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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 7
STYLES OF LEADERSHIP
LESSON #14
MEMORY VERSE: MATTHEW 4:4
READ NEHEMIAH 7:1-7
THE WALLS WERE COMPLETED IN 52 DAYS BECAUSE OF:
PRAYER
FOLLOWING GOD’S PLAN
GOOD LEADERSHIP
COOPERATION BY THE PEOPLE
HOWEVER, NEHEMIAH’S WORK WAS NOT FINISHED.
READ EPH 6:13 2JO 8
IT WAS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO BUILD THE WALLS AND THE GATES. IT WAS NECESSARY TO ORGANIZE THECOMMUNITY SO THE PEOPLE COULD ENJOY THE QUALITY OF LIFE AS PEOPLE OF GOD.
THERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT STEPS A LEADER MUST TAKE TO PROTECT THE WORK THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHEDSO THE PEOPLE WOULD BE PROTECTED.
1. APPOINT ASSISTANTS:
THE LEADERS:
NO LEADER CAN DO ALL THE WORK ALONE. IF A LEADER IS UNWILLING TO APPOINT QUALIFIEDASSISTANTS, IT MEANS HE DESIRES THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOR HIMSELF.
HANANI,
NEHEMIAH’S BROTHER (1:2, 2:8)
HE WAS IN CHARGE OF THE CITADEL, A FORTRESS THAT GUARDED THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY.
REPHAIAH (3:9) AND SHALLUM (3:12)
THEY WERE RULERS OVER DISTRICTS OF THE CITY.
WHY WERE THESE MEN GOOD ASSISTANTS? (7:2)
THEY WERE FAITHFUL TO GOD.
NEHEMIAH KNEW HE COULD DEPEND ON THESE MEN. THEY DID WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO. THEY FEARED GOD. NEHEMIAH KNEW THEIR HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, ANDTHEIR PRIORITIES WERE IN RIGHT ORDER.
THE GATEKEEPERS (PORTERS) (7:1,3)
NEW STRONG GATES ARE USELESS WITHOUT GATEKEEPERS. GATES AND WALLS ARE ONLY AS GOODAS THE PEOPLE GUARDING THEM. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA WAS PENETRATED BY THEENEMY 4 TIMES. EACH TIME IT WAS BECAUSE THE GUARDS WERE BRIBED. THERE WERE SPECIFICINSTRUCTIONS WHEN THEY WERE TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE GATES.
THE GUARDS (3:3, 10, 23, 28-30)
THERE WERE 2 KINDS OF GUARDS:
THOSE WHO PATROLLED THE WALLS. THOSE WHO KEPT WATCH NEAR THEIR HOUSES (ANEIGHBORHOOD WATCH).
APPLICATION:
WHEN YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL, YOU MUST GUARD AND PROTECT YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT. IF YOU DONOT, THE ENEMY WILL COME AND TAKE IT OVER. CHRISTIAN HISTORY IS LITTERED WITHEXAMPLES OF THIS FAILURE. CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITIES AND CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS THAT NOLONGER TEACH THE BIBLE AND PREACH SALVATION. CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND MINISTRIES THATNO LONGER PREACH THAT JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED FOR OUR SINS SO THAT WE MIGHT BE SAVED.
2. ESTABLISH CITIZENSHIP (7:4-69) (EZR 2:1-64)
WHY WAS THIS NECESSARY?
A FORMAL AGREEMENT TO CITIZENSHIP REINFORCES A PERSON’S COMMITMENT TO THE GOALS OF THEGROUP.
12 NAMES ARE MENTIONED IN NEH 7:7. PERHAPS THESE ARE THE LEADERS OF THE 12 TRIBES THATCAME BACK TO JERUSALEM WITH ZERUBABEL IN THE BOOK OF EZRA, AFTER THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY.THE PERSON NAMED NEHEMIAH HERE IS A DIFFERENT MAN THAN THE NEHEMIAH WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING.
3. ENCOURAGE WORSHIP
READ PSA 127:1
THE SINGERS (7:1)
THESE PEOPLE WERE TO MAINTAIN WORSHIP IN THE TEMPLE. WHEN THE JEWS WERE IN THE CAPTIVITYAND OUT OF A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, THERE WAS NOT MUCH SINGING. THE LEVITES,THE SINGERS, THE HELPERS IN WORSHIP: TO MAINTAIN VICTORY, WE MUST WORSHIP GOD ANDHAVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ASSIST US TO WORSHIP GOD. WHEN WE GIVE GOD THE GLORY FOR THEVICTORY, HE WILL HELP US CONTINUE TO WALK IN VICTORY. IF THERE IS NO WORSHIP, IT IS NOT AGODLY ORGANIZATION. THE MUSIC PART OF A WORSHIP SERVICE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BEENTERTAINMENT. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PARTICIPATORY WHERE YOU PERSONALLY WORSHIP GOD.
READ NEH 7:63-73 THE PRIESTS
**WHY WERE THE CHILDREN OF 3 MEN, HABAIAH, HAKKOZ, AND BARZILLAI, PUT OUT OF THEPRIESTHOOD? (7:63-64)
ONLY LEVITES WHO COULD PROVE THEY WERE LEVITES WERE PERMITTED BY GOD TO BE PRIESTS. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF LINING ONE’S LIFE UP WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
**WHAT LEADERSHIP PRACTICES DO YOU SEE NEHEMIAH PERFORMING?
PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP:
[26] ESTABLISHES OTHER AUTHORITIES THROUGH DELEGATION
**WHAT KINDS OF THINGS SHOULD A LEADER NOT DELEGATE, AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS SHOULD ALEADER DELEGATE?
HE SHOULD NOT DELEGATE RESPONSIBILITY
HE SHOULD DELEGATE TASKS
**WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DELEGATING AUTHORITY AND DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITY?
YOU CAN GIVE ANOTHER PERSON AUTHORITY TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING, BUT YOU ARE ULTIMATELYRESPONSIBLE WITH HOW IT TURNS OUT.
[27] ESTABLISHES DISCERNIBLE RULES AND ORDER A GOOD LEADER WILL OPERATE IN ADISCERNIBLE ORDER THAT OTHERS CAN SEE AND RELATE TO
[28] KEEP RECORDS
**WHY ARE KEEPING RECORDS A GOOD IDEA FOR A LEADER?
PREVENTS RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL
FACILITATES DELEGATION
STYLES OF LEADERSHIP
MAT 20:25-28
|
RULERS OF THIS WORLD |
SERVANTS OF THE LORD |
| 1. IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE THEY LEAD | |
| THE RULER IS ‘OVER’ BY POSITION OF RANK | THE SERVANT IS ‘AMONG’ AS
A BROTHER 1TH 1:5 |
| 2. IN THEIR EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY | |
| HE LEADS BY ‘COMMAND’ AUTHORITY | HE LEADS WITH THE ‘GENTLENESS’
OF CHRIST 2CO 10:1 |
| 3. IN THEIR LEADERSHIP MODE | |
| HE’S AUTOCRATIC, ‘TELLING’ OTHERS WHAT TO DO | HE ‘SHOWS’ OTHERS WHAT TO DO
BY EXAMPLE 1PE 5:3 1TI 4:12 |
| 4. IN THE EFFECT OF THEIR LEADERSHIP STYLE | |
| ACHIEVES BEHAVIORAL ‘CONFORMITY’ | ACHIEVES HEART ‘COMMITMENT’
1TI 1:5 |
| 5. IN THEIR USE OF POWER | |
| USES ‘COERCION’ TO ENFORCE | APPEALS WITH GENTLE ‘INSTRUCTION’ AND RESPONDS IN TRUTH 2TI 2:24 |
| 6. IN THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHERS | |
| LEADS FROM A ‘SUPERIOR’ POSITION | LEADS IN ‘MEEKNESS’ AND
LOWLINESS OF SPIRIT 1TH 2:7-8 |
| 7. IN THEIR CHARACTER AND LIFESTYLE | |
| MORALITY IS ‘PRIVATE’ AND SEPARATED FROM LEADERSHIP | MORAL CHARACTER IS THE
‘FOUNDATION’ FOR TRUE LEADERSHIP TIT 2:1-7 |
DISCUSSION:
**HOW ARE YOU PUTTING NEHEMIAH INTO PRACTICE IN YOUR LIFE?
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 8
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEHEMIAH 7
WHAT ATTITUDES, QUALITIES, OR PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP DO YOU SEE LACKING IN YOUR POSITIONAS A GODLY LEADER?
WHAT CHANGES CAN YOU MAKE TO TRY AND CORRECT THIS LACK?
WHAT ATTITUDES, QUALITIES, OR PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP DO YOU SEE OPERATING SUCCESSFULLYIN YOUR POSITION AS A GODLY LEADER?
PREPARATION FOR NEHEMIAH 8
READ NEHEMIAH 8:1-18
WHY DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE WEPT WHEN THEY HEARD GOD’S WORDS OF LAW? (8:9)
WHY DID THE PEOPLE’S RESPONSE UPSET NEHEMIAH SO THAT HE COUNSELED THEM TO ACT DIFFERENTLY?(8:10)
MEMORY VERSE: 1THESSALONIANS 2:13
