The Presbyter's Page
Electronic Edition – February 2001
Original articles published September 1997
Section 12 - LA
District UPCI
Donald Bryan - Presbyter
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Sermon
Thought: “Victories That Win The
War"
Sermon Thought:
“Victories
That Win The War”
Scripture Text – I Tim. 1:18 – II Tim. 2:1-3
The Apostle Paul compared the Christian journey to warfare. There is a war to be won. No army wins all its battles, but there are key battles that must be won to win the war. Lose these key battles and you’ll lose the war.
What are the key battles in this Christian journey?
1. The battle of discouragement. (Num. 21:4)
What causes discouragement?
Ø Unsolved Problems.
Ø Length of Journey.
Ø Trials.
Ø Negative Words.
How to win over discouragement?
Ø Remember that every trial ends.
Ø Speak the Word of God.
Ø Share your burdens.
Ø Stay close to the body.
2. The battle of Attitude. (Prov. 4:23)
What
causes attitudes to change?
Ø Hurts & Disappointments.
Ø Wrongs done against you.
Ø Unclear Future.
Ø Wrong Expectations
Ø Unsubmitted Will.
How do you win this battle?
Ø Pray
(Psa. 51:10).
Ø Remember
God is in control.
Ø Purpose
to look for good.
Ø Submit
your will to God.
3. The Battle
of People.
What causes us to lose this battle?
Ø Unwise Comparisons.
Ø Wrong Expectations.
Ø Following people and not God.
Ø Setting the wrong standard.
How do you win this battle?
Ø Keep a forgiving spirit.
Ø Set God as your standard.
Ø Accept people’s limitations.
Ø Learn to have Christian love.
4. The battle
of Fear.
What causes fear?
Ø A spirit not from God.
Ø Looking in the wrong direction.
Ø Lack of trust in God’s word.
Ø Looking at your inadequacies.
How do you win this battle?
Ø Remember that fear is a spirit.
Ø Face the problem.
Ø Speak the word of God.
Ø Remember God’s promises.
5. The
battle of the tongue.
How do you win this battle?
Ø Think on right things.
Ø Guard your heart.
Ø Remember the power of words.
Ø Be slow to respond.
Finishing Well
Many leaders start good but finish poorly. It has been observed that few leaders finish well. How do those who have a lifetime of ministry continue to maintain a good ministry, reputation, and finish well? Listed are six characteristics of leaders who finish well.
1. Maintains a personal vibrant relationship with God right up to the end.
2. Maintains a learning posture and learns from various kinds of sources – but especially from life.
3. Gives evidence of Christ-likeness in character through the fruit of the Spirit in his life.
4. Lives out truth in life such that his convictions and the promises of God are seen to be real.
5. Leaves behind one or more ultimate contributions – that is, a lasting legacy.
6. Walks with a growing awareness of a sense of destiny and sees some or all of it fulfilled.
An effective leader can enhance his chances of finishing well by including the following in his life:
1. A broad perspective on a lifetime of ministry from which to interpret ongoing ministry.
2. Expectancy for renewal. All leaders should expectantly look for repeated times of renewal. Most leaders who have been effective over a lifetime have needed and welcomed renewal experiences from time to time in their lives.
3. The practice of disciplines. Leaders need discipline of all kinds. This is especially true of spiritual disciplines.
4. Having a learning posture. The single most important antidote to plateauing is a well-developed learning posture.
5. Having mentors. Leaders who were effective and finished well had from ten to fifteen significant people who came alongside at one time or another to help them.
How do you know
if you have been called by God to be a spiritual leader of people? This is another of those items, as is the
definition of leadership, that generates substantial controversy. The following eight signs indicate that you
have likely been called to be a Christian leader.
§
Sensing the
Call. If you truly have been called, you will have
a sense of divine selection for the task.
You will have an inner conviction that, as amazing as it may seem, God
wants you to lead people for Him and to Him.
§
Undeniable
inclination. True leaders are naturally inclined to
lead. A person may either be drawn into
leadership or have a natural enthusiasm and enjoyment for leadership. Ultimately, though, the urge or felt need to
serve as a leader is undeniable.
§
Mind of a
leader. A leader perceives and thinks differently
from others. Leaders, by definition
being people of vision, are focused on the future. They are mindful of the big picture, not satisfied with focusing
only on the micro-level events of the day.
§
Discernible
influence. A true leader is one whose life bears the
fruit of effective leadership. If God
has called you, He will manifest that calling by giving you tangible evidence
of a special gift to lead. The
accumulation of evidence that you have and live is one of God’s means of
convicting you of the call and encouraging you to persist in spite of
hardships.
§
The company
of leaders. People are most comfortable around others who
are like themselves. They speak the
same language. They resonate with the
same issues and struggles. Being in the
presence of other leaders defines the comfort zone of one called to lead.
§
External
encouragement. One way of knowing if you are called to be a
leader of God’s people is whether you receive affirmation from other
people. Such affirmation is most
noteworthy when it comes from other true leaders. Leaders know their own kind; they know what it takes and what it
looks like.
§
Internal
strength. Surprisingly few people have the internal
strength to stand up for what is right.
We call this courage. God’s
leaders are always people of great courage.
If you are comfortable taking reasonable risks, traversing uncharted
territory, and do not flinch at the prospect of taking the heat for the
decisions you have made, you may well have the inner stuff God provides to
those who are called to lead His people.
§
Loving it.
Leading people is rarely a joyride.
God’s leaders endure incredible amounts of heartache, controversy and
animosity. The end product – the
outcomes of leadership – is what makes it worthwhile for leaders.
If you give up too easily, write this down and read it daily:
Ø
I will never give up as long as I know I’m right.
Ø
I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of
odds.
Ø
I will take new faith and resolution from the knowledge
that all successful men and women have had to fight defeat and adversity.
Ø
I will not permit anyone to intimidate me or deter me
from my goals.
Ø
I will try again and again and yet again to accomplish
what I desire.
Ø
I will believe that all things will work out for me if
I hang on until the end.
Ø
I will fight to overcome all physical handicaps and
setbacks.
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