Sermon Central
-
Flip-The-Funnel Leadership
By Steven Furtick on Nov 29, 2011
Is it wrong to ask God to increase your leadership platform?
When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
Luke 9:33-35
In my experience, a lot of people use these verses to say that we shouldn’t try to be great. That things like ambition, aspiring to be a leader, or wanting God to increase your platform are straight up unbiblical. Not good at all.
But when you read these verses, you can’t really find that idea at all. Jesus didn’t say, stop trying to be great. He just said, get there a different way. Flip the funnel and put yourself at the bottom, and that’s how you’ll become great.
You find this same idea when you study the life of John the Baptist. It’s interesting that Jesus had no problem calling John the greatest man ever. If it is bad to be great, you would think Jesus would avoid that terminology. But once we understand why Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest man ever, it makes perfect sense. It wasn’t because he was greater than Jesus. It was because he had this attitude about Jesus:
He must become greater; I must become less. (John 3:30)
There is nothing wrong with wanting to be great. In terms of your performance. Or your influence.
But what you have to ask is:
Why do I want to be great? And how am I going to get there?
If you want to be great, be great for God’s sake.
If you want to be great, be great in a way that makes Jesus even greater.
If you want to be great, be a servant of all.
If you want to be great, flip the funnel. Put yourself at the bottom.
Related Preaching Articles
-
Relational Leadership Part 2
By Lance Witt on Jun 29, 2017
Jesus cares just as much about how we treat people along the path to fulfilling our vision as he does if we accomplish the vision.
-
7 Things That Get Harder As Your Church Grows
By Carey Nieuwhof on Jun 29, 2017
Ever think that growth will solve all your problems?
-
When A Private Apology Is Not Enough
By Joe Mckeever on Jun 11, 2017
"Nothing is so lovely and so welcome and so healing in a church as for a member to go before the congregation and admit to his/her destructive behavior and ask for forgiveness."
-
Relational Leadership Part 1
By Lance Witt on Jun 29, 2017
What is the key to relational leadership?
-
The Most Necessary Thing
By Thomas Brown on Jun 11, 2017
Greater is the value of personal intimacy with God than busyness for him. Service must follow surrender and solitude.
-
10 Disciplines Of A Godly Pastor
By R. Kent Hughes on Jun 11, 2017
Our ultimate trust is always in God's persevering grace, nevertheless, we are called to cultivate godly action in our lives. Here are 10 disciplines shared by a pastor with over 40 years of experience in faithfully serving the Lord and shepherding God's people.
-
The Dangerous Work Of The Pastorate
By Mark Batterson on Jun 11, 2017
We are all in a battle. We are born on a battlefield between good and evil. We must choose sides, and then the fight good fight, a fight in which pastors and ministry leaders must lead the way.
-
Five Steps To Respond To A Hurtful And Hateful Email
By Thom Rainer on Jun 11, 2017
“You have no business being the pastor of our church. All you are interested in is getting your own way and changing all the good things we have going. People are saying you should be fired. I agree with them.”
