Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the category “#3 DO – What a Leader Does”

08 May 2023

Dealing with Leadership Pressure

Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:7-14 NIV

The situation for Saul was deteriorating rapidly. His troops were “quaking with fear.” His appointment with his mentor, Samuel, was delayed indefinitely. Some among his followers began to desert him. He needed to act – or so he thought. What to do with all this pressure? And so, he took matters into his own hands and decided to make an offering to the Lord and just as he finished his mentor arrived. Note Samuel’s question, “What have you done?”

Saul replies with an explanation of his reasoning for the decision to do something he knew was wrong. His three reasons were: 1) the men were deserting him, 2) Samuel was late in coming, and 3) he feared an attack without having God’s favor. Thus, he “felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” He caved to the pressure of the moment and deliberately disobeyed the Word of God. It was a reasoned decision, not taken without forethought. But Samuel describes his decision as “a foolish thing… you have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you.”

No matter how well reasoned our actions, regardless of the pressure of the moment, we are to obey the Word of God and not give in to outside pressure or our own logic. Trust God and obey! He has your back!

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. Isaiah 50:7 NIV

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27 Mar 2023

Facing Hardship

After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. Acts 21:10-15 NIV

Paul was coming to the end of his third missionary tour. It had been a long four years of service, with most of it in Ephesus. God had given amazing fruitfulness (see Acts 19:10), but now it was time to return to Jerusalem. The prophet Agabus, moved by the Holy Spirit, foretold of Paul’s impending arrest and imprisonment by the Gentiles. Not exactly an exciting future!

We note Paul’s response compared to his companions. They assumed that this arrest and imprisonment was something to be avoided at all cost. They pleaded with Paul, seeking to influence him to change his mind about returning to Jerusalem. They assumed that this was not what God wanted, for certainly God would want his servant to continue his ministry.

Paul’s response was very different. He had no ‘death wish’ nor was he a fatalist. But he was not one to be driven by fear of the future or a fear of man. He had many times in the past seen the Lord deliver him (see 1 Corinthians 1:8-11). His confidence was in the Lord. He would not be dissuaded. Jerusalem awaited and there he would face his destiny.

It’s easy to assume that the avoidance of known opposition, persecution, or trial is the way of wisdom. Certainly one should not go looking for a fight. Remember Ecclesiastes 9:4, “Anyone who is among the living has hope–even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!” But, Paul’s destiny had been outlined by the Holy Spirit through Agabus the prophet. We note that none of Paul’s companions we saying, “The Holy Spirit spoke to me and says, ‘Don’t go to Jerusalem, Paul.'” No, it was their emotions emanating from the thought of losing their friend, Paul, that drove them to plead for him to change his mind.

Sometimes we may have to choose between the Lord and the pleadings of our friends. Those can be difficult choices in the moment. Listen carefully to be sure it is the Lord speaking and not just the burrito you had for lunch! Then, trust Him who knows the future and is able to ‘do above and beyond what we can ask or imagine.’ He is faithful!

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.  2 Timothy 4:5 NIV

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20 Mar 2023

Communicating the Message

At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. … 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. … 7 where they continued to preach the gospel. … 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. … 21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. … 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Acts 14 NIV

It is interesting to look at the variety of ways the Gospel and salvation are described in this one chapter of Acts 14.

Note the following from the above passage:

… Jews and Gentiles believed – something to believe

… the message of his grace – a message to communicate and receive

… preach the gospel – the ‘good news’ to be shared with others

… good news – important, life changing information to be listened to and received

… turn… to the living God – a change in life direction towards the one, true living God

… the faith – something to be believed

… the Lord, in whom they had put their trust – a trust-based personal relationship with the Lord Jesus

… the door of faith – something to walk through

As you reflect on and share the Good News with others, may it be the full embodiment of all that is included in putting our faith, trust, and hope in the living God and His Son, Jesus our Savior.

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06 Mar 2023

Mobility and the Lord’s Servant

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. … Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, … When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Acts 8:4-5, 26-27, 39-40 NIV

Philip, one of the seven chosen to serve the over-looked widows because of he was ‘full of the Spirit and wisdom” (see Acts 6:1-5). After the stoning of Stephen, Philip left Jerusalem, going north to Samaria to proclaim to these people the Good News of Jesus and forgiveness through His name (Acts 8:12). Then, led by the Spirit, he moved south to the road leading up to Jerusalem where he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch and led him to faith in Christ as he had done in Samaria. (Acts 8:26ff). Immediately after this encounter, the Spirit took Philip west to Azotus and then north through the coastal towns until he reached Caesarea. And here Philip’s story takes a long pause.

Note Philip’s mobility for the sake of the Gospel. He went north to Samaria from Jerusalem, then south to meet the Ethiopian, then west to Azotus, and then north again along the coastal road to Caesarea. He was led of the Spirit to this mobile lifestyle. He was ‘deployable’ – able to be moved to a place where he can be used when he is needed. And God blessed his efforts with fruit as he shared the message of Jesus.

We next encounter Philip 20+ years later at the end of Paul’s third missionary tour. Paul and friends stop in Caesarea and there they meet with Philip. In Acts 21:8-9 we read, “Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.” Philip had married, settled down, raised four daughters, and for the past 20+ years had stayed in Caesarea. What to make of this?

There is a time for mobility and there is a time for settling down. Both are good and right. There is a time for singleness and a time for marriage and raising children. We do not conclude that marriage necessarily means the end of mobility, nor do we say that being single means one cannot settle in one place for an extended period. It is all dependent upon the Lord’s direction. Listen carefully to His leading and you will know if it is time to move or time to stay!

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13 Feb 2023

Making Tough Calls

Paul and Barnabas are at Pisidian Antioch in the midst of their first missionary tour to the Gentiles. As was their custom when entering a new city, they would go first to the synagogue to present the gospel of Jesus to the Jews. Once that obligation was fulfilled they would then turn to the Gentiles. Their ministry to the local Gentiles would continue as long as open doors presented themselves. But once opposition formed, they would move on to the next town. This ministry pattern was repeated as they moved from town to town. Note this process as described in Acts 13 below.

From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.” … 26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. … 42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. … 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad d honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. Acts 13:14-15; 26; 42-46; 48-51 NIV

We can’t do everything all the time. Making strategic Kingdom leadership decisions are influenced by multiple factors such as: resources available, opportunity alignment compared to our God-given mission, timing, and the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Good leadership considers all of these factors in the decision making process. We will have to say ‘no’ to some options in order to say ‘yes’ to the best choice. Some will question our decisions and perhaps disagree.

Ultimately, ‘wisdom will be known by her children.’ (see Luke 7:35). Note that the Word of the Lord spread beyond Antioch to the entire region (v. 49).

Be courageous and make the tough calls! God has your back!

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30 Jan 2023

Leadership Paradigm Shift

There has been a fundamental shift in how Kingdom leaders lead. This change came at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to all believers, not just God’s chosen leaders.

In the Old Testament paradigm, God’s anointing and His Spirit rested upon specific leaders enabling them to know God’s will and communicate it to His people. In Moses’ recounting of God giving Israel the Law on Mt. Sinai, he illustrates this, “At that time I stood between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain)… Deuteronomy 5:5 NIV God spoke to Moses and he delivered God’s message to the people.

But after the Holy Spirit came upon all believers in the New Testament we now have a different leadership paradigm. Yes, Kingdom leaders are still God’s anointed for their responsibilities. But these leaders are now leading God’s people who themselves have His Spirit within them. We are leading fellow members of God’s family, His children, who also have God living within them. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:15-16 NIV

Thus, when leading others – our leadership team or our ‘flock’ that we shepherd – Kingdom leaders today must realize that the Spirit can also speak directly to those we lead. In our New Testament paradigm we don’t have the opportunity to say, “God told me that…” and assume that those we lead will automatically accept it as God’s will. Because they too have direct access to the Lord’s voice, we should listen carefully for confirmation from those we lead, especially the spiritually mature.

It may well be God’s direction was known by the leader, but if it is, we can assume it will be confirmed by the Spirit within many of those we lead. I’m not suggesting that decisions should be 100% consensus (this can be tyranny by the minority), but a wise leader will listen to the voices from those led, discerning what the Spirit is saying through them. Should there be a lack of agreement, wisdom and prudence would suggest to wait and rethink the direction, seeking more clarity.

Remember, “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” Proverbs 19:2 NIV 1984

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16 Jan 2023

The Faith Walk Life

“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” … But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:6, 15-16 NIV

At Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus he saw a vision of the risen Lord Jesus. The vision was such that it literally blinded him for the next three days until the Lord sent Ananias to pray over and heal him.

After Paul’s blinding vision he was given a short-term assignment, “…get up and go into the city (Damascus) and wait to be told what you must do.” The vision and directions were very clear to Paul, but they were not long term. That would come much later. For now, he must get up from the ground and be led by his traveling companions into the city and wait. Wait for what? For more direction? Would he receive his sight again? What about his current ‘career?’ So many questions, so few answers!

This is the faith walk life. The Lord reminds us that, “His righteous ones will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:7). God sets before us a direction or path to begin to follow. We have enough clarity to begin to move, but little more. Our flesh cries out for more security – we want to see further, know more, and be assured of every step along the way. But God remains silent on the details. He does direct our paths as we trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6), but it will be in His way and His timing. It is a walk by faith, not by sight!

Paul sat in Damascus for the next three days with not further clarity, no healing, and no further word from the Lord. From his perspective he had be left alone, forgotten by God. But we know that the Lord was at work. He was speaking to Ananias, convincing him to go to Paul and pray over him for healing. Three days of silence for Paul. Three days to convince Ananias that this was a good thing to go and heal the persecutor. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

Have you begun a journey of faith and now find yourself ‘stalled?’ The guidance from the Lord got you to this place, this time, this circumstance – but now, nothing. All is quiet. You’ve been patiently waiting for more direction from Him, but nothing has come. Your tempted to make something happen. At least do something rather than just sit and wait. Don’t do it! “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 NIV

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. Proverbs 19:2 NIV 1984

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02 Jan 2023

Launching the New Year

2022 has ended and now we launch 2023!  As we end one and begin a new calendar year, it’s good to pause and reflect upon what was and what we hope will be.  It is through reflection that we can gain perspective and see more clearly the overarching, God-orchestrated, macro-movements of our lives.

Leaders are often too busy to stop and reflect.  We always have more things to do and people to see.  We take one item off the do-list and add three more!  Who has time to stop and think?

Today…..now is the time to stop and reflect upon who you are becoming and what you are doing!  Your personal diary, journal or devotional notebook can be of great help to you as you look back and observe themes or topics the Lord has been addressing in you.  Here are some questions to get you started in this reflection time.

Are you satisfied with your own personal spiritual walk and growth?  More importantly, is Jesus pleased with your pursuit of Him?  How’s your current pace of life?  Is it sustainable long-term?  Do you have a margin in your schedule?  Are you living and leading from an overflow?  How’s your family doing?  Are you paying the price to experience the marriage you committed to on your wedding day?  Are you investing deeply in your children and grandchildren, knowing that the years for significant influence are rapidly passing you by?

What fears are you trying to ignore related to your leadership?  Are you leading with faith and courage?  Are you more concerned about your reputation or God’s glory?  Is the vision of where you are leading to focused or foggy?  Do you have a team that is unified and empowered around a shared vision?  Are you making progress in the God-given mission that you intended to accomplish?

These and many more questions are helpful for taking stock of where you are today and where you intend to be/go tomorrow.  Use this season for reflection and refocus as you start a new year full of new hope and new beginnings.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.    Hebrews 12:1-2  NIV

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023!

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19 Dec 2022

Telling and Remembering

In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words. Luke 24:5-8 NIV

It has been said, “Teaching is not telling and hearing is not understanding.” Jesus had told these women and His other followers multiple times about His pending death and promised resurrection. These angels had to remind them of what He had told them previously. After this prompting by the angels concerning what Jesus had said previously, “they remembered His words.”

It has also been said, “Now that we’ve put it in writing, we need to teach people how to read.” Kingdom leaders and their communication challenges lead to confusion, misunderstanding, and wasted effort. Leaders can assume that those they lead remember what they’ve said. This can be a costly assumption. If the disciples did not remember what Jesus said, odds are they won’t remember what you say. Don’t assume your communications are being read, understood, or applied. You will need to remind them as the angels did with these women disciples.

Over-communicate those things that are especially important. Choose multiple means and times to state the important. Beginning with your mission and vision, make it hard for others to misunderstand what they are being asked to accomplish. Don’t assume that slick graphics or catchy phrases will ensure understanding and engagement. Say it again but say it in such a way that others will hear. Jesus sent two angels to remind these women of what He had said.

Remember what Peter said, “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.” 2 Peter 1:12 NIV

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05 Dec 2022

Leadership Changes

“So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus–from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven. Acts 1:21-26 NLT

During the ten days between the Lord’s ascension back to heaven from the Mount of Olives until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples, Peter suggested that they choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot who had betrayed Jesus. He said this based upon Psalm 109:8 which talks of another who will replace the lost one. Let’s note some principles for replacing leaders.

First, we note that before they talked about specific people, they defined the qualifications for the candidates. A candidate would be, “from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus–from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us.” Any candidate would be a man who had been with Jesus since the time of His baptism by John the Baptist until the ascension back to heaven just recently. This would be a ‘high bar’ to meet and would ensure someone who had seen and heard what the other Eleven had experienced with Jesus. Define the qualities, characteristics, and competencies needed for the job.

Secondly, we see that they defined the ‘job’ of this new replacement. “Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” Clarify the job that the candidate will fulfill. Put it in writing!

Third, identify candidates who meet the qualifications for the job. The disciples identified two men – Mattias and Barsabbas who met the qualifications.

Fourth, they prayed and asked for the Lord to show who He had chosen for this vital role. The Eleven were really leading a process of discernment, seeking to identify the individual whom the Lord had already chosen. This was a spiritual process, not a political one.

Last, we note that they made the decision between the two – doing so by casting lots. This may seem arbitrary, or chance driven, but culturally it was a common method for decision making – similar to our casting votes. It was choosing black or white stones out of a bag, or long straw vs short straw. Regardless of the specific means, they trusted that God would direct the final choice to the one whom He had already chosen.

Kingdom leaders will be chosen and will transition their leadership to another – it is a matter of when, not if. Prepare now for the steps in the process of the selection, as well as those steps for the transition to another. May you do it with grace and in a God-honoring way!

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