The Role of the Holy Spirit in Leadership Development and Practice
Aldwin Naruse (Miyagi)
10 May 2014
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Outline of this paper
Topic: The Role of the Holy Spirit in leadership development and practice
I. Introduction and thesis: The role of Holy Spirit as the Agency of Restoration (Job 22:28-29)
A. Restoration of God image in leadership development
1. Leader is regenerated from dead spirit to born again spirit
2. Leader is cleansed and made into a new man
B. Restoration of leader’s intimacy with God (Rev 19:7-9)
II. Evidence of restoration in a leader
A. agape love
B. born again again
C. baptized in the Holy Spirit
III. The role of Holy Spirit in leadership practice
A. Signs and wonders will follow him ( Rom 15:19, 2 Cor 12:12, Acts 4:29-31)
B. Healing of the sick and casting out evil spirits (Matt 10:1)
C. Acts Church as per Acts 2:42-47 (prayer, breaking of bread, fellowship, and apostle’s
doctrine.
D. The five-fold ministry (Eph 4:11)
IV. Conclusion and the Big picture
V. Work Cited
The topic of this paper is on The Role of the Holy Spirit in Leadership Development and Practice. In this paper, I will cover the Holy Spirit’s role in the restoration of a leader, the evidence of that restoration and the Holy Spirit’s role in leadership practice. The thesis of this paper is that Godly leadership can only take place when the Holy Spirit is allowed to do his restoration work in the life of a leader.
The Holy Spirit as the agency of restoration (Spirit Filled Life Bible)
According to Job 22:28-29, it states “You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person.”
Leadership development cannot occur until restoration in the life of a leader is completed (Spirit Filled Life Bible) In John 3:3, ‘Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ‘ Here, Jesus was talking about spiritual regeneration (Carson). It is the birth’s spiritual character. When a believer is born again, his spirit is regenerated. It is made new. It was dead before, but it is now made new from the rebirth. “Being born of the spirit requires a radical change, a new beginning” (Carson). With that radical change comes the evidence of it. When the Holy Spirit restores a person to wholeness, he is never the same again. There is evidence in his life of this change. If there is no change in his words nor behavior nor habits, it may be because he was never born again to begin with or the restoration work of the Holy Spirit has not completed yet.
“The Holy Spirit begins the process of growth by wooing us to Jesus, and he is working to finish the task” (Cloud and Townsend 96).
Restoration of God image in leadership development
In the process of a leader’s growth, God sends the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth (Cloud and Townsend 106). God desires to show him the truth about God Himself, his life, his relationships, His word and his path (106).
The Holy Spirit will restore man’s spiritual condition. First, he will regenerate a leader’s spirit from dead to born again. Then he will cleanse him to make him a new man. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17). Godly leaders must be restore to the God image. All who believe in Him should be brought back.
Restoration of leader’s intimacy with God
“Growth must begin in a secure relationship (with Jesus) and that security comes from the work of the Holy Spirit. Growth must be undergirded by this foundation “ (Cloud and Townsend 97).
Per Rev 19:7-9, we believers are the bride and Jesus is the bridegroom. As born again believers, leaders are to cultivate that intimacy with God. As the bride of Christ, the leader is to submit to God, be cleanse by the washing of the Word. (Eph 5:25-27).
The washing of the Word is alluding to the bride’s prenuptial washing. After this washing, the bride was perfumed, anointed and dressed in wedding clothes. The wedding ceremony was also called “the sanctification of the bride” setting her apart for her husband. The “washing of the Word” is referred to the saving gospel of Christ (Keener). When a believer has devoted time to studying the word of God, he becomes cleansed by the Word through daily meditation and study of the Scriptures. Through studying the word, he is going through the washing of the Word.
This is where sanctification occurs, which is to make holy, to consecrate, or to set apart from the world in order to have fellowship with God and be a sanctified vessel to be used of God. The restored leader must maintain communion with Jesus Christ and engage in fellowship with other believers. He must be devoted to prayer, obedience to God’s word and always sensitive to God. He must love righteousness and hate iniquity (Heb 1:9). He must put to death any sin (Romans 6). He must always submit to God’s discipline and continue to obey the Holy Spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) (Stamps 1983).
So sanctification is a result of cleansing. The leader must be a sanctified vessel to represent Jesus Christ accurately and correctly. There is to be a constant consciousness of God calling the leader to stay separated from satan, sin, and the world and to stay in regular daily fellowship and communion with God. This God-consciousness is very distinctive to the leader who has process through the Holy Spirit and now in communion.
Psalm 23:2 states that “He (the Lord) makes me to lie down in green pastures” and here, green pasture symbolizes plenty. “He leads me beside still waters” and still waters is the peace and every sort of rest. And in verse 3, “He restores my soul” which symbolizes renewal (Carson). God chooses the righteous paths for us, paths that are right with Him (Carson). This restoration means that the Holy Spirit replaces spiritual death with new spiritual life. When we receive new life, the Holy Spirit will develop and mature us. The process of growth in man is the Holy Spirit’s work (Spirit Filled Life Bible).
As per Cloud and Townsend on page 97-98, here is a partial list of what the Holy Spirit does for us:
- The Holy Spirit will always be with us.
- He will search our hearts and show us what it is we need to change.
- He will give us the abilities to do the things we need to do, even gifts for work, or wisdom, or words to say when we don’t know what to say.
- He will lead us and guide us in life.
- He will show us truth and teach us
- He will counsel us and help us
- He will help us to live the life we need.
- He will fill us and control us
- He will correct us and convict us.
- He will change us.
- He will give us gifts to help each other and put the Body of Christ together.
The Evidence of the Restoration of a leader
Is there agape love in the leader’s life?
The meaning of restoration to church means that the church will reproduce as a whole. What God intended the church to be is the manifestations evidence by a new love. This main aspect is that this new love was demonstrated by Jesus Christ on earth. There will be signs displayed. The leader must exhibit agape love, which is unconditional love, as demonstrated by Jesus. This is one evidence of restoration.
John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son….” (Open Bible). God exhibited agape love when He gave us His son. Jesus demonstrated agape love when he died on the cross for us. If a leader exhibits no agape love, he is not a true leader. He is probably just going through the motions, or leading out of duty, or just doing his job. There is no heart in it. He can take it or leave it.
Is the leader born again again? (John 3:16)
A godly leader must be born again, cleansed and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5-6 (NKJV) states “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” What this means is that this is the work of the Holy Spirit. When a believer is born again, “an actual rebirth by the Spirit would produce a new heart” (Keener). “Regeneration is the entry into a new life and renewal is the effecting of the new life itself.” When conversion occurs in a person, regeneration follows. The Holy Spirit renews his spirit. (Carson) Titus 3:6 talks about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is very generous in His gift of baptism (Carson). This is so because God wants to bless us with a regenerated and renew spirit even more than we want it. He wants to pour it on to us. Salvation and regeneration of the dead spirit must be accomplished first before any leadership development can occur.
Is the leader baptized in the Holy Spirit? (Acts 2:38)
The leader must be cleansed, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, be a new man. If a church is not baptized in the Holy Spirit, born again, manifesting signs and wonder, breaking of bread, healing and deliverance, then this is not a God-glorifying church because the Holy Spirit was not allowed to develop the leader of the church. Being baptized in the Holy Spirit occurs only after repentance. For it says in Acts 2:3, ‘Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
1 John 4:1 tells us not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits, whether they are of God (Stamps 1682-83). So with regards to the evidence of the Holy Spirit, there must be a genuine baptism of the Holy Spirit. One of things that we should see is a deeper growth in the love for God. This love is to stem from our hearts and ought to be magnified and glorified even more (Stamps 1682-83, John 16:13-14). It is a result of a greater fellowship and more intense personal communion with the lord. It is an on-going moment by moment communion (Stamps 1682-83, Romans 8:15, Gal 4:6).
There is a greater love for Scripture ( Stamps 1682-83, John 14:17). We seek the truth because of our deep love for it (Stamps 1682-83, John 16:13). We have agape love for others (Stamps 1682-83, Acts 2:42-47), There is repentance from sin and faithful obedience to Christ (Acts 2:38). There is the turning away and separation from sinful pleasures and enjoyments of the world, and any selfish pursuit of riches and reputation (Acts 4:32-37). There is an increase desire and anointing to witness to others of the saving work of Jesus Christ (Luke 4:18, Acts 1:4-8). There is evidence of operation in the Holy Spirit such as utilizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12). Furthermore, there is the sensitivity to the operation of the Holy Spirit and consciousness of His presence and guidance in daily living (Acts 2:4, 16-18).
The restored leader may be in recovery from some sin issue, some spiritual warfare and some testing of faith. And as he goes through the recovery process, he would be built up and fortify because through the recovery process, he can examine and address areas of incompleteness. What this tells me is that a leader must go through the restoration process and be cleansed before he is qualified to lead. Many leaders today may still be walking in the flesh, living in sin, or in denial of the fact that they are not sanctified vessels of honor.
Before the leader is commissioned and sent into service, he must go through a separation process which includes separation from the world, self and anything that has a controlling influence in his life. The second phase is the purification process, which includes trials and tribulations, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the sanctification process and the convergence of the Holy Spirit and the word of God operating as dominant factors in his life. He must hate the things that grieve the Holy Spirit and love the things that please the Lord. Sin is sin and must be dealt with and not be condone to continue.
Suffice to say that if the Holy Spirit’s regeneration work was mandatory before any leader is qualified to lead and this criteria was strictly enforced, there may not be too many leaders in the churches today. The reason why there are unqualified leaders in churches today is because this criteria is not enforced.
The role of the Holy Spirit in leadership practice
The Bible has shown us that we are to do our part by faith and the Spirit will do His part by His power (Cloud and Townsend 103). “Life in the Spirit is one of faith and action. We believe that He will empower and lead us into truth and then we yield, trust and step out” (Cloud and Townsend 104).
Signs and Wonders
“Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds” (Open Bible, 2 Cor 12:12). Back in the days of Paul, it was common to see true apostles perform miracles, which were called “signs.” Paul shows that the other attributes that points to the true apostles are ”the changed lives of the Corinthians (2 Cor 3:2,3), the blameless character of his ministry (2 Cor, 6:3–10; 7:2;8:20, 21) and his genuine love of his churches (2 Cor 6:11,12;7:3, 11:7-11), and his sacrificial endurance of suffering (2 Cor, 6:3–10; 11:23–33)” (Biblegateway). In other words, a true leader will manifest signs which are miracles. He shall change lives, be blameless, have genuine love for God’s church, and suffer with endurance. The true leader will be fruitful. God’s power is manifested through signs and wonders. A godly leader must manifest signs and wonders. If not, he is not appointed by God. no signs and wonders. This is one way to know if a leader is of God. It is through signs and wonder. And it is confirmed that the anointing of God is upon this leader. The leaders today cannot be a “clanging cymbal.” Without the revealed word of God through the Holy Spirit, that leader is operating from intelligence. He is just full of information. But a God-appointed leader will have the power of Jesus Christ operating in him and these are the two signs to confirm. Miracle, signs, and wonders are God’s confirmation and should be sought out and welcomed (Acts 2:22).
Healing and Deliverance, Matt 10:1
Jesus’ twelve disciples were given authority over evil spirits and sickness. This was an extension of Jesus’ authority (Carson). They were called to heal the sick and deliver others who were possessed by evil spirits. They were given this power by Jesus. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can heal and deliver people from the bondage of sickness and evil spirits. A true leader in Christ will have this same authority to heal the sick and deliver them who are possessed by evil spirits. The true leaders will bring healing and deliverance to those who are bound.
Jesus is the source of divine power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. His disciples became his delegated authority and power to advance the Messianic ministry (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1421). Furthermore, in Luke 9:1:2, Jesus sent his disciples to preach the kingdom of god and to heal the sick. The message is “repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” These are the given that are available by the Lord and we can confidently expect victory over the power of darkness. Also as disciples, we are assigned to do his business as authorized representatives of the Lord. Finally, we are promised to be given the kingdom of God, the kingdom authority and its power. And as we appropriate his power and authority and to comply and come in agreement as his leaders on earth, we can see the kingdom dynamics supercede and override the darkness on earth. WE have been given the dominion to rule and reign over the power of darkness. We are able to see and confirm that the application of his representative, we apply by faith the power and authority vested in us in action, prayer, teaching, preaching and ministering.
The Acts Church, Acts 2:42-47
“ And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Open Bible, Acts 2:42). The church grew in number. It went from 120 to over 3000. The apostles met daily together in the temple courts and in their homes to have fellowship with each other. There was a generous spirit to share with others who are in need (Carson). “.....And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Open Bible, Acts 2:47). One evidence of a true leader is in his regular fellowship with other believers. Another is that he is fruitful and will win unbelievers to the Lord.
So the primary activity of the Acts church is centered around “apostles doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers.” The secondary activities are things such as selling their possessions and bringing the goods into the church to divide them among those who had need. They were continually in one accord. They broke bread with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with the people. So praise and worship is a regular activity that ought to be an exercise in addition to the four primary functions.
The Five-fold ministry
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers “(Open Bible, Eph 4:11) According to the Ephesians, the purpose of the five-fold ministry is for the equipping of the saints for the work of Jesus Christ and the edification of the Body. This equipping is to make fit, prepare, train, perfect and make qualified for service (Spirit Filled Life Bible 1793). This is to set the body in order. This five-fold ministry should be allowed to operated to achieve its goal. If the church does not go through this, it is out of order and cannot operate. The gifting and leaders are not in sync. This passage is given explicitly by Jesus Christ because He is the Head of the church. These leaders are his agents to accomplish his goals and objectives. As previously noted, the two primary focuses of Jesus ministry is to heal the sick and cast out demons. It has nothing to do with the “surfing ministry” or the “canoe paddling ministry.”
This passage in Ephesians 4 shows the sign that a church is operating in his divine lordship. there must be evidence of the apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and preachers. Otherwise, this local church may not truly be representing Jesus Christ, but that of their own denomination. the equipping of the saints is the recovery process from brokenness to wholeness. This is a recurring activity assigned to the leaders. That is why it is important to have regular fellowshipping.
The healthy church will have the evidence of the five-fold ministry at work by each member and not just a selected group. Taken altogether, they reveal that the task of the appointed leader is to cultivate the individual and all the different ministry to evident a healthy organism. It would be evident for spiritual growth, stability, maturing of character, discipline, obedience. Also the leader is edifying and strengthens the members. And the evidence of growth of the entities is the love for Christ and others.
In contrast, a secular church is empty, futile, has works without power, full of fun and games, and is insensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, a secular church is lukewarm, watered-down and is all about feeling good rather than serving the Lord. So this type of the leader is operating on intellect and popularity, lacking the spirit’s anointing.
Ministry Application
With reference to ministry application regarding the role of the Holy Spirit in leadership development and practice, six months ago, the Lord directed me to secure an office on Fort Street Mall, which is the central location of downtown Honolulu. Subsequently, in that office, my wife and I now have regular Bible study fellowship with others. We have a men’s group, consisting of local pastors and we have a women’s group, consisting of women involved with different ministries. We follow the blueprint as outlined in Acts 2:42. We keep it in an open format and we keep the group small (about 5-6) so that there is opportunities to interact.
The schedule includes a time of checking in, Bible study discussion, praise and worship, prayers, and fellowship. We usually share a meal afterwards. Furthermore, from my office, we do outreach with our tract ministry. My office is located next to a University with many foreign students. We also incorporate regular fasting which is short meal fasting.
My typical day starts at 4 am in the morning where I have my quiet time devotion. Then I gather with my family members and have breakfast together with soft, minterruptioneditative music playing. We avoid conversations during mealtime. Then we get into the word and we keep it in an open format to allow every person to share what God is showing each person through their devotion. Through this process, the Holy Spirit was allowed to regenerate, cleanse and renew our spirits and guide us through leadership development and practice.
Conclusion
In summary, the role of the Holy Spirit in leadership development is in the restoration work on the leader. It is in the restoration of the leader’s God-image and intimacy with God. This restoration work is evidence by agape love, being born again and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s role in leadership practice is in signs and wonders, healing and deliverance, the Acts church, and the five-fold ministry. These are all evidences of leadership practice. Without these practices, the leader is not restored. If these things are not evident in the life of a leader, then he is not of God. A restored leader under Jesus Christ means that the power of the Holy Spirit has been released in him and he has gone through the developmental process. This developmental process will ultimately generate a sanctified vessel of honor unto God’s holy service.
Aldwin Naruse (Miyagi)
Works cited
Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.).. New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., pp. 1314–1315). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. 1994. Print
Cloud, Henry and John Townsend. How People Grow. Grand Rapid, Michigan: Zondervan. 1996. Print.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Print.
New King James Version. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011. BibleGateway.com. Web. 10 May 2014
Spirit Filled Life Bible New King James Version Ed. Jack W. Hayford Litt.D. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1991. Print.
Stamps, Donald C., The Full Life Study Bible King James Version, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992. Print.
The Open Bible Expanded Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson publisher, 1985. Print.
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