Whose Lead Are You Following?
By Rev. Heidi L. Barham | March 16, 2025
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Read Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 (NIV)
This morning’s New Testament lesson calls our attention to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. This letter was originally written as an expression of joy and thanksgiving to the believers in Philippi, who had been a great support to Paul. Throughout this letter, we can find the words joy and rejoice roughly sixteen times... something that is especially noteworthy considering Paul wrote this letter while he was imprisoned in Rome.
Our text begins with Paul’s words of encouragement to the Philippians that they should follow his example and follow his lead... although, we should note that it was just a few verses before we get to our text that Paul openly acknowledged that he was not perfect... so what kind of example was he setting and where was he leading them?
In a nutshell, he wanted the Philippians to follow his example of following the lead set by Jesus... the ultimate Servant Leader.
And so, this morning, I want to pose a simple question for our consideration... WHOSE LEAD ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
Out of curiosity, how many of you played the game “Follow the leader” as a child?
You know... the game where the person designated as the leader steers the group around in any direction they want and tries to make up funny things for everyone to do as they follow his or her lead – things like skipping, or turning in circles, or waving their arms. Now, if any player messes up or refuses to follow the leader, they are out of the game... with the last one standing becoming the new leader.
However, what Paul is talking about in our text this morning is not some childhood game – he means serious business. Paul’s letter was written to encourage the Philippians to follow Paul and the disciples as role models in leadership who were following THE true Leader – Jesus, the Christ.
Paul also issued a word of caution... warning the Philippians (and us) that there were other people out there who would try to lead them down the wrong path – and that word of caution even more relevant today than ever.
As I thought about this text, I was reminded of a saying, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” But when it comes to eternity, taking the wrong road and following the wrong leader can have disastrous results... so the question remains, WHOSE LEAD ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
I want to invite us to listen to the first verses of our text again as they are found in the Message Paraphrase:
Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street.And, let me just say that when we are following the right leader and choose the way of the cross, it will NOT be easy... but it will absolutely be worth it in the end. That is why Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
The world may promise glitz and glamour and encourage us to walk on easy street... but make no mistake... the shininess of what the world has to offer will eventually fade away and tarnish –then what will be left?
Absolutely nothing of any value.
Now, if we were to take a quick look at 1 Peter 1 (3-4), we would read:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.However, according to our text... as it reads in the Message, when it comes to those who choose to follow other leaders, it says, “Those who live there [meaning on easy street] make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.”
In other words, they are seeking to satisfy their physical and material wants and desires – and it makes little difference to them where that satisfaction comes from... which is why they can so easily be seduced by people with impure motives who willingly follow extremist ideologies.
But if we follow Paul’s example of following Christ the Lord, the scriptures tell us that, “God will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). We can find whatever we need in Him... not in the people, places, and things of this world.
So, let me ask again... WHOSE LEAD ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
Now, the next verses in our text say (reading again from the Message):
But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.The good news is that we can hold onto hope even in times of helplessness and despair... because we have the assurance that the best is yet to come. Although there may be more dark days like the ones we have been witnessing lately... we can be confident that the Light we see ahead has the power to punch holes in the darkness.
We have been living in some truly unprecedented times as we are seeing our friends and families losing their jobs... while benefits are being cut for the most vulnerable... including our children and seniors as well as veterans. We are watching prices for goods and services rise as the stock market falls... and we are seeing allies being treated as enemies... amid threats of tariffs... and government shutdowns... and all to what possible end?
It truly boggles my mind. But I continue to hold onto hope... because as Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis (50:20), “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
It has been said that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing. (Martin Luther King, Jr.; Edmund Burke)
That is why, when we are faced with surmounting challenges like we are seeing day after day... it is incumbent upon us to do whatever is in our power that will allow love to win the day.
Despite the senseless acts that threaten the lives and livelihood of so many... groups of people are coming together...people who might not ever have connected in such strong and impactful ways... speaking up and speaking out on behalf of those in need... calling us to do what is right for EVERYONE...
And harkening back to what the prophet Micah (6:8) said, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
And when we follow what the Word of God instructs us to do... God is the One who will be glorified...
So, at the risk of being redundant, let me ask again... WHOSE LEAD ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
Now, there is one more passage of scripture that I feel calls for our attention this morning and it comes from 1 John 4 (17-21). And again, I am reading from the Message Paraphrase:
God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. We, though, are going to love—love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first. If anyone boasts, “I love God,” and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.It is in Paul’s letter to his young protégé, Timothy, that we find these words, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (NIV) or as it reads in the NKJV, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
God does not want us to live in fear and intimidation... although there are some people who would clearly love nothing more than to see us do just that.
On the contrary... as Christ’s followers, we have been called to live a life of love because God first loved us. He loved us so much that He gave us His Son to be our Savior, demonstrating for us what true love in action looks like.
And as John encourages us, it is because of God’s great love for us that we do not have to live in fear... even when the world around us seems to be in a perpetual state of panic and chaos.
We can step out in faith, extending love and compassion to others, if for no other reason than because that is what Jesus would do. And as His disciples, we have been called to follow in His footsteps.
And one of the things that Jesus did and left as a model for us to do is to show love to our brothers and sisters by caring for those who are in need... feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, providing shelter for the homeless, and caring for the sick and imprisoned.
And in these days of uncertainty... there seems to be no shortage of people who are in need of our love and support. Now, on the off chance someone is sitting here thinking that with everything that is going on right now... we cannot afford to give... let me say this, we cannot afford not to give...
Because as we read in Matthew 25:45 – 46, “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Or as I saw in a recent social media post:
“I was hungry,” and you cut $1 billion in funding to schools and food banks.Jesus’ command to us is to love God with ALL of who we are and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I have to believe that if we do the loving and caring for others as Jesus commands us to do... God will take care of the rest.
“I was sick,” and you worked to gut Medicaid, depriving me of healthcare.
“I was a stranger,” and you defined my humanity by legal status.
“Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.” – Jesus
(Post attributed to Rev. Benjamin Cremer as seen on @brcremer.bsky.social)
Recently I read a series of books by authors Bob Burg and John David Mann called “The Go-Giver” (okay, I listened to them on audiobook... but I did order the hardcopy!)
In any event, the books are based on what the authors call the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success... which are:
The Law of Value – Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.These laws are built on the premise that the key to success is focusing more on giving than getting. A concept that is more often the exception than the rule... especially these days.
The Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
The Law of Influence – Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.
The Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
The Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.
(Source: https://thegogiver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-5-Laws.pdf)
However, it harkens back to what we read in Acts 20:35, in the Message Paraphrase:
I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, “You’re far happier giving than getting.”Working on behalf of those who are less fortunate than us is a necessity... not something that is purely optional.
We love and we give because that is the example that God set for us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
And that is the example that Jesus set for us as well as we read in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
So, let me leave you with this thought, if Jesus was willing to go to such great lengths for each and every one of us... wouldn’t it make sense for us to follow His lead when it comes to loving and giving?
So, I want to ask you one last time, WHOSE LEAD ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
And if your answer is wholeheartedly Jesus, I want to invite you to stand now and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus #344.
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