Developing Servant Leaders Full of the Holy Spirit & Wisdom.

Transcription

1 Developing Servant Leaders Full of the Holy Spirit & Wisdom. 1 - KNOWING GOD KNOWING GOD 1. As we begin a study of Biblical leadership it is crucial to understand that a person called to lead in the Kingdom of God must first be a person who has a deeply personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Without this as a basis for leadership, we will quickly turn to secular techniques. A. Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. B. Philippians 3: But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead What do we mean when we use the phrase knowing God? Is it an emotion, an intellectual experience? Describe how you know God. 3. There is a great difference between knowing God and knowing about Him. A. Scripture is filled with descriptions of God s character, His acts, etc. You can read these accounts and believe them to be true about God. This does not necessarily mean you know Him personally. To the Greeks, to know something meant you understood it in your mind. It was an academic process. In contrast, for a Hebrew person, knowing something meant that you experienced it. Leadership Development is a Ministry of Christian Life Center Discipleship Institute A Foursquare Church, 9085 California Avenue, Riverside, CA info@clcriverside.org Jack & Jane Lankhorst, Pastors Christian Life Center Leadership Development 1

2 4. Knowing God may include the following: A. To know God we must first believe that God loves us and invites us to know Him intimately. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. B. We must also understand that God is the One who our relationship with Him. We do not make friends with God, God makes friends with us and brings us to Himself. (Jeremiah 1:5; Galatians 4:9) C. Knowing that His Ways and His Voice are different than ours (Isaiah 55:8-11), we must believe that we CAN hear His voice and that the Bible makes it clear that we were created to have a two-way communication with Him. (John 10:27; Hebrews 4:15-16) D. A relationship with God means that we respond to Him by becoming involved with Him in heart, mind, soul and body. (Psalm 34:8) 5. J.I. Packer stated it well: What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it the fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands [Isaiah 49:16]. I am never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative in knowing me. I know him because he first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when his eye is off me, or his attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when his care falters PAUL S CRY TO KNOW HIM! 1. Read Philippians 3: A. What did Paul in order to know Christ? B. Describe Paul s attitude. 2. Do we desire that same intimate relationship with God? If so, what are we willing to let go? GOD S TWO MAIN ATTRIBUTES Psalm 103:7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 1. His Attributes, those characteristics only He possesses. 2. His Attributes. those He shares with us to a limited degree, and which deal with character and conduct. Christian Life Center Leadership Development 2

3 GOD'S ABSOLUTE ATTRIBUTES 1. God is God is the absolute Source of all life and the Eternal Living God. God is not dependent on anything outside of Himself. He is Self-Existent! (Exodus 3:13-15; John 5:26; Colossians 1:15-17) 2. God is He does not change. (1 Kings 8:56; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8) 3. God is God has always existed and will forever exist! (Exodus 3:13-15; Psalm 90:2; John 8:58; 1 Timothy 1:17 4. God is He is everywhere at the same time. God is present in all time and space, He is everywhere and in every moment, past, present and future. (Jeremiah 23:23-24; Psalm 139:1-12; Matthew 28:20; Colossians 1:17) 5. God is He is all-knowing. Because God is Sovereign over His creation, whether visible or invisible, He has to be all-knowing. (Psalm 139:1-4, 16; Acts 5:1-11; Ephesians 3:9-11) 6. God is He is all-powerful. As with the attributes of Omniscience and Omnipresence, it follows that, if God is Infinite, and if He is Sovereign, which we know He is, then He must also be Omnipotent. He has all power over all things at all times and in all ways. (Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Isaiah 40:15; Daniel 4:35; Matthew 19:26) 7. God is He exercises Supreme Authority over all of creation. (Malachi 1:6; Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 10-11) NOTE: Calvinism and Arminianism are two systems of theology that attempt to explain the relationship between God s sovereignty and man s responsibility concerning salvation. Unconditional election is the view that God elects or chooses individuals for salvation based entirely on His will, not the worthiness of the individual. Conditional election states that God Christian Life Center Leadership Development 3

4 elects individuals to salvation based on His foreknowledge of who will believe in Christ on the condition that the individual chooses God. GOD S MORAL ATTRIBUTES 1. God is (Leviticus 11:44-45; Isaiah 6:1-5) A. Both the Hebrew (Quadosh) and Greek (Hagios) define Holy as that which belongs to and is reserved for God and anything that pertains to Him, pure, free from defilement or contamination of sin, and worthy of God. This Attribute of God is mentioned more than all of the other attributes! The Bible establishes His Holiness before His Love. B. In reference to man, the primary meaning is, the quality of being separated to God while in the world. Anything called Holy belonged to God and that included people, the nation Israel, the Temple, etc. C. In the New Testament the quality of Holiness emphasizes more the inward purity and separation from the world. (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Peter 1:15-16; Hebrews 12:10-11) 2. God is (Genesis 18:25; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 3:25-26) A. The Hebrew word is Tsedek, meaning Rightness, Straightness, Justice of a judge, a King. Of God it is exhibited in punishing the wicked, avenging, delivering, or rewarding the righteous. B. He is called a Rock five times in Deuteronomy 32. God s Righteousness never changes, His Justice cannot fail, and He is completely faithful in dealing with His people according to His Nature and His Law and Covenants. He will punish in judgment and reward perfectly according to His Word, and without partiality. C. Because He is Righteous, we must deal with each other in the same way. The first four Commandments tell us how to worship and serve God, and the last six deal with our treatment of other people. (Exodus 20:1-17) D. In the New Testament the Greek word for justification means to declare as innocent or righteous. (Romans 3:21-26) We become righteous in God s sight the moment we believe in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross in our place. (Genesis 15:6; Romans 5:1) 3. God is (1 John 4:8-11, 16) A. In Exodus 34:6-7 we see that all of God s Attributes can be summed up in Holiness and Love. B. In Exodus 19:3-6 and Deuteronomy 7:6-8 God expresses His love based upon His Covenant with Israel. The evidence of God s love to us is found in Scriptures such as: Salvation (John 3:16) Provision (Romans 8:32; Philippians 4:19) Sending the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-16; 16:7) Christian Life Center Leadership Development 4

5 Placing us in His Body (Ephesians 5:25-27) Making us His children (1 John 3:1-2) Providing for our healing (Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16) Providing for a victorious Christian life (Romans 8:35-39) 4. God is (John 1:14, 14:6; Titus 1:2) A. His Word is TRUTH. It is the true revelation of His Nature, His will for mankind, and His plan of salvation! (Psalm 119:89; John 17:17) B. Because God is TRUTH, He is faithful to keep all His promises. (Numbers 23:19-20; Joshua 23:14) HOMEWORK 1. Read Lesson Read Exodus 33: Read chapters 1-3 of Spiritual Leadership. 4. Use the weekly Time Sheet and Journal on Exodus 33:7-23 and chapters Memorize Exodus 33:12-13 (Exodus 33:14-17 is for next week). Christian Life Center Leadership Development 5

6 LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Developing Servant Leaders Full of the Holy Spirit & Wisdom. 1. I expect the best from people I lead. 2. I know the needs of the people I serve. 3. I establish high standards for excellence. 4. I create an environment where failure is not fatal. 5. I help others accomplish their goals whether they re in my area or not. 6. I employ models to encourage success. 7. I recognize and applaud achievement. 8. I affirm and correct. 9. I appeal sparingly to the competitive urge. 10. I place a premium on team work. 11. I develop an allowance for storms. 12. I keep my own motivation high. 13. I refuse to join in gossip. 14. I implement the direction of the church in my area. 15. I pray for the growth and welfare of my church. 16. I invite the unchurched to come to church with me. 17. I warmly embrace all who attend the services. 18. I am personally involved in the financial responsibilities of my church. 19. I assist where I am most needed. 20. I m convinced that faithfully attending the weekly services is an important part of leadership. Christian Life Center Leadership Development 6

7 LESSON 1 - ANSWERS B. initiated D. personally 1. Absolute 2. Moral 1. Self-Existent 2. Immutable 3. Eternal 4. Omnipresent 5. Omniscient 6. Omnipotent 7. Sovereign 1. Holy 2. Righteous 3. Love 4. Truth Christian Life Center Leadership Development 7