COMPETENCE: Joshua Got the Job Done
“So, Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.”
Joshua 11:23
Competence rarely happens overnight. Even the great Joshua had to be prepared over many years to handle the enormous task given him. By the time he died, competence could have been his middle name. Consider this:
1. God used Joshua over two generations.
2. God trusted Joshua to lead the military campaign from the wilderness into Canaan.
3. God called Joshua to spy out the Promised Land.
4. God allowed Joshua to accompany Moses up Mount Sinai.
5. God replaced Moses with Joshua when it came time to lead the people into Canaan.
Ponder the effort God invested in this young leader to make him competent:
1. He was a warrior (Ex. 17:9-11).
2. He was a spokesman (Ex. 17:14).
3. He was a servant (Ex. 24:13).
4. He was a faithful coworker (Ex. 32:17).
5. He was an apprentice of Moses (Ex. 33:11).
6. He was a zealot (Num. 11:29).
7. He was a transformed leader (Num. 13:16).
Sunday Morning
“21” Crucial Qualities of Christians: #5 - COMPETENCE
1 Peter 2:18-25
I. The Quality Defined
a. 1 Pet. 2:21
II. Abraham’s Obedience with Isaac
a. Gen. 22:1-18
b. Gen. 22:1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12
III. Hezekiah Becomes King of Judah
a. 2 Chron. 29:1-11, 15-36
b. 2 Chron. 31:20-21
c. 2 Chron. 29:1-2, 3, 10, 15, 30, 36
d. 2 Chron. 31:20-21
IV. The Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons
a. 1 Tim. 3:1-13
V. Conclusion
a. 1 Pet. 2:21
Sunday Evening
Silver-Crowned Senior Citizens
Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
I. A Life of Devotion to God
a. Eccl. 12:1
II. Years of Experience in Useful Living
a. 1 Tim. 5:10
III. The Beauty and Grace of Maturity
a. 2 Cor. 4:16
IV. The Right to Respect
a. Lev. 19:32
b. 1 Pet. 5:5
c. 1 Tim. 5:1, 2
COMPETENCE: A Necessary Step on the Road to Excellence
Luke 14: 28-32
Labeling someone competent or incompetent may seem judgmental and narrow, yet al leaders must possess a level of competence that enables them to get the job done. The kingdom of God cannot do without competence.
Everyone knows that leaders must demonstrate a level of competence in order to gain the trust and respect of followers. No one chooses to follow an incompetent leader over a competent one, regardless of personality. Friendship is not synonymous with leadership; people can like you as a friend but not follow you as a leader. To the degree they feel you are incompetent to lead, they will distance themselves from your leadership.
Competence goes beyond words. It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know you know your business – and know they want to follow you. Competence must be sought at every organizational level. Incompetence can be tolerated nowhere.
Jesus highlights the issue of competence in the two stories in Luke 14. In both stories, what is missing is competence. The builder and the king in these stories lacked what it took to get the job done. Therefore, the tower never got guild and the war never was won. According to Jesus, competence requires three ingredients: Commitment, Resources, Intelligence
The combination of these three components spells not only competence, but excellence. It’s what makes people follow a leader. So – in what area are you most competent? Where do you excel? What makes others follow you?