TEN COMMITMENTS OF LEADERSHIP - Moses

Challenging the Process

1. Search out challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve.

-Learned in all the wisdom of Egypt (Ac 7:22)

-His loyalty to his race (Heb 11:24-26)

-Takes the life of an Egyptian taskmaster; flees from Egypt; finds refuge among the Midianites (Ex 2:11-22; Ac 7:24-29)

-Joins himself to Jethro, priest of Midian; marries his daughter Zipporah; has one son, Gershom (Ex 2:15-22)

2. Experiment, take risks, and learn from accompanying mistakes.

The whole Exodus experience. Moses’s leadership experience was a total walk by faith. His time in the desert with Jethro (40 years was a breaking and molding experience).

Inspiring a Shared Vision

3. Envision an uplifting and ennobling future.

-God reveals to him his purpose to deliver the Israelites and bring them into the land of Canaan (Ex 3:7-10)

-Commissioned as leader of the Israelites (Ex 3:10-22; 6:13)

-With Aaron assembles the leaders of Israel (Ex 4:29-31)

-Institutes a system of government (Ex 18:13-26 Nu 11:16-30 De 1:9-18)

-Receives the law and ordains various statutes (Ex 34:29-35)

-Face of, transfigured (Ex 34:29-35 2Cor 3:13)

-Sets up the tabernacle (Ex 24-40)

-Present with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt 17:3,4 Mk 9:4 Lu 9:30)

4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes, and dreams.

-With Aaron assembles the leaders of Israel (Ex 4:29-31)

-Institutes a system of government (Ex 18:13-26 Nu 11:16-30 De 1:9-18)

-Blesses the children of Israel (De 33:1…)

Enabling Others to Act

5. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust.

-With Aaron assembles the leaders of Israel (Ex 4:29-31)

-Along with Aaron, Moses goes before Pharaoh and demands the liberties of his people in the name of Jehovah (Ex 5:1)

-Institutes a system of government (Ex 18:13-26 Nu 11:16-30 De 1:9-18)

6. Strengthen people by giving power away, providing choice, developing competence, assigning critical tasks, and offering visible support.

-Institutes a system of government (Ex 18:13-26 Nu 11:16-30 De 1:9-18)

-Sets up the tabernacle (Ex 24-40)

-Appoints Joshua as his successor (Nu 27:22,23 De 31:7,8,14,23; 34:9)

Modeling the Way

7. Set the example by behaving in ways that are consistent with shared values.

.Respected and feared (Ex 33:8)

.Faith of (Nu 10:29 De 9:1-3 Heb 11:23-28)

.Called the man of God (De 33:1)

.God spoke to, as a man to his friend (Ex 33:11)

.Magnified of God (Ex 19:9 Nu 14:12-20 De 9:13-29)

.Magnanimity of, toward Eldad and Medad (Nu 11:29)

.Meekness of (Ex 14:13,14; 15:24,25; 16:2,3,7,8 Nu 12:3; 16:4-11)

.Obedience of (Ex 7:6; 40:16,19,21)

.Unaspiring (Nu 14;12-20 De 9:13-29 Ex 32:30)

8. Achieve small wins that promote consistent progress and build commitment.

-Under divine direction brings plagues upon the land of Egypt (Ex 7:1…8:1…9:1…10:1…11:1…12:1…)

-Secures the deliverance of the people and leads them out of Egypt (Ex 13:1…)

-Crosses the Red Sea; Pharaoh and his army are destroyed (Ex 14:1…)

Encouraging the Heart

9. Recognize individual contributions to the success of every project.

-Joshua and Caleb (Nu 14)

10. Celebrate team accomplishments regularly.

-Composes a song for the people of Israel on their deliverance from Pharaoh (Ex 15:1…)

-Is a herdsman for Jethro in the desert of Horeb (Ex 3:1)

God's Word Part 3

2. I must digest spiritual food.

In 1981, 10 members of the IRA went on hunger strikes. All of them died, lasting about 10 weeks on average. Without divine intervention, there's a limit to how long you can go without food. Food is essential to our on-going health, wellbeing and continued life. It’s no different with spiritual food. We need spiritual food to feed our spiritual inner man.

1 Tim 4:6-  If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

I need spiritual food to nourish my inner man. The food I need depends on my level of growth. So what sort of food does a new Christian need in order to grow?

We've had a little baby. I saw her come out. And I can tell you that babies don't come out saying, "Hey, you! Yeah, you fat man! Don't just stand there. I'm starving. Give me a steak."

What do babies want?

1 Pet 2:2 - as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, a new Christian needs the pure milk of the word. This isn't a punishment. It's normal for a baby to be fed milk. But with a reasonable passage of time, you expect them to move onto something more difficult to digest.

Heb 5:12-14-  For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. (14) But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The difference between a baby and an adult is not what it can fit in its mouth; or what it can chew, or even what it can swallow. The real difference is what it can digest. As the baby grows, it moves onto solid food and a broader diet. A spiritual baby can only digest the milk of the Word, but a spiritual adult is able to digest the meat / solid food of God's Word.

So what does it mean to digest solid food spiritually? If the crucial difference is what you can digest, what does that mean? John 4:27-34 "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work."

That's really something.

In other words, Jesus drew His strength, not from reading God's Word, thinking about God's Word, agreeing with it, admiring it. He drew His strength - His spiritual nourishment - from doing it.

Heb 5:14 - But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

1 Tim 4:6 - If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

This is why: James 1:22-25: But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…

The person who hears God's Word and doesn't do it is like someone smelling a steak, looking at it, cutting it up, chewing it, swallowing it - but what's the point if you can't digest it?

Where do we get our physical strength?

*Looking at food?

*Smelling it?

*Chewing it?

*Swallowing it?

We get our strength from digesting it.

If we don't digest our food, we get zero nutrition.

What about spiritual strength? It's the same - if we don't digest our spiritual food - God's Word - we get zero nutrition. It's no use just looking at God's Word, although it's good to read it. It's no use admiring God's Word, although there's lots to admire. It's no use just thinking about God's Word, although that's good too. But to draw my spiritual strength and nutrition from it, I have to digest it (do it) - just like Jesus did.

This is summed up in one word - obedience.

God's Word Part 2

2. God's Word gives me faith.

Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith is our spiritual muscle. But it doesn't matter if you're as strong as Mark Henry, John Cena, Goku, you will get to an age when you will lose a lot of your physical strength. But did you know, that even though we may not be able to maintain our physical strength throughout our life, our spiritual muscles should be growing till the day we die.

We need ever increasing faith - and that comes from God's Word. This brings us to my second question:

How can I make sure God's Word does its work in me?

1. I must listen.

Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.There's a word in that Scripture that's easy to overlook. It doesn't just say that faith comes from the Word of God. It says: faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

If the Word of God is going to profit us at all, we need to be listening to what God is saying to us in His Word. Most Christians that I've known don't do that totally. But what they do is say, "Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes Lord" to some areas. But then there's an area where it's, "No way. I'm not going to do that!"

Friends, when you say no to God, that's when you stop growing.

Imagine your life is like a building with millions of rooms. All the rooms are in darkness. When you come to Christ, a light is turned on in one of the rooms. That is your new birth experience. Then gradually, the Holy Spirit works His way through each of the rooms, turning on more and more lights. We call this process sanctification.

But we need to understand some important truths. The Holy Spirit turns on the lights, but you and I are the ones who open the doors. If we keep opening the doors, the Holy Spirit will continue to turn on the lights. If we block the Holy Spirit's access to a door, if we hear that knock and say, "Go away!" the light will never go on till we open up. If we keep blocking the Holy Spirit's access, eventually He may stop knocking.

That means that if I want to keep growing, I must keep a tender heart to God's Word, and open the door every time He knocks.

God's Word

Mk 11:12-14; 20-21

There two lessons in this passage - to have faith, but also that God expects fruitfulness. How disappointing when a fruit tree fails to grow or to bear fruit! God has planted the seed of the gospel in our lives. And the question we should be asking ourselves is: How can I guarantee that I will grow in God? How can I make sure that I will last the distance? And not join the huge number of Christians who have - for various reasons - backslidden, fallen away, and suffered shipwreck in their faith. How can I keep my faith strong, and run the race to the end?

Mat 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

2 Pet 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

It's our responsibility to make our call and election sure.

The Word of God

I want to ask a couple of questions:

What will the Word of God do for me?

1. God's Word teaches me the difference between soul and spirit.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Jesus said something similar: John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. Now how important is it to know the difference between soul and spirit?

Let me refresh your memory:

*Your spirit and your soul aren't the same.

*Your soul is the part of you that makes you conscious of self.

*It has three important faculties - mind, will and emotions.

*Your spirit is the part of you that makes you God-conscious.

*It also has three important faculties - conscience, intuition and communion.

What comes from our soul, comes from ourselves - but it's our spirit that hears from God. That makes it important for us to know the difference. Because the difference is usually a matter of what we want to happen as opposed to what God wants to happen.

It's the difference between our will and God's will.

God's Word helps us discern this difference by clearly answering questions such as:

*Should I marry or form a business partnership with a non-Christian?

*Is it okay to have sex outside of marriage, or with the person I'm planning to marry?

*Does it matter if I get involved in pornography?

*Should I gossip/lie or spread rumours?

*Is it okay if I stop going to church?

...And a lot more.

Many Christians I've known over the years have failed to discern God's will on these and similar issues - but God's Word cuts away all pretence like a two-edged sword, and gives clear answers to the questions.

The Passion of Leadership

Luke 12:49,50 I (Jesus) am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

Jesus has a Passion for leadership and for His leaders. The Old Testament foretold of God's zeal concerning the fulfillment of His plan for mankind.

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this ... As we all know it is not enough to just have Passion for leadership. Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate, Herod and Judas each had a Passion for leadership but as they went on to demonstrate, Passion without knowledge can easily be misdirected and when misapplied to the leadership role the results can be disastrous. What then is our safety net for the much needed Passions of leadership? Jesus is the anchor of the leadership soul. Jesus has to be the Passion for our leadership for it is only Jesus who has the knowledge and the understanding of mankind and He knows the fullness of His own plan for salvation, therefore Jesus is the only safety net to the Passions of leadership.

John 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?

Whom seek we? ... Whom does our Passion dictate that we should seek after? Unless our Passion dictates that we seek Jesus than like Herod or like Judas we are setting ourselves up for disaster. Leadership by definition involves moving people along through one event and circumstance and into another. Good leadership is going to substantiate good results of growth, maturity and endurance encompassing all of the individuals throughout all of the events and circumstances involved. Because of the rapid succession of the Passion events of Jesus during the Holy week the question could be asked did Jesus get swept up and caught up in a series of events that were bigger than He is or did Jesus in His role of leadership use the series of events to instruct and guide each of us along through our own betrayals, trials and circumstances to bring us into His everlasting resurrection life.

With so much written in each of the Bible's four Gospels about the Passion events of Holy Week the events themselves clearly come into focus as a chain, a series of meaningful connected links connected to establish and fulfill the meaningful events foretold by the Holy Prophets of old. Events that would forever alter the face of history and the destiny of mankind. Clearly these are not just a series of random circumstances but the deliberate and ordained plan of God Himself.

The Passion is a study in the leadership of Jesus Christ as He and the disciples go through one event after another and in the case of the disciples sometimes it is triumph and sometimes it is not a triumph but a momentary failure and regardless of victory or defeat each event is a learning experience for the disciples.

In our own Passion to follow Jesus and to learn from Him, as disciples of Jesus, let's go back with Jesus and the original disciples to revisit and re-live the last week that Jesus spent on earth. This week is also referred to as "Holy Week." The 10 days will be Friday through the next Sunday. To examine the last week we will have to piece together many items and statements from throughout the Bible. As we go back to the original Holy Week, we will travel like students and detectives, searching the scriptures for events and clues that took place nearly 2,000 years ago. We will in actuality be students and detectives of Jesus, searching out who He is and what His ministry came to accomplish here on earth.