Jesus Leadership – 1
Strategy and Leadership
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Lecture -3
Today I would like to think about Jesus’s leadership and strategy as leader.
What were Jesus’ strategies?
We can discuss that with 7 different ways.
First, strategy of fulfillment. Second, Kingdom of God. Third, global strategy, Fourth, people strategy. Fifth, minority strategy. Sixth, strange strategy, Seventh, Strategy of Suffering and Glory But I will introduce 3 ways among 7. And then you have to study other 4 ways by yourself with my lecture notes.
Let’s go to topic of people strategy in number 4.
Jesus’ Leadership
- A p e o p le Strategy : Jesus’ Fundamental Answer
Jesus’ power, status, and ability to get through people were not the ends, but were
Tools to be used for the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God cared more about the , rather than the grand concept of commitment to a just cause.
When he gave his inaugural speech at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus read from the prophecies of Isaiah .
Let’s read all together, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn,”
Then he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
When John the Baptist was confused and asked “Are you the one?”
What was Jesus’ reply ?.
He told the messengers to “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:22). Amen !
It was an amazing thing for Jesus to choose the audience as his first .
He did not go to the leaders, the wealthy, or the powerful.
Of course, he welcomed many from those of elite status and led to him, but he intentionally went to the .
They will be preached the gospel.
When the Pharisees asked the disciples of Jesus why Jesus ate with the ,
Jesus said, “it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick… for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13).
And His strategy was to include .
- A Minority Strategy : Infiltrating/Penetrating Style of Jesus
In his preparation to face the entire world, he intentionally focused on a few to start his mission.
God also worked with the few at the beginning.
When Noah and his family were saved from the flood in his ark, he became the pioneer of the new world.
Abraham became the seed from which as many children as the stars in the sky were born.
Judge Gideon had to face the army of Midian at a tremendous disadvantage in terms of the numbers, the Lord said to Gideon, “you have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands.”(Judges 7:2).
Gideon carried out one brilliant military strategy after the other and reduced his army of 22,000 to a completely committed army of .
His army terrified its enemies and came out victories through his brilliant tactics.
Jesus’ minority strategy might be called a strategy of or infiltration.
The Metaphors Jesus used showed this clearly.
Those who followed Jesus had to be “the of the earth”, “the of the world”, “yeast”, and “holder of the key to the of God .”
All are metaphors of penetration – Salt into the .
light into , leaven into loaf, keys into a .
Not a lot of salt is needed to and preserve, as long as the salt is not rubbed into the food. Nor does it take a great deal of light to darkness, as long as light is not covered.
A tiny bit of fermenting yeast can a whole loaf rise.
And a small key can open a great .
These metaphors suggest Jesus’ teaching was not a primer for , but a strategy for minorities.
The world will be moved by a quiet , little platoons(프러튜 ~ㄴ-집단) of men and women who had been with Jesus and whose heart and mind had been changed Living by his Spirit as “little Christ”
No matter how difficult or how smooth, they will be led by the spirit of Jesus and live their lives as little Christ, and renew the system, army, legislature, families, churches, and nations from within.
Richard Halverson emphasizes the small group shown in the metaphor of good seed.
“Seeds are useless sitting in the storage barn. In order for it to do what it is born to do, you must sow them and they penetrate into the soil and . While they do what they are intended to do, they become invisible.”
Think of the churches that have penetrated into the world, socially, economically, and politically. They have been into millions of acres of fields, in other words, into the world, and they seem to disappear like salt and seeds, but they have penetrated into the reality of the majority and multiplied the numbers of his into the millions.
Let’s go to next topic 7
- A Strategy of Suffering and Glory : Jesus’ Saving Role
There are two stages in Jesus’ public life.
The first stage was where he announced himself as the Messiah to his followers.
In the second stage, Jesus is showing what kind of Messiah he is- one who will go through suffering to .
In the Book of Mark, Jesus called the crowd and his disciples and said, Let’s read together.
“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.””(Mark 8:34-35, 38)
Why did the followers of Jesus have to take up their cross and follow him?
It is because it is the discipleship that says “follower me” and because it is the road to . If anyone loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
This is the to avoid eternal humiliation(굴욕).
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him.”
John described the strategy of suffering and glory in other ways:
Let’s together John chapter 12……
“Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” (John 12:23-26).
This is His suffering and leadership strategy.
Therefore, Jesus said the following to show what kind of death he would face.
“Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”” (John 12:31-32).
Cross was the c of his strategy.
Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The suffering will lead us to glory and this glory of the glory of Christ’s resurrection and return to earth.
Jesus described again his life through the parable of the tenants.
A man rented the vineyards to some farmers and when he sent his servants to collect rents from them, the farmers beat them and even killed some of them. Finally, the owner of the vineyard sent his son saying “they will respect my son”. But the tenants said, “this is the heir; let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours.”
So they took the son and killed him as well.
Jesus asked the disciples what the vineyard owner should do.
Read together..
“He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this scripture: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone[a] the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'”(Mark 12:1-11).
He gradually revealed his strategy.
First, Jesus will be recognized as the Messiah. Then he showed what suffering he would endure as the Messiah and what his followers should become.
Finally, there will be a final action.
When Jesus returns, this revolution will be complete and there will be for some and eternal for the others.
Jesus said true leadership is to seek first the kingdom of God . You must seek God’s reign, rather than . The people are important while the methods aren’t.
The leadership of Jesus is not a set of or that is available for any cause we might choose.
It is a kind of leading that is uniquely adapted for the cause God has chosen.
Jesus ‘ leadership was not a he adapted, but a he expressed.
So the question for us is not, Can I learn from Jesus certain techniques which will make me a more successful revolutionary or entrepreneur or counselor or evangelist ?
The question is, What ends did Jesus pursue?
Whatever our career may be, true leadership means to receive from God and to use it under God’s rule to people in God’s way.
Conclusion
- Jesus’ strategies were:
My purpose on earth is to my father’s kingdom and liberate the from what have been binding them.
- The pan-global and basic strategy can be through a devoted few.
These devoted few were those who give up everything to follow me.
- I am sharing my life with them and since they are with me, they start to and live like me.
- Now, they will change the world by every corner of the world as the salt, light, yeast of God, not through directly confronting the world or through promoting some slogans.
- This strategy is carried out in two ways. The first phase was the phase of suffering just like I died for the sins of this world. The second phase will be that of where I come back and destroy the force that is against the will of my father.
By loving one another, they show the beautiful world that is to come in the future.
They serve the poor and children. They are because of me. They preach the Gospel whenever and wherever need. They invite everyone to participate in our movement including myself.
They will be numerous with the that is given to them through the power of my spirit and my promise, and not by their own strength. When they finish that work, I will return.
Those who have me will be kicked out and those who have me and followed me will come back to the of my father in great joy and the eternal festival of joy will continue on.
- The Great Leader Seeking the Kingdom of God
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”
In this topic, I would like to emphasize “Value of Right time” and “Important of Small thing”
And you can study Others with my lecture notes.
- Waiting for the Right Time
Knowing the right time is the very of leadership.
Those who seek the kingdom of God wait for the others’ time.
In different parables, Jesus talks about waiting and knowing when the right time is in this
respect. Let’s read together
“He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters
seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed
sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil
produces grain first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”” (Mark 4:26-29).
Often, we become overzealous and meddlesome when we start the work of God.
In other words, we do not become his disciples, but workaholics of his kingdom.
This does not come from obedience of , but from anxiety caused by failure to
believe.
Sometimes, we fall into a kind of Messiah complex where we are the only ones who
can save the world and unless we keep moving, our plans may change.
Then we finally give up.
Jesus tells us that it is about but not about working ourselves to death.
Jesus tells us this story about seeds that grow while we sleep.
“Sleep after sowing your seeds; God does not have to, but you have to.”The seed of God
will grow strongly, but sometimes, it will take its time.
The leaders that take after must wait for the others and their times to come.
If we want to get involved in the work of God, you must persevere.
The parable of the seed is meant to encourage the disappointed and to help the impatient.
Sow your seeds and w . Then go to sleep.
Farmers cannot help his seeds grow by staying with them day and night.
The work of God is always in process like the seeds in the soil.
Therefore, you must never just because you don’t see anything happening.
You must also not force growth in order to make things happen faster.
The secret of working at the right time is about k when to wait and when to harvest.
Jesus knew when God’s was instinctively.
He spent 30 years as a carpenter and came out to the public scene at the right time.
He knew when to speak and when to remain silent.
So when people asked him to heal and perform more miracles, he said,
“It is not my time yet.”
From him, we learn the innate ability to sense the , which is the characteristic of all great leaders. Jesus had both the innate ability to know the right time to , the right time to plan, and the right to take , while He also had the determination to know exactly what to do and to do them without when it was the time to do them.
Great leaders neither nor hesitate. Therefore, knowing when the right time is essential for leaders.
Do I have the tendency to hesitate?
To be too cautious? Sometimes it helps, but I need to be trained more so that I can act quickly when it comes time to do that.
Do I have tendency to rush into things? Then I must be more trained in the areas of preparation, self control, and patience.
Sometimes, becomes the most difficult quality for leaders to have.
Leader must think about 3 question .
Is the dream God’s v ?
Is this method God’s w ?
Is this God’s t ?
- Importance of small things
Again Jesus said parable of mustard seeds, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”(Mark 4:30-32)
Jesus compared the small seed to a largest of God .
If you want to be a leader in the kingdom of God, do not look down at your humble beginning.
”Your beginning was weak, but your end will be great.”
No matter how small, if you do it for the glory of God and pan-global purpose of Jesus Christ, it is no longer a thing.
A lady went to hear Mother Theresa speak at a luncheon in Washington DC. She was so moved by the speech that she went to Mother Theresa and asked her. “Mother, what can I do to help the world? Mother Theresa asked, “Are you married? Do you have children?”
When she said yes, Mother Theresa told her, “Go home, love your husband and love your children.”
Loving your husband and children is not a small thing if done for the glory of God.
However, no matter how great, if that is not for the of and pan-global purpose of Jesus Christ, then it becomes trivial things. Whether it is to build the largest home, the largest business, and the largest church, it is not done for the glory of God and pan-global purpose of Jesus Christ, it is not a great task any more.
Assignment and Group Discussion -3
- Which of the 7 strategies of Jesus is the most important for a spiritual leader?
- What is Jesus’s strategy for the kingdom of God?
- What impact can Jesus’s minority (penetrating) strategy have on your ministry?
- How does Jesus explain the “Right Time”?
- Assignment must be turned in before next lecture-4
- Great Leader and Strategist
Jesus knew where he was going.
“Managers want things done the right way , but leaders want to do the right things ” (Warren Bennis)
What were Jesus’ strategies?
We can discuss that in 7 different ways.
- A Strategy of F u l f i l l m e n t: Jesus’ sense of Destiny
“To be a man is to feel that by one’s own contribution one has helped to build the world.”
(Saint-Exupery)
Jesus confirmed often that he “came” for special mission. His strategy to accomplish that would be like the following:
“I have come to call Sinners to repent” (Luke 5:32)
“I did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45)
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43)
“I came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10)
“I have come that they may have life, and to have it to the full” (John 10:10)
“I came to the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37).
Jesus was not sent “into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17) and to give his life for his sheep so that they may receive an abundance of life.
“I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.”(John 12:47).
Those are Jesus’ strategy of fulfillment.
- A Strategy of the Kingdom of God : Jesus’ Basic Thought.
Jesus’ very first message was “the time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15).
This message was his passion .
Once, when people tried to stop him from leaving their town, he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (Luke 4:43).
Then “Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.”(Luke 8:!).
The concept of “the kingdom of God” was the very core of his message and this concept was mentioned 121 times in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
The bible scholars have stated that the kingdom of God was the basic strategy of Jesus.
Jesus had great and detailed plans, but he came to the world to do the work of his father and to preach his kingdom .
In order to understand his leadership, we must first understand his mission and message and at the core of that mission and message, there was the kingdom of God.
5번 minority strategy 로 이동
- A G r o b a l Strategy: Jesus’ Long Term Goal
Environmentalists have a famous slogan:
“Thinking globally and act locally.”
You can say that this slogan came from Jesus.
The people were Jewish, but he ends his mission with such inclusive strategy:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a]the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”(Matthew 28:18-19).
Luke’s account, aimed more toward a Gentile audience, opens with the angel’s good news of “greet joy that will be for all the people”(Luke 2:10).
Luke ends his book by describing the greatest command in his own way:
“and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all names, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47).
- A S t r a n g e strategy : Jesus’ Puzzling Tactics
Jesus showed this very clearly in his parable of the weeds. There was a farmer who went out to sow his seed. His enemies came and sowed weeds in his fields while everyone was sleeping. When the wheat sprouted formed heads, the weeds also appeared.
The servants wanted to pull out the weeds, but the master said not to “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters : first collect the weeds and tied them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”(Matthew 13:24-30).
This is not just a nice story. It is God’s perspective on history. Good and evil, sons of God and sons of the wicked, they will be together until the end of history and until the judgment day.
Jesus went to the synagogue where he grew up and read the prophecies of Isaiah that starts with
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”
What he omitted was important and justified. He finished reading the scripture with the verses from the book of Isaiah about the harms of the grace of the Lord and omitted the sentence that follows, “the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn.” (Isaiah 61:2).
Why did he do that? His point was precise and dramatic. In other words, Jesus came to start the grace of God, but not to execute the anger of God. Before a short day of judgment, there will be many years of mercy.
John the Baptist probably had his doubts because of this. He expected Jesus to kill that evil King Herod, gather the people, drive out the army of Rome back to the Mediterranean, and bring thunder back to Israel.
John was very disappointed and sent a messenger to say, “Can you be a real Messiah? Herod did not repent, but he did not die. He put me in prison. Haven’t you failed here?”
Matthew, the autobiographer of Jesus saw this from the book of Isaiah, “ —– ” (Isaiah 12:19-20) *
He who was determined but retreated, tough but gentle, careful with words but eloquent was the leader of God.