Servant Leadership Week 1

INTRODUCTION : 

For the next four weeks we are going to be talking about the concept of servant leadership. Fun fact.  The word servant is used over 900 times in the Bible…That is a lot.  BUT, true spiritual leadership does not come naturally. Spiritual leadership comes only by serving which is why we call it servant leadership. 

Becoming a servant leader, one enters a whole new adventure in his or her spiritual walk with God. It begins to taste and feel like what Jesus experienced as the One who “did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Servant leadership is opposite to the world’s concept of leadership. 

In the world’s model, the majority of benefits flow to the leader from those he or she leads. In contrast, the benefits and blessings from the Biblical servant-leader flow to those he or she is leading. 

This week, we will examine Jesus’ perspective on leadership, identifying the attitudes and responses that characterize a servant leader. Let’s see what He has to say about serving, and see the contrast of spiritual and secular views of leadership.

Let’s start in Matthew 20…

Matthew 20:25-28 

“But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.  It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What we can learn from these verses:

• The disciples still didn’t understand what kind of Messiah Jesus was, they had yet to fully grasp the eternal perspective.  They were fighting for recognition/power in a worldly kingdom.  Jesus is setting them straight (at least trying to).  HIs very life is an example of how this looks.

• As Jesus did the will of his Father, submitted to his authority alone, we also are to follow Jesus in this manner.  We are to become a servant/slave of the one true God, not because he owns us, but because we have chosen to become his bondservant.   

• Being great means being the greatest servant to others

• Those who will be first are those who are your slave (fun right!)

• Jesus came to serve not to be served and gave up his life to pay the price for me/you. He is our example of biblical leadership. He served, He gave, He laid down His life for those He led.

• In Christ’s kingdom, to lead means to humbly serve those you lead. The benefits flow to the followers, not the other way around.

These verses in Matthew talk to us about humility, setting aside our pride, which will cultivate in us the biblical attitude needed to obey Jesus’ commands in these next verses we will look at to further understand the concept of Servant Leadership.  Ill read this again after we look at the next section in Luke.

Luke 6:27-38

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

What we can learn from these verses:

• Let's start by contrasting the biblical attitudes from this passage with the secular/worldly attitude:

• Love your enemies VS Hate your enemies

• Do good to those who hate you Withhold good to those who hate you

• Bless those who curse you Curse/Reject those who curse you

• Pray for those who mistreat you Talk bad/slander those who mistreat you

• If one slaps, turn do not retaliate An Eye for and Eye; Maintain your dignity

• Your coat is taken, give your tunic Don’t be taken advantage of; mine is mine

• Here are some additional implications:

• Show preference to others VS Show preference to self

• Don’t judge Condemnation is deserved

• Forgive freely Hold a grudge

• Don’t take offense You have a right to be offended

• As you can see the Christ-like attitudes are the opposite of everything that comes most naturally to us.  We naturally want to love those who love and give people what we believe they deserve - both good and bad.  

• BUT our lives are to reflect the change that happens when we choose to follow Jesus.  He loves ALL of his creation, and we should as well.  We do not demonstrate that when we demand repayments, or show partiality only to those that we like, or we refuse to forgive, and retaliate, etc.   

• We have received God’s mercy and are to extend that mercy to those around us.

We will talk more in our discussion time here in a few minutes about how this can look in the church and in our homes.

CONCLUSION:

True spiritual leadership does not come naturally because it involves laying down our lives for the benefit of others. It calls us to servanthood. Remember what was said in Matthew 20:26…“It shall not be so among you”.  As believers we are called to be different, think differently, and act differently.    

To be great – we have to become the servant

To become first – become the slave be, devoted to another to the disregard of our own interests.   

Luke 6 gives us examples of what a servant heart is-  it is the opposite of our natural instinct (our flesh). It is grace, mercy, forgiveness, not just to those who we believe deserve it, but to those who do not. 

Jesus lived his adult life on earth exhibiting this. Jesus understood what was at stake - the eternal perspective, see how this all ties together?  

So he is inviting the disciples, and us, to pursue a life like His.  

He came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.  We are called to serve and give our lives as well and he didn't leave us hanging without instructions.  

Love your enemies, do good to the haters, seek good for those that wish you evil, pray for those who have hurt you, do not retaliate, or return insult for insult, be generous to those who steal from you, etc.…   

Honestly this seems impossible BUT Jesus came to serve us, to love us, to set an example for us, to give his life for us.  What is our part? 

He asks us to answer His call by following, to keep our minds focused on eternal things and to have an attitude of a servant.

Today’s Scriptures:

• Matthew 20:26-28 

• Luke 6:27-38

Thoughts/Questions To Consider:

• Are there any examples you can think of where you have experienced the kind of servant attitude described in Matthew towards you or someone you know? 

• What could this look like in our church?

• What could this look like in our homes?

• Of the attitudes/commands we looked at in Luke 6, which ones do you find to be most challenging for you to take a biblical approach on?