teaching notes from ltci, siliguri - based on j oswald sanders book, spiritual leadership

1. Section 6
The Leaders Goal (Part 2)

2. Section 6
The Leaders Goal (Part 2)

3. The Leader and Time
J. Oswald Sanders,
Spiritual Leadership,
Chapter 12

4. "Lifes value is not
in its duration but
its donation - not
how long we live
but how fully and
how well"
William James

5. The quality of a
persons leadership
will, in part, be
measured by time: its
use and passage. The
character or career
of a young person
depends on how they
spend spare time
J Oswald Sanders

6. Much of your use of time is
scheduled for you - classes,
appointments, etc. The real issue is
what you do with time that is not
prescribed with regard to its use.
Leisure is a glorious opportunity
and a subtle danger.
Do you believe that each
moment of the day is a gift from
God - one that deserves care in
its use?

7. Michelangelo was pressing hard to
complete a piece of work. A person
commented to him, “This may cost
you your life,” To which he
replied, “What else is life for?”
Minutes and hours used
wisely translate into an
abundant life.

8. Psalm 90:12
Teach us to number our days, that
we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Moses shows it is in the use of
days not years that wisdom comes.
Saying you do not have the time is
the refuge of the small minded and
inefficient - a leader always has
time for the will of God for their
lives.
Someone once said “if you want a
job doing then ask a busy man”

9. The problem you have is not a
lack of time - simply put, your
problem is making the best use
of your time.
You may have different ability,
money or influence - but you
have the same time as the most
powerful, or the most stupid,
person you know.

10. Lk 19:12- 27 - the parable of
the minas - each had different
money but the same time - you
have differing gifts, but the
same time - you are
responsible for your own
faithfulness in using what
the Lord has given you.
Looking at your time do you
think you are getting a ten
fold return?

11. Eph 5:16 TM, NIV, KJV
Don't waste your time on useless
work, mere busywork, the barren
pursuits of darkness.
...making the most of every
opportunity, because the days are
evil.
Redeeming the time, because the
days are evil.
Redeeming - buying back - time is
an item with buying power - time
cannot be “collected” it can only
be spent wisely.

12. Time lost can
never be
bought back -
time lost has
gone forever

13. As a result leaders have to be
careful with time - select the right
things to do, prioritise properly,
choose what is essential to do -
select, reject and then concentrate
on the most important things each
day.

14. Assignment
Consider how you use your
time - make a timetable for
As a result leaders have to be
the next week, divide the
careful with time - select the right
things to do, prioritise properly,
days into 1/4 hour (15
choose what is essential to do -
select, rejectsegments - then fill
minute) and then concentrate
on the most important things each in
it in as each day passes -
day.
the light of this consider if
you have used your time
wisely.

15. Mary Slessor was the
daughter of a drunkard who
worked in a factory from age
11 (from 0600 to 1800 each
day) - yet she still educated
herself and had a notable
career in Christian service.
She was a missionary in
Nigeria - for a short
biography go here: http://
www.wholesomewords.org/
missions/bioslessor.html

16. David Livingstone as a 10 year old
worked 14 hours each day in a cotton
factory - by the age of 27 he was
qualified in medicine and in theology
He was a Scottish missionary, doctor
and explorer who helped open the
heart of Africa to missions. His
travels covered one-third of the
continent, from the Cape to near the
Equator, and from the Atlantic to the
Indian Ocean. See here for more
details: http://
www.wholesomewords.org/
biography/biorplivingstone.html

17. Jesus is a wonderful example of how
to live life - he had a confidence in
the plan of the Father and so was
never hurried (or surprised) by what
came before him.
Jn 14:10 The words I say to you I do
not speak on my own authority.
Rather, it is the Father, living in me,
who is doing his work.
Jn 7:6, 12:23, 27, 13:1, 17:1
Jn 2:4 - aware of God’s timing - and
not changing his schedule as he was
aware if the Fathers hand upon him
and Lazarus (11: 1-6)

18. Jesus had the same 24 hours each
day that you and I have - he used
his to the full and accomplished all
the Father wanted him to - do you?
Jesus did the things that mattered
in life - those things that were vital
- do you?
Can you think of any example in
the Gospels where Jesus appeared
to be hurried and out of control? At
times there was barely time to eat -
yet he never failed in
accomplishing the Father’s will.

19. Often leaders are
pressurised because
they are doing
things the Father
has not assigned to
them.
Do you look for God in
the interruptions of life?

20. What of people who just drop in -
Sanders tells the story of a man
who decided with each person who
dropped by for a chat, the man
decided that he would invite them
to pray and ask God why he had
brought them there at that time - if
God revealed something then they
dealt with it, if not the meeting was
short but sweet as they realised
God had something else in mind.
If an interruption is from the Lord
he will reveal his plan in it!

21. Eph 2:10 - good works planned
in advance
Such plans are discovered in
intimacy with the Lord.
John Wesley and FB Meyer
divided their days into 45 minute
sections and then would try to
make each section count.
Meyer took each opportunity
where, even in company, his
attention was not required to be
profitable doing something else.

22. Writing of his dad, W.E. Sangster, Paul says this:
“Time was never wasted. The difference between one
minute and two was of considerable consequence to him.
He would appear from his study. ‘My boy, you’re not
doing anything. I have exactly twenty–two minutes. We’ll
go for a walk. We can walk right around the common in
that time.’ He then hurtled out of the house at tremendous
speed and I normally had to run to catch up. He would
then discourse on current affairs (5 mins), Surrey’s
prospects in the country championship (2 mins), the
necessity of revival (5 mins), the reality of the Loch Ness
monster (2 mins), and the sanctity of William Romaine (3
mins.). By that time we would be home again.”

23. A balanced approach to time is
necessary in order to be effective.
This means that prayerfulness at
the start of the day is essential to
become aware of the Lord’s will
for the day.
If your day is not in the grip of the
Lord it will be at the will of all
other powers, human and spiritual,
God and the devil.

24. Procrastination is a major blockage
to achieving all the Lord has called
you to. Developing a habit of
putting things off is
disempowering to spiritual
leadership. Natural man is
reluctant to make decisions - but
making decisions and acting on
them requires moral energy, and
time moving on rarely makes
decisions easier.
Do you make deadlines by which
time a thing has to be done?

25. In which areas of life
do you most need to
feel the urgency and
importance of using
time well?
How do you deal with
procrastination in
your life - how should
you?