This week I’ll be posting my notes from the Unplugged Conference. There were five sessions on the greatest challenges leaders must face and I’ll post a different challenge each day this week. We’ll start with Session 1: The Motivation Challenge.
I wish that we had discussed ministry motivation more when I was in college. In fact there are two sides to the motivation challenge. There is so much power behind figuring out, focusing on, and remembering the reasons why we do what we do.
We concentrated on Matthew 10:5-16 when discussing the challenge of motivation.
“Jesus sent out (the twelve) with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near. ’Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for workers are worth their keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at that person’s house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your blessing. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
“Go”– go out into the world rather than expect them to come to us
“Freely you have received, freely give.”– Minister out of the joy that you’ve been given. Giving much returns much.
“As you enter the home, give it your blessing.” Goes back to Abraham that we are to bless the world. Mark talked about that too often we give our blessing to people/things long after we deem it worthy. Jesus told the twelve to bless first, evaluate on the go.
“shake the dust off your feet”– I know I’ve felt the need to shake off the dust after meeting with certain people or after many situations. Nothing like a good old fashioned dust shaking to get you back to the things that matter.
Innocent as Doves
“Innocent as Doves”– Do things with the right motivation; continually checking the motives behind your actions
My will vs. THY WILL 1Sam. 14 & 15 – In ch. 14, Saul builds an alter to the LORD. In 15, he builds an alter to himself. In one chapter Saul’s motivation for leadership went from honoring the LORD to honoring himself. It happens that quickly.
The Comparing Game with distort your heart and lead you down one of two ways. First, you will compare yourself to people less talented and gifted than you are. This will lead you to believe that you are better than everyone else- we call that Pride.
Secondly, you’ll compare yourselves to people who are more talented, more gifted, and have better resources than you leading you to believe that life’s not fair and how you really deserve all that they have– we call that Jealousy.
Kill the selfish ambition inside of you.
Shrewd as Snakes
“Shrewd as snakes”– Like the men of Issachar. Men who knew the times and knew what to do. (1Chr. 12:32)
Definition: Outsmart the enemy at its own game; understanding the times; redeeming culture rather than consuming it blindly.
Contextual Intelligence– learning the times an discovering ways to harness new media for the kingdom. Podcasts, social networks, webcasts, invite cards
“Church is a tag-team sport.” When people bring friends/family to services they are tagging the leadership to answer questions, point to God, honor Jesus. Then each week leaders tag their people to move out from the doors of the building and take the message of the kingdom to the streets. “Tag you’re it.”