Portrait of a King: Lead With Success

2015-09-20 
Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Memory Verse: Eccl. 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 

Last week, we began this series in 1 Kings 2 as David was instructing his son, Solomon, on what real leadership is all about. He stressed the importance of following God’s plan, of learning from those who’ve gone before, of staying focused on the task at hand and keeping our eyes on the goal. Today, we want to start moving into the practical lessons on leadership from Solomon’s life. 

“Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less” – John Maxwell

Lead With Success – Good stewardship of your influence in every setting

Deut. 17:18-20 NLT “When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

Four spiritual requirements for leading successfully…all based on the foundation of God’s Word
– To be a successful Christian leader, you must ground yourself in God’s Word.
– Successful Christian leadership is never evaluated based on the world’s definition of leadership, is based on God’s definition of leadership.

Eccl. 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

Eccl 12:13 NLT That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty

1. Copy It – Kings were required to hand copy so it would leave an indelible mark on the heart
vs 18a When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction…

Deuteronomy 28:1-10 NLT “If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the LORD your God: 3 Your towns and your fields will be blessed. 4 Your children and your crops will be blessed. The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed. 5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed. 6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed. 7 “The LORD will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven! 8 “The LORD will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. 9 “If you obey the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways, the LORD will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the LORD, and they will stand in awe of you.

Deut. 30:15-18a “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, 18 then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed…

2. Keep It – Keeping the Word of God close for continued impact in our lives

vs 19a He must always keep that copy with him…

Why?
-Personal Impact
-Practical Guidance – Proverbs
-Powerful Grounding – Standing on something greater than you
-Permanent Truth

Psa. 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. 

3. Read It – Personal knowledge of God’s Word

vs 19b …and read it daily as long as he lives…

God’s Word will give you the answers to the questions you face today and the wisdom to know how to deal with the questions of tomorrow.

“It is always better to have the “seat belt” on before the wreck than to put it on afterwards!”

vs 19 …That way he will learn to fear (yah-RAY – awe, reverence, respect) the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees.
When we have true awe, reverence and respect towards God, it becomes more and more difficult to disregard His Will

4. Live It – Personal implementation of God’s Word

vs. 20 This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

– Most damaging byproduct of leadership is pride and unhealthy self appreciation
– Pride and feeling as if we are above others, better than others, smarter than others will always lead us to feel as if we don’t have to abide by the rules.

“Good leaders want true, honest feedback. Bad leaders see alternate opinions or disagreements as personal attacks.” – Justin Kintzel

– This natural result is a surefire way to destroy our leadership and our future
* Result-won’t abuse authority, keeps you sensitive to sin, and guarantees Godly heritage

Model for Christian Leadership

Christ-centered in all aspects of life (a voluntary servant of Christ)
Committed to serve the needs of others before their own,
Courageous to lead with power and love as an expression of serving,
Consistently developing others into servant leaders, and
Continually inviting feedback from those that they want to serve in order to grow towards the ultimate servant leader, Jesus Christ.