Leading Courageously (Father’s Day 2024)
Ephesians 5:25 I think this one verse gives all of us a good place to start.
- It says that we are to love our wives just as Christ loved the church.
- So, we must start by figuring out what that means.
- How did Christ love the church?
- What did His love look like?
- His love was sacrificial
- Jesus gave everything he had for the church. And Jesus gave everything He had for us as individuals.
- Matt 20: 26 Jesus’ love looked sacrificial; servant based.
- But we must all serve at this sacrificial level. It is what Jesus did and what we are to emulate.
- This call to love sacrificially is to all of us. We are to Emulate this part of Jesus.
- Jesus’ love was courageous
- He was leading courageously all the way to the cross.
- We all need to lead with this same level of courage.
- We need to lead courageously toward the cross.
- The way we can lead courageously is by going all in for Jesus.
- Jesus’ love fought against injustice
- In John 8 when the Pharisees caught a woman in adultery, they brought her to Jesus and demanded that she be stoned.
- John 8:7 Jesus saw the injustice in what they were doing and He quickly took care of it.
- This was a courageous act because it went against their very strong culture.
- John 8:7 Jesus saw the injustice in what they were doing and He quickly took care of it.
- Jesus’ love fought for honor
- John 19:25 As the oldest and first-born son, it would have been Jesus’ responsibility to care for his mother.
- Even while hanging on the cross Jesus still acts courageously to protect the honor of his mother.
- Jesus’ love was not selfish
- Everything Jesus did was for the benefit of others, and from His courageous love.
- Mark 5:24
- This is a selfless act on Jesus’ part.
- He could have kept pressing on to get Jairus’ sick daughter.
- He could have given up on finding who touched him given the size of the crowd.
- But He didn’t. He sought her out so that he could speak over her, bless her and end her suffering.
- His love was quick to forgive and point toward grace.
- Luke 23:32 Jesus is hanging on the cross with insults and shame coming from every direction.
- Yet His courageous love says, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”
- And then to His follow cross mate he says you will be with me in paradise. Grace!
- Jesus’ love always provided for
- He was always looking to take care of and provide for.
- Jesus’ love always did the right thing and defended the least.
- He defended the woman who anointed his feet with Nard from the attacks of the Pharisees.
- Jesus’ love always taught and lead spiritually
- Jesus never passed a crowd without taking the time to teach them a lesson.
1 Thes 2 :11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
- We see some basic guidelines for Fathers. “Encouraging, comforting, and urging to live lives worthy of God.”
- When you urge people to live lives worthy of God, you won’t always be popular.
- This is where courageous leadership is again needed.