You Be the Change You Want to See - 4

                                                     You Be the Change You Want to See - 4

Subject:  Leading The Change in Your Family, Church, or Business

By Rick Welborne

Exodus 18:13-24 (NLT2)
¹³  The next day, Moses took his seat to hear the people’s disputes against each other. They waited before him from morning till evening.
¹⁴  When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”
¹⁵  Moses replied, “Because the people come to me to get a ruling from God.
¹⁶  When a dispute arises, they come to me, and I am the one who settles the case between the quarreling parties. I inform the people of God’s decrees and give them his instructions.”
¹⁷  “This is not good!” Moses’ father-in-law exclaimed.
¹⁸  “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself.
¹⁹  Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him.
²⁰  Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.
²¹  But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten.
²²  They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you.
²³  If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
²⁴  Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions. 

--We all must realize that leadership matters. It should matter to you because it matters to those you are leading.

General Patton – We heard sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

--There is a big difference in being a leader and being the person in charge. Some leaders try to herd or drive people. Moses really did not know what to do. Was he God’s man? Yes. He was doing his best.

--Though people fill the position of a leader, are they truly filling the position of leader? Real leaders have the ability to inspire people to follow a cause.

--They don’t have to threaten or manipulate those they lead; they use their leadership skills for the good of the organization. Leadership can be learned. Jethro was teaching and Moses was learning.

--There are two kinds of leadership style…position and influence. Every organization has a positional leader. In business it can be a CEO…church it can be a pastor…at home it can be a husband or a wife. Wife!

--There are many influential leaders who have never been recognized as positional leaders but they are still leading. They are leading because people are following.

1. Qualities of good leaders.

T.J. Addington – Positional authority is based on one’s position and responsibility in the workplace. Personal authority is the standing I have with others because of my behavior, values, treatment of others and morality. 

--What is interesting, it is possible for people to have positional authority without personal authority. The lack of trust they have from those below them causes they authority to be weak. 

--Just because you are above someone in the organization does not mean you have their respect or that you are followed wholeheartedly. You may be able to force them to comply but their heart is not in it.

--It is true; people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. They want you to be real and to care about their hopes and dreams. Six qualities of real leaders.

A. You must be teachable. Be willing to listen and to learn.

B. You must be perceptive. Be concerned about others.

C. You must invest emotionally in the team. Show appreciation and care about what they think.

D. You must set the right example. Model the way.

E. You must be honest. Be real, honest, and transparent.

F. You must be sincere. Be who God created you to be. Be genuine. 

--You can still be a strong leader but love the people you work with and strive for unity with your team. Value others and what they think and you will be a great leader.

2. Good leaders have to make decisions.

--Decision making is one of the most important things that leaders do. They need to know when quick decisions are needed. This was the scariest part of leadership for me. 

--The more important the decision, the more prayer and thought that has to go into your decision. Decision making can wear you out emotionally. You may have to ask a few questions before you make your decision.

--Most importantly, does the Bible answer the question? Do I have enough info to make a decision? Have I heard both sides? What is it that I do not know? 

--Does the decision put the organization or anyone at risk? Are there other alternatives? Have I honestly prayed about the situation? Is there unity among the leadership?

--How will people inside and outside the organization react to the decision? Do I have the conviction to stick with my decision if things go south? 

James Dobson – When you don’t know what to do, stall for time. 

Danger – We are quick to attribute to God a decision of something we want so badly. We, also, are quick to blame God when it doesn’t go well. God told me to do this. God told me not to do this. 

--Knowing God’s Word and having common sense will go a long way in making decisions. Hopefully, as we get older, we are improving our decision making ability.

Psalm 119:9-12 (NIV)
⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
¹⁰  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
¹²  Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 

--Simple steps in making good and informed decisions:

A. Approach decision making with humility. No one likes a know it all.

B. Choose a plan and go with your heart. Trust God is leading you.

C. Communicate the decision well and the plan of action. More information is better than less.

D. Execute the decision with confidence and with excellence. How it is presented is so important. 

3. Great leaders inspire other leaders.

--For any organization to be successful the main leader has to raise up other leaders. This was what Jethro was trying to tell Moses. For Israel to be great, you need help.

--It cannot be just positional leaders with a title, it must be leaders with influence to advance the organization. Leaders must empower leaders to be successful. Stop micro managing those God has given you.

Bill Gates – As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.  

1 Timothy 4:11-14 (NKJV)
¹¹  These things command and teach.
¹²  Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
¹³  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
¹⁴  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 

--Just like Jesus saw the potential in the disciples, the leader must be able to identify those God wants to use. People have scratched their heads at some of my choices. Those people have blessed us. A few…oh well!

--Inc. Magazine offers five things leaders can do to empower others. 

A. Communicate your vision. Life Church is a mission’s church. I only want people with that vision. The vision has to be communicated over and over again.

George Bernard Shaw – The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

B. Offer encouragement and support. People want to know what they are doing matters. 

C. Challenge people to go beyond their perceived limits. We all can improve. We can all do better.

D. Set reachable, measureable goals. People want to know how well they are doing with their goals. 

E. Get out of the way. Let people use their gifts for the glory of God.

--We have to learn to delegate and then, get out of the way. I tell those who work for me if I have to watch over you to do your ministry, I have the wrong person.

Under a Tree – 1

                                                                         Under a Tree – 1

Subject – Finding the Courage to Move from Where You Are

By Rick Welborne

1 Kings 19:1-8 (NLT2)
¹  When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal.
²  So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them.”
³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
⁵  Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him, “Get up and eat!”
⁶  He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! So he ate and drank and lay down again.
⁷  Then the angel of the LORD came again and touched him and said, “Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
⁸  So he got up and ate and drank, and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God. 

--Today we are starting a new series that I feel is going to resonate with many. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place much like Elijah. He had been greatly and miraculously used by God. Now it’s dark. 

--Someone was sharing with me their frustration with life. This person had been very successful, plenty of finances, surrounded by family and friends, and had a miraculous encounter with Jesus…healed. 

--I told this person…ninety percent of your life absolutely could not be better. The problem is that 10% that you cannot get where you want it to be. You pray, you fast, you beg God but it’s sucking the life out of you.

--This is not something you have dealt with for a few days, a few months, this is your thorn in the flesh. How did you know? I knew because I have had the 10% syndrome also making me feel the same way. 

--Why is human nature that way, 90% of our lives can be wonderful but we can’t seem to enjoy it because the 10% keeps us pre-occupied with hurt and frustration and emptiness. Where am I going?

--Why has this journey with Jesus turned into a wearisome journey? For those who deny it, I will give you the benefit of the doubt that your life is always all together. 

--I think Simon Peter was in the middle of one of those dark road experiences when he said, “I am going fishing.” My guess is Peter was on the edge of physical, spiritual, and psychological burnout.

--Too much was happening too fast in his life and he was struggling to process it all. Judas betrayed Jesus, he denied Him, the trial, the crucifixion, and rumors of Jesus’ resurrection was taking its toll.

--The inner world of Peter could only absorb so much and we could argue he should have been informed and ready, the truth is, he wasn’t. Neither are we ready all the time when things mount up.

--He became numb and retreated to the only thing he knew he could do with certainty…go fishing. Maybe going back to what he was familiar with would restore what he had lost. What’s your default?

--When things do not go well for us we all have a default mechanism that we run to…hopefully it is God, but many times, that is not the case. Porn, drugs, relationships, alcohol…maybe you go fishing or play tennis.

--Peter’s struggle, Elijah’s struggle with all this weariness did not go on forever. Jesus showed up for Peter and the angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) shows up with loving kindness for Elijah.

--The similarities are amazing…they show up with food, water, and hope. Jesus is doing the same thing for you and me today, He is showing up with food (the Word), water (Holy Spirit), and with hope of a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT2) ¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 

--Jesus shows up to encourage…He dealt with the pain in Peter’s life of guilt and shame, He comes to restore us. To heal us. The mission of Jesus is to get us to the place where we say…I can’t stay under this tree. 

--We think we can arrive at this place of contentment by doing more, if we are busier and going at a break-neck speed, we can arrive at our destination faster. Sadly, it doesn’t work that way.

--We find that every mile we travel we grow more and more frustrated and tired. I must admit that there is no fatigue like thinking I have to get myself to a destination in a hurry. End up under a broom tree.

1 Kings 19:3-4 (NLT2)                                                                                                                                   ³  Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there.
⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--We have all seen people crash and burn. Others seem to just disappear and we wonder where in the world did they go? Under a bridge.

--If we are fortunate enough to have not crashed (that anyone knows about) or have not disappeared we keep pressing forward knowing we can’t go back but we are becoming wearier. Exhaustion.

--We have all had well-meaning Christian friends who have given us the plan, the formula, the teaching, the conference, the evangelist, or whatever that guaranteed would bring us out of our valley. It didn’t.

--What I quickly discovered was that there are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, no easy ways to cultivate an intimacy with God and attain the resulting passion that should carry one through life’s journey.

--Listen to Elijah’s words (the guy who just called fire down from heaven and killed 850 false prophets), I have had enough, Lord. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors who have already died. 

--How many of you are glad that God has not answered all of our prayers. We can try the methods and the gimmicks there are no shortcuts or no easy ways to cultivate a close loving relationship with God.

--What I do know about being in this valley of the shadow of death is this…I can’t stay under this tree. I need someone who can bring me out and renew the passion that will carry me through.

--We feel one more criticism from our spouse, one more negative thing from a church member, one more straw on the camel’s back and something is going to break. We hear about a wonderful breakthrough:

Gordon MacDonald – It dawned on me that I and scores of others were paying a terrible price for this search for some magical breakthrough. We were trying harder, working longer, breathing heavier, and getting wearier. And it was an unpleasant journey when it should not have been. We would have never admitted it, but we were tired of God, of faith, and faith’s people. Now, how could a call to abundant living turn into such dullness of spirit. That we should tire of Him was not God’s fault. Rather this weariness calls into question the system of spirituality many of us have been taught. 

--The Bible is filled with story after story about great breakthroughs that people have experienced, but if you think like I do, you ask what happened during those times that are not recorded in the Word? Joseph.

--When he was a teenager he was given great promises. Best estimates say that it was about a 22-year process to get him to the prize. I have asked the question how did he handle the meanness of his brothers, Potiphar’s wife? 

--Yes, we have glimpse of his heart and endurance but we do not see it all. Just like with each other, we get small windows into each other’s lives but we do not know what the whole story is.

1. Between the promise and the prize there is a process.

--You see; it is during the process where the battle is won or lost. We can all come and worship God on Sundays or Wednesdays, but it is a long lonely time from one service to the next.

--Until we become transparent about the alone times and the struggles we have, it will be hard for us to find healing and wholeness in our lives. We all have been hurt or we have hurts we are dealing with now.

Luke 4:18 (NCV)
¹⁸  “The Lord has put his Spirit in me, because he appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly… 

--There it is…God sent Me to free those who have been treated unfairly. During the quiet times we try to process why people and even why God is treating us unfairly. It hurts. Marriage, family, church, work.

--We have to be willing to get past our stage face and be honest with ourselves, honest with others, and honest with God. Between the promise and the prize there is a process and it hurts. 

2. It is much easier to tell others how to get out of their pit than to get out of ours. 

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.
²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 

--We just want to hear he is out of the pit but he is in a time of waiting (process), a time in a horrible pit, and a time of being stuck…miry clay. We must realize we can’t stay under this tree. 

--The purpose of this series and these verses, God wants to bring you out of your pit, to set your feet upon the Rock (Jesus), and to put a new song in your heart. 

--Many need a song…I need a song. You cannot understand what I am talking about today, please pray for those of us who need their spiritual passion to be renewed by what God does in us. Take notes. 

3. I can’t stay here.

--So why am I preaching this series? I believe there is a real group of American Christians who are growing more and more weary as they continue on this journey.

MacDonald – We have tried the gimmicks, the programs, the promises of a thousand and one gurus of the faith. Here and there one view or another seems to catch on. But for many, the journey is a bore-some task, but we can’t turn back, but we’re almost too tired to go on. 

1 Kings 19:4 (NLT2) ⁴  Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” 

--Elijah had had it and many of you, many of us, have had it too. I see it in your faces. Elijah was physically, spiritually, and emotionally worn out…burn out. God had a word for him and for us!

Get up and eat! Declare…I Can’t Stay Under This Tree Anymore!

Wonderfully Complex - 3

                                                             Wonderfully Complex - 3

Subject: Seeing We Have Two Destinies

By Rick Welborne

Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT) 

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 

18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 

Second Week:

1. We must recognize those defining moments which reveal our destinies.

2. We must understand what our soul print is.

3. We must believe that we were conceived by God before we were conceived by our parents.

–Michelangelo’s masterpiece “David” is enshrined at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence, Italy. Thousands wait every day to look at this beautiful work.

–Many fail to notice all the unfinished sculptures that line the corridor on the way to see “David”. Like petrified prisoners whose forms are identifiable...a hand here, a torso there, a leg, or maybe an unfinished head.

–These statues were intended to adorn the tomb of Pope Julius II but were never finished. It is almost as these sculptures are trying to break free and become what they were intended to be. Michelangelo calls them captives.

–Today I want to talk to you about our two destinies:

1. As you consider God’s destiny, you sometimes feel like a captive.

 

–You do not seem to be able to break free from the habits that hold you back or hold you down. Prescription drugs, sexual addictions, and alcohol are so rampant even in church. Addictions to relationships.

–Maybe a dream God conceived in your spirit years ago has not taken shape. You know who you want to be, what you want to do, and where you want to go, but you can’t seem to get there. 

–I have no idea where you are stuck or how long you have been there but I do know that God wants to finish the work that He started in you.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT2) ⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

–In Jesus very first sermon Jesus stated with certainty what His mission would be...To set the captives free.

Luke 4:18 (NKJV) 18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 

–We tend to look at this promise of the captives being set free as the judge giving us a Get Out of Jail Free card but it is so much more than that. We should look at this as God releasing us to our dual destiny.

Key - Jesus did not die just to get us off the hook. He also died to resurrect the person we were destined to be before sin distorted the image of God in us.

2. As you consider God’s destiny...you recognize He not only wanted to save you, but give you a new life.

–Jesus does not just free us spiritually...He also sets us free emotionally, relationally, and intellectually. We are held captive by so many things and in so many ways.

–We are captive by our imperfections and our insecurities. We are held captive by our guilt and fear. We are held captive by unrealistic expectations and lies and mistakes.

–When Tricia and I met, dated, and eventually married I was an insecure mess...I was saved but I was all messed up emotionally...jealous, angry, and insecure.

–I brought so much into the relationship that was damaging...so much dysfunction from home, bad relationships, and a basic distrust of anyone. Of everyone.

–I was saved but I needed a new life...I needed to be set free...When we bring this kind of baggage into a relationship, we push the person further and further away. We feel we cannot stop!

–Driving between Lakeland and Bartow listening to James Dobson...Emotions: Can You Trust Them...Holy Spirit changed my life that day. Made a U-turn and went to my pastor for prayer and agreement.

--That was definitely one of those defining moments that we talked about last week. So glad I did not miss the work God wanted to do in me that day.

Batterson - He doesn’t just set us free from who we were. He sets us free to become who we were meant to be.  Salvation is not the end goal. Salvation is a new beginning. 

--We are saved...we are being saved...we will be saved.

1 Peter 1:3‑9 (NLT) 

3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 

4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 

5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 

6 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 

7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 

8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 

9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. 

–When we give our lives to Christ, God goes to work in us and with us. He begins to use our circumstances, no matter how bad those circumstances may be, to chisel us into His image.

Romans 8:28‑32 (NIV) 

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 

30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 

31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all‑‑how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 

3. As we consider God’s destiny we focus on what and where. God focuses on what we are becoming.

–What and where are secondary issues as far as God is concerned...His primary concern is who you are becoming...being is better than doing. Widow in our church. I can’t do much!

–Please keep in mind that it has nothing to do with your circumstances...It has to do with the character of Christ being formed within you. 

Key – What happens in you is more important that what happens to you. Our destination or goal should be, we look, act, feel, talk, dream, and love like Jesus. 

Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT2)
³  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
⁴  Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
⁵  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 

Batterson: The end goal is not a revelation of who you are. The end goal is a revelation of Who God is. After all, you will not find yourself until you find God. The only way to discover who you are is to discover Who God is, because you are made in His image.

–You see...you have two destinies...Our first destiny is just like everyone else’s (it is universal) and that is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

–To follow Christ is to become like Him and that is our chief objective...to be like Jesus! To be like Him in every way.

Philippians 3:8‑14 (NKJV) 

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 

11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 

14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

–I want to know Him...I want to be like Him...I want to know the power of His resurrection...I want to experience the fellowship of His suffering...I want to be conformed to His death...I want to die to my life and live what He has destined for me.

–My other destiny is unique to anyone else’s destiny...to be unlike anyone else. 

Batterson: Those two destinies may seem to be at odds with each other, but they are anything but. To become like Christ is to become unlike anyone else. He sets us free from whom we’re not, so we can become who He destined us to be.

You Be the Change You Want to See - 3

                                                     You Be the Change You Want to See - 3

Subject:  Leading The Change in Your Family, Church, or Business

By Rick Welborne

Judges 6:12-16 (NKJV)
¹²  And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"
¹³  Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."
¹⁴  Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"
¹⁵  So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
¹⁶  And the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man."

--I believe we all want to make a difference and I believe Gideon did too but he could not see how it would be possible. He said the world is a mess and my family is the weakest.

--Our weaknesses may not all be the same or our excuses for not doing something for God may not be as good as Gideon’s but we must know the time for change is now.

Stephen Covey – The key is taking responsibility and initiative, deciding what your life is about, and prioritizing your life around the most important things.

--We all have the potential to kick up some dust and make a difference but the greatest things we do come from our actions not our words.

James 1:22 (NLT2)
²²  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

--What we do for God in our family, our church, and business should keep us moving forward not looking back.

Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

--In these last days we need believers who are people of action. Our actions show we want to lead not just talk. People who hold back from being all in do nothing to get the church where it needs to be. Or business.

Truett Cathy – I am not really in the chicken business; I am in the people business. Chicken is simply a tool to accomplish my real purpose; honoring God and helping people. 

--Those who lead with intentionality and purpose can inspire people to do more than they thought possible. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Let’s look at these:

1. Real leaders know the way.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
⁶  Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 

--Before we continue our discussion, let us definitely acknowledge that Jesus is the way. Without Him we can do nothing of lasting value. We never want to be the blind leading the blind.

--A pastor friend told me his leadership style was waiting to see the direction of his people and then, go with them. Sadly, many people do rise to their level of incompetence, we do not have to be those people.

--As leaders, our responsibility is to follow Jesus and Holy Spirit and to encourage others to follow with us. Life can get busy and crazy but we do not fail because of tests, we fail because we take our eyes off the prize. 

Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

--John Maxwell says that leaders know the way. True leaders are not afraid to, as life unfolds, make adjustments to plans and strategies because life has a way of changing midstream. 

--We could learn something about Newton’s First Law of Motion. An object in motion will remain in motion and an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.

--People in the background or on the back pew are there to remain at rest. They have no desire to move forward. They like being close to the exits so if things get tough, they can check out quickly. Those who move forward:

Zig Zeigler – Inch by inch everything is a cinch! 

2. Real leaders go the way.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV) ¹ Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 

--This is leadership by example. Leaders should not be afraid to step out in faith first. They do not ask people to do what they are not will to do themselves. 

A. Be excellent in everything you do.

--Excellence is not just an idea…it is a foundational principle of real leaders.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NKJV)
³¹  Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

B. Do what you say you will do.

--Don’t make promises you cannot keep or have no intention of doing. When you do not keep promises in your family, church or business, trust begins to erode. 

James 5:12 (NIV) ¹² Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

--Don’t be careless with your words. People are watching for you to make a mistake. Don’t give them ammunition.

C. Make people important.

--I have never regretted time I have spent developing relationships. Loving the people you are around will go a long way. Get out of your comfort zone and touch people’s lives.

--When people know they matter to you, they will be more loyal and supportive. We mattered to God, people should matter to us.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

D. Encourage cooperation.

--There is no place for independent thinking people in the home, church, or business. The more feedback and involvement you have the greater the success. Unity can improve the mission of the church or team.

--When people work together, they gain a new appreciation for each other and for the success of the organization. Let other’s do even if it is not up to your standard so they can learn. Give them a chance.

Psalm 133:1-3 (NIV)
¹ How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
²  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
³  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. 

E. Deal with conflict quickly.

--Everyone and every organization will have conflict. Deal with it in love and deal with it quickly. Conflict does not have to be negative because the intent should always be for reconciliation. 

Matthew 18:15-17 (NKJV)
¹⁵  "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
¹⁶  But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'
¹⁷  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

E. Invest in others.

--We should be raising up others who could take our place if something were to happen to us. Good leaders should be working themselves out of a job. LEGACY – Leading Every Generation Adults Children Youth

3. Real leaders show the way.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)
¹⁹  Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
²⁰  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
²¹  To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.
²²  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
²³  I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

--We figure out ways of connecting people to us and to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We show the way.

--So many times our insecurity will cause us to shy away from people instead of leading them to use their gifts for God. The more we make them shine, the more we shine.

--Our job is to show people how to be connected and to not be discouraged by someone else’s success. Be thankful others are stepping up and carrying the load.

John Maxwell – Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. 

--All of us need to ask the question…Would you follow you?

Wonderfully Complex - 2

                                                                 Wonderfully Complex - 2

Subject – Discovering Our Identity in Christ

By Rick Welborne

Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT) 

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 

16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 

18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 

Review Last Week:

1. There has never been and never will be anyone else like you!

2. No one can worship God like you or for you!

3. To find out who you are supposed to be, you will have to dig deep.

Psalm 139:14 (NLT) 

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 

–Tonight we want to continue this journey of recognizing God’s unique print upon us and our willingness to find our uniqueness in God. We want to look for defining moments.

1. We must recognize those defining moments which reveal our destinies.

Batterson: Time may be measured in minutes, but life is measured in moments. And some moments are bigger than life. And it’s those defining moments that dictate the way we see life.

–Some of these moments may be as predictable as a wedding day or the birth of a child. Others may be as unpredictable as an accident.

–You never know which moment may become a defining moment, but being able to identify those moments is the key to identifying who you are. We must be sensitive to Holy Spirit all the time. 

–Psychological research suggest that one’s self concept is defined by a very small number of experiences. They say 99% of life’s experiences vanish like vapor into the subconscious abyss. Not sure about that percentage.

–That means only 1% of these experiences (according to them) make it into our conscious memories and only 1% of that 1% not only are remembered but are unforgettable. 

Batterson:  These are the moments that define who we are. And managing those memories is a form of stewardship. Every past experience is preparation for some future opportunity.  

–One of the ways God redeems the past is by helping us see it through His eyes. His providence. So the key in finding your destiny is hidden in your past memories.

Joshua 4:5‑7 (NKJV) 

5 and Joshua said to them: "Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 

6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?' 

7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever." 

–Joshua was telling the people to set up memorial stones for their children in the future...These valuable memories become a part of who they are...do it for your kids. I have set up memorials for our kids.

–When you look in the mirror what do you see...you see the reflection of accumulated experiences.

–Defining moments are what shape us into what we have become. We are the aggregation (accumulation) of where we’ve been, what we’ve done, and who we’ve known...Wow...how important our choices are.

–Hear me...there are a few places, a few experiences, and a few people who leave imprints in ways that become parts of our soul prints. Can you give us an example in Scripture? Stephen left his soul print on Saul/Paul.

Acts 7:56‑60 (NKJV) 

56 and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" 

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 

58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 

60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

Acts 8:1 (NIV) 1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

1 Corinthians 15:9 (NKJV) 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 

2. We must understand what our soul print is.

–Think about this...your finger print distinctly identifies and differentiates you from everyone else who has ever lived, but your finger print is only skin deep.

Batterson: You possess a uniqueness that is soul deep. I call it your soul print. It’s not just who you are, present tense. It’s who you are destined to become, future tense. It’s not just who others see when they look at you from the outside in. It’s who God has destined you to become from the inside out.  

–Your soul print hard wires your true identity and true destiny like your genetic code programs your physical anatomy.

–We always try to live our lives forward but God works backward. The Omniscient One (All Knowing) always starts with the end in mind. Example please:

Psalm 139:16 (NIV) 16 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  

–As with the Psalmist all your days are ordained by God. It is our holy responsibility to discover that God ordained destiny, just like David did. His epitaph speaks for itself:

Acts 13:36 (NIV) 36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. 

–Very important that you understand this: Even though David had very humble beginnings and made huge mistakes he fulfilled his destiny. Your mistakes do not define you…giving up will.

–We will look to David as our example of having this soul print and fulfilling God’s unique purpose in our generation.

–On a day a defining moment happened when he bent down in a brook and picked up 5 smooth stones. His life was about to end or was about to begin. His destiny was being designed by God and by his courage. 

–Everybody who had ever known David, including his own father, saw him as nothing more than a shepherd boy. Don’t worry about what others do not see in you. God sees you differently.

–David saw the person God had destined him to be...a worshiper and a giant killer. That was his true identity and his true destiny.  What is your true identity and destiny?

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

3. We must believe that we were conceived by God before we were conceived by our parents.

–Every work of an artist originates in the imagination of the artist...so you and I were conceived in the imagination of God...how awesome is that?

–You took shape in the heart and imagination of God before you took shape in the womb of your mother. 

Vincent van Gogh: Christ is more of an artist than the artists...He works in the living spirit and the living flesh; He makes men instead of statues.

–God is painting a picture of grace on the canvas of your life. God is writing His-story, history with a hyphen, through your life. God is crafting your character through the circumstances of your life.

Batterson: To see yourself as anything other than God’s masterpiece is to devalue and distort your true identity. And it’s in discovering your true identity that your true destiny is revealed.

–A sense of destiny is your sacred birthright as a child of God. Former verse:

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

–The word “planned” is drawn from the Eastern custom of sending servants in advance of a king to prepare the road ahead. It was their responsibility to secure safe passage and make sure the king arrived at his destination.

–Paul took something they understood and turned it upside down (really right side up). The King of kings goes before His servants to prepare the road ahead. Jesus is going ahead of you!

–In other words He strategically places us in the right place at the right time. God is setting you up and that ought to fill you with an unshakable sense of destiny. Example:

Isaiah 45:1‑3 (NKJV) 

1 "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, To Cyrus, whose right hand I have held‑‑ To subdue nations before him And loose the armor of kings, To open before him the double doors, So that the gates will not be shut: 

2 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. 

3 I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. 

--God will do the same thing for us if we seek Him with all of hearts.