Fearless Leadership

GETTING STARTED

I remember running down the dark hallway at my grandmother’s house toward the light of the living room because I was scared of something coming out of the bedroom to get me. I am no longer afraid of that dark hallway, but as an adult, I am afraid of other things. Many of them come to the surface in the context of leadership decisions: fear of failure, fear of discomfort, fear of other’s opinions, fear of not being in control, fear of being hurt, fear of being exposed. At one time or another, I have encountered each of these scary circumstances. 

  • What scary circumstances are you facing?

READ THE WORD: JOSHUA 10:1-15 (ESV)

10:1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the Lord threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the Lord threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
    and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
    until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.

15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

  1. Why was the king of Jerusalem fearful (vss. 1-2)?
  2. What intense circumstances was Joshua facing as a leader that could have been scary (vss. 3-7)?
  3. What reason did the Lord tell Joshua to not be afraid (vs. 8)?
  4. How did Joshua live differently, knowing that the Lord had given the enemy into his hands?
  5. What specifically are you afraid of? What promises has God made to you that might calm your fears?

RESPOND TO GOD

Joshua was leading the nation of Israel into a very scary situation, yet God told Joshua to not be afraid. God guaranteed victory, and Joshua believed him. Joshua placed his trust in the God who was able to stop the sun and the moon.

This is the same God who sent Jesus to defeat death and guarantee our victory over it. Many of us believe that the work of Jesus on the cross has guaranteed our ultimate victory; we just don’t believe it’s enough. We think God needs to guarantee victory and our scary circumstances need to change; then, we won’t be afraid. God is calling us to believe that if the only thing we have is his guaranteed victory, that is enough to not be afraid.

  • Thank Jesus for defeating sin and death.
  • Repent from failing to believe that the work of Jesus is enough for you to be unafraid.
  • Ask God to help you believe that what Jesus has done is enough for you to live free of fear.