Here to Eternity, Happy Day, O How Great, Yet Not I, But Christ Through Me, Forever O Lord
SURRENDERED LEADER
IS A POSITIVE INFLUENCER
MARCH 26, 2023
Who has been the person in your life who has positively influenced you the most?
ACTS 7:20-25
(READ UP TO V.36)
20 It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. 23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
What, in your mind, is a LEADER? The word CHANGEMAKER means someone who makes a change to solve a problem. The simple definition of leadership is INFLUENCE. Whether you like it or not, we are all influencers. Teachers influence students. Students influence classmates. Parents influence their children. If we are moody, or temperamental, we influence others – the only question is, are we positive or negative influencers?
If we want to be a POSITIVE INFLUENCER, be a SURRENDERED LEADER. If the vision for change is not from God, that vision can be corrupted. World leaders who are influencers, like Stalin and Hitler, managed to achieve what they wanted in the negative and most destructive ways. Meanwhile, there are people like Dwight L. Moody who influenced millions of lives for the gospel, and these lives were changed for the best! Even DL Moody was influenced by another simple guy – Edward Kimball, who was a shoe store owner and a Sunday school teacher. A leader not surrendered to God can be a bad example, and the impact will be passed on – only eternity can tell what we could have accomplished with that kind of leadership. How can we become a positive influencer?
Let’s look at the example of MOSES. His history was summarized by Stephen in Acts 7. He lived a prestigious life as part of Pharaoh’s family. He was educated, he was skilled in warfare, and even the historian Josephus wrote that Moses was a leader of wars. Eventually Moses identified with the Jewish people, most likely being influenced by his caregiver, his own mother who was Hebrew. Moses wanted to bring about change, but he did it in his own way, killing an Egyptian in the process. God had to send Moses away – to the wilderness. To summarize Moses’ life, we see essential points in three sections:
We must become a surrendered leader – how? We focus on these three steps:
1. GOD’S PLAN
Acts 7:30-34 features the famous scene of Moses and the Burning Bush. God is always presenting to us a “burning bush” to get our attention. Moses was brought to the wilderness where Moses was ready to listen. It was God’s initiative to reach out to Moses and Himself to him. When we have encounters with God, we begin to understand our own sinfulness and the more we see the holiness of God. Moses feared God – in His presence, he finally realized who is the “boss” – and God revealed that He knew what pain and struggles the Israelites were facing, and that He has a great plan to deliver them. Part of that plan was to send Moses back to Egypt! Exodus 3:10 emphasizes God’s plan – He will send Moses to Pharaoh to set the people of Israel free. Moses, in Hebrews 11:24-26, showed that he made a choice to follow God. It sure did cost him something – the comfort, the fear, the worries – but Moses submitted to God’s plan and purpose. He chose to “endure ill-treatment” than “the passing pleasures of sin” and was “looking to the reward” – an eternal perspective. Will you follow God’s plan? Following God is not being a martyr – it is only being wise. It is the most logical thing to do. How do you see your life ten years from now? Evaluate the direction of your life. Are you pursuing God’s plan and purpose for your life?present
2. GOD’S POWER
We need God’s power. Moses gave God multiple excuses – Who am I? (Exodus 3:11-12); what is His name? What shall I say to them? (Exodus 3:13-15); what if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? (Exodus 4:1-3); I have never been eloquent, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. (Exodus 4:10-12); LORD, now send the message by whomever You will. (Exodus 4:13). The encouragement of God is for Moses to go out and serve – beyond all these excuses! He is the one who will give the power to Moses. In the same manner, Jesus even promised in Acts 1:8 that He will give the power THORUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT to accomplish His command. We cannot do it on our own – we partner with God’s power! As Moses was leading the people out of Egypt, and reached a point when they faced the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13-14). Verses 15-16 is where Moses heard God’s commandment to divide the sea – and as Moses followed, these things happened.
3. SEEK GOD’S GLORY
Many people don’t realize the command in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that whatever we do, we must do all to the glory of God. We need to make decisions based on this question: will this bring glory to God? When the people were so idolatrous in the time of Moses (Exodus 32), God wanted to destroy the people because they were so obstinate. He offered to restart everything through Moses. Moses replied to God in Exodus 32:11-12, showing that he was after God’s glory! Even in Numbers 14:11-12, God had planned to smite these people and retain Moses, but Moses replied in vv. 13-19, showing again that his concern was for God’s reputation and glory! Even as God eventually told Moses he will not enter the Promise Land because of a mistake he had committed – and after pleading to God (Deuteronomy 3:25-26), Moses accepted this decision, and even appointed a leader as per God’s instruction and appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:18-20, 23).
Many of us have dreams and ambitions, and many times we feel God has an obligation to fulfill this. But our ambitions can become an idol, and the key is for us to be a SURRENDERED LEADER – we surrender it to the hands of God. When God gives you a dream, He has eternity to fulfill those dreams. Did Moses enter the Promise Land? Yes, he did – in Matthew 17, Jesus in the Transfiguration showed that MOSES was in fact with him on that mountain!
(Leaders: Please choose questions that are appropriate to the level of spiritual maturity of your members)
1. Self-Check.
What doubts do you encounter when you think of yourself as a changemaker?
2. Setting It Right.
Have you ever chosen your own plan, power, and glory over God’s? How did that decision affect you?
3. Living It Out.
How can you express your faithfulness over what the Lord is asking you to do this week?
PRAY CARE SHARE IN ACTION
Pray for the changemakers around you, from your home to your workplace, the government.
Ask the Lord to change their hearts towards Him so that they will become surrendered leaders serving the Lord and others, pursuing God’s glory in all they do.
Be a surrendered leader yourself and allow Christ to use you to share about Him with those you can influence with your life and words.
I. Thanksgiving
- Worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do in our lives.
II. Country and the World
- Upright and moral governance of public servants; repentance and salvation for government leaders and citizens for a Christ-centered Philippines.
- God’s help and comfort for Turkish and Syrian people devastated by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake
- War in Ukraine to end, loss of lives prevented; tension in East Asian and Middle East countries to stop.
III. Church
- That CCF Members would honor and love God and make disciples.
- Elders, pastors, dleaders, and families (holy, humble, harmonious, happy, heart-working).
- Ministries and churches expansion worldwide.
IV. CCF Facilities
- Worship and Training Center
- Prayer Mountain
V. Personal Concerns
- Deeper intimate relationship with God.
- Righteous living.
- Salvation of family and friends.
HEBREWS 11:25-26
25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.