teaching notes from ltci, siliguri - based on j oswald sanders book, spiritual leadership

1. Section 8 - The Leader’s Decisions
Group Activity: Create a one-
page visual summary of the
leader’s decisions
Study chapter 8 in Blackaby’s
Spiritual Leadership.
Study chapter 15-16 in Sanders

2. Section 9 - The Leader’s Schedule
Group Activity: Create a one-
page visual summary of the
leader’s schedule.
Study chapter 9 in Blackaby
Study chapters 17-19 in Sanders

3. Section 10 - The Leader’s
Pitfalls & Rewards
Group Activity: Create a one-
page visual summary of the
leader’s pitfalls.
Study chapter 10-11 in Blackaby
Study chapters 20-22 in Sanders

4. Section 8
The Leader’s Decisions
J Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership:
Chapter 15 The Cost of Leadership
Chapter 16 Responsibilities of Leadership

5. J Oswald Sanders
Spiritual Leadership:
Chapter 16
Responsibilities
of Leadership

6. 2 Cor 11:28
Besides everything else, I
face daily the pressure of
my concern for all the
churches.

7. Service
Jesus defined leadership as service
- a definition Sanders suggests that
applies to secular or spiritual
fields.
John A MacKay suggested that the
“servant” is the essential image of
the Christian religion.
The Son of God became a servant
in order to fulfill the mission of
God - this is the pattern that we
have to follow today.

8. A true leader is primarily
concerned with the welfare of
other people, not of his own.
He shows sympathy for the needs
of others - but this sympathy
fortifies and stimulates - it does
not soften and weaken.
He directs others to be confident
in the Lord.
In each emergency he sees the
opportunity for helpfulness.
Joshua served Moses and took on
leadership from that position.

9. D. E. Hoste spoke about the secrets of Hudson Taylor,
whom he had followed in leadership of the China
Inland Mission:
Another secret of his influence among us lay in his
great sympathy and thoughtful consideration for the
welfare and comfort of those about him.The high
standard of self-sacrifice and toil which he ever kept
before himself, never made him lacking in tenderness
and sympathy toward those who were not able to go
as far as he did in these respects. He manifested
great tenderness and patience toward the failures
and shortcomings of his brethren and was thus able
in many cases to help them reach a higher plane of
devotion.

10. Applied Discipline
Discipline is yet another responsibility
of the leader, a duty often unwelcome.
Any Christian organisation requires
godly and loving discipline to maintain
divine standards in doctrine, morals,
and conduct.
Discipline which is applied in a leaders
life will rub off onto those around
them - this might happen through the
leaders practices and habits or by
imitation.

11. Paul describes the spirit
required in leaders who
exercise discipline.
“Brothers, if someone is
caught in a sin, you who are
spiritual should restore him
gently. But watch yourself, or
you also may be tempted”
Gal 6:1 The fundamental
ingredient in all discipline is
love.
“Warn him as a brother” 2
Thess 3:15

12. “I urge you, therefore, to
reaffirm your love for him” 2
Cor 2:8.
The person who has faced
up to his or her own
problems and weaknesses
is best able to help another
in a way both loving and
firm. The spirit of
meekness will achieve far
more than the spirit of
criticism.

13. Approaching a disciplinary
situation, the leader must
remember five guidelines:
(1) first conduct a thorough and
impartial inquiry
(2) then consider the overall
benefit to the work and to the
individual
(3) do all in the spirit of love and
in the most considerate manner
(4) always keep the spiritual
restoration of the offender in
view
(5) pray it through.

14. Guidance
The spiritual leader must know
where they are going before
presuming to lead others. The
leader must go before his flock. The
Chief Shepherd gave us the pattern.
“When he had brought out all his
own, he goes on ahead of them, and
his sheep follow him because they
know his voice” John 10:4
A. W. Tozer “The ideal leader, is one
who hears the voice of God, and
beckons on as the voice calls him and
them.”

15. Paul said to the Corinthians,
“Follow my example, as I follow the
example of Christ” 1
Corinthians 11:1.
Paul knew whom he was
following, where he was going,
and could challenge others to
follow him there.
It is not easy to guide people,
even mature Christians, who
have strong opinions of their
own. The leader cannot assert
his will recklessly.

16. D. E. Hoste:
In a mission like ours, those guiding its affairs
must be prepared to put up with waywardness
and opposition, and be able to desist from
courses of action which, though they may be
intrinsically sound and beneficial, are not
approved by some of those affected. Hudson
Taylor again and again was obliged either to
greatly modify, or lay aside projects which were
sound and helpful, but met with determined
opposition, and so tended to create grater evils
than those which might have been removed or
mitigated by the changes in question. Later on,
in answer to patient continuance in prayer,
many of those projects were [put into effect].

17. Initiative
A leader must initiate. Some
leaders are more gifted at
conserving gains than starting
new ventures, for maintaining
order than generating ardor. He
must be ready to jump start as
well as hold speed. Paul
constantly took calculated risks,
always carefully and with must
prayer, but always reaching for
what lay beyond.

18. The leader must either
initiate plans for progress
or recognize the worthy
plans of others. He must
remain in front, giving guidance
and direction to those behind.
He does not wait for things to
happen, but makes them happen.
He is a self-starter, always on the
lookout for improved methods,
eager to test new ideas.
Robert Louis Stevenson called
the attitude of safety and
security “that dismal fungus.”

19. The greatest
achievements in the
history of missions
have come from
leaders close to God
who took courageous
calculated risks.
More failure comes
from an excess of
caution than from bold
experiments with new
ideas.

20. The wife of Archbishop Mowll
said, “The frontiers of the
kingdom of God were never
advanced by men and women of
caution.”
A leader cannot afford to ignore
the counsel of cautious people,
who can save a mission from
mistakes and loss. But caution
should not curb vision and
initiative, especially when the
leader knows God is in control.
To take responsibility willingly is
the mark of a leader.

21. Joshua did not hesitate to follow one of
the greatest leaders of all history,
Moses. Joshua had reasons to plead
inadequacy, but still did not repeat
Moses’ sin. He promptly accepted the
task he was given and set about the
work.
When Elijah was taken up, Elisha did not
flinch at stepping in - accepted the
authority conferred by the falling mantle
and became a leader in his own right.
In each case these leaders were assured
of their divine calling. Once that issue is
settled, no one need hesitate to do
what God had set before.

22. Archbishop Benson lived in a
different era, but his rules for
life carry relevance today:
•Eagerly start your main work.
•Do not murmur at your
busyness or the shortness of
time, but buy up the time all
around.
•Never murmur when
correspondence is brought in.
•Never exaggerate duties by
seeming to suffer under the
load, but treat all responsibilities
as liberty and gladness.

23. •Never call attention to crowded
work or trivial experiences.
•Before confrontation or censure,
obtain from God a real love for the
one at fault. Know the facts; be
generous in your judgment.
Otherwise, how ineffective, how
unintelligible or perhaps
provocative your well-intentioned
censure may be.
•Do not believe everything you
hear; do not spread gossip.
•Do not seek praise, gratitude,
respect or regard for past service.

24. •Avoid complaining when your
advice/opinion is not asked for, or
set aside.
•Never allow yourself to be placed
in favorable contrast with anyone.
•Do not press conversation to
your own needs and concerns.
•Seek no favors, nor sympathies;
do not ask for tenderness, but
receive what comes.
•Bear the blame
•Give thanks when credit for your
own work or ideas is given to
another.

25. Service, applied
discipline, guidance
and initiative have
been discussed - which
of these do you find
most intimidating?
Read through the final
list of archbishop
Benson - are specific
there areas of
challenge within these?