Leadership and Servant Training - 3/7/06

What is leadership? Are leaders born or created? Can anyone learn to be a leader?

The development of Peter

1. Matthew 4:18-19 - Peter is called to be a "fisher of men" by Jesus
2. Matthew 16:13-19 - Peter proclaims that Jesus is "the Son of the living God" and Jesus says that he will be build his church and the gates of Hades will not stand against it.
3. Mark 14:66-72 - Peter denies Jesus three times
4. Acts 2:14 - Peter preaches after Pentecost
5. Acts 2:41 - 3,000 people come to faith in Jesus after Peter's message

What we learn from Peter:

• God can use anyone
• God has a plan - it's God's plan (not yours or mine) & it's God's church (not yours or mine)
• God chooses to use people to fulfill his plan
• Jesus poured the majority of his time into developing the leaders around him to multiply his work and to ensure that it would continue going forward

I met with Nancy Ortberg about a year ago and I asked her what was the decisive factor that helped the Axis ministry at Willow Creek to grow from 500 to 2500 while she led it. She said the one definitive factor was the development of leadership. She was so completely sold out to developing the leadership of that ministry that the first thing she did was hire someone to preach, even though that was a part of her original expectation as the senior leader of that ministry. She wanted to be free to pour time, energy, and value into people's lives so that they could take the ministry to the next level. And it worked.

At Willow Creek they use the formula x + y = z to explain the model they use to develop leadership in their church. The z = God's will (that none shall parish). The x = the paid staff (a very small percentage of the church). The y factor is the leadership of the church.

It is only as the "y" factor increases that we will see the fullness of the potential of the body of Christ revealed. There is no other factor in this world that will have a greater impact on this community than when we release the full power of the leadership of this church. God works through people. God will work through you as the leadership of this church to fulfill his will. God is already working through many of you and wants to do so in a more leadership intensive way.

Peter went from a fisherman, to the first person who "got it" about Jesus, to a denier, to a leader of the church. Look at what he became because Jesus poured value into his life, he poured encouragement, and he poured discipline. Here's what I want you to hear tonight - staff and I will give our life to adding value into your life. We will give whatever it takes to help develop you to the zenith of your potential. We want to partner with you to help Charter Oak Church to reach the zenith of its potential!

There is something going on here. Our average attendance is way up. People are finding us and staying. We have a youth group that is exploding. We have more people in small groups than ever before. God is at work here. God is moving and I want us to join him where he is at work. For us to make a kingdom difference, it means we are going to have to develop our leadership. We are going to have to set the bar much higher. We need leaders who are sold out to Jesus. Let me tell you straight up - we need leaders who will take a servant's towel, put it over their arm, and serve. Will you respond?