The Leadership Styles of God and Jesus; Leaders, Managers or Both?

By Rev. F. Lee Jones DMIN MDIV MBA

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369421116

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THE LEADERSHIP STYLES OF GOD AND JESUS;

LEADERS,

MANAGERS

OR BOTH?

REV. F. LEE JONES DMIN, MDIV, MBA

Copyright © 2024 by Rev. F. Lee Jones DMIN, MDIV, MBA.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/06/2024

Xlibris

844-714-8691

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859980

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

W HEN I REALIZED that the corrective action process used by Jesus with the pastor of the Church of Ephesus in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 2:1-7) was almost the identical technique that I learned while in management training at Xerox Corporation in 1983, the Bible suddenly came alive to me. The truth be told, the idea came to mind while I was listening to a series of cassette tapes recorded by Dr. David Jeremiah (Escape the Coming Night) some 35 years later, which was a detailed study of the Book of Revelation. I had listened to the tapes dozens of times during my morning treadmill workouts when suddenly the Holy Spirit gave me ears to hear as if hearing it for the very first time. I began to wonder about the leadership styles of God and Jesus, whether they have attributes of leaders or managers. So, I want to thank Dr. David Jeremiah for his research and study which has ultimately prompted me to write this book.

Secondly, I want to acknowledge my Bride Elaine, who constantly reminded me not to disclose the subject matter of this book to others I encountered while the book was still in the exploratory stage. She feared that someone else would steal my idea and rush to publish a book on the subject matter before me. So, a special shout-out goes to my beautiful wife of 26 years, whom I still consider to be my Princess Bride.

Thirdly, I want to acknowledge the support of my primary care physician of 37 years, whose friendship, encouragement, and expertise has always been a source of strength for me. Dr. Robert Wainer has kept me healthy in mind and body over the years whenever ailments have occurred which have required his special attention. His bedside manner is simply impeccable, and whenever he gives me a shot, I never ever feel it!!

Fourthly, I dedicate this book to our Beautiful Baby Girl Chelsea Rose Unis, as she turns 40 years old on May 17, 2024! She is the only Baby Girl we have and we love her so much!

I also want to acknowledge the support of my spiritual mentor, Reverend Michael Harvey, in providing the editing of this book, and making certain that I have engaged the biblical texts in a spiritual and historical manner, and that I have been true to my faith.

And lastly, I want to acknowledge my children who spur me on daily to be the best that I can be- Doni (Tabitha), Khary (Joanne), Chelsea (Jim), and F. Lee II (LJ). All have chosen our Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, and that faith will be passed down to future generations. May God bless you all!

PREFACE

In the Beginning…

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN fascinated by the Old Testament, particularly the Hebrew Bible, because it has given me an opportunity to marvel at God’s leadership style. It had never occurred to me, however, to attempt to quantify or analyze it in such a way as to examine it and compare it to other forms of leadership in biblical history, or even in the world today. But it was the movement of the Holy Spirit which opened my eyes to the realization that wise men have more than likely adopted portions of God leadership style, intentionally or unintentionally, and focused their efforts on justifying their authority and rule of the Law of Moses. Any derivative thereof, i.e., the Constitution of these United States, and subsequent Bill of Rights and Amendments, all reflect some aspect of God’s and Jesus’ leadership styles.

I leaped at this opportunity to do everything possible to combine my twenty-two years of management experience in banking and corporate America (business administration), with seventeen years of pastoral experience (church administration) and see how it compares with the leadership style of God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; a bold comparison indeed. My rare combination of skills has allotted me this opportunity to investigate the leadership style of God, and Jesus, as compared to those leaderships’ styles exhibited in the world today.

It is my hope and prayer that my findings will enlighten and encourage others to search for and recognize God’s hand in the world today and see how His hand may have had an impact on our lives already, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Statement of Theology

A REQUIREMENT OF THE American Baptist Churches of America ordination process for each ministerial candidate is that he/she must articulate a statement of theology which indicates their understanding of Baptist denominational doctrine. I will articulate as much as possible of my theology to enable the reader to know the basis from which I make the determination as to the leadership/management styles of God and Jesus. I believe…

God has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). These three are co-equal and are one God. The Father chooses who will be saved (Ephesians 1:4). The Son redeems them (Ephesians 1:7). The Holy Spirit seals them (Ephesians 1:13). I will speak more about these attributes as I proceed.

God

"In the beginning when God created the

heavens and the earth…" Gen.1:1

There is one God who is God all by Himself. He is infinite in power, wisdom, holiness, and love. I believe God is triune in essential being and revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is God Who issues the promise of heavenly bliss throughout eternity for believers during the Rapture of the First Resurrection.

It’s God’s Nature to act with Love

In love, God is responsible for creating the universe with all its creative details and magnitude (Jeremiah 9:24). As the creator of humanity, He has always revealed Himself to us. I believe God tells us about Himself to welcome us into a relationship that will encourage us to know God personally. Not only can we know about Him, but we can also know Him intimately. God invites us to talk to Him and engage Him in what concerns us (Psalm 145:18). God encourages us to have an interactive relationship with Him whereby we listen to Him, and He speaks to us (1Kings 19:11-13).

It is God’s Nature to be omnipotent

God has the capacity of speaking things into existence (Psalm 147:5) not just galaxies and life forms, but solutions to today’s problems. We are fortunate to be able to take problems to Him that we think are unsolvable (Psalm 121:1-2). We praise God for the healing miracles He performs and acknowledge that His power is just as prevalent and relevant today, and He can help us with whatever encounters we face in life.

It’s God’s Nature to be omniscient

God’s wisdom is unlimited (Psalm 25:3). I believe that God knows all. (1 John 3:20). I also believe God sees all the elements of a situation, including the historical and future events related to it. God is all-wise. His wisdom has no bounds. I believe He advises us during all the times we take matters to Him in prayer (Isaiah 30:21).

It’s God’s Nature to be omnipresent

God is always everywhere (1 Kings 8:27). God is not bound by time or space.

As God is capable of being everywhere at the same time, God is also capable of dwelling within the hearts of humankind (2 Corinthians 6:16).

It’s God’s Nature to be forgiving

God is forgiving and will forgive us our sins from the moment we repent and begin a salvation relationship with Him (Romans 3:22, 25). Because of Adam, humanity is born with a sinful nature. God is just and will meat out judgment as it relates to sin. However, there is forgiveness through Christ Jesus. Through Christ, when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. It is our confession which jumpstarts our reconciliation process with God.

It’s God’s Nature to be honest

God is totally accurate and honest in what He says (Psalm 119:130, 150). I believe every promise God makes to us. I am confident that we can rely fully upon God. We can take God at His word. If we trust Him, we know He will never make a mistake, never undercut nor deceive us. He can be fully trusted to do what is always right. His advice is perfect and pertinent to any situation we find ourselves in.

Jesus Christ

"I am the Vine, you are the branches.

He who abides in me and I in him,

he it is that bears much fruit; for apart from

me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Jesus Christ, as the second Person of the Godhead, is eternally one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 1:1, 14). He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18). Jesus has two whole and perfect natures, the nature of God and human nature. Jesus, God, is fully human and fully divine. Jesus Christ is the Son of our God. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. I believe we are soul-saved and sanctified through his sacrificial act.

Jesus arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death, and he offers forgiveness to those of us who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again some day to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Christ as King

I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. Psalm 2:6.

The Bible speaks of Christ’s spiritual kingship (Luke 1:33). The kingship of Christ (1) relates to a spiritual realm, (2) is established in the hearts and lives of believers, (3) has a spiritual end in view, (4) is for the salvation of sinners, (5) is administered by spiritual means through God’s Word and by God’s Spirit. He is gracious, and His universal kingship became evident after the resurrection when Christ said to His disciples, under the auspices of the Holy Spirit,

"All authority has been given unto me in

heaven and on earth." (Matt. 28:18).

Christ’s kingship is manifested as Mediator of His Church.

Christ as Priest

"The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind,

"You are a priest forever according to the

order of Melchizedek" Psalm 110:4

A portion of the priestly work of our Savior Jesus Christ was to bring a sacrifice for sin. Christ, our high priest, became that sacrifice, and He was motivated to do so by His love for us. We can