That’s right, you are! No matter how hard you want to run from it, escape it, dodge it, dip it or elude it; it’s going to find you. You don’t have a choice about the matter and it can be overwhelming and most assuredly should be taken seriously. Many have failed at and others are eternalized in the chronicles of history for it. More people are called to it than they realized, that’s including you…….you are a LEADER!
At the end of Matthew 28 Jesus commanded his disciples to go out into the rest of the world and make more disciples. I want to establish this premise from the beginning: If you’re a believer, then you are a leader! How can such a bold statement be made? You have to be a leader of men/women if you want to make disciples out of them. Discipleship is so important, it was Jesus’ last words. Leadership is a term thrown around without consequence too much these days. There are literally thousands of authors who have written and are writing on leadership. Leadership is much less complex than we make it. The quality of leadership can be evaluated through the following attributes:
Show genuine care by putting others before you (John 15:13)
Follow through on commitments (2 Timothy 4:7)
Never sacrifice integrity or character (Proverbs 28:6)
Be disciplined, do the right thing (2 Timothy 1:7)
Walk in the fruits of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
Serve God by Serving Others (Matthew 25:40-45)
Love God and your Neighbor (Mark 12:30-31)
All of these attributes require putting something or someone ahead of yourself. Second premise to establish: It takes sacrifice to create disciples. Leaders are willing to make sacrifices for others. Convenience is a luxury that believers can’t afford. People aren’t convenient, they are WORK! Acts 20:35 says, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” I believe all of this translates to Genuine Care. People are more drawn genuinely caring individuals than to knowledge or intelligence.
Third Premise: Genuine care is shown through Acts of Service. Time is the most valuable asset any of us possess. Time does not discriminate between culture, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Investing your time serving others on and outside of Sunday displays genuine concern. We just had a single mothers event, we probably don’t appreciate how huge of a blessing that was to many of the moms that came. That’s genuine care! For those who sacrificed that Saturday and worked that event, you were leading by example. We had about a dozen youth there emulating and working alongside the adults. You were sowing into the next generation and establishing a culture of Sacrifice for the Kingdom! That’s why serving at outreaches and on Sundays is so important! You are being LEADERS by example to future generation, and by your character and discipline, giving them an model to follow so they can one day be LEADERS.
By: JB Farris
Volunteer Coordinator
