Leadership in Nehemiah
On the front of one church bulletin always reads, “Ministers: The entire congregation, Pastor: Rev David L. Buttry.”
Rick Warren in his Purpose Driven Church advocates, “No ministry, no membership.”
Every believer is a minister or servant of God who should be serving God and exerting influence on others through his/her local church.
Leadership is one person influencing positively another person. Christian leadership is one believer spiritually impacting others for God’s glory.
Nehemiah is an Old Testament model of this kind of leadership. Charles R. Swindoll wrote, “This is a practical book [Nehemiah] about leadership” (Charles R. Swindoll, Hand Me Another Brick, xi).
Cyril J. Barber agreed, “In our study of the book [Nehemiah] we will enlarge upon three important topics: the basic characteristics of dynamic leadership; the importance of spiritual principles; and the necessity of sound administrative policies” (Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership, page 14).
Warren W. Wiersbe wrote, “In my estimation when it comes to leadership, Nehemiah stands with the Old Testament heroes like Moses, Joshua, and David. It has done my heart good to study this book afresh and learn from Nehemiah the secrets of resolute leadership and successful service” (Be Determined, Preface).
Before we start examining Nehemiah’s specific leadership let’s address leadership in general.
1. Are Leaders Born Leaders?
Martin Lloyd Jones believed that God equipped a preacher to speak at birth as a natural ability and if you did not have the natural ability to think deeply and communicate clearly then God would not call you to preach (Preaching & Preachers, pages 110-111). Do you agree or disagree with that view?
We all know capable but unsaved men and women who are leaders. Some of these were born with the raw ability or talent to be out front. The Presidents of the USA and Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom for several decades have been close allies: Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and also Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Blair forged a very tight friendship and camaraderie in their allied fight against Terrorism. These Presidents and Prime Ministers were great leaders but not all were believers. We might even say they were born to leave their mark on their generation.
Throughout his long life, Winston Churchill was convinced he was destined for historic greatness. At 16, he predicted to a school friend that he would one day “save London and England from disaster ... in the high position I shall occupy, it will fall to me to save the capital and the Empire.”
Half a century later, on May 10, 1940, just as Hitler was unleashing his blitzkrieg on Western Europe, events propelled Churchill into 10 Downing Street as Britain’s prime minister. In his war memoirs, he wrote: “I felt as if I were walking with destiny, and that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and this trial” (Andrew Roberts, Destined for Greatness: A New Biography of Winston Church, 1 (click to open).
Part of the explanation is that the unsaved can lead because they bear the image of God part of which is leadership (Genesis 1:26). God the Father is the Leader of the Trinity (John 20:21; 1 Cor 11:3). Because every person bears the image of God, every person can lead. Some people have a greater God-given talent to lead than others. This leads us to ask “Can people become better leaders?” The next point answers that question.
2. Are Leaders Made?
Vince Lombardi, the great NFL football coach of the Green Bay Packers said, “Leaders are made, they are not born, and they are made just like anything else has ever been made in this country---by hard effort” (James Montgomery Boice. Nehemiah: Learning to Lead. Old Tappen: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1990, 16).
One of the emphases of John Maxwell’s literature on leadership is the encouragement that you can grow as a leader. On a scale of 1 to 10, if you are a three or four you can develop into a seven or eight if you concentrate for one hour per day for one month on each of his 21 irrefutable laws of leadership.
3. Are Christian Leaders Made When Born Again?
Because there is a spiritual gift of leadership (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:7-11; 1 Peter 4:10-11), God equips some believers at salvation with an ability to excel at leadership. Just as there are also the spiritual gifts of helps, mercy, teaching, etc. God equips some believers to lead at higher levels in ministries and organizations. God equips some with the engine of a 747 jet and others with a five-horsepower Briggs & Stratton.
J. Oswald Sanders in his classic “Spiritual Leadership” believes that leaders are both born and made. “While conversion does not normally make leaders of people who would never become such otherwise, Church history teaches that in the hour of full surrender, the Holy Spirit sometimes releases gifts and qualities that have long remained latent and dormant. It is the prerogative of the Spirit to bestow spiritual gifts which greatly enhances the leadership potential of the recipient” (page 21).
But then Sanders makes this comment: “Spiritual leadership and authority cannot be explained solely on the grounds of natural ability are strikingly exemplified in the life of St. Francis of Assisi (1881-1226). On one occasion Brother Masseo, looking earnestly at Francis, began to say: ‘Why thee? Why thee?’ He repeated it again and again as if to mock him.
‘What are you saying?’ cried Francis at last.
‘I am saying that everybody follows thee, everyone desires to see thee, hear thee, obey thee, and yet for all that, thou art neither beautiful, nor learned, nor of noble family. Whence comes it that it should be thee whom the world desires to follow?’
When Francis heard these words, he was filled with joy, raised his eyes to heaven, and after remaining a long time absorbed in contemplation, knelt praising and blessing God with extraordinary fervor. Then he turned to Brother Masseo:
‘Thou wishest to know? It is because the eyes of the Most High have willed it so. He continually watches the good and the wicked, and as His most holy eyes have not found among sinners any smaller man, nor any more insufficient and sinful, therefore He has chosen me to accomplish the marvelous work which God hath undertaken; He chose me because He could find none more worthless, and He wished to confound the nobility and grandeur, the strength, the beauty and the learning of this world’” (page 23). Francis of Assisi reflects Paul’s thoughts in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 where Paul elaborates on his words, “God has chosen what is foolish in the world to put to shame the wise.” Read these verses and humbly thank God for choosing you to serve him.
4. Who is a Leader?
What is one common word in all the following definitions of leadership?
Hans Finzel, "Leadership is influence .... A leader takes people where they would never go on their own" (Hans Finzel, The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2007, 19).
Chuck Swindoll, “What do we mean when we use the word leadership? Influence. You lead someone to the measure you influence him” (Hand Me Another Brick, 16).
J. Oswald Sanders “Leadership is influence, the ability of one person to influence others” (Spiritual Leadership, 19).
John Maxwell, “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, Nothing less” (21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership).
Leadership is not limited to those holding a title or position. Judas had the title and position of Apostle, but Judas had no spiritual influence. Jesus said all believers must influence salt and light. Since leadership is influence, then every believer should be leading and influencing others. Leadership is not just for believers who have the gift of leadership any more than showing compassion on suffering is limited to believers who have the gift of mercy.
5. Where Do We Start?
If leaders can be made and/or improved and if leadership is influence, where do we start?
Since leaders are readers then reading books on leadership is the place to start, such as the following.
Here is a great way to study, preach, or teach a series through the book of Nehemiah on leadership. Not only read commentaries on the book of Nehemiah but read books and articles on leadership and also listen to sermons on the book.
In preparation to preach through Nehemiah, I listened to John Whitcomb, Warren Wiersbe, Adrian Rogers, and other preachers.
Also, in advance, I read Christian and secular books on leadership. Some are listed below. I found that often, secular writers endorsed Biblical principles of leadership not knowing they were doing so. These are also great sources of illustrations for your series.
Secular
Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People
Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive
John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Christian
Henry Blackaby’s Spiritual Leadership
Hans Finzel's The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make
Albert Mohler’s The Conviction to Lead
J. Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership
Commentaries
Cyril J. Barber’s Nehemiah and the Dynamics of Effective Leadership
James Montgomery Boice. Nehemiah: Learning to Lead
Chuck Swindoll’s Hand Me Another Brick
Thomas Constable Netbible.org on Nehemiah
John Glynn’s Commentary & Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical and Theological Resources
Sermons
Steven Cole Nehemiah (Click to open)
Stephen Davey Nehemiah (Click to open)
Biblical
Nehemiah’s Manual for Leadership
Six Marks of Leadership in Nehemiah
1. Leaders Show Concern for God’s Work (Nehemiah 1:1-4)
2. Leader Pray for God’s People (Nehemiah 1:5-11)
3. Leaders Follow their Leader (Nehemiah 1:11-2:8)
4. Leaders Motivate their Followers (Nehemiah 2:9-20) through his communication
5. Leaders Organize their Work (Nehemiah 3:1-32)
6. Leaders Handle their Opposition (Nehemiah 4-6)
A. Leaders handle outside opposition (4:1-23)
B. Leaders handle inside opposition (5:1-19) through their communication
C. Leaders handle more outside opposition (6:1-14)