“What if I don’t consider myself a leader?” We hear that often at SALLT. But here’s the thing… In the Kingdom, leadership IS NOT what you think! Listen to our latest episode of the SALLT Leadership Podcast to hear Wes Lane talk about what leadership actually looks like in the Kingdom and how you can step into your leadership role exactly where you are in life.
Episode 4 Show Notes
Don’t Call Yourself a Leader? Listen to This
“Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.” Ephesians 1:11 TPT
“From one man, Adam, he made every man and woman and every race of humanity, and he spread us over all the earth. He sets the boundaries of people and nations, determining their appointed times in history.” Acts 17:26 (TPT)
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live].” Ephesians 2:10
Key Takeaways:
In the Kingdom of God, leadership is NOT WHAT YOU THINK
In the Kingdom, we’re all followers. Leadership is good followership.
Kingdom leadership is leadership by choice, not by gifting.
God’s not going to have you do anything you are incapable of doing by His strength!
Everybody has the opportunity to change the flavor of the environment to which God has assigned them --- by being salt and light.
Next Steps:
Well, welcome to the SALLT Leadership Podcast, the podcast for men and women who want to live a purpose-filled existence, who want their faith to grow, and they want to maximize their abilities and their influence for the Kingdom of God. I'm Wes Lane.
And just in case you've forgotten since the last episode what is the context for this podcast and for your life? It's this. You have been design built, by a living, loving, God, sent into a moment of history to the community you live in, as a part of an overarching strategy to redeem and restore the Earth to God Himself. Your life matters. Your life is purposeful. He is willing for you to be successful, and He has a vested interest in seeing to your success. That's what we're about. And the venture is all there for you to discover it, if you will dare.
I mean, listen to this verse, Ephesians 1:11. "Before we were even born, He gave us our destiny, that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in His heart." Or how about Acts 17:26? “From one man, Adam, He made every man and woman and every race of humanity and He spread us all over the Earth. He sets the boundaries of people and nations, determining their appointed times in history." Oh, I can't help, but throw this last one in. And that's Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's own handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God predestined for us, taking past which He prepared ahead of time, that we should walk and then living the good life, which He prearranged and made ready for us to live."
Well, that's a lot. And I'll tell you what, those light my lamps, to say the least. The title of today's show is this. This is episode four, “Kingdom Leadership: It's Not What You Think.” So a few weeks ago, I'm having lunch with a good friend of mine, and he's sharing with me about the story of a lady he was talking to. And she said, "Well, I don't listen to the SALLT Leadership Podcast because I'm not a leader." I know she's not listening because she doesn't think she's a leader, but I'm speaking to folks like that. This podcast is for those of you who think, "Well, I'm not a leader." Well, let me just share something to take the pressure off of you. In the Kingdom of God, we are all followers.
We are all followers. It's not what you think. Leadership is not what you think. In fact, just a few years back, there was a really good movie out. It's called Hacksaw Ridge. And it's the story of a guy named Desmond Doss, a guy who is just a poor guy from Virginia, but he is a Seventh-Day Adventist. He's a follower of Jesus, but he is a conscientious objector. He is a pacifist. He will not carry a gun, but he wants to be a part. It's World War II. The Japanese have sunk ships in Pearl Harbor, and he wants to serve his country. God first, then his country. So he joins. And this is from Desmond Doss' website. He's been gone several years now, but this is what it says.
"When he joined the army, Desmond Doss assumed that his classification as a conscientious objector would not require him to carry a weapon. He wanted to be an Army combat medic. As luck would have it he was assigned to an infantry rifle company. His refusal to carry a gun caused a lot of trouble among his fellow soldiers. They viewed him with disdain and called him a misfit. One man in the barracks warned him, "Doss, as soon as we get into combat, I'll make sure you won't come back alive." His commanding officers also wanted to get rid of the skinny Virginian. They saw him as a liability. Nobody believed a soldier without a weapon was worthwhile. They tried to intimidate him, scold him, assigned him with extra tough duties, and even declare him mentally unfit for the Army. They even had tried to court martial him for refusing to carry out a direct order, which was to carry a gun, but they failed to find a way to toss him out. And he refused to leave. He believed his duty was to obey God and his convictions over that, not killing anyone and to serve his country, but it had to be in that order. His unwavering convictions were the most important.”
Well, the story was, and so he went on, he'd been in several battles across the Pacific against the Japanese. And finally in the Battle of Okinawa, his company is on top of this place, which they had nicknamed Hacksaw Ridge. And this is again what the movie is about. And at one point in time, it is a fierce, fierce battle. And at one point in time, the Japanese regather and they just run the Americans off of this ridge and it's night and all of the Americans leave except Desmond Doss, the combat medic, and all of the wounded and dead.
And throughout that night, he sneaks off of that ridge 75 wounded people, taking them all, somehow getting past the Japanese. And he saves the lives of 75 men, for which he later receives the Congressional Medal of Honor. He becomes a man respected, admired. He's modeling Jesus. Why? Because he placed his life on the line. He was willing to sacrifice his own life for the life of others. Not giving up his convictions, he wasn't going to kill anybody, but he was willing to do that. And so he was admired for all those things, but not because he was a leader. I mean, he was a Private, but because he was an obedient follower. And in the kingdom of God, leadership is good followership. It's following the lead of King Jesus and being like Him. And remember, what did Jesus do? Jesus was an obedient follower of His Father. As Jesus Himself said, "I don't do anything but what I see the Father do." That's what He does. And so in fact, He would do nothing other than what He saw His father do or what He heard Him say. He was an obedient servant to his Father.
And so whether you're a Private or you're a General in the world at large, you have the same access to the living God as did Jesus. Kingdom Leadership is leadership by choice, not by gifting. Not by gifting. So what's Salt And Light Leadership? It's changing the world around you by being Jesus. Salt and light, Jesus talked about what salt and light was in Matthew 5. And I would recommend that to read. He said, "You're the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world."
And so what was Desmond Doss' sphere of influence that he found himself in? Well, he found himself in an Army rifle company and he found himself on a battlefield. And in that context, he bloomed where he was planted. He was Jesus, even in the midst of that circumstance. And though he wasn't a leader, he was a leader in the context of the Kingdom of God, because he was everything God designed him to be in that moment, at that place in time. Under the worst of circumstances, he was salt and light. And so God's not going to give you anything that you are utterly incapable of doing apart from Him. He will be everything that you need to be under that circumstance. Because in the Kingdom of God, everybody gets to play. This isn't some deal, like I remember peewee baseball and you're no good and there you are. You're waiting for them to pick you for the team. I've been there, done this. And nobody wants you. Nobody wants you because you can't do squat. That's not in the Kingdom of God. Everybody gets to play. Everybody's role is vital and everybody has an opportunity to be salty too and to change the flavor of the surrounding environment that God has assigned them to.
So Kingdom Leadership is all about rising up in whatever capacity you have, whoever you are, wherever you are, to defeat bondage and oppression even when no one else will. And now what do I mean by bondage and oppression? I mean, anything that is holding down a human being from being everything God is willing for that individual to be. He sees everybody as having value and worth. He sees them not as they are, but as they could be.
And it's about serving others. Jesus demonstrated Kingdom Leadership when He said this in Luke 22. "For even the Son of Man Himself," that's Jesus, "even the Son of Man did not come to be served," though as God he certainly could have, "but He came to serve," He's talking about himself here, “He came to serve and give his life, a ransom for many.” So in the face of a world held in bondage, He rose up as a servant and changed the world. So can you, so can you.
So, what does that look like? You have been purposefully sent to a time and space. Start being aware of that time and space. Start paying attention. When you look around your world, you start contemplating. You start realizing, The Lord God sent me into this circumstance. He would not have sent me here if He didn't believe I could be successful in it from His context." And it might very well be as a sacrificial servant in that context. But ask God to highlight what He wants you to do. Ask Him. Ask Him, "What do You want me to address? Why have You put me here? What have You got in mind?" Jesus did that. That's what Jesus did. He did nothing on His own. Neither should you. And here's God's promise, and I love this from 1 Chronicle 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the Earth, that He might strongly support those whose hearts are completely His."
So finally, there's a profound move of God taking place in our city right now. You need to know about that. He has sent you to be a part of His team in this moment. No one else is coming. Nobody. You and I are the team on the ground right now. And what do we see God doing in this movement? He's unifying His kids into an army of love. He's bringing the body of Christ together. He's giving us a heart to want to work together. He's bringing us together as an army of salt and light, people who both profoundly love their city, and love one another profoundly.
It's a people from whose very presence darkness will flee. And He's always been looking for men and women who are salt and light change agents, if you will. He's always been looking for what Jesus called a city on a hill. Who shine forth their light like beacons to a world. There is no such city like that in this country right now, but He is always willing for there to be one. He's willing for this city, Oklahoma City, this greater metro Oklahoma City, the central Oklahoma. He's willing for us to be that city on a hill, a beacon to a world, a spiritual epicenter to the world, a spiritual capital to this nation. He's willing for all of that. A city to which kings and nations will be drawn to our light.
That's the moment you are living in right now. And he's looking for a remnant. He is looking for a tipping point. Those of His kids who are willing to rise up and embrace that and make that the new culture of this community. You can be that Kingdom leader. You can be that person, wherever it is that God has planted you. If you will unify, and you be that person, that Christian committed to look like Christ, everything changes. Everything changes. And this city has an entire new culture, an entirely different reputation, and one that will ring around the world.
So here's your next right step, in being a salt and light leader. As I said earlier, be aware of your surroundings, and having been sent to them. And then finally, start talking to God about it. He will tell you what you need to know. Imagine a city in which it was commonplace for every follower of Jesus to actually believe God for impossible things. That's what this place could be. You can do this. Rise up. I'll see you next time.