12 Leadership Qualities of Jesus Christ, Part 2

Well, thank you once again, and happy Sabbath!

A few weeks ago, I gave part one of a sermon on the 12 leadership characteristics of Jesus Christ. As I stated at that time, if you really want to know about leadership, true, effective leadership, you need to look no further than the example of Christ Himself. The first part, if you have not heard that, is available on our local site, cleveland.ucg.org. And obviously, this will all make more sense to you if you are able to listen to both parts of this sermon. As I mentioned last time, Jesus Christ walked on this earth for a purpose. Part of that purpose included His mission to set a powerful example for all of His followers for all time.

If we want to know about leadership, the way to discover what it really is means to look at the leadership traits and the skills of the Son of God Himself. So today, I would like to discuss part two of the 12 leadership qualities demonstrated by Jesus Christ. And after this, the next sermon I give will begin talking about the importance of the Fall Holy Days. These qualities are outstanding characteristics. They can help us to be better people. They can help us to be better leaders on our jobs, help us to be better leaders in our homes, help us to be better leaders in our communities, and certainly help us to be better leaders within the Church of God. So let's recap the first five that we covered last time.

Let's take a look at the five leadership qualities, the first five that we covered in the last sermon. Number one, He was first a great follower. Before Jesus became a leader, He learned the importance of being a great follower. He learned to follow the Father's direction, the Father's values, the Father's will, the Father's instruction. Think about the fact that before He came and walked on earth, He spent millennia observing and following the Father's will.

So that's number one, He was first a great follower. Number two, Jesus avoided major distractions and He stuck to His mission. He knew what His mission statement was, and He declared that His mission was to teach people about a godly way of life.

And this included, of course, the offer of salvation, of future glory, of eternal life and His magnificent Kingdom on this earth. There were many good and noble things He could have done that He never did. He never went into leper colonies and just healed everybody and emptied out hospitals. He never went to Egypt to preach. He never went to China to preach. There were many poor people there, many hungry people, many people who needed to hear good news of the coming Kingdom of God, but He didn't do those things as good and as noble as those things were.

They would have been distractions from His main mission. And yet when anyone made the extra effort to come up to Him and approach Him, their personal request, which was a demonstration to their faith, was always a part of His mission statement, always a part of His earthly calling. He was primarily called in His mission to be a teacher.

He had learned most of all the Savior to the world. Other things He could have done, and they might have been good and noble and important, but He couldn't do everything. He couldn't do it all. He had a mission, and He avoided major distractions to that mission.

Number three, His deep values were an internal anchor. Jesus was an effective leader because He didn't need or seek approval from outside groups or individuals for who and what He was for what He believed. His self-worth and His mission weren't based on Pharisees or what the Sagittis sought of Him or Peter or Pilate or High Priest or anyone. He knew that the approval He needed came from deep inside of Him.

It was part of that relationship that He had with the Father. He knew that the real meaning of a successful life isn't defined by this world's values. This world's values include money and power and prestige and sex and all of those things that this world thinks is so important and highlights on and fills 90% of our media regarding those things that I just mentioned. Those were not the values of Jesus Christ. He could care less about what the world's values were. Because of His relationship with the Father, He knew what His unwavering values were because they were deep inside of Him and they were expressed in what He said and what He did and the example that He set.

Number four, He had a passionate commitment to the cause. This leadership trait is self-evident in Jesus Christ, obviously, since He was even willing to voluntarily die for the sins of the world. That's what I call commitment. Leaders sometimes need to get emotional. Sometimes they need to remind others of the greatness of the cause that they're involved in.

Sometimes they need to raise their voice and remind others to be passionate about the mission they're involved in. Remember how Jesus Christ turned over the tables of the money changers in the temple in John 2. He was passionate that His Father's house be respected, that His Father's house be honored and not become a profit center. He was committed in spite of the flack that He might receive.

He was committed to His cause. In number five, He didn't hesitate to do the difficult things, so contrary to the way we are wired as human beings. Most people do things simply to be liked or respected by their peers. Larry outlined that in some of the examples that he gave, where someone offers you a drink and you want to be respected by your peers and you want to be liked. So they offer you a drink or they offer you something that's not good for you.

The tendency of human nature wanting to be liked is to say, oh, okay, I'll compromise. I'll do something I shouldn't do because I want you to like me. I want my peers to like me. That's the way human nature is. Many of our politicians depend on daily opinion polls to decide what is popular because whatever is popular is what they'll believe in today until the polls come out again tomorrow. It's human nature to take the easy path of least resistance. Most people avoid doing the difficult things. Leadership is tough, but Jesus Christ was willing to have the hard conversations. He was willing to accept criticism.

He was willing to step out on faith and do the painful tasks that were required of him. Again, number five, he didn't hesitate to do the difficult things. Now, number six. We'll pick up where we left off the last sermon. He did not often waste his energies condemning others. Number six, he did not often waste his energies condemning others.

This is very important because this is a trap that many religious people fall into. Jesus knew that our emotional resources are limited. Being judgmental or bitter towards others only saps us of precious emotional energy that should be channeled into doing positive things, not in pointing fingers at others. Jesus himself did very little judging of others, and usually the people that he judged, the people that he condemned, were not the average Jew of his day. It was the religious leaders that he condemned, not the people. He condemned the religious leaders because for someone to say, I represent God and they don't, that's using God's name in vain. For someone to be in a position because they want to be called father or rabbi or pastor or mister or whatever, they're in it for the wrong reason.

Jesus Christ could read their hearts and read their motives. So the condemnation that he had was not for the average people whom he loved and he wept over. It was for the religious leaders of his day. Brother, it's a full-time job keeping our own attitudes balanced and our own life productive and fulfilled. We don't have the energy, if we're doing our jobs, to condemn other people. There will indeed come a future time for judgment and condemnation and the perfect judge at that time will render his verdict on each and every human being who has ever lived and yet will live.

Let's go to John chapter 3 and verse 16. John chapter 3 and verse 16. He did not often waste his energies condemning others. John chapter 3 and verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

He who believes in him is not condemned. The second part is very important. He who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. As I've mentioned before, until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and it means more than just some magical utterance of his name or saying you believe in his name, those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior suddenly are taken off of death row where every human being is on and we are forgiven and given a new citizenship in heaven.

But until that period of time, every human being is already condemned. They're already in their sins because they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. They have not repented of their sins. They have not committed themselves to use the power of the Holy Spirit to become a new creature in Christ and change their lives. Let me read this again.

But he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world. Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they may have been done in God.

So when we are called, we are attracted towards the light. We want to know more of God's way of life. We want to read the Bible. We want to study his Word. We want to meditate on the Kingdom. We want to keep the Holy Days. We look forward to the weekly Sabbath of meeting with our brothers and sisters in Christ because that is where the light is. The light of Christ. The light of God's Word. Jesus Christ uses energies primarily for positive things, for teaching, for healing, for encouraging.

Great leaders know that bitterness and resentment are emotional cancers that will eventually consume individuals with negative ideas, negative thoughts, negative attitudes. How about us, brethren? Are we an angry people infected with bitterness? Are we too busy telling everyone else how wrong they are to produce positive fruits in our own lives? Have we learned the value of living the right example to be our witness and leaving the conduct of others in God's hands? I've said many times regarding people, I would far rather see a sermon than hear a sermon.

Don't tell me what you know. Show me what you know. That's what's most important. Sadly, many religious people are like this cancer that I just mentioned that promotes self-righteousness, gossip, innuendo, judgmentalism. And here's the key, brethren, when you condemn another, you don't define them, you define yourself. Ultimately, human sin is God's problem. Not my problem, not your problem. It's God's problem, and He will deal with it when the time is right.

When He either calls them or they make a conscious decision one way or another, and whatever case that is, God will deal with that situation. We need to be busy doing positive things, encouraging, teaching, healing. It doesn't do any good to condemn others. They are already condemned on death row until they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Savior. Number seven, He could sense His own destiny. Jesus Christ could sense His own destiny. He felt something special was going on in His life.

He knew that there was a grand plan, and He was part of it. He recognized that there was a purpose for His life, and He was determined to complete and fulfill that purpose. How about us, brethren? Do we feel the same way? John 8, verse 14. Jesus answered and said to them, Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true, for I know where I came from, and I know where I am going.

He knew there was a plan. He knew He was part of that plan. In a nutshell, that is His mission statement. Continuing, But you do not know where I come from and where I am going. You judge according to the flesh, I judge no one. Remember what the previous point was? He did not waste His energies condemning others. He just says here that I judge no one. Yet the next verse, He is not contradicting Himself. He is saying in the second part of verse 16, When I do make a comment about judgment, it is the truth. It is not innuendo, it is not gossip, it is not my opinion.

It comes from the core, which is from the Father. Let us notice this in verse 16. Yet if I do judge, my judgment is true. For I am not alone, for I am with the Father who sent me. So Jesus Christ who sent His destiny, He knew what His mission, He knew where we were going.

Do we know what our mission is? Do we know what our destiny is? Do you feel a sense of destiny about your life? During World War II, an elderly Winston Churchill on the eve of being chosen as Prime Minister of Britain said this. He was 65 years old. He said this, he said, I believe that my entire life has been but a preparation for this moment in time. 65 years of his life, he felt, was just a preparation for a plan, for a purpose. And that plan and purpose was nothing less than saving Britain from Nazi Germany at a time when the United States hadn't even entered the war yet.

Britain was standing alone. How about us? Do we appreciate and value our calling now? Do we understand that everything we experience, whether it's good or bad, we experience for a purpose?

Do we realize that everything that happens to us from developing character to cancer is a life experience to teach us something, to help us to grow? Everything we go through in this life from being helpful to having a heart attack has meaning and it has a purpose in our lives and it's part of the plan. Are we willing to learn from those experiences? If you may recall when you were in elementary school, if you took a quiz and you failed a quiz, if you went to an elementary school like I did, the teacher made you take the quiz over again. And if you failed enough quizzes, you might not even pass the grade. And you know what happened if you failed the grade?

You got to take that grade all over again. And brethren, our life is just like that.

When tests come in our lives, are we passing the grade? Do we have the right attitudes? Are we saying, I don't like this, I hate this, but it's part of God's plan. God is preparing me for destiny.

God is allowing this experience to make me stronger, to make me better, to make me more compassionate, to make me more patient. Because if we fail the plan, if we fail that test, then we may just have to go through that test all over again. We don't want to do that, do we? As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 2, verses 9, he says, But it is written, I hath not seen nor error heard, nor have entered into the heart of men the things which God has prepared for those who love him. We have an incredible destiny and human words.

Human images cannot do justice to what God has planned for us. It's beyond the physical senses.

We are human and very limited, which means shallow in our thinking compared to spiritual things.

There is no human language or human words that are capable of describing the glory, the joy, the fulfillment that God has planned for his children when we are changed from mortal to immortal, from corruptible to incorruptible. That's part of our destiny. That's part of the plan.

Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 9.

Again, emphasizing that we need to become spiritually mature. Spiritually mature and no longer babes in Christ, no longer small children in a spiritual sense.

1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. We don't understand it all. I realize that self-righteous people think they know it all, and they think they have an answer for everything, and they think they understand prophecy every dot and tittle and every line and every part about it. But you're contradicting what the Apostle Paul says here if you believe that. He says, verse 10, But when that which is perfect has come that's in the future, that which is in part, that's right now, will be done away. Then he uses a metaphor here, an analogy. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child.

But when I became a man, I put away childish things. I put away the little toys that I played with when I was a child. Verse 12, For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then in the future, face to face, now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.

So, brethren, can we sense our destiny? Do we feel it? Do we understand it? Do we understand that God has called us to be part of his family, his spiritual family, and that we have a rendezvous with destiny? Do we accept that the daily events of this physical life are merely a preparation for our services to others in the kingdom? Do we understand that this physical life is only training wheels for the journey that we have into the kingdom? When you receive God's Holy Spirit, and your name was written in the book of life, your physical journey, this life was only the preface to the book of eternal life. You know what a preface is? If this were a typical book, it happens to be the Bible, but if this were a typical book, normally the preface is only the first couple of pages. Our physical life. Eternity.

That's our destiny. That is the calling that you and I have been given.

So again, number seven, he could sense his own destiny. We need to sense and understand our destiny as well, and know that everything happens for a purpose. Good or bad, joyful or painful, there's a reason behind it. We can either embrace it and make it a positive and grow from those experiences, or we can fail to test and have to go through similar experiences again and at another time. Number eight, Jesus looked at events differently than others. Jesus looked at events, situations, people differently than others. That's what leaders have to do. Do you remember the reaction of Christ when they told him that Lazarus was dead? He said, oh no, he's only sleeping.

They were stunned. He also said that those who appear to be first are really last, and those who are last are really first. When thousands were listening to him and they became hungry and it was late in the day, the disciples said, send them away. They go to the village and buy food. Jesus said, oh, that's not a problem. Just give them something to eat. You see, he looked at things differently than others. He viewed everyday events from a vastly different perspective than most people. He looked at common events and situations from a spiritual, two steps, a spiritual long-term perspective. What do we do as human beings? We look at everything from a carnal, short-term, I want it right now, it's got to happen now perspective. The difference between leadership, the difference between Jesus Christ, and the difference between mere human beings.

He stepped outside the box. He viewed all actions and events using a spiritual approach. And my, did this anger the Sadducees and Pharisees because they were locked into their little world that everything's got to be either black or white, right or wrong, good or bad. Again, carnal, short-term, Jesus Christ looked at things spiritually and long-term. Let's go to Luke chapter 22 and verse 24. Luke chapter 22 and verse 24, scripture that we're familiar with.

I just want to emphasize how we even viewed leadership. He viewed authority differently than the world does, differently than people normally do. Even the topic of leadership, he viewed differently than others. Luke chapter 22 verse 24.

Now there was also a dispute among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest. This happened to be a common discussion among the disciples, as humble as they were, always getting into an argument in one of the Gospel accounts right after the Passover. They get into this argument. Do you think they got it? They had a dispute which one of them should be considered the greatest. He said to them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors, meaning they're for the people, just like our politicians. Did you know that our politicians are for you, that they want the best for you, and the next time you get your paycheck, just look at all the taxes they took out and know how they really want the best for you. But not so among you, he says, on the contrary, who he who is greatest to you let him be as the younger. In most patriarchal families, especially in a typical Jewish family, the youngest child got all the grunt work, the hard work. They weren't his favorite, we saw in the sermonette, how the firstborn got more blessing, was intended to get a greater blessing than the other children. And if you happen to be born number five or six or number twelve, you were low man or low woman on a totem pole. He says, in he who governs as he who serves. You see, he looked at things differently than others. In our world, he who governs is served by others. He who governs is the grand puba, is the one who barks out orders, the one who makes demands on the others, and the one who is served all the time. Jesus said, no, no, no, no. That's not what it's supposed to be like in the church.

Verse 27, for who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves, is it not he who sits at the table? Usually, if you go out into a restaurant, you'll see that the waiter serves you. Yet, he says, I am among you as the one who serves. You see, he looked at things differently than other people do.

But you were those who have continued with me in my trials, and I will bestow on you a kingdom, just as my father bestowed one on me, that you may eat and drink at a table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Notice in this teaching moment, he ends it by encouraging them. He's saying, don't worry about honor and glory and who's number one. Just do your job, and you will be greatly rewarded. You will be magnificently rewarded beyond your wildest dreams if you put your nose to the grindstone and you do your job and stop worrying about who is the greatest and who is most important. Are we looking at everyday events from a Christ-centered perspective or from a carnal, short-term, I want it now, perspective? Do we see the big picture and everyday events and activities, or are we majoring in the minors? Are we stumbling up on things in the book of Leviticus? Now, the book of Leviticus is a wonderful book, but our priorities should be in our relationship in Jesus Christ, and it should be on being a sermon, not hearing a sermon. It should be based on love of God and love of our fellow man. Those are all the commandments that are wrapped up into the most profound statement. Love your God with all your heart and love your brother as yourself. And to stumble on things in the Bible and people get their agendas, and I'm fully aware of that. They get all twerked, and they think that, well, I've got to correct this person. They said something I don't believe in, or they made a statement that I don't believe is true.

You don't get it. You don't understand what this calling is about.

Do we take problems and obstacles and view them from different angles, or is our thinking locked into a limited, narrow carnal perspective like a horse wearing blinders?

A lot of times I have some clients who are in Amish country, and I have to drive by the Amish buggies. And the horses on those buggies most times have blinders on. They've learned to put blinders on because if my car drives around and many other cars drives around that buggy, the horse might get startled if it sees out of the corner of its eye a vehicle, big behemoth of a car driving by it. And all that horse sees is a little narrow road in front of it and is plodding along.

And it has no idea what's going on here and what's going on here. Is that what our lives are like, brethren? Do we look at problems and obstacles with preconceived conclusions? Are we open to various potential solutions, or do we only see the world in black and white physical terms?

Are we willing to look beyond that and look at things from a spiritual landscape and enjoy the full vibrant color that God intends for our existence? If we begin to look at things from a spiritual perspective and we begin to take a long-term view of things and events, if one of our brethren stumbles and makes a mistake, they've had a setback. They are not a failure.

That's the conclusion you'll come to if you look at things from a spiritual, long-term perspective.

If you look at things from a narrow-minded, physical, carnal perspective, oh, that's terrible! They ought to be put out of the church. They should be judged. They should be openly marked. What kind of a perspective are we going to have as God's people?

Again, Jesus looked at events differently than others. Number nine, he inconvenienced himself for others. He inconvenienced himself for others. Jesus didn't think that he was above going out of his way and spending time helping others. He not only told people that he loved them, he showed it by being willing to inconvenience himself for the benefit of other people. He healed people. He offered hope to others. He had an encouraging message in his preaching. He patiently gave advice.

He taught others positive things. And, of course, he eventually died for all of us, for the sins of the world. Serving people who approached him was part of his mission.

And when people came to him, he didn't mind being bothered. He didn't mind being interrupted. Matthew 14. We'll look at an example of this. Matthew 14 and verse 10, if you'll turn there with me. Matthew 14 and verse 10. Picking up in context, John had just been beheaded, who was the cousin of Jesus Christ, close to age in Jesus Christ. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, the one who danced for him.

And she brought it to her mother. Then his disciples came and took away the body, this is John's disciples, to bury it, and went and told Jesus. I want you to notice the reaction to Jesus Christ. Verse 13. When Jesus heard it, he departed from there by a boat to be in a deserted place by himself. He needed some downtime. This had to prod him and make him think about his own impending death. It was his cousin about the same age, early 30s, just beheaded. Jesus Christ knew exactly what lie in front of him. He needed some personal time.

He needed time to be away from all the multitudes, who were always asking him for something, always bothering him, always coming up and asking to be healed, some who were looking for a free meal. He needed some personal time to be alone. Let's finish this verse. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities. They approached him personally. They came to see him. What was his reaction? And when Jesus went out and he saw the great multitude, he was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. So even though he was inconvenienced, even though he would rather have been alone, that's why he went out into the desert to get some time by himself. When the multitude came and people came to him, he allowed himself to be inconvenienced because it was all about serving others. Verse 15, when it was evening, his disciples came to him saying, this is a deserted place and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away. They may go into the village and buy themselves food. And Jesus said to them, they do not need to go away. Give them something to eat. There's Jesus thinking differently than everyone else does. Verse 17, and they said to him, we have here only five loaves and two fish, five loaves of bread and two fish. And he said, bring them here to me. Then he commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. Jesus does everything in organized manner. This wasn't a free-for-all. This wasn't people clawing and scratching at each other like, you know, some sale at Macy's when the door opens. It was very organized. He said, all right, I want everyone to sit down. You'll get a turn. And he took the five loaves and the two fish, looking up to heaven. He blessed and broke and gave it, gave the loaves to his disciples. More organization here. He just didn't throw it all up in the air and say, go for it. He gave it to his disciples and they distributed it to people who in an organized fashion were sitting on the grass. And the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up 12 baskets full of fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about 5,000 men besides women and children.

As I stated earlier, when people came to Jesus seeking help, it was part of his mission statement to serve. This was a time when Jesus just wanted to be alone for a while and get some peace and quiet.

But circumstances didn't allow this to happen. And when he was interrupted, he didn't get angry.

He didn't get selfish. It's said that he had compassion on them. Is serving others a cornerstone of our life or do we only serve when it's convenient or maybe noticeable? Do we get upset when others or situations interrupt our plans? Do we understand that our very calling is one of service? Again, point number nine, he inconvenienced himself for others. Number 10, he believed in the great potential of his followers. He believed in the great potential of his followers. He didn't see them through human eyes. Great leaders don't look at their employees just through mere human terms. They look at them and say with a little training, what is their potential with some seasoning and with some experiences and with some training on the job? What kind of a potential do they have? Do they have management potential? Maybe executive potential? They look beyond the now and they look at the potential that resides in others.

Jesus didn't only see the flaws and weaknesses of his followers. He saw their potential. He often commented on what great things they could do if they just believed in him and they followed his teachings. He often encouraged others by reminding them they would be by his side. It's a wedding supper in the world tomorrow. Remember, God doesn't merely see us as we are today. He sees you as you will be. He sees you as you can be. He sees beyond the flaws and the weaknesses we have right now. And he looks into the future and sees our potential. And that excites God. That encourages him. Look at Peter, for example. Peter was impetuous. He often put his foot in his mouth before speaking. He, on the very eve of Christ's death, before the cockrode, what did he do? Let's see. He lied. He said he would never betray Christ. He was a coward. When the chips were down, he didn't support Christ, though he said he would. He used foul words when someone said, weren't you one of his? Weren't you with that Jesus character? His language was a little foul and corrupt. That's the Peter that we see a lot in Scripture, isn't it? Let's go to Matthew 16 and see what Christ said to him before any of that ever happened. Christ knew the flaws that Peter had. He knew the carnality and the human struggles that Peter had in his life. Christ looked beyond the present, and he could envision a great future for Peter. And he encouraged him. He saw the best in Peter, the potential in Peter. Do we look at other people that way? Do we look at our children that way? Our spouse that way? Do we look at our brothers in Christ? Our brothers and sisters in Christ that way? Are we too fixated on their flaws, on their weaknesses, on their limitations?

Matthew 16, verse 13. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked a disciple, saying, who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Simon Peter, of course, first to speak up. You know, the question was asked of everybody. Impetuous Peter speaks up. You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, knowing his flaws, knowing his weaknesses, he's the Christ, knowing that he would be betrayed by Peter on the eve of his death and the things that Peter would do. Said to him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father, who is in heaven.

And also I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, speaking of himself, Christ is the rock, Peter, means a small stone, pebble. That you are a pebble, and on the rock, the foundation of me, of my teachings, of my faith, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Of course, a few chapters later, Jesus Christ makes that same statement to all of the disciples, that they would be given the keys to the kingdom. And that doesn't mean that they could make up rules and do evil things and somehow heaven would approve it. In the context, if you understand it, it's implying the fact that it would be revealed to them what God's will already is. Because remember, before you were a leader, would you first, a great follower? And whatever they decided on earth, they would have been led to see that it is the will, God's will, from heaven. So what do we see when we look at others who are struggling or maybe doctrinally are misguided? Do we only see their flaws and judge them? Maybe privately ridicule them? Or do we see their potential? When we observe other people and their obvious problems, do we look beyond the way that they are today and envision what they will someday look like in God's eyes, with God's spirit, with the seasoning and experience that comes from conversion and God's way of life? Do we have that kind of perception? Are we pleased when others gain blessings and success in the congregation? Someone gets a job promotion, someone is ordained, someone gets a new house or a new car. Are we pleased? Are we excited about their blessings and their success? Or are we jealous a little bit on the inside? Are we saying to ourselves, when is something good going to happen to me? When am I going to get a blessing like that?

When we discover that others have serious sins, are we secretly gleeful, feeling superior and all-righteous? If we find out that someone has a big serious flaw, maybe they're not going to come to church for a while, maybe they're struggling with something, do we secretly, are we kind of gleeful?

Or when someone struggles, are we genuinely concerned and sympathetic? And do we pray for them and visit them and care for them? Again, number 10, he believed in the great potential of his followers. Number 11, he treated everyone as equals and with basic dignity because they were made in the image of God. He treated everyone as equals and with basic dignity because they were made in the image of God. Jesus was directly related to God the Father through being born through the inception of the Holy Spirit. He was truly the Son of God, 100% human, 100% God. Yet, in spite of that, he mingled with common men. He mingled with prostitutes and thieves and tax collectors and the severely disabled. Even though he was superior, after all he was the Son of God, he didn't act like he was above or superior to everyone else. At that time, many of his most loyal followers were women at a time when women weren't even allowed to go into the temple or into a synagogue to worship. He treated them equally. He loved them. They were some of his most dedicated and avid followers and disciples.

Let's go to Mark chapter 2 and verse 13. Mark chapter 2 and verse 13. We'll see something that Jesus was able to do because he had a deep value system and he was filled with God's Spirit.

Early in the sermonette, and correctly so, Larry mentioned to our youth that you should not put yourself in these kind of situations. When we're young, we're vulnerable. When we're young, we've got some growing up to do. We've got some maturity to do. We've got some experiences in life to do. And when we get to that level in life, then we can put ourselves in situations in which maybe our values are tested. And when you are converted and you have God's Holy Spirit, you should be able to be in situations like this. And your examples should be able to pull others up, not allow their examples to pull you down. And this certainly was the case with Jesus Christ. He says, then he went out again by the sea, and all the multitudes came to him. And he taught them. He passed by. He saw Levi, the son of Elphiah, sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, follow me. So Levi, the despised IRS agent, arose and followed him. Now, it happened, as he was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples. For there were many, not just sinners, many sinners. And they followed him. They were attracted to him. They were interested in hearing the message. And when the scribes and the Pharisees saw him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to his disciples, how is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

I did not come to call the righteous, implying like you, but sinners to repentance. Again, because he knew what his values were, because he was deeply converted, he could be in this kind of an environment and pull others up by his personality, by his morals, by his ethics, by his character. They wouldn't pull him down. He would pull others up. And brethren, I would certainly hope, for those of us who have had God's Spirit for 30 or 40 years, that we can go to a convention, or we can go to a Kiwanis Club meeting, we can go to a chamber meeting and maybe have break bread with some pretty sinful people in those environments and not compromise and not be pulled down. But to have the kind of example where people say about us, that person's moral. I don't understand their religion at all. That person's different. They're moral. Their standards are high. They don't compromise with what they think is right. Jesus knew these people had grave sins, every one of them. He even refers to them as spiritually sick. His internal values were so strong that he was not afraid they would influence his high personal standards. So let me ask this question. Do we treat people from all walks of life with basic respect and dignity, no matter how big their problems, they were still created in the image of God?

Or do we think we're superior to them? Are we kind and patient and respectful to the powerful, but treat the disadvantaged with little respect? Do we treat everyone within the Church with respect and kindness, but everyone outside of the faith like they are condemned or somehow unworthy, like there's a great unwashed? Do we look at every person and see a potential child of God? And why should we do that? Because God does. They're part of God's plan, too. Now, we were the firstfruits.

We're an early part of that plan, and God has called us at this time, but he hasn't given up on his creation. So again, that was point number 11. He treated everyone as equals and with basic dignity because they were made in the image of God, even though he was superior to all of them, he didn't act superior. At number 12, the final leadership quality of Jesus Christ, he saw their personal growth as one of his greatest accomplishments. If someone's going to be a teacher, if someone's going to be a coach, if someone's going to be a mentor, the greatest satisfaction you receive is seeing someone who's green and inexperienced and struggling and stumbling and doing things so wrong, and a few years later, they've been groomed, they've been prepared, they've learned, they've experienced, and to see the growth that they have in their lives.

Jesus knew his followers would be the ones to finish the mission he had begun.

They would also be the ones to record his life and mentor the following generations about his mission and the kingdom of God. In the end, in spite of their glaring flaws and their human weaknesses, we spoke about some of Peter's. In spite of those things, he was proud of them. Do you know that God is proud of you? Let's go to John 17 and pick it up here in verse 4, our final scripture today. John 17, verse 4. John 17, verse 4, I have glorified you on earth, speaking to his Father Jesus. I have finished the work which you have given me to do, and now, O Father, glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before. The world was, I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of this world.

They were yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. That's a compliment. It's a compliment to you who are here today on God's Sabbath day, who understand that one of his commandments are, remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. What have you done? You've kept his word.

You're following the example that Jesus Christ kept, his entire ministry. You're following the example that Paul did throughout the Greek world. He would always go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as recorded in the book of Acts, and begin to call converts out of the synagogue.

Verse 7, now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you, for I have given them the words which you have given me, and they have received them.

They didn't just hear them. They've received them. They've made those words part of their life.

That's a compliment on you. You've received them, and have known surely that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. We know, we know, and we believe, who and what Jesus Christ is, that he's our personal Savior. We know that he was sent by the Father to become the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. And they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them, and I do not pray for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. Your growth and the changes that occur in your life and mine through the power of the Holy Spirit pleases the Father. It pleases Jesus Christ because we are his. We belong to him.

Continuing verse 10, and all mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

We have, God's Spirit, we have a little bit of that light shining inside of our lives.

Jesus Christ is glorified in us, through that Spirit that resides in us. Now, we've got to be careful. We can't put that light, put a bushel basket over it. We can't put a 55-gallon drum over it. We have to make sure that that light is high, that it's on a lampstand, so that everybody can see it, can see the sermon that we are. The New Century version says this about verse 10, all I have is yours, and all you have is mine, and my glory is shown through them.

The glory of Jesus Christ should be shown through our lives, and other people should see it.

I want you to notice the positive things that Jesus says about his followers, his flawed, imperfect disciples. They belong to God. He says they obeyed. He said you've kept my word.

He said they have accepted. They have believed. They belong to the Father.

Again, notice this enduring comment in verse 10. Christ could see his glory being revealed even through his carnal disciples. He was proud of them. How about us? Do we enjoy seeing others grow and receive blessings? Our children grow up and make the right decisions and mature? Our brethren, when they're overcoming a problem, maybe they're struggling with smoking and you know about it, or they're struggling with a personal issue and they finally beat it, they use the power of God's Spirit and change their lives. Do you enjoy seeing the growth in other people in the Church of God? Does it give us great pleasure to see our parents or our children, our mates, our friends, our brethren growing and accomplishing big things? And do we congratulate them on it when they have a success? When they do something that's wonderful and good?

Do we take pride in other people's accomplishments, achievements, and their personal growth?

Perhaps most importantly, do we view ourselves as mentors and coaches to serve others, including those whom we love the most, those whom we serve within the Church of God?

The 12th characteristic that Jesus Christ had is that He saw their personal growth as one of His greatest accomplishments. That was fulfilling to Him. That was satisfying to see people go from here and grow to here and someday, for all eternity, be immortal and incorruptible.

Well, in conclusion, brethren, in the last two sermons, we have seen the 12 leadership qualities demonstrated by Jesus Christ. Again, they are outstanding qualities that we can apply literally on the job, in our homes, in our communities, and in God's Church. I hope that you'll take some time to reflect on them and to begin to apply these capabilities in your life to a greater degree. Jesus Christ lived as an example for us, and we have been called to be leaders in the world tomorrow. To be great leaders tomorrow, we must first learn to be great followers today. We also need to apply these leadership qualities in our daily lives. God is very proud of you. He's very proud of all of us. Let's go on to reach our potential greatness as leaders in the kingdom of God.