FOLLOWING JESUS INTO THE UNKNOWN 2018 - Leading the Way
February 18, 2018
Hebrews 13:17 (p. 845)
Introduction:
One of my favorite poems ever written is a take off of the famous Footprints poem…It goes like this:
Butt prints in the Sand
One night, I had a wondrous dream;
One set of footprints there was seen.
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord, “What have we here?”
“Those prints are large and round and neat,
But, Lord, they are too big for feet.”
“My child,” He said in sombre tones.
“For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait.
You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk-of-faith you would not know.
So I got tired and fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt,
Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.”
The Key truth to being a follower of Jesus, a disciple, is that you’re following Him…He’s your leader.
Disciples are made…they are learners and they are doers. Jesus said “Come follow me,” and His disciples did…He stayed close enough that He could share life with His disciples, but He constantly pushed them forward…He showed them the way by example, and loved them back when they got off track. Jesus modeled what following God was like…He knew people aren’t changed by coercion or intimidation, but by example.
Jesus knew there was a huge difference between a “Boss” and a “Leader.”
Bosses tell you to “GO.” Leaders say “LET’S GO.”
Every Jew in Jerusalem lived under a boss. Rome and it’s authority occupied Judea. Roman law was absolute and then soldiers were there to enforce those laws…It’s the exact reason Jesus tells His disciples:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.” (Matthew 20:25)
Basically Jesus says, “The bosses of the world love to tell you what to do…and they love sitting behind their desks making you do it.”
But then He teaches His followers…“Not so with you. Instead whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Jesus said, “Great leaders must first become great servants.”
Jesus knew that leaders reproduce what they are…Jesus was a servant-leader. It was His model for disciple making when He walked the earth…and it’s still His model for His church.
Gardenside is filled with servant leaders…some of them have official titles and many of them don’t. But all of them understand good leaders are good servants and we reproduce what we are…and if you insist on leaving butt prints in the sand…they will not drag you.
The writer of Hebrews knew that leadership in the church is extremely rewarding, filled with the joy of seeing lives being changed, but it’s also extremely difficult if not supported and encouraged.
It’s why he says:
I. OBEDIENCE IS HOW WE HONOR THOSE WHO LEAD WELL
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority.”
Obedience and submission don’t come naturally to our sinful and rebellious hearts. The rejection of authority does. The anarchy flag was raised in the Garden of Eden by our spiritual parents…and that nature inhabits every single human soul.
We don’t like it when our parents set down rules. We don’t like it when the government tells us how fast to drive or where to park. We struggle when church leaders make decisions that affect our comfort.
George Barna has a new volume called “Moral and Spiritual Anarchy.” He flatly states that moral anarchy has arrived and rules our culture today. The argument hinges on…a substantial amount of attitudinal and behavioral evidence: record bankruptcy levels, frivolous lawsuits, the rapid growth of the pornography industry, highway speeding as the norm, income tax cheating, computer hacking and viruses, rising levels of white collar crime, rampant copyright violations (movies, books, recordings), terrorism and intimidation tactics, net-based plagiarism, emotional comfort with lying and cheating, increasing rates of co-habitation and adultery, and so forth.
Moreover, Barna takes the argument farther and suggests that the United States is now in a state of spiritual anarchy as well. He mentioned that millions of people’s faith activity is no longer affected by parameters such as church loyalty, respect for clergy, acceptance of absolutes, tolerance of Christianity, reverence for God, a desire to strive for personal holiness, sensitivity to theological heresy, and appreciation of tradition. The rejection of these elements has created a void that has been filled by the customized spirituality that lacks biblical moorings. Obey and submit are not two words that find an easy place in our rebellious hearts. In a climate where we mistrust leadership…sometimes because they’ve disappointed us with their character or their direction…whether it be preachers or politicians…we become cynical of motives…and the cynicism brings about judgment and criticism.
I’m not going to say a great deal about those outside the church because that is not the major emphasis in our text. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome (Romans 13:1) and said, “Everyone must submit themselves to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Nero, the evil Roman emperor was on the throne when Paul wrote these words. And that’s something to consider whether you are a Republican or Democrat. We are to pay our taxes, pray for those in authority, and obey the laws of the land. Yes, we are to obey God before men…and if a law is unscriptural we should speak the truth with love…not violence. But we are to understand God has ordained these powers…He is in control. Vengeance is His…not ours. And most importantly we are building His kingdom, not an earthly one…and an earthly kingdom without laws leads to chaos.
But our text isn’t talking about government officials…it’s talking about leaders in the Church.
II. INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD
“They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.”
Jules Ormont said, “A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibility.”
The responsibility of leading others to follow Christ more closely is heavier because for those whose who desire it, and are gifted by God to do it, one day they will have to see how successfully they've accomplished the job. My heart aches with this responsibility for our elders, our deacons, our staff, our teachers and ministry leaders...asking others to follow me as I follow Christ is sobering.
It's hard work to admonish, counsel, warn and caution. It's hard to make big picture decisions when you know people will get mad because it affects their little pictures. It's hard to follow Jesus by faith when many tell you it can't be done realistically. It’s hard to know so much…and keep on loving instead of becoming judgmental. It's hard to know that your failures will be put under a microscope and your victories will get very little credit.
It’s tough to stay in the game when you’re tired, bloody and beaten…and people from the stands are booing. Support your ministers and leaders. They know they are accountable to God for how well they shepherd and guide the flock. Obedience is one of the greatest proofs of effective leaders. John Maxwell says, “Leaders will not experience long-term success unless a lot of people want them to.” And when that occurs…
III. JOY IS THE RESULT
I know without a doubt our Elders at Gardenside Christian Church desire and courageously lead this body of believers to be “A family committed to loving Jesus and others so our neighbors, community and world can experience Good News.”
There is no greater joy for us than when that truly happens. When people obey Christ in this pursuit leadership isn’t a burden, it’s a joy…And this joy is the lifeblood of a growing, healthy body.
The word for minister in the New Testament means “servant,” as does the word “deacon.” The term that’s used more often than any other to describe the role of an elder is “shepherd” along with “overseer.”
None of these individuals or any other ministry leader will be perfect. They are called to be people of character, people who will be an “example to the flock,” but what really sets all leaders apart is the joy that comes in sharing life with those they oversee. It takes time, a lot, to do it effectively. It takes a willingness to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. As Lynn Anderson said, “Shepherds smell like sheep because they are close to them.” Sheep follow shepherds they know and trust. That takes an investment of yourself that few are called to make and are willing to make. As Fred Smith said, “Leadership is both something you are, and something you do.”
[Francis of Assisi once invited an apprentice to go with him to a nearby village to preach. The young monk quickly agreed, seizing an opportunity to hear his teacher speak. When they arrived in the village, St. Francis began to visit with the people.
First he stopped in on the butcher. Next a visit with the cobbler. Then a short walk to the home of a woman who’d recently buried her husband. After that a stop at the school to chat with the teacher. This continued throughout the morning. After some time, Francis told his disciple that it was time to return to the abbey.
The student didn’t understand. “But we came to preach,“ he reminded. “We haven’t preached a sermon.”
“Haven’t we?” questioned the elder. “People have watched us, listened to us, responded to us. Every word we have spoken, every deed we have done has been a sermon. We have preached all morning.”
St. Francis said, “Preach without ceasing; if you must, use words.”]
When Jesus invited the disciples to “come and follow Him” He knew He couldn’t heal all the sick, release all the captives, feed all the hungry, or teach all the people. But what He did do was pour Himself into His followers. He shared life with them for over 3 years. They had private times of discussion and learning…He taught them to pray by word and action. These zealots, fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, and Pharisees knew Jesus had called them. He was their leader and they followed “in His steps.” Sometimes they argued, sometimes they failed, sometimes they spoke when they should have listened…but He was preparing them to love others as He had loved them…and He would fill them with His Spirit to empower them to do just that.
They would be witnesses of His resurrection and the world would be changed because of their testimony.
And as they went people would say “These men have been with Jesus.”
The joy of leadership isn’t getting our own way. Joy doesn’t come from having power to “boss” people around. There’s no joy when we leave butt prints in the sand.
Joy comes from following Jesus and helping others do the same.
