To Judge or not to Judge

Matthew 7:1-6 “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

INTRODUCTION

Do you ever get the feeling these days that if you tried to tell someone that they are wrong or caught in sin, you might be accused of judging that person? Very often you will get Matthew 7:1, “Don’t judge me!” thrown at your face. 

According to Christian author and apologist Josh McDowell, Matthew 7:1 is now the most quoted Bible verse, surpassing even John 3:16 or Psalm 23.  Politicians, children, criminals, religious leaders, businessmen, the media, gay and lesbian groups, all quote it. 

Yet it is one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in the Bible. And it has the distinction of being the favourite verse of sinners. When we point out something that is detrimental to a person’s wellbeing, we often hear: 

• “Who are you to judge me?  Didn't Jesus say, "Do not judge"? “ 
• “Mind your own business.  No one has a right to tell me my lifestyle is wrong. In fact you’re the one who’s wrong for judging.”  
• “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”

In his book Tolerance Is No Virtue  S.D. Gaede says, "These days it is a scary thing to stand face-to-face with another person and suggest that his ideas may be wrong.  We don't want to violate one of our culture's deepest values, which is tolerance."

People of all ages and from every walk of life insist that tolerance is the only acceptable moral absolute. Christians who do point out evil are rebuked on the grounds that the Bible says that we shouldn’t judge. We are told to stop judging people and to be more accepting. Christians who stand upon God’s word are often seen as narrow minded, judgmental, anti-“everything” and utterly prejudiced. 

Yet the persons who tell us that we need to stop judging others has just judged us. They are guilty of doing the very thing they tell us not to do.

Making judgments is a part of life. All people do it all the time. And it’s something we must do in order to get through life. As individuals, we make judgments about where we live (island or mainland), what we eat (where is the best char koay teow), what we watch (thrillers, chillers or rom-coms), and so forth.At work we give and receive evaluation.  In business we have judge whether it is worth it to take the job or not. We judge actions, beliefs, attitudes, circumstances, places, etc. 

We also “judge” people only in the sense of an assessment. Should I trust this person or not? Should I friend this person on Facebook? 

There’s nothing wrong with Christians – or anybody – making such judgments in life. Judgment is a reality of the way the world has been designed. We cannot escape from it, and as Christians we have a calling to exercise righteous judgment (John 7:24).

But look around us. How many churches are exercising church discipline these days?  Church leaders and leaders in general are afraid to confront wrong-doing in church.  How many times have we cared enough about someone to confront them?  Nowadays believers are looking for churches that agree with everything they already believe or that make them feel good instead of finding one that regularly challenges them with the word of God?  And how often do we stand around and silently refuse to speak up for what is right?

Someone has said: “A wrong deed is right if the majority of people declare it not to be wrong.” But the reality is that the majority is not always right.

The Bible says through Isaiah the prophet: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).

It is clear that when Jesus says “Judge not” he means “Do not judge.” The question, however, is whether Jesus forbids all judging, or only a certain kind of judging. 

There are hundreds of passages in the Bible that instruct us to speak the truth in love, to use discernment and to use our best judgments to steer our brothers and sisters from evil.  We are to guard them against the attack of the evil one and to refute errors and false teachings.

• James 5:20 (NIV) says, "Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins."  
• In Matthew 7:15-16 (NIV) Jesus tells us "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them."
• In Matthew 18:15 (NIV) Jesus says "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you."  
• In Ezekiel 3:18 (NIV) God says, "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sins, and I will hold you accountable for his blood."

How can we fulfill any of the imperatives of these verses without making some kind of judgment? Thus “judge not” of Matthew 7:1 is not an absolute for all times, places, and circumstances. 

First let us look at…

WHAT IT MEANS TO JUDGE

The Greek word translated judge and judgment  is krino which means to judge, to form or give an opinion after separating and considering the particulars of a situation. 

F.F. Bruce, a New Testament scholar explains that judgment is an ambiguous word, in Greek as in English: it may mean:

a.       exercising a proper discernment (to consider, analyze or evaluate to reach a decision), or 

b.       sitting in judgment on people (or even condemning them). 

To illustrate the difference let us look at John 8:1-11 (NIV)

¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

When one judges, one gives a verdict of guilty or innocent. After the person is judged, he is sentenced. If judged guilty, the person is condemned (sentenced to be punished). If judged innocent, the person is set free. Thus judging and condemning are two distinct actions, related but not identical.

By telling the woman, "Go, and sin no more," Jesus indicates that she did sin. Thus the Pharisees' accusation was correct, and Jesus did not condone her sin. 

While Jesus did judge the woman, He did not condemn her. She could go free; she would not be put to death. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1). In fact, Jesus was condemned for her and He bore her punishment, that she might go free.

Thus Matthew 7 passage is not a blanket prohibition against any judgment, just against the wrong kind of judgment. Verse 6 says: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. How are we to know who are the “dogs” and who are the “swines” if we do not judge?

In fact, every believer has the obligation to test others by their fruits. In Matthew 7:15 we are to watch out for false prophets. And it is by their fruit that we will recognize them (verses 16 & 20).

Jesus wants us to practice discernment. We are to “test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess. 5:21-22). 

It is hypocritical, prideful and condemning judgment that Jesus disapproves of and He illustrates it in the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican. 

Luke 18:9-14 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

A hypocrite is critical of another person in order to make himself look good or justify  their own sinful behavior or beliefs. He points out others’ faults when he has bigger faults of his own and may even resort to slandering someone they dislike. 

HOW NOT TO JUDGE

1. We should not judge based on outward appearance

John 7:24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly. (NIV)

People are often conned by con-men who deceive us by their appearance. Things aren’t always as they appear. In 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Samuel was told to anoint a new king over Israel from the house of Jesse. God rejected all the sons that were present but chose the youngest – David. 

Illustration: When Susan Boyle stepped out on the stage of "Britain’s Got Talent," people laughed at her...like the scoffers in this Psalm. They made fun of her because her outward appearance wasn’t the glitz and glamour they’d come to expect. Members of the audience could be seen rolling their eyes.

But when she began to sing, her voice was like that of the angels. People’s initial attitudes about her were changed. She had an amazing voice that was perfection to their ears. The rolling eyes changed to looks of shock at the incredible talent this woman had to offer.

The resounding applause proved she had what it took to be a star. But after that they gave her a make-over!

 2. We should not judge based on human passions

Things and decisions may feel so right when they can be so wrong or unfair. Every baby is the cutest, smartest, most adorable child in the whole wide world in the eyes of its parents. 

We are swayed by our emotions and for that reason you cannot join a contest if you are employed by the company running the contest or are related to the judges. That’s how nepotism and cronyism arise. 

3. We should not judge based on personal preferences or prejudices

Judgments based on personal preferences and prejudices are often faulty. E.g., gender, colour of the skin, etc. 

Illustration: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about "the power of thinking without thinking." It's a look at how choices made in an instant aren't as simple as they seem. In one of his many examples in the book, Gladwell shows how the classical music world realized that their system for auditioning new musicians for a place in a symphony was corrupt. Though they believed their first impressions of listening to someone play an instrument were unbiased, they were quickly disproved once screens were erected between the judges and the individuals who were auditioning.

In the past 30 years, with the screens in place, the number of women in the top U. S. orchestra has increased fivefold. Instrumentalists who had previously been eliminated from consideration were now accepted. When factors like outward appearance and unconscious prejudice were removed, only pure ability was considered. Gladwell shares the story of one female instrumentalist:

When Julie Landsman auditioned for the role of principal French horn at the Met, the screens had just gone up in the practice hall. At the time, there were no women in the brass section of the orchestra, because everyone "knew" that women could not play the horn as well as men. But Landsman came and sat down and played—and she played well. 

"I knew in my last round that I had won before they told me," she says. "It was because of the way I performed the last piece. I held on to the last high C for a very long time, just to leave no doubt in their minds. And they started to laugh, because it was above and beyond the call of duty." But when they declared her the winner and she stepped out from behind the screen, there was a gasp. It wasn't just that she was a woman…. And it wasn't just the bold high C, which was the kind of macho sound that they expected from a man only. It was because they knew her. Landsman had played for the Met as a substitute. Until they listened to her with just their ears, however, they had no idea she was so good.

4. We should not judge hastily

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

Hasty judgments are often careless judgments. We jump to conclusions and they are mostly wrong. Sometimes they can be very embarassing as well.

Illustration: There was a lady in an airport who bought a book to read and a package of cookies to eat while she waited for her plane.  Well, after she had taken her seat in the terminal and began to read this book, she noticed that the man sitting one seat away from her was fumbling to open up the package of cookies on the seat between them.  

Well, she could hardly believe her eyes that a stranger would just open her bag of cookies and eat them.  He took one and ate it.  She was so hot and steamed.  She reached into the bag and took one and ate it.  Well, the man didn’t say anything. He just reached over and took another cookie.  

This woman thought to herself that she wasn’t going to let him eat all of her cookies, so she took another cookie.  When they finally got down to one cookie, the man reached into the bottom of the bag, broke the cookie in half, ate it, shared one half with the woman, got up and left.  This lady couldn’t believe this man’s nerve.  She was thinking to herself how fresh and arrogant he was.  Soon the announcement came to board the plane.

This lady got on the plane, still hot and bothered at the audacity of this man, sat down, buckled her seat belt, reached into her purse for a tissue, and there was her bag of cookies.

5. We should not judge based on insufficient or unsubstantiated facts

Illustration: There was once a widowed trapper who lived deep in the Alaskan wilderness with his 2 year old son. On one occasion their food supplies had run out and the trapper was forced to go and catch some more food. The weather outside was so fierce he reluctantly decided to leave his son behind, entrusted to the care of his faithful dog. While outdoors the weather had got even more violent and the trapper was forced to take refuge overnight in a stand of trees.

When the trapper returned the next morning, he got to the cabin to find the door open and the furniture overturned. A fierce struggle had taken place. There was no sign of his son and his dog lay in the corner looking at him guiltily, with blood all over his mouth. The trapper was deeply distressed, and quickly figured out what had happened. The dog, without food, had turned on his son and killed him. Gathering his axe from his side in a fury the trapper killed his dog.

He then set about searching furiously for some sign of his son. There was still a faint chance his son was alive. As the trapper frantically searched he heard a familiar cry, coming from under the bed. He tipped the bed up to discover his son. He was unharmed, without a scratch or drop of blood upon him. The trapper, flooded with relief, gathered his son in his arms. When he turned around he saw a dead wolf, lying in the corner of the cabin. Then the trapper realised why his faithful dog had been covered in blood. It was the one who had saved his son.

How often we can be like that trapper, quickly assuming to know the truth about a person or situation when in reality our judgments are terribly off mark.

Source: unknown

We often judge for motives, but we are not very good at accurately discerning the motives of others—or even of ourselves. 

We are to judge conduct (fruit), not motives. We can judge what people say but not why they say it. We can judge what people do but not why they do it. 

Only God truly knows the heart and understands the thoughts of a person (Rom. 2:16, 1 Cor. 4:5).Therefore, when we judge another person’s heart, we are sitting in the seat of God and taking a prerogative that alone belongs to Him. 

6. We should not judge hypocritically

In Matthew 7, Jesus follows up his warning against judgment with an explanation of what He actually means— For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you (verse 2). If we cannot hold to the standard we use, we have no business applying that standard to others. 

How would you respond to Jesus’ statement?

Response #1. Since no one can possibly live up to a high standard, no one should ever judge anyone else, since we’re all sinners. 

Response #2  We should deal with our behaviour first before exercising judgment and helping others to do the same.

Option 1 is popular in our culture that exalts “tolerance” as one of the highest virtues but Jesus is advocating Option 2 in this passage where He continues by saying:

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

First of all, judgment should be withheld by people who haven't dealt with their own faults. Oh, how we conveniently forget our own sins! A father rebuked his daughter for the clothes she was wearing. Meanwhile he was addicted to pornography. 

The focus should not be on the "speck" in another's eye, but first the "beam" in one's own eye. An object that is nearer to the eye appears larger than one that is further away. Thus we should be more concerned about the fault in our life than that is someone else’s life.  So deal with your flaws first before you start pointing out the faults in others. A classic example is King David. 

Secondly, Jesus pointed out that it is only after correcting one’s own behavior that one can see clearly enough to make adequate judgments and help anyone else correct his/her own behavior. The scribes and Pharisees were blindly self-righteous while condemning everyone else.

There is a human tendency to see ourselves in others. If we are arrogant, we tend to see arrogance in other people. If we are cruel, we tend to suspect cruelty in others. We ascribe to them bad intentions and evil purposes that may not be true. By doing so we also reveal something about ourselves, for the faults we see in others are actually are reflection of our own. As long as we hold to our own faults, we will see them in everyone else.  

SO HOW SHOULD WE JUDGE? 

John 7:24, NKJV Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

The positive part of this verse makes it clear that we may judge, but when we do so we must judge righteously.

1. We should judge according to the Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The Word of God divides between truth and error, right and wrong, fact and fiction. If we are to judge righteously we need to judge by the righteous standard of God's Word. It is there we find "instruction in righteousness." As a standard of righteousness, it is also the medium for "reproof" and "correction." 

The Bible shows us what’s right, what’s not right, how to get right and how to stay right. We need to be like the noble Bereans who "...searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11).

Christians are to judge or "call into question" those things that clearly contradict God's principles. In 1 Corinthians 2:15, the apostle Paul said that those who are spiritual should judge and discern all things.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but the conscience of the state." Serving as the conscience of the people has been one of the primary functions of the church since its conception. Scripturally, we are commanded to differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and error, light and darkness. We are to judge according to the truth.

Regarding moral issues that destroy lives and dishonor God, we are to judge ("call into question") behaviors, choices, and lifestyles that lead people to destruction, especially if these issues are to become social policy and legally sanctioned.

When Christians persist in sin, they are to be judged by their fellow Christians (1 Cor. 5:9-13).

When Christians come in conflict, some wise man should be found to judge between his brethren (1 Cor. 6:1-5).

We should not reserve judgment when faced with clear manifestations of evil. Jesus reprimanded the church at Thyatira (Rev. 2:20). We must not compromise on doctrine. 

2. We should judge ourselves before we judge others

We are often blind to our own faults. We are to tend to our own behavior and attitudes before attempting to help anyone else. If we attempt to judge before others, our judgment will be flawed by our own “splinters.”  This was the problem of the Pharisees. 

How often do we listen to a message and say that it is meant for someone? Believe me, if the Lord wants that person to hear the message he will be here! 

One author notes --

"Christ gives us the right to help others after we have straightened out our own lives. He did not say that it was wrong for you to help your brothers or sisters get rid of their sins; but He did say that first you should take care of your own sin. In other words, we should be as severe with ourselves as we are with others."

Again we look to God’s word “that is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12)

We are to examine ourselves before Holy Communion. Daily confession and repentance is good for the soul. 

3. We should judge redemptively 

Forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration assumes a previous negative judgment that is superseded by the extension of mercy towards another. 

It is easy for us to go overboard with our judgments and become unduly harsh.  It is all too easy for us to focus on the negative and destructive instead of on the positive and redeemable characteristics of others.  

John 3:17 (NIV) says, "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

This is a good measure of how godly we are. When we have to judge do we condemn or do so with love and with mercy.  Do we judge to gloat or gossip or to reconcile, restore and renew. Our goal is a judgment that leads to repentance. 

   

The Bible says, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently"(Gal. 6:1)

If we say we love our brother or sister can we see him or her going down the path of destruction aund still keep quiet?

CONCLUSION

1. All of us make judgments. It is part of life. We cannot not make judgment.

2. We should not judge superficially, out of pride, a feeling of superiority or in a condemning manner.

3. We ought to deal with our own sins before looking at anyone else’s. Let us first check ourselves against the mirror of God's word and concentrate on our own repentance of sin. Without this, we have no place in helping another brother or sister. Neither are we in a place to tell others how sinful they are acting.

3. We should judge righteously. Our foundation is the truth of God’s Word and not our own philosophies, preferences and traditions. Having the right foundation will help us to know the difference between truth and lies as well as right and wrong. Our authority is, “Not I say, but the Lord.”

4. There is a value judgment underlying every decision we make, even when we do nothing. Silence means consent. Therefore, to take no position is to pronounce an affirmative judgment. For example, tolerance of adultery is implicit acceptance of it. 

5. No one should ever let himself/herself be shouted down by cries of “don’t judge,” or accusations of being “self-righteous.” Such quotes are often used out of context and as a pretext for defending ungodly behavior. It is God who judges based on His word.

6. We ought to judge righteously even if it brings upon us the ridicule and contempt not only of the world, but also of many who call themselves Christians. To make righteous judgment will not make things easy for us in this life. 

7.  Our judgment should be redemptive in purpose. Loving one another includes “admonishing one another” (Rom. 15:14). We are to speak the truth in love, not in condemnation. We are to go with all humility, grace and mercy, not arrogance or self-righteous pride. 

“Judge not” isn’t a call to overlook sin; but to address it for the right reasons, from the right foundation and with the right attitude – a concern for the other person’s welfare, not my own satisfaction. 

Proverbs 27:5, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

May we be bold to confront when necessary. May we always be willing to come along side and bear their burden with them.  

Global Leadership Summit 2015

Day One

Bill Hybels is senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, a church of more than 25,000 that celebrates its 40th year in 2015. He founded The Global Leadership Summit with a commitment to develop and mentor leaders worldwide. In 2014, the Summit equipped more than 220,000 leaders in 785 cities and 108 countries. Hybels is the best-selling author of more than 20 books including Simplify, Courageous Leadership and Leadership Axioms.


The Intangibles of Leadership 

Bill Hybels @BillHybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Church

1. Grit
2. Self-awareness
3. Resourcefulness
4. Self-sacrificing Love
5. Sense of Meaning

I used to teach there were 8 critical functions of Leadership:

• Casting Vision
• Building Teams
• Motivating & Inspiring
• Solving Problems
• Change management
• Establishing Core Values
• Allocating Resources
• Developing Emerging Leaders

With humility, everyone can learn leadership. I want to share 5 essential intangible qualities for leadership.  

INTANGIBLE #1: GRIT

Grit is passion and perseverance over the long haul. Long term and steely determination. To keep on expanding energy until you cross the finish line. They can overcome whatever obstacles that come on their way. They are not deterred or give up. It matters in life and it matters in leadership regardless of IQ. Abraham Lincoln had it. Nelson Mandela and Gandhi had it. The question is do you have it? 

Can grit be developed? The good news is yes. The bad news is that the arch enemy of grit is ease. Grit development demands difficulty. Grit grows every time you proof to yourself you can overcome obstacles. 

You must assign yourself very difficult task and to will yourself to task achievement. Overcoming physical challenges help you grow grit. When you are given difficult task by your leader, don't just deliver but over-deliver. When leaders over-deliver, it creates an appetite for their team to do likewise. We must develop and demonstrate grit. 

INTANGIBLE #2: SELF-AWARENESS

Are we tethered to a past that impact what we do now? Shocking percentage of leaders make shocking decisions that is related to a mess in their past. Blindspot is when a leader think the leader is great at something when the team know it's not true. A blindspot is someone who believes he or she is great when their team think otherwise. 

We all have weaknesses but the danger with blindspots is that you really have no idea you have it. When I am stressed I always think I am cool under stress and I can handle myself well. That nobody had to know about it. But everyone around me is stressed when I am stressed. Do you have any blindspots? Research says we have three blindspots at least. Your direct supervisors and colleagues probably see more of your blindspots. But if you really want to know your blindspots, ask you spouse or your in-laws, or worst your teenage sons or daughters. They'll give you the painful truth. Blindspots leads to weaknesses. Have vulnerable conversations. Like you tell me the brutal truth of what you do well and what you don't do well. Everybody will win when you learn self awareness. 

INTANGIBLE #3: RESOURCEFULNESS

They are quick learners. They are collaborators, inventors and experimenters. They have high learning abilities. They roll up their sleeves and start figuring out what they need to do. The Wright Brothers invented planes. They studied birds for years. They studied the winds. They move to where the wind blew steady and strong. They experimented and failed and experimented and failed again until they figured it out. Resourceful people figure it out. The success of the Wright Brothers depended on their resourcefulness. 

Resourcefulness can be developed but the bad news is to figure it out moving forward and staying at it until you do. Experiment and fail. Experiment and fail. 

INTANGIBLE #4: SELF-SACRIFICING LOVE

David of David and Goliath became famous after he defeated Goliath. 

1 Samuel 22:2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

David had only these available personnel. He remained and coached the troops and he empowers them. He organised the troops under them. The people over time realised that they are not just equipments but that he has a heart for them. They gave loyalty for David and for one another. David's leadership was called to question when they were surrounded by his enemies. And they were left with no water. He spoke to these 3 leaders and he went to sleep. These 3 sneaked into enemy camp and took water for David. But David poured the water into the ground and refused to drink it. If leaders follow David, many organisations would have inspired their team to be loyal. 

Self-Sacrificing Love is at the core of Leadership. It had always been and will always be at the absolute core of Leadership. Love never fails. Love changes people. Love melts people and moulds people into tight families. It makes for super transformations of people over time. 

Don't hesitate to express genuine concerns for your teammates. Get personal with your co-workers. It will humanise you workplace. And it starts with senior leaders in your organisation. Please get this right. 

INTANGIBLE #5: CREATE A SENSE OF MEANING

In every organisation, we have the What, the How and finally the Why. Almost every employee understand the What and the How. The huge disconnect is the Why. They need to know the why. Why they work so hard and so late. Why you do what you do. 

Your why will fuel you higher and higher in your leadership and organisation or you have to decide to move on to something else that give you the whys. 

Steve Jobs. “Do you want to sell sugar water or do you want to help me to change the world?”

Howard Schultz. “We don’t sell coffee. We create a third place.”

Rich Stearns, President of World Vision. “What if you shifted your why from plates for rich people to food for poor people.”

Bill’s White-Hot Why: Sharing the gospel message. The message of grace simply transformed his life. He realized that his “white-hot “why is never going to be money. Transformed lives are in his top box.

Find out what is in your top box and pursue it with all your heart. Life is too short to live with someone else’s why. What drives you to get better and better. 

I'm going to share about my top box and my why. Be warned, it's going to be a little religious but we are all here to be open minded about it.  

The message of what Christ does for our wrong doings transformed my life. My top box is not going to be money or fame or power. It's to see God transforms life. That's my why. 

Leadership matters in life and most certainly in death. You need to find what's your why and fulfil it.

Driven by a relentless curiosity into what makes great companies tick, Jim Collins has authored or co-authored six books on leadership that have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. He began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and in 1995 he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Passionate about the business and social sectors, in 2012 and 2013, he served as the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point.


Seven Questions: Beyond Good to Great

Jim Collins, Nationally Acclaimed Business Thinker, Best-selling Author of Good to Great 

1. Serve a Cause with Level Five Ambition

2. Become a Great Leader

3. Refrain Failure

4. Succeed by Helping Others

5. Find Your Personal Hedgehog

6. Build Your Unit into a Pocket of Greatness

7. How will you Change the lives of Others. 

1. What cause do you serve?

Every single kid deserves a shot at a solid education. That's why we strive to give our kids good education. When you have a charismatic cause, you do not need to be a charismatic leader. We need level five ambition. It is the idea of service. A service to a cause. We are talking about ambition. Non stop ambition. Ego driven leaders do not inspire others. Ambition has to be bigger than ourselves. 

The sense of cause have to be clear. Ambition for cause and not you. I want to challenge young leaders of every walk of life to infuse your enterprise beyond just making money. Money is essential for life but they are not the point of life. 

2. Would you settle to be a good leader or strive to be a great leader?

We move from a society that is well managed to a society of network that is well led, not managed. True leadership only exists if they follow when they have the freedom to not follow. Not followed because of position or power. 

Colin Powell said, “I don’t remember ever telling anyone, ‘That’s an order.’”

Eisenhower said, "Leadership is the art of getting people to want to do what must be done." It's not a science. It's an art. You have to develop your own art. You learn from but not copy. Eisenhower grew into great leader. He did not start as a great leader. You do what it needs to scale to be a great leader. 

3. How can you reframe failure as work 

BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal. Is BHAG possible? It is something that when you think it is not possible that it becomes a BHAG. 

In 2007, Jim was with Tommy Caldwell, world-class rock climber. Tommy asked, “Does a BHAG have to be achievable?” He wanted to do free climb the Dawn Wall at El Capitan in Yosemite—the hardest free-climb in history. It’s never been done.

Fast forward to 2012. Jim brought him to West Point. At that time, he had accumulated an impressive record of failure on the Dawn Wall. Jim asked him, “Why do you keep going back?” Tommy tried for four years to climb the flat vertical and overhanging Dawn Wall. It is the toughest in the world and no one has attempted it. I asked him why he kept trying for four years and failed? He said, “I’m not failing, I’m growing. That’s the point of the climb.” After 2,800 and one day, Tommy was about to conquer the Dawn Wall but his partner was stuck lower down. He went back and helped the partner instead of taking the summit on his own. They summited together as a team. He made his failures work. 

4. How can you succeed by Helping Others  Succeed?

IOCT - Indoor Obstacle Course Track. The time to make the course is 3 min 30 seconds for a cadet to graduate. I decided to try it. I do not recommend a 55 year old to try that. I noticed there was some cadets helping other cadets. Classmates were there to make sure their friends got through the IOCT. We succeed only when we help others succeed. And to create this incredible idea that you are never alone. This engaged culture that we can build into an organisation that is based on it. 

Service - Success - Growth

Service  - what cause or purpose are we passionately dedicated to and are willing to suffer and sacrifice for?

Growth - what huge and audacious challenge should we give people that will push them hard and make them grow? 

Communal Success - what can we do to reinforce the idea that we only succeed by helping each other?

The idea of communal success built into the culture. Not to have a great life but a meaningful life. And you cannot have meaningful life with no meaningful work. 

5. Do you have your personal Hedgehog?

Imagine living in the intersection of three circles. 

Passionate About  - Best At - Economic Engine

You have all three and you have found your Hedgehog. And you will have the ability to persist. True creative stay in the game. What if Steve Jobs had quit. What if Winston Churchill had quit? How many of you have somewhere in your life is flat on your back? You have to get back up and stay in the game. But you have to be in your Hedgehog. You are made to do it. You are called to do it. It's in your DNA to do it. Real creative impact starts if you choose after 50.

6. Will you build your unit into a Pocket of Greatness?

Focus on your unit, not on your career. Be a caring leader and not focused on promotions. Taking care of people instead of career. And they would not let you fail. Life is people. The greatest leaders I know make a distinctive difference on people.  

A few decades ago, a girl sat dejected after a cross-country meet. Her coach gave her a note, “Your time will come.” That girl became my wife. She still carries around that hand-written note. She went on to become world champion.

But it did not make her happy.

Ten years later, she was asked to become a high school coach for boys and girls running cross-country. She built a dynasty—with no star. They were running for each other. She said, “I have found something that makes me happy. Showing them what is possible. Changing their lives.”

The greatest leaders find a way to make a contribution for people.

7. How will you Change the lives of Others?

It might be a lot or just a few. But you need to ask yourself: “How will some people’s lives be better and different because I am here on this earth.” Life is people.

Sheila Heen has spent two decades at the Harvard Negotiation Project specializing in our most difficult conversations—where disagreements are strong, emotions run high and relationships become strained. Her firm, Triad Consulting Group, works with executive teams to strengthen their working relationships, work through tough conversations and make sound decisions together. She has written two New York Times bestsellers, including her most recent, Thanks for the Feedback, which helps leaders improve their ability to receive feedback.

Thanks for the Feedback 

Sheila Heen, Founder Triad Counseling Group; Faculty Harvard Law School

The truth of the matter is that we swim in an ocean of feedback. It's information about you. It can be spoken or unspoken. Formal or informal. 

Feedback is my relationship with the world and the world's relationship with me. People all over the world struggle with feedback conversations. Whether they are organisations, schools or churches. 

We teach leaders how to give feedback skilfully and clearly. How many of you have attended sessions that teach you how to give feedback. It's about the giver and receiver. Maybe we got it wrong. It should be about getting feedback not giving feedback. 

I have to learn even from feedback even if it's not fair. 

Two Human Needs

• The need to learn and grow

• The need to be accepted or respected or loved the way we are now

Some of the things we learnt most from is from painful experiences. 

There are 3 types of feedback. 

• Appreciation - motivates receivers by communicating, I see you or you matter

• Coaching - includes giving advice, suggestions or corrections

• Evaluation - Rates people against a set of criteria 

Coaching gets less and less as you grow in an organisation. 93% of American workers don't feel appreciated. And many leave because of it. Evaluation drowns out coaching. Even when we hear coaching we often don't heed it. Like performance reviews. 

Why do we reject feedback?

It was wrong

I didn't respect them

They were phoney 

No aligned with my values

I was too stubborn

I was in love 

Getting better does not obligate you to take feedback. Those are great reasons. The problem is we decide too fast, often called wrong spotting. You will almost always find there is something wrong with feedbacks. 

There are Three Triggered Reactions. 

• Truth Triggers - access the content of the feedback, evaluating whether the content is true or not
• Relationship Triggers - take into consideration the person giving the feedback 
• Identity Triggers - challenge a person's inner security and confidence 

See yourself clearly. Everyone has blind spots!

Blind spots. Others have info about you that is invisible to you.

What shows up in your blind spots

• Your facial expressions
• Your body language
• Your tone of voice
• Your patterns of behavior
• Your impact on others

Not to decide what is right or wrong  - first understand what they mean before you decide. And also to understand yourself accurately but that is really hard. Feedback is like holding up a mirror. 

There are two kinds of mirror. One is a supportive mirror. You look for reassurance. We need supportive mirrors. Take the next step to ask them to help you. Invite them to be an honest mirror. To tell you how you are when you are not at your best. Your friend can help you when you are ready. Only when you are ready. 

The only face I can't see is my own. 

The fastest way to change feedback for the better is 

• For the leaders to receive feedback better. 
• You become a role model and you show them how to do it. 
• You automatically become a better feedback giver. 

Ask someone who's close to you two questions. 

1. What's one thing you particularly like about me. 
2. What's one thing you see me doing or failing to do that you think I should do to change.

We need each other to see our potential and where to grow next. Jesus is the perfect example. He accepts our brokenness, fear and limited understanding.

Jesus said he was leaving his disciples with the Holy Spirit and with each other.

• It is in relationship with each other that we learn to love more generously.
• Forgive more fully.
• Help to see the logs in our own eyes.
• We need each other to see our own limitations and where to grow that as Christians.
• They were go give each other counsel, love, admonishment—in love.
• That accelerates personal growth, professional growth and spiritual growth.

Learning to receive feedback from each other is what leadership and the Christian walk is all about.

Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv are known for using innovative technology to spread the Gospel to multiple locations around the U.S. and globally via Church Online. With a passion for serving the Church and partnering to reach people for Christ, LifeChurch.tv shares its resources with churches worldwide, including the free Bible app from YouVersion.

Expanding Your Leadership Capacity 
Craig Groeschel and LifeChurch.tv

1. Accomplish Immeasurably More: The 5C's of Expanding Your Leadership Capacity 
2. Build Your Confidence
3. Improve Your Connections
4. Improve Your Competence
5. Strengthen Your Character 
6. Increase Your Commitment 

Ephesians 3:20-21
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

There is way more inside of you than you can imagine that our God want to do exceedingly abundantly more than what you can do. 
Expanding your leadership capacity. Increase what you can do and who you influence. 

When you have one child or two or more your mindset have to change. I have 6 and people say I love kids. No. I just love my wife. With 6 children my mindset have to change. If your organisation or church expand your mindset have to change. 

I will give you 5 different Cs to expanding your capacity. I'll challenge you to choose one that's yours. I try very hard to get the 5Cs. Pastors like to do that for their sermons. 

1. Building your Confidence
2. Expand your Connection
3. Improve your Competence
4. Strengthen your Character
5. Increase your Commitment 

1. Building your Confidence

Some just say they can't handle more. Say to yourself. David at one point encourage himself in the Lord. One of my greatest fear was public speaking. I used to vomit just thinking of it. Thanks to God I don't have that anymore. I just vomit and swallow it back and throw them out at you. I have a mentor to help me. I just take one step forward. One step out of my insecurity and a step forward for God. Into the calling of God. The pathway to your greatest potential is to step through your fear. If God calls you he will give you what you need to fulfil that call. You are not what others say you are. You are what God says you are.    

2. Expand your Connection 

Your relationship. If you show me who you are listening to, I'll show you who you are becoming. You may be one relationship away from changing the course of your destiny. We see it all the time. If you look at the Bible, Saul became Paul. They don't trust Saul, who's out to kill them until Saul encountered Jesus and Paul happened. It changed his destiny and ministry. You may be one relationship away from changing your course. Don't try to copy how others do, learn how they think. You need a mentor to change the way you think. 

3. Improve your Confidence

You need to decide exactly one area that you need to improve. You may not know what it is but everybody else knows what it is. Decide exactly where you can improve. Some may need to improve your communication. Your tone, your style. It may be listening. Or delegating. We think delegating is telling people what to do. We make leaders, so delegating is empowering. Or we give feedback. Or hiring and recruiting. Or at firing. Especially within the church wall. The bravery to make the right decisions and free the person to do what God intended. Or the ability to cast meetings. To start on time, or make an agenda. Some of these you need to improve your confidence. I'm working on initiating rather than responding. 

4. Strengthen your Character 

Talent can get you to the top but only character can keep you there. If your character is not strengthened, your position is weakened. You and I need to check our lives for leaks. Is our marriage shaky even if our business is thriving? Are we telling white lies. Are we living with unconfessed sins in our lives. For some of you this is yours. Any area I am vulnerable in I will flee from temptation. Why would I ever want to resist something in the future when I can eliminate today. You are only as strong as you are honest. 

5. Increase your Commitment 

There is a big difference between I want this and nothing can stop me from this. There are some of you trying to do something and you have to just do something. For some is to get out of debt. Or for others is to have a marriage that honour God for generations to come. To impart spiritual lives not for tomorrow but for today. From the heart, go into all the world and preach the gospel. Not just go for evangelism and seminars. 

There is more than in you. He wants to do exceedingly abundantly. Your thoughts determine what you will do. I want you to look at these 5Cs and pick one that is you. And respond to God. 

Now to him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 

Day Two

As CEO of Capella Hotel Group, Horst Schulze inspires client loyalty by raising the bar for customer service. Under his leadership, The Ritz-Carlton Group was awarded the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in both 1992 and 1999—the first and only hotel company to win even one such award. A leader and entrepreneur, he inspires leaders with practical ways to create high-quality customer service experiences.



Creating World Class Service 
Horst Schulze, Chairman and CEO, Capella Hotel Group; Founding President and Former COO, The Ritz-Carlton Group

1. Starting with a Service Mindset
2. Keeping Customers is Most Important 
3. Starting Well and Ending Well with Customer Service
4. Leading Your Teams to Service Excellence 
5. Caring, Empowering and Respecting - the Moral Thing to Do

Horst’s service model is “Ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Or stated another way: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Everybody talks about service. Any business you can think of is in service. I heard about B2B, business to business, but if you really look at it, we are also dealing with people. You have to accept that you create everything good or bad when dealing with people. Look at service and think about it. What is that person that you deal with? It's actually your neighbour. 

What does service means?
To keep the customer. 

There are three types of customers. One is a terrorist to your company. They will always find ways to find fault. Or a satisfied customers. When you deliver with zero defects. And loyal customers. What does it means customer loyalty? It means they trust you. You have developed trust. That's how they become loyal. How do you develop trust? By giving them what they want. 

It's an institution. You the consumer. All wants the same thing. You want the product to be defect free. You want timeliness. It's expectations fulfilled. And that people who give to you is nice to you. The number one driver is being nice to the customer. It's true in every industry. If you have a defect they will forgive you if you are nice to them. Service starts the instance you meet them. The first ten seconds is essential. Whether it's in person or through a phone. 

Let's look at banking. The bank is a business about money. But it's about your money. Not the bank's money. The bank has no money but yours. I was supposed to do a customer service seminar with a very established bank. So I thought I'd go and see it the day before. 

I walked into this bank and it's so impressive. You walk into a huge Hall of marble floors. And huge columns greet you. They are so huge you think their money is inside them somewhere. 

And then I have to start by queuing up. I was glad I am at number two. And then my turn came and this lady shouted "NEXT!". She looked at me and one look I knew she don't like me. And she asked "Yes?". I said I'd like to have change for a 50 dollar note. She took my 50 dollars and took out a stack and counted 5, 10, 15,….45, 50 and slam it on the counter top. Then she shouted "NEXT!". 

I walk away dissatisfied. I got my loose change but as I walked out I only remember how I was treated. I forget the marble floors or those huge columns. 

Can you imagine if she had instead called to me when my turn came and said "Yes gentlemen, how may I help you sir". And when I said I need change for 50 dollars, she said "it'll be my pleasure Mr Schulze. 5, 10, 15…45 and 50. Her you go sir, and have a nice day. They'll have my name in their computer system. Nowadays, they have everything, even on an app. I would go away feeling very different. 

Service starts with a great greeting. And being compliant to their needs. And caring for their needs. That's what creates customer loyalty. An individual attention. Call them by name. And you move them very fast from satisfaction to loyalty. 

What is service? 
Welcome. Comply. Farewell.

Service is your product. You may have processes but caring is the key. Satisfied customers becomes a loyal customer. That's the product you are suppose to produce in service. You don't go to work. You go to work to produce excellence. Excellence should be part of our creation. Excellence should be demanded. As leaders our role is to create excellence and caring. We don't hire people. We select people. That's the first process we do. 

Selection is a process. Then we orient the people. I personally orient all my employees. I tell them I'm the CEO and President  and I'm very important. And I tell them so are you. As a human being you are very important. A dishwasher is important. If they don't turn up for work it's a disaster. If the housekeeper don't turn up for work it's a disaster. If the bell boy don't turn up for work it's a disaster. If I'm not at work nobody knows. 

Lead them in your orientation. I tell them who we are. I select them to be a part of the organisation. To fulfil a function. I hire people to join me in my dreams and vision. To be part of a purpose and how they will benefit from that purpose. I tell them expectations and I don't compromise on those expectations. That the guests will come back and recommend us. What is my job? To help them achieve our vision. The key product that we produce is to respect people. 

It's selection, orientation, teaching and sustaining. That's how we have to work as leaders. Who is our concern? All our neighbours. Your employees and your customers are neighbours. 


Be part of a purpose and see how they can benefit by going along with it. Come to work to create excellence. You are partially defined by the work you do. It's in your hands to create excellence in the company. It's the moral thing to do and not just the right thing to do. The differentiation is service service service. Caring service. 

Brian Houston is senior pastor of Australia-based Hillsong Church, a global family of congregations comprising more than 100,000 weekly attendees. Regarded for his boldness, innovation and vision, he is passionate about the local church and empowering the next generation of leaders with fresh Biblical teaching, relevant worship and accessible community. He is also the President of Hillsong Bible College and the Executive Producer of more than 30 gold and platinum albums that have come from the Hillsong Worship team.


Resilience: One-on-One with Brian Houston 
Brian Houston, @BrianCHouston, Founder and Global Senior Pastor Hillsong Church

1. Leading as God Calls
2. Leading When Working Through Personal Tragedy
3. Leading Through Staff Transitions
4. Planting Churches in Extremely Tough Areas
5. Belief That God Can Do Great Things

Interview by Bill Hybels 

Bill: Everyone thinks you are Australian but you are a Kiwi. And your parents were Salvation Army. What was it like growing up in a Salvation Army home?

I was born in a hospital for unmarried women – run by Salvation Army. (My parents were married.) But I was three when we left Salvation Army. My father had a breakdown and was hospitalized, so we needed to leave that ministry. Grew up seeing his father as a pastor. 

Bill: Brian has a brand new book out. Live Love Lead. This is the story of your life and your vision to build an incredible church. When did you first hear that call?

Recently just wrote a book, Live Love Lead. It's not out yet and here is the hardcover edition. I've not even seen or touch that copy yet. Can I touch it? As long as I can remember, I would watch my father and I knew I wanted to do that. My calling was set. 

Bill: When you started out you had a fear of public speaking. And you were tempted to bail. 

But it took him far too long to have the courage to handle public speaking. I was the son of a prominent pastor and put too much pressure on myself. I had to gain confidence – by understanding grace and becoming comfortable in my own skin.

Bill: Where did Hillsong Church start?

He was 29 when he started. At a school gymnasium and there was a rope behind him. And he would swing from a rope to a congregation of just 3 rows. A young man was so impressed he ask his friends to come to this church and he brought 9 and they connected with Jesus and the following week he brought 30 and they connected with Jesus and it has not stopped for the last 32 years. 

Bill: Most people have heard of the reputation of Hillsong – huge church. Music that touches so many people. But it was really hard. You had an incredible disappointment with your dad in a public way. And you made it through it. Tell us about that.

It was the worst day of my life in 1999. It was a normal meeting with our church administrator – and I was told that we had a complaint that my father had abused a young person. As a Pastor's son, it was the worst day of my life. I had to deal with it on so many different levels. My father was my hero. It hit me as a pastor, as a son. He was grandfather to my kids. By the time it came out the victim was 37 years old. I did everything to not cover up and the victim pleaded with us not to go to the police and until today, I wished I had gone to the police. 

Bill: You needed to do the leadership function but still own your soul. How do you do that?

It was God’s amazing grace on our story. Our church has continued to move forward. Internally, it was a different story all together. The grief and trauma wore me down. I’m generally a happy-go-lucky person. But I ended up in a place I never thought I would be. I had to lead the church through it. 

Bill: You were speaking at a church and having a panic attack.

The grief though started wearing me down. And one day I was deep in it. Over the years I slowly winded down and made some poor choices. I took some sleeping tablets as I fly and slowly I find myself taking sleeping tablets every night. I was in the danger zone. And I knew I was in trouble. One night I collapsed as I go to the podium. I was talking like a baby and I made a simple appeal and I went home. It was like I can't breath and my wife knew it was a panic attack. 

At the end I knew I had to confront it. And until now I never had another attack. I was shocked myself how I got to that point because it was just not me. I had to put more discipline into that part of my life and got off those pills. I got out of it pretty fast. 

Bill: Now a for something  a little more pleasant. In the 1990s, there was a gifted woman in your church – Darlene Zsechech. And there was a music explosion at your church. How did that get started?

I’m a huge believer in the power of the church. It was intentional to have the kind of church that wrote songs. God’s grace has been on our church. I think music expresses the soul of the church – so a healthy church should produce powerful music. Darlene grew up like a child star in Australia. When it came to music and worship, Darlene wrote some songs that had a huge impact. We now have more and more albums and I am grateful for the grace of God that music is the arrow head of a healthy church. 

Bill: So your son Joel started to sing. And he started a little band that wound up being one of the most impactful worship bands in history.

Funny story actually. Joel took piano lessons. He loathed going and one time the instructor said to him, “Just write a song.” His creativity switched on. Hillsong United was the youth band at our church. I didn’t see it coming. He wrote this song Everyday and we started singing it in church. I asked, “Who wrote song?” They said, “Joel.” I asked “Joel who?”

Bill: It had to be tricky when Joel was rising and Darlene was still on staff. How did that transition go?

It actually went well. It happened over a 10-year period. Darlene and her husband felt the call to pastor their own church. Our church is resilient. It keeps going forward. Over and over, it wasn’t about any one person. When Jesus builds the church, the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. I believe that. He really does build His church.

Bill: As a pastor, I have learned that the people you start with in your church are not necessarily who will stay with you until the end.

I absolutely agree. Sometimes the people you expect to stay, leave. Others stay. But I’ve had the fortune to have good leadership who stayed with me through the years. I guess there is a season for everything and the people who start the church may not be the ones that stays with it. 

Bill: Some years ago, you started planting churches in major cities of the world that many had written off as a graveyard. Extremely tough areas. Kiev. Copenhagen. What were you thinking? 

I've always been inspired by big cities and cities of influence so I have always wanted to put churches where it can have influence. The culture of our church seems to work there. We don't build a London church but a Hillsong church in London and stay true to ourselves. With the right person, right place, right time, God blesses it. We will be starting Hillsong #14 and #15 in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.

Bill: Another surprise was when a film producer approached you about doing a movie.

Someone from Hollywood came to our conferences in Australia and he loved the atmosphere of Hillsong. He went to watch Hillsong United at the Hollywood Bowl and was really impacted by Mighty to Save. Mighty to Save impacted the Christian and he said he wanted people to be impacted by the way he was impacted by that song. So Hollywood will release that movie and it's fully paid for by Hollywood about Hillsong even though it's not by Hillsong. 

Bill: Brian, wrapping this up. Every time I am around you, my faith is expanded. You have an anointing on your life that helps other people believe that God can do great things. Where does that come from?

I love what I do. I love the Lord and the church and people intimately. I have learned that you keep showing up when you get knocked down and you become resilient and your passion for God and people become strong. Longevity is a gift from God. 

-------------------

Bill then spoke about the importance of music in ministering to him in ways that sometimes a mentor or another leader, or even the word of God can't. 

Hybels said: Music and leadership have an interesting juxtaposition. The leaders I know who face the greatest pressure, climbing the biggest hills, have the closest affinity to the power of music. 

He was gripped by a kind of fear some time back and there was one particular Song that when he heard, he just knew God was using g that song to minister to him. He was not a particularly fearful person. There were very few things that can cause him fear but this was one time he needed to hear from God. 

Sharon Irving then rendered that wonderful song "No Longer Slaves" Bill listened to over and over during those times. He said perhaps someone in this summit needs to hear the song. And especially that line "I'm no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God". 

And we hear a few other soul searching songs like 
"Oceans"
…and I will call upon Your name
And I keep my eyes above the waves
When ocean rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine…

Under Sam Adeyemi’s leadership, Daystar Christian Centre grew from a handful of people in 1995 to more than 25,000 people weekly—with highly recognized community impact projects. The author of numerous best-selling books, his television programs reach viewers on all continents. Adeyemi founded Daystar Leadership Academy, which is dedicated to releasing a new generation of leaders who will serve as catalysts in the transformation of Africa and the world.

Crushing the Power Chasm

Sam Adeyemi, @sam_adeyemi , Founder and Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre in Nigeria

1. Seeking Success and Security in the Wrong Places

2. Identifying the Consequences of Self-centred Leadership 

3. Crushing the Power Gaps

4. Empowering Your People

I had a strong desire to succeed in the family construction business, but the environment was difficult and success did not come. I carried my strong desire to succeed into the ministry. Our family went through some financial problems and I began to look at how to succeed to be comfortable. That was my definition of success. To have a family and be comfortable. 

My family had a background of building buildings. But I knew I was not going to be in construction. I became a pastor. And I wanted to be a successful pastor. With a comfortable life, a house and a car. But in my first church, it grew too slowly. My ushers would count the congregation and it is plus one or minus one each week. 

Point #1 You will not find the definition of success for your ministry until you help the people I sent to you to succeed.

My church was small and did not grow; it did not grow for a long time. In prayer I asked God why He wasn’t bringing people into my church. But the Lord said he adds to the church. So God ask me why do you want more people? When God ask a question it is not because he does not know the answer. He often just wants to show us our foolishness. God spoke to my heart that the reason I wanted the church to grow was that I wanted to be comfortable. But that was not why He had me set up this church. God spoke to me that you will not find success until you find these people to succeed. 

That was the paradigm shift for me. What was their needs? What was their issues? Many of us as leaders in business or churches, wonder why our business or churches is not growing and it is because of our self-centredness. 

Point #2 The object of leadership for many leaders is their own success, but the object of Christ’s leadership was the success of his followers.

When Jesus said follow me do you think it was so simple? I don't think so. If I was that two fisherman's father, I will also follow and ask Jesus what is he going to do with his two sons. I believe Jesus spent time talking to them about his mission and by dawn, they would have been convinced their life would be more meaningful by following Jesus than staying as fisherman. 

Jesus said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Transform them, not teach them. 

I was living in a culture where being a leader makes you superior to the people you are leading, which is true for many parts of the developing world. Christ lived in such a culture too. (Mark 10:42)

Point #3 The downside to power distance is that it can leave followers with low self-esteem and afraid to challenge a leader’s views. 

Power distance and hierarchical structures reflect the fact that power and responsibility are not shared equally in an organization, which is the reality. Because of this, people hardly ever give negative feedback that can be useful to leaders. People tend to wait for approval from above to do anything. There is also a tendency for leaders to be less accountable, which can set up for moral failure and scandals.

Point #4 Jesus crushed the power gap between men and women, adults and children, leaders and their followers.

Jesus reduces the power gaps.  Between the influence of men and women. Between children and adults. In church, between the religious leaders and the people. Jesus gave his disciples authority and power. That they will do what he did and much more. That is one of the most amazing thing Jesus did as a leader. Jesus confronted the power structure – He gave power away. Matthew 10:4.

Point #5 There is something about church leaders and talented people that make us think others cannot do what we do.

This may be because, unlike us, they have not heard God’s voice from the burning bush. Moses thought that way until he suffered burnout and God told him to select 70 elders to assist him. When the 70 prophesized just like him, he got a paradigm shift and wished everyone would prophesy!

When Peter wanted to walk on water what did Jesus do? He ask Peter to go ahead and walk on water. If I was Jesus, I'd ask Peter if the heavens open when he was baptised. Did a dove come down on his head? Did a booming voice say this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased? Peter, do you think an ordinary man like you can walk on water?

Some church or business just can't grow and you wonder why. If you think your employees or your church members cannot do what you do let me ask you this. Especially pastors. Do shepherds gives birth to sheep? Shepherd don't give birth to sheep. Only sheep give birth to sheep. Shepherd only feed the sheep. You have to get it right. 

Point #6 If you are in an under-resourced part of the world, see it as an unusual opportunity for empowering leadership.

Ideas are the starting point. God didn’t have money to create the world! He had an idea. Idea: The best way to keep power is to give it away.

Point #7 Jesus did not only crush the power gap, He overturned it.

Luke 22:27 “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

If you seek a vision that will only benefit you, your vision will be small. If you seek a vision that will benefit a city, a nation, or a generation, you will receive a grander vision! Wherever we are we have the ability to empower people. Jesus did it. Pray for people and deliver vision. To overcome the power gap and have a grander vision.