Character And Commitment Series

I. Two weeks ago I talked about the need for leaders, and the need for us all to get involved doing what it is that God has gifted us to do, to see that this church becomes what God wants it to be, and has the impact on this community that God intends it to have.

A. It would be unfair to ask you to be leaders and to use your gifts if I didn’t help you to understand what it takes to be a leader.

B. I know that there are a lot of people that don’t think that they are leadership material, but more times than not it is because they don’t understand what being a leader is.

C. Being a leader is being a servant. Jesus was the greatest leader that has ever walked the earth, and that was because he was a servant beyond all else.

D. It’s a popular thing today to write a purpose statement to define what it is that you want to accomplish, or feel that you need to accomplish.

E. If Jesus is the Leader that we are to model our leadership after then we need to look at His purpose statement.

F. I think that we can find that in (Mat 20:25 -28 NIV) Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

G. I know that a lot of you don’t think that you are leaders, but I know that you are wrong. Because everyone is leading someone whether they think, they are or not.

H. No matter who you are there is someone that is looking up to you and following your example. That makes you a leader.

I. Being a leader does not necessarily mean that you are the one that is out in front, but it does mean that you have someone that is following your example, or who is looking to you to help them know what to do.

J. If you are, husbands would you please stand up. If you are, a wife would you please stand up. If you are a parent and you are not already standing, please stand up. If you are a member of a church would you please stand up. If you have, friends would you please stand up.

K. If you are standing, you are a leader in some way. You can sit down now. If you are a leader then whether you are in a leadership position in the church right now or not, you can benefit from learning how to be a better leader.

L. For the next six weeks I am going to be preaching about leadership, and I would like to ask every one of you to make a commitment to yourself to be here, and if you see that there is someone that is not here I hope that you will call them and ask them to be here.

M. Whether you are leading a corporation, a department where you work, your own business, a Sunday School class, a committee, Your home, your children, or your friends, it will help you to learn about what it means to be a leader. And, most importantly if you are a Christian it will help you to learn to be a better leader, because God intends that all of us be leading someone.

II. Most people have heard of a Lear Jet, it is a small jet that is named after the man the developed it Bill Lear.

A. Bill Lear held more than 150 different patents of things he invented, including automatic pilot, car radio, and eight track tapes if you can remember what they were. If you are less than 30, they were the things before CDs, and cassettes.

1. In the mid 1950s Bill Lear saw the potential market for small corporate jets, it took thirteen years for him to make the dream come true, and in 1963 the first Lear Jet flew.

2. In 1964 Bill Lear delivered his first Lear Jet to a client. His success was immediate and he quickly sold many planes.

3. Not long after, Lear learned that two of the Jets had crashed under mysterious circumstances, and he was devastated. At that time there were 55 Lear Jets owned, and he called and told the owners to have the Jets grounded until he found out what the problem was.