Michael Youssef - The Leadership Style of Jesus

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover design by Harvest House Publishers, Inc., Eugene, Oregon

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates. Inc.

THE LEADERSHIP STYLE OF JESUS

Copyright 2013 by Michael Youssef
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Youssef, Michael.

The leadership style of Jesus / Michael Youssef.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-7369-5230-9 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-5231-6 (eBook)

1. LeadershipReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Jesus ChristExample. I. Title.

BV4597.53.L43Y68 2013

253dc23

2013007367

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To my wife, Elizabeth,
and my children, Sarah, Natasha,
Joshua, and Jonathan

I wrote an abbreviated version of this book back in 1986. Since then it has been read by millions around the world in twelve of the worlds most spoken languages.

I am confident that this expanded and much enlarged book will help many leaders and aspiring leaders to follow in the leadership style of Jesus, the greatest leader who ever lived.

For this I want to thank Harvest House Publishers for their vision and the diligence of Wolgemuth and Associates. Above all, I want to thank my very able compiler and editor, Jim Denney.

CONTENTS

A friend once gave a talk to a group of children. Robed like a character from Bible times, he said, I have something to tell yousomething Ive never told anyone else before. He pulled open the robe to reveal a big S on his T-shirt. Kids, he said, Im Superman!

The children laughed. One child called out, If youre Superman, fly up to the ceiling!

My friend went on to explain that many people make claims about who they are, but not everyone can offer proof. The problem, he said, is that once I tell you Im Superman, I have to prove it.

Leadership works the same way. Whenever anyone says Im a leader, that person will be put to the test. He or she must back that claim with proof. What kind of proof? Well, the most obvious kind of proof that a person is a leader is that he or she has followers . If you dont have followers, you are not a leader.

Followers are people who believe in you and trust you enough to follow in your footsteps. They endorse your leadership by saying to you, I recognize your leadership ability. I trust you. I want to be like you. I want to learn from you. I want to go where you lead me.

A leader is, by definition, a person who works through other people to achieve a goal or a vision. A president sets a vision or direction for the nation, then commissions his staff and his cabinet to achieve that vision, works with Congress to enact that vision, and inspires the citizenry to embrace that vision. A corporate CEO casts a vision for the company, works through the management team to implement that vision, and motivates the workforce to fulfill that vision at every level. A pastor articulates a biblically based vision for the church, and works through the church board, the elders and deacons, the teachers and youth workers and volunteers, and all the members to transform that vision into Christ-centered ministry.

The ultimate role model of effective leadership is Jesus Christ. During his earthly ministry, Jesus worked through people to achieve the vision called the kingdom of heaven. He began by calling to himself a circle of twelve people from assorted temperaments and backgrounds, including fishermen (Simon, Andrew, James, and John), antigovernment political extremists (Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot), and a pro-government collaborator (Matthew the tax collector). Jesus mentored these followers, taught them and challenged them, and united them into a unified force focused on a single goal. Then he pushed them out of their comfort zones and delegated important tasks to them, and ultimately founded his church through them.

Jesus worked through the Twelve to establish a church that has endured for two millennia and now circles the globe. Jesus inspired trust and followership in the people he met. As they followed and watched his life, they became witnesses, confirming that he truly was the Messiahthe leader promised in the Old Testament, anointed by God, descended from David, and sent to save his people.

Jesus also shared his vision with a wider circle of disciples and with the masses, and he inspired confidence and enthusiasm about his vision of a coming kingdom. In the process of casting his kingdom vision and teaching in parables, he enabled people to see his vision for themselves, and he drew many people to his vision. Jesus the Messiah created a community of people who were focused on his kingdom vision, and by leading, teaching, motivating, and inspiring those people, he changed the world.

As we see in Johns gospel, Jesus offered seven basic proofs, seven distinct confirmations that he was truly the Messiah, Gods anointed leader. After we examine those seven proofs, we will see how to apply the lessons of the leadership style of Jesus to every leadership arenagovernments and corporations, churches and schools, military units and sports teams, and the most intimate leadership arena of all, the home.

First Witness: The Father

The first proof Jesus offers to confirm his leadership role is the witness of God the Father. He told his hearers, And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me (John 5:37a). What did Jesus mean? He was speaking about the Fathers stamp of approvalan affirmation that God issued publicly, immediately after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. In Matthews gospel we read:

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:16-17).

In the presence of John the Baptist and many other witnesses, God the Father openly announced his eternal relationship between himself and Jesus of Nazareth. Here we see a stark contrast between Jesus and every other so-called messiah who claims to come in the name of God. For example, Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, claimed he was all alone at night on a wooded hill when he was visited by an angel; that angel, he said, revealed a new religion to him out of a book of golden plates. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, supposedly entered Jerusalem by night and claimed to hear the voice of God speak to him while he was alone.