Austin Bible Church
Leadership Characteristics
Leadership must first have self-discipline to then lead a disciplined group. Self-discipline means teachability. Self-discipline means concentration. Prov. 24:1-2.
“Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them; For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble.” (Proverbs 24:1-2, NASB)
Some of you are busy doing anything but studying the Word of God when you should be studying. For some of you, your social life means more to you than any other thing. You are herd bound. Consequently, your social life can and may destroy you. You can end up addicted to drugs. You can end up dropping out of society as did hippies in the 60s and 70s. You can end up sexually scarred. A fidget type can’t concentrate.
A leader must also have a relaxed mental attitude. This is the outgrowth of self-discipline. This is epignosis Bible doctrine in the right lobe of the soul that brings stability. Prov. 24:3.
“By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;” (Proverbs 24:3, NASB)
A leader must have character and a sense of responsibility. This is the edification complex of the soul - the inner building that the Holy Spirit builds in the spiritual life through the grace apparatus for perception. A leader must have a professional understanding and knowledge of the Word and their job. Prov. 24:4.
“And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.” (Proverbs 24:4, NASB)
A leader must be loyal to those under their command. A leader must also be humble enough to recognize the authority of those who are senior to them. Leaders must understand and recognize the chain of command in an organization. Prov. 24:5.
“A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.” (Proverbs 24:5, NASB)
Your boss has the right to chew you out, to shape you up, and to keep you on your toes. Your job will never be a utopia. There is a certain amount of suffering on any job along with personality clashes and misunderstandings. Many never succeed because they can’t keep a job.
A leader must have common sense and good judgment. Some are born with it. Some acquire it through Bible doctrine. But common sense is a critical ingredient. One must be able to think to have common sense. Prov. 24:5-6.
“A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power. For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:5-6, NASB)
A good leader must be objective. This is being fair in spite of personal prejudice. Wisdom is too high for a fool to have objectivity. One must have wisdom. Divine wisdom is a working knowledge of Bible doctrine in your soul. Prov. 24:7.
“Wisdom is too exalted for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate.” (Proverbs 24:7, NASB)
Personality clashes are not important. Emotional decisions are always subjective. Find out the facts and make your decision on that basis. Holding grudges and dislike for others always makes for bad or uninformed decisions.
A good leader must understand human nature. You must recognize the rights others possess and recognize their privacy. Proverbs 24:8-9 tells us about human nature in a derogatory way. A leader must recognize the basic makeup of the human heart. Thus, as a leader, you will have no illusions about human depravity.
“One who plans to do evil, Men will call a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.” (Proverbs 24:8-9, NASB)
A leader should understand how to calm down some hot-headed character. You should understand why a woman cries. You should recognize why at times you are irritable, moody, demanding and just generally difficult to be around. A good leader must have executive ability, much of which must be learned. One of the greatest virtues is to stick with it in the face of pressure until something freezes over.
“If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited.” (Proverbs 24:10, NASB)
A leader must also be able to organize and categorize information, divide it into relevant subjects, and synthesizing new subjects to convey information in new ways and combine them into new categories. A leader also learns to delegate authority and trust the person to handle the situations they encounter.
Good Mental and Physical Health
A leader must be careful to maintain good mental and physical health as much as possible. Your endurance and nervous stability have a lot to do with your Christian life. However, no matter how ill a person may be, the Lord’s strength is sufficient. Prov. 24:10-12.
“If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?” (Proverbs 24:10-12, NASB)
At the point of their greatness, men of God had good health. They very seldom were depressed. A good example is Robert E. Lee. Such leaders never give up. They have endurance. Napoleon worked 18 hours a day and often slept only three hours a night. However, at the Battle of Waterloo, he was fatigued and sent in a general who was not up to the task and it turned out to be Napoleon’s Waterloo.
A leader should have nervous stability with the ability to relax and remain calm. A leader should have a personal presence. Luke 2:40; Luke 2:52.
“The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40, NASB)
“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52, NASB)
A good leader must have good health. Honey in the ancient world was a health food and was good for endurance and nervous stability. Prov. 24:13.
“My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;” (Proverbs 24:13, NASB)
In Proverbs 24:13, “eat honey, for it is good” refers to honey as being healthful in ancient times. This is not a message on eating health food, but obviously there is a relationship between what you eat and your overall health. God is interested in the health of individuals. You can see that in the Old and New Testaments. Health is not nearly as important as the spiritual life and eternal life, but it is important.
In 1 Timothy 4:8, the importance of godliness over bodily discipline is emphasized. There are many who served God as desperately ill men, but also some of the greatest men of God had good health and in addition were men who were very seldom depressed.
“for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8, NASB)
Personal Presence and Production
The reverse of spiritual stability is in view in Proverbs 24:30-34. “Sluggard” refers to someone with no self-discipline. “Lacking sense” means, as an unbeliever, they have failed to accept or even consider the claims of Jesus Christ as their Savior and, as a believer, they have failed to seek the teaching of Bible doctrine.
“I passed by the field of the sluggard And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense, And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles; Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down. When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction. "A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest," Then your poverty will come as a robber And your want like an armed man.” (Proverbs 24:30-34, NASB)
Your response to the Word of God determines your true character and your outward presence. Luke 2:40; Luke 2:52.
“The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40, NASB)
“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52, NASB)
In 1 Timothy 2:9, “proper clothing” refers to tasteful dress. How you dress is associated with a mental attitude of grace and stability, not with an emphasis on the outward. Clothing doesn’t make the woman, her inner beauty does. Jesus Christ was well-dressed according to John 19:23-24. Proverbs 23:21 presents the opposite situation.
“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,” (1 Timothy 2:9, NASB)
“Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; this was to fulfill the Scripture: "THEY DIVIDED MY OUTER GARMENTS AMONG THEM, AND FOR MY CLOTHING THEY CAST LOTS."” (John 19:23-24, NASB)
“For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags.” (Proverbs 23:21, NASB)
How a person carries themselves and their posture are important. People notice how you stand and how you sit. Slumping may be caused by physical problems, but usually it’s a habit of laziness. It is the result of a frontal lobe that is shot. It is to the credit of the military that it encourages good posture. If a slouch goes into the military and comes home after basic with a military type haircut, not the effeminate bangs, he looks three inches taller and he looks great. He’s had to take a shower at regular intervals.
Poise, Courtesy and Manners
Poise is the ability to be praised and not feel silly when it is done. If used as an example, you don’t get embarrassed. It is the ability to fall flat on your face and see the humor of it. If you have poise, you are sensitive to other people’s embarrassments and not being crude, vulgar, and loudmouthed. You have the ability to control your giggles and keep your mouth shut. David was the epitome of poise when he went up against Goliath. He had a balanced spiritual life. He was composed under serious pressure and remained stable. Another example was Daniel in Daniel 1.
A leader should have courtesy and manners. We are living in a crude, rude, and belching society. Some guy is tough so he belches at the dinner table. People should have good manners while attending Bible classes or church services. Occasionally there may be visitors that will talk and whisper during the teaching. This is bad manners. Courtesy is respect, such as respect for elders, opening the door for a lady, etc. Courtesy is respect for elders as in 2 Kings 2:23 where Elijah was being mocked by children. Courtesy is quiet listening while in public assembly. 1 Tim. 2:11. Courtesy is respect for parents. Eph. 6:1-4; Prov. 30:11; Matt 15:4.
“Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!"” (2 Kings 2:23, NASB)
“A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.” (1 Timothy 2:11, NASB)
“There is a kind of man who curses his father And does not bless his mother.” (Proverbs 30:11, NASB)
“"For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'” (Matthew 15:4, NASB)
Laying on of Hands – Identification of Leadership
Laying on of hands deals with identification and function of leadership and is Jewish in background. They used the laying on of hands in the following ways.
Laying on of hands was used in the Levitical sacrifices as in Leviticus 1:4. There was an altar where they had animal sacrifices brought by people. The person who brought the spotless lamb named his sins and the priest puts one hand on the lamb’s head (lamb still alive) and one hand on the man’s head and the sins are then ritually transferred from the person to the lamb. Then the priest cut the throat of the lamb. The physical death of the animal illustrated the future spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Jesus Christ did not bleed to death on the Cross. The Blood of Christ refers to His substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross for the sins of mankind. The lamb’s blood was real during the ritual sacrifice. Our Lord’s atoning work on the Cross was through His spiritual death on our behalf. The lamb’s blood was a representative analogy. The Jews in 67 AD needed to understand this and because they did not, they were crucifying the Son of God afresh. They were still offering lambs in the Temple and they were believers!
“'He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.” (Leviticus 1:4, NASB)
Laying on of hands is used in the Church Age in the ordination of pastors. Those who are pastors identify with a new pastor in an ordination service. The idea is that one with the gift of pastor-teacher can recognize the gift in another. 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6.
“Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” (1 Timothy 4:14, NASB)
“For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6, NASB)
Laying on of hands was used by the apostles in the ordination of deacons. Acts 6:6.
“And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.” (Acts 6:6, NASB)
Laying on of hands was used to identify with Saul and Barnabas, showing that they were publicly backing them on the missionary journeys. Acts 13:2-3.
“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:2-3, NASB)
Laying on of hands was used in the transition period between the Age of Israel and the Church Age to identify with the indwelling and filling of the Holy Spirit. One who was already indwelt and filled with the Holy Spirit laid hands on one that was not. Acts 8:17-18; Acts 9:17.
“Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,” (Acts 8:17-18, NASB)
“So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."” (Acts 9:17, NASB)
Leadership in the Local Church
The pastor-teacher is the one who rules in the local church because he has the highest authority. However, for the local church to function and allow the pastor-teacher adequate time to study the Word of God and to teach, he must delegate certain functions and authority to the deacon board. Those with this delegated power must not destroy, nor be competitive, nor breed jealousy. Jonathan would have never turned against David like Absalom did.
The chairman of the local church deacon board must be spiritually mature with maximum Bible doctrine in his soul and absolutely no flaw in his understanding of authority. He will get flak from the pastor. He will get flak from the people in the congregation.
Great leaders are often hamstrung by petty, ambitious, jealous subordinates who become insubordinate. In some ways, it takes much more to be a subordinate. However, a leader stands alone. The leader must have tremendous moral courage. Jonathan is a perfect second man in authority under David. David and Jonathan would have made a fantastic ruling team over Israel, but it never happened. Jonathan never lost his mature spiritual status, but he never separated himself from those in reversionism.
When a mature believer identifies himself with reversionism, he shares the destiny of the reversionist. An example of this was Saul at Gilboa where he died the sin unto death. Jonathan shared Saul’s sin unto death because he did not separate from a reversionist, his father Saul.
David also suffered from the tragedy of no separation from reversionism (Jonathan) and never found a second man who could take the place of Jonathan. To be the chairman of the local church deacon board, he must respond to the Bible teaching of the pastor-teacher.
Leadership from the Life of David
David learned responsibility and versatility at an early age. 1 Sam. 16:11; 1 Sam. 16:18.
“And Samuel said to Jesse, "Are these all the children?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here."” (1 Samuel 16:11, NASB)
“Then one of the young men said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him."” (1 Samuel 16:18, NASB)
David had taken harp lessons and mastered the harp. He had shown courage as a teenager. He had the proper concept of war. He had shown common sense and prudence. He had a personal attractiveness. David learned to dominate the animal kingdom and thus was able to dominate Homo sapiens. 1 Sam. 17:31-37.
“When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him. David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."” (1 Samuel 17:31-32, NASB)
“But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” (1 Samuel 17:34-35, NASB)
This is why a boy should have a small caliber rifle and be taught how to use it properly and safely. He should learn how to hunt, fish, and train a dog. He should learn how to care for animals like in a 4-H club. He should learn how to break a horse.
David learned Bible doctrine at an early age and how to apply it. 1 Sam. 17:36-37; 1 Sam. 17:45-47.
“"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."” (1 Samuel 17:36-37, NASB)
“Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."” (1 Samuel 17:45-47, NASB)
David tasted success instead of failure in those early years. 1 Sam. 17:49-51.
“And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead. And the stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.” (1 Samuel 17:49-51, NASB)
David learned that one victory calls for another. 1 Sam. 17:52-58.
“The men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the slain Philistines lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.” (1 Samuel 17:52, NASB)
“Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."” (1 Samuel 17:58, NASB)
David learned that there are many occupational hazards in being a successful leader. One of these hazards is the praise and admiration from women. How did he handle this type of praise? 1 Sam. 18:6-7.
“It happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with musical instruments. The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."” (1 Samuel 18:6-7, NASB)
Another occupational hazard of being a leader is the criticism, anger and jealousy of others including king Saul. 1 Sam. 18:8; 1 Sam. 18:5; 1 Sam. 18:14-15.
“So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. And it was pleasing in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.” (1 Samuel 18:5, NASB)
“Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"” (1 Samuel 18:8, NASB)
“David was prospering in all his ways for the LORD was with him. When Saul saw that he was prospering greatly, he dreaded him.” (1 Samuel 18:14-15, NASB)
David became the object of King Saul’s ire in Saul’s arrangements for David to marry one of his daughters, Michal, with a false motivation. Saul only asked that David fight the Philistines and bring back a dowry of 100 foreskins of the slain Philistines. Saul planned for David to be killed in doing so. It did not work out that way. 1 Sam. 18:20; 1 Sam. 18:27.
“Now Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David. When they told Saul, the thing was agreeable to him.” (1 Samuel 18:20, NASB)
“David rose up and went, he and his men, and struck down two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.” (1 Samuel 18:27, NASB)
David learned that a good leader sometimes loses confidence and fails. Past successes do not guarantee future successes. 1 Sam. 21:10-13.
“Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?" David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. So he disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.” (1 Samuel 21:10-13, NASB)
A son may be more famous and successful than his father. Jesse was a nobody at the time in 1 Samuel 22:1, as was most everybody.
“So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard of it, they went down there to him.” (1 Samuel 22:1, NASB)
A bad background is no deterrent to God’s type of leadership. In 1 Samuel 22:2, “distress” is מצוק (mâtsôq) and means pressured, out of joint. “Debt” refers to poverty, no money, and therefore, no influence. “Discontented” is מר (mar) and means to be bitter, angry, greatly distressed. They had been sinned against.
“Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.” (1 Samuel 22:2, NASB)
What was the problem? Lack of leadership. Decisive leadership attracts men. 1 Sam. 23:13.
“Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.” (1 Samuel 23:13, NASB)
Proper leadership can organize and delegate responsibility. 1 Sam. 25:13.
“David said to his men, "Each of you gird on his sword." So each man girded on his sword. And David also girded on his sword, and about four hundred men went up behind David while two hundred stayed with the baggage.” (1 Samuel 25:13, NASB)
Genius leadership must not let women influence them. 1 Samuel 25. Abigail was not David’s right kind of woman and he was going on a marriage spree. Excellent leadership can hold his men together. 1 Sam. 27:2.
“So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.” (1 Samuel 27:2, NASB)