“Be Somebody’s Hero”
I personally believe that each of us needs someone we can look up to and admire.
Someone we can pattern our life after and learn from.
Mannie Jackson, the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team agrees.
He says:
“I think we all have the capacity for commitment and a need to believe in something or somebody.”
Young basketball players lace up their shoes in the hopes that one-day they might play like Michael Jordon.
Little children naturally look up to their fathers and think that they walk on water.
What kind of leaders should we look up to?
There are all kinds of leaders aren’t there?
There are Political Leaders. There are Religious leaders. There are business leaders. There are leaders in the music industry. There are leaders in the art world in the world of literature.
There are leaders in the fields of guidance and counseling.
Let me ask you:
Who do you personally look up to?
Who do you admire?
I’ve discovered that many people in our world typically look up to someone for 3 different reasons.
People often choose to look up to somebody because either…
A. They Look Good.
Celebrities who are handsome or pretty, or fashionable.
Or they look up to them because…
B. They Are Good At Something.
Maybe they are a talented athlete or a gifted musician.
Many people look up to them because they are good at what they do.
Or they look up to them because…
C. They Do Good.
Many people looked up to Mother Theresa because of the good she did for humanity.
Over and over again the Bible tells us what kind of leaders we should look up to.
Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:13:
“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”
Paul says you should look up to your Christian leaders.
The writer of Hebrews say in Hebrews 13:7:
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”
God tells us over and over that we are to look up to Godly leaders, men and women who express the nature and character of God in their lives.
Now, you probably have someone that fits that requirement for you.
I’m sure you have someone in mind as I’m speaking; someone that you truly admire and look up to.
Now, let’s flip this over and look at the other side of it.
Just as you have someone that you look up to did you know that there are those who look up to you?
That’s right, you!
There is someone out there who calls you his or her hero.
They want to be like you. They want to talk like you. They want to walk like you. They want to do what you do.
Now, at this point some of you may be tempted to say, “But Pastor I am not a leader. Nobody looks up to me.”
I’ve noticed that there are 3 attitudes that each of us typically adopt when it comes to this issue of being someone others look up to.
The first attitude is…
1. The Naïve Attitude: Nobody Looks Up To Me.
Some people say, “Awh, Pastor, nobody looks up to me. I’m nobody’s hero.”
Let me ask you something.
Do you really believe that?
Do you really believe that NO ONE, not one person, looks up to you or admires you?
I believe its naïve to say that nobody looks up to us.
In fact, psychologists tell us that even the most shy introverted person will likely influence 10,000 people during their lifetime.
Then there’s
1. The Prideful Attitude: Everybody Looks Up To Me.
Have you ever met this kind of leader?
This is the kind of person who says in a conversation, “But enough about me, let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?”
I think this is a bit inflated and not very realistic.
Not everyone is going to like us much less look up to us.
Then there’s the third attitude.
2. The Realistic Attitude: Somebody Looks Up To Me.
As a father I am becoming more and more aware of my influence upon my children.
I read this poem once and it has made such a deep impression on me that I want to share it with you.
It’s called
THE LITTLE CHAP WHO FOLLOWS ME
A careful man I want to be,
A little fellow follows me;
I do not dare to go astray
For fear he’ll go the self-same way.
I cannot escape his eyes.
Whate’er he sees me do he tries.
Like ME he says he wants to be—
That little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go
Through summer suns and winter snows,
I am building for the years to be—
That little chap who follows me.
I don’t care who you are, somebody looks up to you.
You may say, “But I don’t deserve to be looked up to.”
Here’s the question.
When are you ready to become someone’s hero?
When will you know that you are ready to be looked up to by someone?
Here’s how you’ll know.
I’m ready to be someone’s hero when…
1. I Have A Faith Worth Following.
Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1:
“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
Paul told the Corinthian Christians
“Follow Me.”
I’m following Jesus, and you follow me.
For your faith to be worth imitating it does not have to be perfect but it does need to be genuine.
Paul complimented Timothy on his genuine faith in 2 Timothy 1:5 when he said,
“I thank God…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you.”
However, Paul also confronted Timothy about the fact that he was not using fully God’s gift in him.
Paul told Timothy to “stir up the gift of God which is in you.”
Timothy’s faith was real and therefore worth following even though it was a long way from being perfect.
When are you ready to be someone’s hero?
When you Have a Faith Worth Imitating.
Also,
2. I Have A Message Worth Communicating.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:7:
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”
These leaders were communicators.
They had a message worth communicating.
What was their message?
Their message was the Word of God.
Let me ask you something?
What is your life message?
What does God want to say to the world through you?
I’ve determined what my life’s message is.
My life’s message can be summed up in two words…
JESUS SAVES!
That’s it.
My life’s message is that Jesus saves.
What’s your life’s message?
Roger Ailes who works for Fox News says:
“You are the message. What does that mean exactly? It means that when you communicate with someone, it’s not just the words you choose to send to the other person that make up the message. You’re also sending signals about what kind of person you are…”
What is your life’s message?
And thirdly,
You’re ready to be someone’s hero when…
3. I Have A Life Worth Remembering.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 13:7:
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”
The writer said, “REMEMBER those who rule over you…”
Remember them, don’t forget them.
Let me ask you this.
What do you want to be remembered for?
What do you want others to say about you when you die?
Have you ever thought about that?
DO YOU HAVE A LIFE WORTH REMEMBERING?
Paul told the young Pastor Timothy in I Timothy 4:12:
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Paul lists five areas where we need to be good examples for others in our lives.
If you want to be someone others can look up to then pay attention to these 6 areas of your life.
1. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!
In Friday’s News Journal there was a FrontPage article that ran under this title…
“Biden’s Mouth gets in way of presidency”
The subtitle read:
Remark stereotypes Indian-Americans
Here’s how the opening paragraph reads.
“They say one thing standing between Joe Biden and the White House is Joe Biden’s mouth.”
Biden said as he was talking to an Indian man, “You cannot go into a Dunkin’ Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent.”
Biden has since apologized for the incident.
Now, here’s a leader that many people look up to.
And He has to be careful, like all public speakers about what comes out of his mouth.
James says in James 1:19a,b:
“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…”
If you want to be someone others can look up to then THINK BEFORE YOUR SPEAK.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
2. DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
When Paul mentions conduct he’s talking about DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.
Living a righteous life as determined by God.
Doing the right thing is being an example to others in our conduct.
Now, there are many examples of people who do the wrong thing.
I was talking with a friend of mine this past Friday who is a Senior Pastor.
He was telling me about an unfortunate situation that had negatively affected his outlook on Christian leaders.
He was doing business with a woman who is a Christian.
She was in leadership at her church.
She was a faithful attender, server and worker at her Bible believing church.
She was an insurance agent.
My friend had worked with her to purchase a million dollar insurance policy for his church.
6 months after making the deal my friend learned that this woman had not sent the church’s check to the underwriter.
For six months the church had no policy when all the while this woman said they did.
She lied to them and stole their money.
She did this in fact to other people, some of whom were Christians some of whom are not.
I share this with you to say, “Our actions speak louder than our words.”
Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit.”
Our conduct is the major way we can be a positive or negative example to others.
If you want to be someone others can look up to then DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
3. GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS!
When Paul mentions love, he’s not referring to the romantic mushy feeling we sometimes have.
He’s talking about a deep love that causes one to sacrifice on behalf of the one loved.
It’s a love that moves us to give up our rights and focus on what we can give rather than what we can get.
Have you ever heard of a man named J. Paul Getty?
J. Paul Getty was at one time the riches man in the world.
He became a millionaire at the age of 23.
He was an oil man and amassed his fortune in that industry.
There were two things Getty was known for.
Being successful and being stingy.
In 1973 Getty’s Grandson, Jean Paul Getty was kidnapped by a gang in Italy.
The kidnappers demanded a 17 million dollar ransom from the billionaire.
But Getty refused to pay them.
Only when a part of the boys right ear was cut off and mailed to a newspaper in Rome did he finally give in and pay them.
Except even then he wouldn’t pay them the entire amount.
He only payed 2.7 million, saying that was all he could raise.
Getty’s grandson was finally found alive near Naples, but he had endured 5 long months of captivity as well as torture.
Where was this grandfather’s love?
Some may say, “But didn’t Getty have a right to be tight with his money? It’s his money. He earned it.”
But what Getty had the right to do isn’t the point.
The question is:
What would love do?
I certainly don’t look up to a man like that, do you?
People may have wanted his money, but nobody wanted his character.
Fortune magazine may have said he was a success, but history says that as a leader J. Paul Getty was a loser.
Jesus said in John 15:13:
“Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
If you’re going to be someone others can look up to you’ve got to GIVE UP YOUR RIGHTS.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
4. DO AN ATTITUDE CHECK!
Paul uses the word spirit, which refers to a person’s basic attitude.
Sometimes we say about a person, “She has such a sweet spirit about her.”
What we’re talking about is her attitude.
And if you and I are going to be someone others can look up to it may be good to DO AN ATTITUDE CHECK, to see what kind of spirit we have.
It’s the like the story of the grandpa and a grandma visit their grandchildren very often. Each afternoon the grandpa will lie down for a nap. One day, as a practical joke, the kids decided to put Limburger cheese in this mustache. Quite soon he awoke sniffing. "Why, this room stinks.." he exclaimed as he got up and went out into the kitchen., He wasnt there long until he decided that the kitchen smelled too, so he walked outdoors for a breathe of fresh air. Much to grandpa’s surprise, the open air brought no relief, and he proclaimed, "The whole world stinks"
Isnt it so true? We carry "Limburger cheese" in our attitudes, the whole world smells bad.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
5. MAKE A LEAP OF FAITH!
Paul in his use of the word faith is referring to this uncommon commitment to Jesus Christ and His cause that a leader needs to have.
A willingness to take a risk for God.
I read about a sign that was up on an office building that read…
DON’T LOOK—YOU MIGHT SEE.
DON’T LISTEN—YOU MIGHT HEAR.
DON’T THINK—YOU MIGHT LEARN.
DON’T MAKE A DECISION—YOU MIGHT BE WRONG.
DON’T WALK—YOU MIGHT STUMBLE.
DON’T RUN—YOU MIGHT FALL.
DON’T LIVE—YOU MIGHT DIE.
I would add…
DON’T COMMIT—YOU MIGHT LOOK SILLY.
Real leaders don’t care as much about what people think of them as about what people think of their Lord.
I don’t want to be a good example because I want you to think well of me, but because I want you to think well of Jesus.
And you and I represent Jesus Christ as his ambassadors.
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example of the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
6. DON’T LOOK FOR GREENER GRASS!
Paul mentions a 6th and final area where Leaders are to be a Godly example to others.
He says, “Be an example…in purity.”
He’s talking about sexual purity.
Keeping our lives free from immorality and lapses of integrity.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll says this about looking for greener pastures.
“Often one seeks greener grass on the other side, only to find when he gets there it’s not edible. Sometimes, however, it is. But if the grass is greener on the other side, you can bet their water bill is higher.”
If we’re going to be somebody others can look up to we’re going to have to stay in our own pasture.
And not look for greener grass elsewhere.
The Sexual misconduct of leaders is not a new subject.
• We all remember the Clinton Scandal.
• At the same time we all remember the Jimmy Swaggert Scandal.
From the white house to the church house there have been many moral failures.
Too many to count and talk about.
Suffice it to say that in order for us to be worthy of the respect of others, we need to stay sexually pure in our lives.
Some of you have faced the ugly side of this leadership failure.
What do you do when that happens?
How do you respond?
Well, you do what Hebrews 12:2-3 commands us:
“…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. ”
You look to Jesus.
Jesus is our hero.
When men and women fail us, Jesus never fails.
I was touched recently by hearing what the novelist Anne Rice.
Anne Rice writes fiction books.
She writes books about vampires.
Several of her books were turned into movies that starred people like Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
In 1998 Anne Rice had a near death experience that changed her perspective on life.
In 2005 Rice said publicly, “I promised from now on that I will only write for the Lord.”
In an interview with Christianity Today Anne Rice said, “Christianity achieved what it did because Jesus rose from the dead.”
She went on to call Jesus “the ultimate supernatural hero.”
Let me ask you.
Is Jesus your hero?
