Most Likely To... Week 1

Great leaders follow through.

[INTRODUCTION]

Welcome to the first week of our four-week series called Most Likely To . . ., through which we'll discover what it means to be leaders.

In a yearbook, there's usually a section highlighting people who stand out for their unique qualities. They often say things like Most Likely to Succeed, Most Likely to Invent the Next iPhone, Best Dressed, or Class Clown.

Those who are recognized as the “Most likely to...” often have expectations that they feel they must meet, but what if those expectations feel too high?

What if we are expected to be the next big innovator or creative influence, but all of that seems like it's too much?

You may want to be a leader like that, but following through on those expectations can feel like a lot of pressure.

[TRANSITION]

Jesus told a story that can help us figure out why there is more to leadership than empty promises.

It happened when Jesus was nearing the end of his ministry and had spent three years investing in people, healing them, and teaching them. Right before the story we're going to read, we see he was welcomed into Jerusalem by the people of Israel as a king. He was at the height of his popularity!

The most important thing about this story is that Jesus knew he didn't have much time left until his death, and for the last few years, he had been teaching what it meant for people to continue to live as his followers after he was gone.

So, Jesus entered the temple, the most important religious landmark of his day, and began teaching the people there. The religious leaders of the day started asking him questions and tried to trip him up.

Jesus knew that these religious leaders had been focusing on religious laws and weren't following through on what God truly cared about. So he called them on it by telling this story.

Matthew 21:28–32 (CSB)

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go work in the vineyard today.’

29 “He answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went. 30 Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he answered, but he didn’t go. 31 Which of the two did his father’s will?”

They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

In this parable, the first son told his father that he would not follow his instructions, but after changing his mind, he did follow through. The other son said he would do what the father requested, but did not.

The one who changed his mind, Jesus said, was "righteous," or faithful, to what his father asked. He was the one who heard what the father was saying and actually did it. Living for Jesus meant that, like this son, people would follow through on their word.

Everyone could be part of this — Jesus says no matter how spiritual we seem on the outside, the thing that truly matters is following through on how God is calling us to live.

For Jesus, part of what it means to be righteous is that we understand how God is asking us to live and then do our best to live it out.

[TRANSITION]

Proverbs is a book of wisdom sayings compiled by some of the best leaders in the long history of God's people, who knew that leadership was more than just saying you were going to do something.

Proverbs 9:9 (CSB)

9 Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;

teach the righteous, and he will learn more.

Wise and righteous people are called faithful because they choose to follow through on their growth.

When they hear wise advice or instruction, they do something with that wisdom. When they learn, they follow through by acting on what they've learned.

Think about a leader who says one thing and does another.

Can they be trusted?

Being a leader who is following Jesus means we want to follow him not just in our words, but also in our actions.

Leaders listen to what God is saying and do it. Rather than simply having good intentions with their words, they recognize how impactful their actions are and follow through.

[TRANSITION]

Whether we realize it or not, we're all leaders, which means we've all had an opportunity to build on the words we say and follow through with action.

Raise your hand if you have done this:

I told someone I would pray for them, and then forgot.

I told a friend that I would text or call them, and I never did.

I made plans and canceled without communicating beforehand.

Maybe you're starting to see that at one point, you always intended to be a great leader like Jesus — someone who follows through — but you've been more like the second son than you have been the first.

[CONCLUSION]

Today, you might feel a little more motivated to make good on your word. To be leaders who follow through, we need to commit to three things:

COMMIT TO KIND WORDS: Kind words are all about being mindful of the impact that comes from what we say to others and being careful not to promise things we can't follow through on. Our words can build someone up, or tear them down. As you go through this week, commit to things you know you can follow through on, and speak kindly to others in the process.

COMMIT TO PRAYER: Spend time with God to discover how you can partner with God. You might even consider praying for someone who asked you to follow through on something this week. Put a reminder in your phone or write it into your calendar. Ask God to help you save space for the things that matter most.

COMMIT TO APOLOGIZING: When you fall short, apologize. There will come a time when you will promise something and forget to do it or do something you didn't mean to do. Sometimes, following through includes acknowledging where we have made a mistake and moving forward. No matter whether you intended to hurt someone or not, own up to the reality that you didn't follow through and make amends.

[FINAL THOUGHTS]

Being a leader seems like such an exclusive thing, reserved for the captain of the team, class officer, prom royalty, or theater lead, but what if I were to tell you that everyone in this room is a leader and called to lead the way Jesus did?

Who here looks up to someone they don't know, like an athlete, a musician, or an influencer who helps others?

Who looks up to someone they know personally but isn't considered a celebrity, like a coach, teacher, parent, friend, or teammate?

With that person in mind, raise your hand if they know you look up to them.

Who here has someone they look up to in this room? Is it a student? A leader?

Take a look around. You could be one of the people who motivates someone in this room to raise their hand.

We're all leaders in different ways.

We all have someone we influence.

Maybe it's a friend or sibling, or someone you're helping in some way.

The reality is we all look up to someone, and there is likely someone who looks up to us — even if we don't know who it is. We all have the potential to lead, which means we're all invited to start thinking about ourselves as people who follow through on what we say we'll do.

We are all leaders who are most likely to change the world in meaningful ways, and we all have an opportunity to be faithful to how God calls us to be great leaders who follow through.