4 Leadership Lessons:

1. The power of showing up is immeasurable.

The first time I heard Billy Graham live was in 1976 at a Crusade he and his team
did in San Diego at Jack Murphy stadium. I was in college and signed up to serve as
a counselor for the altar call.

The Crusade team organized several training sessions and the one I attended had
about 75 counselors in attendance. We all took notes and were surprised at the end
to see Dr. Graham walk in, thank us, and pray that God would use us in a powerful
way, then quietly leave the room. He didn’t have to do that, but he showed up.

The encouragement and inspiration that came from his five minutes in the room,
changed the room. As a young leader, it changed me. A leadership moment I never
forgot.

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2. Integrity carries its own legacy.

Billy Graham would never suggest he led a flawless life, but he lived such a public
life that we were privileged to see how a godly man maintained a life of character
above reproach till his last breath at 99 years of age.

Dr. Graham sat with kings and presidents for more than 50 years! He kept an
incredibly full schedule and was sought after by countless dignitaries for his
counsel. His opinion mattered.

There were times of immense pressure and he made thousands of decisions, any one of
which could have tarnished and diminished his integrity. But he held steadfast to
his biblical values and true to his word.

The strength that integrity brings to leadership is incalculable.

I don’t think Dr. Graham had a special secret. I think he just got up every day and
decided to live that day fully for Christ. Those daily decisions produced a
lifetime of integrity.

The expectation is not for you or me to be a perfect leader, we will make mistakes,
but we need to live a life of consistent integrity. A life of integrity brings
credibility to your leadership.

3. Singular focus on a clear purpose has compounding results.

Dr. Graham has said, “My one purpose in life is to help people find a personal
relationship with God, which I believe, comes through knowing Christ.”

The power of knowing your calling and purpose cannot be overestimated. The
compounding results from a life given to a singular focus is staggering.

Dr. Graham preached to over an estimated 200 million people, (not including radio
and film), in over 400 crusades, in 185 cities. Those are breathtaking numbers for
which heaven rejoices. Millions know Jesus from that singular focus to a purpose.

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It’s not likely that we will realize those numbers, but my hunch is that if we had
lunch with Dr. Graham today, he’d say that it’s all worth it for just one. But if
God is given the opportunity to multiply those Kingdom results beyond just one, why
not go for it?
4. Declaring the name of Jesus keeps us connected to Kingdom authority and eternal
results.

There are many ways to become lost as a leader even if you declare Jesus as the
reason for all that you do. But there is (obviously) something uniquely powerful
about the name of Jesus and speaking his name daily provides a strong guidepost for
living.

Whether you are in a ministry meeting, teaching leadership or communicating the

weekend message, the name of Jesus has a certain way of keeping us aligned with the
core of the gospel and the focus of the Great Commission.

Dr. Graham never wavered from lifting up the name of Jesus. He was well aware, and
said it often, that it was the person of Jesus and the power of Scripture that
provided all the results in his evangelistic ministry.

There was never a hint that Billy Graham leaned into his own talent or ability. He
knew the only real source of authority for eternal impact. This is a profound
leadership lesson that we can be tempted to violate.

Dr. Graham’s life and legacy remind us that Jesus is the vine and we are the
branches. We can do nothing of eternal value apart from him.

Thank you, Dr. Billy Graham.

Billy Graham, byname of William Franklin Graham, Jr., (born November 7, 1918,
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.—died February 21, 2018, Montreat, North Carolina),
American evangelist whose large-scale preaching missions, known as crusades, and
friendship with numerous U.S. presidents brought him to international prominence.

Conversion and early career

The son of a prosperous dairy farmer, Billy Graham grew up in rural North Carolina.
In 1934, while attending a revival meeting led by the evangelist Mordecai Ham, he
underwent a religious experience and professed his “decision for Christ.” In 1936
he left his father’s dairy farm to attend Bob Jones College (now Bob Jones
University), then located in Cleveland, Tennessee, but stayed for only a semester
because of the extreme fundamentalism of the institution. He transferred to Florida
Bible Institute (now Trinity College), near Tampa, graduated in 1940, and was
ordained a minister by the Southern Baptist Convention. Convinced that his
education was deficient, however, Graham enrolled at Wheaton College in Illinois.
While at Wheaton, he met and married (1943) Ruth Bell, daughter of L. Nelson Bell,
a missionary to China.

By the time Graham graduated from Wheaton in 1943, he had developed the preaching
style for which he would become famous—a simple, direct message of sin and
salvation that he delivered energetically and without condescension. “Sincerity,”
he observed many years later, “is the biggest part of selling anything, including
the Christian plan of salvation.” After a brief and undistinguished stint as pastor
of Western Springs Baptist Church in the western suburbs of Chicago, Graham decided
to become an itinerant evangelist. He joined the staff of a new organization called
Youth for Christ in 1945 and in 1947 served as president of Northwestern Bible
College in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This February, we mourned the passing of Billy Graham. Had he lived until November
7, 2018, he would have reached 100 years of age. Billy Graham had a preaching
ministry that impacted the world perhaps more than any other in modern history.

There are those who debate the effectiveness of Billy Graham’s ministry and
methodology in evangelism. Others doubt the effectiveness of crusade evangelism in
general in reaching and making disciples for Jesus Christ. It’s true that even
Billy Graham had his concerns about the depth of commitment made by those coming
forward at his crusades to receive Christ.

However, perhaps he could have responded as D. L. Moody did to one of his critics
who said, “I don’t like the way you reach people with the gospel.” Moody replied to
her, “I agree with you. I don’t like the way I do it either. Tell me, how do you do
it?” She replied, “I don’t do it,” to which Moody responded, “Well, I like my way
of doing it better than your way of not doing it.” The purpose of this article is
not to debate Billy Graham’s evangelistic methodology, but to mention a few of the
contributions he made to the world missions endeavor within his lifetime.

Evangelistic crusades were not invented by Billy Graham, but he certainly perfected
them, preaching more than 400 of them worldwide. He preached the gospel in 185
countries, to 215 million people in person, and millions more via media.

“Billy Graham had a long view of evangelism and missions. He sought not merely to
share the gospel but to equip other believers to share the gospel.”

Few realize, however, that very early in his ministry Graham acknowledged the
limits of preaching to the masses. Consider this insightful perspective from his
1978 book, The Holy Spirit.

One of the first verses of Scripture that Dawson Trotman, founder of the
Navigators, made me memorize was, “The things that thou hast heard of me among many
witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others
also” (2 Tim. 2:2 KJV). This is a little like a mathematical formula for spreading
the gospel and enlarging the church. Paul taught Timothy; Timothy shared what he
knew with faithful men; these faithful men would then teach others also. And so the
process goes on and on. If every believer followed this pattern, the church could
reach the entire world with the gospel in one generation! Mass crusades, in which I
believe and to which I have committed my life, will never finish the Great
Commission; but a one-by-one ministry will.[i]

Billy Graham had a long view of evangelism and missions. He sought not merely to
share the gospel but to equip other believers to share the gospel. Here are three
enduring ways he set out to do that.

Preparing a Solid Biblical and Theological Foundation

Billy Graham believed in the authority of Scripture. After struggling with a season
of doubt in 1949, prompted by his friend Charles Templeton’s skepticism, Graham
made a bedrock commitment to affirm the Bible as God’s certain and trustworthy
Word. The signature phrase in his preaching became “the Bible says.”

Graham founded Christianity Today to provide ongoing biblical and theological

instruction for evangelicals. His article in the inaugural issue (October 15, 1956)
was titled “Biblical Authority in Evangelism.” He made this appeal to his readers:
“I am . . . fervently urging a return to Bible-centered preaching, a gospel
presentation that says without apology and without ambiguity, “Thus saith the
Lord.”

He brought evangelical scholars and missiologists together at meetings like the

World Congress on Evangelism (Berlin, 1966) and the International Congress on World
Evangelization (Lausanne, 1974). These meetings solidified a biblical understanding
of evangelism and strategized how believers could take the gospel to the ends of
the earth. The Lausanne Covenant first introduced the term “unreached people
groups” to the broader evangelical world.

Sponsoring Training Opportunities to Equip Workers in Evangelism

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) held crusades all over the world
but also sought to encourage and equip other Christians to testify of Christ. “The
Christian Life and Witness Course,” a foundational part of his crusade preparation,
equipped tens of thousands of believers in how to share the gospel.

Graham was passionate about training the current and future generations of
evangelists and evangelistic pastors. BGEA sponsored three-day Schools of
Evangelism events held throughout the United States and Canada to train pastors and
laypersons in personal evangelism. International Schools of Evangelism were held
throughout the world with that same purpose of training kingdom workers.

Graham’s most significant training of workers took place at the various Amsterdam
Conferences (1983, 1986, 2000). Privileged to be a workshop leader at Amsterdam in
2000, I witnessed ten thousand evangelists from two hundred countries gather to
receive inspiration and instruction in evangelism and evangelistic preaching.

Lending His Name to a New School at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
The Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Ministry at The Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary is the only school Graham ever allowed to carry his
name. How did that happen?

I was in a meeting with some key BGEA personnel in the fall of 1990 when the
subject came up about Billy Graham allowing his name to be attached to a school of
higher learning. Graham’s name was already tied to his alma mater Wheaton College,
through the Billy Graham Center there). However, he had refused to allow another
school to carry his name despite founding Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in
the greater Boston area and approving the formation of a Billy Graham Chair of
Evangelism at Southern Seminary in 1963.

One of the BGEA leaders explained why. Billy saw what had happened at Harvard
University, a school founded to train ministers for the gospel and named after the
Rev. John Harvard. Rev. Harvard gave half his family fortune and his entire library
to the school, but centuries later it wasn’t staying true to the purpose for which
it was founded. John Harvard would not want his name associated with some of what
takes place there now. Billy Graham did not want to give his name to a school and
have it end up opposing the gospel message instead of promoting it.

When a friend told me in 1993 about the announcement of the newly formed Billy
Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at Southern Seminary, I
told him he had to be mistaken. Mr. Graham had said he would not allow a school to
use his name. When I discovered that Graham had indeed given his name to this new
school, I called T. W. Wilson, one of Billy’s childhood friends and a long-time
associate, to ask how this had happened.

Wilson explained to me that Billy had complete confidence in the new president at
the seminary—Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.—and that he trusted Mohler’s ongoing
stewardship of the new school. Furthermore, Wilson stated, Graham trusted Southern
Baptists, and if the Billy Graham School ever moved in a liberal direction,
Southern Baptists would help bring it back to biblical authority.

Billy Graham lived in the present but prepared for the future. He knew that should
the Lord’s return not happen in his lifetime, the need for ongoing gospel ministry
would continue after he was no longer preaching. With his recent home-going,
Graham’s days of preaching to live audiences have ended, though with technology his
sermons will continue to reach people for Christ. Yet, Graham’s work of evangelism
continues through the biblical and theological foundation for evangelism that he
laid, through the myriad laborers he helped equip for the harvest fields of the
world, and through the ongoing teaching ministry of the Billy Graham School.

“Mass crusades, in which I believe and to which I have committed my life, will
never finish the Great Commission.”

Leadership
There is no single passage in the New Testament that deals exclusively with this
subject; notwithstanding, mention is made of many exemplary leaders. We therefore
may learn by example what we cannot learn from precept.

At the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15) there were gathered most of the leaders in
the early Church. Peter, James, and John represented the church at Jerusalem, and
Paul and Barnabas, the churches of the Gentiles. There were also present Matthias
and Silas, chief men among the brethren. A reference to these brethren would give
much instruction in Christian leadership. The leadership given by these men
apparently had the approval of the Lord and the confidence of the whole Church.

There are four aspects of this subject we must consider: the qualities of
leadership, the types of leadership, the methods of leadership, and the purpose of
leadership.

The qualities of leadership; It has been said that leaders are born; they are not
made. This is only partially true. Even one who is born with an imposing
personality is of little value until he has developed certain qualities.

Personality has been defined as the sum total of all that a man is physically,
ethically, and spiritually. Some personalities are repellent, others attractive. If
one is going to be a good leader among God’s people, he should develop those
qualities which make personality attractive. We shall consider some qualities that
are formative, some that are communicative, and some that are specific.

Formative qualities: The one that we shall consider first is sociability. An

unfriendly person is not a good leader. The Apostle Paul was an exceedingly
friendly person. He is never seen alone, not even in prison. He speaks of his
yokefellow (Phil. 4:3), his workfellow (Rom. 16:21), his fellowservant (Col. 4:7),
his fellow-workers (Col. 4:11), and his fellowprisoner (Col. 4:10). The Apostle
John wrote, “I John, who am your brother and companion” (Rev. 1:9).

It was said of the supreme example, our Lord Jesus, that He was the friend of
publicans and sinners. When speaking to His disciples about the death of Lazarus,
the Lord Jesus called him “Our friend Lazarus” (John 11:11). This quality of
friendliness is very necessary in the making of a good leader.
A second necessary quality is responsibility. One of the greatest detriments to our
testimony for God today is the irresponsibility shown by many of the Lord’s people.
A leader must be willing to assume responsibility. Paul, speaking of what he had
endured for the gospel’s sake, added this, “Beside those things that are without,
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches” (II Cor. 11:28).
What need there is today for such responsible brethren!

Another of these formative qualities is knowledge. To be a teacher one must know

his subject; to be a guide one must know the way; to be a shepherd one must know
the sheep and their needs. To be a leader in the assembly, one must apply himself
with diligence and patience to learn the truth of God, the divine principles for
directing the people of God. Did Paul know history? Listen to him, “I would not
that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud” (I Cor.
10:1). Did he know prophecy? Listen to him, “I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep” (I Thess. 4:13). Did he know
evangelism? Listen again, “I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that often I
purposed to come unto you, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as
among other Gentiles” (Rom. 1:13).

To be a successful leader one must know well the matters in which he is going to
direct.

A fourth formative quality is conviction. Conviction is that inward certainty that

expresses itself in outward poise. This certainty results from personal knowledge.
When a man knows, and knows that he knows, he has full assurance and spiritual
poise, all else to the contrary.

Paul’s knowledge of the purposes of God in regard to the oneness of the Body of
Christ, enabled him to remonstrate with Peter over his hypocritical action at
Antioch (Gal. 2:11-14).

Communicative qualities: No matter how strong and pleasant a leader may be, he must
also possess those qualities through which he will make contact with the many
followers. If he is strong enough and prepared to lead, he must be able to induce
others to follow him. Paul could say, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of
Christ” (I Cor. 11:1). This, a leader may imply without words; he may indicate it
by his attitude.

One of the first communicative qualities that will attract other Christians is that
of loyalty. Loyalty inspires confidence. Where this is lacking no one will follow.
If a leader is unreliable, he will produce fears and doubts in those he wishes to
guide.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul asserts his loyalty concerning all that was
entrusted to him: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith” (II Tim. 4:7).

What an example of loyalty and faithfulness is seen in David’s friend Hushai (II
Sam. 15:32-37)! David could trust him implicitly, and during the revolt of Absalom
follow the advice of this staunch friend.

Another quality that enables one to make contact with followers is understanding.
Another reference may be made here to the Apostle Paul. Because of the circumstance
that forced him to leave the newly formed church in Thessalonica, he was much
concerned about their welfare. So heavy did his anxiety become that he endured
loneliness in Athens and sent Timothy to enquire about them (I Thess. 3:1-6).
Although he had instructed them that persecution would be their lot, he realized
the weakness of humanity. There was no harshness in the attitude of Paul to these
saints; he understood human frailty and tried to strengthen them. He sensed that
they had misunderstood the doctrine of the rapture of the Church, so he patiently
explained it more fully.

How understanding the Lord is! We read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (Jas. 1:5).

There is nothing so magnetically attractive in a personality as understanding of

the other party.

A third quality by which people are attracted to a leader is appreciation. How we

admire those who appreciate what they find in us! Paul, as an example, again
presents himself: his letter to the Philippians is one of appreciation. He
appreciated their interest and support from the beginning of their Christian
career; he appreciated their gift; he appreciated the difficulties that had
hindered earlier gifts; and he appreciated the man through whom the gift was sent.

In the same letter he records his appreciation of Timothy, and also of the early
services of Euodias and Syntyche.

One last quality in this connection should be mentioned for without it, leadership
must be weak; that is toleration. A good leader will always be intolerant of sin,
especially in himself, but tolerant of the weaknesses and tendencies of others.
This is also demonstrated by Paul’s attitude to John Mark. Paul was not tolerant
with the wrong that Mark had done in forsaking the work of the Lord (Acts 13:13;
15:36-41), but when proper adjustments had been made and John Mark was restored to
confidence, Paul did not hesitate to commend him for fellowship to the church at
Colossae (Col. 4:10), and to commend him highly to Timothy for his work (II Tim.
4:11).

These, then, are some of the qualities that make a good leader. Some of them form a
stalwart character; others enable a leader to gain the confidence of those he would
have follow him, and attract them. Over and above these there are certain other
important requirements in a church leader.

Apostolic requirements: When, in the early Church, it became necessary to have

capable men direct the money of the Lord’s people, the apostles at Jerusalem
specified that leaders in temporal matters possess certain qualities. These
qualities are also evident in the careers of the spiritual leaders of the early
days. The instructions of the apostles were: “Look ye out among you seven men of
honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this
business” (Acts 6:3).

These three general requirements are: First, a good reputation. A leader must not
only be honest, he must be an honourable gentleman in every aspect of life. Second,
a genuine spirituality. To be filled with the Spirit means to be wholly yielded to
Him so that He encounters no obstacle in His work through your life. Third, an
evident sagacity. A leader must not only have knowledge, but he must know when and
how to use it.

Contours in the Marble

Despite these cracks, Wacker sees much in Graham’s life that is praiseworthy and
genuinely inspirational.

1. Character. The list of virtues is long: Graham possessed a default preference

for looking outward instead of inward. He was marked by an “extrospective
cheerfulness,” what Wacker later describes as “an irenic disposition blended with
an irrepressible sense of humor.” Millions of people all over the world simply
liked Billy Graham. He was not timid–he would talk to anyone and go anywhere.

Most of all, Graham’s character shone “in the integrity of his personal life:
financial probity, marital fidelity, devotional regularity, and recreational
prudence.” When you think about it, it really is remarkable that someone of
Graham’s power and fame never fell prey to the familiar sins of financial
impropriety and sexual infidelity.

2. Mind. Not normally reputed for his intellect, Graham had a gifted mind in ways
that are easy to miss. He was savvy. He spotted good talent and kept them around.
He possessed common sense and a keen understanding of what resonated with ordinary
people. He was comfortable in his own (mental) skin, never trying to be
intellectually what he wasn’t.

Above all he had what historians call “intellectual virtue.” Wacker’s summary is
well put: “That virtue traded on curiosity, engagement, agility, common sense, and
deep insight. Billy Graham was no Karl Barth. But then, Karl Barth was no Billy
Graham.”

3. Charisma. Graham was winsome, easy-going, quick-witted, good looking, affable,

and an instinctive communicator. He spoke the language of everyday folks, without
ever seeming to talk down to them in the process. He was expansionist, bold, and
visionary in a way that Americans especially appreciated. Throughout his ministry,
he remained confident and future-oriented.

And not to be overlooked, Graham’s personal humility allowed people to excuse the
excesses of namedropping and self-promotion. “People who encountered him,
personally or through film archives, including critics, almost always spoke of his
humility, or at least his likeability.” He was critical of himself and sincerely
interested in others.

log Gospel of tax collector Matthew. New Testament is the continuation of the Old
Testament. The Gospel title is not written by gospel writers. Matthew structured
the gospel in 5 blocks. The Matthew gospel has a narrative and gospel format. Each
block ends with when Jesus finished this saying. Five blocks represent the first
five books. Matthew is intense in showing Jesus as a teacher. The word messiah is
pointing to the Old Testament the son of David (2 Sam). In Matthew, we can see the
gentile emphasis. For example, we can see in chapter two Gentiles came to worship
Jesus. Jesus is the new Israel. Matthew is the conclusion of the Old Testament.
World mission to present Jesus as a messianic king. Matthew was written for the
Jewish Christians who came out from the Judean religion. Theme emphasis Jesus is
the Messiah, son of God, Jesus fulfilled the OT law, new Moses greater than Moses,
teacher. Jesus is the Goal to reach the law. In Matthew’s gospel disciples are
portrayed as good. We can see the teaching and pastoral emphasis in Matthew’s
Gospel.