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.  

Joyride - Hope

This month we are taking a joyride through the NT book of Philippians and learning from the Apostle Paul how we can experience more joy in our lives.  Joy doesn’t come from the places we often think it does.  For example, joy isn’t just found when everything is going well.  Paul talked about the joy he had, and he was writing this letter while he was sitting in prison, bound up in chains.  Last week we heard that joy doesn’t come when we promote ourselves and push to get what we want but actually comes when we are willing to give to and elevate others.  Joy comes with humility and not selfish ambition.  Today we are going to talk about the joy we can experience when we place our hope in God and not in the word.  

Before Paul became a follower of Jesus, he was a rising leader in the Jewish community, and he placed all his hope for the future in himself.  In Philippians 3, Paul said he had hope for his future because he had the right heritage, the right training, and the right temperament to get all he wanted in life.  Paul’s hope for the future was based on his own position and ability, but once he met Jesus, he was willing to give all of that up and put his hope in God.  Paul literally left behind everything he knew, and all that he trusted in, to embrace Jesus as his Savior and Lord and place his hope in Christ.  

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection -from the dead.  Philippians 3:7-11

For Paul, joy was not going to be found in the things of this world or from the things that Paul could get on his own.  Joy was not going to be found in Paul's own goodness, strength, or ability, it was going to be found in Christ.  Paul said he wanted to know Christ and experience the power of Christ's resurrection.  He wanted to experience the power of life over death, victory and freedom over sin, and eternal joy, but any hope of experiencing these things would come only by giving up all things to trust in one thing, Jesus.

As we focus on hope today, let’s be clear about what we mean.  For the world, hope is a feeling or desire that what we want to happen in the future, will happen.  This kind of hope is  wishful thinking.  I hope I get good grades on the test.  I hope I get the job.  I hope things go well for me.  But biblical hope goes much deeper.  Biblical hope is the confidence that God will provide a better future.  It is the anticipation of God’s fullness and power in our lives and in our future.  The circumstances we go through may not be easy, and we may not get what we want, but we are confident that it is God’s plan for us.   

I have been inspired by the hope that I have seen in my sister and brother in law.  In many ways, their story has paralleled Paul’s.  They were willing to give up all things for one thing, a deeper relationship with Jesus, because they knew that this one thing was better than everything they had previously put their hope in.  A few weeks ago my brother in law, Tom Nealley, was here and he shared with us some of their story.  

In the eyes of the world, my sister and brother in law had everything.  Tom had a great job, they had a beautiful home, and they were financially secure.  They had everything, but after they began to walk more closely with Jesus, and heard God’s call for the church, and their own lives, they began to wrestle with what God wanted for them.  I watched as they began to give up all things for Christ.  

When Tom took the job at their church, I watched them sell the house they built and downsize to a smaller house.  Then they downsized again to a townhouse.  They moved several times as they heard God’s call, and they went through periods of uncertainty and frustration, but never once did I hear them say that they ever regretted the choices they made.  They never looked back.  It was their hope that kept them looking to God’s future and trusting in God’s plan.  Watching them on this journey over the past 20 years, I can honestly say that while things have not always been easy, they have found joy.  As Tom said, they have better stories for their lives, they have grown and matured in life, and they have more faith, more hope, and more joy.  

While God may not be calling you to give up all things the same way they did, God is calling all of us to live with that kind of hope.  Are we willing to place our hope in Christ alone and live the way God calls us to, even if it means giving up those things we lean on in this world?  Can we live with this kind of hope?  

If this is the kind of hope we want guiding our lives, Paul shows us three ways we can find it.

1. Hope looks to the future.  Not only does Paul say that everything he trusted in this world is garbage, but he says that he will never look back but always look forward. Philippians 3:13-14.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Hope doesn’t look back to what we have done in the past, or what we trusted in before, hope always looks to the future and what God promises to do for us in the days to come.  It was a vision of what God wanted for the church that kept my sister and brother in law moving forward.  They continue to have hope that God will use them to bring about this vision and as they live with this hope they have more joy.

2. Hope looks beside you.  If you want to be a more hopeful person, hang out with more hopeful people.  Philippians 3:17

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 

After Paul chose to follow Jesus as his Savior and Lord, he went away for 3 years to study and learn.  While we aren’t sure of all that took place during this time, or who Paul was with, he clearly was with people of hope who also trusted in Jesus.  Part of the transformation in my brother in law’s life was that he too spent time with hopeful people.  He spent hours each week in some pretty intense Bible study, and he sought the input from people who became spiritual leaders in his life.  He also walked through it all with my sister and their family.  It was hopeful people around them that made all the difference.

If we want to grow in hope, and increase our faith and trust in God, we need to hang out with hopeful people who place their faith and trust in God.  This doesn’t mean we find perfect people who have already arrived, it means we walk with others on the journey of faith and then learn and grow together.  This is why small groups and being part of a true community is so important.  We need one another to help keep us going in the right direction.  We need one another to give us confidence and courage when things get difficult, and to remind us that our failures are not final.  We need one another to help us forget what lies behind us and keep looking to God’s future for us.  We can’t do it alone.  

3. Hope looks above you. Any real hope for our future will not come from looking around us to the things of this world but from looking above us.  Let’s face it, our government is not going to provide for us.  Our economy is not going to provide for us.  Our healthcare system is not going to provide for us.  If we place our hope in any of these things, or any other system in this world, it will let us down.  Hope for our future comes from looking to God.  

Paul ends this part of his letter with these words.  

Philippians 3:20-21  Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.  

The truth is that we don’t need more of this world to make us more hopeful, and more of this world will not bring us more joy.  What we need is more of Jesus.  We need more faith in Jesus, more trust in the power of God, and more hope in the future God has for us.  None of these things are found by looking around us, they are only found by looking to God.  Instead of looking at the promises that more wealth makes to us, or the promises that our government makes to us, let’s focus on the promises God makes with us.  

This week, I invite you to spend time reflecting on 12 promises of God found in the Bible.  (You can find them in the next steps online or at the connection table.)  Reading, reflecting, and trusting in these promises can help us place more of our hope in God, and the more hope we have in God, the more joy we will experience in life.  It is these promises, and many more, that inspire us, and they help us forget all that lies in the past, and all that we once trusted in, and hoped for, and allows us press on toward the goal, which is to know Christ more.  

The goal is more joy and that comes with more hope, and more faith.  And many times faith and hope only come when we are willing to give up all things for the one thing that is better than all, Jesus Christ.  So let us forget what lies behind and strain toward what is ahead.  Let us press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

Next Steps

Joyride - Hope

Read Philippians 3:1-11

● What things did Paul give up in order to place all his hope in Christ alone?  

● What things of this world do we often place our hope and trust in?  

● When has God called you to give up all things, or even one thing?  

Hope looks to the future.  Philippians 3:13-14

● What in your past do you need to let go of?

Hope looks beside you.  Philippians 3:17

● How can you connect with more hopeful people?

Hope looks above you.  Philippians 3:20-21

● Use these 12 promises of God to help you find hope in God alone

12 Promise of God

God gives strength to the weary - Isaiah 40:31

God gives us rest - Matthew 11:28-30

God’s love never fails - Isaiah 54:10

God redeems us - Colossians 1:13-14

God fights for us - Exodus 14:13-14

God gives us wisdom - James 1:5

God forgives our sin - 1 John 1:9

God lifts us up - Matthew 23:12

God never forsakes us - Deuteronomy 31:6

God gives us eternal life - John 3:16

God provides for all our needs - Philippians 4:19

God has a plan for our lives - Jeremiah 29:11

Joyride - Humility

This week we are continuing our joyride through the book of Philippians.  As Pastor David shared last week, Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi references joy 16 times in just 104 verses, and his message shares with us how we can get the most joy out of life.  It’s important to remember that Paul wrote about joy while he was sitting in prison, so joy is not determined by our circumstances.  We can be chained up in all kinds of problems but still experience joy because God, who is the source of all joy, is with us.  

Today we are going to talk about something that can not only help us experience more joy in life but can also make us more popular among our friends and more productive at work.  And here is the best news of all - it doesn’t cost a thing and it is available to each and every one of us.  Humility.  

A few weeks ago, Justin gave us a great working definition for humility.  Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less.  While this might be easy to say, it can be difficult to live because in countless little ways we put ourselves first all day.  For example, studies show that the average person checks their phones 150 times a day.  If we spend just 60 seconds checking out the text or notification that comes, we have spent 2 ½ hours of our day simply looking at our phones.    

We have become addicted to our phones.  Many people now openly admit that they are addicted to their phones, and when we hear the chime telling us that we got a text message or email - we have to immediately see who is contacting us.  Even if we are meeting with someone else, or spending time with family and friends, we will set it all aside to see who wants us, or needs us.  

And if we can be honest for a moment, while social media is a great resource because it keeps us all connected and allows us to share our lives and interests with one another in some great ways, it can also consume us.  When we start living for likes, we might not like how we are living.  Because our technology has the ability to turn our hearts inward, we have to guard against this, and one way to do that is to remain focused on humility. 

In Philippians 2, Paul begins to make the connection between humility and joy.  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  Philippians 2:1-4

While Paul says we will make his joy complete by being humble, the truth is that our joy will be complete when we are willing to be humble.  One reason that humility brings joy is because we were made to be humble.  Think about Adam and Eve, they were created to be children of God and to surrender themselves to God’s will and love.  What got them in trouble, and what started to make everything fall apart, was that they abandoned humility and gave in to pride and selfish ambition.  It wasn’t enough to be children of God, they wanted to be God. They wanted more for themselves.

Because we have been created to be humble, when we humble ourselves, we experience joy.  And when we see humility in others we are drawn to it and feel a sense of joy.  What many people lament about professional (and even college) sports right now is that so many players make it about themselves.  Many athletes today don’t use their talent and natural ability to elevate a team, or inspire a city, or even lift up a nation like in the Olympics, they simply want to promote themselves.  They use their position to get noticed on instagram, tiktok, and twitter because the more attention they get, the more endorsements they get, and endorsements bring money and power and position.  While these people do have their following, it is often the humble heroes, and those who put team and others over self, that we are drawn to.   

The Olympics are coming up and they often give us amazing stories of humility.  Five years ago at the Olympic Games in Rio, Nikki Hamblin and Abby D’Agostino were competing in the women’s 5,000 meter race.  When Nikki had to slow her pace at the back of the pack, Abby bumped into her and both women went down.  Nikki got up and was about to keep on running when she saw that Abby was hurt so she went back to help her up. (Pic 1)  She said, come on, we have to keep going.  Nikki helped Abby over the finish line (Pic 2).  She was not thinking about herself but of someone else.  What continues to bring joy from this story is that today Nikki Hamblin is a women’s running coach- still helping others up, and Abby is on the Olympic team going to Tokyo.  

It used to be that we looked for and even demanded this kind of humility from our leaders, but no more.  On both sides of the political aisle it seems that the more arrogant and loud and self-serving you are, the farther you can go.  Perhaps it is the lack of humility among our leaders today that has created the division and dissension we experience.  In other words, what we are seeing is that without humility - there is no joy.  

Even in business, studies have shown that it is the humble leader who excels and makes companies succeed.  It is the humble leader who not only experiences joy but shares it with their employees helping them all do better.  Several years ago, there was a great business book written by Jim Collins, called Good to Great.  The book looks at several businesses that went from being good companies to truly great ones and what caused their transformation. While they wanted to exclude top leadership from this evaluation, they realized they couldn’t because what they found is that every great organization had a humble leader.  

The eleven good-to-great CEOs are some of the most remarkable CEOs of the century … The good-to-great leaders never wanted to become larger-than-life heroes. They never aspired to be put on a pedestal or become unreachable icons. They were seemingly ordinary people quietly producing extraordinary results. … It is very important to grasp that Level 5 leadership is not just about humility and modesty. It is equally about ferocious resolve, an almost stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company great.

Resolve, determination, and a strong desire to succeed are good things.  Ambition is a good thing.  What Paul says is that selfish ambition is bad.  Selfish ambition, when we only care about ourselves and getting what we want, when we are determined to put our ways and our wants first, that is what will destroy a company, or a team, or a marriage, or our nation. While it seems like we would experience more joy when we get what we want, the reality is that we experience more joy when we give to others and work to lift everyone else up.  

Humility can make us more productive at work, and it can make us more popular because humility lifts others up and makes others grateful.  We all want to be around humble people who work to lift us up.  Thinking less of ourselves and putting others first is one thing we can all do to not only increase joy in others, but add joy to our own lives.  Paul goes on in his letter to show us exactly what humility looks like, and as you might guess, it looks like Jesus.  

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8

This is perhaps one of the oldest New Testament passages we have and it is called the Christ Hymn because we believe it was the words of a psalm or hymn that people used in the worship of the risen Jesus.  Literally, people were singing about the virtues of humility that were seen in Jesus and they were calling upon themselves and others to embrace that same mind, heart, and spirit.  

Jesus was truly humble.  Jesus was God, but He was willing to limit Himself and enter into this world as a human being.  He gave up the glory and power of heaven to come into this world.  And even as a man in this world, Jesus was willing to not be served but to serve, and not to surround Himself with riches, but with people who needed Him.  

Being humble isn’t easy.  We all want the recognition of being great, and we want the accolades of others, but all of that is fleeting.  Wealth and power and position don’t last, but the joy we feel when we are humble and serve others does.  It not only lasts but it lifts us up.  When we are humble, God lifts us up.  

We were created to be humble so we can make intentional choices every day to grow in humility.  Let me share three of these choices with you.  

1. Sit with the lowly.  This is what Jesus did.  Jesus didn’t stay seated at the right hand of God in heaven, He chose to come to the earth and literally sit with us.  Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be held on to.  He gave up all He had in heaven to sit with us on earth. 

Once here on earth, Jesus again chose to sit with the lowly.  Jesus didn’t sit with kings, high priests and religious rulers on thrones of power, He sat with children, fishermen, tax collectors, and sinners.  Jesus chose to sit with the lowly and He gives us an example of humility that we can choose to follow.  Who will we choose to sit with this week?  

At work, is there someone who needs some encouragement or support, someone that no one else gives much time to but needs someone in their corner?  How can you sit with them this week?  

Who are those who are often overlooked and forgotten in our community?  How can we sit with them this week?  

How about sitting with some children at VBS, or sitting with some of our homebound members?  If you fill out the opportunity card we can help you find wonderful seats where you will experience joy.  

2. Take a back seat.  While we all might want to ride shotgun through life, what might it look like to take the back seat.  Jesus didn’t elevate himself, He gave everything to elevate us.  He took a back seat, He died on the cross, so that our sins could be forgiven and so we could be lifted into the presence of God.  

In your marriage, what would it look like to elevate your spouse's needs before your own?  At work, can you help promote the work of someone else and let them shine?  Even here at the church, are you willing to take a back seat for someone else?  In many churches it is the back seats that are coveted, so taking a back seat might mean moving up front, or to the center of the aisles. 

David shared last week how so many of you were willing to take a back seat when we returned to worship this Easter.  Many of you took a back seat and moved to the cafe so that others could have a seat here, and what many of you found by taking a back seat was joy.  You truly enjoyed worship in the cafe!

 3. Serve beneath your status.  Jesus served beneath his status.  Again, Jesus was God in the flesh, He had all the power of heaven in his hands and yet it was Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples when no one else wanted to do that job.  At work, are you willing to take on the tasks that no one else wants to?  At home, can you do the chores that no one else wants to do?  And what about the church?

At my church in Altoona, a man came to me one week and said, do you know that there has been a piece of paper under the pew in front of me for the past several weeks.  Our custodian must not be doing a good job.  I wanted to say to him, did you ever think of picking it up yourself?  That work was below his status.  

What I love about Faith Church is that so many people are willing to serve in lowly positions.  When we first opened up for worship after the pandemic it was our church leaders who committed to wiping down the sanctuary after each service.  When I spoke to other pastors who said their churches wanted to open up but no one wanted to clean after worship, I could say, it’s my leaders who are doing it.  

Maybe this is why there is so much joy here at Faith Church, because we have learned how to sit with the lowly, take a back seat, and serve beneath our status.  These practices not only bring us joy, but they spread joy and instill joy in others.  We make our joy complete when we embrace humility.  

If you want to experience more joy, and if you want more of the power and love and adventure of life, pick one of these three activities and practice humility this week.  Humility will make us more popular, it will make us more productive, and it will provide joy in ways that nothing else can. Humble yourself before the Lord, the Bible says, and when we do, God will lift us up.  

Next Steps

Joyride - Humility

Read Philippians 2:1-18

When has being humble brought you joy?  

When has the humility you have seen or experienced in others brought you joy?

What stories of humility have inspired you to be humble?

The “Christ Hymn” (verses 6-8), outline the humility that is seen in Jesus.  How does this humility inspire you to follow His example?  What can you do this week to follow Jesus’ example and humble yourself?  

Three ways to practice humility:

1. Sit with the lowly

2. Take a back seat

3. Serve beneath your status

How did Jesus set the example of humility in each area?

When have you seen this kind of humility?

What one specific way can you practice this kind of humility this week?

The promise of humility is that God WILL lift you up.  See James 4:10.  Thank God for this promise and the joy that comes with humility.