Do We Have the Faith to Be Leaders and the Leadership to Love?

Do We Have the Faith to Be Leaders and the Leadership to Love?

Good Morning Friends,

There is a rare brand of people that face a reality where they are unsure whether or not they will live to see the end of the day. This shapes the life and love they share with those close to them. They work as a team under authority…deployed to dangerous territory. Confronted with the same reality that Jesus faced…a fight, they can only hope that they too have been sent by God. They are, by in large, leaders that know the power of a faith declaration and their reality from the words of David, Jesus and a Roman Centurion prompts today’s question. Do We Have the Faith to Be Leaders and the Leadership to Love?

Scripture:
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Bottom of Form

Of David.¹
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold^* of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?² When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall. ³ Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. ⁴ One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. ⁶Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.⁷
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! ⁸ ‘Come,’ my heart says, ‘seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, do I seek. ⁹Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!¹⁰ If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
¹¹ Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.¹² Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. ¹³ I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.¹⁴
Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalms 27 (NRSV)

³⁴I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:34-35 (NRSV)

7After Jesus^* had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. ²A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. ³When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. ⁴When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, ⁵for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ ⁶And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; ⁷therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. ⁸For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ ⁹When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ ¹⁰When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Luke 7:1-10 (NRSV)

Message: There are seven unshakable life declarations to live by in Psalms 27. In reading it this morning we need to remember that God created the universe with words, “…then God said, ‘let there be…’ and it was so.” God spoke the creative word and the result was the creation we see. We also have the power to speak and to see things come into being, into reality. We are made in the image of God and God has given us the power of words. Make no mistake about it words have creative power, power to do good or power to do harm, to destroy. We need to be more careful with the words we choose for our future depends on it. So let us fill our mouth with God words, faith words, words that will bless and build success for that is the nature of true leadership. Let us determine today to be people who unite our hearts and mouths to declare by faith the Word of God. That is what Jesus told us to do. When every moment counted…when every word was carefully chosen, Jesus spoke in the leadership of love. So, love with all your heart, mind and soul. Love today… love every day. Love like Jesus. Love the outcast. Love with abundance, love honestly and love blindly. Love by helping people look in the mirror. Love by humbly serving. Love one’s enemies with tough love.  Love by giving your very life. That is how much Jesus loved. Here in today’s scripture from the gospel of Luke Jesus demonstrates how love, faith and leadership are related. It is an amazing example of the power of love that extends across all barriers of culture, time and geography. Here we see the power of faith activating participation and enthusiasm in the work of God. Here we see a love empowering faith in a Roman Centurion that is filled with relational commitment and personal humility.Here we see the dynamics of leadership that is powered by trust in Christ. Here we experience love in the middle of a fight. 

Pray we trust where we are not permitted to see. Pray we are deaf to doubt, dumb to discouragement, blind to impossibilities. Pray we have a vision of God acting. Pray we are forward thinking in a way that allows God to do for us and with us what we could never do alone. Pray we have faith and love in Christ’s leadership. Pray we too offer more grace than judgment. Pray we hear, feel and see Jesus’ new command. Pray we respond to the urgent call of Jesus when in the fight of his life…the fight of our lives. Pray for the one thing that demonstrates the worthiness of leadership…..the one thing that counts for success….. Pray for love, because then, when we love, they will know we are Christians.

Blessings,

John Lawson