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It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it.
The point that we cannot miss is that while the skill of leadership is a very powerful thing, it is the purpose of leadership that determines the destiny of mankind.
God is intimately concerned with why, how, and to where we lead people.
Yet, we must remember that our leadership comes not from our own determination, but as a gift and stewardship from our Creator.
Our leadership comes from our relationship with the Lord.
Rather, authentic leadership is guiding others according to God’s character and for God’s purposes.
we must “receive the kingdom of God” as little children
What is received is God’s rule. In order to enter the future realm of the Kingdom, one must submit himself in perfect trust to God’s rule here and now.
The salvation of God’s people is not only an issue of forgiving sin and justifying sinners, but also a work of adoption into a royal family and a transfer of citizenship into an eternal Kingdom (Col. 1:13).
We work to see others reject the dark reign of sin and to come into the joyful Kingdom under the reign of God.
In order for our leadership to be most potent, our leadership must be consistent in word and action.
The task of the church is to make the invisible kingdom visible through faithful Christian living and witness-bearing.
To be a part of a local church is to be a part of a leadership community.
God’s Church is leading the world out of the kingdom of darkness and into the mercy and grace of the Kingdom of God.
Nonetheless, the aim of the church is to enable every member to lead others into the Kingdom, so we must work hard to train them for the task.
We often like our congregants to be compliant, but the Kingdom needs more mavericks.
The Kingdom of God has one door—Jesus—but the message of King Jesus is carried to a million places, into every sphere of life, on the lips and in the lives of every equipped disciple.
As godly leaders reflect God’s character and purposes in their spheres of influence, even profound difficulties can be redeemed for
the glory of God.
When unbelievers witness God’s people leading with confidence, joy, and grace through adversity, they become captiva...
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As we lead and develop leaders for all spheres of life, God is saving people through the witness and leadership of His people. God is building His Church through everyday lives in everyday situations.
Can you imagine if God’s people led churches, companies, government, and community service all over your
city the same way God leads His Kingdom?
Men and women that lead in God’s Kingdom must be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God.
Without God’s Kingdom as our aim, the most skillful leadership is still, at best, a lifeless perversion of God’s design.
No matter where the people of God lead, the Church must equip them to lead for the Kingdom of God by the Spirit of God.
Throughout the ages, the public square has changed in form, but not in function. Today, many cities do not have a physical “square” in the middle of the city, but societies still find a way to communicate and convene.
Most people spend the vast majority of their waking lives at work. Yet, many churches spend a sparse amount of their exegetical labors helping people apply God’s Word to life and leadership in the public square. We must develop leaders for the Church, but we cannot neglect equipping saints to perform the role of leader in society.
Abraham Kuyper, a Dutch theologian and former prime minister, said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”
A Christian approach to leadership reaches into every sphere of life, because every sphere of life belongs to God.
Instead, if our churches can step up to the task, Christ-following leaders will be counted among the greatest leaders in the public square. We do not want to reinvent all leadership training, but we must reinterpret it through a Kingdom worldview.
To equip Christians as great societal leaders who impact the Kingdom of God, we must equip and encourage leaders to be both: Stewards and Managers: Societal leaders should steward His resources through skillful management. Culture Makers: Societal leaders should create environments conducive to gospel advancement.
Some of God’s attributes and character are best displayed through management activity.
Throughout the Scripture, God reveals Himself as a kind, providing, caretaking Manager over His creation. Everything, all wealth and honor, is His, and He is the ruler of all things (1 Chron. 29:11–12). He has everything, yet He cares for the lilies of the field (Matt. 6:28). He manages to the detail of the lilies in the field! As God provides for, guides, and protects all that He owns, societal leaders who manage well have an incredible opportunity to display the wonderful reign of our Great King and Creator God. Each domain has the profound opportunity to see God’s character reflected
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Can you imagine what people would think if they could work in a business where their Christ-centered employer lovingly and selflessly provides for,
protects, and guides the employees of the company?
By managing resources here and now, business leaders can reflect the wisdom of the God who owns all things, for all time.
One of the most profound aspects of the leadership mandate in Genesis is the capacity and duty of mankind to reflect the control and management exerted by the Sovereign King over creation. When God speaks to man in the garden, He commands them to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28 esv, emphasis added).
Our hope must be to help God’s people dispersed through all society not merely to tolerate business, but to view it as a sacred opportunity to reflect the character of God.
Nonetheless, God is honored when noble and wise care is displayed by those He calls to lead society.
The leaders of society cannot just treat people correctly as they lead them; leaders must lead them to right places.
Our Divine King not only rules us rightly, He leads us to places where we will flourish and find life.
Education, health providers, environmental work, and other such professions directly demonstrate the care God has for creation.
It is almost startling to the human soul when someone truly demonstrates the character of God through selfless service to the community. A great teacher in a school or a skillful nurse or doctor provide care every day that often feels more like the love of a parent and less like the duty of someone just doing the job for the day.
As leaders in society are equipped to lead for the Kingdom, the world can be pointed to God.
Using their influence wisely, Christian leaders can cultivate environments where a biblical worldview can flourish around them.
Christian leaders providing an alternative voice to the roar of culture is a common grace to mankind.
Through shaping these values, biblically trained leaders can make their organization a place where the gospel seems consistent with the current paradigm or completely foreign. What a profound responsibility!
Business leaders can establish behavior patterns through their leadership that displays forgiveness, sacrificial leadership, and compassion. And these qualities will serve as launching points for gospel conversations.
The hallways of the office can be a highway for grace, humility, and kindness.
