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The Essential Element of Leadership
In The Lord's Churches
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

The Essential Element of Leadership In the Lord's Churches

Unit Two

Chapter 21

True Leaders Walk With God

Acts 4:13-14

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it."

At this point, I am going to talk about the most important ingredient of all in a Christian leader. I am going to talk about an utter dependence upon and true communion with God. All true Christian leaders have it.

Many of the characteristics we've examined so far have been the ingredients of leadership in general, Christian or non-Christian. Because they get hold of some of the concepts explained here, even unsaved people, and people who make no pretense of being a Christian leader, turn out to be sensational leaders. History abounds with the names of great leaders in non-church roles: Robert E. Lee, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolph Hitler and Winston Churchill, just to name a few. Though in non-church roles, they possessed most of the characteristics necessary to make good church leaders: competence, a winning spirit, a spirit of excellence, the ability to educate their followers, toughness, pragmatism, initiative, loyalty to their enterprise, etc.

The characteristic I shall discuss here is limited to true believers. No unbeliever can walk with God. A true walk with God is one thing that can set true Christian leadership apart from all other leadership. Anybody can be a servant, a dreamer, responsible or consistent, but only a saved person can walk with God.

True success with God, which may also be recognized by men, is only possible where leaders walk with God. Any measure of leadership success generated by even a truly born again Christian in a Godly pursuit is void where that believer did not walk with God. It is not that done in the energy of the flesh that avails with God. It is only that which is done by His power that counts with Him. He is the only source of true success. A saved church leader can tell the truth, be a servant, really care for his people, be a good example, be highly competent and all the rest, but if he does not walk with God, he will not reap eternal benefits. Any measure of apparent success generated by his leadership efforts will be wood, hay and stubble at the judgment seat of Christ. Yes, God may use the good done to great advantage, but the person who did it in his own energy, apart from the power of God, will come up empty-handed when the searching eye of God's judgment tries the effort.

This is in part the teaching of I Corinthians 3:11-15. Throughout the scripture is the teaching that it is only that which originates and emanates from God that is of any real value to Him. In the case of Christians, it is only that which starts with God and is worked out by Him in us that ever avails with Him to our credit. Thus, Psalms 127:1 says, "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

This in no way says a child of God should abandon the ingredients of leadership we've been discussing here, and wait upon God to make him a great leader. God forbid! The ingredients are the very practical, day-by-day tools which God uses to make true leaders of His people. The point is, God will only use these tools to the true success of one of His children to the extent that child walks with Him, communes with and depends upon Him on a personal basis. No believer can leave out a personal walk with God and expect true success, however committed to and faithful he might be to every other ingredient of leadership. True leadership and success with God is not the harnessing of many slick, Madison-avenue techniques or Dale Carnegie charisma. True, eternal success in leadership comes only as God's children walk with Him. As they do, He can make their commitment and faithfulness to His sound, Biblical principles of effective leadership work. The believer, however, must never forget that it is the power of God which makes the principles all work in true success, not the mere alignment of good, sound leadership principles. True success is in a person, Jesus Christ, not a program or system of principles. If we fail to walk with Him, all else is vain when viewed from the eternal perspective.

Thus, again I affirm that what is about to be discussed is the most important ingredient of all in a Chrisitan leader. Regardless of whatever else he does, however efficient he is in doing it, and in spite of any and all appearance of immediate success, all who fail to walk with God will ultimately fail as leaders.

Communing not just busy

All Christian leaders who succeed with God maintain personal communion with God. There's a vast difference in being busy about the Lord and in His work and in spending time communing with the Lord personally. I love my wife. I love to do things for her, especially the things I know she likes. I often speak of her to others, and I know much of the money I receive will go to her or be used on her. I know much about her, and am faithful to her. She does so much for me. We have a great working relationship. Far more important to me, however, than all those "things" is her person. Without communion with her personally, all the mechanical things involved in our relationship would be totally vain to me. It's really not what she can do for me, or me for her, that is the most important. The thing that is most important to me is her person, who she is, and communion with her. Even the most intimate of husband-wife relationships seems empty, cheap and vain, if personal communion is broken. Oh yes, what we do for each other is important, necessary and mutually appreciated. Yet, these are only secondary to personal communion with each other. Take away personal communion and everything else becomes empty. That personal communion and fellowship need not be full of talk or activity. Just quietly sitting in each other's presence, each reading a good book, is quite satisfying.

In fact, all the fan-fare and activity possible, however personal and intimate, seems wrong and repulsive if our hearts are not together, while very little is required when we're in personal communion.

Oh, how God wants fellowship with His children! He wants His children to be aware of Him personally, and on His wavelength, not just busy about His work. In one of the great stories of the Bible, Jesus came to the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. They were all so glad to see Him. Martha just couldn't do enough for Him: clean the house, prepare a meal, get a place ready for Him to stay, do this, do that, but, Luke 10:39 says Mary just came in and "sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word."

Oh, how Mary realized that there is nothing so important as personal time communing with Jesus! Martha became quite agitated at Mary. She seemed to think Mary was not doing her share of the "things" necessary to success. Listen to Luke 10:40, "But Martha was cumbered about with much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."

Dear preacher, teacher, dear dads and moms, listen to Jesus' words in Luke 10:41-42,

"Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

In life, and for spiritual success, certain things are necessary. Jesus in no way implied that they're not, and that His children should lie down in laziness just sitting around reading the Bible, praying and meditating all day. Some things have to be done; that's why I've spent so much time in this book talking mechanics, basic principles which must be implemented. How long would good communion between a husband and wife last if he quit work, earned no money, paid no bills, provided no food or housing and deserted the "good works for necessary uses" which Paul mentioned to Titus in Titus 3:14? Jesus was not telling Martha (or us) that the responsible practice of Biblical principles of good, hard work are unnecessary. No! Jesus was telling Martha, and all of us, that personal communion with Him is more important than all the good works we might ever do, and that without personal communion with Him, all that we ever do for Him will be in vain.

Repeatedly this truth is emphasized in the Bible. When King David brought the ark of the covenant up to Jerusalem, I Chronicles 16 says he wrote a special psalm to thank and praise the Lord. In that Psalm he wrote, "Seek the Lord and his strenth, seek his face continually." (verse 11)

David did not instruct us to seek peace, blessings, more service and a long list of things in this psalm. He said seek the Lord's "face." He's talking here about the Lord's person, not of some impersonal involvement with Him. It is II Chronicles 7:14 which says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Note well the Lord's "face." It is not just a yeoman's effort of frenzied Christian work that God wants of His children; it's first communion with Him personally that He wants.

God told Ezekiel in Ezekiel 33:31, "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness."

The Lord said in Isaiah 29:13, "...this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me..." Jesus quoted this verse in Matthew 15:8. Then Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-38,

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

All the service one can muster, apart from a personal communion with Him, does not avail. Listen to God say it in Micah 6:6-8.

"Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? he hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

In Isaiah 1:11-15 God said,

"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord; I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointeed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."

Then He explained Himself in the next three verses,

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

It's a personal walk and touch with God that He wants from us. That personal communion is more important to God than any and all of the things we can ever do. Without it, we're powerless to achieve true, eternal success as leaders.

Personal interest

You see, God wants our main interest to be in Him personally. It's extremely easy for us to be interested in God mainly because of what we can get from Him. It's a sort of welfare rationale, a "you pat my back, I'll pat yours" attitude. Multitudes view our government that way in America. They have no real love for freedom, democracy and free enterprise. Their interest is in the welfare or other support the government gives. Sad to say, but many employees have no real care or concern for their employing company. Their only interest is in the benefits they receive from the company. This fact really shows up at contract renewal times and during strikes. When a person buys a set of tires, he has no real love for the tires personally. He's interested only in what he can get out of them. When he gets all he can out of them, he discards them and gets him another set. As disappointing as it is to realize, this is the way many people view most other people in life. The real interest is not in the person; it's in what can be, or is being, gotten from the person.

You'll see it in Ammon's attitude toward Tamar in II Samuel 13.

Satan insists that's how saved people are toward God. Note it in Job 1:9-10, where Satan said to God,

"Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land."

Note it well. Satan told God that the only reason Job had any interest in and allegiance to God was because of what God was doing for him. Satan was saying Job didn't really care about God personally, but was really only interested in God at all because of what he was getting out of God. In fact, Satan said to God in Job 1:11, "But put forth thine hand now and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."

I wonder how true Satan's suspicions are of most Christians? Most preachers? Most Christian leaders, regardless of their level of leadership? We're running, maybe wide open, in the work of the Lord: doing, going, busy, busy, busy. We're busy and God is providing. But, I wonder where we'd be in our attitude toward God, if He should withdraw His hand of blessing as He did with Job? How would we feel toward God if He let us get really seriously sick? Or sued unjustly? Or left without a mate? Or twisted, maligned unjustly, and really hurt in one of those ugly "knock-down, dragouts" of pious church politics? Is our walk really with God personally, or is it really too much because He's basically keeping us healthy, reasonably wealthy, in the good graces of those around us, and generally sheltered from extra-heavy pressures? Oh, it's easy for our old selfish, deceitful hearts to convince us we're really in love with God personally when the fact is, we're really in love with the shelter, "hedge", God is providing for us. Our real interest is not in Him, it's in what He's doing for us.

Furthermore, we're sometimes more interested in what we're doing for God than we are in Him. We can get pretty caught up in what we are doing. We're not immune to pride. We can get kinda proud of our great commitment, our busyness, our efficiency. We like what we're doing and the feelings of satisfaction, fulfillment and distinction it brings. Thus, our interest can be far more in the work than in the Lord of the work. Oh, how sad and wrong before God it is any time our interest is not first and foremost in Him personally, who is Lord over all. Colossians 1:17-18 says,

"He is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that is all things he might have the preeminence."

He wants the preeminence! His church is not to have the preeminence. His work is not to have the preeminence. His Word is not to have the preeminence. Our work for Him is not to have the preeminence. HE, yes, He personally is to be ever the object of our attention, affection and interest. King David realized this fact and was in love with the Lord personally. Often he just "sat before the Lord" communing in sweet fellowswhip with the Lord as in II Samuel 7:18-29. David loved the Lord and His presence so much, he said in Psalms 122:1, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord."

Listen to Psalms 84:10, "For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness."

God forbid that we get so satisfied in what God is doing for us and so enthralled in the work we are doing for Him that we lose sight of His glory and majesty and loveliness as a person, our personal friend. He is the "rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys," Song of Solomon 2:1 tells us.

To lost men, He means nothing, but to us, who are redeemed by His incorruptible blood, "he is precious," I Peter 2:7 says.

He is indeed the "friend that sticketh closer than a brother," according to Proverbs 18:24.

He is "our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble," Psalms 46:1 assures us.

The prospect of communion and precious quality time with Him ought to thrill us and ever be our desire. Time with Him personally ought ever to be foremost in our hearts, not what we can get from Him or do for Him. David put it beautifully when he said, "as the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God," in Psalms 42:1.

I'm talking about walking with God, real communion. I'm talking about seeing God as a personal, day by day, nearby friend, not as someone distant, or like a merchant to whom we go only when we need something. I'm talking about the kind of daily heart to heart sweet fellowship with God which renders Sunday night communion a true testimony of a daily lifestyle, not just an empty show.

Spiritual power source

Walking with God personally is the true source of spiritual power for Christian leaders. Peter and John serve as a classic example in Acts 3 and 4. In Acts 3 they healed a lame man at the gate of the temple, an event which generated tremendous attention and angered the Jewish authorities. Acts 4: 1-3 says the authorities were so upset over the healing, the public attention it generated, and the way Peter and John capitalized on it to preach the Word, that "they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day."

The following day, all the Jewish hierarchy got together to find out how Peter and John did it, and to stop their activity. As the big council sat together they asked Peter and John, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" in Acts 4:7. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, Peter again set forth Jesus Christ as the only means of eternal life, and the boldness of Peter and John was striking. Then, in Acts 4:13 a beautiful statement was made. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus." Note it well; these men "had been with Jesus."

We're talking here about how God's people, especially leaders, tap in to the power of God upon their lives. They spend time with Jesus. They don't just do things for Him or take His blessings for granted. They walk with Him, commune with Him, person to person, and as they do, it shows in their lives. King David put it this way in Psalms 1.

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

In the face of death (II Timothy 4:6) and in severe hardship and tremendous adversity, Paul stood with astounding strength and tremendous attitude. In these conditions he wrote II Timothy, one of the most inspiring books of the Bible for leaders, particularly preachers. Where did he get his strength? The answer is from a personal communion with the Lord. Listen to him say it in II Timothy 4:16-18.

"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me; I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Nothwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Oh yes, "the Lord stood with me" and "if God be for us, who can be against us," in Romans 8:31.

Exodus 24 tells how Moses went in to the very presence of God. From a distance Moses and Aaron and Aaron's two sons saw the Lord; verse 10 says, "They saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness." Moses went on up, higher, into the close presence of the Lord. Verses 15-17 describe the glorious occasion.

"And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel."

Moses was there forty days. He came down for a brief period in Exodus 32, then went back into the presence of the Lord in the tabernacle where Exodus 33:11 says, "The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." They were on their way to the promised land. Now brother, I want you to get hold of the heart of Moses toward God. As he stood there communing with God in the tabernacle, he said in verse 15, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." It's not hard to see what was on Moses' heart. It was personal communion with God on a daily basis. In verse 18, Moses plead with God, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." Listen to God's answer in Exodus 33:20-23.

"And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."

And the Lord did it. Exodus 34:28-30 says,

"And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him."

Verse 35 continues,

"And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him."

When men spend time with the Lord, it shows, perhaps not so dramatically as it did with Moses, but it shows in richness, Godly character, love, boldness and plenty of other ways. As with Peter and John, people take note when you've been with Jesus.

God forbid that any of us become, or allow ourselves to stay, so caught up in the work that we do not have time for the God of the work. He and He alone, can give us the power we need to serve Him aright. As the psalmist wrote in Psalms 121:2, "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth;" and without Him, even in our most glorious moments, we are nothing. In I Corinthinans 3:7 Paul tells us this. He also says in 15:10, "by the grace of God, I am what I am." Oh how we need the reality of the personal presence of God in our lives every moment of every day. I'm talking about real communion with God, a true walk with Him. We can't lead God's people without it. He's the power source. We don't have it if we don't walk with Him. As II Corinthians 3:5 says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God."

Walking with God makes His people powerful, but it also makes them very humble. The more they know God, the greater they see Him to be, and the more dependent they see themselves to be. "Where is boasting then? It is excluded," according to Romans 3:27. In sanctification and power, as well as in salvation, it is all of God and none of us. No wonder Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-10,

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whoim I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

Get hold of that, believer. Walk with God. Get to know what it is to commune with Him. All who truly succeed as true leaders with God's people do it to one degree or another. When you begin to enjoy the sweet personal presence of the Lord, you begin to understand why the great men of God like Paul and Jude could say with such conviction, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." You'll never have the true power of God upon your life to lead until He becomes very real and personal to you.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"