1. Jesus is salvation for sheep. (10:9)
- Jesus replaces the closed door to life in Genesis, previously an angel with a sword stood in the way, now Christ opens the way.
- Hebrews 10:19-20 tells us, “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh),”
- Christ made the way to salvation possible by his own death.
- If we want to be shepherds, if we want to test shepherds we must be willing to suffer as Christ suffered. We must be agents spreading salvation.
- Jesus is the gate – the only way to salvation.
2. Jesus is the standard for leaders.
- One time while moving I forgot my keys and was met by the police in my front yard. I had to enter the house through a window and the neighbors called the police. You see they thought that because I entered through a window I didn’t belong in the house. Doors provide more than entrances – they provide a standard.
- Thieves and bandits enter from another way. (10:1)
- Jesus was sent from the Father, so he comes with God’s blessings. Armed with the Spirit and right intentions.
- The Pharisees were not sent from the Father – if they were they would have recognized Jesus.
- They were not armed with the Spirit – their intentions were repeatedly recognized by Jesus as bad.
- Ezekiel 34:1-4, 11 – gives us a picture of the shepherds that don’t come in the way, the standard of Christ.
- The godly under-shepherd enters from the gate.
- 1 John 4:1-6 – Reveals the first and ultimate test for all under-shepherds, do they point back to Christ?
- Even Jesus didn’t point to himself but back to the Father who sent him.
- Therefore any under-shepherd must follow Christ’s example, 1 Peter 5:1-5. Here are some of the characteristics: willing to serve, serve as Christ and not serve not for money or power.
- John 21:15-19 we see a very moving statement about following Christ’s example. Jesus tells Peter that tending sheep involves sacrifice.
- Under-shepherds are called to the same sacrifice as Jesus.
- Jesus’ sacrifice is our standard for spiritual leadership.
Discipline is never pleasant and church discipline is something every church leader dreads. Church discipline of a leader or staff member is the absolute worst! It is rarely handled well and is always painful. The greatest challenge is caring with the person with grace and the situation with truth. A little over a year ago a popular and prominent minister at Saddleback Church resigned (read as disciplined). This brought to the surface Saddleback’s staff discipline policy and philosophy. As our church staff is presently going through a discussion on staff values I found this article very timely. I must admit as I read it I was amazed at the care and grace with which it was written. No church leadership can discipline everyone perfectly, but this policy is a great foundation for any church to adopt as a guide.
If you go to church you may want to read this, if you lead a church you need to read this. The article is “What Happens When A Staff Member Falls.” This outlines their policy for dealing with errant staff, but I believe it is applicable to all church leaders (elders, deacons, teachers, etc) and even to some degree for every church member. I’d love to hear any of your thoughts on this article and any experience you’ve had with this situation.
I read Spiritual Leadership in a casual style, after my morning Bible reading I would take in a chapter of Oswald Sanders’ thoughts on leadership. This allowed me to digest and attempt to apply his principles throughout the day. What I liked most about this book was that it came from scripture. Sanders is excellent at taking his many years of ministry experience and filtering them through the lens of the Bible. This gives the reader a very clear view at some of the necessary spiritual qualities of leadership often omitted from other leadership books. Sanders focuses a lot on character, sacrifice and staying in tune spiritually through prayer. He goes through scripture and highlighting many leaders from the Bible gleaning from their recorded experiences. This book is excellent for nurturing the soul and heart of a leader. He prefers principle over the pragmatic and in many places lacks a tangible next step.
This book comes across as very dated. Originally printed in 1967 it lacks present day leadership vocabulary and the enthusiasm normally associated with the leadership genre. This is not a go-to book for problem solving or as a guide for forming a team. While reading this book I was also reading Henri Nouwen’s Wounded Healer and when compared this book comes across as very modern. Nouwen’s insights seem to be more timeless and applicable in this post-modern world. His approach was more mystical and yet in some ways more tangible for those in the pastorate.
Spiritual Leaderhip is probably best suited as a devotional and as a check for the leaders’ soul. I found myself evaluating not my practice of leading but my heart and motive. All things considered, I recommend this as a nightstand book for a church leader who wants to increase their level of self-awareness and spiritual sensitivity.
