SYLC: Created to Influence

Introduction

How do you define leadership?

Are leaders born or made?

Are all people called to be leaders and influencers in some capacity?

Definition of Leadership

Leadership is not. . .

About qualities or personality.

About Charisma.

Leadership is. . .

Work, hard work.

A Responsibility rather than a rank, position, or privilege.

A healthy desire to develop influence.

To Know We Have Leadership Potential, We Must Believe God’s Truth

We struggle to believe we are called to be leaders and influencers for Christ because we often forget who we are and who God made us to be.

Truth is essential to defining and determining our perspective.

What we believe about our essence determines our ethics and the way we live our lives.

Knowing that our identity is based on being made in God’s image and being unified with Christ are foundational to seeing the leadership potential we have.

One of the main reasons from Scripture that demonstrates that God has made us to be influencers and that we all have leadership potential. . . is that we are created in the image of God.

Key Takeaway: We are created in the image of God, and as humans, we are the crown of God’s creation. Therefore, we must know we are created to influence.

Made In The Image of God

The truth of being made in God’s image is the most profound wonder about our existence as humans.

The yearning to know what cannot be known, to comprehend the Incomprehensible, to touch and taste the Unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man.

A. W. Tozer

What does it mean to be made in the image of God?

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We can understand being made in God’s image in that we are both connected to God and made to be a reflection of God. (from John Kilner-dignity and destiny)

The Hebrew word for “image” used in Genesis 1 refers to a concrete statue or idol set up in a temple.

In the Ancient Near East, kings would set up idols and statues in conquered areas.

The physical statue represented the king’s authority and reign over that region and would be used to point people to praise the king.

Similarly, the author of Genesis helps us see that by being made in God’s image, we are God’s statues placed in the temple of Eden to reflect God’s rule and reign over the whole earth.

We are connected to God in that we have a relationship with him and we are made to reflect his attributes, rule, and reign on the earth.

The connection between being made in God’s image and ruling and reigning is seen in the next verse as God commands man and woman in Gen. 1:28 to have dominion over all creation and subdue it.

We are God’s physical representatives who are created to extend his rule and reign over all the earth.

Being in God’s image encompasses our entire being as humans and is not simply “an attribute” we possess but instead it makes up our essence.

Out identity and status in being God’s image cannot change based on our function or quality of life.

To cease to be God’s image would mean we would cease to exist as humans.

In summary, being made in God’s image means that we are connected to God and a reflection of God’s glory, attributes, rule, and reign.

Four Truths About Being Made In God’s Image

1. Good

Genesis 1:31 ESV

31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

2. Unique

Psalm 8:4–5 ESV

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

3. Male and Female

Genesis 1:27 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

4. Points to Jesus

Colossians 1:15 ESV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

The Imago Dei and Leadership

1. We were made to represent and imitate God.

We were made to rule like God.

We were made to love like God.

We were made to influence and point people to God.

Moses wrote Genesis along with the rest of the law after the wilderness wanderings right before entering the promise land.

The people needed to be reminded of their identity and purpose so that they could exhibit leadership and influence when they entered the promise land.

2. We were not made to represent ourselves or imitate the world.

Sin has affected our ability to rightly portray God’s image.

God’s image has not been damaged or marred by sin, rather we as people have been damaged by sin.

Our special connection to relate with and reflect God has been badly damaged and we no longer reflect his likeness and attributes like we were created to.

Instead of submitting to God’s truth we have succumbed to Satan’s temptations.

If we are not leading and influencing people to follow Jesus, we are rejecting and denying the very essence of our being and the reason God created us.

I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church.

Charles Spurgeon

3. We Must Trust in Christ.

Jesus is the perfect image of God.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate Leader.

By trusting in him, we are renewed as persons in his image. . .

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 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.

Colossians 3:10 ESV

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

By trusting in Jesus, we can be rightly connected with him and reflect his likeness through putting on the new nature which is created after the likeness of God (Ephesians 4:24).

“Leadership begins at the feet of Jesus.” -Brent Crowe

Response

Three ways we must respond today to help equip our students to be the leaders God has made them to be. . . you must help them. . . Know. . . Sit. . . and Step Up!

Know Who You Are.

Remind them of who they have been created to be.

Help them find their identity in being made in God’s image.

Two ways to do this:

Teach them from the Bible what it means to made in God’s image. (Maybe a study in Genesis)

Show them what it means to be “in Christ” and “united to Christ” as believers (Maybe a study in Eph. 1:3-14).

Sit at the Feet of Jesus.

To lead and influence the way we were created, we must sit at the feet of Jesus by humbling ourselves and trusting in him.

Mark 3:14 “14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach”

Following Jesus is first and foremost about spending time with him.

Step up and Start Influencing and Leading People to Jesus.

**If Time Permits. . . talk about the system of leadership**

Cultivating a System of Leadership

Timothy (6th-7th Grade)

Students in this group are 11–13-year-olds just entering the student ministry.

One of the best ways they can lead is by actively influencing their peers by attending Sunday morning and Wednesday night gatherings faithfully and consistently.

Students cannot influence their friends if they are not present.

Students will lead by setting an example for their friends in paying attention during worship, engaging in discussions during group time, and seeking to share something God taught them from his word with one person.

Another way these students can lead is by getting them involved in service opportunities for big events in the church.

We have large events yearly (for example, Thanksgiving Dinner and Veterans Lunch) where these students can help set up and tear down tables, wash dishes, and serve meals to our church and community.

Barnabas (8th-9th Grade)

Students in this group are transitioning from middle school into high school and have hopefully grown in maturity over the last few years.

On top of the ways the Timothy group serves, the Barnabas group will be given more autonomy to help welcome and greet students at worship gatherings and events.

Those skilled in the performing arts and media will begin serving on our praise and tech teams.

Freshmen will also have the opportunity to be a part of our student leadership team, which is the bulk of what our third tier (Paul) of leadership consists of.

Paul (10th-12th Grade)

The Paul group comprises some Freshmen but mostly Sophomores through Seniors who can drive.

When students gain this new responsibility, calling them up into new forms of leadership is vital to keep them plugged in and allow them to thrive as leaders.

The student leadership team (SLT) is formed by offering a general application to all interested people. We then funnel it down to 8-10 students (max) through an interview process.

We select students who have exhibited and demonstrated leadership throughout their journey in the student ministry and have an ongoing desire to learn, serve, and lead others.

The most significant differences between the Paul group and the other two groups are autonomy, accountability, and responsibility.

To be a part of the SLT, students must sign a leadership covenant that explains their roles, responsibilities, and expectations as leaders.

We also involve the parents in this and ask them to sign the covenant to hold their kids accountable and encourage them in the journey.

In the SLT, students are trained weekly by walking through leadership principles. I give the students opportunities to lead and teach the lesson to their peers each week, and I offer coaching about how they can improve.

SLT members are responsible for helping plan events, fellowships, games, and outreaches to teach them how to develop plans, teams, and strategies for success.

Students also set yearly goals and cast a vision in four areas (Spiritual, Academic, Health, Leadership) to grow and develop the skills to be holistic leaders.

Within these goals, each student is responsible for holding another student on the team accountable for reaching their goals.

Lastly, students are asked to intentionally invest in and mentor at least one other student who is 2-3 years younger than them by praying for them daily, reaching out to them weekly, and spending time with them (outside of church) monthly.

If leadership influences and develops others, we must give and call our students to do this work themselves.

This mentoring process also helps our students develop younger students to cultivate leadership skills and qualities they can use to pour into others as they age.

The hardest part about this phase of leadership is being willing to let your students fail (and they will inevitably fail at some point). However, this is a vital part of the leadership journey.

You must let your students learn from their mistakes to be ready to take further leadership steps when they enter college or the workforce.

These failures are opportunities to foster a growth mindset in our students to learn from their mistakes and become better leaders for the kingdom of God.

Resources

Questions???