Not have-tos but get-tos

Pastor Max Lyons reminds the church that Jesus did not command the spiritual practices so much as model them and invite His followers in. James says not to merely listen to the Word but to do what it says. He then tells of being the only nine-year-old drafted into the Little League majors, and a year later being pulled aside by his coach for sulking in the dugout after a bad at-bat instead of cheering on the next batter. When he chose to lead, the whole team played better, and so did he. Great leadership makes a massive impact.

Jesus is the greatest leader of all time

Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates each taught for roughly forty years; Jesus taught for three and launched the greatest global movement in history. The first thing Jesus did in public ministry was build a team, and the second was prepare them to lead. Paul says, "Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ." Pastor Max insists everyone is a leader somewhere: in a household, a career, a Group, a Team, and at minimum in leading yourself. He offers a sobering truth: if you were a better leader, you would be further ahead than you are now, and he applies that to himself and Elan Church three years in. Quoting Andy Stanley, you are perfectly positioned for the results you are currently getting.

Leadership, manipulation, and discipleship

Using Alan Keith's definition, leadership creates a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen. Manipulation influences someone for your benefit against their interest; leadership influences them for their good. He also warns that leadership is not discipleship: churches and businesses have promoted gifted people who lacked the roots to sustain the role, and the result was a crash. Discipleship is the whole pie; leadership is one essential slice. God raised up Joseph and Daniel to influence for His purposes, and wants to do the same in every sphere of our lives.

Jesus sees what no one else sees

Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector, wanted to see Jesus but was too short to see over the crowd, so he climbed a sycamore fig tree. Pastor Max notes that Gen Z is only half as likely to identify as atheist as Gen X; curiosity like this is rising. Jesus looked up and spoke directly to a man everyone else overlooked, like James Howells, the Welsh man trying to buy a garbage dump because a hard drive holding 7,500 Bitcoin is buried there. Ephesians 2 says we are God's masterpiece. Pastor Max shares that in two years of Bible college in Sydney he was never asked to preach at a single chapel, yet in his final week the pastor of a large London church offered him a staff role. Not everyone will see your potential, but Jesus does.

Jesus includes who no one else includes

A tax collector was not like an IRS agent but a traitor extorting his own people for the occupying empire. Sharing a meal was a public declaration of acceptance, and Jesus did it anyway. Pastor Max recalls visiting a 30-person church plant in 2010 and being invited to sushi by a guy named Josh, a friendship that led to Bible college, London, Pastor Juliet, and eventually Elan Church. His prayer is that anyone walking into Elan is invited to lunch five times before reaching their seat.

Jesus pressed on when others gave up

The crowd muttered, but Jesus was not deterred. Quoting Craig Groeschel, if you are not ready to be criticized for your obedience to God, you are not ready to be used by Him. The gospel itself is offensive: we are sinful, and God died in our place so we could receive the righteousness of Christ. He points to a Canadian pastor who swapped Savior for guide as an example of editing the gospel to avoid offense. The Bible tells us to fear God alone, because the fear of man is a snare. A church that pleases God first will always love people best.

Jesus changed what others accepted

Zacchaeus gives half his possessions away and repays fourfold, and Jesus declares salvation has come to his house. Others accepted Zacchaeus as he was; Jesus changed him into a child of God. Pastor Max illustrates with Jocko Willink's Navy SEAL boat-race story, where swapping leaders flipped the winning and losing crews. He closes with reflection: who does God want you to see, include, and lead this week? Perhaps someone to mentor, to invite to an Easter service, or simply to take to lunch.