Lead Series

Lead

Acts 6:1-7

The impact of Jesus on the world is limited to

the impact of His followers on the world

Follow

Influence

Connect

Lead

When God’s hand is on a church, there will be more:

1. Followers v.1a

2. Ministry v.1b

Human needs are always spiritual.

3. Leaders vv.2-6

Strategic leaders see the big picture and direct others accordingly

Tactical leaders understand the big picture and see how their piece fits in the puzzle

God does the calling:

Burning Desire

Appropriate Gifting

Godly Affirmation

Timely Opportunity

4. Impact v.7

Biography on Eisenhower: though he was the master designer of the D-Day invasion strategy and planning, he well knew that the success depended on the captains and lieutenants. In fact, after the dust settled, almost every general involved and the overwhelming opinion of historians is that it was the captains and lieutenants on the ground, improvising and persisting that carried the allies to success in June of 1944.

Turn to Acts 6:1-7 This morning we continue our series on the impact Jesus has had and is having on the world. How has He had impact? He’s made it through people like you and me. Crazy thought: The impact of Jesus on the world is limited to the impact of His followers on the world. What kind of impact are you making for Jesus in your world?

The book of Acts serves as a guide for Jesus followers in making that impact. To make an impact, we must Follow Him. Followers, not fans, are the ones God uses to make an impact. To make an impact we must Influence those in our lives. What would happen if you got up each morning praying that you would be an influencer for Him that day? To make an impact, you MUST Connect with other believers. The Christ-life is not a Lone Ranger existence; the concept of biblical community requires that believers gain strength and protection when they connect with a small group of Christ-followers on a regular basis.

This morning we see another directive the increases our impact for Jesus, and that is we must Lead Do you see yourself as a leader? You should.

READ Acts 6:1-7 (on screen)

Think about what a leader is; what he/she does:

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way (John Maxwell)

Leadership is influence (Russ Barksdale)

The leaders is the one who has the courage to act on what he/she sees (Andy Stanley)

Everything rises and falls on leadership (John Maxwell)

That last quote is captivating. Everything rises and falls on leadership. A church’s impact on its community and the world depends on the kind, the number, and the quality of its leaders. Let me ask you a question: can a church have too many great leaders? Absolutely not. Now when you think leaders in a church, you probably think about the pastors and other high profile individuals. But the truth is, there are different kinds of leaders, leading in different environments and at different levels. And the church is always in need of more and better leaders. No matter who you are, if you call Rush Creek home, this message is for you. It’s time you stepped up your game; it’s time you became a better leader in your home and in your church.

The early church in the book of Acts was experiencing growing pains. God was sending them people just like He’s sending people to us.

When God’s hand is on a church, there will be more:

1. Followers v.1a “In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying”

How many of you are new to Rush Creek; started coming in the past 6-8 months? God continues to send us people. Some are seekers: never really had a relationship with God and are seeking how to know Him. Some are dechurched: they were involved in a church when they were younger, but drifted away and now want to make church a staple in their lives. Some are just moving into our area; they were in a church where they moved from and they want to find a vibrant church to plug into. Whatever the reason, God is sending us more people all the time.

Not just our campus, but the other two campuses. Our Mansfield West campus is up about 12% over last year! Exciting!

Our Mira Lagos campus is exploding! They had 800 this past Sunday. So far this year they are averaging 30% more than the same period last year. They’re talking about going to 3 services after the 1st of the year.

Now the cynic may say: “well, sounds like you’re just interested in numbers Pastor.” You bet I’m interested in numbers. There’s a whole book in the Bible called Numbers. How many times in the Bible does God make sure people are counted? From the number of people on the Ark to the number of soldiers Gideon had to the number of people Jesus fed on the mountainside, God cares about numbers. Why? Because each one represents a human being with needs.