The Nature of Leadership

In the church of my dreams there is a quality of leadership that we probably all desire to see functioning, but find hard even to describe. Here or there we have commented about some person or other, “If only all church leaders were like that!”
In the New Testament there are various words used for such terms as “authority” and “rule” in connection with leadership, and they frequently are open to the possibility of a wide range of interpretation and understanding. For example, there is a variance of meaning between “Obey your leaders,” “Obey your spiritual leaders,” “Remember those who lead you” and “Be mindful of those who are guiding you.”
In our day there is a major danger of using the kinds of authority found in the world about us as a yardstick for our understanding. This will never do! We cannot compare leadership in the church with officership in military forces, nor with management of business establishments, nor yet with the “authority of a politician in power.
Because of the range of possible interpretive translations it is of utmost importance to have a basic understanding of essential biblically stated qualities and descriptions of leaders. This will provide boundary lines for our understanding of God’s purposes in the realm of leadership.
Servanthood
In a call to the servanthood of leadership there is a clear call to exhibit true Christ likeness. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who … made Himself nothing, / taking the very nature of a servant, / being made in human likeness. / And being found in appearance as a man, / He humbled Himself / and became obedient to death —/ even the death on a cross.”
What an example of servanthood Jesus is! Isn’t it interesting to note Paul’s comment (quoted above) that to be human is to have the nature of a servant? Of course sin has caused fallen man to want to dominate, manipulate and control. But we were not made for that.
A very precious brother in “ministry” told me that when he reached out to the Lord concerning his present role and position, the Lord simply called him to make himself “of no reputation.” We are called to live so that we have a good reputation, but not to aspire to a high reputation.
How specific and unequivocal is Jesus’ call for leaders to have a servant heart: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave — just as
the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as ransom for many.”
On one of our visits to South Africa I was asked by the leaders in a certain church situation whether I had a specific word from God for them before we left. “Yes,” I replied, “The Lord says, ‘If you want to experience my glory, you need to come to where you have servant hearts!’”
To that I was told, “Oh, we understand that. It is a part of our teaching.” My final word: “You will excuse me, but unlike in Now Zealand it is quite usual for people here to have servants. So you will understand if I tell you that you don’t look like servants, you don’t speak like servants, you don’t dress like servants, and you do not act like Servants either!”
It is easy for leaders to be blind at this point. It just isn’t good enough to justify either your position or your actions by claiming to serve the local church that you feel you have a right to exercise authority in. A general may claim that he serves the army by leading it, and while his leadership may bring benefit to the ranks, every soldier in the force is absolutely clear about who is serving whom!
A servant has no right to direct or control. Any authority he has is limited to carrying; out the expressed will of his master.
Quite some time ago the Holy Spirit linked two scriptures in my understanding. The first one is, “God opposes the proud / but gives grace to the humble.” The other is, “But to each of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it,”  which is in the context of the people-gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor teachers.
When these two verses are linked they show that it is a contradiction of terms to even think of a proud apostle, or proud leaders of any other kind. A man may carry out the same functions as an apostle, but if there is pride in his heart then he does not have a valid ministry. He is not an apostle, but a counterfeit, a fraud.
A servant role leaves no place for pride in the heart.
It is fully accurate to translate, “Christ Jesus… took the very nature of a SLAVE.” Little wonder the Amplified Bible says, “Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. — Let him be your example in humility.”
A slave can claim no rights and privileges, no possessions, and authority to control others. This is a biblical description of spiritual leadership. Fellow leaders, ponder that!
Leading by Example
Wasn’t it sad that Jesus had to tell people about the teachers of the law and the Pharisees: They “sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach”?

Paul limited his request for people to follow him. “Follow my example,” he exhorted them, “[only] as I follow the example of Christ.” He only wanted people to follow him in the measure in which he set them an example of Christ-likeness.
As leaders we are challenged, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care,… eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but BEING EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK” [emphasis added].
If this is the pattern we set for those we care about, they will never face the agony of having to declare, “We must obey God rather than men!”
In the same context it was stated, “God has given [the Holy Spirit] to those who obey HIM” [emphasis” added]
. “Our right to give people direction and counsel must be limited to what God’s will is for them, and whatever they are specifically hearing from the Holy Spirit. For example, many leaders have built within their people a sense of duty and obligation to attend, say, two meetings on Sunday plus a Wednesday night gathering. Couldn’t it be possible for the Lord to urge someone to stay at home for weeks on end, just being what they ought to be to their family, and finding extra time to be still and alone before God?
How wise the leadership has taught their people to “hear God clearly and consistently for themselves, and to respond to His voice.
The thought of example detracts from a manmade role of headship, and challenges us to “a head-ship.” A part of the reason for our need to be manifesting servanthopd from the heart is so that the Headship of Jesus is clearly seen, proclaimed, and honoured. Fellow leader, let me challenge you. I will give you a list of areas in which you with me doubtless aspire to be an example. Please ask your wife and each of your children, plus perhaps some close friend who can be frank and honest, to grade you on a scale of one to ten on the quality of your example-hood. Please be honest before God without trying to justify yourself or make excuses.
I trust that this will not so much challenge you to “try harder,” but challenge you to reach out to God for grace to be the man of God He wants you to be. Here is the list:
HOW WELL BY EXAMPLE DO I TEACH ABOUT…?

1. Servanthood?
2. Quality attitudes?
3. Hiddenness?
4. Consistency?
5. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit?
6. Punctuality
7. Living in the sphere of the Spirit?
8. Reality?
9. Pure motivation?
10. Spiritual growth?
11. Being a worshipper and praiser?
12. Living in rest?
13. Inner fire?
14. Thoughtfulness?
15. Light-spiritedness?
16. A caring concern for people?
17. Ceaseless joy?
18. A wholesome marriage?
19. Patience?
20. Being a cheerful giver?
21. Being a gracious receiver?
22. Disciplining in wise love?
23. Being an overcomer?
24. Giving honour?
25. Constant faith?
26. Being an encourager?
27. Being a friend of sinners?
28. Aloneness with God?
29. Financial wisdom?
30. Being an inspiring example?

Of course we are not perfect! The call of Jesus to us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heaven Father is perfect” must surely be a call to perfection of motive and desire, rather than a call to perfect performance. “Love is the fulfilment of the law” both because love is involved in the greatest commandments and also because it is in the realm of motive and heart desire. To be what we ought to be there, is to fulfil the law and to be (motivationally) perfect before God. With this He is well pleased!
It is true that others cannot perfectly access our motives. In fact that is a major area in which we should not judge lest we be judged.  Notwithstanding, those who are near and dear to us are usually fairly accurate in assessing even the hidden things of our hearts. Surely we desire such transparency of spirit that we clearly and obviously display a likeness to Jesus that is a challenging example for others to follow.

A Ministry of Glory
Glory is a difficult concept to comprehend but unless we have some concept of the glory of God, and deep desire for it, we will never understand or enter into the fullness of God’s purposes. I sought to write about it in the little book “Your Life — His Glory.”
In the church of my dreams I see God being wonderfully glorified in His Body on earth. He has shared with me about it in many visions and dreams He is a God of great glory, and He has provided for us a ministry of the Spirit that is glorious.
This ministry of glory is described as the ministry that brings righteousness, a ministry of surpassing glory and a ministry of glory that lasts.
The promise of a present process of change into increasing glory is very beautiful: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Hallelujah!
A Ministry in the Holy Spirit that Manifests the Glory of God Has These Characteristics:
1. The manifest presence of God. How I delight to think about this aspect of the church in my dreams: Awesome, breath-taking revelations of God actually present and active in and among His people. That is glory indeed!
2. Pulsating, abundant, overflowing life. It is life that shows itself in vibrant spiritual health and remarkable spiritual growth as well as in a beautiful buoyancy of faith.
3. A spirit of adventurous freedom in the Holy Spirit. Where there is a ministry of the Spirit in glory there is a level and quality of life in God which makes laws and rules totally superfluous. This is because the requirements of God are written in our hearts, and our hearts are fixed in God!
We often grieve because of the bondage of law that binds believers in a relentless grip. Because men assume a carnal, un-Christ-like place of ruling over other believers, it has almost universally brought the Church under the rule of law rather than into the Gospel of grace.
4. A glad dependence on God. How much better this is than an immature dependence on man. We challenged the leaders of what would be classified as a strong and healthy church: “Have you taught your people to rely on the wisdom of your counseling, the quality of your teaching, the godliness of your leadership and the importance of your meetings, rather than to rely on the grace of God?” Every leader needs to face such a question!
An elder we know and love challenged a brother who had assumed the dominant leadership role in their fellowship, “If you were to go overseas for a year, what would happen to the fellowship? Would that not be a test of whether it is a building of the Lord, or something that depends on your active presence?” Too often what appears
like a strong and healthy church has only been built by the ability drive and vision or ambition of man. When the man goes, the building collapses!
Having looked at these basic requirements for spiritual leadership, we will delve a little deeper into the true nature of such leadership.

(Taken from  “The Church of My Dreams by John Beaumont)