Cha[pter 10 Leadership Series

Chapter Ten

A leader Must Be Perceptive To the Needs of People

Please note: This chapter concerns the NEEDS of the people and not their desires. The truth is, the majority of people do not know what they need in either the physical or the spiritual realms, nor do they know that they need in their minds. This is not based upon cynicism but upon easily demonstrable facts.

If human beings knew instinctively what their bodies needed, and desired only those things which were good for them, there would be no need of dieticians and doctors warning us of the dangers of eating the wrong things. The diets of the Israelis would not have been restricted under the Law; Moses would have been compelled to deliver them back to Egypt for the garlic, leeks and the fleshpots they desired. The truth is, many of our desires are not for our good and when we give in to them, we come to harm.

If all mankind desired only that which is good for their mental well-being, children would eagerly seek to learn their lessons. Can you feature a boy who would prefer studying his multiplication tables over reading a comic book? If men fed their needs instead of their desires, the pornography business would collapse overnight. The publishers, movie makers and tv networks would not have a chance. Without a big change, even most college courses would be abandoned.

Even the extreme liberals who support the rights of ‘mind polluters’ as their free speech rights, contradict themselves by insisting on only ‘politically correct’ speech.
The pastor will be called upon as part of his duties to provide leadership in physical things, as these affect the morals of the people. Men do not always desire those things which are morally or spiritually needed. Man does not NEED drunkenness, fornication or perversion, though he may desire it.

It may well be a difficult task to warn young people of the SIN of illicit sex and perversions in a way that will not offend, but they NEED TO HEAR IT!
One who has fallen prey to drugs or alcohol will not desire to hear the truth, but they need it.

It is often easier to ignore some of these things and say, ‘I’ll not offend them and maybe the Holy Spirit will convict them after a while.’ Remember the Holy Spirit’s sword is the Word and it is your job to wield it.. Sure, some will call you a nosy busy- body but it is the shepherd’s business to keep a watch over the flock for wounds and sickness. Someday you will answer to the Master Shepherd as to how well you did it. Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

The most simple, yet effective way to know the needs of the people is to look at the world in which they live. What are the problems which face their society? Sooner or later these same issues will be raised in the lives of the members of the Lord’s Churches. Any military leader knows that a preemptive strike is far safer and more effective than waiting for the enemy to make his move and then to counterattack. DO NOT WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN and then try to stop it! Warn the people constantly of the dangers around them. The time to teach of the sanctity of marriage is when young people are just beginning to date. The time to oppose the teaching of evolution begins in the Nursery Class and not after they bring it home from school.

It is far more energy and cost efficient to keep the oil tanker off the rocks than to spend time and money frantically trying to save the birds which should never have been in danger in the first place.

This kind of leadership has the advantage of not only supplying the people with what they need for their everyday lives, but it also gives the pastor an idea of what to preach. He will never be at a loss for a subject for his next message if he is only aware of the world in which his flock must spend their lives. A word of warning however, about this. If one is not careful his preaching can become totally negative. It can wind up as a depressing litany of ‘don’ts’ but it doesn’t have to! Your ministry will be upbeat if even these warning sermons are Christ-centered and focus on the blessing of righteous living. Relevant preaching can be evangelistic too!

This style of ministry will not keep all the destructive forces at bay, however. Families will still be disrupted, lives will be endangered and the fellowship of the Church threatened. Woe to the pastor who is not aware of the danger, until it explodes in his face!
It doesn’t take the Wisdom of Solomon, but simple, caring discernment to see when a husband and wife are in distress. You don’t need E.S.P. to see when young people lose their zeal. In such cases a visit from the pastor who really cares and is burdened for the welfare of the people can often work wonders.

Let’s face it; some folks are excellent actors (i.e. hypocrites). These folks can . (v. 13). deliberately sin without ever tilting their halos. When the spirit of defeat settles over a normally victorious church and the reason is not readily seen, it is time to begin looking for an ‘Aachan’ in the camp.

After the glorious victory over the great city of Jericho, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat before the small village of Ai. Their leader, Joshua, took the initiative in finding out why. He first took the problem to the Lord in earnest prayer. But prayer alone was not the answer. God told him to get up and follow His instructions in the matter. [Josh.7:10-26]

1. He called the people to sanctify themselves.
In this, as in many other situations, the pastor can only lead. He is helpless without the willing participation of the people. This is the time for the whole church to prayerfully seek God’s will.

2. He reviewed the people and began to narrow it down. (vv. 16-20).
Here is where the pastor has to get really nosy and begin, with God’s help, to be a ‘spiritual detective’. You may not have the power to discern as miraculously as did Joshua, but a short visit in each home and praying with the folks will soon reveal the culprit.

3. Joshua boldly confronted the guilty one. (v. 19).
There comes a time when tact and diplomacy are no longer called for. In such a case, any attempt to be tactful will be seen as being soft and instead of confession and repentance, you will end up with the sin being compounded with denial. Instead of asking ‘Is anything wrong?’ this is the time to put it in an imperative statement, ‘Tell me what you have done so we can confront it.’

4. Joshua turned Achan over to the people for the execution of God’s judgment. (vv.24-26).
Instead of such drastic action, the Lords Churches seek repentance and restoration from rebellious members. However, if repentance is not forthcoming, the person must be dealt with according to the Scripture: not by stoning, but certainly by being put out of the membership, lest his rebellion should continue to endanger the entire body.

It must be noted that in all this, as in so many other things, the success depended upon a leader with the courage to follow God’s orders, but it also required the backing of the sanctified people!

The old saw, ‘The squeaking wheel gets the grease’, is not sufficient to define the limits of the pastor’s caring for the people. Certainly those who make their complaints heard, get plenty of attention, but what of those who are hurting silently? If a person who is normally friendly, suddenly becomes quiet and with-drawn, something is wrong. The pastor must care. The teenager who suddenly becomes obnoxious may be terrified of the prospects of growing up and need someone to `rap’ with, who can allay his fears. The philosophy that `ignorance is bliss’ may seem to ease your burdens on the short haul but in the end you will more than pay for the ease acquired.