Everybody likes the idea of leadership…
Until leadership costs something.
A lot of people want the PLATFORM.
Fewer people want the TOWEL.
Everybody wants authority.
Fewer people want responsibility.
But Jesus never led from a safe distance.
Before He told His disciples to serve, He wrapped a towel around His waist and washed their feet.
Before He asked them to carry a cross, HE CARRIED HIS.
Before He asked them to forgive, He forgave while bleeding.
Jesus did not merely tell people what to do…
JESUS WENT FIRST.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
Mark 10:45
That is the foundation of spiritual leadership.
If I want people to PRAY, I must pray first.
If I want people to GIVE, I must give first.
If I want people to SERVE, I must serve first.
If I want people to show up, I must show up first.
If I want people to forgive, I must forgive first.
If I want people to own their mistakes, I must be willing to say:
“I WAS WRONG.”
“I AM SORRY.”
“PLEASE FORGIVE ME.”
You cannot consistently lead people somewhere you are unwilling to go yourself.
Church culture is not primarily built by what a leader ANNOUNCES.
It is built by what a leader MODELS.
People may forget what you preached…
But they will remember whether you were there when life became difficult.
They will remember whether you grabbed a broom when something needed cleaning.
They will remember whether you honored people who could do absolutely nothing for you.
They will remember whether you accepted correction or became defensive.
They will remember whether your private character matched your public calling.
LEADERS GO FIRST IN FAITH.
When the vision is bigger than the budget, the leader believes first.
When change makes everybody nervous, the leader carries conviction first.
When nobody else can see it yet, the leader keeps praying, keeps working, and keeps walking.
That does not mean leaders never feel afraid.
Courage is not the absence of fear.
Courage is deciding that OBEDIENCE matters more than COMFORT.
LEADERS GO FIRST IN SACRIFICE.
Leadership will cost you something.
It may cost you convenience.
It may cost you sleep.
It may cost you popularity.
It may require a difficult conversation that would be easier to avoid.
But you cannot ask everyone else to carry a weight you refuse to touch.
LEADERS GO FIRST IN GENEROSITY.
You cannot stand in front of people and ask them to give toward a vision you are unwilling to invest in yourself.
I have always been shocked by leaders who will promote a fundraiser, ask everyone else to sacrifice, and then give absolutely nothing themselves.
Nothing says, “I DON’T REALLY BELIEVE IN THIS,” louder than asking other people to finance a vision you refuse to help fund.
That does not mean the leader must give the largest amount.
It is not about everybody giving the same amount.
It is about everybody demonstrating genuine belief through personal sacrifice.
If something is important enough for you to ask the church to invest in…
It should be important enough for YOU to invest in.
Leaders do not merely point toward the offering.
LEADERS GIVE FIRST.
LEADERS TITHE. (non-negotiable)
LEADERS GO FIRST IN REPENTANCE.
Nothing poisons a church culture faster than a leader who demands accountability from everyone except themselves.
Admitting you were wrong does not weaken your leadership.
It makes your leadership trustworthy.
Strong leaders do not pretend to be perfect.
They demonstrate what it looks like to be corrected, forgiven, and changed by Jesus.
LEADERS GO FIRST IN SERVING.
Leadership is not walking into a room and asking:
“WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME?”
Leadership walks into the room and asks:
“WHAT CAN I CARRY?”
You do not need a microphone to lead.
You can lead while opening a door.
You can lead while rocking a baby in the nursery.
You can lead while welcoming a visitor.
You can lead while setting up chairs, cleaning a bathroom, praying with someone, or quietly meeting a need nobody else noticed.
A title may give you a POSITION…
But serving gives you INFLUENCE.
However, going first does not mean doing everything yourself.
Jesus went first, but He also built a team, developed people, and sent them out.
Going first means setting the pace.
It does not mean carrying everybody forever.
Healthy leaders also go first in establishing boundaries, honoring rest, protecting their marriage, and making sure their family does not receive the leftovers of their calling.
Your first ministry is still your HOME.
Leadership is not about being the most important person in the room.
It is about accepting responsibility for what happens in the room.
So before we ask why nobody else is praying…
Before we complain that nobody is serving…
Before we become frustrated because nobody is giving, inviting, believing, or showing up…
We should ask ourselves one honest question:
HAVE I GONE FIRST?
Because real leaders do not stand in the back shouting directions.
They step forward.
They set the example.
They carry the towel.
They walk by faith.
They own their mistakes.
They give sacrificially.
They serve when nobody is watching.
LEADERS GO FIRST.
So leader…
GO FIRST.
Pastor Z