Text: Numbers 11:4-34

Topic: How to be an effective leader

Introduction:

• Moses was completely human—frail and fallible—yet he was used by God in a great way. Leading God's chosen people did not come easily to him, but by God's grace he was able to do it.
• In Numbers 11, Moses is leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. The Israelites have grown tired of the manna that God is providing from heaven, and are complaining that they want meat.
• In Moses' resulting interaction with God, we learn six things that every leader must forget in order to be effective

Forget about Winning the Popularity Contest

• No matter what you do, there will always be disgruntled people to deal with.
• Illustration: In 1998, Coach Phillip Fulmer led the Tennessee Volunteers to an undefeated season and a National Championship, but there was still a group of people who wanted him fired.
• If you're hoping to win everyone's approval, forget about being a leader.

Forget about Doing it on Your Own

• Every leader must come to the point where they realize that they have been called to be a leader, not a savior.
• If you want to be a leader, you have to develop a team mentality. It takes a group of people to get the job done effectively.

Forget about Giving Up

• In v. 15, Moses says, essentially, "Lord, I would rather die than fail."
• Lou Holtz is a college football coaching phenomenon. However, when the head coach of the New York Jets, Holtz failed miserably, which he attributes to not having a "do or die" attitude.

Forget the Meaning of the Word "Impossible"

• In v. 21-23, God promises that the people of Israel will eat meat until they are more than satisfied, and Moses says that this is impossible.
• When God is involved, no situation is impossible.
• Matthew 19:26

Forget about Settling Your Own Scores

• When the rabble rose up against Moses and complained about the food, they made God angry because they were not just rebelling against the leadership of Moses, they were rebelling against God.
• Numbers 11: 33-34, Romans 12:19
• God will settle his own scores, and it's not a leader's job to get revenge.

Forget about Trying to Be a Control Freak

• Illustration: Pastor Rick Warren has said that he doesn't always agree with everything that goes on at Saddleback. This is because he's concerned with letting the Holy Spirit move according to God's will and purpose, which means that he can't always control everything that happens.
• Conscientious leaders have the walk the fine line between giving direction and taking control.

Conclusion:

• An effective leader recognizes: This is God's project, not mine, and as a leader I have the responsibility to lead things his way, not my way.
• Effective leadership is a matter of forgetting those things that hold us back, and remembering that God has called us, as leaders, to move forward in his name.