MCC Podcasts
Working It Out - Qualities of a Leader - Qualities We All Should Have
I'm a political junkie. I love it. I'm sad to say and it's so toxic to say that out loud and so while vacation Bible School is happening this week The whole political world was gearing up for this really big court decision on Thursday And and I knew I was messed up about it because I woke up at Five o'clock on the morning on Thursday morning. It was like Christmas morning, you know when you're a little kid It's Christmas morning. You go outside and you look in your tree and you're like, no, I've nothing happened yet Well at five o'clock in the morning I wake up in the morning I grab my phone and I like check my like top three websites much nothing So I'm like, oh dang it and so I go back to sleep five three I check in finally someone says hey We're gonna know at seven o'clock like okay seven o'clock well seven o'clock It's that's what time I got to get ready and be here at the church And so I am trying to be all here and ball present but in my mind I'm like it is Christmas the most gigantic political event of At least this week happened on Thursday and and so Well, okay one sidebar if you're political junkie and you want to talk shot, man Let's look up. Let's grab a coffee if we're on different ends. Let's let's get a knob creek You know, we will we'll work it out. We'll have we'll do that, but But in my in my church calling today is pastor. This is what my observation up until a Thursday one end of the political spectrum was gearing up for this decision to be the the end of the Republic the the ultimate showing of a dysfunctional Congress and country then a Thursday afternoon another end of the political spectrum was saying no This really is the end of the of the world is as we know it And and what I realized is and mostly because you'll see when we get to our topic today is there What no matter where you land politically? There's this awful reality that our political leaders Are just dirtballs right that they Because we have so much information before we didn't have information and person would give us speech They'd go on even that's great But because we have so much information we know all of their supporters all their donors We get to start collecting all dots and we realize oh my goodness. These guys are ego driven They're money driven. They're power driven and and so instead of going This is our leader and we're gonna follow them to wherever they delete us we go. We don't what's going on We know what's really you know on both sides and there's this kind of this crisis of leadership because There's no leaders There's very few leaders anymore that that actually garner respect garner trust that people say man that person has my true best interest in mind Instead of they're trying to use me or work me for some personal or political or financial end and in the bummer is as Information has become more and more free Politics in general hasn't survived of course, but not only politics even the church right? The last decade the Catholic Church has been reeling from this crisis and leadership of a people in authority using their power using their authority to kind of Try to protect people and then as information has gone out everyone's like whoa Realize there's just generations of abuse that they're trying to sort them their way through and and from the church the Catholic Church to evangelical churches and pastors falling and failing big time to political leaders Just you know work in us. There's this kind of overwhelming sense that leaders are dirtbags in general And there's and so you kind of have two options, right? You either go well I want to lead because I have personal gain and things I wanted to get accomplished and and everyone who leads They know that like once we have student leaders right not our kids of course But there's student leaders out there and you know these guys are just doing their resume building already at 15 They're trying to get as many things on their resume of all the things that they're in charge of and all their all their friends know exactly What's going on they don't really care about the interact club But they like being a leader in the interact club for that and so so part of people there's driven people They want to be leaders, but then the most that what's happening more and more is everyone else kind of sits out they say Well, if I'm a leader then people are gonna think that I'm a selfish prideful money hungry Whatever bleepity bleep thing right or and I don't want people to think that'd be so instead. I'm just gonna be passive I'm gonna sit in the back and I'm not gonna do anything and I'm not gonna lead and And so there is there's this crisis of leadership and my and this is proves itself out every season in my favorite political Reality show called survivor. Do you guys ever watch survivor? It's kind of old and don't know cool people watch it anymore But I still do and but this is what I've noticed in survivor every season No one wants to be the leader because what happens if you're the leader on survivor? You don't die come on its television Right you do get voted out. They go all that person's leader So you have all these like, you know super smart big hunky men like that person's a leader and they and they cut him out And so was everyone else do everyone tries to just be passive and indirect and manipulate the whole thing and and so survivor every season no one wants to be the leader but over the vast gazillions of seasons There's been two survivors who were true leaders They were true people who actually genuinely cared not just for the million bucks not just for being the power player But they genuinely cared for people they were smart They were true leaders and and sure enough both of those people won unanimously So there's this weird deal where in our culture nobody wants to be a leader We all want to be passive. We just think those guys are dirtballs But when a true leader arises people actually want to follow them people actually want leaders and want leadership and This morning we're gonna spend some time in first Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 to 7 and Over the next four weeks, we're gonna look at leadership and what I love It begins like this first Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 Paul says this is a trustworthy saying if someone aspires to be an elder He desires an honorable and honorable position And what's interesting to me is that Paul says this is a trustworthy saying Paul's an apostle right He has been given power and authority by Jesus Christ himself to go out and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and what he does he chooses to use his Apostolic power to say this is a trustworthy saying he says about four different times throughout first and second Timothy and Titus and Usually it's about things of faith This is a trustworthy saying that God can save your soul that God forgives us our sins Right it's all these trustworthy sayings have to do with who God is of what salvation means of what it means to live out our faith And yet here we find Paul using his apostolic power his his place of authority Saying you know what? Leadership is actually a high value. In fact, it's not even a high value. It's a noble task It is like having honor and courage right in Generosity leadership is to be this noble task that Christians are supposed to undertake and And so this morning what we're gonna do is we're gonna take a look at what Paul has to say In first Timothy, so if you have Bibles, let's turn and let me pray for us before we hop in the God's word here Help me Father. I thank you so much that you love us I cannot believe that you've invited us to be in a relationship with you that you've invited us to be your church in that you've given us some freedom and flexibility to try to lead that church and God I pray that we would be humble As we approach your word this morning that we would be sensitive and open to whatever you might have to teach us through your Holy Spirit And God in the places where we may disagree and we may ruffle fit feathers God I pray that you would also be gracious as we smooth out those areas - we love you Jesus so much amen All right, first Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 through 7 says this Here's the trustworthy saying Whoever's this whoever aspires to be an overseer or elder desires a noble task Now the overseer is to be above reproach faithful to his wife temperate self-controlled respectable hospitable Able to teach not given to drunkenness not violent but gentle not quarrelsome not a lover of money He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him and he must do so in a manner worthy full of respect For if anyone does not know how to manage their own family, how can they take care of the church of God's church? He must not be a recent convert or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil He must also have a good reputation with the outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap So over the next month or so, this is going to be kind of the rhythm of our of our sermon series We're going to be looking at the three vital ingredients of a quality leader And as we're going to see throughout the sermon throughout these messages that this isn't just For Allen, right? Allen's our church chair. This isn't just for Allen. This isn't just what he needs to or me as a pastor This is actually a calling by God for all Christians all Christians all believers Should be aspiring to this noble task of leadership because we are leaders We're leaders in our families we're leaders in our communities and we're leaders in our church And sometimes we those are official leadership positions and sometimes are informal leadership positions So the deal is that we want to look at over the next few weeks What are the qualities of leadership and and as we'll see with all this male dominated language We'll also find and there's some hiccups along the way that art gets to take care of so all the hard stuff Zann puns I get a punt and Jeff's gonna pun and art's gonna try to make it all work But the next few weeks we're gonna look at these three vital ingredients to the quality of the leader the first one today We're gonna look at the vital quality as a leader is someone that Mutt is to be respected that our outside image how we portray how we live who we are on our outside actually matters In our culture that doesn't matter. It's our insides that matter But to be a quality leader are we need to be respected our outside choices and lifestyle matters The second is that we are to have solid character and third we are to develop deep faith And so as we unpack first Timothy of three, we're gonna be looking at some of these different themes How's that sound? Okay. Well, it doesn't matter because I have the mic and your kind church people and Very few of you would get up and walk away That's okay. We're still a full room. So right away. You you really say says Here is the trustworthy saying whoever spires to be an overseer desire desires a noble task Okay, whoever desires to be an elder whoever desires to be a prespittor We have all these fancy words and and this passage in first Timothy. There's one in Titus two All the great minds go all right We need to figure out what is God's design for church polity for church structure for church leadership And if you've been to two churches in your entire life You realize there's two totally different ways in which people have interpreted all the scriptures and how they choose to structure their leadership if I grew up Presbyterian and we had we had prespittaries and elders and in deacons and all these words that found in the scriptures thought like this is great I come to our church we have a leadership team and Ministry coordinators you're like well weren't weren't like what what does scripture say? What are we being unfaithful to God's word and in the deal is as you as I was doing some study this week? You realize church leadership structure is So varied right the methodists have a way the Catholics have a way the covenant church has a way the Baptist have many ways right there's so many different ways in which they that happens in the deal is is because What we find in this passage of scripture? There's not the function or the form that this talks about the function of the form is is kind of this given It's assumed that humans when they gather know how to have a leadership structure That's the assumption and what is important for Paul is not the form it is not the function, but it is the qualities It is the characteristics it is the character of those people who are to lead and and we see this already in the early church There's this guy this guy. He's a church father. His name is Ignatius and he wrote this letter in one hundred and ten BC CE the common era or AD for you old school people and And the deal was in his letter He's talking about going on this journey and he says and he marks out There's a bishop and there's a press peter and there's deacons and so then people said oh well then there must be that must be God's The other's bishops and press pictures and elders. I mean elders and then deacons But as you realize the people who've been studying this they realize in every culture in every context people gathered a certain way and the context in which they gathered Paul the firm's basically so in some context They would go to these Jewish synagogues and the way the Jewish synagogues would arrange themselves is they would have this council There'd be this leader this group of 12 elders or so and then there'd be one ruler one kind of head elder That would that would manage that right and there's some Baptist churches right that they're all elders And then the preaching pastors like the head elder and but this wasn't like God's way This was just how the synagogue chose to in one version of the synagogue how they chose to to conduct themselves But the deal is also in other places Paul went he went to places that didn't they didn't build their church on synagogue rule They went to the Hellenistic People and the Greco-Roman areas and the way that they organized was totally different So there they had administrative boards or financial and cultic management these people right if there was like finances or the ways They're going to manage the temple or administrative boards for government There was certain ways in which they managed themselves and in who were tapped for those those were people of high prestige and who were usually Excuse me wealthy and full of honor and and and were you know gravitated towards positions of authority And so it made sense that people in that context. They were the community leaders were people who should be in authority. So All that's to say is it's incredibly complicated and and art's gonna cover up the parts that I mix mixed up on that because we're not So we're not gonna spend too much time on on church policy but we do need to have grace for ourselves for each other for the word of God that That there isn't this one way in which God wants to structure the church leaders naturally arise and those leaders lead and Take care of the task that needed to be taken care of our church has chosen to do it a certain way into next week in a Explorer's class you learn all about that But the deal is what Paul is truly getting at is that the people who are tapped for those positions are to be a Certain quality there to have certain character there to be people who are respected there to be people have deep character They're the people who have a developing and growing and thriving faith the people that we tap can't have one of those Can't have two of those there to have all three of those things so that we don't get in trouble with what we're doing We're finding in our cultural context, which is leaders are those guys who are dirtballs who are trying to work us or the other extreme Which is well, we're not gonna do anything and I'm not gonna put myself out there because we're all messes No leadership the call to lead the call to lead your family your community your group of friends Where you going to lunch after church? All those leadership things big and small is a noble Task is a high-calling and one that we want to take seriously And I like this it says and this one commentary the qualifications set out Suggest that respectability of the sort that would sustain or establish the church's credibility in society We're utter most in mind and Paul when you wrote this that the assumption is that we Live in the world that we have friends outside of this little room that we Live in a way that that actually garners respect that garners affection towards who we are and doesn't make people continue to be cynical about how judgmental and hypocritical the churches right we The leaders are the people who help the church Change their view. It's changed the culture's view of them. So with all that being said this morning. We're gonna look at What does it mean to be worthy of respect and it's interesting because for me I'm part of the bitter Gen X generation and and then it just gets worse for the for four for millennial friends And we've seen all the baby boomers, you know mess up and they used they put on this perfect face And then they just wrecked you know their lives and their families and so all of us Gen X was like ah well, then who cares and we're just gonna like beat dirtballs and just be proud of it and And so there's this whole move and it's so true even with our students right that that they just want to be authentic I just want to be authentic and who I am and so if I drink too much man I drink too much, but at least I said it, you know, I don't pretend to not drink too much I just do and and What's interesting is we look at this idea that Paul says no, we actually want to be people who are respected which means that we care about what other people see that how I Am who I am I changed my shirt four times because the shirt I wanted to wear was too tight because I've been eating too much lately so I changed my I care about what people think about me what people see about me and On one hand it's vain about my shirt for sure But my attitude and who I am and how I conduct myself is actually really important. It's not just important for leaders It's important for all Christians that we are to be people who are worthy of respect and this morning We're just gonna look at three simple things from this passage about what it means to be people worthy of respect So right away in verse 2 it says now the overseer or elder or presbyter is to be above reproach This is such a Great word above reproach blameless. It is somebody who conducts themselves in a way that no one Anywhere at any time can can can accuse you of falsehood or or or being wrong or being messed up right that your ducks are always in order and What's interesting is as a Gen X or as someone who strives to be authentic, right? This is impossible task It is impossible to say I need to conduct my life in a way that even the appearance of wrong on Any level at any moment at any time is my goal, but even though I'm a Gen X or an I strive for authenticity Doesn't change the biblical truth that the calling of God is that I live in a way to be above reproach That the way people see me the way that they see me interacting with people doesn't cost people to go Whoa, what is that guy doing? What's that all about that that all those questions are are erased, right? I don't want to have people to go through all these mental hoops and or they go through Oh, Ben's an okay guy and so it means right that there's certain things that I have to say no to along the way when I was in college I became a Christian right at the beginning of college And so when I went to college I actually tried to live for Christ and I said, you know what? I'm not gonna drink beer even when I turned out 21 I had a beer which was so rebellious of me I know but for me it was in UC Santa Barbara where I mean hello UC Santa Barbara people love to drink and there's this but if you were a Christian on campus and even if you drank Responsibly, you you just were put in with this whole grouping of people and so to be above reproach Especially in this a couple ministry leadership things. I was a part of I had to say I'm gonna give up this thing Because of what it might appear to be and some of it is for what the world thinks of it and truthfully Most of it is actually for what our fellow Christians think about it for what our weaker sisters and brothers think about it and and and whether It's for people in house or people outside of the house we need to be people who are above reproach who we are What the ways we live are important and it often means that us Christians us followers of Christ need to say no to some of our freedoms It doesn't mean God loves us better doesn't means we're better Christians But it means that we recognize that people see us and people because of their context bring their baggage to how they View me or how they view you and so we need to be aware of those things where we find ourselves And so we need to say okay for the sake of the gospel for the sake of my reputation I am gonna say no to this this and this Now the hard thing is this idea of being above reproach is kind of where the church has gotten themselves in big trouble because to be above reproach meant Right note drinking no movies no playing cards. How's go fish messing me up? You know, but but there was a season apparently where it did and and so now like I want to play go fish But other older Christians are like man, you're playing go fish I know it's a little more complicated than that, but you know, but as culture changes there's different things that matter But unfortunately the Christians have gotten a bad rap Because what happened is we've made being above reproach. We'll not ask because we're all authentic and we don't care anymore But as we strive to be above reproach What happens is in Christian communities? Those things become the law, right? So you say no to these certain things to protect the idea that you're not these certain things Right, even though I made a bourbon joke at the beginning of the sermon that was a bad call But right so for me I go, but I've made it this this rhythm. Okay I'm 37 years old. I think it's okay if I have a bourbon However, I won't have two bourbon's and however If I go out, I'm only gonna have one and however if you're a friend and of mine and you hate bourbon You think that's awful. I'm gonna have a Diet Coke and that and that is fine with me And but the deal is I only have one or I don't have any depending on whom I'm with because I don't want someone to look at me and go All you do is drink bourbon. What's up with that? and then but the idea right it's the above reproach protects this other thing but then the Christians have made the like some Christians have made this rule The thing so if you break this thing, it's just as bad as if you've broken this thing This is where the the Pharisees got in so much trouble the law says we're not to work on the Sabbath The Pharisees then came up in the Talmud of all these complicated rules so that they would protect themselves from working on the Sabbath But then what happened is right when Jesus is walking through the grain fields and eats some grain Pharise is like whoa you're harvesting on the Sabbath and Like what like so Jesus kind of says no no no this all these rules and regulations aren't the thing The Sabbath is the thing so even though we strive to be above reproach We need to understand that those things are just a protective barrier to protect us from from actually being people of high moral character So the deal is that we are that even as authentic and as post-modern as we are We do need to take what other people see and view us seriously and we need to live accordingly. We need to be above reproach But the deal is that we cannot just Be above reproach because I don't know about you But I have some friends of mine who are very good at being above reproach But they're jerks and I don't want anything to do with them, right? So the deal is being above reproach isn't the only thing that's the first thing said that we are to be above reproach Paul goes on to say says we must manage his own family Well and see that his children obey him and he must do this in a manner worthy of full respect or of having good Reputation and what's so interesting about this is people with good reputation have found this balance People with good reputation live above reproach, right? They got that part down. They got the the letter of the law down the letter of the law is important and we as Christ followers We follow it they have that part down, but to be someone of good reputation They don't just get the letter of the law. They get the heart of the law, right? They are people who actually are about the Sabbath who are about being temperate who are about being faithful to their wife They're about managing their money Well, they're about managing their household well and they do it in a way that garners respect I don't know if you see these people around we have friends who who aren't they just don't say no to everything But they live in a way that like causes you to go I want to be near them my friend Ken is that guy and I love you Ken and the more I've gotten to know Ken the more I'm like I want to be him and He is this amazing man. Not only does he love Jesus Not only is he faithful to his wife and not only is he the hardest worker I know every time I get to know him and get closer to him I'm like like where's the cracks like there aren't any and I understand it would be like yes, there are But what's so cool about Ken too is not only right. He doesn't just like I have my above reproach down I have my family all in order, but he also lives in a way where he puts his faith out there He's part of the open table and he's a he's a part of this grouping of people who are pouring this entire year into this woman's life And he doesn't have time for that. He has a family. He is an important person in his job But his faith is important. He not only has a strong character solid faith But he puts it into practice and I can't believe that we're friends So I appreciate that Ken and but Ken is someone and I think in our church who exemplifies What does it mean to be good character that the more you spend time with them the more you realize? Okay, that might be what it looks like to be a follower of Christ This interesting this part word says the person who It gets their children to obey them and manage their their their family. Well, I didn't use you for that example Ken Sorry, cuz Cameron's a little bit of a troublemaker right now But a couple weeks ago a bunch of his dads did this father-son camping trip and there was about 20 dads and 25 little like Hellion kids I mean it was out of control and there's no wives there So we're like eat marshmallows at seven in the morning. We don't care and and here Here's a stick with some fire just don't you know it's a second-degree burn. How bad can that be and? And we just had a great a great time, but what's interesting I don't know if you've ever been somewhere where you have this rhythm with your family and you kind of behave and that and you Kind of lock it down a certain way, but then when you're out in public you realize maybe I didn't lock it down well enough at home Maybe you know your kids don't realize that that no, they're supposed to behave a certain way outside You give them certain freedoms inside the home, but outside the home It's a whole different deal well on a camping trip like this and not to be judgmental because these are my friends But you look around you're like Interesting right like you see how they manage their life how they manage their kids all of a sudden Marshmallows at seven o'clock is okay, right on good to go But what was interesting is that another guy Brad old and Brooke. He's the oldest dad I mean he started late poor guy But he but he's the oldest dad of this group and so he's you know older and we're and he has but he has kids in our same age And what's interesting is here We are like all around the camp are these like tents spread all over the place and and stoves and marshmallows and then there's Brad in his site and he has music and he has nuts and wine and classical music and And they're just and he's hanging out and Chase's son is just being so gracious and kind and eating his vegetables and you're like oh That's what it looks like okay. Thanks Brad. I appreciate that But there's this thing when right when you see somebody you see that the way that they manage their life They manage their home. They manage their kids. They go okay Obviously, he's not just faking it right me. I'm gonna go. No stop it. I'm trying to lock it down But obviously there's a way in which people manage their life and they're being that they go okay They figure something out and in scripture says that those guys that who manage their household well Those are the people that we want to manage the household of God there to be the shepherds of the people of God being a leader In the church isn't about all these administrative tasks that need to be accomplished It's about caring and shepherding the people of God And so if people can do that well in their own family with their own kids Even on a camp out that it was as chaotic as ours My that's a guy. I wanted the table and how cool that Brad is the guy. Excuse me is a guy. That's at our table All right. So if we want to be have a good reputation. We need to be people who are above approach We need people who have a good reputation and then This last one as I do have a good reputation has to be both inside and outside the church Sometimes in the church, right? We get together and we have this weird little culture among us and it's what so I love that Marin Covenant, it's not so much here because right there's no Christians in Marin So when I come together, I'm like, oh, this is super great But a lot of us have come from context where you have this kind of these That's probably nice We we've come from context where there's this idea where Christians have this certain Culture in which we live and we have certain rules and laws. So we're above approach. We've locked down our kids And so we have a good reputation But for whatever reason people outside of that little world looking they go what is up with those guys? And the deal is the expectation is that we live in a way that those outside of this room Go whoa? They might have weird rules and I don't understand why Ben doesn't like Bud Light so much. What's up with that? but He's someone who has a good reputation and the deal is that the expectation is that we live in a way that are non Believing friends people who are not associated with the church people have been burned by the church Whatever their background is that we have a reputation that the way we live isn't just to lock Ourself down isn't just to hide away from people, but we interact with people in a way that is the smell of life is the smell of perfume for people What's so amazing? So Matt our new junior high guy is on staff and one of the things he's talking about is being on campus and getting us some junior high Schools and he's going through some different schools and he's like now tell me about Hamilton and I'm like oh my goodness Here's the deal at Hamilton right because of Peter because of who he is because he's been the ambassador to this school Our church has a good reputation right because for five years. We've been watchdog dads. We've given them money We've done certain things we've blessed them. We just bless them and bless them and bless them And now they like us right well duh and we're not even trying to get anything from them. We're not going This is our big plan No, we want to share the heart of God Which is love and grace and mercy and generosity with them and Peter was the front of that person and Peter is like the most? respected person on the campus They go Peter Peter. Do you know Peter? Do you know Peter like Peter is the man on that campus and Peter is a buffer approach? In fact, he's more legalistic than I was and right because he's part of the old school He doesn't even play cards anymore, but the deal is he's even though that's who he is He's someone who has a good reputation and even they go Peter is a funny that he doesn't play cards his reputation his love his care Means that we now Through him through his hard work have a great reputation on that campus and so Peter I thank you for that work and as a gift for us and and for me that feels almost too big and too noble I have too many problems and to and my life is too chaotic and But the deal is what I found is even on a small level We can be the fragrance of Christ because there are certain values that our community has that we can partner with and My wife Katie is amazing at this my wife also She's a super good buddy daddy and she has all of her laws in effect and she's someone who's worthy of respect for sure But what's funny is we are a little school at Santa Mone She's like all BFF with this group of moms and whenever I pick up my kid I always feel awkward. There's always moms and like don't you work guy? I'm like I know I'm a pastor and then they're all weirded out by me and But the deal is but Katie has won them over and she's only won them over Why because she's simply their friend. She simply sees them. She cares about them. She loves their kid She's generous to them. She goes out of their way to pick their kids up whatever they need She's and she doesn't do it for some big massive manipulative scheme She does it because God has crafted her this heart of empathy and compassion and my wife is like this superstar in Santa Mone And she doesn't even trying to be simply by being someone who is full of grace full of mercy full of generosity She has garnered the respect of everybody which is so helpful because when I go hi, I'm a pastor They're like see you later and I'll send I'm like I'm gonna stay on the back But because of who my wife is I actually have a place of friendship on that campus which is kind of a reverse role from 50 years ago But that's how it is and and if we are gonna be people who are gonna be leaders and not just leaders right This is the highest and noble calling of all Christians We have to take seriously how people view us. We can't just be like hey We're we're authentic. It doesn't matter. No, it matters We pursue holiness. We strive to be holy and pure people above reproach We don't want people to look at us and go. What's that really all about? Whatever it takes whatever boundaries we need to set up in our lives so that no one has to do mental hoops to get to who We are we have to set those up But we don't just live by the letter of the law we live by the spirit of law and we are people of good reputation We are people who care for each other who love each other not just in this body, but in the entire community The expectation is that the church is Missional that the church is outside of these walls The expectation is that we are gonna rub shoulders with people who don't get us who don't get the church who don't get Jesus Who don't get any of it and we win them over and we woo them over by being the very fragrance of Christ We don't need more people carrying signs and pointing our fingers and getting in their face about whatever thing they're doing We as the body of Christ have our ducks in a row. We help each other follow Christ We help each other succeed. We pick each other up and are gracious when we fall and we live in a way that Others actually see us and hopefully would honor and glorify Jesus because of it. It's a high calling It's scary and awful, but it's the calling that we have to noble noble task Alright, let me pray for us and then we'll scudado look at that eight minutes early Unless I get going praying, but I won't Okay, let's pray Heavenly father, I have to admit it is frightening that you have called me to be a leader as a true Gen X person is someone who sees all the fault and chaos of leaders and the death and destruction that leaders have done and the way people view leaders in our context To be tapped to be one of those is a scary frightening calling and The truth is it should be scary and frightening for all of us our kids are watching Our neighbors are watching our co-workers are watching And who we are and how we live is a representation of the God we serve So God for me and maybe for some of my friends. I pray that you would forgive me forgive us You'd help us get our boundaries in order that we would truly live above approach That we would strive for holiness not in a legalistic sense, but because God we care about your reputation But not let us not just be People who are letters of the law, but that we would be spirit of the law that we would be gracious and kind and compassionate To all that we come to all the people we come and crop contact with So that they may come to know the love and saving grace of your son Jesus I Pray more and more of us would strive for the noble task of being an elder and overseer a deacon a leadership teaming Leadership team leader a ministry leader a small group leader a Sunday school worker a mom a dad Whatever you have as God may us lead and may we lead in a way that honors you amen