A Leaders Purpose - Joshua 5:1-13

Joshua 5:1-15 (ESV)

1 As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel. 2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

            Joshua has come a long way, in regards to a leader, since first being introduced to him. In the very first chapter of this book we read how God was telling him to be “strong” and “courageous.” In chapter 6 we are going to see Joshua and the rest of Gods people take control of Jericho. This is the same city that had, what some may consider in that day and time, the most un-penetrating city walls. It was described in Duet. 1:28 as with “walls up to the sky.”

            All of this is God’s plan! We know that God has a plan for our lives and as a leader our mission should be to allow God to use us in bringing that purpose to fruition. This is what we see in the first 15 verse of chapter 5. This was not Joshua’s purpose or mission but Gods. Two things stand out when we look at this passage: Holy Ground, and The Circumcision.

          HOLY GROUND –

            Some of you are familiar with the story of Moses and the burning bush. This passage has some similarities to the passage found in Exodus 3:5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” You might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with leadership?” It has everything to do with it. Joshua, Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Paul, Matthew, Luke, and the list could go on, were all CALLED to lead. They may not all have been called by God the same way but they all were called by God. You and I are called by God to lead. Some will lead individuals, others will lead small groups, while others will lead large congregations or companies. Whatever the case may be we all will be Called by God. Why do I believe this? Because of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord …!”  When the commander of the army of the Lord tells Joshua to “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy” the Lord is setting his leader apart to do His purpose and Will. The New American commentary states it like this, Joshua was now being affirmed as Moses’ successor and God’s presence was being promised to him.^[1]

            God’s purpose and will was going to be spoken to and through His leader, Joshua. As a leader today we need to be that voice and vessel for the Holy Spirit to work through so His will and Purpose may be fulfilled.

           

THE CIRCUMCISION –

            All the sons of Israel were to be circumcised just days after birth. It seems, from this passage of scripture, that the male children who were born during the wandering years (40) were not circumcised. Circumcision is appointed by God to be the special badge of his chosen people, an abiding sign of their consecration to him.^[2] It basically was a “setting apart” to acknowledge your service to God. This practice was forgotten but Joshua was commanded, by God, to reinstate it. Why? So His people would be set apart for His service. It was basically, this generation reuniting with God due to the their parents disobedience.

            As a leader, we are to help people see their purpose. In the church, we are to help people fulfill their calling in life (teacher, preacher, greeter, nursery worker, etc….). In the secular world, we are to help people fulfill their position on the team (manager, stock clerk, office assistant, nurse, etc ….). We must remember God wants to set his people apart for His purpose and we as leaders need to allow God to use us in order to see all of it come to be.

           My prayer for you today is to let the Holy Spirit use you in leading others and except the fact that you are set apart for this calling in life. I can only speak from my experience in saying that I would not trade this for the world. A special friend and mentor of mine shared something with me years ago when I told him I accepted the call to preach. He said, "If you can do anything else and stay in the center of God's will then do that! But if you can't, THEN PREACH!"

Blessings my friends!

Pastor Rod

---

^[1] Howard, D. M., Jr. (2001). Vol. 5: Joshua (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (159). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

^[2] Easton, M. (1996). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Sometimes leadership is doing what’s right, not what feels right. (I Samuel 24:1-22)

It was a F250 Super Duty Quad Cab with a 5.7 under the hood. I jumped behind the wheel of this awesome piece of machinery for a test drive and I believed I heard angels singing. I saw the heavens open up and the hand of God come down and anoint this wonderful gift. My wife and I were sitting in the office getting ready to sign the paperwork. Time seemed to stand still. All I wanted to do was get on the road and start feeling the awesomeness of this gift from God. Inside I was screaming, “Let’s hurry this process up!”

          You see, for as long as I can remember, I have wanted a TRUCK! I don’t know if was due to me being a man or the fact that I was raised in West Virginia. Whatever the case may be, God was about to answer my prayers. I looked over at my wife, who was not as enthusiastic about this purchase as I was, and noticed she was becoming hesitant about all that was taking place. To comfort her and allow this process to go through, I asked and the dealership agreed for a “Right to Resend!” This meant that within 24 hours I could bring this “blessing from God” back without any questions asked or more importantly convince my wife this was a GOD thing.

          I ran out to the parking lot were this angelic vehicle from God was parked, jumped in and took off! At this point I was shouting out loud, “Thank You Lord, Thank You lord!” You see, we could afford the payment. We were not going to be truck poor! So I just knew this was what God wanted for our family (ME!) I had a 2 hour drive home from the dealership and it was the most miserable drive of my life. As I was shouting praises to God, the Lord was speaking, oh so quietly, to my heart! We were not to get this F250 Super Duty Quad Cab with a 5.7 under the hood. I debated with God the entire drive home, all through the night, and into the morning but He was just not seeing things my way. Long story short, that morning, we drove 2 hours north and returned this blessing from God.

      If I had wanted to I could have reached into my pastoral training and recited a couple of scriptures to make my case for keeping this anointed gift from the heavens such as Matt. 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you”! Lord I had been asking! But the scriptures in its totality reveal to us that obedience is what God wants from us. He not only wants obedience but expects it!

          

          David had the motive, the opportunity, and the advantage of surprise to kill the one who has been seeking to take his life. His men were encouraging him to take advantage of the circumstances. They even remind him of what God had told him, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ But David knew that harming or taking the life of one of God’s anointed was not what the right thing to do! David understood that sometimes it is more important to do what is right than what may feel right! When we do the right thing instead of feeding our human emotions we are pleasing the one who created us. In doing this we reap a greater reward either here on earth on in heaven. Three things we can learn from this passage when it comes to being a leader:

1.   Taking shortcuts is not always the best way!

David could have hurried up the process of becoming King and killed Saul. He was pronounced King at a young age and was in line for the kingship. But David knew that his time would come but not at the expense of taking shortcuts.

          Sometimes shortcuts cause us to miss the journey! At times the journey is what it is all about. Don’t always look for shortcuts in leading! You might miss what God has for you during the ride!

2.   Taking the bible as a whole and not in sections!

I can look hard enough in the scriptures and find a verse or two that will support my opinion or stance. This is why it is important to read the entire bible. When you buy an appliance or large object that needs assembly it is important you read through the entire direction manual (Men pay close attention to this)! If you just read a little of this and a little of that you may end up causing more damage to the product.

3.   Doing right may not always feel good!

I can only imagine what David must have felt when he walked out of that cave. I am not sure I could have done what David did and walk out into the open to the one who was seeking to take my life standing right in front of me. But David was more concerned about doing what God wanted him to do than his own fears. He trusted God! I am sure he had knots in his stomach and sweat running down his forehead but he had a peace in his heart knowing he was doing right. It may not have felt good but if was the right thing to do.

I walked out of the dealership, after turning in the keys and right past that truck. I did not have a good feeling inside. As a matter of fact I felt sick to my stomach! I told my wife, “I am not going to look back” as I got into my car. I didn’t talk for about 30 minutes during the drive home. It may not have felt good in returning this dream of mine but I knew it was the right thing to do. I may not have felt good but I had a peace in my heart knowing I did the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing is what it is all about!       
God Bless, 
Pastor Rod

Leadership is a Journey not a Mission!

Acts 3:1-10
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

     My family and I decided to take a road trip back in 2008. We were going to go to Chicago for a few days then over to the Mall of America (my wife's idea). After that we were to head out to Mount Rushmore and then back home. All in all this was about a 10 day road trip.
     So, as any good man would do I started to plan out the trip. As my wife looked into my eyes she could see something that is very familiar to her. I started to transformed into this creature that she does not like. She call's me "Drill Sargent Kincaid!" I go into "mission" mode. My wife took me by the hand and sat me down. Looked deep into my eyes and said with a very firm voice, "you are not going to ruin this vacation!" I replied, "Yes Ma'am!" My wife wanted to be able to enjoy the journey not accomplish a mission!
     When I get into this mode of behavior I tend to miss the enjoyment of the journey. I am not able to look at the scenery and take in all of the beauty that God has laid out for us. I forget that its a journey that we want to experience not the mission.
     As a leader we need to remember that its more important to experience the journey than to accomplish the mission. John Maxwell shares the same philosophy when he states, "Don't be goal oriented. Be growth oriented." There is nothing wrong with having goals. But that should never be the sole purpose! Our purpose for leadership should be to grow and help others to grow.
     In this passage of scripture we see 4 things that helps us to understand this idea of leadership being a journey not a mission.

1. A Leader needs to HEAR! (Vs 3-4a)

     Leaders have a tendency to be so focused that we develop tunnel vision. In that state we tend to become deaf to the people we are trying to lead. Make sure you stop to listen. I learned something of great value when it comes to listening from a friend of mine years ago: Look people directly in the eye and don't be thinking of a response until after they are finished. Listening is part of the journey.

2. A Leader needs to CARE! (Vs 4b)
     I find that leaders can present themselves as someone who is only concerned with their progress or climb to the top. In this journey we need to remember to bring others along. If we are out leading and no one if following then we are not leading we are soloing it . Leadership is influence but if there is no one there to influence then we are not leading. We should influence because we care. Caring is part of the journey.

3. A Leader needs to GIVE! (Vs 6-7)
     To often the idea of a leader is someone who receives the accolades, receives the bonuses, or receives credit for the project. But the truth is the leader should never want the accolade, the credit, or the perks. A leader is someone who will want to give more of themselves than receive for themselves. Leadership requires sacrifice. Sacrificing your time, your energy, and your individual wants. Giving is a sacrifice but one that is worth it in the end. Giving is part of the journey!

4. A Leader needs to RELEASE!
     We never know what happens to the beggar who was healed. but we do know that at some point in time Peter and John parted ways with him. The same will be true with individuals you may be leading or mentoring. There will come a time when you need to release them. This should never be looked at as a negative but as a positive. We are commanded in the scriptures to "go and makes disciples." No were does it say to keep them and never let them go off to do the same. We as leaders need to invest then release. Invest in those individuals that God has brought into our lives and then release them to go and invest into others. Releasing is part of the journey!

     I hope that as a leader you don't become so mission minded that you forget that it is a journey. A journey that is to be enjoyed. This journey will consist of listening to people, caring for them, giving to them our time and energy, and releasing them. So from me to you I say "enjoy the journey my friend!"

God Bless
Pastor Rod

What moves leaders to lead? Nehemiah 1:1-11

We have all heard the stories of leaders who were either thrust or developed into being a leader. Whatever the case may be I believe there is a point when the leader can either walk away and say no to, or move forward in leadership. In this passage of scripture we read about a man named Nehemiah. Many of us are familiar with Nehemiah but for those who are not let me introduce him. He is a Jew who was forced to leave his home and took up residency in Susa. He worked himself into the position of Cupbearer for the King.

Nehemiah was living a life of, somewhat, luxury. He was not looking to be a leader but rather looking to serve the leader. Something happened to Nehemiah that happens in all men and women who become leaders. Something moved inside Nehemiah that caused him to become the leader God wanted for that day and time.

What moved Nehemiah to lead?

1. Relationships (Nehemiah 1:1-4) – Nehemiah was moved because of his love for
his family (His brother). He was moved because of his concern for his nation
(Judah). He was moved because of his love for Gods people.

As a leader we can all attest to this reason. I, as a pastor, was moved to leadership because of my Love for God and His people. Hopefully you have been moved to lead because of wanting to help people. You have a love to see people become more than they are at this moment and time in their life.

What else moved Nehemiah ....

2. Problems (Nehemiah 1: 3) – Nehemiah was moved to lead because of the problem he saw concerning Judah. The wall of protection around the city was destroyed and the city was not secure.

Nehemiah saw a problem that moved him to solve the problem. Every leader is
moved because they see a problem. Good or bad, if there is a problem a leader will
be moved to lead toward a solution to the problem.

3. 3. Success (Nehemiah 1: 11) – Nehemiah trusted the Lord! He believed that

God would give success to the problem God’s people faced. As a leader, we are moved to lead because we trust God! We believe God will give us success (Jer. 29:11-14). The scripture is very clear in Luke 18:27 But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Leaders are moved to lead because of relationships, problems and belief in a successful outcome. You might be in a situation in your life that God is moving you to lead. It might be because of a relationship you are in. It might be because of a problem you are facing. It might be because God has given you a sense of peace that there will be success.

Whatever the reason you are being moved to lead, ……….LEAD!