Lead Like Jesus - Habits

If you want to improve your life and change the world, here is the one thing you might want to start doing every day: make your bed.  That was the advice given by Admiral William McRaven during a commencement speech at the Univ. of Texas.  Reflecting on his 36 years as a navy seal, and rising to the rank of Admiral, he attributed much of his success to some very simple habits, like making your bed.  

It was a simple task, (he said) mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that we were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.

If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

Great advice.  I’m not sure that I followed it when I was growing up, but today, I make my bed every day.  The little things are important.  The small habits and simple disciplines we follow in life can help us to do more than we ever thought we could do.  When I first started running, I couldn’t make it a mile.  I kept going out and tried to run a little farther without stopping. Once I could make one mile, I increased my distance just a little each week.  Slowly I was able to run 3 miles, and then 5.  Those small increases allowed me to run in 3 half marathons - something I never thought I would be able to do.  

Simple daily habits really can improve our lives.  It can help us get healthier, physically stronger, and more accomplished in music or the arts.  Simple habits can improve a marriage, make us better parents, and simple habits can help us better, more effective leaders.  Today we are going to look at three habits that can help us lead like Jesus because these are habits we see in Jesus’ life.  

#1 Model Humility.  

In many ways this goes back to the servant's heart and our motivation for being a leader.  While we talked about this in the first week of this series, humility is important enough to good leadership that we should talk about it again.  Proverbs 11:2.  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.  As a leader, this is an important proverb to remember because as we rise in leadership it is easy to become proud. 

As a leader, people look up to us.  We begin to feel important, maybe more important than those around us.  It’s easy to think that the rules don’t apply to us, or that it’s ok to cut corners and not live according to the principles and standards we might talk about.  The news is full of people who became leaders and lost their humility.  They became proud and it led to their downfall.  As we grow in influence and leadership we have to work at staying humble. 

One daily habit that can help us model humility in our lives is to look for one thing we can do for someone else each and every day.  The opportunities are all around us and if we look for them, and take them, it will shape our lives and leadership.  Jesus was always aware of the people around Him and He went out of His way to help them.  

When parents brought their children to Jesus so He could bless them, the disciples wanted to send the children away.  As a leader Jesus was too important to be with children, but Jesus said, no bring them to me.  He went out of His way to honor and bless them.  

When Jesus made His way into a city one day there was a funeral procession coming out.  A woman was burying her only child.  Jesus didn’t have to, but He stopped the procession and raised the boy to life.  

When Jesus was surrounded by crowds of people and felt someone touch Him and be healed, He stopped what He was doing so he could find that person and encourage them.  

Every day Jesus saw people who needed help, or acceptance, or love, and He took the time to reach out to them.  He modeled humility and made it part of His life. 

This week, find one person every day who needs your help, your words of love, or your encouragement and reach out to them.  When you see someone in need - help them.  When you see something that needs to be done - do it.  Don’t wait for someone else or look to someone else, model humility.  

A week ago I was reminded of this when I was walking through the Weis parking lot.  I had gotten out of my car at the same time an older couple got out of the car next to me.  The husband came around and got his wife and we started walking in together.  I saw the empty soda bottle on the ground but was going to walk around it when I saw the man start to pick it up.  I said, wait, I’ll get it.  His willingness to be humble and pick up someone else’s trash reminded me to be humble and just do the right thing. If we will model humility every day, we will learn to lead like Jesus.  It really is a simple habit that can change our hearts and lives and the lives of others.  

#2 Learn how to handle criticism.

If we are a leader then there will be criticism.  There will be someone who won't like what we did, or how we did it.  Someone won’t like the direction we are going, or the decisions we are making.  Criticism is part of leadership and we need to learn how and when to respond.  Jesus was truly a master at this.  

Time after time, the religious leaders would question Jesus and criticize Him for the things He did or didn’t do, and Jesus knew how and when to respond.  In Luke 4 we read about Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth.  While the people at first admired Jesus’ teaching, the more He spoke, the more upset people got.  They were offended that someone who grew up among them was now coming back telling them how to live out their faith.  Their criticism grew to the point where they became so angry that and drove Jesus out of the city. Luke 4:29-30. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.  But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.   

Their criticism grew to the point of violence, but Jesus remained silent. There were times when Jesus said nothing and walked away, and there were times when Jesus spoke up and defended His actions, or the actions of His disciples.  It is important for us to learn when to respond to criticism and when to remain silent.  

In our instant communication society, it is easy to feel like we have to respond to every comment, every criticism, and every word spoken to us or about us.  We get a critical email and we want to shoot off a reply defending our actions.  Something happens that we don’t like and we want to tweet our opinion, post our view, or tell our side of the story.  It is easy to respond quickly but what we need to do is stop and think about if, how, and when to respond.  Probably the most important habit we can develop as leaders is to stop and take a breath before we respond to any kind of criticism.  Thomas Jefferson said, if you are angry, count to 10 before you speak.  If very angry, count to 100.  A good habit for us all.

Because Jesus had learned how to deal with criticism during His life, at the moment of His greatest criticism, as He stood trial before religious and government leaders, He knew exactly how to respond.  

Mark 14:55-61 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’”  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

I often read this and want Jesus to speak up and defend Himself.  I want Him to fight back and answer all their questions, and put people in their place, but Jesus knew the larger purpose and plan so remained silent.  Jesus’ silence here is not cowardly, it is powerful. He is not being complicit and agreeing with what is being said, He just knows that it is not the time or place to respond.  

While our first response when criticized, falsely accused, or just misunderstood is to defend ourselves, but it might be more prudent and powerful to give simple answers like Jesus.  When I was being criticized as a pastor in a previous church, I wanted to defend myself.  In response to a letter that highlighted several things this person didn’t like, I wrote out a lengthy reply with bullet points addressing every critical comment.  I took my reply to the church leadership and while they agreed with me, they decided to simply respond with a note saying, We don’t find any validity in your comments or concerns.  Thank you.  Two sentences, that’s all they wanted to send.  I struggled with that response because I wanted to defend myself and make myself understood, but finally I agreed with their wisdom and it worked.  That man knew he couldn’t draw the church leadership into lengthy discussions and debates so he moved on, and the church moved forward.   

One simple habit that can help us all deal with criticism better is to simply stop before we reply.  Don’t hit reply and draft an email.  Don’t text what first comes to your mind.  Don’t tweet or post or share your thoughts.  Stop and think.  Stop and pray.  Is this a battle worth fighting?  Is a response going to help?  Are people ready to listen to your reply?  Sometimes a response is needed, but it will always be better to respond after a period of reflection.  A simple and healthy habit to help us deal with criticism is to first stop and think.  Count to 10, or 100.  Reflect, gain perspective, and get input from others before you reply.  

#3 Let God Walk With You

The higher we rise in leadership, the lonelier it gets and the more we feel like we are shouldering the burden alone.  It is never good to be alone as a leader.  We need God to walk with us and lead us and this means we cannot give up on the simple habits of daily spiritual disciplines.  Worship, prayer, reading God’s word, spending time in silence and reflection, serving others, and surrendering to God daily all need to be part of our lives. Jesus never gave up these spiritual disciples.

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus prayed for direction.  When He needed to choose a team, He prayed all night.  Before He had to deal with the criticism and accusations from the religious and government leaders at a trial, He prayed with His friends in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus didn’t forgo times of prayer as He became a leader, He protected them and made them a priority.  

We also find Jesus in the synagogue for worship on regular basis, and He quoted the scriptures often.  Worship and God’s word remained a daily part of Jesus’ life.  The night Jesus was arrested, He first worshipped with His disciples and celebrated the Passover with them, and then used that moment to serve them by washing their feet, and then they sang a hymn, and then they prayed.  Jesus never neglected the daily disciplines of His spiritual life and He shows us the importance of these habits for our lives.  

The first followers of Jesus also devoted themselves to these daily disciplines and habits, and the result was that God used them to lead others to salvation.  Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

As Peter and the rest of the disciples became leaders, they embraced the habits they saw in Jesus.  They devoted themselves to God’s word and prayer.  Every day they met together for worship in the Temple, they gave freely to God, and they served one another.  By allowing the Holy Spirit to walk with them daily they became the kind of leaders who could influence people’s hearts and lives.  They truly led like Jesus.  

What simple habits do you need to maintain in your own life to lead like Jesus?  What spiritual disciplines might have been set aside during this past year that you need to pick up again?  Daily prayer or Bible Reading?  Weekly worship or giving?  All good leaders need to remain healthy in body, mind, AND spirit and this means we have to be devoted to the important habits we see in Jesus.  

Here are three habits that can help us lead like Jesus: 

1. Model humility.  

2. Stop and pray before you respond to criticism. 

3. Maintain daily spiritual disciplines that will keep you close to God. 

And if you don’t know where to start - then start here.  Tomorrow morning… make your bed.  

 

Next Steps

Lead Like Jesus - Habits

Do you make your bed every morning?  Why?  Why not?  

● What difference might you experience if you embraced this one simple habit?  

● What other simple habit has made a difference in your life (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?

Three habits to help us lead Like Jesus:

1. Model humility:

Jesus modeled humility by serving people daily:

● Luke 7:11-15, Luke 8: 42-48, Luke 18:15-17

What one thing can you do to serve people daily?

2. Learn to handle criticism well:

Jesus handled criticism by knowing when to be silent and when to speak

● Luke 4:14-30, Mark 14:57-65, Mark 15:1-5

What one thing can you do to respond to criticism in effective ways?  How can you stop and think before replying?  

3. Allow God to walk with you and lead you:

Jesus allowed God to walk with Him and lead Him by a commitment to daily spiritual disciplines

● Mark 1:35-39, Mark 3:1-6, Mark 14:17-26, Mark 14:31-39

What one spiritual discipline do you need to adopt this week?  

Lead Like Jesus - Vision

This month are we talking about how to Lead Like Jesus because 

1. Jesus was the best leader the world has ever seen

2. We are all leaders 

Let me say this again, no matter who you are, what you do, or where you find yourselves in life, you are a leader because being a leader isn’t about a title or position, it is about influence, and we all have influence.  If you are a parent or grandparent- you have influence.  If you have a job - you have influence.  If you volunteer in an organization - you have influence.  If you are a neighbor, friend, or member of any group - you have influence.  Most important of all, if you are a follower of Jesus - you have influence, and we are called to use our influence in both good and Godly ways.  To make the most of the influence we have, we need to learn how to be the best leaders we can be, which means learning to lead like Jesus.  

While a servant’s heart is the primary motivation in good leadership, and a commitment to empower others as part of a team is the best way to work with others as a leader, the greatest power a leader has is vision.  All great leaders have a compelling vision of a preferred or better future that inspires people to move from “here to there”.  A strong vision first talks about how the status quo is simply no longer an option. We can’t stay here anymore.  Then the vision needs to give a picture of a better future that we feel passionate about and that draws us in and then influences others.  

In 1789, William Wilberforce stood before the British Parliament and spoke of the day when no man, woman, or child would be bought or sold like animals.  Not only was the status quo of slavery not an option, it would be a better world if slavery was abolished.  Wilberforce led with vision and while it took 44 years, in 1833, slavery was abolished in England.  

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before huge crowds in Washington DC and spoke of the day when no man, woman or child would be judged by the color of their skin.  He had a vision, or as he said, a dream, where black children and white children would live together, play together, learn together, work together, and worship together as one.  That vision was so compelling that it helped change our nation and heal some of our racial divide.  That vision continues to help us work for a better future.  The status quo of racism is not an option and we will experience a better nation when we come together as one.  

All great leaders have a compelling vision of a preferred future.  Henry Ford and the Wright brothers had a vision for better ways to travel.  Walt Disney had a vision for better ways to entertain people.  Bill Gates had a vision about how computers could improve all of our lives - we are still waiting to see how that one works out.  All great leaders have a compelling vision that not only drives them forward but influences those around them, and Jesus also led with vision.  In fact, before He preached a sermon, healed the sick, or called any of His disciples, Jesus issued an invitation for two men to simply come and see.  John 1:38-39

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 

He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

We don’t know what those two men saw, or the vision that Jesus shared with them, but we do know that it was so rich and compelling that they left everything behind to follow Him.  The vision Jesus had for the world was powerful, and He lived it with such clarity and passion that it influenced people to live their lives differently.  That vision continues to influence people today.   

While we don’t know what those two men saw that day, we do know that the vision of Jesus that inspired, motivated, and changed people was simply this: if you will love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself - you will experience all the fullness of life.  

Jesus knew that it would be this kind of love that would not only make people’s lives better, but it had the power to make the world better.  In short, this was what life in the Kingdom of God looks like. When Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is at hand, He was saying that a new life can be experienced, and a new world can be created, if we will love God and love others.  Jesus not only talked about this kind of love, He lived it.  Jesus gave Himself fully to God and others and people came from all over to experience the power of this love and try it in their own lives.  

One person who came to Jesus for this was Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was a man who had gotten rich by cheating people in business and because of his wealth, he thought he had it all.  But after having lunch with Jesus, he was so moved by Jesus’ vision of love, life, and community that he decided to give half of his money away and vowed never to cheat people again.  The vision of Jesus led Zacchaeus to change his life and through that change, Jesus' vision began to change the world.   

Another person who had her life changed because of the vision of Jesus was a woman from Samaria.  Not only were Samaritans looked down upon by the Jewish people, but this woman had been looked down upon by her own people.  On a hot afternoon, instead of ignoring this woman as everyone else did, Jesus treated her with dignity and grace. The vision of Jesus not only changed her life but she then used her influence to lead other people to Jesus.  The vision of Jesus was so passionate and inspiring that it drew in so many people that Jesus ended up spending 2 more days in Samaria so He could share with everyone His vision of life and faith.  

Jesus led with vision.  He told stories that said a better life isn’t found in more gold but in more grace.  He talked about a kingdom that wasn’t open to just a few people but to everyone willing to love God.  Jesus performed miracles that helped see the preferred future that could be found in God’s kingdom.  As part of this vision, Jesus also saw potential in people.  

When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus, He didn’t see a rich man who had cheated others all his life, He saw a man who could be generous and live with integrity and thoughtfulness.  When Jesus saw a woman who often hid from others because of the poor choices she had made in life, He didn’t see a sinner but a leader who could inspire others to love God.  Jesus didn’t just have a vision for a preferred future, or a better world, He could see the God given potential in each and every person.   

We often forget how radical it was for Jesus to call 4 fishermen to be His first disciples.  He called them because he saw their potential to change the world when no else did.  You see, in Jesus’ day, if you were to be a disciple of a rabbi, it was because you were literally the best of the best.  As a young child, you first had to memorize the Torah, which is the first 5 books of the Bible.  You didn’t memorize the names of the books, or where you might find teachings like the 10 Commandments, you had to memorize it completely.  If you couldn’t do it, you were sent home to work in the family business.

The best students then had to go on and memorize the rest of the Old Testament, all the history, law and prophets.  If you couldn’t do that, then you were also sent home.  Because Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen, we know that they weren’t the best of the best.  They didn’t measure up.  They didn’t have what it takes to be a rabbi, or even the disciple of a rabbi, but Jesus saw their potential.  Jesus reached out to ordinary people who didn’t measure up by the standards of the world and invited them to follow Him.  Jesus saw their potential and knew God’s power and love could do amazing things in people’s lives.   

One of the most powerful ways we can lead like Jesus is to see the God given potential in the people around us.  Last week Justin talked about taking the time to invest in other people, and that needs to be one of the priorities of any vital church.  Are we investing in one another?  Are we working to identify and develop the gifts that people have?  Are we encouraging people to step out in faith and walk with Jesus in new ways?  Do we see the potential in others and the better future that comes when people live into that potential?  

I have said many times that I would not be here today if my home church had not invested in me.  They saw potential when I didn’t.   Youth leaders, music directors, and pastors all invested time and energy in me, and they helped me see what I could do and be so much more than I ever imagined.  What excites me about Faith Church is that I believe we have these kinds of leaders.  From children and youth workers, to music directors, to small group and Sunday School leaders, we have teams of people who will invest themselves in you and help you see what God sees in you.  

One of the new ways we are trying to invest in people is through spiritual coaching.  We have a small team of people who are willing to take the time to walk with you and invest themselves in your spiritual life.  If you are interested in talking with a spiritual coach, please let us know, and if you think this is something you would be interested in, let us know as well so we can share with you what this looks like.

Jesus led with vision.  He saw a preferred future and potential in people and this vision was so compelling that people were willing to give up everything to live into it.  Jesus' vision was so inspiring that people left the old life behind and became a new creation.  Let us have eyes like Jesus so that we can see the possibility of God’s kingdom being lived out fully in our world.  Let us passionately love God and love others in ways that truly influence our world.  And let us not only see the God given potential in others but take the time to invite them to live in that potential by the grace and power of God.  If we can have this kind of vision we will be leading like Jesus and moving people more fully into the Kingdom of God.   

 

Next Steps

Lead Like Jesus - Vision

How would you describe the vision Jesus had for the world?  

● How did Jesus work to make this vision a reality?

● What can you do to make this vision a reality?

 

How do the following passages reflect Jesus’ vision for the world?

● Matthew 5:1-10

● Matthew 11:1-6

● Matthew 14:13-21

● Matthew 18:1-5

Jesus not only saw a preferred future (the Kingdom of God) but potential in people.  What potential did Jesus see in 

● Zacchaeus - Luke 19

● The Samaritan Woman - John 4

● The 4 fisherman: Peter, Andrew, James and John

Jesus not only saw potential in people, but He invested in them as well.  Whose investment of time, energy, faith, and love has made a difference in your life?  Who can you invest in?  

If you are looking for someone to invest in you, please contact the church office and ask about our spiritual coaches or visit bellefontefaith.com/coach.  

Lead Like Jesus - Heart

Today we begin a series that I am really excited about because we are going to talk about how we can lead like Jesus, and I do mean WE- all of us.  We are all leaders.  YOU are a leader.  You might not see yourself as a leader, you might not think you have any leadership skills or abilities, but if you are a follower of Jesus you are a leader because Jesus was a leader.  If we are going to follow Jesus, then we need to own and grow into our role as leaders.  

When I talk about being a leader, I want to be clear that I am not talking about a specific position.  Leadership is not a title we get in the organizational chart.  Leadership is really all about influence and we all have influence in the lives of others.  If you are a parent - you are a leader and honestly, today you need to be the best leader you can be for your children.  When so many of the leaders we see around us in the world are failing, we need to show our children what being a true leader is all about.  If you are a grandparent - you are a leader.  Today it is often grandparents who are the primary caregivers before and after school, or while parents are working, and you have great influence.  While she wasn’t a caregiver before or after school, I did spend huge amounts of time with my grandmother during the summer, and she was one of the most influential people in my life.  So grandparents, you are leaders.  

If you have been a coach (or if you are one now), you are a leader.  Children and youth will look up to you in ways they won’t look to anyone else, so your influence is powerful.  For those of you who are coaching today at any level, I want to encourage you to be great leaders because I hear people talk about their coaches with great admiration.  For example, John Wetzler and Bucky Quici have been coaches here in Centre County for a long time and not only do I hear people keep calling them coach, but they sing their praises for the influence they have had in their lives.  Coaches, you are leaders.

Employers have influence over their staff and communities, and employees have influence over other employees and the general population.  Volunteers have influence in how they serve others in and through their organizations. We all have influence, which means we are all leaders and so we are going to take these next few weeks to learn how to be the best leaders we can be by looking at Jesus who was the best leader ever.  In fact, there is no one who even comes in at a close second.

Think about this.  The Roman Empire in the days of Jesus was a powerful world empire.  It had authority over everything and to this day it is one of the strongest empires there has ever been in the world.  At the same time, the influence of Jesus and his followers was pretty insignificant, but whose influence has been stronger?  Clearly it is Jesus.  Today people still name their children after the followers of Jesus; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Mary, and we name our cats and dogs after the leaders of Rome, Caesar and Nero.  

The world needs great leaders.  Everywhere we look, the world needs great leaders and we are being called to be those leaders.  This month we are going to learn how to lead like Jesus and all leadership really flows from one place, the heart.  Some have said that there are only two motivations for leadership and the first is Reward - we lead to get the rewards.  We give our all to leadership because we want to move up in the company.  We want the position.  We want the power.  We want the corner office, high salary, stock options, and a great pension program.  We want the recognition and accolades that come with being the leader.  The reason many people work hard to be a leader is to get the rewards.

There is a second motivation for becoming a great leader - Responsibility.  Many people want to lead because they feel a responsibility to care for and help others.  They want to lift others up, make their lives better, and bring them more power, peace, or prosperity.  Reward or Responsibility?  What should motivate us as leaders?  What kind of leader was Jesus?  

The answer is clearly responsibility.  In fact, at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He was given a clear choice of being a leader for the rewards He might get in this world - and Jesus turned it down, every time.  

Before Jesus started his public ministry, He went off into the wilderness and met Satan who offered Him all the rewards the world had to offer.  This is from Matthew 4:2-3.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, Jesus was hungry.  The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”   Satan was telling Jesus that as the leader, He could use His power to meet all of His own needs, and to provide for Himself at every turn.  Jesus did not do it.  

Next Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the Temple, which would have been the highest point in all of Jerusalem, and said, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”  Matthew 4:6.  In other words, Jesus, as the leader you can have the entire world serve you and you alone, and once again, Jesus said no.  

A third time Satan offered Jesus all the rewards of this world.  He took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor and said to Him, “All this I will give you, if you will bow down and worship me.”  Matthew 4:8.  

Here Jesus was offered all the wealth, fame, riches, and glory of being a leader in this world, and Jesus turned it down. 

Instead of being a leader looking for the rewards, Jesus led because He had a responsibility as the Son of God to love and care for others, and to save the children of God.  Jesus knew His responsibility was to seek and save the lost, to forgive and redeem all of humanity, and to proclaim and model what life in the kingdom of God is all about.  Jesus was not motivated by reward but responsibility, and He called his followers to do the same.  

James and John were two of the followers to whom Jesus specifically said, don’t look for the rewards in leadership.  James and John were brothers who had been with Jesus from the very beginning and they had emerged as leaders among the disciples.   As they looked at being leaders with Jesus, they wanted the rewards of leadership so they did what all good leaders do, they asked their mommy to ask Jesus to make it happen.  Matthew 20:20-21

Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.  “What is it you want?” he asked.  She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

After three years of trying to model for His disciples responsibility based leadership and a servant’s heart, here comes two of the best pupils Jesus had asking for the rewards of leadership.  They want position, power, glory, and authority.  Jesus’ response is clear.  Matthew 20:25-26a.  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you. 

Other people look for the rewards of leadership, Jesus said.  They want authority over others and the perks that go along with leadership, not so with you!  As my followers you are not going to seek rewards, or authority, or power, instead you are going to make an even greater influence by being a true servant leader.  

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  Matthew 20:26b-28

To lead like Jesus means we need to develop a true servant’s heart.  Now this may not be news to you, most of us have heard about the humility of Jesus and the willingness of Jesus to love and sacrifice for others.  We also know that Jesus called his followers to be servants.  This isn’t new, but it also isn’t easy.  Like James and John, we can watch Jesus and hear His call to be servants, and yet still struggle to have a servant’s heart and not seek the rewards of this world.  Because it is not easy, we need to guard our heart and daily work to align our heart with the heart of Jesus.

Let’s look at three ways we can not only evaluate the motives or our leadership, but work to realign our hearts at the same time:

1. Make Others Look Good.  If we are always trying to make ourselves look, then we are motivated by rewards not responsibility.  We are serving ourselves and not others.  So how can we make our lives about helping others look good?  Jesus did it by inviting others to be part of what He was doing and putting them out front.  

One of the greatest miracles Jesus did was to feed over 5,000 people, and while He could have made it all about Himself, He invited His disciples to actually take part in the miracle with Him.  First Jesus said to them, you feed them.  He wanted His followers to trust Jesus enough to do the miracle and be the heroes.  They struggled to do this, so Jesus asked them to give them all the food they had, which was 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.  Jesus then blessed the food and gave it back to the disciples to pass out to the people.  So now the disciples are the ones feeding the people and they are watching as 5 loaves and 2 fish feed over 5,000 people.  They are at the forefront of the miracle. They are heroes of the day - with Jesus.  

In this story, Jesus is not only a hero, but He is a hero-maker.  Jesus is inviting His followers to not lead for position or power but to care for and serve others.  As followers of Jesus, we need to make others look good, we need to be hero-makers.  There is a great book that many in the church have read called Hero-makers and I would highly recommend it.  This is one way we lead like Jesus.  

2. Seek God’s Approval.  As we think about how we live and lead, are we looking for the approval of people or the approval of God?  Reward based leadership looks for approval from those around us because when others are looking up to us, it makes them feel important, but this kind of approval is fleeting.  It will never last.  

The approval of others lasts only as long as we do a good job, or do what others want us to do.  If we make a mistake, or if we don’t do what people want us to do, the approval fades away and our sense of value disappears.  Instead of trying to live for the approval of the world around us, let us seek the approval of God alone.  Let’s live for an audience of ONE (God).  

Living for God’s approval means we first have to know God well and feel guided by God’s Spirit.  That only comes with a daily surrender to God’s word and will, and a daily willingness to listen for the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit.  Consistent prayer, Bible study, and serving others is what helps us live for God and God alone.  It is this kind of daily devotion that shapes a servant’s heart.  

3. Welcome difficult and honest feedback.  True servant leaders are willing to consider difficult and honest feedback because they know it will help them become stronger leaders, but this is not easy.  If honest feedback tears us apart, then chances are we are still seeking the approval of others.  If we can humbly take what others have to offer us and pray about it, consider it, think through it, and learn from it, then we are truly open to being a better leader.  

The truth is that none of us can grow in leadership on our own.  We need to be challenged by one another, encouraged by one another, and learn from one another.  We need others to speak into our lives and encourage us to be more than we ever thought we could be.  Next week, Justin is going to talk more about the importance of teamwork, but clearly one of the values of teamwork is that when we respect others, and work together as a team, it is easier for us to accept the feedback given to us.  

Jesus was always giving His team honest, and at times difficult feedback.  When James and John asked for positions of power, Jesus gave them difficult and yet honest feedback saying, that’s how other people lead - it will not be that way with you.  I’m sure that was difficult to hear - but they heard it, took it to heart, and became better leaders.  

A true servant’s heart, like Jesus’, works to make others look good, seeks the approval of God alone, and is willing to learn from honest and difficult feedback in order to be more effective.  A true servant’s heart also seeks to serve in every situation.  It’s not good enough to serve at home, but then not at work.  Or serve others at school, but then not in the community.  Or during the week, but then not on weekends.  A true servant's heart is looking for opportunities to lift others up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

The world needs better leaders and we are the leaders God is calling to influence others and change the world around us.  We don’t lead for the earthly rewards we might get, we lead because Jesus has loved and served us, and it is now our responsibility to love and serve others.  

Next Steps

Lead Like Jesus - Heart

What leaders have made a positive and lasting influence in your life?  If you have a chance, thank them for their leadership this week.  

How has the influence of Jesus changed our world?  

There are 2 primary motivations for leading: Reward and Responsibility.  From Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, how does Jesus reject reward and embrace responsibility.   Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus called His followers to reject rewards and embrace responsibility.  Matthew 20:20-28.   What can this look like in your life? 

Three questions to test our leadership motivation:

● Do I want to look good or am I trying to make others look good? 

○ What does it mean to be a hero-maker and not always a hero?  

○ How can you be a hero-maker this week?

● Do I want the approval of others or the approval of God?  

○ Why is seeking the approval of others so unstable? 

○ How can you live for an Audience of One this week?

● Do I welcome honest and difficult feedback?  

○ Why is good feedback important in our lives?  

○ Who can you invite to speak into areas of your life so you can be a more faithful follower of Jesus?  Whose wisdom might make you a better leader?  Ask them to help you this week.