LEADERSHIP - Character Quality # 16

A great leader lifts his/her lid by:

1                   Being a good follower

2                   Influencing

3                   Having vision

4                   Showing up

5                   Giving your all

6                   Taking initiative

7                   Reenlisting to follow

        One wouldn’t think that a great leader needs to be a good follower.  However, we all follow something – the important question is who or what do we follow?  Many people are ruined by choosing to follow the wrong people, ideas or philosophies.  Following Jesus is the only right choice for following.

PETER FOLLOWED

Matthew 4:18-20

 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."   At once they left their nets and followed him.

It also wouldn’t seem that being made a “FISHER OF MEN” is a good metaphor for leadership.  Fishing is passive – either the fish are biting or they aren’t.  Not true, a real fisherperson works hard and uses the right bait in the right location to attract the right fish to the net or the hook.  You influence the fish to come.

Lifting the lid of leadership ends where it begins and it starts all over again.  Notice how the scene below is similar in location and theme to the one above – at the beginning and near the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

PETER REENLISTED TO FOLLOW

John 21:12-19

Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.  Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.   When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"  "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."  Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."   Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"  He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."  Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."   The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."  Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.  I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."   Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Can you think of a time when your leadership lid has been lifted or when you have seen someone else lift their lid of leadership?

From the Heart,
Pastor Jeff Cooper

OBEDIENCE - Character Quality # 15

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.  I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.  So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.  And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.  So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”           Exodus 3:7-10

Put yourself in Moses' shoes for a moment and think about how you would respond to this situation. First off, he's talking to a bush that is on fire. This fiery bush claims to be God and though it's on fire, the fire doesn't consume it; it just continues to burn. Moses is convinced and God proceeds to tell him that He is about to do something for Moses' people; He is going to intervene on Israel's behalf. Imagine the joy Moses must have felt when God says, “ So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians.” WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!! Peel a grape, pluck a chicken, roast a heifer and bring out the bubbly, the Israelites are going to be rescued! I'm sure that joy was short-lived because two verses later God reveals the rest of the plan. The Israelites are going to be rescued and Moses is going to be the tool that God uses to make it happen. “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

If you are familiar with the story then you know that Moses immediately goes on the defensive and starts making excuses as to why he can't complete the task that God had given him.

Have you ever found yourself in Moses' situation; a situation where God has called you to do something? Perhaps it was a call to a particular ministry or job or even a call to witness to someone. How did you respond and how did the situation play out?

*What will Moses do? Will the Israelites ever make it out of Egypt? Will the fire ever consume the bush? Come find out this Sunday morning!

(*These questions are all rhetorical and necessary to complete my shameless plug.)

Director of Student Ministries, Joel Stamper

WORSHIP - CHARACTER QUALITY # 14

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.   For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.  In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.  Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.  For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."  So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

There are two parts two this Psalm.  The first part tells us what and why we worship and the second part tells us what not to do.  Can you make a list of the what (to and not to do) and whys of worship from the scripture above.  In so doing, you will discover that in the very act of listing them out you are in the midst of an act of worship.  Feel free to add other aspects of worship from scripture or from your experience as well.

Local American Baptist pastors met today and each shared a favorite worship experience at some point in their lives.  The range of experiences was vast from being alone with God, to being in a giant crowd, from being loud to being quiet and much more.  What has been one of your favorite worship experiences?

From the Heart,
Pastor Jeff

PATIENCE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 13

1 Timothy 1:15-17   Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

Proverbs 19:11     A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Gal 5:22   But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…

Col 3:12    Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Adopt the pace of nature:  her secret is patience.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.  ~Stanislaw J. Lec (1909 - 1966)

Not Yet Made

          Dr. Leon Tucker, a gifted preacher and teacher, once told of a woman who had been broken by a great tragedy in her life. She had been living under the crushing weight of a heavy burden for so long that praise had given way to complaint. Finally she cried out in bitterness of soul, “Oh, I would to God I had never been made!” In response to her rebellious words a friend wisely replied, “Why my dear child, you are not made yet; you are only being made, and you are quarrelling with God’s process.”

          I was going to ask some really great questions, but I have decided to make you wait for them.  Instead, for now I will ask how you have experienced the patience of God and how you have exhibited or experienced patience in your life?