CHARACTER THE FOUNDATION OF A LEADER

CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION

Teaching Video from Pastor Marco:

  • Quote: John Maxwell said “You can only go as high on the leadership ladder as your character will allow you.”
  • Leadership insight: People will follow us based on their trust and respect for us. Trust and respect must be earned it cannot be demanded. If our character is tainted it will eventually be revealed and it will taint our leadership influence. People are always listening to what we say and watching how we act. Our true character is especially revealed when we are dealing with difficult people, challenging situations or when our guard is down.

Proverbs 22:1 (AMP) A good name earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold.

  • Insight: A good name is earned through proven character.
WHAT IS CHARACTER?

Character: is the array of personality traits you have built into your life over time. (These personality traits determine how you will behave in a range of situations including times of pressure danger stress and temptation.)

FACTS ABOUT CHARACTER

FACT #1 - GOD PROMOTES CHARACTER NOT TALENT(God looks on what is on the inside not what's on the outside. When promotes character it means that he entrusts us to lead more of His people. God gave David the promotion to be King over His people because of His character.)

1 Samuel 16:7 (VOICE) Take no notice of his looks or his height. He is not the one, for the Eternal One does not pay attention to what humans value. Humans only care about the external appearance, but the Eternal considers the inner character.

  • A. WE WILL PROSPER AT THE LEVEL OF OUR CHARACTER AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT. (All prosperity that is not built on a solid character foundation is fleeting.)

3 John 2:2 (AMP) Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeed and prosper and be in good health physically, just as I know your soul prospers spiritually].

  • B. GOD REWARDS OUR PRIVATE LIFE NOT OUR PROJECTED IMAGE. (Who we are in private is our true character.)

Matthew 6:6 (CEV) When you pray, go into a room alone and close the door. Pray to your Father in private. He knows what is done in private and will reward you.

Quote: As an Englishman Statesman said Thomas Babington Macaulay observed, “The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.”

  • C. EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THREE IMAGES.
    • Image #1- Perceived image (How people see us.)
    • Image #2- Projected image (How we want people to see us. We project how we want people to see us.)
    • Image #3- Actual image (How God sees us. This is the image that everyone will see on the judgment day and the image that God rewards or condemns.)
FACT #2- WHO WE ARE UNDER PRESSURE, IS WHO WE REALLY ARE.Note: When people get caught behaving selfishly disgracefully and immorally they often excuse their behavior by saying, "Oh I have behaved out of character. I don't normally behave that way. I was under pressure. I was tempted. That's not who I really am." In reality who we are under pressure is exactly Who We Are. What good is it to say I have excellent character as long as it's never tested. I'm a great person as long as I'm not under pressure or being tempted. The only true character any of us possess is it character we demonstrate in times of testing and pressure.
  • A. JOSEPH TRUE CHARACTER WAS REVEALED UNDER PRESSURE.

(Every character test Joseph passed led to a leadership promotion. His first test was the betrayal of His brothers that led to Joseph Being in charge and leading Potifers entire household. The second test Joseph passed was with Potifers wife and that led to the next promotion, he was now in charge of A whole prison. The third test was being forgotten by the cupbearer which led to his greatest promotion of all being in charge of all Egypt. Every faith test we pass gets us closer to the full vision coming to pass.)

Genesis 39:7-10 (NLT) 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded. 8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”10 She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.

Genesis 39:21-23 (NLT) 21 But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love. And the Lord made Joseph a favorite with the prison warden. 22 Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. 23 The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed.

B. SAMSONS TRUE CHARACTER WAS REVEALED UNDER PRESSURE.

(Samson with Delilah. Samson was the physically strongest man that ever lived with one of the weakest characters and it led to his downfall. Great gifts with a weak character always lead to shame and defeat. Our character will have the last word.)

Judges 16:15 (NLT) Then Delilah pouted, “How can you tell me, ‘I love you,’ when you don’t share your secrets with me? You’ve made fun of me three times now, and you still haven’t told me what makes you so strong!” 16 She tormented him with her nagging day after day until he was sick to death of it. 17 Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. “My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” 18 Delilah realized he had finally told her the truth, so she sent for the Philistine rulers. “Come back one more time,” she said, “for he has finally told me his secret.” So the Philistine rulers returned with the money in their hands. 19 Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.

  • Ex. Daniel and Lions den. (Continues to pray.)
  • Ex. Sadrach, Meshach, Abednego. (Refuse to bow)
  • Ex. Peter (Debies Jesus three times.)
  • Ex. Jesus on the cross. (Forgive them for they know not what they do.)
FACT #3- WE ARE NOT BORN WITH A STRONG CHARACTER WE DEVELOP IT.(The Good News is that we can build a strong character even if our character has been weak. We are not born with a strong character and integrity it is developed over time. The most important area we can develop is our character/spiritual maturity.)
  • A. WE BUILD A STRONG CHARACTER BY ENDURING THROUGH HARDSHIPS AND PRESSURE.

Romans 5:3-5 (NLT) 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation

B. WE DEVELOP A STRONG CHARACTER THROUGH INTENTIONALLY EXERCISING OUR FAITH BY PRACTICING GODLY VIRTUES. (This is called spiritual exercise. Just like our body – we develop the muscle/virtues we are exercising.)

2 Peter 1:5-7 (AMP) 5 For this very reason, applying your diligence to the divine promises, make every effort in exercising your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, develop Christian love that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit.

Note: We build character gradually Moment by moment and year by year by making moral decisions. We accumulate character strength by consistently choosing the harder path instead of the easy way out, by taking responsibility instead of Shifting blame, by sacrificing our own welfare in order to serve others. Every good moral choice we make especially those choices we make when no one else can see helps to build the habits of a good character. The people on your team must be able to trust you as their leader. Trust is based on character. If your people can’t rely on your integrity, your word of Honor, how can they trust you, respect you and follow where you lead?

C. BEWARE: JUST LIKE OUR CHARACTER CAN BE DEVELOPED IT CAN ALSO BE CORRUPTED. (There are people and conversations that can corrupt our good character. We need to take a close look at those closest to us and conversations we are having because that is who we are becoming. If we are hanging out with Luke warm people that are not involved in ministry, making disciples and loving God, they will make begin make us feel comfortable being like them. We also need to be careful what content we are filling ourselves with.)

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT) Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

ILLUSTRATION ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CHARACTER:

  • The Great Wall of China was built to secure against Invasion by Barbarians from the north. They’re great wall seemed invincible and indestructible, so the people of ancient China believed they were secure against all enemy invasion. However, their enemies managed to invade China three times during the first century of the walls existence. The Barbarians didn’t break through the wall, and they didn’t climb over it. They simply bribed the gatekeeper and walked right through the open gate with no challenge. As you guard your own Integrity make sure your internal gatekeeper doesn’t let his guard down and open the gate to temptation. In other words don’t ever say to yourself, I can handle a little moral compromise. I can flirt with temptation and still be okay. I can give into a little and morality or dishonesty now and then. Make sure the moral firewall of your integrity stands firm at all times.