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Of all Messiah’s New Covenant Communities over the past 2,000 years, the earliest Community was the best: It was closest to God. It had the greatest spiritual understanding. It had the most spiritual power. One of the reasons it was the best is because it had the best leaders. It had the Lord’s representatives – apostles, and prophets and teachers and evangelists and great leaders of local communities.
Good leadership is really important. Even though all Christians and Messianic Jews are equal; all of us are the beloved sons and daughters of God, God raises up leaders to lead Messiah’s Community. Today, I want to focus on leadership. What makes a good leader? What should you look for in the leaders here at Shema? What should you look for in leaders elsewhere? Most of us will not be leaders of a congregation, but we will have opportunities to lead in various ways. And, one day all of us will be leaders, kings and queens, helping rule the New Heavens and the New Earth. So, all of us are leaders-in-training. What can we be doing to make ourselves better leaders now?
The three men mentioned in this part of Paul and Timothy’s letter to the Philippians – Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus – are models of good leadership. I would go further and say that Paul is not just a model of good leadership, but of great leadership. Let’s learn from these three men, what to look for in our leaders, and how we can become better leaders.
First, I want to read this section from the New International Version, starting with 2:19: I hope in the Lord Yeshua to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Messiah Yeshua. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the Good News. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Messiah. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Now, to simplify the meaning, I am reading the same passage from The Message, which is a paraphrase translation: I plan (according to Yeshua’s plan) to send Timothy to you very soon so he can bring back all the news of you he can gather. Oh, how that will do my heart good! I have no one quite like Timothy. He is loyal, and genuinely concerned for you. Most people around here are looking out for themselves, with little concern for the things of Yeshua. But you know yourselves that Timothy’s the real thing. He’s been a devoted son to me as together we’ve delivered the Message. As soon as I see how things are going to fall out for me here, I plan to send him off. And then I’m hoping and praying to be right on his heels.But for right now, I’m dispatching Epaphroditus, my good friend and companion in my work. You sent him to help me out; now I’m sending him to help you out. He has been wanting in the worst way to get back with you. Especially since recovering from the illness you heard about, he’s been wanting to get back and reassure you that he is just fine. He nearly died, as you know, but God had mercy on him. And not only on him – He had mercy on me, too. His death would have been one huge grief piled on top of all the others. So you can see why I’m so delighted to send him on to you. When you see him again, hale and hearty, how you’ll rejoice and how relieved I’ll be. Give him a grand welcome, a joyful embrace! People like him deserve the best you can give. Remember the ministry to me that you started but weren’t able to complete? Well, in the process of finishing up that work, he put his life on the line and nearly died doing it.
What is necessary for a good leader? First, a leader of a local community should be a man, not a woman. There are reasons for this. One reason is that God created a leadership order among human beings. The man is the head of his family, even if his wife is smarter or more talented than he is. A New Covenant Community is like an extended family, and that calls for male leadership. That’s why Paul, when writing to Timothy about the qualifications for leaders, insists that a leader is to be the husband of one wife and must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control. If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the God’s Community – which is like a big family?
In addition to the creation order of male leadership, there are other reasons that men should be the leaders of the community. Leading a community, like being a good father, will, at times, be difficult. There will be times when it is burdensome. It is often discouraging. Duties include confronting and correcting those who are doing wrong – including tough, older men. Being a leader involves receiving criticism – sometimes deserved but often not. It involves disappointing people. It involves speaking publicly about controversial and unpopular issues. All this takes a certain toughness and aggressiveness which men are specially designed for.
The gentler gender can be leaders. Women can lead other women. Women can lead children. Women can have leadership in a lot of important tasks in the community. But, just as the man is the head of the home, and a home functions properly when the man is the leader, so Messiah’s Community functions properly with male leadership.
What else is essential to leadership? Hard work. A good leader must be a hard worker. Paul informed the Philippians that Timothy has served with me in the work of the Good News. Paul refers to Epaphroditus as his co-worker, and that he was involved in the “work of the Messiah.” Listen to these words related to leadership and hard work: Serving; co-worker; the work of the Good News; the work of the Messiah.
Paul mentions “the work of the Good News”. Advancing the Message about Messiah, the way the Good News should be advanced, takes work. It takes thought. It takes planning. It takes effort. It takes time. It takes consistency. It takes work. It’s the “work of the Good News”, not “let have fun with the Good News.”
Paul mentions “the work of the Messiah.” Messiah is at work. He is working right now, and those who follow Him must be working with Him. Through His people on Earth, the Risen and Ascended Lord is continuing His work on Earth. Using His followers, Messiah is bringing the Good News to a dying world – to the Jewish people first, and also the Gentiles. That takes work. And, from those who respond to the Message, Messiah is building up His Community. And that takes work. Messiah is at work, and those who follow the Messiah, especially leaders, must be involved with the work of the Messiah. A leader can’t be lazy. He must be a hard worker. He must labor to bring the Good News to others. He must expend effort to build up Messiah’s Community.
Like a good leader, each one of us should be working hard to bring the Good News to others and to build up Messiah’s Community. Speaking about the work of bringing the Good News to others, David Brickner, the Executive Director of Jews for Jesus, recently wrote something about William Wilberforce and his work to bring the Good News to others. David writes: As a member of the British parliament, Wilberforce exerted tremendous energy and influence to end the brutally inhuman slave trade. In addition to his battle against human trafficking, Wilberforce focused his laser-like conscience on a host of societal ills, including public torture and executions for such crimes as stealing a loaf of bread. And his compassion extended beyond the human race as Wilberforce helped to found the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Wilberforce also championed Jewish evangelism. In 1809 he helped establish the London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews, an organization that still exists today. But what impressed me the most about this man was his personal commitment to evangelism. He made it his business to share the gospel with each and every person he could, every single day of his Christian life. He was so intentional in this that he listed the names of every person he knew that needed Jesus. Next to their names he wrote a series of what he called “launchers.” “Launchers” were Wilberforce’s ideas for conversation starters, opening lines that he thought might effectively lead to a gospel conversation with that particular person. For example, sometimes he would ask a person what he or she had been reading lately, and use the ensuing conversation to suggest a look at a particular message or sermon. Wilberforce’s commitment to personal evangelism both amazes and challenges me, and I hope it will do the same for you. I love that! Even though he was in a high position and lived a full and meaningful life, this great man made time to think about ways to bring the Good News to those in his life. How about you? Are you, like William Wilberforce, looking for launchers to direct people to the Message about salvation? Each one of us should be working hard to bring the Good News to others and build up Messiah’s Community.
A leader must be hard worker. And, a leader must be tough and able to fight. Paul refers to Epaphroditus as his “fellow soldier”. A leader needs to be like a soldier – tough and able to fight. Christians and Messianic Jews are facing powerful opposition. We are in a battle. A leader needs to fight for the Good News, deal with tough opponents within and without, take unpopular stands, experience rejection, bear the brunt of the opposition.
In addition to being tough and able to fight, a soldier needs to be courageous. Being a leader can be dangerous. Because the leader is generally the focus of the opposition, a leader needs to be courageous. Paul tells us that Epaphroditus risked his life to help him and almost died for the work of Messiah. Facing that kind of danger and taking those kinds of risks requires courage.
Not only does a soldier need to be tough, able to fight and courageous, he needs to endure hardship. Paul was experiencing the hardship of prison and a potential trial that could result in his death. Writing to the Corinthians, this great leader describes other hardships he endured: Are they servants of Messiah? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brothers; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the communities. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? Being a good leader means enduring hardships. If you want an easy, comfortable life, you should not be a leader in Messiah’s Community.
The Lord will not ask all of us to endure the kinds and quantities of hardships that Paul endured. But, life in a fallen world involves hardships for all the sons and daughters of God. Know that, and endure your times of hardship. And, avoid those teachers whose message is about prosperity or self-improvement so that you can enjoy a more comfortable life now.
A good leader must have concern for God’s people. Paul told the Philippians: Epaphroditus longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Epaphroditus longed for, missed, cared about God’s children in Philippi. Describing Timothy, Paul writes: I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. Timothy was the kind of leader who was genuinely concerned about the well-being of the people who were under his care.
A good leader serves Messiah’s and the Community’s interests, not his own. Paul commends Timothy for this: I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Messiah Yeshua. Timothy was different from most of other leaders because, like Paul, he was concerned about what pleased Messiah, and not himself; what was best for the people under his care; not what was best for himself. His ministry was not about his own personal advancement, but about service to God and service to the people.
A leader must be trained before is ready for his own ministry. Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the Good News. Before he is ready to lead, a man must have a proven track record. He can’t be inexperienced. Many professions have a system of apprenticeship. A younger worker will work with an older worker to gain knowledge and experience. The same principle applies to ministry. Timothy was Paul’s disciple, Paul’s apprentice. Timothy was trained by Paul. Then, when he was ready, Paul was able to recommend Timothy’s leadership with confidence. This was one of my shortcomings when I moved to Michigan to start a Messianic Congregation. I had been trained by my professors at Moody Bible Institute and Northeastern Bible College in Bible and theology. I had been thoroughly trained by the leaders in Jews for Jesus in Jewish evangelism. But, leading a congregation takes other skills, and I had no training in that area. And, I didn’t have a Paul to train me and mentor me as a Rabbi and I wound up making some really bad mistakes that hurt a lot of people. Praise the Lord, now I know better, and now I am in a position to be able to train younger men for congregational ministry.
Leadership is important. These are some of the requirements for leadership in Messiah’s Community. A man must be a thoroughly trained. He must be a hard worker, laboring diligently to bring the life-saving Message to others and build up Messiah’s Community. He must be courageous, tough, able to endure hardship, have a genuine concern for God’s people, and committed to serving Messiah’s interests and the peoples’ interests above his own. There are other requirements of leadership that are described in other parts of the Word of God, like Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus. It’s my hope that the leaders of Shema will always have these qualifications, and that each one of us would grow in our leadership abilities by following the marvelous examples of Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus. Amen?