Lester Sump - 4-MAT Book Review - Dempsey_Early_McClendon
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Liberty University *
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Apr 3, 2024
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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
4-MAT Book Review: Dempsey, Earley, and McClendon Assignment
Submitted to Dr. Robert Gowins,
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
LEAD 510 B03-LUO
Biblical Foundations of Leadership
by
Lester C. Sump II
March 9, 2024
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Contents
Abstract
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Concrete Response
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Reflection
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Action
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Bibliography
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Abstract
There are many valuable resources for anyone who ascertains to grow spiritually within ministerial role, or individually. The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical Guide to Christian Leadership
has a primary focus of teaching others how to effectively tune into God’s voice before and during the journey into biblical leadership. Much of the text speaks about the role that the Holy Spirit should rightfully play within the parameters of an effective ministry. To lead effectively in any ministerial position, the book asserts those who seek to attain such a godly role should look to lead after being divinely called and should rely on Christ to develop a godly sense of spiritual depth and personal integrity.
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The prayer life of a believer is of utmost importance, and this is highlighted more specifically for leaders of the faith. God speaks to believers through Scripture, while we speak to him through meditation and prayer. This line of communication is fundamentally important in a believers walk, and the text shows how valuable it is to place oneself under the authority and leadership of Jesus before attempting to lead others. Dempsey states, “The first step of effective Christian leadership is understanding the importance of being led.”
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Scripture highlights the importance Christ placed on his own time with the Father, and the emphasis of his hope for us to do the same. A leader who is focused on enhancing the Kingdom of God will work on his personal relationship with Christ first, then pass on that wisdom to those who have been placed before him. A reverential fear of God is biblically healthy, and the text shows how this translates into a humble outpouring of kingdom servanthood.
1
Dempsey, R., Early, D., and McClendon, A., The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical Guide to
Christian Leadership. Bellingham, WA. Kirkdale Press. 2023. (64).
2
Ibid., (81).
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Midway through the text, the focus shifts to how a vision from Christ directly relates to the goals, planning, and training involved in making effective Christian Leaders. The priority should remain to follow Jesus in understanding and applying His teaching and commandments, to lead others with the ultimate goal being the Great Commission. Prayer is paramount to accomplishing this and provides a defense against the enemy’s darts during spiritual warfare. Establishing a connection with others is not only vital in making disciples, but also necessary in coming together to create a strong foundation that is able to withstand the enemy’s many advances. Dempsey states, “There is nothing on earth Satan fears more than prayer, so he concentrates on keeping you from prayer, and prayer is his nemesis.”
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Concrete Response
In essence, this book teaches how to obtain the necessary attributes to become an effective leader for the Kingdom of God. I found myself remembering several leaders I have had during my 25 year walk with Christ, and comparing their leadership styles to what the book says is effective. I have been fortunate to have a great youth pastor when I was just starting my journey with Christ who taught me the importance of spending time with Jesus and studying the Word of God. He had a profound impact on me as a young believer, and helped show me how being in Scripture and making my time early in the morning is beneficial to establishing a strong foundation that is not easily shaken. We became very close, and this is the first time I began to hear God call me into the ministry.
About 15 years later, while being stationed in England, I met a missionary who worked for Cadence International providing outreach to young military members. His leadership style was less focused on studying the Bible, although we did that often, it was primarily about how to
3
Dempsey, R., Early, D., and McClendon, A., The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical Guide to
Christian Leadership. Bellingham, WA. Kirkdale Press. 2023. (125).
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worship effectively through music and how we lived our lives. We spent 3 years developing a great relationship, and his leadership helped me enroll in my initial degree plan with Liberty. He was not only my pastor, but developed into a great mentor and friend as we would often get together to discuss life and how to navigate certain areas within it. He was a great example of how a man relates God’s word to being a good husband, father, and friend.
Reflection
One area of concern in the text is the under emphasis on things found in secular leadership that can be attributed to the Christian worldview. I understand that Christian leadership and secular leadership are significantly different in that the former focuses on the ability to be an effective leader comes form a strong relationship with Jesus that promotes a servant view, whereas worldly leadership has a central focus on self as the primary. Yet, there are some things we can learn from a secular view, such as drive and passion to achieve results that come from being goal oriented. In no way should personal results overshadow the growth of God’s kingdom, however, secular leadership seems to set a clearer boundary within the confines of the company. For example, in my experience, the line between employer and friend and what that looks like can be hard to identify within the Christian community. Although not impossible to achieve, the secular world seems to be better at drawing the necessary lines between friend and employer that are crucial in business.
Another positive of leadership from a worldview standpoint is that a company is rarely successful with one or two individuals performing on their own. I believe the Christian community can learn from this and not look to isolate by only accepting feedback they believe to
be divine as we understand that God uses all people in many ways to further His kingdom.
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Instead of blocking out opinions from unbelievers, we should invite the opinions of all as long as
we remain focused on a view of the truth of the Gospel.
Action
After reading the book, it has become clear that there are aspects of my relationship with Jesus that need immediate attention. I have been good at reading and studying God’s Word, to the point that I have been able to accel in two different degree programs and am doing so once more in a third Yet when I carefully analyze the areas that are lacking the first that comes to mind is my willingness to share what I have learned with those who are not believers. I have found it easy to relay the knowledge God has allowed me to gain with those who share a like minded belief in who Christ is and what His general purpose is for believers. With people who are outside of that faith, I tend to back away and not push the envelope which has relegated me to
the position of cheerleader at times instead of a member of the team. Moving forward, I plan to put myself in a position where I listen when I hear God point me in the direction of someone who needs to hear the truth of the Gospel.
The other area, and one that may be the most important to me is to lean on God’s understanding and not my own. I have struggled in this for many years after being diagnosed with sever complex PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder. Instead of seeking the peace and serenity of Jesus, I have sought to gain an understanding of certain medical conditions associated
with my afflictions. This has caused me to place an emphasis on my own methods of relief instead of valuing the methods outlined by my Savior. From now on, I plan to be intentional about focusing on Jesus rather than the problem, as Scripture says God’s ways are not ours, and I
fully believe that He has allowed me to struggle with these conditions to help me understand my need to be close to him in these moments instead of running to my own conclusions.
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6
The promises of Christ come alive in moments when I struggle to get past my condition, and in realizing and putting into action my faith in Him, I can better lead others to do the same. This is an example of being led by Christ in all things, even the hardest to make sense of, and this will enable me to show others how to do so as well.
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Bibliography
Dempsey, R., Early, D., and McClendon, A., The Three-Dimensional Leader: A Biblical, Spiritual & Practical
Guide to Christian Leadership. Bellingham, WA. Kirkdale Press. 2023.