June 24, 2007 message by Pastor Rich Doebler
[Click here for audio version.]
What kind of courage does it take to tell someone what you believe? What kind of courage does it take to be honest about who you are?
I want to demystify evangelism. It's really nothing more than telling something good. It's simply sharing Good News: Like when Jeff told me the other day that gas prices were about to drop and I should wait to fill up for a day or two.
People are intimidated by the thought of telling Good News about Jesus for a number of reasons: He won't be interested. I won't know what to say. She'll ask something I don't know. I'll say something stupid. He might make fun of me. I don't want to offend him.
All these reasons seem rather lame compared to people who dare to stand up to their Muslim relatives and tell them about Jesus. Compared to people who get kidnapped and tortured or worse simply because they choose to follow Jesus.
If they can find God's strength and courage to speak up, then we also should be able to stand up and speak up. God wants us to dare to be different. God wants us unintimidated and uninfluenced by the crowd. Sharing our faith means having the strength and the courage to be leaders.
"6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them.... 9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Josh 1:6-9)
If we're going to talk about leadership, we have to talk about influence. To lead simply means to influence someone. The more influence we have, the better we can lead. Strength to lead means having a strong influence.
We come together as a church to influence each other—and others. Our purpose: Helping people take the next step on their spiritual journey with Christ. Our goal is to be a positive influence on others. We want to help people make good spiritual decisions. To help them move in the right direction—closer to God, not away from him. As a church, we want to lead people to Christ.
24 ...let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another... Heb 10:24-25
But not just in our meetings. We also want to encourage those we do business with, co-workers, neighbors, families to know Jesus. We want to be a positive influence so others will see God's truth displayed in our lives—both in how we live and how we talk.
As parents, we want to influence our children to see the world through a biblical point of view. We want to influence our children with strong, healthy values that will equip them for life and serve them well. We want to give our children the tools and the courage to make wise decisions—about career choices, about who they choose to marry, about how they will serve God.
You might be thinking: Well, I'm just not a leader. I'm a follower. I don't have the ability to get out in front of others. I can hardly get myself out of bed in the morning, how can I inspire others?
The truth is you already are a leader. Wherever your life touches someone, you have an influence on that person. Your influence on others can be big or small...good or bad.
Everyone leads someone. Wherever you have influence on someone, you are a leader. You can have a positive influence or you can have a negative influence on others. Ask yourself: What kind of influence do I have? Where am I leading? What direction is my life pointing?
Types of leaders:
1. The pop leader.
Britney Spears has a major influence on millions of young girls, enticing them into a world of provocative fashion. Stores have stocked Britney-inspired makeup, tube tops, and hip huggers. One 11-year-old says boys only notice girls if skin is showing. "We compare ourselves to Britney," she says, "and most of the time it makes us feel bad because we don't match up."
Stores sell padded bras and thigh-high panties in little-girl sizes. One national chain sells stretch flares and leather pants to girls 7 and up. One store manager says: "Girl's clothes [have gotten] sexier... Basically, everybody wants to be a princess. Not like the ones in fairy tales, but a hot princess like Britney." [Nadya Labi, "Britney Brigade," Time (2-5-01)]
A few years back, a radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, sponsored a contest called "Body Like Britney." The top prize was plastic surgery to make the winner look like the pop singing sensation. Young women were asked to write a letter telling why they should be the one to go under the knife. Photos of the 10 finalists were posted on the radio station's Web site, and listeners could vote on which one should get Britney Spears's body. [Louisville (Kentucky) Courier Journal (9-23-00)] Celebrities, fashion, style, fads are all symptoms of following the wrong kind of leader. Symptoms of following for the wrong reason—trying to be popular.
"10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. 11 If they say, "Come along with us... 15 do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths." (Prov 1:10-11,15)
2. The manipulative leader.
In Life on the Edge, Dr. James Dobson writes: [A television documentary was] filmed in a [meat] packing house where sheep were being slaughtered... Huddled in pens outside were hundreds of nervous animals. They seemed to sense danger in their unfamiliar surroundings. Then a gate was opened that led up a ramp and though a door to the right. In order to get the sheep to walk up that ramp, the handlers used what is known as a "Judas goat." This is a goat that has been trained to lead the sheep into the slaughterhouse. The goat did his job very efficiently. He confidently walked to the bottom of the ramp and looked back. Then he took a few more steps and stopped again. The sheep looked at each other skittishly and then began moving toward the ramp. Eventually, they followed the confident goat to the top, where he went through a little gate to the left, but they were forced to turn to the right and went to their deaths.[(Word Publishing, 1995), pp.24-25]
Manipulators use power, intimidation, and threats to force people to do certain things. A tyrant or a despot gets people to do what he wants, but he's a manipulator, a counterfeit leader. He deceives people; he doesn't lead them. He may win on one level, but he doesn't win the hearts and minds of people. Manipulators might get things done, but they are a negative influence.
In Nazi Germany, Adolph Hitler was a strong leader—but to get his way he used lies, deceit, fear and manipulation. And millions died because of his influence.
3. The inconsistent leader.
Inconsistent leaders send mixed messages. They fall short of their own words. They say one thing but live something else. They are "double-minded"—wanting one thing, but doing another. As a result, they can't be trusted. Their actions contradict their words, so their words become hollow and meaningless. Their inconsistent lives have influence.
"...6 he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind... 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6,8)
If we're going to be a positive influence, we can't be pop leaders, manipulators, or inconsistent leaders.
4. The follower-leader.
The best leaders are followers first. Because they follow God, they know where they are going. Because God is leading them, they can lead others. They have positive influence because God leads and directs them.
When I was young, I played second base in high school and Legion baseball. One of the things our coach drilled us on was how to turn a double play. When a runner was on first and a hot ground ball came to second, I had to field the ball and flip it to the shortstop at second. When the ball went to short, I had to meet the ball at the bag, wheel and throw it to first. I learned that if I tried too hard—if I rushed the throw—I would often make an error. Either I would mishandle the ball or I would make a wild throw. I learned that I had to concentrate and catch the ball before I could throw it. Leadership is like that. You have to catch it before you can throw it. You have to follow before you can lead. You have to learn before you can teach.
God wants us to be spiritually healthy so we can influence people in healthy ways. God wants us to win people—to influence them to follow God.
"4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." (Ps 25:4-5)
Paul: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Cor 11:1)
To be a strong leader, we will be...
1. Motivated by faith instead of fear. The cowardly lion lacked courage because he didn't believe in himself. He allowed fear to control him instead of faith. Do you fear people? Fear what they might say or think about you? Are you afraid of being hurt by others? Rejected? Insulted? Laughed at?
"Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul..." (Matt 10:28, NCV)
"...There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands." (Matt 10:28, MSG)
Measure your life by eternity, not by this world. Let your faith in God and your hope for heaven motivate you. Let God rule you, not intimidation and fear.
God calls us to be strong leaders with the courage to make a difference in this world. Courage to stand to the crowd. To swim against the tide of popular opinion. To speak the truth when everyone else seems to be spouting lies.
It begins with what's inside—if God lives within you, if Jesus Christ has genuinely transformed your life, if the power of the Holy Spirit is working in your life—then just let the real stuff come out. If God is real in your life, just be yourself, and you'll influence others to follow.
Over and over the last few weeks we've seen how the spiritual strength we need comes from God.
"...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." (Isaiah 40:31)
"the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." (2 Chron 16:9)
"...out of his glorious riches he [will] strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being..." (Eph 3:16)
God's promises for strength are often linked to the courage it takes to lead. God said to Joshua:
"6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Josh 1:6-9)
2. Confident in God. If our confidence is in God instead of ourselves, we will be less self-conscious. We will be more comfortable with who we are in the Lord. Strong leaders influence more by who they are than by what they say.
If you're comfortable with who you are on the inside, you can influence others simply by being real. You can let your light shine. You can release God's power within you and let it influence others around you.
What's in you? Let it out! A lightning bug can't help himself. He has to shine because the light is within him—it's part of who he is. He can't shut it off any more than you can stop breathing. You can't separate the lightning bug from his light. (You can take away my flashlight, but you can't take away a lightning bug's light). Even when you smash the bug, his light lingers on.
3. Led by Jesus. Have you made Jesus Lord of your life? Does he rule? Does he guide your decisions and actions? Many are led by other things—the world, the culture, fashion designers, ad agencies, their own appetites. But strong leaders, led by Jesus, are not led by all these other things.
"in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord..." (1 Peter 3:15)
To be a strong leader, make Jesus Lord of your life. Let him lead you so you know where you're going. Then you can influence others.
4. Ready with an answer. When Jesus is really Lord of your life, you will stand out from the crowd. You won't be like everyone else. People are going to notice...and ask questions.
"in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..." (1 Peter 3:15)
Strong leaders are prepared to answer questions. They're ready to share the hope they have. They're not caught off guard, surprised that someone wants to know what makes them tick. Strong leaders know opportunities will arise, so they watch for them. Opportunities come because of the way they live, so they get ready to share themselves.
Paul: "Preach the Good News. Be ready at all times, and tell people what they need to do. Tell them when they are wrong. Encourage them with great patience and careful teaching..." (2 Tim 4:2, NCV)
5. Gentle with others. Strong leaders show gentleness and respect to others...
Not like the woman riding a city bus late one night, clutching her Bible. A drunken man got on the bus, staggered up the aisle, and sat down next to her. She looked the wayward drunk up and down and said, "I've got news for you, mister. You're going straight to hell!"
The man jumped up out of his seat and shouted, "Oh, man, I'm on the wrong bus again!"
"in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." (1 Peter 3:15)
What does it mean to lead with gentleness and respect? It means we give people room to express themselves, to share their own viewpoints and backgrounds. It means we listen. We acknowledge their history, their personal struggles, their background.
The best counselors learn to listen to peoples' hearts. The best missionaries learn to understand the people they're trying to reach; they try to see their perspective; they meet people where they are.
Strong leaders are gentle and respectful. We aren't called to be Bible bangers who cram the message down peoples' throats. We are not called to be manipulators. We are not called to win verbal battles; we are called to win people.
The book Irresistible Evangelism includes the story of Jan, a staffer with Athletes in Action. After attending a conference where the importance of listening to unsaved people was stressed, Jan and others were relaxing in the hotel whirlpool. Two adolescent girls joined them in the tub. One of the teens, named Brittany, began passionately telling her friend about an upcoming Wiccan gathering she was planning to attend. Jan says:
Normally we would have tried to counter the girl's ideas, but we decided to listen instead. I said something simple like, "Wow, you really sound excited about this!" This was all the encouragement she needed to launch into a five-minute explanation of why she was so attracted to neo-pagan rituals. The bottom line was that she'd had a really traumatic time in high school and the Wiccas accepted her. She said, "I've gone through so much crap just trying to make it through high school that I'll probably be in therapy for the rest of my life!"
I tried to mirror back what she said with, "It's hard for you to even imagine a future where you'd be free from all of the pain you've gone through."
What came next completely floored me. With a film of tears starting to form in her eyes and with complete sincerity in her voice, she said, "Sometimes I wish I could be born all over again. I'd really like to start over from scratch." After a long pause, my friend asked if she would really like to be born again. "Yes, I really would," she said.
6. Salt and light. Jesus says we are to be salt and light in the world. To have an affect on people and circumstances. We're to be like salt—flavoring a situation. We're to be like light—dispelling the darkness. When the Spirit of God is within, we can let God's glory and grace flow out to others.
"13 You are like salt for the whole human race... 14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead it is put on the lampstand, where it gives light for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven." (Matt 5:13-16, TEV)
"5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Col 4:5-6)
Are you like light—bringing understanding and insight? Do others living in darkness see the Lord more clearly because of your influence? Are you like salt—leaving others with a good taste of God's goodness and grace? Do you improve the flavor of conversations and relationships?
If you've got something to share, then let it out! Be yourself. If you've got nothing to share, then don't try to share what you don't have. Get back to the basics. Let Jesus fill your heart. He said:
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. (Matt 5:13)
Dear God, give us strength to lead. Give us the ability to influence others. Help us to take the cover off our light. Help us shake the salt out of the salt shaker.