Untitled Sermon (2)

of 1 21

Colorado message

Joke: Today, I have the privilege of exegeting Acts 6:2-7, unraveling the ecclesiastical

ramifications and soteriological foundations embedded in the fabric of early church

dynamics.

INTRO:

I was informed that you all are currently studying the book of Acts, and tonight I have

the privilege of sharing from Acts 6. I read through this passage, and I feel like the Lord

highlighted Acts 6:2-7 for us tonight.

So that’s what I’m gonna hone in on, and we are gonna talk about leadership.

Acts 6:2-7 (ESV)

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right

that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore,

brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of

wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer

and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and

they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and

Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of

Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on

them.of 2 21

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples

multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the

faith.

I. This passage really shows us some great insights into leadership and delegation.

It’s about a time in the early church when the apostles faced a tough challenge:

balancing their main jobs of preaching and praying with the increasing

administrative tasks of their community.

II. In Acts 6:2, we see the apostles struggling with the demands of their ministry. They

knew their primary job was to preach the Word and pray, but they also had to

handle the daily food distribution, which was important but distracted them from

their main mission. This struggle led them to realize they needed to delegate.

III. This decision wasn’t just about logistics; it was about staying focused on their

purpose. Effective leaders have to be clear about their core mission. For the

apostles, it was all about preaching and prayer. They understood that to stay true to

their calling, they needed to delegate other responsibilities.

IV. But delegation isn’t just about handing off work. It’s about finding and empowering

the right people. The apostles asked the disciples to choose seven men who were

well-respected and full of the Spirit and wisdom. This shows how important it is to

have people of good character and spiritual maturity in leadership roles.of 3 21

V. Once these men were chosen, the apostles empowered them through prayer and

commissioning. They trusted these new leaders with the task, allowing them to

grow and serve in their areas of gifting. This act of empowerment was key to

effective leadership, building trust and helping the church thrive.

VI. Just like the early church, our pastors and leaders today need to delegate

responsibilities to meet the community’s needs efficiently. This kind of delegation

helps the church grow, serve, and flourish as a whole.

And that’s where you guys come in—each of you is created to lead….

I. How many of you are serving in some capacity of leadership?

1. Maybe you're a manager at your job…

2. or you’re a leader in ministry…

3. or anything related to being a leader

a) Let me just see your hands. (most of you?)

4. And… How many of you feel like you're more comfortable being a follower

than a leader?

a) That's all right…..That’s good.of 4 21

II. Well, I got good news for some of you… and bad news for some of you…

1. Because All of you actually have a created capacity and design for

leadership.

III. So right off the bat I wanna just read some foundational scripture on

leadership to you and make some statements about godly leadership, what it

looks like.

but first, praaaayyyyyy

1. PRAYER: And so, “Father, we thank you that each person, in their unique

design and fullness, has the capacity to positively influence others for your

kingdom. May we all embrace our created potential as leaders who impact

others for good. We thank you, Lord.

2. Proverbs 11:14 says this, "Where there's no guidance, the people fall, but in

the abundance of counselors there's victory.”

3. Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but

when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”

4. Mark 10:42-45, The disciples are argiuing about whose the gratest and

Jesus says: “but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your

servant, and whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even

the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as

a ransom for many.”of 5 21

B. These passages emphasize the importance of leadership and its transformative

impact on people

IV. I want to read to you a 4 statements on the importance of leadership.

(first one)

A. "If competent, Godly leadership does not arise in this hour, the church is just

one or two generations from extinction…..pause… and will fall into the

irrelevance of our society.”

1. If we can't pass it on and influence another generation, things shift.

2. And we risk falling completely irrelevant in our culture

(second one)

B. Godly leaders know who they are, whose they are, and where they are going,

They positively influence and inspire others to follow their lead and assist

others around them into reaching their full potential.

a) It's important we come into our full potential… and leaders help us get

there.

(third one)

C. Godly leaders are people of vision, clear direction, courage, character, and

competence. They help others know what is possible in a life hidden in Christ in

the kingdom of God and as their unique design as individuals.of 6 21

(fourth one)

D. Godly leaders tirelessly father sons and daughters into their full created

potential.

a) If you're catching a theme… it's about sons and daughters becoming

who they were created to be.

E. A leader is somebody who knows who they are, whose they are, walks in their

full potential, and causes others to do the same.

1. That actually qualifies all of you.

2. How many of us know that we want to follow leaders who are going

somewhere, who are secure in their identity, who know the God they serve,

and who are confident and at rest in who God is?

(1) We look to that and say, "I need to follow that.”

(2) By the way, Jesus is the ultimate model of leadership.

V. So here's why I said those verses and those statements.

1. I feel like the Lord said in this next season for your church he wants to raise

up more leadership in the church to cultivate the revival he wants to bring in

Cañon City.

2. But he needs bodies.

3. He needs servants.of 7 21

4. I was researching some other churches in the area, and I just feel like this

city is ripe for revival.

5. I believe the Lord wants to raise synergistic and successional leadership.

6. In seminary we are taught that as a pastor, it is your job to work yourself out

of a job.

7. It is your job to raise up leaders that will be your replacement.

8. You're not just to have a next man up, but you're to have a stream of

leaders in the process of becoming who they are.

VI. I go to Gats… and a lot of global leaders have been prophecying that we are

about to enter the next major revival soon…

1. With the increase, with revival, with things that are coming, you just can't

wait to develop leaders.

B. There's got to be a constant culture, a constant synergy of leadership.

C. I actually believe God wants everyone in this church to rise to their full

potential.

D. And that's going to come through discovering your leadership calling.

VII. Christian leaders are not just found in the church.

A. Let me give you the definition I have for a Christian leader.

1. A Christian leader is a servant of the Lord who uses their credibility, skills,

and spiritual gifts to guide people or organizations toward their God-given

purpose and potentialof 8 21

B. And when they do this, the influence they exert is helping people pursue the

fullness of their potential.

C. Because leadership is influence.

D. Leadership happens any time we influence the thinking, behavior, direction, or

development of another person.

this is why i believe

VIII. All believers are called to what is called life role leadership.

1. But… What is life-role leadership?

a) You know I’m about to become a dad. Maria is 32 weeks pregnant.

Whether or not I was ever a designated leader at any given capacity, I will

be a leader by the very fact that I'll be a dad. And as a dad, I'll have

influence over a life.

b) And from that place, I am a leader.

c) if you are a parent, you are a leader.

2. You know I think it would be impossible to not lead unless you're isolated

from individuals.

3. Because just about everybody influences somebody in the kingdom.

a) My wife, Maria embodies life role leadership in an incredible way. She’s

not just outgoing—she’s the kind of person who can strike up a

conversation with anyone, whether they’re standing in line at the grocery

store or at the doctor's office, and within 5 minutes, she can just be

talking to a stranger like she's known them for 10 years.of 9 21

i) Her ability to connect on a personal level is truly amazing,

b) People naturally gravitate towards her because they know she’ll not only

listen but also take action when needed.

c) But what really sets her apart is her heart. She doesn’t just care about

people—she genuinely loves them. I’ve seen her sit with someone going

through a tough time, offering comfort and support without hesitation.

Her compassion isn’t just a feeling; it’s a way of life.

d) It’s why colleagues at her job trust her with their deepest concerns and

why friends turn to her for advice and encouragement.

e) Through her natural ability to connect and the depth of her compassion,

she exemplifies what it means to be a life-role leader.

B. Life role leadership is a person just being who they're created to be.

1. And out of that position in life, they influence everyone around them.

2. Im talking abotu this because im trying to expand our undertanding of what

leadership looks like, so that we dont talk ourselves out of leading where

God has asked you to lead.

a) Positional leadership and organizational leadership is different.

(1) Postitional is when you are the manager of the organization.

(2) Or like you pastors, greg and alicia, the senior pastors, they are in

positional leadersip.

(3) you have a title.of 10 21

(4) this is what happened to Steven and the other six in Acts when they

commissioned him and the others into a position role, but not all of

the disciples were called to that

(5) Not all of us are called to that.

(6) But with life role leadership, and all of us fall in that category.

(7) I believe we are all called to that.

I. People who live confidently in their creative purpose and design are

attractional to others, and they will become leaders.

A. So i wanna encourage you to start living in your creative potential and exercise

that leadership with confidence.

B. Genesis 1:26-28 reveals God’s design for humanity, where both men and

women are created in His image to exercise dominion and stewardship over

creation. This authority, meant to nurture and care for the earth, signifies our

divine calling to lead righteously and fulfill our unique purpose in partnership

with God.

C. So, each of us has a unique design and purpose.

D. We are designed to fill a specific role for the glory of the Lord, using our God-

given authority to nurture, steward, and care for creation.

E. This is our divine calling, rooted in the very beginning of our existence.

1. Here's how I actually know that.

a) In Ephesians chapter 2:10, it actually speaks about this in, I think, pretty

clear terms.of 11 21

i) it says

(2) 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ

Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. EPH

2:10 NIV

F. So if I get this correctly, before Ryan Robison was ever born in my mother's

womb, God created me in His image and prepared good works in advance for

me to walk in those things.

a) All I have to do is live by my created design, and I'll fulfill the good works

which God has prepared, and I'm His workmanship provided I learn how

to surrender and let Him work.

2. There's so much about becoming a leader, doing this, doing that, striving,

becoming something that we're so busy we live under performance

orientation, and how many know the letter of the law kills, but the Spirit of

God gives life.

3. So if we just let go and allow ourselves to be the created person that we are

and live in the image that He's created in us and walk in the good works

He's prepared by just saying, "God, I'm Your workmanship…I’m Your

handiwork…” (eph 2:10)

4. So I am His masterpiece, and all I have to do is live like the Ryan Robison

God created me to be, and I will exercise influence on the earth.

(1) I'm putting that in picture that we could all understand.of 12 21

G. If there's good works for me, what's a good work?

(a) I did a word study on good works. Jesus and a lot of others talked

about good works.

b) I wrote down a list of what happens when good works happen.

(1) Good works serve people.

(2) Good works demonstrate the glory of God.

(3) Good works flow from our created purpose and design.

i) Did you hear it in Ephesians 2:10?

ii) Just get settled in your identity, how God's created you, and

you'll impact everyone around you.

2. I think there's this pressure to become something to be this amazing leader,

to become the amazing evangelist, the amazing apostle, the amazing

whatever, right? doctor, lawyer, real estate agent…

3. And all we have to do is learn how to rest in who we are, and out of that

place, we impact the world positively with good works.

4. Good leadership operates from a place of rest and surrender, not striving

and manipulation.

(1) Most leaders who are of the world, are so insecure in their identity,

that they manage you by fear and intimidation.

(a) This creates a stressful environment where mistakes are heavily

scrutinized.of 13 21

(2) But a good leader is confident in who they are and understands

everybody has the ability to fulfill their potential, so if you rise into

greatness, they rise into greatness.

5. Those are the kind of leaders we really want to follow, aren't they?

6. And if you understand this aspect of your created leadership, it’s by grace

that it occurs, destined beforehand, each of you with a unique design.

7. Are all apostles? Are all evangelists? Are all pastors? Are all teachers?

a) The answer is no.

b) Maybe you think one of those seems more or less desirable… But we

treat every part of the body with greater honor because every part

matters.

H. So, if we’re not in a performance-oriented mode, and it’s not about doing

something to gain approval from God, we’re actually His workmanship.

I. All you have to do is be who you were created to be.

II. Sometimes I think the enemy tries to beat us up and create situations where

we doubt that we are leaders. He tries to make us believe that we don’t have

what it takes to lead and make a difference.

A. I just want to expand your paradigm because there are probably a lot of people

who don’t think they are leaders.

B. You just have to get a different mindset so that you're not thinking it has to look

a certain way.of 14 21

a) That's the death blow of leadership

C. The Lord wants us to stand in our creative potential and just be ourselves.

a) That's actually the essence of leadership.

b) If you have the courage to become who you are and stand in it

confidently, you'll lead others.

III. Let me expand on the picture of life role leadership.

A. With this definition of life role leadership, all we have to do is be ourselves and

recognize our leadership roles.

B. Parents, this looks like leading in the home.

C. Deuteronomy 6.6.

1. Moses is speaking, "These words I'm commanding shall be in your heart,

and you shall diligently teach them to your children and talk of them when

you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down

and rise up.”

a) In other words, there is transformational impartation when parents teach

their children.

b) You're raising up world changers by just being a parent.

D. Friendships

1. Proverbs 27:17, it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens

another.”of 15 21

a) In our friendships, we help each other grow, learn, and stay strong in our

faith. Being a good friend means being there for each other, offering

encouragement, and leading by example.

E. How about older men and older women leading younger men and younger

women?

1. Proverbs 16:31 says “Gray hair is a crown of glory, it is gained in a righteous

life.”

2. Older people have wisdom that the younger generation needs to hear.

I. Do you see it?

A. So whatever situation you’re in, If you just become yourself, you lead others in

godliness.

B. So many of us here are already spiritual mothers and fathers.

C. We just don't know it.

D. When revival happens, they need you to be their leader.

1. Most of you older men and women in the faith because you've known Jesus

for a little while, right?

2. When the lost get swept in, they need moms and dads.

II. I wanna touch on positional leadership.of 16 21

1. Just to define it,

a) This is where you're appointed to something, so a mayor, a governor, a

pastor, a school teacher, a coach, an empowering boss, all those kind of

people are positional leaders.

2. We know we need those.

B. There are a lot of passages that talk about positional leadership

C. One of them is Acts 6.

1. We've got Acts 6:3, "The apostles appointed deacons over the business of

serving tables.”

a) we talked about this in my intro.

b) They appoint Steven to a positional leadership with the other 6 to run the

food pantry.

c) When they laid hands on him to commission him for this role, It was a

powerful act of approval and recognition.

d) Stephen was designated as a positional leader, entrusted with ensuring

justice and care within the community. when they laid hands on him they

empowered him to fulfill.

D. Another one that talks about positional… take out????

E. Ephesians 4-11, "And God gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some

evangelists, pastors, and teachers.”

F. Acts 13:2, "The Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I

have called them.”of 17 21

III. So we know God sets this up, but I would just say this… even though only

some are going to be shaped by the Lord to be in a positional leadership role,,

the principles are still the same.

1. That leader becomes the leader they are by discovering who they are and

living in their creative design.

B. David got centered in the Lord and understood who he was, and he lived in

complete integrity with what God said about him.

C. And out of that, he became a great king,

a) a man after God's heart.

2. Does that make sense?

IV. So whether you're a positional leader, or whether you're just a life role leader,

all of us have the same principles, which is we grow in that by discovering our

capacities.

V. two takeaways and we are done

A. You'll grow as a leader as you discover who you are in your creative design and

learn to live confidently with that identity. From that place, you offer a unique

contribution to the world.

1. It's time to step away from your limiting beliefs and step into who you are.

2. Your limiting belief says, "I can't be anybody because of my physical

limitations or my background,"of 18 21

i) or

3. "My limiting belief is I don't have the skills necessary to be a ______.”

4. I don't know what your limiting belief is… but it doesn't work in the kingdom.

5. Because you were created for something…and it's time to just rather than

striving over it… just say, "God, I'm surrendering all.

a) I'm laying down my armor.

b) I’m laying down my fight.

c) I'm laying down my striving.

d) I'm just going to become who I am, and I'm going to walk in the good

works that you have prepared in advance that I should walk in.

e) And It's by grace that I'm in this place, and by grace I shall accomplish it.

6. So actually, as I'm growing personally as a leader, I've discovered the more

settled I am in who I am, and the more free I am to just be myself, the greater

my leadership becomes.

7. It's time to live with a leadership mindset. Begin to see yourself as an

influencer of others. You are God's dynamic agent of love, life, and

reconciliation with your own special sauce to the world.

8. When we recognize our unique strengths and gifts, we can embrace our

roles with confidence.

B. The good leaders don't have to be everything to all people.

1. They just have to be themselves and stand in it.of 19 21

Let's stand.

I. Let's just hold our hands out.

A. I felt several things.

B. I felt like the Lord wanted to break off inadequacy off some of you.

1. I want to pray that inadequacy would be broken off.

2. I don't know if you feel this, but there are limiting beliefs that God wants to

literally blow up so that you can become who you are.

3. There's been a lid too long on people becoming what they're created to do

and that church is suffering.

4. We are not going to be irrelevant to our culture and it's not two generations

away from extinction because we have a church that's going to discover

who they are.

II. PRAYER:

notes: Watch for power in the room call it out. listen and feel for WOKs. (point out

power there there’s power lord is there)

A. So Father, I pray right now that you break off inadequacy and that you would

shatter by your Holy Spirit limiting beliefs, that you would literally invade and

that you would come in and begin to speak to us and unveil in our heart those

things that have limited who we can become in Christ.of 20 21

B. I thank you that Jesus is the perfect model of a man who walked in security of

identity.

C. And God, we ask that you would release us to walk in that in the same way

without performance and without comparison.

D. I thank you for the measure of grace that's apportioned to everyone in this room

for leadership, for stewardship, for faith, for various gifts of the Spirit, for talents

that you've released to them.

E. So Lord, I just declare over them that they shall rise up and take their place as

leaders in the kingdom.

F. I thank you for the influence that's so extensive that they are literally going to be

called world changers.

G. A generation of sons and daughters that know whose they are, who they are,

and as a result can become change agents in the world around them.

H. So Lord, I just release that over them.

I. I break off obstacles.

J. I break off limitations and mindsets that would hold them back from the fullness

of what they're called to be as leaders.

K. I thank you for this in Jesus' name.

ENDof 21 21

Extra PRAYER

We just ask that you would cause each of us to get over our performance orientation

and learn to become ourselves.

I pray in this house that everyone would come into an understanding of their creative

design as a mom, as a community member, as whatever it is, a dad, and that we would

rise up in the fullness of who we are and as a result transact and broker the kingdom to

the world around us.

I thank you that we are mobile carriers of the ark of the presence of the Lord through

Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.

I thank you that everywhere we go it becomes an open heaven because an open

heaven dwells over us because the Spirit is resting on us in power.

I thank you that everywhere we go as we are confident in our destiny and our creative

design, people notice us and say, "I want to be like that.

I need to have what you have."

So Lord, I just pray that there would be a release amongst us of confidence and favor

in standing in our design and that you would raise up the body of Christ to become the

leaders you've called us to be.

We thank you for this in Jesus' name.

END PRAYER