Principles Of Leadership Part 1 – By Pastor Dan Reed | Manna For Your Day

Dr. Dan Reed was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951. He was saved at the Woodland Avenue Baptist Church in 1973 while studying engineering at Auburn University. Sensing the call to preach in 1973 he enrolled at Tennessee Temple College under the ministry of Dr. Lee Roberson. Finishing his B.A. in December of 1975 he was called to Emden, Missouri , a town of 61, to pastor the Community Baptist Church. Pastor Reed has started two churches and two Christian schools during his 33-year ministry. He is currently the pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Acworth, Georgia. (Learn more about Dr. Reed HERE)
PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP
Part 1

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 29:1-7

Text: (Proverbs 29:2) “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”  (KJV)

Proverbs was written by a godly king who knew God’s principles of spiritual leadership. We are all leaders in some sphere and scripture teaches us how to use our leadership for God in a wise and spiritual way. There is a natural leadership and there is a spiritual leadership. Great leaders are not always spiritual leaders. For example, Saul was a natural, born leader. He was head and shoulders above the people and the people chose him as their leader because he had some ability. Yet, he was not God’s choice and when his weak character finally brought him down, God said, “I have chosen Me a man after my own heart.” David was not a natural for leadership. Samuel, when choosing God’s king, would have chosen all his brothers over him, but God chose David and said, “Man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

Every spiritual leader, whether pastor, deacon, Sunday School teacher, Christian school teacher, parent, or Christian on the job should periodically analyze their spiritual leadership. Just what is leadership anyway? Someone has said that leadership is seeing further down the road than others can. The best definition of leadership I ever heard is that leadership is simply “influence.” The more influence I have the more leadership I have. Godly leadership means godly influence. Solomon in Proverbs 29 shows us a number of principles regarding godly leadership.

(1) The greatest asset of a godly leader is his own personal godliness. 

Proverbs 29:2,7 show us this. “When the righteous are in authority…” “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor.” Solomon is talking about being in authority and he talks about a righteous man. A righteous man is one who has been made righteous in Christ and therefore is desirous to know and do God’s law. He is interested in being right and in tune with the Lord. His own personal walk with God is his most important asset. The reason for this is that we teach a little by what we say, more by what we do, but most by what we are. Jesus in the sermon on the mount emphasized this over and over by saying, “Blessed are the meek…blessed are the poor in spirit…blessed are the peacemakers.” You see what you are is what teaches more than what you say or do! Robert M. McCheyne, the great Scottish preacher said, “The life of a minister is the life of his ministry. My people’s greatest need is my own personal godliness.”  There simply is no substitute for personal godliness. Paul in speaking to the young preacher Timothy said, “Take heed to thyself…” In First Timothy 4:7 he said, “Exercise thyself to godliness.” So much today is window dressing. A good front in a spiritual leader only lasts until people get to know you pretty well. This is why Paul said, “Lay hands suddenly on no man…some men’s sins are open, going before to judgment; and other men, they follow after.” What he meant was that leadership should be proved by their character and therefore should not be chosen rashly.

How do you measure godliness? 

I think a good yardstick is what happens to people when they get really close to you. How do you impact them? Do people yearn to grow when they are around you? Does your life really impact people? Someone said, “You can instruct and inspire from a distance but you can only impact up close.”

The greatest impact of a parent on a child is by what that parent is on a day by day basis. The greatest impact of a pastor, school teacher, or coach is in their own personal life and godliness. So the greatest asset any spiritual leader has is his own personal walk with God!

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5387X: Vine"s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament WordsBy W.E. Vine / Thomas NelsonThis convenient one volume combines Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words and Unger and White’s Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament. This book allows you to easily access the alphabetized English equivalents of the Greek or Hebrew words from which they are translated. Throughout the text the most significant biblical words are illustrated by Scripture passages, comments, cross-references, ancient and modern meanings, precise etymologies, historical notes, and clearly defined technical information. Each original language is indexed, and the addition of a topical index allows you to access all the dictionary entries pertinent to specific New Testament ideas and teachings.Keyed to Strong’s.

Evidence Of Wisdom; A Teachable Spirit! – By Pastor Dan Reed | Manna For Your Day

Manna For Your Day IconDr. Dan Reed was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951. He was saved at the Woodland Avenue Baptist Church in 1973 while studying engineering at Auburn University. Sensing the call to preach in 1973 he enrolled at Tennessee Temple College under the ministry of Dr. Lee Roberson. Finishing his B.A. in December of 1975 he was called to Emden, Missouri , a town of 61, to pastor the Community Baptist Church. Pastor Reed has started two churches and two Christian schools during his 33-year ministry. He is currently the pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Acworth, Georgia. (Learn more about Dr. Reed HERE) Continue reading

Useful Instructions In Soul-Winning Part 2 – By Pastor Dan Reed | Manna For Your Day

Dr. Dan Reed was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951. He was saved at the Woodland Avenue Baptist Church in 1973 while studying engineering at Auburn University. Sensing the call to preach in 1973 he enrolled at Tennessee Temple College under the ministry of Dr. Lee Roberson. Finishing his B.A. in December of 1975 he was called to Emden, Missouri , a town of 61, to pastor the Community Baptist Church. Pastor Reed has started two churches and two Christian schools during his 33-year ministry. He is currently the pastor of Harvest Baptist Church of Acworth, Georgia. (Learn more about Dr. Reed HERE)
 

USEFUL INSTRUCTIONS IN SOUL-WINNING Part 2

Scripture Reading: Jude

Text: (Jude 1:22-23) “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”  (KJV)

Being “discerning” means we must take the time to listen to people to discern their needs and how we should deal with them. I do not mean now that the gospel ever changes, but the way we approach people, according to Scripture, is according to their own needs and background. Proverbs 18:13 “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it; it is folly and shame to him.” Proverbs 15:28 “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer…”

(2) Be pitiful -

Jude said, “Of some having compassion.” The word literally means “pity”. Some people just need some compassion. Psalm 26:5,6 “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth…” Do you see the emphasis on compassion in those verses? So what type of people need compassion?

(A) The ignorant need compassion for Hebrews 5:2 says, “Who can have compassion on the ignorant?” Some people have been duped, their minds are confused because the god of this world hath blinded their minds! You don’t jump on people who are ignorant! If a person knows the gospel and deliberately rejects it, he needs solemn rebuke; but not those who are ignorant of the truth!

(B) The fainthearted need compassion. In Matthew 9:37 “Jesus was moved with compassion on them because they were faint” which speaks of their faintheartedness. This speaks of people easily discouraged. Perhaps they have wanted to be saved but never fully understood and embraced Christ and are discouraged. We should be very tender and compassionate with these people.

(C) People who are bound by their sins like the Gadarene demoniac. Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends what the Lord had done for him and how he had compassion on him. Some people really do desire to be saved from their sins, they simply need someone to care long enough to help them come to the Savior!

(D) The bereaved need compassion. When the Lord came across the bier of the widow of  Nain’s son, the Bible says, “He had compassion on her and said unto her…” I have led many people to Christ after a funeral. The person I bury may be lost, but if I have compassion on the family, I can likely win some! It is compassion that causes the soulwinner to stop and help someone in need, to go the extra mile, to keep going back. There is a man in our church who was led to Christ by a bus captain that kept going back and back, every Saturday. That is the compassion that makes the difference!

(3) Be pungent -

“others save with fear pulling them out of the fire” – “Others” means here is another case. These kind are to be saved with fear, they do not need compassion, they need to have the fear of God placed in them. The term “pulling them out of the fire” probably refers to the story of Lot and how the angels had to lay hold on them and literally pull them out of Sodom! Some people live so close to hell that it takes severe warnings and rebukes to touch them at all. Old Oliver Greene used to pray, “Lord, save that one nearest hell.” Who is this crowd?

(A) The religious self righteous crowd- Jesus had compassion on the multitudes and the publicans and sinners, but He had nothing but rebukes and fiery indignation to the Pharisees and scribes!

(B) Those caught up in cults and false doctrine who have turned from the way of truth but have not gone so far as to be given up. A stiff warning may help someone like that.

Look For Part 3…

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Contemporary Christians know that God answers prayer and that praying is important, but most also wish their prayer life could be more effective. Murray instructs readers from Scripture and the life of Jesus that prayer is the root and strength of all work for God, that God intends to answer every prayer, and that prayer is meant to be a way of life. These thirty-one classic meditations, written in 1885, have been edited and clarified for new readers. 240 pages, softcover from Bethany.

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