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?