We're All Leaders - 1 Peter 5:1-4
We’re all leaders. Some of you are parents, you lead kids. Some of you are big brothers, big sisters, you lead the younger ones. Some of you are grandparents, you lead whole generations of your family. Some of you are business leaders and owners. Some of you are ministry leaders. Some of you are coaches. Some of you are teachers.
We’re all leading somebody. Someone is looking to us to set an example and help them make good decisions.
Peter who wrote 1 and 2 Peter had a three-year masterclass with Jesus on leadership. And Jesus is the greatest leader in the history of the world. Jesus led 12 disciples. They heard Jesus preach, they also watched Him lead. They were eyewitnesses to the history of Jesus’ life and ministry–a great leadership training opportunity.
PETER’S LEADERSHIP FAILURE
But a crisis was coming for Jesus where He would be arrested, falsely accused and executed on a cross. So, Jesus prepared Peter by telling him that he would face a spiritual attack and fail miserably. Peter pushed back and said: “You can always count on me, I’ll never fail you.” But anytime you tell Jesus He’s not right, you’re probably wrong. And when Jesus is arrested, betrayed, and beaten, Peter denies Jesus three times.
“‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter…Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’ One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow. He replied, ‘I am not.’” John 18:17, 25-27 (NIV)
Jesus needed Peter to step up in a crisis. What does Peter do? He denies he even knows Jesus. A great leadership failure. It would be easy to think it's all over for Peter, there is no coming back.
BRING YOUR FAILURES TO JESUS
After Jesus dies and rises and lives again, He seeks out Peter and He reinstates Peter. This process is what I hope for me and you. We can all look at our past and think: I have failed. There are times I needed to lead that I failed to lead. Is there any hope for me? Yes, there is. Because if Peter is someone who gets to write the Bible, there is hope. If we bring our failures to Jesus, He will lead us to have a different future. That’s the hope. That’s the hope. It doesn’t matter what failed decisions you’ve made in the past, there is hope for your future, if you will turn to Jesus today, as Peter did.
CHOOSE YOUR SHEPHERD
Who are you going to listen to? Who are you going to follow?
In their reunion conversation, Jesus looked at Peter three times and asked: “Do you love Me? Do you love Me? Do you even like Me?” Because Peter denied Jesus three times. The issue is: Do you love Jesus? Peter did. Peter chose his Shepherd.
Then Jesus said to Peter: “Tend my sheep, feed my sheep, feed my lambs.” According to the Bible, the core of leadership is to have the heart of a shepherd.
LEAD YOURSELF AND KNOW SHEEP ARE NOT SAFE ALONE
So, are leaders born or made? Is someone a born leader or can someone learn to be a leader? Yes. Does God want you to be a leader? Yes.
But some of you would think: I’m not a leader, I’m a behind-the-scenes type person. I don’t have anyone to lead. But you do. The main leadership is for you to lead you. It all starts with you choosing your shepherd–Who are you going to listen to? Who are you going to follow? Then you lead you as you listen to the Chief Shepherd Jesus.
The next step is to serve.
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that those who are regarded as 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 slave of all.” Mark 10:42-44 (NIV)
True leadership is found in giving yourself in service to others. Choose your flock. Who will you do life with? Who are you going to be in a relationship with? We all have to fight isolation, because isolation leads to desolation. I know also that sheep are not safe alone, they have to be in a flock. God even said: “It is not good to be alone.”
We were made to have a Shepherd, to be a shepherd, and we were made for relationships as we lead and serve who our Shepherd leads us to.