We’re going to look at a leader today who had big shoes to fill.  Maybe you can relate to that.  Joshua was stepping in for Moses.  The man who led Israel out of Egypt and was the mediator between the people and Almighty God.  I can only imagine the pressure he must have felt as he stepped into that role.  Maybe you have a father-in-law that is a spiritual giant and you feel like you’ll never live up as you try to lead your family. Maybe in the corporate world, you’ve just stepped into a new position and you have big shoes to fill. Whatever it is, I think there are some lessons we can learn today that will help you and encourage you.  

In the Face of Adversity

Joshua focused on the character and power of God not the circumstances around him. He knew God would deliver on his promises. Godly leaders stand on God’s truth in the face of adversity. 

Numbers 14:5-12 Then Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground before the whole community of Israel. 6 Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. 7 They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! 8 And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. 9 Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle.[a] 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? 12 I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”

• Moses had sent out twelve spies to scout out the promised land.  
• Only Joshua and Caleb want to move forward and take the promised land.  Talk about harsh criticism – the rest of the people wanted to stone them.  Stone them! Now that’s a high pressure situation.  
• Joshua and Caleb knew God was on their side.  They weren’t the underdogs.  The other nations didn’t stand a chance.  Always bugs me when people call the story of David and Goliath an underdog story.  David wasn’t the underdog.  The Lord God Almighty was fighting with him.  Goliath was the underdog and he got smoked.  
• Do you know God’s promises?  The only reason Joshua and Caleb weren’t suicidal maniacs is they knew God had promised they would inherit the land.
  • His promise to never leave you or forsake you.
  • His promise to forgive our sins when we confess them.
  • His promise to work all things out for our good.
• Side note: We can’t hold God to promises he never made – prosperity gospel 
• We need to stand when everyone around us is critical.  I’ve come to grips with the fact that there could be a time in my life when I go to prison for speaking God’s truth.  I hope that’s not the case.  I don’t know what God has in store for our nation.  But if something doesn’t change, I can see myself being accused of hate speech when I teach what God’s Word says about marriage, the sanctity of life, transgenderism, etc.  
• Not allowing sleepovers for our kids, canceling cable – not saying God has put that conviction on everyone and not judging, but for us, we knew it was something God had called us to do and we took quite a bit of teasing and flak from family 

When It Goes Against the World

Joshua was careful to obey the Lord’s commands.  Leading well sometimes means going against the world’s wisdom.

Joshua 6:1-5 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

• Can you imagine the reaction to the military leaders when Joshua shared the battle plan the Lord had given them?  We’re going to march around the city in broad daylight.  We’re not going to talk.  We’re not going to charge the city.  We’re going to walk around, we’re going to do that for six days.  Then on the 7th day, we’re going to walk around 7 times and then we’re going to shout and the city will be ours.  What? What kind of battle plan is that?  
• Finances – the world’s wisdom vs. God’s wisdom
• Chik-Fil-A not open on Sundays – goes against world’s wisdom 

The Playbook

God’s Word instructs us on how to lead well.  God told Joshua he would be successful if he didn’t deviate from the instructions God had given.  God wants us to be strong and courageous, and he will equip us to lead. 

Joshua 1:6-9“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

• Joshua is told three times by God to be strong and courageous and one time by the people.  He is also told three times that God is with him.  Why is this so important?  This was going to be a daunting task.  He’s filling in for the greatest leader Israel had ever known. He’s leading upwards of 1 million people into a land inhabited by people much stronger and more powerful.  He’s leading a group of people that are stubborn and hard to lead.  They’re quick to rebel.  
• We’re not leading the sheer magnitude of numbers that Joshua led, but I feel like our task is just as daunting. We’re trying to raise kids who love and honor God in a culture that is increasingly hostile to God and his truth.  We’re trying to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  Some of us are leading employees. We’re trying to balance profitability with compassion and care for those we employ.  If we lead in ministry, we’re trying to balance truth and love as we shepherd a broken flock. – So be strong and courageous! God is with you! 
• Spend time in his Word. Meditate on it.  2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. –It’s useful. How encouraging that is for me as a leader.  We all know what it’s like to have resources that are useful. 
• Psalm 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,  or stand around with sinners,  or join in with mockers.2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,   meditating on it day and night. 3They are like trees planted along the riverbank,  bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither,    and they prosper in all they do.
  • What an encouragement to us as men as we seek to lead.  When we meditate on God’s Word, we’ll bear fruit.  We’ll be able to withstand the storms of life.  Bearing fruit benefits those around us.  They can seek refuge in our shade. There is protection.  

Set the Tone

Joshua knew he couldn’t control the decisions of others and he couldn’t lead people where he wasn’t willing to go. He set the tone by modeling obedience to God and challenged the people to follow. 

Joshua 4:14  That day the Lord made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they had revered Moses.

• God made Joshua a great leader.  When we have leadership skills, they are a gift from God.  He can work through us to develop skills and become better leaders. 
• Joshua had already been very careful to obey the Lord’s commands about setting up the 12 stone memorial in the river as they crossed.  He honored the permission Moses had given to the two and half tribes that wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan. 

Joshua 24:14-16 Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

• Joshua had been in all the battles.  He’d walked the walk, not just talked the talk.  You can’t lead people to a place you’re not willing to go.  
• I love Joshua’s challenge to the Israelites.  Here you go: you’ve got to make a decision.  You’ve seen God’s faithfulness.  You’ve driven out all these nations you wouldn’t have been able to drive out without God, but you’ve got to make a choice.  As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 
• My son just left for college a week ago. I had to come to grips with the fact that he has to make that decision for himself as to whether or not he’s going to follow the Lord.  I can model it. I can talk about God’s faithfulness.  I can remind him of God’s love and I can declare that I’m going to follow God, but I can’t make him do that. 
• It’s the same challenge I would give to our listeners today.  You can listen to great sermons, you can listen to podcasts like this one, but no one else can make that decision for you.  You have to decide if you’re going to serve the Lord.  

Intro

We’re in the third week of our leadership principles for men and we’re taking a look at Jonathan. Jonathan is the son of King Saul, the first king of the nation of Israel.  The first story we’re going to look at is at a time when Israel is at war with the Philistines.  Saul has already disobeyed the Lord and has been reprimanded by the prophet Samuel and the army is in a tough spot. They’re outnumbered and they’re ill-equipped. Jonathan is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. We’ll see he had great courage, great faith, humility, and he was a great leader. This may be the most practical lesson in the series.  We’re going to get into some very specific leadership principles that can help you lead at home, in the church, and in your workplace. 

Communicate

Jonathan over communicated, communicated clearly, and welcomed feedback.  Good leaders are always looking for opportunities to earn trust, and it’s clear Jonathan had earned trust from his armor bearer. Jonathan knew his strength came from the Lord and that God was the one who would bring victory. 

1 Samuel 14:1-14 One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on, let’s go over to where the Philistines have their outpost.” But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.2 Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree[a] at Migron. 3 Among Saul’s men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord who had served at Shiloh.

No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp. 4 To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh. 5 The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba. 6 “Let’s go across to the outpost of those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”

7 “Do what you think is best,” the armor bearer replied. “I’m with you completely, whatever you decide.”8 “All right, then,” Jonathan told him. “We will cross over and let them see us. 9 If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are or we’ll kill you,’ then we will stop and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up and fight,’ then we will go up. That will be the Lord’s sign that he will help us defeat them.”11 When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, “Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!” 12 Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, “Come on up here, and we’ll teach you a lesson!”“Come on, climb right behind me,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “for the Lord will help us defeat them!”13 So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them. 14 They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.[b]

• Jonathan communicates very clearly and very specifically to his armor bearer about what his plans are.  He didn’t have to do this.  His armor bearer was essentially a servant.  No one would have reprimanded Jonathan for keeping his plans to himself.  He communicates it in a way that gave his armor bearer a chance to respond.  Jonathan has created an environment with his armor bear where he feels safe giving feedback. 
• Do you seek feedback on a regular basis for those you lead?  Have you created an environment where people are unafraid to ask questions if they don’t have clarity on what you’re asking them to do or have you created an environment where people feel like you have an “It’s my way or the highway” type of leadership style? 
• Jonathan gives very clear instructions about what he is proposing.  He isn’t quite sure of the battle plan at the beginning because he wants to be sure the Lord is behind them.  He knows that it is the Lord who is going to give victory if they engage with the enemy.  He isn’t worried about the numbers.  He knows the Lord can win a battle whether he has many warriors or few.  This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible.  It’s such a great reminder to us.  We live and minister in an area that has a relatively small percentage of people who practice biblical Christianity.  If we just look at the numbers, it can be very discouraging and daunting, but God is mighty and will win the battle with many soldiers or few.  
• I love the armor bearer’s response – “Do what you think is best.  I’m with you completely – whatever you decide.”  In the translation I used as a kid he said, “Do whatever you have in mind.  I’m with you heart and soul.”  Man, that’s a leader who has led well.  That’s a leader who has earned trust during the course of the relationship.  If your wife and your children say, “Dad.  Do what you have in mind.  We’re with you heart and soul.”  Wow! What a powerful testimony that would be to your leadership.  We may not always agree.  We may not always understand, but we know you love us. We know you love God.  We know that you’re genuinely making decisions that you think are the best for us – so we’re with you.  
• The armor bearer had to obey Jonathan.  He didn’t really have a choice, but you can tell there’s much more than that going on here.  He didn’t just say yes sir.  He said, “I’m with you completely!”  I’m all in. 
• I’ve been blessed to have a handful of men in my life that I would say, “Do whatever you have in mind.  I’m with you heart and soul.  You want to climb those cliffs and fight those guys who outnumber us?  Let’s do it.  My father-in-law was a man I’d go into battle with.  The members of our Executive Team at our church – They’re not perfect.  They make mistakes like the rest of us, but these men have earned my trust.  I know they’re trying to honor God in their decision and do what’s best for the flock and I’d follow them anywhere. 
• Verses 8 and 9 – look how clearly Jonathan communicates the plan – clarity is so important.  Fight for clarity. 
• When it’s time to go, Jonathan is in front.  He’s not asking his armor bearer to go somewhere he’s not willing to go first.  I watched a documentary on this story and they were at the actual location of the battle and this cliff they had to climb just to get to the Philistines was brutal.  It was literally 4 points of contact in several places.  Then when they finally get to the top, they’ve got to fight.  And they’re some bad men – two whip twenty.   

Calculated Risk

Good leaders know the appropriate time to take a risk.  When we step out in faith for God, it can trigger great victories for the kingdom. 

1 Samuel 14:15-23 Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.

Israel Defeats the Philistines

16 Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.[c] 17 “Call the roll and find out who’s missing,” Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.18 Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, “Bring the ephod here!” For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.[d] 19 But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Never mind; let’s get going!”[e]20 Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere. 21 Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites. 22 Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.

• The Israelite army had been in a stalemate.  They were in a vulnerable position.  Morale was low and men were defecting to the enemy.  You get a sense that Jonathan knew it was a critical time and that it was time to take a risk, to step out in faith.  
• This first skirmish where Jonathan and his armor bearer kill twenty men becomes the catalyst for a rally and victory.  God is involved.  He creates an earthquake.  He causes panic in the camp.  The Philistines actually begin fighting one another.  The Israelites who had defected over to the enemy turned back and began fighting for Israel. 
• This was a risk, but a calculated risk.  Jonathan didn’t move forward until he was confident the Lord was with him. We’re not talking about just taking foolish risks, although sometimes God calls us to go against the world’s wisdom like we saw when we studied Joshua’s leadership a couple of weeks ago.  
• Where is God calling you to take a risk?  Do you have believers in your life you can bounce the idea off of like Jonathan did with his armor bearer?  So often, there are others who will join in if someone will just take the risk.  The men who were hiding in the hill country joined in the fight once they saw the Philistines running away.  
• Braveheart – Robert the Bruce scene – Now tell me, what does that mean to be noble? Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles, they follow courage. Now our people know you. Noble, and common, they respect you. And if you would just lead them to freedom, they’d follow you. And so would I
• Story of young boy at our church who has been leading a small group since he was in 5th grade.  Going up to strangers at a park and asking them if they want to join his Bible study.  They decline and he just says “no problem.  If you change your mind, we’ll be right over here.”  That’s courage.  That’s a young man people are going to follow.  

Psalm 20:7 Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.

• It may seem like a risk, but when God is moving and has called us to step out in faith, the real risk is not doing it.  It keeps us from seeing him at work.  It robs us of that faith milestone where we get to see him do something God-sized.  

Principle over Position 

Jonathan chose principle over position.  Though he was next in line to be king of Israel, he wanted to obey God and he wanted what was best for the nation – even if that meant going against his father and putting his own life in danger.

1 Samuel 18:1-4 After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

• David and Jonathan form a tight bond right from the start.  They’re both warriors.  They’ve both taken risks.  God has given them both amazing victories. 

1 Samuel 19:1-6 Saul now urged his servants and his son Jonathan to assassinate David. But Jonathan, because of his strong affection for David, 2 told him what his father was planning. “Tomorrow morning,” he warned him, “you must find a hiding place out in the fields. 3 I’ll ask my father to go out there with me, and I’ll talk to him about you. Then I’ll tell you everything I can find out.”4 The next morning Jonathan spoke with his father about David, saying many good things about him. “The king must not sin against his servant David,” Jonathan said. “He’s never done anything to harm you. He has always helped you in any way he could. 5 Have you forgotten about the time he risked his life to kill the Philistine giant and how the Lord brought a great victory to all Israel as a result? You were certainly happy about it then. Why should you murder an innocent man like David? There is no reason for it at all!”6 So Saul listened to Jonathan and vowed, “As surely as the Lord lives, David will not be killed.”

• Jonathan stood to be the next King of Israel.  David was a threat to that position.  The people were already singing songs that Saul had slain thousands and David tens of thousands.  
• Jonathan acted as a peacemaker between David and Saul and had some momentary success.  That is a role that we’re called to as leaders – peacemakers. We should take the initiative to help relationships be reconciled.  Families, organizations, teams all function better when relationships are healthy. 
• Jonathan reprimands the king. Even though it is his father, that still carries risk.  Saul could have had him killed.  

1 Samuel 20:30-34 Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!”[d] he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? 31 As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”32 “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” 33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.34 Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

• Jonathan’s loyalty and doing the right thing put him in physical danger.  It caused a tear in his relationship with his father. Jonathan was willing to do the right thing even when it came at a great personal cost.  
• When Jonathan reports to David that Saul still intends to kill him he says, “May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.”  Jonathan recognizes God’s plan.  He doesn’t try to fight against it even though it means he will not be king.  Great leaders put the needs of those they’re leading above their own.  

Close

Most of us aren’t going to be called to take the kind of risks Jonathan took but we will be called to take risks and step out in faith.  We need to be looking for opportunities to earn trust from those we lead.  Effectively communicating is one very practical way we can do that and not asking them to do something we aren’t willing to do is another.  

No conversation about leadership is complete without discussing Jesus.  He was the most influential leader in the history of the world.  He calls his followers to lead like he led. 

We’re coming to the last conversation in our leadership principles for men series, and we’ve saved the best for last.  Today, we’re going to talk about how to lead like Jesus.  This isn’t going to be a comprehensive conversation.  We’d have to  spend several podcasts discussing all of the amazing things that describe Jesus’ leadership and its effectiveness.  We’re going to focus on three characteristics of Jesus’ leadership that we work to incorporate as we lead at home, in the church, and in the workplace. 

Laser Focus

Jesus had absolute clarity on the mission.  He didn’t let the desires of others, or even his own preferences, get in the way of accomplishing what he was sent to do.

Luke 2:49-50 (ESV)  And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

• The family was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.  He’s 12.  They left assuming Jesus was with their group that had traveled.  They get a day away from Jerusalem and realize he is not with them.  Talk about pressure – you lost the Son of God.  They look for him for three days and when they find him, he’s interacting with the teachers of the law in the temple.  He’s listening and asking them questions.  
• Jesus’ response is so telling – didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business?  Mom, Dad, you know who I am.  You know what the angel said about me.  Would you expect anything less than this?  You should have known that I’m going to be on mission.  
• Jesus was on mission at a young age.  I think we do our young people a disservice when we don’t give them opportunities to be on mission while they’re young.  Dad’s, are you encouraging your kids to pursue God and to help others pursue God while they’re young?  
• As Jesus began his earthly ministry and grew in popularity there were people, who were sometimes well meaning, that sought to get him distracted from the mission. 

John 6:14-15 When the people saw him[b] do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!”[c] 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. 

• Jesus had just finished the miraculous feeding of the 5,000.  The crowds see this amazing miracle and they want to make Jesus king by force.  For most of us, it would have been so tempting to get carried up in the emotion and adoration of the crowd.  Jesus is rightfully king so why not let the crowds do what they want to do?  He knew the Father’s plan was the plan. He knew his time hadn’t come.  He knew he wasn’t going to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords by going man’s way.  
• Do we have clarity on the mission?  Is it to accumulate the most wealth? Is it to provide a comfortable home and upbringing for our kids?  Is it to have the most fame, power, pleasure?  Those things aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but they can get us off track.  As a husband, my mission is to love my wife as Christ loved the church.  It’s to give myself up for her.  It’s to make her holy – set her apart – It’s to wash her with the Word.  As a dad, my mission is to raise my children in the fear and understanding of the Lord. 
• As a follower of Christ, my mission is to go full circle in my pursuit of him and help the next person do the same thing.  The great commission.  A co-mission with Jesus.  

Mark 8:31-33 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[c] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[d]33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

• This is the most severe rebuke we see Jesus issue to the disciples.  Peter had good intentions, but he was trying to get Jesus to stray from the mission.  
• This is one of the reasons connection with other believers is so important.  The world is always going to pull you away from pursuing God, sometimes unintentionally sometimes intentionally.  When you’re trying to decide about taking a new job offer, what’s the first thing the world would usually ask – does it pay more?  You need someone to ask – how will this affect your ability to love your wife and kids well?  How is it going to affect your time for serving the kingdom?  Is it a good use of the gifts God has given you?  Again, earning more money is not a bad thing and Praise God that he sometimes blesses us financially – but it can so easily get us off track.  
• When I used to coach football, I rarely watched college games on the weekend, even though I love college football.  I just felt like I was already committing 20 to 25 hours per week between practices, weights, watching film and games and I thought it would be irresponsible to spend more time on the weekend watching it.  When I would tell my coaching buddies that, they couldn’t believe it.  When I told my close, Christian brothers they would say, “makes sense.  You don’t want it to be an idol and you’re already taking plenty of time away from your wife and kids.”  I knew the value of bouncing ideas off of men who love Jesus and care for me.  

Teachable Moments

Jesus was intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments.  He didn’t let the urgent get in the way of the important.  He knew he had a limited amount of time to invest in his disciples and wanted to make the most of every opportunity. 

Mark 8:14-21 But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15 As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”“Twelve,” they said.20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”“Seven,” they said.21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.

• Jesus was so intentional about taking advantage of teachable moments with the disciples.  Here, they’re out on the lake, away from the noise of the crowds.  He warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees and they’re clueless about what he’s talking about. They think he’s bringing it up because they forgot bread.  Jesus was so patient with them.  He reprimands them in this lesson.  Don’t you remember anything at all?  We know that Jesus didn’t overreact when he did this.  He didn’t lose his cool.  He was sinless.  Sometimes, we have to point out obvious foolishness when we’re in a teaching moment.  We want to be very careful that we’re not prideful about it, lest we fall into the same temptation, but sometimes we have to be direct and straightforward.   
• We see a pattern so often in the gospels of Jesus giving a public teaching and then explaining it to the disciples when he had them alone.  The sermon wasn’t enough.  Jesus was the greatest preacher of all times, so if they needed more teaching after listening to him, how much more do people in our lives need it.  

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

• Are you intentional about looking for teachable moments for your kids?  If you have teenage sons, do you invite them to listen to this podcast with you?  Do you have times of intentional conversation with them?  I know it’s not easy.  I know there’s a lot of awkward silence at times.  I experienced that with both of my sons.  But stick with it.  Hang in there.  
• The time we have with our kids goes by so fast.  We have to be intentional about teachable moments.  

Humble Servant

Jesus was the epitome of servant leadership.  He humbled himself, left the comforts of heaven, and went to the cross.  The God of the universe took on frail, human flesh and was faced with every temptation we face, but never sinned.  When we’re following Jesus, we’re following a servant. 

John 13:3-8Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

• It was out of Jesus’ knowledge that God the Father had given him authority over everything that led him to serve the disciples in this way.  Verse 4 says “so” he got up from the table.  It’s linking it back to verse three.  Insecurities often cause us to not want to humble ourselves.  There isn’t an ounce of insecurity in Jesus.  He knows exactly who he is and the authority he has.  
• Washing someone’s feet in that culture was the lowest of the low jobs.  It’s what the slave in the household who was at the bottom of the totem pole had to do. They’re walking on dirt roads, barefoot or in sandals, there’s animal dung everywhere.  This was not a pretty sight.  And Jesus takes it upon himself to wash the disciples feet.  
• There was a time when leadership like this meant something, even in the secular culture.  What do we call our elected officials?  Public servants right?  Do we still call them that anymore?  That’s the ideal though.  They’re supposed to consider themselves servants to those who they lead.  
• Men, we’re called to be the leaders in our homes.  That means we should be the biggest servant.  If we want our wives and children to respect our leadership, we need to lead with their best in mind.  We need to lead in a way that models service to them.  

Philippians 2:5-8 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.6 Though he was God,[a]    he did not think of equality with God    as something to cling to.7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges[b];  he took the humble position of a slave[c] and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,[d]8. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross

• Jesus modeled servant leadership long before he washed the feet of the disciples.  Taking on flesh, leaving the comforts of heaven, being born in a manger, dealing with hunger, thirst, fatigue, cold, heat – all the things humans deal with is such a powerful example of him humbling himself and leading by serving.  The apex of it was when he went to the cross and did a criminal’s death. 

Close

To be great in the kingdom of heaven, we need to be a servant.  In God’s upside down kingdom, we’re exalted when we humble ourselves in service to others. 

Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 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.”

• This comes as the disciples are indignant with James and John for asking to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom.  
• If Jesus didn’t come to be served, even though he deserves it, then how can we have the attitude of expecting people to serve us?  If we want to be great, if we want to be a leader in the kingdom of heaven, we better learn how to be a servant.