Most Likely To - Integrity

Welcome

Welcome back to Week 3 of Most Likely To… through which we’re discovering what the Bible models as good leaders.

First, a bit of a roadmap for tonight’s lesson. We will discuss Paul (who remembers what Paul was known for before his encounter with Jesus?) and get a glimpse of his story. We will then take a look at some advice that Paul gave to churches when it comes to integrity and we will end with what I call the big 3.

The first thing I want you to remember - you are a leader whether you want to be or not. You are a leader whether you speak up or not. You have a circle of influence and those around you watch and learn. They may learn some good, they may learn some bad but either way, your actions lead others.

In Paul, we have an example of one man who went from one of the most feared by Christians to one of the most revered. How did such an amazing transformation take place? It starts with Jesus, but this man also put his words into action with integrity. It wasn’t an overnight deal - it took consistency and discipline, but eventually Paul was able to lead others by his example. So how does Paul’s story start?

Paul, by his own admission, was adamantly against Jesus and anyone who proclaimed him as the Messiah. Lets look at Acts 26:9–11

“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.”

Hold on a sec - maybe I don’t have the biblical understanding of the word integrity cause none of what Paul said sounds like integrity.

תָּמִים tā·mîm complete, unscathed, intact; blameless, without fault, free of blemish; impeccable; honest, devout; honesty, integrity, blamelessness, completeness (2x)

So Paul was describing a time in his life where everything he did was with the opposite of integrity.

What changed? What (or who) was so powerful that Paul went from someone condoning the murder of innocent Jews to laying his life down to serve the very same people.

Jesus. Jesus is the difference maker!

Lets read Philippians 4:8–9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Man - what a wild journey for Paul! Can you imagine how Paul’s decisions and the way he caused pain in the past affected his relationships with other people who were following Jesus? Imagine just how much energy and time it would take to rebuild trust...

Paul’s life was so different from what it had been like before, and Paul was so consistent with this church community that the people trusted his actions more than they did his words alone - so much that he could say “watch and learn from my life!”

Anyone can say that they have changed, but the only way someone would believe leaders like Paul is if they saw a difference in how his actions lined up with his words.

Paul’s actions matched his words, showing us what great leadership looks like. He regularly and consistently lived out the things he believed in every part of his life. As he lived with integrity, he earned the trust of the people he used to want to harm.

Scripture encourages us to be someone who lives out the good, beautiful, and noble things we believe in, not just in front of your friends and family or at school and work, but also when we are alone and no one else is watching. Your character, your integrity is defined by who you are when no one else is looking. Do your actions still back up your words?

Committing to being the same person, whether alone or surrounded by others, has a lasting impact on your leadership, friendships and future. When we become people who follow through on what God calls us to be about, the next step is to learn how to do that in every place we lead.

What are the areas you need to rebuild trust in your life? Family, friends?

NF has a song called Only and the second verse starts:

If you made a list of people that you trusted, would you put your name down? Do you trust yourself to be consistent and disciplined to ensure your actions and your words align?

Paul modeled what it means to live with integrity. We’re invited to do the same and lead in a way that reflects who we are and who we server. As we do this, we become leaders with integrity - leaders people can trust.

Integrity isn’t one thing that we do, its a continual process. Each step building on the last.

Integrity is something that doesn’t appear in your life out of thin air. It is a process. Some days you may feel like you took 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. Mistakes will happen, the key is how do you respond to those mistakes. When we have that relationship with Jesus - no hope is lost, so we should make better decisions as we grow in our discipleship.

Integrity is difficult to earn and very easy to lose.

Lets take a look at some advice Paul gives

Galatians 5:16–23 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Paul gives us a list of things we can’t do and expect our life to align with the Spirit. While we should each look at that list and evaluate where we are with those things, I want us to focus on the things we can do, through the Holy Spirit that Paul lists. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. When we walk in the Spirit, the evidence will be that our actions align with our words. We will show love to others, we will have joy and peace, even during the tough times. We will be patient with ourselves and others. Kindness and goodness will become the norm, faithfulness will be second nature and we will approach non-believers with gentleness instead of bashing them. And in all things we will show self-control. Anyone else feel like they have a lot of work to do?

As followers of Jesus we value follow through on what God asks of us and choose to lead with love. Whether we’re by ourselves, with close friends or leading in public, we make a choice to live out those values. As we do this, we live out the truth that great leaders choose integrity.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

I think we can all assume that “Bad company” would essentially mean the people we hang around that do not follow a moral compass, or at least one guided by the Bible.

I wanted to dig deeper into the original Greek for bad company to make sure we understood the weight of this statement.

In the Greek, bad is evil or morally bad or wrong. What stuck out to me was the Greek for company. Association or the act of consorting with or joining with others especially over time. This verse is specifically talking about your close knit circle of friends.

What are the most popular people on social media called? (Influencers) so I would say this verse is not only talking about the close circle of friends, but platforms that have a consistent influence. And here’s the thing - its not only people who are close to us in proximity that have a huge influence on us. This extends to your socials, the music, the movies, books, hobbies and the games we associate with consistently.

In order to keep building your integrity, you cannot let distractions take a foothold in the process. While some influencers in your life will easily be identified as a distraction, others are going to be more subtle and more difficult to identify.

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 ESV

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

As Christians we tend to hold on to our sins, even after we repent, as some kind of self-punishment for doing something we knew was wrong. To go one step further, some people in your life may want to keep you in the chains of the past because that is their comfort level, but that isn’t your new name. Paul instructs us to embrace the Freedom given by the only one qualified - and become the leader to those God puts in your path or orbit.

The Big 3

Do the next right thing

You will make mistakes - even when you think you should have it all figured out. Keep showing up the next opportunity you have to align your actions with your words.

Consistent Discipline builds character and integrity

God redeems our failures

Know Your Company

Are you allowing non-believers or Christians in words only impact who you are becoming in Christ?

Are the other influences in your life distracting you or pouring the wrong message in?

If your company is good - lean in! Let them encourage you, let them tell you where your actions may not have aligned with your words.

If they are not good - create distance without disconnect. If that doesn’t work you may have to disconnect completely.

Walk in the Spirit

Surrender - maybe you have heard of laying your sin or your troubles at the feet of Jesus before. I say we should drop them and let those burdens shatter at his feet so we won’t be able to pick them up again.

Consistently ask God for help - in all seasons of your life.