Introduction: Is leadership an innate ability? Is a person born that way? Or does it require development? If we take examples in the Bible, it appears the GREATEST Leader of all, JESUS CHRIST, developed those He chose, even though Judas FAILED the test. Consider these perspectives:

1. Where have you been in 1st FOLLOWING Jesus? (Matt 4:18-22) – “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

These were men who both saw and trusted JESUS to lead them. Are you willing to TRUST Jesus to lead you? You’ve trusted Him to forgive you, haven’t you? Now take it another step and let Him guide you. But how can we do that?

2. Where are you at right now in FOLLOWING Jesus? (Heb 12:5-11) – “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Are you willing to be CORRECTED by His WORD? His Spirit? Through others in authority? This is the difficult part because of our independence. But in order to have “SPIRITUAL” influence, we must be willing to be trained and corrected by our Lord.

3. Where are you going in FOLLOWING Jesus? (John 21:21-23) – “Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”

Peter, like us, was more concerned about what was going on with John than FOLLOWING Jesus. This is a GREAT lesson for us. Why? Because we look around and wonder about people instead of FOLLOWING Jesus.