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This podcast is a production of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, USA. Watermark exists to be and make more fully devoted followers of Christ, looking to God's Word as our only authority, conscience and guide.
I want to ask you a question, and I want you to hear the question, think of your answer, and then share it with someone next to you. Here's the question: _Who is the greatest leader you have ever known?_ Here's what I'm doing. I'm leaving it intentionally vague because you get to choose the kind of leader. It could be a Bible study leader. It could be a boss. It could be a previous coach.
You get to choose, but who's the greatest leader you've ever known? Like, you've personally known them and experienced their leadership. If you're struggling to pick one, just pick one. Share your answer with the person next to you. Who's the greatest leader you've ever known, and what made their leadership so great in your eyes? Take a moment and share.
All right. Here's the next question. In this question, you don't have to share your answer, but here's the question: _Do you consider yourself a leader?_ The follow-up question to that is…_Do you think people would mention you as one of the great leaders they have known?_ What would people say about your leadership, whether you're a leader in an organization, in a company, at a school, or in your home?
Some of you might feel left out, because you're sitting there saying, "I'm not a leader." If you're one of those people saying, "I'm not a leader," why _is_ that? Did someone tell you you're not a leader? Is that just a conclusion you've drawn? You _can_ lead, but you choose not to? I want to invite everyone in today. Today is a message to leaders.
The reason today is a message to leaders is because, as we look in Acts, chapter 20, we find the only message in the book of Acts that was directed toward a Christian audience. The rest of the messages are directed to unbelievers. Paul is specifically addressing the elders at Ephesus. It's a message to leaders.
One way we could go in this message is, since Paul is addressing the elders at Ephesus, I could just sit here and unpack for you the things you should expect out of me and the other elders at the church. That _is_ an important application from the text, but the elders and I here at Watermark have such a strong conviction that here at Watermark, every member is a minister. I don't know if you've ever thought of yourself that way, but if you know Jesus Christ, you are a minister.
We established a few weeks ago that when you trusted in Christ, you became a priest, whether you know it or not. We believe every member is a minister and every member who is a minister has a ministry. So, our hope for you today is that you would realize we believe this church is filled with leaders. While we might only have anywhere from 5 to 10 elders at a time, it's our hope, as elders, that we would have thousands of elder-like men and women in this church.
So, as we look at this text, here's what you need to know. Are there things in this passage specifically solely for elders of a church? Yes. We'll talk about those next week, but today, this is a message for the people in the room who are leading in their homes, in their workplaces, in their neighborhoods, or within the church. The hope of this message is that it would help you become a leader worth following.
If you have a Bible, turn with me to Acts 20. The goal is for you to be a leader worth following. We're going to pick it up in verse 17 of Acts 20. Verse 17 says, **"Now from Miletus he** \[Paul\] **sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him."** So, here's what you need to know is going to happen. Paul's aim is to encourage the leaders in Ephesus. He's going to encourage _their_ leadership by sharing with them about _his_ leadership. The hope is that as Paul shares about _his_ leadership with _their_ leadership, we would be encouraged as leaders.
1\. _A_ _leader must have character_. So, the question for you is…_How is your character?_ Verse 18: **"And when they came to him, he said to them: 'You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.'"**
I want to direct your attention to his wording in verse 18. Look back at what he said. He says, **"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day…"** What he doesn't say is "You yourselves know what I _wrote_" or "You yourselves know what I _said_." He says, "You yourselves know how I _lived_."
Paul is speaking with a confidence in his conduct, and his conduct wasn't sporadic; it was consistent. Paul knew that his message and his life matched. That's called _character_. Character is where your message and your life match. It's where you don't just _say_ you believe in Jesus, but you live _for_ Jesus, and because you're living _for_ Jesus, you end up looking _like_ Jesus. That's character.
If you were to read a self-help, secular leadership book, _character_ might be defined as your words and your lifestyle matching, but for Christians, it's a little bit different. Christian character is where Jesus Christ, who is the Word, and your actions match. So, when you open up the Word of God and look at the life of Jesus, the question is…_Are there major discrepancies between your life and his life?_
The Christian's character is where you _say_ you believe in Jesus and you also _look_ like Jesus because you're living _for_ Jesus. That's why Paul was able to say in 1 Corinthians 11:1, **"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."** Can you imagine saying that? Do you know what he's saying? He's saying, "Look, you can follow me as a leader because I'm following the ultimate Leader. You can imitate me, because if you end up imitating me, you're just going to end up imitating Christ because I'm imitating Christ."
Sure enough, if you were to read Acts 20 all the way through, you would find Paul is traveling to Jerusalem with a group of disciples, just like Jesus did. Paul is opposed by hostile Jews, just like Jesus was. Paul predicted his suffering, just like Jesus did. Paul declared his readiness to lay down his life, just like Jesus did, and Paul is determined to finish his ministry, just like Jesus was. His message and his life match. He doesn't just say he believes in Jesus; he lives for Jesus and, therefore, looks like Jesus. How is your character?
Let me just share with you what a concern is for me, and I'll share it this way. Back in the summer, I went on a study trip to Austin. The hotel where I was staying was close to downtown, so I decided to go for a run. I walked out of my hotel and looked down Congress, and you could see the capitol, so I decided to just start running toward the capitol. I decided, "I'm just going to get lost running." Like, that was the goal.
So, I just started running, and then I'd be like, "You know what? Let's go left." So I'd turn left and say, "Let's just see where _this_ goes." I'd run that way for a little bit and be like, "Okay, well, let's go _here_ and see where _that_ goes." That was the win. I didn't care about my mile split. I didn't care about my calorie burn. I wasn't going for a specific amount of distance. The win was just that I was running.
My fear is that that is many of our mentalities in the Christian life. The win is just that we're running. So, you know what? Someone hands you a new Christian book, and it's like, "Okay, good. I got this new book. Let me read it." Someone sends you a podcast. "Okay, good. Let me listen to this podcast. Oh, you know what? There's a Christian event. Let me go to this Christian event. Oh, you know what? Community Group is this week. Normally I don't want to go, but I want to go this week, so I'll go to…"
The win is just like, "Hey, we're busy people, but at least I'm running." The problem is the apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians, "Run in such a way that you will win." Paul says about himself, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize." There's a right way to run. What you need to understand is that Jesus Christ went to the cross to save you so you could become like him. He saved you to become like him.
The Spirit of the living God lives in you to make you more like Jesus, to conform you into the likeness of Jesus Christ. Every command that exists in the Bible is explicitly pointed toward making you more like Jesus Christ. The normal Christian life is to be a life where there is intentionality, there is focus, there is discipline, and there is dependence upon the Holy Spirit to collapse the gap between believing in Jesus and looking like Jesus. That's character, Christlike character. A leader must have character.
My question to you is…_Where is there a gap between your beliefs and behavior?_ Let me ask it this way: Where are you least like Jesus? Just think about that. Just evaluate for yourself. What's the first thing that comes to mind? In what area of your life are you least like Jesus? Is it in your thoughts? Is it in the way you talk? Is it in the way you treat others? Is it where you look at things? Is it the way you act when you're alone? What we have to remember is a lack of Christlike character in Christians is one of the most convincing arguments to unbelievers that Jesus isn't worth it.
Over the summer, I was cleaning out some boxes in the garage, and I came across a note that I've shared with you guys before. It was a note from when I was a student pastor in Austin. A student had left this note on a seat. On that note he had a quote. People attribute the quote to Gandhi. On the note, he wrote to me and said, "TA, I like your Christ, not your Christians." What was his point? I haven't looked him up in a while, but the last time I looked him up, he was an agnostic. His point is he has seen enough Christians who lack Christlike character that that hypocrisy is difficult for him to deal with.
On the flip side, when unbelievers cannot deny that there is something different about you, Christ in you becomes one of the most compelling arguments for unbelievers to actually turn to Christ. Leaders must have character. So, let me just encourage you: Run to win. Seal up the cracks in your character. Let me encourage you with this: Sweat the small sins. Close the gap between your beliefs and behavior. You don't do this in your own strength. This is one of those things where you ask the Spirit of God. "Hey, show me where there are cracks. Would you fill me with resurrection power to close them up and to honor Christ?"
Before I move on, let me just say this. One of the greatest gifts God has given to Watermark is he has given us so many people under the age of 30. He has given us a lot of young people. I know that if you're over 30, I just put you in the old people group. Sorry about that. I love the number of young people we have in our church. If I'm talking to you right now, if you're one of those people, let me just tell you this. When I was in my early 20s, there was a big gap between my message and my life, what I said about Jesus and then how I lived.
As I look back, here's what was happening. People celebrated my talents, so what I did was I focused on cultivating my talents to the point where my talent outpaced my character, and it led me to reach rock bottom. What I will tell you is talent will impress people; character will impact people. Cultivate your character now. A leader must have character.
2\. _A leader must be humble_. Paul says, "You know the way I've lived," and he goes on in verse 19. **"…serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews…"** The Greek word he uses here that has been translated as _serving_ is the Greek verb _douleuo_, which carries the idea of being a slave. Paul uses a verb here which communicates that he knows he belongs to Christ, he is submitted to Christ's authority, and he is completely committed to accomplishing Christ's purposes.
Now think about this. Paul was a big deal. He wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament. He was an apostle. When he wrote commands, people were not to question those commands; they were to take those commands as from God to them through Paul. People looked to Paul as the key leader in the church. Paul was in charge, but no matter how much he was in charge, Paul was consumed with the fact that there was one who was in charge of him. That's why he uses the word _douleuo_, because he understands he's a slave. He belongs to Christ. He is submitted to Christ. He is seeking to accomplish Christ's purposes.
This is just where I want to ask you… How big of a deal do you think you are? I'm asking that just for you to evaluate. I ask that because there are a lot of "big deals" in our church. How big of a deal do you think you are? I have no doubt that this room is full of "big deals," people who sit toward the top of an org chart somewhere, people whose time is worth a lot of money. Maybe you're one of those people, and you have a gatekeeper who guards your schedule. So, getting on your calendar? It literally takes an act of God for that to happen.
If that's you, here's my question: Is it abundantly clear to the people around you in the way you live that no matter how much you're in charge of, you're clear that there is one who's in charge of you? In light of who he is, as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, the one whom Revelation 1 says holds the keys to death and hades… In light of who _he_ is, you're clear on who _you_ are. Your job title might be _CEO_, but what feels more accurate to you is not _CEO_ but _servant_.
Do you live with that clarity, that level of sobriety in your thinking, or are you just consumed with what you're in charge of? Let me ask you this: If people were asked to describe you in your leadership, would they describe you as being humble? Just think about that. Would that be a word that comes up if people were asked to describe you? Would they describe you as humble? If you think about that and your answer is "No," then my question is…_Why?_ Why wouldn't they describe you as humble?
If you sit there and say, "Well, because I'm a strong leader. I'm a bold leader. I'm a courageous leader," I'd say, yeah, so was Jesus, and according to Philippians 2, he humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. Why? Because we see him sweating blood in the garden of Gethsemane, saying, "Not my will but your will be done." He was submitted and surrendered to the will of the Father.
So, if you are a strong leader, if you are a bold and courageous leader, here's my real question: Are you first and foremost a submitted and surrendered servant of the King? A leader must be humble, but here's the thing. Humble isn't something you try to be. Like, you don't take this point and be like, "Okay. That's my to-do. I'm going to be more humble this week." That's not how it works. You don't just make a decision. "You know what I'm going to work on? I'm going to work on humility. I'm going to work on humility until I'm the most humble person I know."
Humility is what seeps out of your life. It's what overflows from your life when you have clarity on his identity…King of Kings, Lord of Lords, authority, supreme authority over you, which clarifies _your_ identity. You are a servant. You are a steward of the King. You exist for him. You belong to him. You're submitted to his authority. You exist to accomplish his purposes. When you live with that crystal clarity, do you know what the result is from your life? Humility.
Some of y'all are like, "You're not talking to me right now." Others of you are like, "Okay, I get it. This was for me today." If you feel like I'm talking to you, sometimes it's just helpful to picture yourself in heaven. Here's what I mean by that. Picture yourself in the throne room of God. Christ is seated on the throne. You have countless angels and multitudes worshiping the King.
Now picture yourself there. Just look around to your right or left. Like, you're not wearing a lanyard that says "VIP." You weren't walked in by a host to a roped-off area with reserved seating. Your money didn't award you special access to a catering section with the really good food. No. You look to your right or your left, and you're surrounded by those who were janitors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers…all different occupations, all different ethnicities, all different economic statuses.
What you have in common is you are there solely because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and whoever you were _here_ means nothing there, because all of the worship belongs to Jesus Christ. So, would you just put yourself in the crowd? When you put yourself in the crowd and see Christ for who he is and bring that reality into _this_ reality, the result is you're a leader who is humble.
3\. _A leader must care about people_. You might hear that and be like, "No duh. What's the next point?" But I want to talk about this. A leader must care about people. Look back at verse 19. He said in verse 18, "You know how I've lived." Verse 19: **"…serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews…"**
That word _tears_… When we read it in the sentence, we assume the tears were from the trials, because _tears_ and _trials_ are right next door to each other, but if you were to read the whole chapter, you would find in the chapter the reason for the tears. I'm sure there _were_ tears because of the trials, but I think Paul is actually alluding to something different here.
Look down at verse 31. Paul says, **"Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears."** You read in verse 20, **"I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house…"**
We find out Paul didn't hole up somewhere to just write letters. He stayed in Ephesus for three years. He went house to house, day after day, night after night, pouring himself out to the point of tears. Why? Because he cared for the spiritual well-being of the people in Ephesus. That tracks. The reason it tracks is because if you want to be a leader who has the heart of Christ, you're going to have to have a heart for people. You can't have the heart of Christ and not have a heart for people.
Christ left heaven and came to seek and save that which was lost. What was lost? People. When Jesus Christ called the twelve disciples… To the ones who were fishermen, he said, "Now I will make you fishers of men." People. It's no longer about profit. It's no longer about productivity on the Sea of Galilee; it is about people.
What are the greatest commandments? "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength" and "Love your neighbor (people) as yourself." What's the Great Commission? "Go and make disciples of all nations." Those are people. You can't be a leader who has Christ's heart if you're not a leader with a heart for people.
The normal Christian life is a life where impacting people with the gospel is the priority, but let me share another concern with you. I'll illustrate it this way. Last night, dinner in the Ateek household was an "eat what you can find" dinner. We have a certain amount of money we can spend on eating out, and that money had either been spent or was planning to be spent, so it was an "eat what we can find of what we have."
So, I went to Kat. I was like, "Okay. What do we have for dinner?" She was like, "Okay. Well, for you…" She pointed to a plate on the counter. She was like, "You can have the chewy pieces of chicken that are left over." She didn't feel comfortable giving those to the kids. She was like, "You can have the chewy pieces of chicken that are left. There are some sausage links in the freezer, or you can have a Caesar salad."
I love Caesar salad. I was like, "That sounds great." Then, when I dug in to figure out what she meant by Caesar salad, what she really meant was a few spinach leaves with some Parmesan cheese on it and some Italian dressing. I was like, "This is not what you led me to believe." It was a meal of leftovers. It was just like, "We've spent everything or we're going to spend it later, so whatever is left over is what we're going to have."
Here's my fear. Here's why I tell you that. You have a limited amount of time and energy, and my fear is that many Christians spend all of their time and energy on things that don't deal with people, and then people just end up getting whatever is left over in your life. What ends up happening is there are people who spend all of their time and energy on making money. You make money, so you want to make more money.
You spend all of your time and energy on becoming more successful. You spend all of your time and energy on keeping a zero inbox or obsessing over a hobby or endlessly scrolling on social media, and then people just get what's left over. Your kids get the leftovers. Your kids get the chewy pieces of chicken. The people in your neighborhood, the people at your work…they get the sausage links in the freezer. Other family members, people in your Community Group…they get the few spinach leaves. They just get what is left over.
What if you began to believe that wherever God has placed you to work for 40, 50, or 60 hours a week, he has placed you there most of all for the people, to impact people with the gospel? The money you make isn't ultimately for cushion or comfort but to impact people for the sake of the gospel. The free time you have isn't to ultimately be filled full with binging shows or endless scrolling but to impact people for the sake of the gospel. Your involvement in church isn't most of all about what you can get out of it but how you can impact people for the sake of the gospel.
I think if I were to ask this room, "Hey, do you want to make an impact with your life…?" Like, if I were to sit down with you one by one and say, "Hey, do you want to make an impact with your life?" I would be shocked if anyone was like, "No, I'm good. No, I'm kind of not into that, but I think _she_ would love to make an impact. You should talk to her." If I were to ask you a follow-up question, if I were to say, "Hey, do you want to make an impact with your life? Hey, do you want to make an impact that will outlast your life; like, even when you're dead, the impact remains?" do you think you'd be like, "No, I actually want it to be super temporary"?
Here's the reality, though. When you're dead, someone else is going to spend your money. When you're dead, whatever you've built… No one can carry the passion for what you built like _you_ carried it. If you want to make a lasting impact, your greatest opportunity for impact will be with people, because when you're used by God to bring people to an understanding of the wonderful reality of the gospel, do you know what happens? There is eternal impact. That impact lasts for all of eternity. God wants to invite you in, but a leader must care about people.
4\. _A leader must have courage_. Two different times in the passage, Paul talks about not shrinking back, and it's in regard to speaking truth. I'll give you one example. It's in verses 25-27. Paul says, **"And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."**
Paul is using watchman imagery here. In the Old Testament, a watchman was someone who would sit on the wall of the city and sound the alarm if there was danger coming, and it was the responsibility of the people to respond to that warning. God calls Ezekiel to be a spiritual watchman.
Ezekiel was called to sound the alarm when the nation of Israel was walking in sin and the judgment of God was coming. His responsibility was to clearly sound the alarm. It was the people's responsibility to respond to that alarm. If Ezekiel called out their sin and the people of Israel continued in their sin, Ezekiel wasn't responsible for their sin; _they_ were.
Paul is basically saying, "Look, I've been a watchman, and I've been a faithful watchman. I have done what God has called me to do, because I didn't hold back. The responsibility is on _their_ heads, not mine." Fear of man, need for approval, did not keep Paul from telling people all the truth to save them from judgment.
A leader must have courage. What does that look like today? Well, I think it's us realizing that God has put us in the places he has put us for the people who are there. So, what it looks like to walk in courage is to pray for unbelievers. It's to befriend unbelievers. It's to invite unbelievers, and it is to share the gospel with unbelievers.
Look. When we share the gospel with people, we need to share the whole reality: that they can be saved, but in order to be saved, they have to repent. They have to turn from sin and turn toward Jesus. Even if you're here today right now, I just want to be abundantly clear with you. If you don't know Jesus Christ, you need to know God loves you. God wants you.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, left heaven and came to earth for you. He wants to forgive you. He wants to make you new. You can be right with God today, but you need to understand that in order to receive Jesus, you have to let go of the sin in your life. In order to have your allegiance shift toward Jesus, it has to shift away from sin.
You can't say, "I just want Jesus as my Savior, but I'll pass on him being my Lord. I just want the saving aspect, but I want to be in charge of my life moving forward." No, to receive Jesus is to receive _all_ of Jesus. He is Savior. He is King. He is Leader. He is Comforter. He is everything. To receive Jesus is for him to become your everything, and today he wants you. We have to have the courage to tell people the whole truth.
It also means loving one another enough to say the hard things. It's loving one another enough to say hard things like, "Look, it's time to forgive," or "I don't know that you do have biblical grounds to get divorced." "I believe it _is_ sin for you and your girlfriend to be sleeping together and living together."
"I don't believe it's God's will for you to marry an unbeliever." "You aren't loving your spouse with a Christlike love." "The way you talk, the way you enjoy alcohol, the way you spend money doesn't line up with what God has called you to." We have to be willing to speak the full truth to one another, but we do it in love, led by the Spirit and rooted in the gospel.
Leaders must be courageous. Also, as Christians, we have to stand for truth in a world that is under the influence of the Devil and his demons. What we saw a few weeks ago with Massachusetts legalizing abortion up to the point of birth is demonic. Abortion destroys the workmanship of God.
Look. If you're here today, and you've had an abortion or are thinking about an abortion, I'm so glad you're here. I want you to know there is hope. There is healing found in Jesus Christ. Would you allow us to come alongside you and help you experience all the fullness of joy waiting for you in Jesus?
But we must stand for what God stands for. Same-sex marriage takes God's gift for a man and a woman and completely distorts it. Gender fluidity is a blatant rejection of God's good design of male and female genders. We don't say this to be hateful; we say this to be watchmen, to just say, "Look. There is a God in heaven who loves you and has sent his Son for you." There is truth we must stand on. A leader must have courage.
My oldest son and I started watching the Tom Hanks movie _Sully_ last night. If you're familiar with _Sully_… We haven't finished it. I've seen it before. It's about Captain Sullenberger, who landed the US Airways flight in the Hudson River, and no one died. It was incredible. The point where we stopped the movie was the point, if you've seen the movie, where Sully is like, "I need a count. I need a count." He needs to know how many people are alive. He's like, "One-fifty-five. One-fifty-five. I need a count."
Even before he got off the plane, everyone is moving toward the exit, and where is he moving? They're moving to the front of the plane. He's walking through water toward the back, saying, "Is there anyone else here? Identify yourself. Come forward." Then he gets word, "The count is 155," and you just see him… He's in shock getting that news.
What you see in Sully is responsibility. You see the weight of responsibility, that he wants to take everyone to safety. That's our responsibility as followers of Jesus Christ. It's to say, "Hey, come forward. Come with me. The gates of heaven are open wide. Christ loves you. Christ came for you. Will you come with me?" But in order for us to do that, we have to have courage.
5\. _A leader must finish_. Look with me at verse 22. Paul says, **"And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me."** Watch verse 24. He says, **"But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."**
Do you see his wording? **"…if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus…"** A leader must finish. Let me just take you back to where we started. I started today by asking if you consider yourself a leader. Then I said the reason we're going to take a passage that is directed toward elders and widen the net for everyone in the room is because here at Watermark, we believe every member is a minister and every minister has a ministry.
Do you believe that? Do you believe you have a ministry? God has given you a ministry. I think so many people go their entire Christian life without realizing that God has given them a ministry. So many Christians live like they're on a hamster wheel. You're constantly running, but you're not going anywhere.
It's like, "Okay, I made money. I guess I should just try and make more money. You know what? I just finished that project, and it got me promoted, and I'm having some success. I guess I should just try and have some more success. You know what? I helped my kid win his championship on his sports team. First grade. We won. Time to win the second-grade championship."
It's a hamster wheel. You're not going anywhere. You're just constantly turning. "I guess this is just what I'm supposed to do." No, there's a course. There is a finish line. You have been given a ministry. Run to win, because your last breath _here_ will be your first breath _there_, and when you get to heaven, you want to hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
So, can I just encourage you? What is your ministry? God has put you in a specific place for a specific purpose. He has put you in a specific place with a specific people for a specific purpose, and it's an eternally significant purpose. It's a gospel-advancing purpose. Your ministry isn't something you do on the side; your ministry is what you do with your life. Know your ministry. Run your race. Finish the course. Let's pray together.
I want to invite you to respond now, to do business with the Lord right now. If you've never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, this might be the right time to do that, just right now to say, "Jesus, I give my life to you. I receive you today as my Lord and Savior." You can do that now. Maybe you need to just spend some time repenting. Maybe you need to ask the Spirit to reveal any cracks in your character, and wherever there are cracks, just repent. If you want to come down front and get on your knees, you can respond that way if that's what you'd like to do.
Maybe you need to repent. Maybe you're realizing that you've been thinking of yourself as too big of a deal. You've just been focused on what you're in charge of, and today you're reminded of who's in charge of you. So, maybe your prayer to God right now is "Lord, I'm your servant. I am your servant. Who are the people you're calling me to care for?"
Maybe you need to ask the Lord, "Who are the people? I want to be a leader who cares about people. Who are the people you're calling me to care for?" Even right now, I just invite you to ask God. "God, what's my ministry? What's the ministry you've given me? I want to run my race, and I want to finish well."
Lord, I pray that you would speak to our hearts now. I pray that you would lead us to respond. We want more of you, God. We want you to be honored and pleased in our lives. Holy Spirit, would you lead and direct our hearts right now to the right way to respond to Jesus Christ? We love you, God.