.
•Commitment is what drives a leader past the obstacles and
challenges that life presents…when a kingdom leader faces adversity, commitment
will inspire them to keep going.
•We’ve all heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the
tough get going” – the committed ones are the tough ones, they’re the ones that
press on no matter what the circumstances may be.
•David McNally commented, “Commitment is the enemy of
resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how
many times you are knocked down.”
•Every meaningful relationship, from our relationship with
the Father to the relationships with our spouse, our children, and those that
we are leading and influencing requires a level of commitment in order for that
relationship to remain in a healthy state
•When it comes to commitment, there are four categories that
people can typically be associated with
•Cop-outs – these people have no goals, no ambition to see
things improve, and so they do not commit to anything – these people will show
up when it’s convenient, they are perfectly fine with sitting back, allowing
others to serve and take care of the details
•Holdouts – these people operate in fear, doubt, and
unbelief and therefore don’t have the level of faith and trust in God to commit
to anything – in their hearts they may want to commit to something, they may
want to serve God and others…but then the flesh begins to whisper to them, “you
don’t have what it takes” or “you don’t have time for that”…and so they don’t
commit
•Drop-outs – these people commit to doing something, but at
the first sign of adversity they bail on their commitment…they lack
perseverance and confidence to get through their trials
•All-outs – these people set goals…and are fully committed
to reach those goals – these people are confident in themselves, they persevere
when trials come, and they are not easily swayed by the opinions of others.
•Kenneth Blanchard puts it this way: “There's a difference
between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you
do it only when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept
no excuses - only results.”
•Commitment is what causes some to come into leadership
reluctantly…they hesitate to begin anything that they might not be willing to
complete.
•The fear of becoming bored or of being put in a position or
a relationship that requires more than they might want to give causes them to
resist.
•They don’t want to be responsible for others because that
means commitment…and they’re not willing to pay the price of leadership.
•Not being able to commit doesn’t necessarily mean the
person doesn’t care…they may very well care enough to not want to let others
down when they don’t hold up their end of the commitment.
•Commitment always comes before achievement…before a leader
can make a difference in other people’s lives, they have to first look in their
heart to see what they are truly committed to.
•The real measure, the true test of commitment, is
action…it’s easy to say you’re going to
do something...it’s something completely different to actually live by your
words day after day.
•It’s easy to say “til death do us part” at the wedding
altar…commitment determines whether that is the case when “all hell breaks
loose” in the marriage relationship.
•True commitment leans heavily on another leadership
characteristic…courage.
•Courage doesn’t mean that there is an absence of fear in
your life…but rather it’s doing what you’re afraid to do (in your flesh), by
putting your complete faith and trust in God.
•It’s the ability to step out of your comfort zone, to let
go of the familiar, and venture into unfamiliar territory.
•Courage is what enabled Joshua to stay committed to doing
what God had commanded him to do when he led the Israelites from the familiar
desert territory into the unfamiliar “land of giants” on the other side of the
Jordan.
•God knew that Joshua would need courage to carry out the
mission…He knew that Joshua would need courage to face the enemies awaiting
them in the Promised Land.
•And He know that Joshua would need courage to stay
committed when things didn’t go well, when they experienced defeat because of
Achan’s disobedience
•It’s why God told Joshua 3 different times in the first 9
verses of Joshua 1, “Be strong and courageous”
•When a leader exhibits courage, it inspires commitment in
his/her followers.
•“Courage is contagious,” asserts evangelist Billy Graham.
“When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened.”
•Leadership carries with it a responsibility that requires
constant courage…every leader must have the courage to try new things, even at
the risk of failure…courageous leaders realize that failure is simply an
opportunity to learn something new.
•Courage is what enables a leader to stay committed when
some of those you are leading turn against you, when the fear of disapproval is
all in your face…will you succumb to the pressures of disappointment and
ridicule? Or will you stay committed and persevere?
•Kingdom leaders make it clear to what and to whom they are
committed…first and foremost they should be committed to bringing God glory.
•Kingdom leaders are not concerned about recognition for themselves
and popularity…but rather how is what they are doing, what they are leading,
pointing others to Jesus and making Him famous?
•In John 17:4 (NLT), Jesus is our example of being committed
to bringing glory to the Father while carrying out his earthly assignment:
•4 “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the
work you gave me to do.”
•Jesus was committed to carrying out the Father’s will while
on earth, but He did it in such a way as to make sure He brought glory to the
Father.
•The wise leader commits to a certain set of principles,
values, or beliefs and behaviors that adhere to them…and when life’s storms
come their way, there is no wavering
•Genuine commitment stands the test of time and the storms
that life brings. It gives us the motivation to be responsible and care for
those we lead, unselfishly giving them our best and empowering them to grow and
develop into their best.
•It enables us to create an environment in which people can
accomplish things that otherwise they would not accomplish.
•The danger that leaders have to watch out for is this: a
mindset where we think the higher level of commitment I have and the more
things I commit to, then surely that will bring God more glory, right?
•Commitment is required of leaders, over-commitment is not
•Commitment is healthy; over-commitment is a dangerous way
to live.
•Commitment with periods of spiritual and physical rest is
beneficial, productive, and necessary; over-commitment with no rest is damaging
and puts us in a place of striving outside of God’s grace.
•Over-committed leaders put unrealistic expectations on
themselves and those they are leading
•As leaders we all want the people we are leading to be
committed, but what tends to happen is that only a few are actually committed
to the level we would like people to be – and then we tend to over-commit
ourselves and those who are committed…and the next thing you know we all end up
in the mode of striving to make something happen.
•Leaders who are over-committed tend to lose focus easily,
jumping from one task to another without giving each task or assignment the
quality time required.
•Over-committed leaders tend to bring stress and frustration
into the environments they enter.
•Over-commitment can cause us to get out of alignment with
what God has called us to do and out of alignment with the gifts with which He
has graciously given us to carry out our assignment.
•The next thing you know we are involved in things that we
are not gifted at and we experience no joy in doing them…but we are leaders,
and we don’t want to let others down, we don’t want to disappoint others, so we
struggle through another day.
•Kingdom leaders need to be aware of a spirit of pride
taking up residence in their hearts…where the more and more they accomplish,
then they think the more and more they can commit to…where they say, “well look
at all the stuff I’ve done, yeah I can do that, no problem…I got this”…and they
get so consumed in doing, they forget all about whether God is being glorified.
•Over-committed leaders commit to things because they think
they have to…that if they don’t, then no one else will either…and I wonder how
often we keep someone else from stepping up, because we do without any
hesitation?
•Just as it takes courage to stay committed to something, it
also takes courage to admit when we’ve missed the mark…when we’ve committed to
things we shouldn’t have.
•Jesus understood the principle of rest, of not
over-committing:
•Luke 5:16 (NLT)
•16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
•Jesus understood the need to maintain balance during his
ministry…he had crowds following him everywhere he went, people wanting to
receive healing…but yet he still found the necessary time to get away with the
Father.
•If you find yourself being over-committed, ask God to show
you how to bring things back into balance in your life…there may be some
commitments that you just can’t all of a sudden drop and you may need to get a
transition plan in place…but get that plan in place.
•Do it for the sake of those you are leading (your family,
your brothers and sisters in Christ, your employees) and for the sake of
bringing glory to the Father.
•As kingdom leaders, we don’t commit to the call that the
Lord Jesus has placed on our lives because we hope that “if we do our part”
things will get better…we commit because things are better…by the GRACE that
the Father has extended to us, we “get to”,(not “have to”) commit to the cause
of bringing heaven to earth…we are in a place of victory…not trying to get to a
place of victory.
•Commit to resting in Him. Commit to trusting Him. Commit to
living by faith alone.
Prophets of Hope
By Eric Reeder
EZ 42:15 - measured inside and then outside
- prophets of a movement of hope prioritize the heart of the
matter. They look to call hearts to measure by hope
- they properly asses what's going on at the core (fear or
hope)
- they measure what's going and hold the rod of hope to how
things are functioning.
Ez 47:3-5
- prophesy is centered on the increasing, enlarging, and
advancing work of hope
- speaking to the overcoming nature of the Kingdom that is
swallowing up what is "eastward"
{ east = what has moved away from God
Rev 21:15
- measures how we're living the pattern of God (God's
pattern is: hope, security, victory, advancement, freedom)
Rev 21:22
- prophets of hope call us out of systems, religious
structures, ways of earn from God
Rev 22:1
- prophets of a movement of hope always reveal Father's
place of glory
- communicate what is proceeding from His throne that causes
life to flourish
- prophets of hope will speak what provided healing
A movement of hope needs companies of prophets that are deep
in the understanding of hope and can speak Father's heart that unlocks
advancement.
We need those that know how to speak prophetically in a
receivable way in business, in congregations, homes, regions and to nations.
I want you to open your heart to hear His voice speaking
hope. Then just start sharing what you see through the lens of assurance His
goodness is prevailing.
Teach and train others to do that.
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