Importance of a First Impression

You may ask yourselves what does a first impression have to do with being a leader? Some say that it has to do with building relationships or just stepping up to meet someone for the first time.  People have different views about this kind of subject and many others today.  It takes the average person today thirty seconds to make a first impression to someone they have never met before.  I believe there is only one person who made the greatest impression of mankind and it did not take him thirty seconds.  This man was Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.  What kind of first impression did Jesus make when he was here on this earth?  If you don't remember at all, let me refresh your memory on what he was talking about to his disciples on the Sermon of the Mount.  Jesus talked about nineteen different things or life lessons that we can take and learn how to be Christ-like.  He talked about the Beatitudes, what we should be in this dark world, fulfilling the law, fixing problems against our brethren, not committing adultery, divorce, meaning what you say, not taking revenge on someone, loving your enemies, being able to give, how to pray, fasting, storing treasures in heaven, quit worrying about life, two directions in life, bearing good fruits and not bad fruits, and being a wise man instead of a foolish man. 

 But in Matthew 7:28-29, is the most important verse of all when he finished on what he said to his disciples.  The verse says, "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law."  It wasn't because of who he was speaking to on the mountain, but on how he was speaking to them.  He was speaking to the twelve as If he had already knew that these were the men who were going to change the world.  In Matthew 4:19 it says, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  In other translations, it says I will send you out to fish for people.  The reason that Jesus used the term "fishers of men", is because he was comparing the people in the world as fish and the men were the twelve disciples who were going to "catch" other leaders to lead His church or kingdom.  There is a connection between what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18-19 and in Acts 2:14.  Jesus said to Peter, "On this rock, I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  Pay very close attention to verse 19.  "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..."  I believe that this verse was foreshadowing to the verse in Acts 2:14.  It says, Peter stood up with the eleven, and he raised his voice to them about what Jesus taught them and about how Jesus died for their sins. 

When you see the word standing up, that should tell you he was being a leader by stepping up from the eleven and preaching a sermon to a crowd about Jesus.  In verse 37, they were cut to the heart because it was their sins that put Him on the cross.  When they listened to all these things, three thousand souls were baptized that day and they were having fellowship of breaking the bread.  Peter made a good first impression in front of a crowd just like Jesus did from the Sermon of the Mount.  Once we see someone make a good first impression, we may think in our heads that we want to be just like him or her because of what they just did.  Jesus and Peter gives us two perfect examples of what a good first impression is and how to give a first impression.  Remember this, you must be a follower before you can be able to lead.  Once you can be able to lead, then you will be a person leading from the inside out.

A Heart for the Lost

The third and finally aspect for being a leader is having a heart for the lost.  Have you ever lost something that was so important to you in your life?  Have you ever lost a family member or a loved one that you truly miss all the time? Sometimes a family would walk into walmart or target and would shop around until they got everything on their list that they needed.  All of sudden their son or daughter would wonder off somewhere and they would be lost.  The parents would constantly be looking all around the store trying to find their own child.  If they couldn't find them on their own, they would usually get help from other people or even over the intercom saying "Alex or Rachel please come to the front of the store, your parents are looking for you."  We can all relate to this same situtation as the family representing the Church, the lost son or daughter being a lost soul in the world, and the intercom being God calling for the lost to come to him.  In Matthew 9: 35-36 it says, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like a sheep without a shepherd."  The reason Jesus felt compassion for them is because he felt sorry because they had not heard the gospel preach to them.  Jesus was never too busy for a lost soul.  Sometimes we are always so busy or so distracted by the worldly things that is upon us and we dont even notice that their is a lost soul. We see many sheep without sheperds to guide them and to teach them the way, the truth, and the life.  As Christian leaders, we need to remember our Saviors' heart on how he acted towards the crowd.  This means we need to pray and allow our hearts to be broken over those souls who are lost.  We need to start getting out of our comfort zone and reaching out to the lost so they can be a part of God's family.  In Luke 15, we see three different stories about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.  All of these stories have the same theme that is hidden in each of these texts.  One of you found your lost sheep, the women found her lost silver coin, and the father found his lost son.  Everything these people lost they found what they needed and what they were searching.  When the people found what they were looking for, they rejoiced because it was lost and now it is found.  This is how we need to act when we seek a lost soul that has been found.  We need to be rejoicing with all of our hearts and lifting our voices to God. 


On June 10, 2005 there would be a missing part of our family chain that would never be repaired.  My father had sudden past away and I would never be the same.  Ever since he had past, I didnt know what to do in my life or how I was going to get past this horrible nightmare.  I was attending this church called North MacArthur church of Christ, when a guy named Steve Minor put a bible in my hands one day.  Me and my mom have been studying the word and learning what God wants from us all.  On December 16, 2008 I was baptized into Christ for the remission of my sins.  As I kept studying his word through my daily walk with God, I asked myself "Why did a loving and caring God take away my father?"  I had study this subject so much that I believe this is the reason.  The reason that God took my dad away, is because he wanted me to know who he really is and to know that he exist.  When I was living in Texas, I didnt grow up in a christian home.  I didnt know anything about the bible.  In my life I didnt know I was lost but now Im found, I was blind but now I can see, I was sick but now I am healthy, I was poor but now I'm rich, and I was dead but now I'm alive.  I was just like that lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son until my Heavenly Father found me when I needed him.  I want to challenge and encourage everyone who reads this post today to have a heart for the lost.  If Jesus can have compassion on those who have not heard the gospel yet, why can't we show them mercy?  Ask yourself this question, "What hard thing can I do today that will have an eternal impact for the sake of the gospel?"  We need leaders who have a forgiving heart, a passionate heart, and a heart for the lost so that we may be able to lead from the inside out.

A Passionate Heart

Whenever I see the word passion or passionate, I always think of the word love.  When people have passion or love for something in their lives, I believe they desire something or it has interests for them.  We all have some sort of passion that we truly desire in our lives, but first we have to make sure what is our first love.  It could be money, drugs, or even sports that can be our first love.  None of those three things or even anything can compare to the love that God has given us.  God must be our first love!  When God is no longer our first love in our lives, our leadership lives are in danger.  It is so easy for Christian leaders to allow other things to become our first love.  If we are going to be leaders in this world, then we must have passionate heart for God and for the sake of the Gospel.  In Matthew 22:36 we see a lawyer asking a question to Jesus, which he was tempting or testing him, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus answered him and said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  This is the first and greatest commandment.  In verse 37, Jesus says the second one is just like it, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  What is Jesus saying here?  He is saying that If you have love for the Father, you must have love for one another.  Love your brethren just as Christ loved the Church.  Love the Church just as Christ loved you.  If you want to be a leader of Christ, then you must serve him daily and faithfully in your life.  We need to make sure that God rules over our hearts so that they may beat passionately for him.  When his glory is our joy, when our hearts beat with his, when he rules with no pain, we grow healthy as leaders.

This week I had bought a book called Playing with Purpose by Mike Yorkey.  This book is about three certain quarterbacks that has already played college football.  The players in this book include Sam Bradford from Oklahoma University, Tim Tebow from the University of Florida, and Colt McCoy from the University of Texas.  Sportswriters called these three amazing quarterbacks the "Holy Trinity."  I believe the author choose the title of this book, Playing with Purpose, is because all three of these Christian athletes were playing for something during their college days.  Whether that might be a National Championship or a Heisman Trophy.  These players were always hanging out and having fellowship with one another because they had God in their lives.  They always gave back the glory to him each day they stepped on the field and they knew that without having passion for the game, they would not have the passion inside them to win the game.  Sam, Tim, and Colt are leaders off the field and on the field.  They will always be leaders inside and outside of the Church.  Just like them, we must be leaders willing to lead from the inside out.  If we are going to lead like Jesus, we must allow the dangerous power of love to fill our hearts.   I know being a leader can be hard and scary sometimes, but with a passionate heart for God we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us.  God calls us to do hard things in this world but we must live up to the hype of leading in his Church.  Ask yourself this question before you start living a life of leadership, "What hard thing can I do today that will have an eternal impact for the sake of the gospel?"  I want to challenge and encourage you to have a passionate heart so that you may lead from the inside out.  I know its hard to live a life of leadership, but it only takes one step out of your comfort zone and you will be on your way of becoming a leader.