Sermon Central
-
Flip-The-Funnel Leadership
By Steven Furtick on Dec 2, 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
-
Senior Pastor: Friend Or Foe
By Josh Griffin on Feb 1, 2018
Veteran youth director Josh Griffin gives seasoned advice to senior pastors on developing their relationship with their youth ministry leader.
-
Remembering Why You Said Yes To Pastoring
By Chuck Warnock on Feb 7, 2018
There are times in a pastor's life when the clarity of our call fades, discouragement clouds our memory, and we wonder, "Why did I ever want to be a pastor?"
-
Busting Out Of Sermon Block
By Haddon Robinson on May 28, 2020
Give your sermons new life every week with this timeless advice from Haddon Robinson.
-
The Barnabas Factor: Five Practices To Help You Find More Leaders
By Larry Osborne on Feb 16, 2018
Larry Osborne explains "the Barnabas Factor" in successfully building church teams.
-
The 25 Most Influential Preachers Of The Past 25 Years
By Michael Duduit on Feb 13, 2018
Preaching magazine editor Michael Duduit takes on the challenging task of naming the most important preachers from the recent past.
-
Leadership And Church Size Dynamics
By Tim Keller on Feb 14, 2018
Tim Keller explores one of the most talked-about church issues: the relationship of size to church health and culture.
-
A Renewed Mind: The Practice Of Humble Thought
By Robert A. Fryling on Feb 15, 2018
Robert Fryling explores the human mind as a vital partner to the body and spirit in spiritual growth and renewal.
-
The 5 Most Dangerous Assumptions In Preaching
By Dr. Larry Moyer on Feb 20, 2018
Evangelism specialist Larry Moyer says there are five dangerous assumptions in preaching, and the extent of the damage they do may vary, but the fact that they are costly does not.
