Sunday was a beautiful full-circle moment at 3C South Coast. Ps Larry and Ps Mandy were back from a well-deserved break, and the church was genuinely happy to welcome our shepherd couple home.
Praise and worship carried such a strong sense of honour to Jesus. There were moments where the room felt full of heaven, especially as we sang words like, “Jesus be the Name that gets all the glory!” It was one of those mornings where you could almost imagine what it might sound like when multitudes of angels lift up the name of Jesus.
And then Ps Larry brought the final message in the Go! series: Godliness, Authority & Leadership. It was a fitting close. After weeks of being stirred to go, make disciples, baptise, teach, and be led by the Spirit, this message brought everything back to the kind of people we must become if we are going to carry the mission well.
Ps Larry framed the message around biblical leadership, godliness, character, and authority for the harvest.
Leadership Begins With Godliness
Ps Larry opened with a strong thought: there is a leadership crisis in the world because there is a discipleship crisis in the Church.
That line is worth sitting with.
Leadership is not first about position, title, personality, or being the loudest voice in the room. In the Kingdom, leadership starts with Christlike character. The Church is not a company, programme, or a building project. It is the household of God, a family where people are formed to become more like Jesus.
“I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God…”
1 Timothy 3:15
Paul was writing to Timothy, a young leader facing pressure, opposition, and false teachers. Timothy could have tried to prove himself, argue harder, or lean on position. Instead, Paul pointed him to conduct.
How you live matters.
Ps Larry said it plainly:
“Your authority as a leader will never come from your title. It comes from your character.”
That is a needed word. We live in a time where people can build influence quickly, but influence without character becomes dangerous. God is not simply looking for people who can speak well. He is forming people who live well.
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
1 Timothy 4:8
Godliness Must Be Trained
The message then moved into the discipline of godliness. Paul told Timothy:
“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”
1 Timothy 4:7
Ps Larry explained that the Greek word connects to the idea of a gymnasium. Just as the body needs training, the spirit needs discipline. Godliness does not grow by accident. It is shaped through daily choices, prayer, the Word, obedience, worship, repentance, and surrender.
That does not mean legalism. It means training.
We cannot live on Sunday alone. We need to nourish ourselves in Scripture throughout the week.
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”
Jeremiah 15:16
The Word of God is not only a tool for ministry. It is food for the soul that shapes our thinking, values, motives, and reactions. A believer who is not being fed by the Word will eventually be shaped by something else.
That is why Ps Larry also challenged the church to refuse the noise. There is so much noise around us: trends, opinions, distractions, spiritual shortcuts, and empty debates. Some of it sounds impressive. Some of it even sounds religious. But not all of it feeds the spirit.
A godly leader learns what to ignore.
Your Life Is the Message
One of the strongest parts of the sermon was the call to be an example.
“Set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12
It is easy to talk about faith, but so much harder to live with faith when life gets heavy. It is easy to preach love, but can you forgive when you have been hurt? Speaking about the power of the Spirit isn’t that hard. However, to walk in that power with humility and consistency is very difficult.
Ps Larry said:
“Your life is your sermon. Your character is your CV.”
That is a strong sentence because it leaves very little room for performance. People do not only hear what we say. They feel what we carry. Our spouses and children feel it. Teams under us feel it. Our cell groups feel it. The people we are called to disciple feel it.
When we grow in godliness, those around us are strengthened. When we grow cold, others feel that too.
That is why Paul told Timothy to pay close attention to both his life and his teaching.
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them…”
1 Timothy 4:16
A leader who does not watch their own heart can easily damage others while thinking they are helping them.
Authority Exists for the Harvest
The message also brought a clear correction around authority. Authority is not given so we can feel important. It is not for self-promotion, control, or personal ambition.
Authority exists for the harvest.
Jesus said:
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”
Matthew 9:37–38
Then He sent His disciples to preach, heal, cleanse, raise, and deliver.
“Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:8
That is the heart of biblical authority. It serves, heals, and builds. Biblical authority reaches the lost, restores marriages, and makes disciples. It advances the Kingdom.
Ps Larry reminded us that the greatest spiritual warfare is not becoming fascinated with darkness. It is making disciples and reaching people. It is carrying the authority of Jesus into ordinary places with obedience and compassion.
Do you want to take your next step in serving, discipling, or becoming more involved in church life? Visit Take Part. If you need prayer or want to speak with someone, contact 3C South Coast. And when you are ready to give your life to Jesus, this salvation prayer is a simple place to begin.
Learn more about the wider 3C vision and direction.
You Are Saved and Sent
The Go! series closed with a strong reminder: every believer is called. Not only pastors or leaders with titles, or people on a platform.
Every disciple carries authority in Christ.
- You are not merely saved, you are sent.
- Not just are you forgiven, but commissioned.
- You are not only a believer, but you are a labourer in God’s harvest.
That is a stirring way to end the series and step into what God has next for the house.
For Cell Leaders
This week, help your group reflect honestly on character, not just gifting. Ask where God is training them in godliness and where they may have been relying on position, personality, or past experience.
A few helpful questions:
- Where is God developing godliness in my life right now?
- What noise do I need to refuse so I can focus on my calling?
- Does my life match the message I speak?
- How can I use my authority in Christ to serve the harvest this week?
Pray for renewed hunger for the Word, clean hearts, courageous obedience, and labourers who will rise for the harvest.
Prayer
Father, thank You for calling us, saving us, and sending us.
Form Christ in us by Your Spirit. Teach us to grow in godliness, walk in true authority, and lead with humility. Help us serve the harvest faithfully and make disciples courageously.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.
