WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 Today I want to talk to you about leadership. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:06.959 I've actually been listening into the message series that you have been in, the master's degree. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:07.679 So good. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.080 So kind of in that same vein, same topic. 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:13.759 I want to take a really, really narrow kind of slice of leadership. 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:17.120 I want to talk to you today about the kind of leadership that we all have. 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:19.280 You might call it relational leadership. 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:22.399 Or in other words, we all have influence with someone. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:29.280 Every single one of us is in this room, we've got influence with the people who are in our homes, who are in our families. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:30.640 We have influence with friends. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:32.719 Some of us have other spheres of influence. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:39.759 Maybe you have it with fellow employees, or if you're a teacher with your students, if you're a coach, with um the people who are on your team. 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:41.759 You may have a variety of different ways. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:46.399 Maybe you're a manager, maybe you lead a department at work, maybe you're the boss, the CEO, or the owner. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:52.479 We've all got a lot of different uh spheres of influence, but we we all have influence with somebody. 00:00:52.560 --> 00:00:55.920 And I just want to ask this question about the influence that we have. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:00:59.439 We're gonna spend the rest of our time trying to get an answer from the word of God. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:02.719 But here's the question: is what are you gonna do with it? 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:04.879 You have influence. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:06.799 What are you going to do with it? 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:08.560 How are you going to use it? 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:11.680 So that's what I want to talk to us about for the rest of our time together. 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:16.959 So to start off our little journey, uh, the first place I want to take you is Disneyland. 00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:19.280 Anybody ever have a good time at Disney? 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:19.680 Yeah. 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:23.280 Uh and uh I heard a former VP of Disney uh talk about this one time. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:30.079 He said, when you come to Disney, he said, with like with your family, he said, you leave and all the money is gone from your pockets and you're happy about it. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:31.760 He said, That's the magic. 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:33.760 I was like, cool. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:35.840 It probably feels uh you know that way. 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:38.480 But when you go to Disneyland, there's actually a statue there. 00:01:38.560 --> 00:01:40.959 And it's a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.159 They're like holding hands. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:47.120 Um, and and at the bottom of it, there's a little plaque, and uh the inscription is just one word. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:47.599 I love it. 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:48.799 It says partners. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:50.799 Walt and Mickey. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:57.040 And I was like, for me, like I just have one of those moments where I was like, this that's really cool, except only one of them is real. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:58.400 You know what I mean? 00:01:58.480 --> 00:02:02.000 Like only one, they partnered to build the magic kingdom, but only one of them is real. 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:05.599 So I thought that was funny, but but it in this way, here's how I want us to look at this. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:09.120 Think about it this way: it is a creator and his creation. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.680 It's a creator and his creation, partnering to build something. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:20.719 The truth is, I can't think of a better thought for us to kind of put into the back of our minds to hold it in our minds as we go to the Word of God. 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:22.800 Now, where we're gonna end up is Ephesians chapter two. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:24.560 You can go ahead and turn there if you have your Bible. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:28.879 It'll be a few minutes because I want to do a lot of stage setting for us before we get there. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:31.919 I'm gonna reference just a couple scriptures from the beginning of the Bible. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:38.400 So hold that thought about Walt and Mickey and the partnership and all of that in your head as we go to Genesis chapter number one. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:42.960 The first two chapters of the Bible are the story of our good God who made a good world. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:46.719 He created all of this and he created all of us. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:49.599 And the Bible says that God made humanity. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:52.000 He made us and then he gave us a job. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:56.879 That job or that role within creation is found in Genesis chapter 1, verse 26. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:02.800 It says we were made in the likeness of God, and then God gave humanity dominion over his creation. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:07.840 In other words, humanity was made to rule God's creation on God's behalf. 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:09.199 That was our job. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:16.639 We were literally created to exercise the authority of God on God's behalf over his creation. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:24.719 God's creation was meant to be led by a humanity that trusted in him and that lived according to his wisdom. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:30.719 And it was under the gentle, wise stewardship of humanity that something really beautiful was supposed to happen. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.479 You find that in Genesis chapter number two and verse number five. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:39.280 The Bible says that God had made all of this, but it was nothing was growing yet. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.199 And there were two reasons nothing was growing. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:47.599 One, because there was no water, and the second one was this the Bible says there was no one to cultivate the soil. 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:54.240 We were made to cultivate God's creation on God's behalf. 00:03:54.400 --> 00:04:11.039 And so think about it this way: God packed his creation full of potential, and then he gave humanity the job of under our leadership, his creation was supposed to explode with all of the potential wonder and all of the potential beauty that God had packed within it. 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:14.400 That our leadership, go back to Walt and Mickey with me. 00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:20.000 Our leadership is our job, and our leadership is our partnership with God. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:22.399 We were created to lead. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:27.680 We were created to bring out the potential that God has put in his creation. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:29.199 Here's the problem. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:35.680 The problem is that by Genesis chapter number three, now, if you're new to the Bible, maybe this is all kind of new information for you. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:38.480 Many of you, you know what happens in Genesis 3. 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:45.920 In Genesis 3, humanity decides that we are wiser than God, and so we go our own way. 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:50.240 And we lost a lot in Genesis chapter 3 as the human race. 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:51.519 We know that we lost. 00:04:51.600 --> 00:04:52.639 This is the one that we focus on. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:53.920 We lost a lot of things. 00:04:54.000 --> 00:05:01.600 That the number one thing that we talk about, and that's fine that this is the one that tops the list, we lost our unity with the God who created us. 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:04.959 We lost our relationship with our Father in heaven. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:05.839 We know that one. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:10.480 We also knew this, we don't necessarily talk about it maybe as often, but we know this to be true. 00:05:10.639 --> 00:05:12.319 We didn't just lose unity with God. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:13.519 What else did we lose? 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:15.920 We lost unity with each other. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:26.480 Like nobody has to do anything to remind us that humanity is uniquely gifted at finding new ways not to get along with itself. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:33.360 So when we sinned, when we decided we are more wise than God, it broke our unity with God. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:37.680 It broke our unity with each other, but it also cost us something else. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:39.600 And this is one that we don't talk about often. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.519 It's the one we're gonna focus on today. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:43.360 We lost our job. 00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:52.240 We lost our leadership role in God's creation, leading in it on his behalf. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:56.480 And when Jesus came, now I know that was a big fast forward. 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.600 Like I went from Genesis 1, 2, and 3 all the way to Jesus. 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:01.839 But when Jesus comes, we know this. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:09.600 When Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves, what did he accomplish in his death and in his resurrection? 00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:12.480 He accomplished bringing us back into unity with God. 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:13.680 Somebody say amen. 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:17.439 Like he accomplished making us right with our Father in heaven. 00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:22.319 And if we will be open to the work of the Holy Spirit, what else did Jesus accomplish? 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:28.399 If we will be open to it, he will restore unity with each other. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:38.079 It's in the family of God that all of the walls that have divided humanity since Genesis chapter 3 are meant to fall down. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:42.000 He brings us back together into right relationship with each other. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:50.000 And the other thing that Jesus does, and again, we don't often talk about this, this will be where we're gonna hang out for the rest of our time together, is we get our job back. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:52.879 We get to lead again. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:07:10.959 When you're in right relationship with Jesus, when you have put your trust in him and you're trying to live according to his wisdom, one of the things that happens in our lives is that we get to walk in and operate in and exercise the authority of Jesus on his behalf. 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:16.720 But here's what I want us to understand today is that this is true of us as Christians. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:21.199 We don't talk about this, and the truth is we should probably just take a second and let that sink in. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:25.279 Like we get to walk and operate in the authority of Jesus. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:28.639 But since it's his authority, right? 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:31.199 It's not our authority, it's his authority. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:38.480 I want to argue today that there's only one way we ought to use it, and that's the way that Jesus would. 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:40.480 It's his authority. 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:41.839 We get to use it. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:51.680 But I think we should only work and live to use it the way that he would, which means that we use it for the benefit of everyone but ourselves. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:08:04.399 Jesus is giving us back that authority, he's giving us back our job so that we can be cultivators, so that we can bring out the potential that God has packed in his creation. 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:06.160 And can I be honest with you? 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:10.800 I don't think that that applies just to the potential God put in plants. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:14.959 I think that that applies to the potential that God put in people. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:39.360 And I believe that what we can do with the influence that we have, wherever you have it, in whatever relationships you have influence, what if we started to use that influence the way that Jesus would for the benefit of everyone but ourselves, so that people could experience and understand the potential that God has put in them. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:44.000 I had a moment where God spoke to me really clearly. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:46.159 And in many of you, you've had these moments too. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.879 And I just want to say this, this is almost like a little side note. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:53.279 But just I hope that you have your ears tuned to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:58.399 Because you never know what moment He's gonna use to change the trajectory of your life. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:00.960 For me, I was just watching a movie. 00:09:01.759 --> 00:09:02.399 I know. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.600 That wasn't nearly as spiritual as you were hoping. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:09.360 Um I was just watching a movie, it's called Unbroken. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:11.440 Um, it was produced by Angelina Jolie. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:12.480 It's a great movie. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:16.320 Um, if some of you have seen it, um I'm I'm I hope you enjoyed it as well. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:21.840 It's a difficult movie to watch because it focuses on the life story of a guy named Louis Zampurini. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:24.559 It takes a very, very small slice out of his life. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:28.480 It focuses on um part of his story that took place during World War II. 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:35.039 His plane went down over the Pacific Ocean and he spent um uh years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:41.039 But before his plane went down, Louis Zampurini was a world-class track athlete. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:46.320 He ran uh for the United States Olympic team in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:48.639 He set a world record while he was there. 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:51.840 He set tons of other records on the track when he was a college athlete. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.320 He broke all kinds of records, uh, he did all of these things. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:09:55.279 He was world famous. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:00.639 He was literally considered the fastest man alive when his plane went down over the Pacific. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:06.399 He was so famous that once the Japanese learned his name, they knew exactly who they had. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:08.559 He was literally world famous. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:15.840 And so after I finished watching the movie, uh I did what all good history nerds would do, and I went and read the book. 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:21.840 And I just want to say this, if that's not your your thing, I just want to say this the book is better than the movie. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.480 And all my other fellow nerds said, Amen. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:26.639 Like the book will be better. 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:29.360 I'm just saying, like in Jesus' name, okay? 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:31.360 Like the book will be better. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:37.200 There, the the movies have to focus on something so narrow, and in the the the a book they get to cover so much more ground. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:38.399 And here's the beauty of it. 00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:40.879 I'm I'm I'm really interested in his story at this point. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:45.519 And I didn't make it past page eight before God did something really significant in my life. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:54.159 It would, in fact, be the moment that God used to inspire me and my wife Andrea and our family to move to Indianapolis and plant a church, uh, which we did six years ago. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:56.320 And so I had this page eight moment. 00:10:56.399 --> 00:11:01.039 And I know some of you have had your own like page eight moments where God really spoke to you in powerful ways. 00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:04.480 Uh, if you haven't and you're following Jesus, I just want to let you know something. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:05.440 It's coming. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:06.799 Like it's coming. 00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:09.440 I promise you will have some page eight moments where God speaks to you. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:17.120 What I learned on page eight of the book about Louis's life was that when he was a little boy, he was two years old, he contracted pneumonia in both lungs. 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:18.559 It was really severe. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:29.440 And he got over the sickness over the pneumonia, but there was a residual effect on his lungs that lasted for years into his childhood. 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:38.799 And so what I read on page number eight is that when Louis was a little kid, because of the like lasting effects on his lungs, he lost every race in Torrance, California, where he grew up. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:47.840 Every foot race on the streets of that town, every race at the picnics uh in that town, he lost every single time to every other little boy and little girl in that town. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.679 At the end of every race, Louis was just covered in the dust of everybody else. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:12:01.840 And I just paused when I read that in the book because this, I just had this little moment where it just dawned on me the fastest man alive was once the slowest kid in town. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.240 And I just had this little moment where the Holy Spirit started working on me. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:17.919 And it just dawned on me that when little Louis was losing all those foot races, nobody walked up to him and was like, hey, Louie, hey buddy, like a little pat on the back, you know what I mean? 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:19.440 Like, don't worry about it. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:21.679 Like one of these days, right? 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:25.679 Like one of these days, you are going to shatter world records. 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:32.480 One of these days, you're gonna be considered the fastest man alive, the fastest person on the planet. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:36.080 Nobody walked up to him and said any of those things. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.159 Nobody, because nobody could see it. 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:48.159 Nobody could see it, but what it like what the Holy Spirit did in me in that moment was helped me to realize that all of the potential to be that was in that little boy. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.320 It's just that no one could see it. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.919 Nobody called it out one because they probably weren't looking. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:56.799 And and and because at that point in his life you couldn't see it. 00:12:56.879 --> 00:13:04.320 But what it helped me to realize is this biblical truth, and that's this that there is unseen, God-given potential in every person. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:22.879 And as we gain back our job as people who follow Jesus, as we are made right through the work of God in relationship with Him and made right with each other through the work of Jesus and His Word and His Spirit, we also again get our job back. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:32.720 We have influence, we have authority from Jesus, but there's only one way that we can use it, and that's for the benefit of everyone but ourselves. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:43.120 So, what if we used what we have in our leadership role and our influence to help everyone else discover who God made them to be? 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:46.080 So I want to take you now to Ephesians chapter 2. 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.519 This is my life verse, it's one of my favorite verses, and it's where we've been building up this whole time. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:55.679 But I want to read to you now from the word of God, from Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. 00:13:55.919 --> 00:14:00.720 Here's what the Bible says it says, For we are God's masterpiece. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:03.679 We are God's masterpiece. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:12.559 He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:15.200 That was short, so I'm just gonna read it again. 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.559 We are God's masterpiece. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:25.919 He is creating us anew in Christ Jesus to do the good works he planned for us long ago. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.120 Here's what I love about this scripture it applies to you. 00:14:32.159 --> 00:14:35.759 Like this is true of every single one of us in this room. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.279 It's true of all of our friends and family who are watching online. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.440 It is just true of all of us. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:48.639 You are, when the Bible says masterpiece, like I mean, seriously, like what should come to mind is the works of art from the masters. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:51.919 Think Da Vinci, think like Michelangelo, think, you know what I mean. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.559 Like these timeless, incredible works of art. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:57.360 Think of the talent of the artists and the people who created this. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:04.799 Think of your favorite song, whatever that may be, and the artist behind it, and the beauty and of their talent that God has given them. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:08.720 You are the craftsmanship, the Bible is saying, of God Himself. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:13.840 What that means is that there is wonders woven into every single one of us. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:18.080 And they were woven by God Himself. 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:21.360 We don't often, I think, think about this. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.600 And it's a little bit hard sometimes, right? 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:27.039 Because we know our flaws really well, don't we? 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:39.600 We know the moments of our greatest mistakes, we know the moments of our greatest regrets, we know the moments that we hope no one finds out about because of the moments that they were most ashamed of. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:40.480 We all know, right? 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:48.080 We know those moments that if we could rewind life, oh man, if we could rewind life, right? 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:59.679 The moments we would go back and change, and we are so familiar with those things, and we are so defined by those things that sometimes we fail to really let this sink in. 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:03.120 So, like, I'm just gonna keep preaching it for just another minute. 00:16:03.440 --> 00:16:06.879 You are God's masterpiece. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:12.240 He wove wonders into you, he planned good things like for you to do long ago. 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:13.679 Like God has a plan. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:19.600 In other words, there is a mountain of unseen, God-given potential in you. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.240 Here's my question: how in the world are you gonna discover it? 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:25.440 Right? 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:26.799 Oh, it's there. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:28.879 No, the Bible says it's there. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.480 How are you gonna discover who God made you to be? 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:38.320 How are you going to discover the good things that He planned for you and then live out that plan? 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.960 Like, how are you going to do that? 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:49.279 I think that the best way for us to discover who God made us to be is by not focusing on who God made us to be. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:58.559 I think that the best way for you to discover who God made you to be is actually to make your life about helping everyone around you discover who God made them to be. 00:16:59.279 --> 00:17:10.960 I think it's when we use the leadership and the authority and the influence that we have from Jesus and we use it the way that He would for the benefit of everybody but ourselves. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:16.400 I think if you will make your life about everyone else, I think God will take care of you. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:20.640 I think if you make your life about helping everybody else figure out who God made them to be. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:28.640 If you will pray, God open my eyes to see the wonders that you've woven in everybody around me, to see the potential that you've packed into everybody. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:35.599 Jesus, would you help me to use my influence to cultivate what you have put in every single person around me? 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:40.079 If you will make your life about them, God will take care of you. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:45.920 Ultimately, I'm asking you to just trust in the biblical principle of sowing and reaping. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:57.519 If you will focus on others and helping them discover who God made them to be, I promise you, God will show you who you are. 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:05.039 I promise you will get clarity on who you are and why he made you and what he has planned for you. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:08.000 And I think that's a beautiful ideal. 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:09.039 I do. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:13.119 Like we just spent quite a few minutes getting to where we're at, right? 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:14.720 Like I think that's beautiful. 00:18:14.880 --> 00:18:21.279 And my hope is just that that through God's word, like that's an ideal that that you aspire to. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:25.759 Like, what if we would would give our lives to that? 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:26.480 I mean, it's true. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:30.960 Again, it everyone around us is packed full of the potential of God, but who's gonna bring it out? 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:33.200 Who's gonna bring it out in your kids? 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:34.880 Who's gonna bring it out in your spouse? 00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:42.319 Who's gonna bring it out in your grandkids, nieces and nephews, who's gonna bring it out in your coworkers, your neighbor, your classmates, your teammates? 00:18:42.559 --> 00:18:44.240 Who is going to bring it out? 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:46.400 I just think it ought to be us. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:53.279 Like we should bear a little bit of that responsibility and use the authority that God has given us for everybody around us. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:58.640 I know for me, again, like I said, I wrote a book, which it's it's a big thing. 00:18:58.799 --> 00:19:03.519 Um, but I didn't write it because I am the person or the leader that I want to be. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:08.400 It's because I started to get clarity on the person and the leader that I want to be. 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:11.119 But here's what I've been learning. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:20.799 Uh my hope is that that you're hearing what God is saying through his word, and you're going, I mean, that's a worthwhile pursuit. 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:24.720 Like I want to use my influence the way that Jesus would. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:26.720 I want to use it for the benefit of others. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:30.960 What I've been learning is this there's a massive obstacle in my way. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:38.640 That when I step out to try to be like Jesus, like this, when I step out to try to lead like Jesus, there's one big problem that I keep running into. 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.920 What I've discovered is that my biggest problem is me. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:50.480 And I think what you'll discover if you try to start using your influence a little bit more the way that Jesus would. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:56.480 If you start trying to unearth the potential that God has put into others, I think that you will run into yourself a lot. 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:12.000 Because one of the saddest things that happened in Genesis 3 when we started trusting our own wisdom and rather than God's, when humanity fell into sin and we lost our job, one of the one of the most awful things that happened to us, and there's a lot of them, is that it made us really insecure. 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:16.240 Insecurity is a terrible thing. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:23.279 Insecurity leads us to like living a life where we can't celebrate anybody else because we keep trying to celebrate ourselves. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:25.119 And can I just be honest with you? 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:28.000 This has been one of the biggest struggles of my life. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:33.039 I just like real talk, like I'm the most insecure person in every room I'm ever in. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.240 Like it's happening right now, okay? 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.680 Like, like literally, it's literally happening right now. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:47.839 Like, there's a part of me, and I'm with Jesus' help, that part, like Jesus just keeps turning down the volume on that voice in my own head. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:49.039 Like somebody say, Amen. 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:53.440 You know, we need to give Jesus a little bit more authority over the volume, right? 00:20:53.759 --> 00:21:00.880 Like, just just man, if we could just do that a little bit today, but but my own voice, like I there's a part of me that's like, will they like me? 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:04.160 Like, will they enjoy this sermon? 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:08.400 Will they be like, man, I can't wait for Pastor Greg to come back next week. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:10.079 You know, like, and that's fine. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:12.000 Like, but you know what I'm saying? 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:24.000 Like, there's a part of me, but that insecurity, what happens when I operate out of my insecurity, when you operate out of your insecurity, we can't appreciate others because we spend our whole lives trying to get everybody to appreciate us. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:30.480 Insecurity causes us to live a self-centered, self-focused life. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:38.240 What happens is we start using the influence we have for our benefit at the expense of the benefit of everybody around us. 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:50.079 Our leadership and the influence we have is no longer a gift to those who are around us or to those who follow us, because we need a gift from those who are around us and follow us. 00:21:50.319 --> 00:21:59.599 We need them to appreciate us, to applaud us, to affirm us, to acknowledge us, and it gets us into a place where we can't give that out for free. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:04.000 To everybody around us, and that's the beauty of becoming secure. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:16.079 Is that becoming secure means you're stepping into a life of freedom where you can focus on everybody else because you don't need anything from them, you're just there to give something to them. 00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:21.440 And when that starts happening in our lives, what I want us to understand is it means we're becoming a lot more like Jesus. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:23.119 Like somebody say amen. 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:26.400 It means we're becoming a lot more like Jesus. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.759 I want to take you now to Mark chapter number 10. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:31.680 If you have your Bible, you can go ahead and turn there. 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:37.279 If you got an app on your phone, we're gonna look at a couple things as we wrap up our time together in Mark chapter number 10. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:39.279 And I just want to point something out about Jesus. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.599 This is Mark chapter 10, verse 45. 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.680 If you've been around church for a while, if you grew up in church, you probably know this verse, you could probably quote it. 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:49.680 If it's new for you, that's awesome because this is such a good verse. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:51.759 This is Jesus who is speaking. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:56.160 So Jesus is the one talking in this verse, and he's talking about himself. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:00.160 So this is Jesus speaking about himself in Mark chapter number 10, verse 45. 00:23:00.240 --> 00:23:10.240 Here's what Jesus says He says, For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:12.720 Man, that's good. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:14.960 It's like a mission statement, right? 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:16.400 From Jesus. 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.559 It's a statement of intent. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:20.720 And that's typically how we read it. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:23.039 Jesus said what he was gonna do, right? 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:24.559 And he said how he was gonna do it. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.240 And go back and look at the verse. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:34.960 He said, I didn't come to be served, I came to serve everyone else, and to ultimately do that by giving my life as a ransom for many. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:40.000 In other words, Jesus did for us again what we could never do for ourselves. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.319 That's a statement of intent. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:43.839 This is what he was going to do. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:45.200 The question is, how? 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:48.480 How do you live that selfless of a life? 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:55.359 Because I gotta be honest with you, man, I'm struggling with insecurities, I'm struggling with the old Jason, and I know you're struggling with the old you. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:01.359 But Jesus was able to do this, and if you go back and you look at the verse, just just again, just look at it one more time. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:07.599 Because this verse doesn't start with a statement of intent, it starts with a statement of identity. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:09.440 Go back and look at it again. 00:24:09.599 --> 00:24:10.640 What does he say in the beginning? 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:12.799 He said, for the Son of Man. 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:14.799 He's talking about himself. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.799 This is a title that Jesus used, a phrase that he used to refer to himself. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:21.119 It was intentionally cryptic. 00:24:21.279 --> 00:24:26.880 Now, again, if you've been in church for a while, you've read the stories of the gospels that tell the life of Jesus, you know this phrase. 00:24:27.039 --> 00:24:29.759 Um, Jesus uses this all the time to refer to himself. 00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:34.240 But people didn't know exactly what he meant by it, and Jesus did that on purpose. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:39.599 But this phrase comes from, this title comes from a specific place in the Bible in the Old Testament. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:41.599 It comes from Daniel chapter 7. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:50.720 Daniel chapter 7, I gotta be honest with you, it's one of those chapters that we just studiously ignore because nobody knows what to do with it. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:54.960 Daniel, like the first six chapters, it was like, it was normal. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:55.680 You know what I mean? 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:57.200 Like God was doing awesome stuff. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:24:58.400 Anybody read Daniel? 00:24:58.480 --> 00:24:59.039 You're familiar. 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:00.160 I mean, you know what I'm saying? 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:04.000 We got Daniel in the lion's den and the power of God's deliverance, right? 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:11.680 Like we've got the the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, and then there's like a fourth person in the fire, and it's one like the Son of God, and they're delivered. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:16.160 Not a single hair on their bodies is even singed by this inferno that they got thrown into. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:17.119 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:20.000 There's all these miraculous, amazing stories in these six chapters. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:21.039 It's just awesome. 00:25:21.119 --> 00:25:29.200 And then you get to chapter number seven, and it's like, what in the name of Narnia meets Harry Potter, meets like Middle Earth, meets Lord of the Rings? 00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:31.119 I mean, it is like, what just happened? 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:35.759 In Daniel chapter seven, there are like mythical beasts coming up out of the sea. 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:37.680 It's all this like apocalyptic language. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:40.319 It's like seriously, it's like, what in the world is going on? 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:49.039 But in Daniel chapter seven, it is really cryptic and confusing and hard. 00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:55.440 But what's at the core of the story of Daniel chapter seven is that there is a person who has the title of son of man. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:26:05.599 There's a human being who, after an intense season of suffering, is exalted on the clouds up to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God. 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:11.680 He is enthroned in a place in heaven equal to God Almighty. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:17.759 Jesus uses that title from Daniel chapter 7 to refer to himself at the beginning of this verse. 00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:22.480 It doesn't start with a statement of intent, it starts with a statement of identity. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:25.599 How do you live to serve rather than be served? 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:28.880 How do you live able to sacrifice for everybody around you? 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:33.279 It's when you start to become more secure in who you are. 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:38.720 Jesus was able to live that life and fulfill that mission because he knew who he was. 00:26:39.440 --> 00:26:42.400 He had security in his identity. 00:26:42.559 --> 00:26:47.519 And the problem for us is it's really hard to make life about everybody else because we're insecure in who we are. 00:26:47.599 --> 00:26:48.960 So I just want to say this to you. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:50.720 And maybe this is just where you're at today. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:55.119 I'm gonna be honest, some of you, this is just what you needed, and that's fine. 00:26:55.359 --> 00:27:13.359 Some of you, it's like you just like this is all you really need to walk away from this message, is this is that when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, when you trust in him to be your savior, and you make him the Lord of your life, you begin to get your identity from Jesus and not from everything else. 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:20.480 What that means is that you are in him and he is in you. 00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:24.640 And that becomes the source of your identity. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:36.160 And so what that means is yes, we know our flaws, yes, we know our failures, yes, we know our sins, but what it means is that when you're in Jesus, your identity is no longer in those things. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:46.000 So I just want to say this to you: if you are in Jesus, you are not your past, you are not your sins, you are not your failures, you are not the moments that you are most ashamed of. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:52.000 Yes, those things happened, but you are in him, and he is in you. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:54.319 Somebody can say amen on that. 00:27:54.640 --> 00:27:57.759 He is in you, you are in him. 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:02.400 What that means if we will man, we could just we could just hang out there, right? 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:05.839 Like we could just stop right there and just let that sink in. 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:11.680 And my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will just keep working that truth in you long after we're done today. 00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:14.559 Because I think that's just what some of us need. 00:28:15.119 --> 00:28:20.319 We are so insecure, we are so self-absorbed sometimes. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:23.920 And the only reason I know that is because I live there too. 00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:27.119 That's actually my autopilot, right? 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:33.359 Like that's just what I'll do if I'm not intentional in allowing God to work in me. 00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:42.160 But when I'm focused on me, what happens is that my potential doesn't get realized, and neither does the potential of everyone around me. 00:28:42.960 --> 00:28:49.920 At least I don't get to be a part of helping to bring out that potential in everyone who is around me. 00:28:50.880 --> 00:29:00.720 So my prayer is that we would just take a page out of Jesus' book today and really focus on the fact that we get our identity from Jesus. 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:08.880 I think that what God is inspiring us to do through a verse like Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10, that again, we are God's masterpiece. 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:11.119 He has all these amazing things that he's planned for us. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:18.559 That we could use the influence that we have in whatever areas of life we have influence, whatever those spheres of influence are, that we could use that. 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:21.920 I think that's a really beautiful thing that God is calling us to. 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:24.880 That we get to in this way, as Jesus is making us new. 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:27.279 Again, Ephesians 2.10, he's making us new. 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:36.640 As that's happening, that we get to be what we were made to be, that we get to be cultivators of God's creation, that we get to literally partner with God. 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:47.039 Our leadership is our partnership with God, and we get to do that to help bring out the potential that God has packed in everyone around us. 00:29:47.680 --> 00:29:50.240 I think that's a beautiful thing to aspire to. 00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:57.119 But as soon as you step out to it, I mean, again, like you're just you're gonna run squarely into yourself because it's hard. 00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:02.799 And so if if we're we're here today and you're going like, I mean, I wanna live like Jesus. 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:09.279 I want to lead like Jesus, I want to do those things, but like, where do I start? 00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:10.000 What do I do? 00:30:10.079 --> 00:30:14.480 In the last few moments that we have together, I just want to give you one practical thing that you can do. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:24.640 And here's the beauty of it um, you don't have to wait to start using your influence for those around you until you become a fully secure person. 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:27.200 Like, thank God, right? 00:30:28.000 --> 00:30:29.599 Where would we be, right? 00:30:29.839 --> 00:30:30.960 Like, you don't have to wait. 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:32.559 You can literally just start today. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:35.039 You can just take another page out of Jesus' playbook. 00:30:35.200 --> 00:30:37.039 We're gonna stay in Mark chapter 10. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:42.000