Post #1 – Charting Your Course

I-35 takes us from Austin straight up to Minneapolis, so we don’t really spend any time charting our course, asking our phones for directions, or checking traffic. The highway typically moves along at a good rate, and we’re always just a few exits away from gas, a rest stop, or a box of Whoppers. Typically, you would begin a 1,200-mile journey by planning your route, getting familiar with your map and surroundings, and looking ahead at traffic conditions on your phone. You’re taking a huge risk if you don’t!

Jesus called 12 disciples to follow Him, promising that He would make them “fishers of men.” Within a few chapters, Jesus empowered and sent those disciples out to preach the good news of the kingdom. With His final message following the resurrection, Jesus sends them out to share the gospel and to make disciples of all nations. The discipleship of Jesus produced leaders, and ours should too! With His disciples, Jesus charted an intentional course. He set the vision, allowed them to participate, and then gave them ownership.

One of those disciples, Matthew the tax collector, wrote down his story of the ministry of Jesus, including his own moment of repentance. This account is found in Matthew 9:9-13. Here’s the story: Matthew is doing his job – hanging out at his tax collecting booth – when Jesus walks into town and says, “Follow me,” and Matthew does. In the next scene, Matthew, Jesus, and the disciples are hanging out at Matthew’s house…along with many other tax collectors and sinners. It happens so quickly that you almost miss it, but something really awesome just happened, and we want to chart our course around this: when Jesus invited Matthew to follow, it was also an invitation to lead. This is gospel transformation, not just salvation. In following Jesus, Matthew opens his home to the disciples, other tax collectors, and…some sinners! The invitation of Jesus to follow is also an invitation to lead right where you are! Matthew did it. Do you remember Zacchaeus? He did it, too. He met Jesus, and then he made sure his friend could, too.

Leadership isn’t a trip where you can just hop on the freeway and let the good times roll. Natural talent and ability alone won’t produce results. Leaders have to chart a course for their team. They contemplate, discern, and visualize the future they are working to create. While faith is a big part of the leadership journey, it’s not the only thing! Instead, faith is complemented with strategic planning, so let’s chart a course for building better leaders.

A man delivered from possession by a legion of demons did it too. Check out Mark 5. After he is delivered, he follows the disciples to get in the boat with Jesus, just like he’s one of them now. What you need to know is that the people back in town were terrified of Jesus. Remember how the demons begged to be sent into the pigs? And then the pigs ran off the cliff? The people in town wouldn’t listen to Jesus after the miracle, but there is someone whose testimony they couldn’t deny – the healed and transformed man. Watch this: “As Jesus was getting into the boat, the healed man begged to go along, but Jesus didn’t let him. Instead, He said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you. So, the man went away and began to tell in the cities how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed” (Mark 5:19-20).

Jesus could have forced His way into town to make His point. Instead, He empowers the transformed man to take a leadership role right where he is. Leadership isn’t just for deacons, elders, and ministry staff. In Jesus’ kingdom, leadership is for every follower. Here’s how it happens: 1) own the transformation of Jesus, and 2) apply your influence. Following Jesus as a disciple involves both of these aspects of leadership. Zacchaeus multiplied immediately by opening his home and inviting his friends to be in Jesus’ presence, just like Matthew did, owning his transformation and applying his influence.

The goal of Building Better Leaders isn’t just to see more students show up as Bible college freshman or to have a fresh crop of elder and deacon candidates on our church teams. The goal is one for everyone, because Jesus has a leadership purpose for everyone. The church will not produce leaders at those higher levels of deacons, elders, and ministers if it cannot help individuals take ownership of gospel-living right where they are. Or, sadly, perhaps some Christians make it up to the level of deacon, elder, or minister, but they’ve never really owned the mission personally. From experience, I can tell you that there’s plenty of ministry work going on within the church itself to fill your time without taking the message back to town like Matthew, Zacchaeus, and the man delivered from demons did.

In The Real-Life Discipleship Manual, Jim Putnam writes, “We cannot change the definition of discipleship to (1) sit and (2) listen, and then expect to make disciples as Jesus did.” When Jesus invites us to follow, He also invites us to lead. “Come to me” also means “go to them.” In Peter’s final conversation with Jesus, which takes place on the beach side over breakfast, Jesus asks three times, “Do you love me?” “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you,” cries Peter – he is deeply wounded. To him, Jesus is questioning his friendship and affection. How does Jesus respond? “Feed my sheep.” Jesus charts the course for Peter by illustrating that there is a valuable role for him to fill.

You will not accomplish in a group what you can accomplish in a one on one relationship. God won’t bless you with the opportunity to grow five leaders when you can’t grow one. You won’t have a dozen volunteers step up until you can take one and personally give them meaningful participation with your life.