Title: Five elements of an influential leader
The Apostle Paul, like a pilgrim, went constantly here and there to preach the gospel. The purpose of his life was 'missionary', and his main specialty was 'travel'. And on the 3rd missionary trip, he stayed in Ephesus for a long time and preached the word every day at the vow of Tyrannus (verses 8-9). At that time, God revealed strange powers through Paul's hands, and even when people took a handkerchief or apron from Paul's body and placed it on the sick, the disease went away and the evil spirits went out (verses 11-12).
Through such power, the ministry in Ephesus unfolded powerfully (verse 20). So, he was respected and was able to do a stable job well in Ephesus, but then he turned to Rome. So, after going to Macedonia and Achaia, collecting the donations and delivering them to the church in Jerusalem, which was suffering from famine at the time, I had a vision to see Rome (verse 21). Every time I hear the confession of the Apostle Paul, “I must see Rome!” in the text, my heart warms.
Now always have a vision of “I will see Rome!” A vision is one of the greatest assets a person should have. Vision leads the future blessing. The poorest people are not “people without money” but “people without a vision”, and the richest people are “people with a vision” not “people with money”. Without vision you become humble, with vision you become extraordinary. Therefore, always have a big vision, and develop a vision that is honest and holy no matter what you tell anyone.
If you want to raise your children well, show Rome to your children and show them the wide world, always remembering the vision confession of the apostle Paul, “You must see Rome!” in the text. Even if you collect the cost of sending a fortress academy for 1-2 months, you can send it to Southeast Asia. So, don't just send them to academy, but also send them abroad. A “micro-life” of sitting at a desk and looking at small things is also necessary, but also a “macro-life” of going abroad to see the big things.
Now, don't think of it as an overseas trip to as far as Japan, China and Southeast Asia. If Hong Kong and Singapore block overseas travel, it means only go downtown. Then they thought there was no hope, and they opened their eyes to overseas travel, eventually becoming the most international and high-income country in Asia. Now show your children Rome. Then you spend a little foreign currency now, but you can earn more foreign currency later through your children who have seen the world. To become an influential person you have to see such a wide world and have a big vision.
2. Pioneering spirit
By the time the Apostle Paul was ministering in Ephesus, quite a few churches had already been established in Asia and Eastern Europe. At that time, in Asia Minor, the 7 churches in the book of Revelation were created with the church in Ephesus as the center. So, the Church of Smyrna, the Church of Pergamum, the Church of Thyatira, the Church of Sardis, the Church of Philadelphia, and the Church of Laodicea were established, and the Church of Colossae was also established in the Colossae area. In addition, evangelists gradually emerged around those churches.
Under such circumstances, the Apostle Paul did not want to build on someone else's foundation (Romans 15:20). So, we moved away from the region of Asia Minor, where the evangelism had been widely spread, and turned our attention to Rome, the capital of the world at that time, where the evangelism had not been spread. So, I always had a dream in my heart, “Now I will go to Rome with the Gospel.” As such, the apostle Paul was a pioneer who was excited to see new places. You must have such a pioneering spirit to become an influential person.
Joshua chapters 16-17 record the scenes of each tribe being divided after conquering the land of Canaan. At that time, when the descendants of the tribe of Joseph, who were given more important land than the other tribes, complained that they had little land, Joshua said to them, “Go up to the forests of the land of the Perizzites and Rephaimites, and cultivate them yourself” (verse 15). In other words, do not get caught up in a sense of relative poverty, but rather pioneer the future with a pioneering spirit.
3. Strategy
Why did the Apostle Paul say, “You must also see Rome”? Because he knew that he had to conquer Rome to conquer the world. As such, he was an excellent strategist. No matter how big a vision you have, you cannot effectively achieve it without a strategy. When it comes to tactical matters, you can rely on the wisdom of helpers like Aaron and Hur, but the ultimate leader must have a sophisticated strategy beyond tactics. The reason leaders need prayer is to get a strategy.
Just working hard doesn't mean you'll be successful. In North Korea, even if you work hard and do a variety of exercises, such as watching the morning star and stretching your back, you cannot escape hunger. Why? Because it failed strategically. To live an influential life, you must first have a philosophy, then a principle, then a strategy, and then a tactic. A leader must excel in philosophy and character, but must also excel in strategy and tactics.
4. love
The Apostle Paul was not able to do missionary work due to his wealth. At times, I was in great trouble because of the problem of making a living. Even under such circumstances, after hearing the news that the Jerusalem church was suffering from long-term famine, we tried to collect the donations and deliver them to the Jerusalem church. When the apostle Paul was strict, he was very strict, but when he was soft, he was infinitely gentle, and deep in his heart was flowing a rich fountain of love. That kind of caring love is another source of influence.
There are two kinds of people. One person is a mirror-type person who looks only at his situation through a mirror, and the other person is a window-type person who looks outside the window. Even if you spend the same amount of money and time, if you use it while looking at yourself in the mirror, it becomes 'wasted', and if you use it while looking outside the window, it becomes 'commitment'. When Mary breaks the alabaster jar of perfumed oil for the Lord, the mirror-type person sees that Mary's act as a waste, and the window-type person sees that action as devotion.
If you want to be an influential person, don't be a mirror person who only looks at yourself in the mirror, but be a window person who can see through the window. Because of such a window principle, the Internet, an amazing sea of information, was created. Without such devotion that crosses the window, the person will never have an impactful life. Ultimately, loving commitment is the key to receiving God's blessing, building community, and living a life of influence.
5. Cooperation spirit
The Apostle Paul was a being of extraordinary ability and ability, but he did not try to do anything alone, but he tried to do it together. So there were always ministers helping him, such as Barnabas, Silas, Luke, and Lydia. In verse 22 of the text, when the apostle Paul was ministering in Asia Minor centered on Ephesus, Timothy and Erastus worked together with the apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was an outstanding leader in the spirit of partnership and cooperation.
Where does the most beautiful spirit of cooperation come from? It comes straight from the cross. If you look at the Chinese character for 'cooperation (協)', there are three 'strength' characters to the right of 'ten (十)'. If we look at ‘ten (十)’ as a cross, cooperation is what three people gather around the cross. Anyone with the best spirit of cooperation can become a person with the best spirit of cooperation by nailing himself to the cross, and in the end, such a person becomes an influential leader.