Theology of Credible Leadership - Lesson 23

Dr. John Johnson
Theology of Credible Leadership
Future of Leadership
Lesson Transcription

We come finally to the end of these lectures on leadership and thinking theologically about leadership. So we can't end without talking about the future. In reality, when we talk about, leadership, it's not about leadership and its end leadership. Books may put it that way, but theology tells us, no, it's really not the end. In fact, think of it as the beginning. So what I'd like to do in, in this, this session is talk about the end, if you will, and then begin to move to the, the beginning.   

So let's talk about the end. Leaders face an end leadership has its end. Things terminate. I know this is not earth shattering. We see it all around us, but it's the reason many institutions and many leaders have transition plants.   

So what we discover is first of all, is that things terminate, leaders and their leadership come to a certain end. We may be prone to be in denial, which explains why some leaders have no transition plan. Why they don't, give a certain amount of their energy and time to developing leaders.   

They have somehow this unrealistic sense. They're always going to be there. So they overlook some of these priorities. It's also why some leadership books give little advice in terms of how to transition. It's, it's why there are actually very few books that talk about transition, talk about what you do in that next chapter of your life. There's all kinds of books on the other side in preparing you to enter into, but how do you transition out of, it's often left out, but whether we want to admit to it, face up to it or not, there is this termination life events confirm this.   

No matter, those who believe using algorithms can lead to eternal life. This side of eternity, as more and more people are talking about, but it's all foolishness.   

We all die. Leadership ends be leaders, significant or insignificant. They will transition, be it because of an end of term, because of end of health. Be a revolt, be an uprising or forcible extraction. Eventually, whether we like it or not, we all become a part of the past.   

Ultimately, mind and body will collapse under the sheer weight of mortality. Sorry if this comes as bad news for you, but it's the reality of life. But because things terminate, here's a second truth, because things terminate, because leadership is transitory. Here's the second truth, and that is we must confront some hard decisions.   

That is a leader because of the obvious transition that is coming, must prepare for it by knowing the right questions to answer. That helps determine when you know when to transition. For example, this question is a really important question. Have I fulfilled my objectives?   

Have I completed what I sense I was summoned to do? Every leader needs to answer that question before one begins to think about transitioning. Sometimes we see transitions as just opportunities to move up the ladder, but if one is thinking really carefully and wisely about, about the future, one realizes there is termination and there has to be important questions that are answered.   

And I have to answer these before I think about termination. Another question is, am I losing my passion to lead in my last church, when I thought about coming to the end of a long ministry, which I loved it, I, I began nonetheless to process. When do, when do I need to leave?   

When will I transition? And in sorting that through one of the questions is, do I still have my passion to do it rather than wake up before the alarm? Am my finding I need the alarm to wake up? Has the organization outgrown me? That's another really important question. We hopefully lead and, and there's success and there's achievement and there's growth.   

But sometimes as this momentum moves, has it gotten beyond me? And what I can bring? Are my gifts better suited for a different chapter? It's a time to pass the baton. I pour myself into those I'm mentoring, but at some point, do I owe it to them to pass the baton? Am I causing an emerging leader to stall and not reach his next goals?   

So what is next? These are important questions to answer. Is there a future for leadership itself? However, this is really the question that I want to get to. So terms of the future, these are things that are obvious. We terminate, we have to confront hard decisions. But maybe one of the most important decisions we need to think about is the future, itself of leadership.   

And what do we discover when we think about that? A study of leadership is incomplete if we have not grappled with leadership's inevitable decline in this life without also thinking about leadership's potential future in the future life. You see what I'm wrestling with, and this is what I struggle with in this chapter.   

It, it would've been easy just to read leadership books and talk about the inevitable decline and the inevitable end of our leadership, whichever way it comes, and to work my way through the questions that help guide me as to when I should leave. That is if it's my choice. But when I look at theology, theology forces me to go deeper and ask the question.   

But nonetheless, is there a future for leaders? And what I've discovered is that there is that actually theology opens my eyes to realize something I hadn't thought about before. And that is, it's not, it's not complete to talk about the end of leadership and its transitions. One must also think about the future of leadership and what we will be doing in eternity for, as it turns out, in an eternity, leadership continues.   

Theology affirms what most of us already know, that leadership in this present world, it doesn't conclude in time, but in eternity it continues. Theology confirms that in this world, leaders must painfully realize that things do terminate.   

Ecclesiastes chapter four, that the hope of tomorrow is soon. The narrative, the pass that all leaders have so much shelf life. And we see this in the biblical stories, but the theology also informs us that there is a course to the future. When we think about the future, we, we realize that the things do terminate.   

Leadership terminates. When we look to leadership books, they help us, at least those who do talk about this, and not many do, but those that do guide us in teaching us how to confront hard questions that we need to ask. And that is what, what is our leadership telling us or staff telling us? What is our body telling us?   

What are those we lead telling us? What are the clues to signals? Have I lost my passion? Do I still have my passion? What about other opportunities? Just because we have other opportunities does not mean that we should necessarily transition from one leadership to another. But what life itself tells us is that inevitably as we get older, we also decline. And, and so we have to confront these hard questions.   

But what I want to do here is from these, if I could put it this way, I want to go back to what I keep coming back to is, is to then move to talk about theology and what theology co theology's contribution is. What does theology tell us about the future? What does it tell us about transitions and leadership endings? Well, let's start with the first one.   

And the first one is that theology affirms what we already know. That leadership in this present world does conclude in time with few exceptions, Enoch and Elijah. The biblical narrative records that every leader passes on. Ecclesiastes four tells us in a very painful text, I think anyway, in talking about transitions, that every leader faces a certain cycle.   

There is in the first place a leader who is the hope of tomorrow. In Ecclesiastes four, which is talking about the harsh realities of life, he says, leaders come to a place where, or at least they emerge in the context of the crowd that sees you as the next best hope. And they're ready to, to line up with you and vote for you and call you.   

But Ecclesiastes four tells a, about this painful cycle that leaders have only so much shelf life. And the people who were so excited for you today, tomorrow will be more excited about someone else. And in the biblical stories, we see that transitions are part of leadership. Some are smooth. Moses and Jeremiah, Elijah and Elijah, Paul and Timothy.   

Some are filled with a certain drama. David and Adonijah and Solomon. Some are marked more by trauma. Ahab, Uzziah, Herod wise is the leader who recognizes, before others. I can no longer lead. That certainly is one thing that I see not only in scripture, but in life itself.   

Better that you in a sense surprise the people by saying, my time needs to to move to another chapter in my life before people have to break the news to you. Now, wisdom, of course, and this is where wisdom literature comes in to, to train us, to teach us again about timing, about reality, about rhythm.   

Some leaders are too quick to transition to the next assignment without stopping to say, have I given this the time it needs? My observation thinking about ministry is that a leader needs to stay at least five years before I've found people begin to actually trust you begin to come to a place where they're willing to follow you to, to many leaders. Look at the first storm, the first set of wave of criticisms and interpret that as God is calling you somewhere else.   

He might be, but in most cases, God is using it to shape you, and and, and to forge you and make you a better leader. But nonetheless, there comes this transition. And this time Moses came to this humble admission. He writes in Deuteronomy 31, I am now 120 years old, and I'm no longer able to lead even though he wanted to stay at it.   

But there came in his own realistic assessment, a time when he said, I just can't do this anymore. Theology, informs us that leadership's course is not ours to define. We may assume we dictate our parameters of leadership, but when we think about the contribution of theology, theology not only affirms the transitional nature of leadership, it also, it also reminds us that this is decision, a decision that is up to God.   

because after all, let's go back to the beginning of our lectures. It's God who summons. This is his prerogative. It's how we came into leadership. So it is his to to decide.   

Most of our leadership endeavors are on unforeseen and be honored command, no matter our effectiveness as Ecclesiastes puts it, the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, but time and chance happen to them all. It's up to God. And no one knows when and how it ends. Only God knows as Jeremiah 10 verse 23 puts it, it's not in man to direct his steps.   

So what would theology say to transitions? Transitions happen, but theology would say transitions. Transitions are determined by God for his purposes. Transitions  are his to determine. He makes the decision not us. I may have shared this story, I'm not sure, but I remember going back to some of these difficult times in the Netherlands riding my bike home in a furious storm one night and wanting to just get out of the leadership responsibility.   

I was summoned to carry out. And I remember screaming as loud as I could, God, I went out of this to which I sensed in one of these very intimate poem moments with God, not an audible voice, but surely a voice that came from God that said, I summoned you and I called you here.   

And when I release you, I will let you know. And I think there's great wisdom and theology of confirms this is that when we seek to transition, it has to be bathed in a lot of prayer. It has to be determined by putting ourselves humbly within the council of those we lead to ask them the question, is this right? Is this wise? I at times have done that and I have found that, a very important thing to do.   

I found the temptation also to just make decisions based upon sheer circumstances. Well, I got this letter I wasn't looking for. I got this call from this other opportunity. But just because doors open doesn't mean it's the will of God. So theology tells us it's God's course, not ours to determine.   

Theology also tells us something that we often don't think about. And that is theology reveals that even though our leadership ends, this side of heaven on the other side of heaven, there is a future to leadership that earthly leadership has its terminus. But leadership continues on the other side. When Jesus revealed to his emerging leaders that there's a future kingdom, he in summoned his leaders to lead.   

And both Matthew 1928, at the renewal of all things, when the son of man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me, Jesus speaking to the disciples, and I believe beyond that to his disciples today, you who have followed me will sit on these thrones. Matthew 1928 in Revelation, John received a vision of a new heaven and new earth, one that confirmed the words of Jesus.   

One in which leaders as Revelation three, verse 21 puts it will sit in the realm of God's throne. Paul saw beyond the present affirming leadership's future when he said, if we endure with him, with him, we will also you remember, we will reign with him.   

Two Timothy two 12, we start building a theology here. We start putting verses together and we start to realize there's something of leadership that's going to happen beyond this life. The saints will lead others in eternity, and we find it to become an, apocalyptic theme all through scripture. But the saints, here's Daniel and the Old Testament, Daniel chapter seven.   

But the saints of the most high will receive the kingdom and possess it. The sovereignty, the power, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints. What could that possibly mean? It, it has to surely imply that somehow, somewhere we will continue to lead Those who carry out God's will to the end, will receive a future leadership responsibility and a future authority to lead.   

Again, listen to these words, these prophetic words from John in Revelation two, to him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations. I I can't unpack that. I don't know exactly all that it means, but it seems to confirm what all of these other passages are teaching us is that there is a future to leadership and those in this role will have the responsibility of, of upholding God's justice in heaven.   

It's not clear what's involved, but we will be serving the divine king sitting in a certain sense on a certain throne. And theology teaches then that leadership, and maybe this is part of it, is that God is saying leadership is God intended from the beginning.   

Remember Genesis 1 28, which I believe is a very foundational text that says, God placed us now catch this, God placed us on this earth to rule and to lead. Genesis 1 28. Could it be in when all things culminate, in the future, God will restore that there is this future of God's design for leadership in which God, perhaps God's original intention for leadership will be restored.   

That we were created as vice regents. As Genesis 1 28, I believe puts it for a purpose, not only in the present, in the temporal, but in the future as well. So leadership, in one sense is the essence of humanity because we were created to lead.   

It's part of the image of God as nt Wright puts it. The wise rule of humans over God's world is what being in God's image is partly about. Because from the beginning we were made to carry out a twin vocation to rule into worship. There is this dual identity ruler and priests that bring order and bring praise, give praise.   

Israel was called to be again, notice the, the link a kingdom of priests. Exodus 19, Samuel and David, the epitome of leadership served in this dual role of royalty and priests. Peter defined the church as a royal priesthood verse Peter two, verse nine.   

So think about these truths that what I'm arguing for is that to our very identity from the very beginning of time, it was God's intent that we be ruler priests. It is our identity. It is as Peter puts it, the identity of the church. And in the future, new heaven and new earth, new Jerusalem will be both a kingdom and a temple. So these two again come together, the temple being Jesus himself, revelation 21, 22, served by royal priests who are put in charge, yet under God himself, who is the king of kings.   

So in turn, in eternity, there will be this dual vocation that started in Genesis one that will come to fulfillment and perfect expression in the new heaven and new earth.   

I believe this was the vision that John received when in Revelation five, verse 10, he says, God has made us to be a kingdom and priests who will serve God and reign on the earth. We will rule as God intended from the beginning. Hence, hence when we think about leadership, and we're to think about it Theo theologically, we can't think about merely the end of leadership in this transitory earth, but also it its future in heaven.   

God will be exalted and leadership as God intended will be restored. Could it be, for example, think about this that in one Corinthians six, when Paul is confronting a church that was going to law courts to solve their problems, you remember he reminded them that one day in eternity, we will have authority even over the angels.   

And if that's true, and we have this leadership, this role in eternity, Paul says, can't you then figure out things in this earthly setting? Can't you be leaders here if you're going to be leaders there? What is true in the future should be anticipated in the present and reflected in the present. It should be impact the way we conduct leadership. In a way it should be, a recognition, if you will, that the leadership we've been given here is actually preparatory for the leadership there.   

So let me summarize a few things as we end this course. This question I raised from the beginning, is it possible to get beyond so much inept, foolish leadership? And the answer I hope I'm giving here is yes, but not if we simply rely on these books.   

But if we rely on these books, if we rely on the word of God, if we get centered theologically, there just may be hope. No, there is hope that we can be great leaders. We can raise the bar and lead, but it will require a different leadership, a leadership that is theologically informed, that is rooted in the ways of God. Our best lessons for leadership come from him.   

And this is what I've tried to instill in these lectures, that it's God who invented leadership. He defines leadership and God gives us in his word of his, the the wisdom to lead. He created leadership for his purposes and he teaches us through the likes of an Abraham or a Moses or a Daniel or a Nehemiah or an apostle Paul or the disciples and supremely through the life of Jesus.   

So let's review again. What's the best definition of a leader? A leader is a servant. Are leaders necessary? Yes, but they are dispensably indispensable. I don't know how else to say it. How does one become a leader? There are multiple ways, but ultimately one must step into one's divine summons.   

How does a leader become credible? We, again have looked at three significant pieces to credibility, solid character, pursuit of wisdom, and developing the skills to lead. What are the essential task? Every leader has to be missional, visionary, strategic, and tactical. And that has to be reflected in the leaders one leads.   

The board needs to be seen as a missional board, a visionary board, a strategic board, a tactical board. We owe this to the church. How does God turn the world's assumptions of power upside down? By finding this, that in the power of God, it's not about obsessing and seeking to expand it for ourselves. It's about receiving the power of God and then releasing it.   

Why are challenges beneficial? Because we become better leaders as we give them over to God and learn the lessons. And is there a future for leadership? Absolutely. So what do we do in the present? Use this present leadership to prepare for eternity.