"Summoned To Lead" Workshop by Dr. Leonard Sweet - Tuesday morning July 22, 2008. In his workshop, Len Sweet spoke about leadership (or really followership) based on the voice of God. Here are my notes:- About his book "Summoned to Lead," Sweet wanted to call it "Forget About the Vision Thing, It's all About Voice." His point? You don't see vision, you hear vision. Righteousness comes by faith, and faith comes by hearing (see Romans). Our ears are the primary gateway to the soul.
- Picture the scene from Jurassic Park where the lawyer is in the outhouse. Before the dinosaur comes, he hears the vibrations. This is the perfect image for today's churches. You hear it before you see it. By the time you see it, it's too late!
- Picture God's revelation to Elijah in 1 Kings 19. There was a powerful blowing, an earthquake, and a fire, but God was not in them. Then a gentle wind, the sound of a gentle blowing, a still small voice. A voice came to Elijah - God revealed His vision to Elijah.
- God spoke - He "voiced" the phrase "Let there be light" and the earth was created.
- Moses first heard and then he saw the burning bush - before God revealed His vision to Moses.
- What we are missing in the church is that matter doesn't matter, spirit matters. Culture is trying to tune everyone's heart to the wrong gospel - that "the trees move the wind." We need to see the truth that "the wind moves the trees." We need to tune our hearts to Jesus.
- People were already follow the Golden Rule - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Jesus came to restore us to a love-right relationship. He gave us the Platinum rule. - Love others as God loves you. That's much harder. It's sacrificial love. What are you willing to sacrifice?
- Ask grandparents, "do you love your grandchildren?" They'll reply yes. "Would you give your life for them?" They'll reply yes. But ask them, "Would you give up your musical preference in church for them?" ... True sacrificial love is hard.
- Peter proved that it's not the big things, it's the little things. Peter said, "Let me wash your feet." Peter cut off the soldier's ear defending Jesus. But when a peasant girl said, aren't you one of them, Peter denied Jesus. It's the little things that catch us up.
- New Testament worship is sacrificial love. How do you know if you're reaching someone for Jesus? Do you like it? Are you comfortable? If it pleases you, it's probably not for the other person. It's not sacrificial.
- The church needs to remember that Jesus is the draw - not the church, not the programs, not the preaching, not the music, but Jesus. "If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to Myself." - John 12:32
- As worship leaders you are not performance artists, you are participation artists. You are in the "moment" business - helping people have "God-moments."
- Postmoderns are more right-brained: experiential, participatory, Image-rich, connective. More like wind. Moderns are more left-brained: rational, logical, linear, word-driven, individualistic, performance-oriented. More like trees. We need both. We need more harmony. We need to bring the extremes together, like a battery. Real power with a battery is when you bring the extremes together.
- We are called to create harmony. The key to good harmony is a common tuning fork. You must constantly re-tune using the tuning fork. Jesus is the tuning fork. (See number 7 from this post.)
