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© Lead Like Jesus 2007. All Rights Reserved

Lead Like Jesus

Sermon Series, Set 1

Developed by Bob Russell,

Former pastor Southeast Christian Church

Louisville, KY

3506 Professional Circle, Suite B

Augusta, GA 30909

800.383.6890 – t

706.863.8494 – t

706.863.9372 – f

www.LeadLikeJesus.com




THE HEART OF A LEADER

Mark 6:31-56

A little five-year old girl at the county fair was just beginning to eat a massive ball ofcotton candy. A passerby asked, ‚How is such a tiny girl like you going to eat so

much cotton candy?‛ She simply responded, ‚Well<I’m a lot bigger on the inside

than I look on the outside!‛

In this series on ‚Leading Like Jesus,‛ we’re going to discuss what makes an

effective, Godly leader. The very first and probably the most important

characteristic, is the long-term, dynamic leader always has a huge heart – a heart that

is bigger on the inside than is evident on the outside. The opposite is true also. The

flash-in-the-pan, egotistical leader may impress people at first, but it’s soon evident

that there is more bluster on the outside than there is substance on the inside. The

servant leader who motivates the masses over the long haul is the one with a big

heart.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of the kind of heart a successful leader

needs. Let’s examine several incidents from his life that are recorded in Mark 6.

Take note of how the huge heart of Jesus made him such an effective leader, and then

let’s seek to lead from within as he did.

Jesus’ Heart Was a Spirit-filled Heart.

‚Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance

to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Sothey went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.‛

Jesus withdrew from the crowds to be alone with God and refresh his spirit.

Though He loved people and was accessible to them, he wasn’t a glad-hander. He

didn’t spend every day from dawn to dusk socializing with people and ministering

to people. No matter how strong you are, that is emotionally draining and everyone




needs a reprieve from it on occasion. While Jesus was fully God, he was also fully

man and he needed rest.

At the very beginning of his ministry Luke says that Jesus was full of the Holy

Spirit (Luke 4:1). To retain that healthy relationship with his Father, Jesus often

separated himself from the crowds to replenish his own spiritual energy. He spent

time alone with God. He got physical rest. He spent time developing and teaching

his closest disciples.

Here are two Coke cans. One is full; the other is completely empty.

Externally they don’t look any different. But just a little pressure on this one crushes

it. But I can put much greater pressure on the second can and it doesn’t buckle. Thedifference is one is empty and the other is full.

We often can’t see the content of a person’s character. We don’t know what’s

going on in the heart. But when people are easily crushed by pressure, temptation or

suffering it’s an indication of emptiness within.

When we read that a national Christian leader has cheated on his wife and

embarrassed the Kingdom of God, most everyone is shocked. We all ask, ‚What

happened?‛ ‚How could a guy preach so strongly about family values and yet not

be faithful to his own wife? He seemed so spiritual!‛

A.W. Tozer wrote that, ‘No man suddenly goes base‛. For some time, behind

the scenes there has been a gradual erosion of the inner man. There has been a slow

corruption of the heart in ways that are not discernable even by his closest friends.

But when the pressure comes, character counts – big time! The condition of the heart

really matters.

That’s why even Jesus took time out to replenish his spiritual energies. He was

not only sensitive to his own need to rest and renew his heart; he was sensitive to the

need of his associates to do the same. Sometimes high-energy leaders do not




understand that their associates may not have the same level of vitality they do and

they wear them out. Not Jesus. He invited His disciples to come with him to rest.

Leading from the Inside Out

In his book, Conformed to His Image, author and teacher Ken Boa has an entire section

pointing out that a Godly leader leads from the inside out. ‚External action should

derive from internal reality, and this requires a rhythm of solitude and engagement,

restoration and application, intimacy with Christ and activity in the world.‛

‚The life of Jesus illustrates this pattern of seeking significant time to be alone

with the Father so that he would have the inner power and poise to deal with theoutward pressures imposed upon him by his friends and enemies. People who

work and minister without adequate restoration through prayer and meditation do

not have the interior resources to manifest the fruit of the Spirit in a stress-filled

world. During the quiet times of the devotional life, we gain the perspective and

power we need to live with character and composure in the context of daily

demands. ‚In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your

strength.‛ (Isaiah 30:15) (Ken Boa – Conformed to His Image, Zondervan 2001) (page

272)

A Christ-like leader’s heart should be filled with the Holy Spirit. A leader

should be like a full cup; he/she just splashes over and blesses others who are near.

But too often we feel like a half-empty vessels, having to tilt way over to pour

anything out. When the heart is empty, leading becomes forced and hypocritical.

Years ago when comedian Charlie Chaplain was visiting in Monaco, he saw

an advertisement for a ‚Charlie Chaplain look-alike contest.‛ He decided to enter it

anonymously<..and he came in 3rd !

Maybe people’s image of you is markedly different from who you really are

inside. They assume you are walking your talk and leading from inner strength. But




in reality their perception of who you are is nothing like the reality of what’s on the

inside. Maybe there needs to be a regular replenishing of spiritual resources and a

renewing of the heart so that it is healthy.

Admittedly what renews one person spiritually may not work for someone

else. I have a preacher friend who writes his sermons at Starbucks. There is

something about being around people that energizes him. That would drain my

resources fast. I couldn’t concentrate in that environment. I need to be isolated from

people. But it works for him.

Sometimes young preachers ask me how I recharge my spiritual batteries.

When I tell them that I sit in my family room on Saturday night and watch tapes ofBill Gaither’s music to get spiritually recharged many of the young ministers nearly

gag at my answer. That old-style music doesn’t do anything for them! But it does

for me. I sing along and weep and am deeply moved and revitalized.

Once you understand what replenishes your spiritual well, carve out the time

for it to become a regular practice in your life so you can lead from within. Jesus did.

He withdrew from the crowds to a quiet place to fill his heart.

Devotional writer Oswald Chambers wrote, ‚If I am devoted to the cause of

humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will

falter; but if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity

though men treat me as a doormat.‛

Jesus’ Heart, a Compassionate Heart

Mark 6:33-34 reads, ‚But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot

from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he

had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began

teaching them many things.‛




If I had been Jesus I would have been really aggravated at this point. He really

needed some time off. He’d been drained by the demands of the huge crowds of

people. He’d taught them, healed them, listened to them. He and his disciples had

been so busy trying to minister to people they hadn’t even taken time to eat.

In addition to the people burdens, Jesus had just received news that a close

relative and friend, John the Baptist was dead. John was not much more than thirty

years old and yet he’d been brutally executed by King Herod. Jesus’ heart was

heavy-laden and he needed some time to grieve and be alone.

When Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Let’s go to the other side of the lake for a

retreat they were undoubtedly elated. They were looking forward to some time off.Peter probably said, ‚I’m going to sleep and fish for a week!‛ Thomas may have

quipped, ‘I’m going to get off to myself where no one can find me and read.‛ They

got into a boat and rowed their way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

But when they neared the shore, to their horror, there were all these same

people waving to them, wanting to be ministered to by them again. Ken Blanchard

once said that if it hadn’t been for interruptions Jesus wouldn’t have had a ministry.

This is an unwelcome interruption; thousands of people had scurried around the lake

and beat Jesus and his disciples to the other side.

When I read this story I think of that popular movie, ‚What About Bob?‛

Psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin played by Richard Dreyfuss has been really looking

forward to a quiet vacation with his family. He goes to his retreat house on the lake

pumped up about his time off. But to his dismay he’s interrupted by Bob Wiley, an

extremely needy patient played by Bill Murray.

Bob Wiley takes a bus for miles, arrives in the vacation village, locates Dr.

Marvin’s house, knocks on his door and pitifully asks ‚Is this a bad time?‛ That

interruption is so resented by Dr. Marvin that it not only ruins his entire vacation, it

nearly destroys his relationship with his family.




Jesus Had Compassion on the People

Jesus was looking for privacy but encountered a crowd. The people lined up on

shore waving to him, ‚We’re back! Is this a bad time?‛ But Jesus didn’t resent the

intrusion. Look at his reaction. ‚When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had

compassion on them and healed their sick.‛

A Christ-like leader responds to people the same way. We don’t see people

as a mass of humanity to be manipulated for our own personal advantage. Neither

do we resent people as interruptions to our personal agenda – we see them as sheep

needing a shepherd.

A shepherd loves his sheep and knows them by name. A shepherd feeds hissheep by leading them to green pastures and still waters. A shepherd finds the lost

sheep and rescues them from peril even though it’s inconvenient or dangerous. A

shepherd puts the needs of the sheep above his own. That takes a compassionate

heart.

When I was in fourth grade our church got a new preacher who significantly

impacted my life. He was just twenty-four years old and quite a contrast to the

eighty-three year old minister who had just retired. I quickly came to love Brother

Bob Phillips. I’m sure some older believers thought his preaching was shallow since

he was so young and just beginning, but when he preached he told stories that I

understood and could apply to my life. He used humor and laughed and was so

human that he made the Christian life appealing. ‚If I ever became a preacher that’s

the way I would preach,‛ I found myself thinking even as a ten year old.

But what impressed me most about Bob Phillips was that he was a shepherd

who had a compassionate heart for his sheep. My favorite memory of him occurred

one evening when I was in the dugout, getting ready for a little league baseball

game. I was really surprised to see Brother Bob standing outside the right field fence

all by himself. No one else on our team belonged to his church. He just came to see




me play! I couldn’t get over that. That was time consuming but he was there

because he cared.

A few years later on a Friday night after an active week at a Christian service

camp, Bob Phillips came into the dorm and sat down on the end of my bed. He

somehow sensed I was a little troubled. An appeal had gone out for young men to

make commitments to become preachers of the gospel. I didn’t respond because I

hadn’t, ‚Felt the call‛ and I felt guilty about it. Bob gently patted me on the shoulder

and suggested that although I had not gone forward along with many others that it

was okay. He would be praying that if God laid it on my heart to become a preacher

in the future that I would be submissive to His will because I would, ‚make a goodone.‛

I can’t remember two paragraphs of what Bob Phillips preached, but his heart

for God and his compassion for people helped to shape my life and ministry for the

next five decades. That was leadership like Jesus.

Jesus Heart Was Also a Servant’s Heart

Look at Mark 6:35 and following. ‚By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples

came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people

away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves

something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him,

"That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on

bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see."

When they found out, they said, "Five--and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all

the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds

and fifties.‛

Jesus was the most effective leader who ever lived because He was sensitive

to what people’s needs were. When the disciples suggested the people were hungry,




Jesus didn’t flippantly dismiss the idea- ‚Let them eat cake!‛ ‚Isn’t spiritual food

enough for them? ‚They’re not going to starve to death if they miss one meal. This is

a good time to fast.‛

No, Jesus recognized the people were hungry and needed physical food.

Notice the contrast between Jesus and his disciples. They wanted to send the people

away. Jesus kept them there. They saw the cost as prohibitive. Jesus saw the

miraculous opportunity. They saw just one boy’s lunch being grossly insufficient.

Jesus saw one boy’s lunch as being multiplied into a bountiful meal. The Christ-like

leader sees opportunities where others see obstacles.

But Jesus was more than a visionary. He took appropriate action. He gotorganized. He had the people sit in groups of hundreds and fifties. He knew the fair

distribution of food would be much easier if they sat in smaller groups. He also

knew an accurate count of the people would be important in the future when this

miracle was retold.

Mark 6: 41- 44 reads, ‚Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to

heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before

the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and

the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the

men who had eaten was five thousand.‛

Jesus Didn’t Come to Be Served, But to Serve

Jesus met the needs of people where they were. He gave thanks for the food to

remind people that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift and with God all

things are possible. He broke the bread and a spectacular, inexplicable miracle took

place. We can’t explain it. Miracles are not meant to be explained but believed.




Jesus said, ‚I didn’t come to be served but to serve.‛ A Christ-like leader has that

same spirit. A servant’s heart is sensitive to the needs of people and envisions

practical ways to meet those needs.

Ken Blanchard has pointed out that the two primary threats to the heart of a

leader are pride and fear. We become prideful and think we can lead on our own.

We neglect intimacy with Christ and edge God out by busyness and negligence. The

Bible warns that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.

(Proverbs 16:18). Pride leaves the heart empty and vulnerable to temptation and

discouragement.

I heard about a frog that lived in a farm pond for years. But one year a terribledrought dried up the pond and the frog realized he was doomed. He came up with

an ingenious idea, however. He persuaded two of his duck friends to carry a twig

between their bills and he would clutch onto the twig with his powerful jaws and

they could fly him out to another bigger pond where he could survive. When they

took off it was a spectacular sight. They soared above the barnyard and a local

farmer looked up and saw them and mused out loud, ‚What an ingenious idea! I

wonder who thought of that?‛ The frog couldn’t resist the opportunity to get the

credit and said, ‚I diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid~~~!!!‛ Pride is deadly! That’s why, ‚God resists the

proud but gives grace to the humble.‛

Fear is also an enemy of the heart. Fear refuses to trust God and walk by faith.

It seeks primarily comfort and security. It fails to act unless all the bases are covered.

Lee Iacocca once suggested that a good leader makes a decision when 95% of the

information is in. If the leader waits until he/she is 100% sure, it’s too late. But fear

freezes in the face of risk. It delays and defers to committees. That’s why the Bible

encourages leaders to be strong and courageous and reminds them that when the

Lord is leading there is no need to fear.




The servant’s heart leads with humility and courage. It is willing for others to

have the glory and it is willing to take necessary risks that will benefit the majority.

It trusts God to provide through His miraculous power.

It’s interesting that in John’s account of the feeding of the 5000, the people

return the next day asking for Jesus to feed them again. He refused to do so, saying,

‚I’m not a bread Messiah. I’ve come to give you spiritual food that’s more

important. But because he wouldn’t feed them bread again, many of His followers

left and rejected him. Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave also. Peter

replied, ‚Lord, to whom shall we go, only you have the words of eternal life.‚

Jesus Meets More Than Physical Needs

Jesus was sensitive to people’s needs but he came to do more than meet physical

needs, he came to meet spiritual needs. That leadership meant he would be rejected

and wind up on a cross for the sins of the world. In dying he led his followers to

eternal life and the bread that would satisfy the soul. But he made it clear that, ‚Man

doesn’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.‛

Christ-like leaders don’t just give people what they want. They seek to

provide what people really need. What they need more than anything else is the

forgiveness of sins, the hope of eternal life and an ultimate purpose for living. Those

deepest needs of the heart can only be found through a commitment to Jesus Christ

as Lord and Savior.

‚Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and

he who believes in me will never be thirsty.‛ (John 6:35)

Pat Day and Elliot Walden are good friends and both are dedicated Christians.

Pat, a hall of fame jockey, and Elliott, a successful horse trainer, have led in

establishing a national chaplaincy program that ministers to the needs of the heart at

over two dozen race tracks across the country. Their ministry has already led




hundreds to know and grow in Christ. Friends at racetracks jokingly refer to Pat and

Elliott as, ‚The God Squad.‛

Admittedly, the two look a little odd together. Elliott, who has trained over a

thousand thoroughbreds who have wound up in the winner’s circle stands 6’ 3‛ and

weighs around 230. Pat Day, a Hall of Fame jockey who has won all three legs of the

Triple Crown, is a little man who stands 4’ 11‛ and weighs less than 110 pounds.

Pat Day is a dedicated, unashamed Christian. He testifies that early in his

career he was involved in drug and alcohol abuse but his life was dramatically

transformed the day he became a born-again Christian. When he was interviewed on

national television immediately following his long-awaited Kentucky Derby win, thefirst words out of his mouth was a Scripture verse that praised God for His goodness.

When Elliott and Pat greet each other with a hug, bystanders can’t help but

smile a little. Elliott bends way over to gently embrace the diminutive man he could

easily lift onto his shoulders. Physically Pat is half the man Elliott is. If, however,

you were to ask Elliott Walden who has influenced his life more than any other

person, he’d point to Pat Day as his num ber one spiritual leader.

In fact Elliott gave his life to Christ a few years ago when Pat Day shared his

testimony. He still looks to Pat as a spiritual mentor and regards him as a giant in

the faith. Elliott will be the first to tell you, Pat Day influences him and thousands of

others because he’s a lot bigger on the inside than he is on the outside.




THE HEAD OF A LEADER

Mark 10:35-45

Who in the world would want to be President of the United States? Don’t you

wonder about that sometimes? Being president is such a stressful job. The decisions

about the war, the economy, healthcare, etc. are life and death decisions that impact

so many people.

Who would want to be president and try to bring together all the diverse

views represented in Congress? How do you get the liberals and conservatives to

agree on anything? It has to be frustrating to try to build a consensus.The President lives under constant scrutiny too. Every day there is

unmerciful criticism from the media and sarcastic ridicule from comedians. Nearly

everyone evaluates your job performance – every day!

Who would want to be President? A lot of people. We have never had an

election where there was no one applying for the job. In fact, hundreds of leaders

from the political and business world jockey for the opportunity to run for president

most of their lives.

Two Motives of Leaders

There are primarily two motives behind the desire to be president or to hold any

position of leadership for that matter. One is the desire to make a positive difference.

That’s a noble motive. A leader feels called of God or driven by love of country to

enter the political arena to make the world a better place.

But there is a second motive - the desire to be important. This is a selfish

motive for leadership. What is it like to be able to wield so much power? To fly in

Air Force One? To have security guards protecting you and television cameras on

you? When you walk in the room every eye is on you. What’s it like to have people




anxious to respond to your every request? People pay thousands of dollars to just

get their picture taken with you? What an ego-boost!

Those two motives compete for dominance in the head of every leader, every

day. Do we lead out of a desire to serve others or out of a desire to be served by

others? Do we think of our task as guiding people to a noble goal or using people to

advance our own agenda?

Whether it’s the President of the United States , the CEO of a company, the

foreman of an assembly line, the coach of a little league ball team, the teacher in a

classroom or a parent in the home, every leader struggles with motivation. How do I

envision my task? It’s a daily battle to keep our thinking straight and our motivespure. People can start out with a noble goal but power can corrupt anyone over

time.

The gospel of Mark records an occasion when Jesus Christ dealt with this very

issue in the minds of his closest disciples. The story is recorded in the gospel of Mark

the tenth chapter verses 35-45. Two of his closest disciples, James and John came to

him requesting positions of prominence in His coming Kingdom. We can learn a lot

about the way a leader ought to think from Jesus’ response to them.

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. ‛Teacher," they said,

"we want you to do for us whatever we ask." "What do you want me to do for

you?" he asked. They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at

your left in your glory." (Mark 10:35-45)

The Selfish Mindset of the World

The request of James and John doesn’t surprise us much. Almost everyone has

ambitions and wants to get ahead. A chapter in J Wallace Hamilton’s book, Horns

and Halos in Human Nature is entitled, ‚Drum Major Instincts.‛ He contended that




we’re born with a desire to lead the parade, to stand in the spotlight, to be noticed by

others and be considered important. It’s instinctive.

You see that selfish instinct bubble up in little children. ‚Look at me,

Mommy!‛ ‚Me first!‛ ‚It’s Mine!‛ ‚See me, daddy!‛ Little children get jealous of

newborn siblings because they want to be first in their parent’s hearts. They don’t

want to play second fiddle.

Teenagers want to be first – in just about everything. They get jealous of those

who get higher grades, score more points, and get more attractive dates. They may

dress or act in bizarre ways just to get attention or be noticed.

We see the same drive for preeminence in adults. Watch athletic contests – it’sa competition for who is most important. Observe beauty pageants – it’s a

competition for who has the position of prominence. Take notice of office politics –

it’s often a maneuvering not just for more money, but for symbols of status.

Why do we build gigantic homes in the most prestigious neighborhoods? Do

we really need 10,000 square feet to live in – after the nest is empty? No. Usually we

have these outrageously huge homes and accumulate enormous indebtedness to

demonstrate our importance.

I say ‘usually’ because I asked one guy in his fifties why he had built a 14,000

square foot house when all his kids were gone. He said, ‚Well, it’s like this, in that

house, sometimes my wife can’t find me for two days!‛

James and John came to Jesus asking for positions of prominence and their

request shouldn’t shock us. It’s typical. It does surprise us a little that James and

John were so open about it. Most people are a little more subtle about their

ambitions but James and John were expressing a natural desire –to be important, to

have positions of influence in the coming Kingdom.

It’s interesting that Matthew’s gospel relates that James and John were

prodded by their mother. She came to Jesus asking, ‚Grant that these my sons can sit at




your side in the coming kingdom.‛ That’s pretty natural too. Most parents want their

children to get ahead.

Entertainer Don Rickles says he got his start because of his mother. Rickles

was doing comedy in small clubs when his mother moved to Miami, Florida. She

learned that Frank Sinatra’s mother lived in Miami and deliberately positioned

herself to meet Mrs. Sinatra and eventually said, ‚If your son ever comes to town, I

want him to hear my son.‛

Frank Sinatra went to hear Don Rickles at his mother’s request. The comedian

was told whatever you do don’t insult Frank Sinatra, he is sensitive to that kind of

thing.‛ But Rickles was himself and ripped on Sinatra. Frank’s bodyguards flinched but Sinatra thought it was really funny and promoted him. Don Rickles got his start

in show business because his mother campaigned for him.

High school basketball coaches relate that one of their biggest headaches is

dealing with overly ambitious parents. Parents want their kids to play more, to get

more shots, to be the star of the team. One college coach told me, ‚Every high school

player thinks he can play at one level above where he can play and every parent

thinks his kid can play at two levels above where he can play.‛ Overly aggressive

parents want to live out their own fantasies and become important through their

children.

Look at how Jesus answered James and John and their mother. Mark 10:38-40 ,

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am

going to drink?" "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from

my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for

whom they have been prepared by my Father."




Two Leadership Principles Jesus Taught

Notice two principles that Jesus taught here about the desire to lead. First, leadership

is almost always a lot tougher than we think it’s going to be. The disciples seem to

have forgotten what Jesus had just told them a few minutes before. Mark 10:33-34

reads, ‚We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the

chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over

to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he

will rise."

Jesus’ leadership role involved opposition, arrest, scourging and crucifixion.

‚Are you really ready to drink the cup I’m going to drink?‛ Jesus asked. They naivelysaid, ‚Oh yes, we’re ready!‛

We all have a tendency to see the other person’s job in its glamour moment

and fail to see the behind the scenes struggles. We see a doctor when he performs

successful surgery and saves someone’s life. The family thanks him and he drives

home in his expensive car to his big home and we say, ‚Wow! I’d like to be a doctor.‛

But we fail to see the years of expensive medical school, the hours and hours in study

and residency, the late night phone calls, the frustrating failures.

We see a basketball coach when he’s carried off the floor after a crucial victory

and we think, ‚It would be great to be a coach.‛ But we fail to see the late night

watching of game films, the frustrating losses, the rebellious athletes, the critical fans.

We see a CEO who draws a marvelous salary and who receives the applause

of shareholders for making the company prosperous and who is on the board of his

country clu b and we think, ‚I’d love to have my own company.‛ But we fail to see

the sleepless nights, the churning over weighty decisions, the anxiety of putting your

life-savings on the line, the critical letters and comments from angry employees.

‚Are you ready to drink from the cup I’m going to drink?‛ Jesus asked.




Leadership is almost always a lot more difficult than we imagine. A long-term

leader has to have a tough mind-set and think long-term. He can’t be easily

discouraged or distracted. A Christ-like leader is mentally tough in the face of

adversity.

Leadership God-ordained

Secondly, leadership is a God-ordained call. In verses 39-40, ‚Jesus said to them, "You

will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These

places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

Notice Jesus didn’t say, ‚No one should desire to lead.‛ ‚It’s wrong for you to

want positions of prominence.‛ ‚We’re all going to be equal in the kingdom ofGod.‛ No, he said, ‚These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my

Father.‛

God ordains some people for leadership. It’s a gift you can polish and

improve but you can’t be a leader unless God has gifted you to lead and called you to

lead and prepared you to lead.

Henry Ford was once asked, ‚Who should be the leader?‛ He said, ‚That’s

like asking who should sing tenor in a quartet.‛ In other words, the tenor has got to

be the guy who is gifted with a tenor voice. Any other choice is a disaster. The

leader is one who is gifted and prepared by God to do so.

A positive example is Joseph in the Old Testament. When Pharaoh offered

Joseph the position as the second most powerful man in Egypt, he willingly accepted

the role. Joseph didn’t refuse it. He didn’t say, ‚Oh, I’m not qualified. I’m too young

and I’m a foreigner. I’ve been in prison.‛

Humility is not insecurity. Humility is finding out what gifts God has given

to you and then using those talents for His glory and not your own. So Joseph

immediately accepted the leadership position and went to work.




Joseph didn’t feel guilty about the perks that came his way. You don’t read

that he refused to wear the gold chain, put on the signet ring, or ride in Pharaoh’s

chariot. He didn’t let those perks go to his head, but he took them in stride, because

he knew that God needed him in that position.

Proverbs 29:2 reads, ‚When the righteous thrive the people rejoice, but when the

wicked rule the people groan.‛ Joseph knew that if he didn’t accept the leadership

position there would be wicked, selfish people who would delight in taking it and

raking off all the profits for themselves. Then Egypt wouldn’t be prepared for the

famine and the people would suffer.

Psalm 75:6 says, ‚No one from the east or west or from the desert can exalt a man,but it is God who judges. He brings one down and he exalts the other.‛ Joseph knew that

God was exalting him and he accepted the role with grace. So it’s not wrong to have

a desire to lead. But understand it’s a difficult task and you must be gifted and

called to do it.

Mark 10: 41 says that when the other disciples heard about the brother’s

request for prominence, ‚they became indignant with James and John.‛ Why were the

other disciples angry at their friends? Was it because the two were being self-

promoting and unspiritual? I don’t think that’s it. They were angry because James

and John were trying to get ahead of them. They wanted the same positions of

power.

Abraham Lincoln was once asked what was wrong with his two sons. ‚Why

are they bickering?‛ He said, ‚The same thing is wrong with them that’s wrong

with the rest of the world. I have three walnuts and both want two.‛

There were only two seats beside Jesus and all twelve wanted one of those

seats of influence. This is what makes for turmoil on a team, politics in an office,

back-biting in a church, and strife within families.




The 24th annual survey of high achievers in high school revealed 78% admitted

cheating regularly for grades. World magazine reported teachers are assisting

students in SAT scores and padding attendance figures to enhance their record.

Would you want a doctor, a pilot, a pharmacist who had bluffed his way through

training?

Like James and John people want seats of prominence –that’s natural. The

problem is that some are willing to cheat, lie, manipulate and sell their soul to get

there.

The Servant Mindset of JesusIn verses 42-45 we read, ‚ Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who

are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise

authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you

must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of

Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The officials of the world love to exercise their authority. They love to bark

out orders, intimidate and threaten. Worldly leaders think leadership means

throwing their weight around.

I heard about a little boy who was fifteen minutes late getting home from his

school, which was only two blocks away. He came in obviously miffed about

something and his mother said, ‚Billy, I was worried about you. Why are you so

late?‛ He said, ‚Aw, Jeremy was the school-crossing guard today and he made us

wait for ten minutes until a car came so he could stop it.‛

Have you ever worked for a boss who loved to be in charge? He/she insisted

on titles and status symbols and submission to their authority? Jesus said, ‚Not so

with you! Whoever wants to be great among you should be the servant of all.‛




Christian leadership is counter-culture in thinking. Instead of, ‚Lording it‛

over people, the Godly servant seeks to serve those under him. Instead of

demanding attention, the servant steps out of the spotlight and looks for ways to

make those he leads look good. Instead of making decisions based on image

enhancement, the servant leader’s decisions are based on what will enhance the

organization. The servant leader doesn’t demand respect, he earns respect simply

because he walks his talk and cares for others.

The new CEO of The Marley Cooling Tower Company in Louisville, Kentucky

was struggling to gain credibility with his employees. He had been called in from

the home office to run the company, a producer of large refrigeration equipment.But it was obvious to him that things weren’t going too well. The morale was low

because he had to begin by making serious cuts and he sensed the workers in the

factory resented him as an outsider and resisted his attempts to unite and motivate

them.

But then one day one of the workers in the factory had a massive heart attack

while working on the assembly line. The CEO, having taken a course in first aid,

raced in and administered CPR to the victim. When the workers on the line saw the

CEO on his knees, in the dirt and grease, caring a lot more for their stricken co-

worker than the expensive suit he was ruining, their attitude toward him changed

dramatically. Even though the stricken man died, the CEO says from that moment

on the employees showed a new respect for him and began to respond to his

leadership.

Jesus Demonstrated Servant Leadership

Jesus Christ didn’t just talk about servant leadership, he demonstrated it by getting

down and dirty with the common people. Notice how his unselfish thinking was

evident in this same chapter of Mark’s gospel.




When some parents brought their little children to Jesus to bless them the

disciples tried to prevent them from interrupting the Lord. They thought Jesus had

more important things to do. But Jesus said, ‚No, let the little children come to me for

the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive

the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.‛

Jesus wasn’t too busy for the little people. These children couldn’t help his

image or advance His agenda but they were still important. Jesus didn’t give special

favoritism to the attractive, the rich or the famous. Beautiful people weren’t treated

differently than the common people.

In Mark 10:17 a rich young ruler came to him, saying, ‚What must I do to inheriteternal life?‛ The disciples must have thought, ‚This is more like it. This guy can

really help us. He can provide the kind of financial backing we need.‛ Jesus said, ‘Go

sell everything you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then

come, follow me.‛

The disciples must have been dumbfounded when they witnessed that. Jesus

never demanded that kind of sacrifice on the part of others. Why was he making it

so difficult for this influential man? They didn’t understand that Jesus was

demonstrating to the rich young ruler what his problem was – he loved riches more

than he loved God.

‚At this, the man’s face fell, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.‛ (v. 22)

Jesus didn’t show favoritism or make special concessions to the rich. His standards

were consistent for everyone. He was a servant leader, not an egotist who focused

just on catering to the important.

Contrast Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler with his response to a blind

beggar at the end of chapter 10. ‚As they came near Jericho a blind beggar from the side

of the road began screaming to Jesus to help him. ‚Son of David, have mercy on me.‛




Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet. He was regarded as a nobody

but the pitiful man realized this was his only chance and he refused to be silenced.

He barked even more loudly, ‚Son of David have mercy on me.‛ Jesus stopped and said,

‚Call him.‛ He was brought to Jesus and the Lord asked, ‚What do you want me to do for

you?‛ He said, ‚Rabbi, I want to see.‛ "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you."

Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.‛ (Mark 10:46-52)

Jesus’ thinking was counter-cultural. He let the rich man walk away and

searched out a poor beggar. He served those who couldn’t return the favor. He

served those who were in need even though they couldn’t give anything in return.

If we are to ‚Lead Like Jesus‛ we also need to think counter culturally. Wedon’t lead to accumulate more money, more power, or more attention. We lead to

benefit others. We give ourselves up for those who are in need of assistance. The

amazing thing is the more we lead like Jesus, the more effective our leadership

becomes.

The Level Five Leader

In his book From Good to Great , leadership guru Jim Collins surprisingly underscores

the importance of humility in business. He and his team spent years analyzing why

a few businesses moved from good to great and remained effective over a period of

time. One of the conclusions they drew is at the core of every great business is a,

‚Level Five‛ leader who does not have a gargantuan personal ego. Instead he is an

understated, humble servant leader. ‚More Abraham Lincoln, less General Patton,‛

Collins says.

Collins writes that a company would show a leap in performance under a

talented, yet egotistical leader, only to decline in later years. Lee Iacocca for example,

saved Chrysler from the brink of catastrophe, performing one of the most celebrated

turnarounds in American business history. Chrysler rose to a height of 2.9 times the




market at a point about halfway through his tenure. Then, however, he diverted his

attention to making himself one of the most celebrated CEO’s in American business

history. He appeared regularly on talk shows and personally starred in over 80

commercials, entertained the idea of running for president of the United States

(Iacocca boasted, ‛I could handle the national economy in six months.‛). His book,

‚Iacocca,‛ sold 7 million copies and elevated him to rock star status. But in the

second half of his tenure, Chrysler’s stock fell 31 percent behind the general market.

Collins says Iacocca is a Level Four leader - strong charisma, great talent and

huge ego. But Level Five leaders embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility

and professional will. They are ambitious to be sure, but for the company notthemselves. They don’t aspire to be put on a pedestal. They are described as being

quiet, humble, reserved, gracious, mild-mannered, self-effacing, not believing their

own clippings, not demanding to be center stage.

Don’t you love it when the studies of the secular culture verify what the Word

of God has been saying all along? Proverbs 29:23 says, ‚A man’s pride brings him low,

but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.‛ 1 Peter 5:6 reads, ‚Humble yourselves, therefore,

under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.‛

George Washington was a good example of a level five leader. Time and

again he sacrificed his own welfare for that of his troops. He inspired soldiers to

endure hardships and fight with incredible courage. Following the revolutionary

war, King George of England anticipated that George Washington would be

crowned King of America. When he heard that Washington had no desire to be king

and just wanted to return to his home in Mount Vernon, King George couldn’t

believe it. ‚If he does that he’ll be the greatest man who ever lived,‛ the king of

England quipped. Washington did and that explains why a few years later the new

colonies insisted George Washington serve as the first president and why he’s

considered to be one of the greatest leaders America ever had.




Jesus is the perfect example of a Level Five leader. His greatest act of service

was His willingness to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus didn’t die a

martyr’s death but a vicarious death. Jesus died deliberately as a substitute for our

sins.

Imagine a condemned murderer during his final hours on death row. He

anxiously stalks the cell like a caged lion knowing that his execution is to take place

early the next morning. He’s fully aware that this is the end. All appeals have been

exhausted and there is no chance of a last second pardon. His dreaded date with

death, which has been on the calendar for over a year, is now only hours away.

But late that final evening the prison gate clangs open as a priest is admitted tohis cell and the two are left to talk in private. But this is no ordinary priest. He is the

identical twin brother of the condemned criminal. Since he’s dressed in the priestly

hood and robes, the eerie similarity between the two goes unnoticed by the prison

guards.

In the seclusion of the cell the priest persuades his brother to quickly exchange

clothing with him. A few minutes later the condemned criminal, now dressed in the

priestly garments, is escorted outside to freedom. The next morning it is the priest,

now dressed in prison garb, who is escorted to the electric chair and who willingly

dies in the place of his brother.

Jesus’ Sacrificial Love

It’s hard to imagine that kind of sacrificial love. It’s hard to fathom that kind of

unselfishness and grace. But that’s a picture of what Jesus Christ, our elder brother,

did for us. Since ‚the wages of sin is death‛ we stood condemned to die for our

multiple violations of God’s law. The Bible says we were, ‚dead in trespasses and sins.‛

But Jesus Christ came into the prison of this world to rescue us. He came ‚to

free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.‛ (Isaiah




42:7) He came to willingly take the punishment that we rightfully deserve. He offers

to let us walk out into complete freedom dressed in the robe of His righteousness

while He accepts the death penalty on our behalf.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, ‚But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was

crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his

wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own

way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.‛ (Isaiah 53:5-6)

At Calvary the punishment that we deserve was heaped on the innocent body

and soul of Jesus. What amazing love! What incredible grace! What an unbelievable

sacrifice on our behalf! Because of what Jesus endured for us, when we trust him asSavior and Lord we are totally free from condemnation. Free from the second death.

Free from the guilt of our sin.

All that was made possible because Jesus was a servant leader who put our

welfare above His own life.

‚Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above

every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and

under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the

Father.‛ (Philippians 2:9-11)

“Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.”




THE HANDS OF A LEADER

Luke 6:45

A lonely, homesick soldier sat on his bunk late one night reading a love letter from

his girlfriend. She poured out her heart about how much she missed him and

wanted to hold him in her arms again. He could see the tear stains on the perfumed

note that she had written.

After six weeks of basic training his heart was so heavy he couldn’t stand it

any longer. He tossed a few items in his duffle bag and bolted for the exit right then

and there. As he raced through the gate an armed sentry yelled, ‚Halt!‛ ‚Halt or I’ll

shoot!‛ The determined young soldier just kept high-tailing it toward the airportand shouted back at the sentry, ‚My mom’s in heaven, my dad’s in hell and my

girlfriend’s in Chicago and I’m going to see one of them tonight!‛

When we really feel something deeply in our hearts, it’s going to burst forth

into behavior – right or wrong. Jesus said, ‚The good man brings good things out of the

good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his

heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.‛ (Luke 6:45)

Usually the clearest indication of what is going on down deep inside a person

is how they talk. The most reliable expression of who a person is, is their speech.

Someone said, ‚The mouth is the billboard of the heart.‛

Sometimes that’s good – If the heart is filled with the Holy Spirit and

compassion it will be evident by words that encourage and inspire. Sometimes it’s

bad – If the heart is filled with bitterness and hatred it will spew over into profanity

and threats.

But the point is this: there is a direct correlation between the internal thoughts

of the heart and the external behavior of an individual. Solomon said, ‚ As a man

thinks in his heart, so is he.‛ (Proverb 23:7)




Today we are going to talk about the hands of a leader. The hands represent

behavior. Once our heart and head are in alignment, a change in behavior is to

occur. Leading like Jesus is not a theory; it is a lifestyle to be practiced in our total

life.

Jesus demonstrated how a leader should behave in his relationships with

other people. That behavior is illustrated clearly in four incidents recorded in the 6th

chapter of Luke – this same chapter where Jesus talked about the expressions of the

heart. Notice some facts about Jesus’ hands that anyone who wants to lead should

emulate.

Jesus’ Hands of Protection Verses 1-5 reveal that Jesus’ hands were hands of protection. “ One Sabbath Jesus was

going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them

in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, "Why are you doing what is

unlawful on the Sabbath?"

The disciples were being scrutinized by the legalists of their day. Someone

defined a legalist as a person who is afraid that someone somewhere is actually

enjoying himself. Legalists seem determined to suck the joy out of everyone’s life –

including their own.

The Pharisees were legalists. They considered themselves the watchdogs of

the law. They didn’t have much tolerance for anyone who didn’t follow their rigid

traditions. The Pharisees were offended that Jesus’ disciples were picking grain and

eating it on the Sabbath. That was work. They were harvesting and threshing on the

holy day.

Jesus came to His disciples’ defense. In verses 3-5, ‚Jesus answered them, "Have

you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the

house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat.




And he also gave some to his companions." Then Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord

of the Sabbath."

Let’s say you drive through a yellow light that turns red as you enter the

intersection. Then you see a policeman sitting at the red light in the oncoming street

and your heart skips a beat. But then you glance in the rear view mirror and notice

that the guy behind you came through the light too. You’re relieved because you

know he’s a whole lot more guilty than you. If one of you is going to be stopped it’s

going to be him, not you. If the policeman pulled you over and let the guy behind

you off the hook, you’d be a little upset.

Jesus used that line of reasoning to show the Pharisees how hypocritical andunfair they were to find fault with His disciples. ‚Your hero David ate the consecrated

bread from the holy place in the tabernacle because he and his companions were hungry. You

never say a critical word about David and yet isn’t that a lot worse than picking and eating a

little grain on the Sabbath.‛

Jesus’ logic was irrefutable and defended the disciples against the Pharisees

accusations. A compassionate leader just naturally seeks to protect those who are

loved.

Southern comedian Jerry Clower relates that his son was the place-kicker on a

really good high school football team. In an all important game, his son missed a

critical field goal attempt and a loud-mouthed fan sitting three rows in front of

Clower started ripping on his son, calling him a loser and a choker.

Jerry Clower is a big man with a short temper. He said it took every bit of

Christianity he had to restrain himself from just ‚clocking‛ the guy. By the end of

the game he’d cooled down just a little but he couldn’t stand it any longer. He went

up to the loudmouth critic and towering over him growled, ‚Sir, I just want you to

know that Jesus Christ saved your life tonight!‛ The guy said, ‚What are you talking

about?‛ Clower said, ‚If I hadn’t become a Christian a few years ago, I would have




killed you tonight with my bare hands when I heard you bad-mouthing my son.

Jesus Christ saved your life tonight!‛

If you love your child, you instinctively want to protect your child against

anyone who would do harm. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, ‚Love always protects.‛

Jesus lovingly used his hands to protect his children. When he encountered

false teaching and immorality in the temple, he made a whip with cords and drove

out the moneychangers and released the caged animals. He explained, ‚My house is

to be a house of prayer and you’ve made it a den of thieves.‛

Any leader who cares about people will seek to protect them from that which

is potentially damaging to their welfare. Maybe its false teaching that can spreadlike gangrene (2 Timothy 2:17) Maybe it’s flagrant immorality that like yeast can

contaminate the whole loaf. (1 Corinthians 5:6) Maybe it’s a divisive spirit that hurts

morale and needs to be confronted. (Titus 3:10) A good leader is perceptive to

potential dangers and courageously deals with them when necessary.

Patrick Lencioni is a business consultant and author of the popular books, The

Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Five Temptations of a CEO. He tells that while

consulting with one business, he discovered the same concern in many interviews.

There was one vice-president named Fred whom nobody liked who was spreading a

rumor that the CEO had selected him as his successor.

Lencioni went to the CEO and said, ‚Have you tagged Fred to succeed you?‛

He said, ‚Oh no, Fred couldn’t do it. He’s not very respected by the staff.‛ Patrick

Lencioni said, ‘Do you know that he’s been telling people that you have chosen him

as the next CEO?‛ He responded, ‚Yes, I know he’s been spreading that rumor‛.

Lencioni asked, ‘Are you going to tell him to stop?‛

The CEO’s answer was, ‚I don’t have the time or energy to do that.‛ Lencioni

couldn’t get over his response. Think about that. Here was a guy creating

considerable unrest with an untruth. How much time would it take to pick up the




phone, dial the number and say, ‚Hey , Fred! I understand you’re telling people I’ve

picked you for my successor. That ticks me off. You better stop or something bad is

going to happen to you. Have a good day. Goodbye!‛

Why don’t we do that? Why don’t we confront the predators that threaten the

flock? We say we don’t do it because we don’t want to upset the person. We don’t

want them to feel bad. So we let things ride.

But the real reason is we are people pleasers. We want people to like us and

we don’t want to feel bad. And the result is we all feel worse and the entire

organization suffers. That’s why the Bible says clearly, ‚If you have anything against

your brother go to him personally and tell him his fault, just between the two of you and if helistens to you, you have won your brother over.‛ (Matthew 18:15) A Christ-like leader’s

hands have to be hands of protection sometimes.

Jesus’ Healing Hands

In verses 6-10 of Luke 6 we see Jesus’ healing hands. “ On another Sabbath he went into

the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The

Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they

watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.‛

Jesus’ heart of compassion resulted in practical assistance to needy people.

Jesus noticed this person whose right hand was shriveled up. Was he injured at

work? Did he have carpel tunnel syndrome? Was it a birth defect?

We don’t know, but it certainly negatively impacted his life and made routine

activities difficult. Ever try to fasten a button or tie a bow with one hand? Ever try to

bait a hook or pound a nail with one hand? This guy’s ability to make a living was

terribly impeded.

Again the sniveling Pharisees were watching on the fringes to see if Jesus

would do something to justify criticism. If you try to lead, if you try to help people,




not everyone will approve. There will always be some who resent your leadership

and seek to undermine your efforts.

They complain that you haven’t considered all the ramifications, filled out all

the appropriate forms or checked with all the supervisors or government agencies.

Maybe they accuse you of egotistical motives. Eventually they can wear you down

and discourage you from trying anything new or doing anything to help.

Jesus ignored the critics and sought to help the man with a disabled hand.

Read verses 8-10 with me. ‚But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man

with the shriveled hand, "Get up and stand in front of everyone." So he got up and stood

there. Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to doevil, to save life or to destroy it?" He looked around at them all, and then said to the man,

"Stretch out your hand." He did so, and his hand was completely restored.‛

On January 25, 1999, a team of surgeons in Louisville, Kentucky performed

the first hand transplant in the United States. The news story reported that the

surgeons ‚attached a donor hand, wrist and portion of a forearm to a 37-year-old

man. The patient, Matthew David Scott of Absecon, New Jersey, lost his hand in a

1995 firecracker accident. The hospital said he had been using a prosthetic arm.‛

Newspaper photos of Matthew Scott revealed a man absolutely thrilled to

have a new hand. But two thousand years ago Jesus restored a withered hand

without any donor, any pain or any rehab. Think of the joy that this miracle brought

to the man who was healed. He had to be ecstatic.

So often Jesus touched people to heal them. He touched the untouchable

lepers and they were made whole. He touched the eyes of blind beggars and they

could see. He touched the ears of the deaf and they could hear. He touched the body

of a dead girl and she rose up.

If we want to lead like Jesus we should be perceptive to that which disables

people and limits their potential. Like Jesus we should seek to bring healing to those




who are hurting. Like Jesus, we disregard the criticism we might receive and

overcome the cost of the procedure. A Christ-like leader is a healer of hurts and a

restorer of souls.

Jim McGinnis relates the account of an American soldier in Italy during World

War II. As he was walking through the mountains, he came upon a statue of Jesus.

It was partly hidden behind some tall weeds. As he approached the statue, he

noticed that the hands of Jesus were broken off and nowhere to be found. As he sat

meditating on the handless statue, an inspiration came to him which he wrote on a

piece of paper and placed under a rock at the base of the statue. He gave the statue a

6-word name – "I have no hands but yours." Suzie Snyder is a physician with such a keen mind that she is board certified

in both internal medicine and pediatrics. However, Suzie doesn’t live in a plush,

suburban home in the States but in a Spartan mission cabin in Kenya, Africa. Suzie

and her husband David, a business administrator, have operated a medical mission

in Massai land for over a decade. They live miles from electricity and modern

conveniences. In that remote place, they raise their children, minister to the hurting

and try to bring Christ to those who need Him so desperately. Suzie and David

have become the hands of Jesus to the needy in Massai land.

Charlie Vittitow leaves his successful dental practice in the U.S. several

months out of each year and does medical mission work in Afghanistan and other 3rd

world countries that are dangerous destinations. Charlie is not living the safe,

comfortable life style of many of his peers. He’s felt a burden for the needy and is

giving a good portion of his life to reaching out to them and trying to lead them to

Christ. Charlie has become the hands of Jesus in Afghanistan.

Doctors, dentists, nurses can minister to hurting bodies and bring healing by a

touch. But the rest of us can aid emotional healing by a touch – a comforting hand on

the shoulder of someone who is wounded, a warm handshake to someone who is




lonely; a few handwritten words of concern can make all the difference in the world

to people who hurt.

On a short-term mission trip to the Ukraine in 1998, Bob and Kathy Drane fell

in love with a two-year old orphan girl named Olla that Kathy held in her arms. The

Dranes went against reasoned judgment, (both were in their late 40’s), adopted her

and brought her to America. Olla is their second child

That compassionate outreach turned into a series of incredible events that led

the Dranes to institute an adoption pipeline into the Ukraine that has resulted in an

organization called, ‚Hopeful Hearts.‛ As of this date , over 200 babies have been

adopted by Christian couples through that channel. Bob and Kathy Drane have become the hands of Jesus to two hundred children and their families. And they will

tell you they have never been more fulfilled.

If you would lead like Jesus, lift up your eyes and see the pitiful conditions of

God’s people. Find some way to reach out with your skillful hands to minister to

them and bring healing to them. People follow a leader who brings comfort to the

hurting.

Jesus’ Mentoring Hands

Jesus hands were also mentoring hands. Luke 6:12-16 reads, ‚One of those days Jesus

went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning

came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated

apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip,

Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.‛

If you were Jesus and you were carefully selecting twelve men to help you

change the world, what kind of people would you choose? We’d probably choose

three of the world’s wealthiest men; three of the world’s best public speakers, three




of the world’s best marketing agents and three of the world’s best legal minds. And

with that talented crew we’d seek to change the world.

But Jesus chose three fishermen, three more fishermen, three more fishermen,

a tax collector and two other ordinary guys to show that their power came from God

not from themselves. Jesus could have spent all his time with the masses but he

recognized the importance of choosing twelve individuals who could be trained to be

His representatives when He was gone.

In his book, The Twenty-One Irrefutable Laws of Leadership , John Maxwell writes,

‚Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself.

Success comes when he empowers his followers to do great things with him.Significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him. But a legacy

is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great

things without him.‛

Jesus set the example of successful transitioning. He carefully handpicked

those twelve to spend time with Him and prepare them for their all-important

assignment of taking the gospel into the world in his absence.

Skip down in Luke 6 to the 40th verse: ‚A student is not above his teacher, but

everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.‛ If we’re going to lead like Jesus we

need to prepare other leaders to follow after us. Parents who pass the baton of faith

onto their children, business owners who plan to retire and especially church leaders

who want the church to continue to minister effectively for years to come are wise to

develop a practical transition plan.

In his book, Built to Last – Successful Habits of Visionary Companies , Jim Collins

quotes Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric as saying, ‚From now on, (Choosing my

successor) is the most important decision I’ll make. It occupies a considerable

amount of time everyday.‛ He spoke those words in 1991, nine years before his

anticipated retirement.




Collins contrasts the century of successful transitions at General Electric with

the rapid turnover at Westinghouse, a waning competitor. Westinghouse hired

CEO’s from outside rather than training successors from within, as was the practice

at G.E. Collin’s advice is, ‚Preserve the Core‛, by promoting from within.

Some have no succession plan whatever and others even take delight in the

failure of the organization after they’re gone. I’ve known preachers who seem to

take delight if the church attendance goes down when they leave or if the

congregation is disgruntled with the new minister.

The real test of leadership is how well the team does in your absence. Have

you mentored others to continue on after you’ve gone? I used to think of mentoringas spending a designated time each week formally teaching younger, potential

leaders. That wasn’t very successful because it was mostly academic and in about

fifteen minutes I had emptied the contents of my mind and there wasn’t much left to

say.

Mentoring became more effective when I had interns sit with me in meetings,

go with me to speaking engagements and ride with me to funerals. The casual

conversation along the way, the observation of spontaneous situations, the

interaction with people did more to instruct than more formal, scheduled training.

The late Olin Hay, minister of the South Louisville Christian Church, inspired

more young men to enter ministry than almost any preacher I know. I once asked

Bill Gaslin, one of his mentees, what Olin said to inspire young men. He said, ‚I

can’t remember anything he said, it’s just who he was. When you were around him

you wanted to be what he was.‛

That was Jesus. Mark’s gospel puts it like this, ‚He appointed twelve--

designating them apostles --that they might be with him and that he might send them out to

preach. ‚ (Mark 3:14)




Jesus’ Teaching Hands

Jesus’ hands were also teaching hands. The majority of Luke 6 contains a condensed

version of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, The Beatitudes. Love your enemies. Don’t

judge. Give and it will be given to you. You will know authentic believers by the

fruit of their lives. The wise man builds his house on the rock.

Jesus was the master teacher. He was the smartest man who ever lived and

yet He was able to communicate his wisdom in a way that the common people heard

him gladly. Once some temple police were sent to arrest Him but they became so

mesmerized by Jesus teaching they came back empty handed explaining, ‚We

couldn’t arrest Him! We never heard anyone teach like that before.‛ Wouldn’t you love to see a video of Jesus teaching? I’d like to listen to the

inflexion of His voice, analyze the pace of His words and see the expression on His

face.

I’d also like to observe His gestures. I doubt there were many clenched fists or

accusing fingers but there were probably many times his palms were open and his

hands extended in welcoming, gracious gestures.

He once taught patience by stooping down and writing something on the

ground. We don’t know what He actually wrote, but John never forgot that finger of

restraint writing on the ground.

He once taught humility by gathering a little child onto his lap, placing his

hands on them and saying, ‚Whoever would be great among you should become like little

child.‛

A leader is always a teacher. Our hands should be consistently used to point

the way to salvation and a meaningful life. Sometimes that is by verbal instruction,

more often it’s by correct example.

I lost my wedding ring many years ago when I was playing golf. But several

years later I found it in a little used pocket of my golf bag. By the time I found it my




hands were a little thicker and the ring didn’t fit well. So I decided not to wear it

because when I did I was always fiddling with it. Surprisingly, my wife didn’t mind

that I went for well over three years without a ring - she said she trusted me!

A few years later, a woman in the church asked me why I didn’t wear a

wedding ring. When I explained she said, ‘I think it’s a poor example when you’re

teaching not to have a ring on your finger. People notice that and wonder about it.‛

That was such a minor matter to me. However, I thought, if people notice my hand

and it offends someone that I don’t have a ring on my finger, that’s a small

adjustment to make. So I had the ring expanded a little and started wearing it again.

Obviously leaders can’t respond to every critical comment that comes ourway. But we do need to be aware that we are being carefully scrutinized and

observed. People notice if we show up on time, participate in the special work day,

treat our families with respect, practice integrity with our expense account, dress

appropriately, and treat people fairly. A leader is not the exception but the example.

What we do speaks a lot louder than what we say. Our hands are teaching hands.

Our behavior is instructional behavior.

Jesus’ Sacrificial Hands

Jesus’ hands were sacrificial hands. One of Jesus most memorable lessons to His

disciples came on the final night in the upper room. He took a basin of water in one

hand and towel in the other and one by one washed His disciples’ feet. The disciples

were astonished. That was the task of a lowly slave or servant< or the lowest

disciple on the totem pole.

Simon Peter objected to Jesus doing such a menial task. It just wasn’t right! ,

‚Lord you’re not going to wash my feet!‛ Jesus said, ‚If I don’t wash your feet you have no

part in me.‛ Simon said, ‘Then wash my hands and my head as well. Wash all of me. I’m

in!‛




When Jesus was finished he took advantage of the teachable moment and said,

‚Now, If I your teacher and master have washed your feet so you should also wash (You

expect Him to say MY feet) but he said, You ought to wash one another’s feet.‛

We’d be glad to wash Jesus feet. We’d stand in line to show Him our

appreciation. But he said we ought to wash each other’s feet. We are to serve one

another. The leader should not be one who sits on a pedestal and is served but the

leader gets on his hands and knees and washes the feet of those he leads.

As the ultimate demonstration of sacrifice, Jesus went to the cross. The Roman

soldiers drove spikes through the hands of Jesus – those same hands that had

protected the disciples, healed the hurting, mentored potential leaders and instructedthe multitudes.

Jesus made the supreme sacrifice as blood poured from his hands as well as

his forehead, his back, his feet, and then his side. ‚But God demonstrates his own love

for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been

justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!‛

(Romans 5:8-9)

No wonder following His resurrection from the dead, when Jesus appeared to

His astonished followers we read, ‚he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were

overjoyed when they saw the Lord.‛ (John 20:20)

Jesus had taught them that the most effective leaders are not arrogant prima

donnas demanding others serve them. The most effective, long-term leaders are

those who humbly stay off the pedestal, get down in the trenches and use their hands

to serve others.




THE HABITS OF A LEADER

Luke 4:16-30

‚Please make sure your seat belt is securely fastened. The flight attendant will now

demonstrate how to fasten your seat belt.‛ You’ve got to be kidding me! Unless

you’ve been living under a rock for the last forty years you know how to fasten a seat

belt. How redundant! But everyone who flies regularly hears that instruction so

often we know it by heart.

Actually that repeated reminder is an F.A.A. requirement. The officials don’t

apologize for reviewing the basics because they want the fastening of seat belts, the

prohibitions against smoking and instructions about how to use an oxygen mask to become second nature to everyone who travels by air.

In this message we’re going to review the basic habits of a Christ-like leader.

A habit is a pattern of behavior that becomes so much a part of your regular routine

that it is performed automatically. You don’t have to think about it much; it’s just

ingrained in your routine and psyche.

C.S. Lewis once observed that Christians don’t need to be taught new ideas so

much as they need to be reminded of old truths. The habits we discuss today may

seem a bit redundant if you’ve been a Christian a long time. However, may I remind

you that you never graduate beyond the basics anymore than a frequent flyer is no

longer required to fasten the seat belt? These regular spiritual disciplines are the

foundation of our walk with Christ and the source of a leader’s ongoing effectiveness

and credibility. The leader who neglects them eventually becomes shallow and

ineffective. The leader who consistently practices them continues to deepen and

increases in influence with the passing of time.

Since our goal is to lead like Jesus, the most effective leader ever, let’s review

some of the habits that were evident in the life of Jesus and seek to develop and

maintain the same disciplines in our own lives.




The Habit of Regular Worship

First, Jesus had the habit of regular worship. We read in Luke 4:16-30 that, ‚He went

to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the

synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.‛

Jesus went to church every Sabbath day. That was the custom of his parents,

Mary and Joseph. Jesus retained that habit after he left home. He didn’t quit

attending church when he got old enough to make decisions on his own. He didn’t

refuse to attend because He knew more than the local Rabbi. He didn’t complain

that the services were routine or boring.

Jesus regularly attended church and when he was out of town he visited thelocal synagogue wherever he was. That practice was repeated throughout His life

and some of the most significant events happened surrounding church attendance.

Matthew 12:9 ‚Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,‛ (This was

in Galilee where he healed a man with a shriveled hand.)

Mark 1:21 ‚They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into

the synagogue and began to teach.‛ (The people were amazed at his teaching and that

day while in the synagogue he cast a demon out of a man.)

Mark 6:2 ‚When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many

who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's

this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!‛

Luke 13:10-11 ‚On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a

woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and

could not straighten up at all.‛ (Jesus healed the woman of her infirmity right in the

church service.)

John 6 contains a well-known sermon of Jesus in which He said, ‚I am the bread

of life. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.‛ He said this while teaching in the

synagogue in Capernaum. (John 6:59)




Jesus habitually went to church and participated in the worship. One of the

key habits of an effective Christian leader is weekly church attendance. We never

graduate beyond that. I hear people say, ‚I can be a Christian without going to

church regularly.‛ But that’s like a driver of a car saying, ‚I can drive without

stopping for gasoline.‛ If Jesus, who was perfect, felt it was important to attend

church regularly, how much more do those of us who are sinful need to do so?

Benefits of Regular Worship

Regular worship recharges our spiritual batteries. Regular worship gives testimony

to others about our faith. Regular worship gives us a sense of accountability toothers. We’re not living the Christian life as mavericks but as part of the body of

Christ. Regular worship develops healthy relationships that provide reinforcement

and encouragement.

Beth Moore is one of the most effective Bible teachers and Christian leaders of

our era. She has led thousands to a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. She

states that one of the keys to her ongoing, effective ministry is that she made a

commitment to teach Sunday School in her local church on a regular basis. Every

week Beth leads a class in her home church in the study of God’s Word. She turns

down many opportunities to speak to larger groups on weekends because she has a

loyalty to her local congregation.

That week-by-week preparation and participation has kept her well grounded

not only in the Bible but in meaningful relationship with other believers. She says

she would lose that depth and understanding if she were in not in worship on a

regular basis.

May I add two quick footnotes here? First, it’s a lot easier to go to church

every week than two or three times a month. If you get into the habit of attending




church every week, it eliminates the question, ‚Are we going or aren’t we?‛ You just

go automatically.

Secondly, parents, insist that your children go with you every week - from the

time they are little until they leave home. If they are normal they will push up

against it sometimes and complain, ‚I don’t want to go, it’s boring.‛ ‚The kids don’t

like me.‛ Or, ‚I don’t get anything out of it.‛

Parents, you’re the spiritual leader of your home. What a great opportunity to

teach them that life is not all about excitement and doing what they want to do. If

you establish early on that they go every week, they eventually get the message and

quit protesting. Later they’ll admit that some of their best experiences and deepestfriendships were developed in church.

I hear indecisive parents say, ‚Well, I don’t want to turn my kids off to church

by making them go, so when they become teenagers I let them decide for

themselves.‛ What’s the lesson they learn when they are forced to go to school and

church is an option? They conclude that going to class and learning about math is

vital but going to church and learning about God is optional. For every person you

can find who claims, ‚I don’t go to church because my parents made me go when I

was little,‛ I’ll find you twenty who still go because their parents made them go

when they were little.

J.C. Penny who founded a very successful national department store chain

years ago said, ‚If a man is too busy to go to church twice a week, he’s got more

business than God intended for him to have.‛ Amen. ‚Jesus went into the synagogue

as his custom was.‛

The Habit of Reading Scripture

Jesus also had the custom of reading Scripture. Verse 16, ‚. . .and he stood up to read.

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is

written:‛




Jesus was very familiar with the Scripture. He had no problem finding the

exact place in Isaiah that he wanted to read. That was due in part to the fact that his

parents heeded the counsel of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 11:18-21 ‚Fix these

words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on

your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and

when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the

doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children

may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers.‛

When Jesus was 12 years old he attended the Passover with his parents. When

it was over, he hung around ‚the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening tothem and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding

and his answers.‛ (Luke 2:46-47) As a young boy Jesus was growing in wisdom and

the knowledge of the Scriptures.

At the beginning of his ministry when Satan attacked him in the wilderness

Jesus responded by quoting the Scripture. ‚It is written, man does not live by bread

alone.‛ It is written, ‚Worship God only‛. ‚It is written, don’t put the Lord your God to

the test‛. Then Satan left him for a season.

When some tried to trap him by asking a trick question about heaven, Jesus

responded, (Mat 22:29) "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the

power of God.‛ He went on to quote a passage that they had often overlooked.

The man Jesus knew the Scriptures. He had the habit of reading them as a boy

and preaching from them as a spiritual leader.

If you want to lead like Jesus make Bible reading a part of your daily routine.

Underline passages that are meaningful to you or that you have questions about.

Use a good study Bible so you can look at the footnotes and the cross- references and

find answers to the questions that surface. Share what you’re studying with family

or friends and discuss it with them. Learn to memorize phrases or passages from




Scripture. David said, ‚I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against

you.‛ (Psalm 119:11)

You will discover that the study of Scripture reinforces you, fills you with the

spirit and strengthens you to resist temptation. Charles Swindoll, well known

minister and author, once related an experience he had while leading a conference

hundreds of miles from home. After the final session everyone at the conference

headed home. He went back to his hotel to spend the night before flying out the next

morning. After eating a late dinner alone he got on the elevator and headed back up

to his room. Two provocatively dressed young women got on the elevator after him.

As he pushed the button for his floor, he politely asked them, ‚What floor?‛ Theyasked brazenly, ‚How about your floor?‛

Swindoll said he was somewhat flattered because he’d never been mistaken

for Robert Redford and as the elevator started up he realized he was all alone and no

one would have to know what he did that night.

But then he asked, ‚Do you know what was going through my mind as the

elevator slowly moved up to my floor? Not my church. Not my family. Not my

friends. A verse of Scripture kept coming to mind, ‚Be not deceived, God is not mocked

whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.‛

When the elevator stopped and the door opened, he made a passing comment

to the two young women that made it clear he didn’t intend on joining up with them.

Charles Swindoll said he went into his room and knelt down beside his bed

trembling, but thankful for the power of God’s word.

Paul wrote the young man Timothy (2 Tim 3:14-17) ‚But as for you, continue in

what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom

you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to

make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and




is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of

God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.‛

The word of God is meat and milk for the soul. It needs to be digested daily.

The Habit of Nurturing Relationships

Jesus also had the habit of nurturing meaningful relationships. He didn’t just preach

about the need for being united with other believers and having close

companionship, he demonstrated it. Mark’s gospel relates, ‚He appointed twelve--

designating them apostles --that they might be with him and that he might send them out

to preach.‛ Jesus didn’t just select twelve disciples to mentor them, he also gathereddisciples that they might be with him. He needed close fellowship too.

In fact Jesus selected three of those disciples with whom he shared more

personal experiences and confidential information. Peter, James and John

constituted an inner circle of special trust. When Jesus was transfigured only Peter,

James and John were on the mountain peak to witness it. When Jairus’ daughter

was raised from the dead, only Peter, James and John were witnesses of the miracle.

When Jesus went into the inner sanctum of the Garden of Gethsemane, he wanted

those same three friends to be within a ‚stone’s throw‛ of him when he was in

agony.

Jesus had the habit of taking time to foster in-depth relationships. There are

three reasons every believer needs a commitment to regular fellowship with other

believers. The first is edification. The Bible says, ‚ As iron sharpens iron so does one

man sharpen another.‛ Other Christians enhance our walk with Christ by using their

musical, counseling and teaching gifts to edify us.

Secondly, we need close relationships to encourage us. First Thessalonians

5:11 says, ‚…encourage one another and build each other up.‛ We all experience times of

deep disappointment and painful suffering when we are more vulnerable to




discouragement and temptation. We need strong believers to comfort and

encourage us to be faithful.

There’s a couple in our church who are very successful in their careers. He is

a physician and she is one of the most respected businesswomen in town. Recently

their twenty-nine year old son was diagnosed with a rare, rapidly growing malignant

tumor in his jawbone. He faces a permanently disfiguring operation and an

uncertain future. This couple is now being lifted up by the dozens of Christian

friends who are praying for them and emailing words of encouragement to them.

The father emailed friends, ‚We have no physical needs. But we really need your

prayers and encouragement.‛Perhaps your life is easy right now and you think you don’t need anyone. But

a time will come when you will need the comfort and encouragement that comes

from close, caring believers. God provides that in the fellowship of the church.

Solomon said, ‚Two are better than one, because if one falls down his friend can pick him

up.‛

The third reason we need the church is for accountability. James 5:16 says ‚. . .

confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer

of a righteous man is powerful and effective.‛ Every day we are confronted with fierce

temptations from the world and even the strongest leaders are vulnerable to falling.

When people lived in smaller communities where everyone knew everyone

else, there was kind of a built-in accountability that no longer exists for the majority

of us who live in metropolitan areas.

A friend told me he was driving through Sligo, Kentucky the other day –

population of about 300. There was a huge sign outside the grocery store that read,

‘Matthew Young – your last three checks bounced. Come see us.‛

That kind of moral accountability may still work in a small town. But since

most of us are living in large cities and we travel to places where we’re totally




anonymous. Therefore, we need in-depth relationships with people who love us

enough to hold us accountable. We have to answer to them and we don’t want to

disappoint them. Hebrews 3:13 reads ‚…encourage one another daily, as long as it is

called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.‛

The Habit of Solitude and Prayer

Jesus also had the regular habit of solitude and prayer. Have you ever noticed how

often in Scripture Jesus spent time alone with his heavenly Father? At the beginning

of his ministry, following his baptism, Jesus went out into the wilderness for forty

days of solitude.Before he selected his closest disciples, he spent time alone with his

Father in prayer. Again and again we read that Jesus, the busiest man who ever

lived, a man who accomplished more in three years of ministry than anyone ever has

in a lifetime, withdrew to a solitary place and prayed.

Matthew 14:23 reads, ‚After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside

by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Mark 9:2 ‚ After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up

a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.‛

Luke 5:16, But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Luke 22:32, ‚But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail."

Matthew 26:39 (In the garden of Gethsemane), ‚Going a little farther, he fell with

his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from

me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Even in his dying moments on the cross Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them, for

they do not know what they are doing." And, ‚Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.‛

(Luke 23:34)




Jesus prayed before he ate, he prayed before he selected his disciples, he

prayed before he surrendered his life to his enemies. No wonder when the disciples

wanted to be more effective they pleaded, ‚Lord teach us to pray like you pray.‛ (Luke

11:1)

Great spiritual leaders develop the habit of prayer. There’s a famous picture

of George Washington on his knees at Valley Forge praying for the Lord to intervene

and protect his feeble army which was threatened with cold and lack of provisions.

Abraham Lincoln said, ‚I have been driven to my knees many times by the

overwhelming conviction I had no place else to go. My own resources and that of

those about me were insufficient for the day.‛ A member of the secret service said he once walked by the oval office before

7:00 a.m. and saw the President of the United States lying face down, prostrate on the

floor of the oval office, his Bible open before him.

Prayer humbles us and reminds us that God is in charge and we aren’t.

Prayer develops a spirit of submission in us. It’s not so much asking God to do our

bidding as it is seeking to find God’s will and walking in it. But prayer also opens

the gate to the blessings of God. Someone suggested that almost all prayer can be

boiled down to two phrases: ‚Thank you‛ and ‚give me.‛

Jesus invited us to ask for his help. He said, ‚Ask and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you.‛ James wrote, ‚You want

something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You

quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.‛ (James 4:2)

Every one who wants to lead like Jesus should develop the habit of daily

prayer and regular solitude. Bill Hybels, pastor of the dynamic Willow Creek

Church in Chicago wrote a book with a memorable title, Too busy not to pray.

My friend Daniel is a native African, a dynamic Christian leader in a

predominantly Muslim country. In his native land Christianity is frowned upon and




any evangelism is considered illegal and punishable by death. But Daniel specializes

in trying to win Muslim clerics to Christ. He has been beaten, imprisoned and his

home robbed and burned. Someone asked him about his prayer life and he said, he

prayed for God’s protection every morning. Then he added, ‚Not to pray would be

suicide.‛

With the daily stress of leadership and the downward pull of our culture, it is

almost becoming spiritual suicide not to develop the habit of daily prayer.

Jesus went a step beyond just praying when he fasted and prayed. At times

He chose to go without food to focus on spiritual issues. The Scriptures encourage

believers to periodically fast and pray to deepen our spiritual focus too. Jesus taught, "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for

they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have

received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so

that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen;

and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18)

John Ortberg wrote, ‚Spiritual discipline is something that helps me love God

and people more.‛ If it’s not doing that, it is not a spiritual discipline; it’s a ritual, a

routine, maybe even a sin because it’s vain repetition. Fasting helps prevent prayer

from being a perfunctory habit and assures it is a genuine spiritual discipline.

The Habit of Regular Rest

One other habit of Jesus we need to note: Jesus had the custom of regular rest. Jesus

lived under the Old Testament law that required the Sabbath day be kept holy. That

holiness was not just worship; it included a period of rest. Exodus 20:8-11 reads,

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work. .




divinity perspire? I don’t think so. God did not come to nightfall on the sixth day and

say, ‚Thank me , it’s Friday.‛ God is reinforcing a pattern that is essential for healthy,

productive living.‛

Truett Cathy is the founder and owner of Chick-Fil-A restaurants. He’s a

devout Christian and Sunday School teacher who decided he would keep his

restaurants closed on Sunday. He believes the Lord’s Day should be spent in the

worship of God and rest.

Junior Bridgeman who owns a couple hundred restaurants in another fast-

food chain and said, ‚Chick-Fil-A is a phenomenon. Everyone in the restaurant

business thinks Sunday is a critical day and their establishments must stay open tosurvive. But Truett Cathy closes on Sunday and he does the same amount of

business as those of us who keep open seven days a week. Go figure.‛

That’s another proof that God honors his word. On the seventh day God

rested and established a precedent for us to follow for our own good. Jesus took one

day in seven off and so should we.

A father wanted to impress his visiting relatives how well he had trained his

two-year-old son to trust in him. He placed the boy at one end of the huge dining

room table and told him to come to him on the opposite end. The toddler waddled

across the table and without even pausing to think leaped off the end into his father’s

arms. Everyone squealed with delight at the boy’s total trust in his dad’s ability to

catch him.

But after repeating the demonstration several times, the father added a

different twist. He placed his son at the end of the table and then reached over and

turned off the light switch. In the quiet darkness the father said, ‚Come on!‛

Everyone heard the patter of little feet across the table and then a squeal as the boy

leaped into the dependable, loving arms of his father at the other end. The boy had

repeated that activity so often in the light he could trust his father in the darkness.



That’s the purpose of the spiritual disciplines we’ve discussed today. When

we attend worship, study God’s Word, nurture close relationships with believers,

spend quiet time in prayer and take time to rest, those Christ-like habits become

second nature to us. These spiritual disciplines train us to trust our Heavenly Father

in the light, so that we will instinctively rely completely on Him in the dark times of

the soul. Then, and only then, will we be prepared to lead like Jesus.

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