Jesus the Light 32 Christ’s Leaders
Jesus said, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them call themselves ‘Benefactors.’ But you are not to be like that. Rather, the greatest among you Must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant” – Lk.22:25,26
Christ’s leaders are not lords. In the church that Jesus is building, there are no great men exercising authority over others. Jesus forbids that this be done. Any who do so, reject Christ and His Word.
Leaders in Christ’s true church are lowly servants, not masters and lords. They are like the youngest, not self-promoted big men. Jesus, though truly the greatest, emptied Himself and came to do the work of a servant. His leaders must do the same.
In the world, all we know about leadership is that great men exercise authority over those under them. The less and the lower obey what they are told by their masters. They do what they are commanded or they are punished.
In the world, there is a defined and definite hierarchy. Rulers dominate the ruled. Those considered inferior are governed by those who consider themselves lords.
But Christ’s leaders serve but do not rule. True leaders perform lowly works of service without recognition or reward. They help but do not dictate. Humility is what prompts them to deny themselves for the good of others. Phil.2:3,4: “With humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”
True leadership is by example, not by force. The lowliness of Christ is shown by serving people. Self is sacrificed for the good of others. No kings are in Christ’s church.
Because Jesus said, “you are all brothers” – Mt.23:8, all believers are equal in His church. This is why He forbids men who have exalted themselves to sit on the high table. Mt.23:5,6 says only those “who do all their deeds to be noticed by men” do this. “They love to sit at the head table at banquets and the seats of honor in the synagogues.”
James also rebukes worldly leaders’ proud self-promotion and the preferential treatment of them by church members. In Jesus’ church, there is to be found no place for pride and no honoring of one man above another. Jas.2:1-9 says:
“My dear brothers and sister, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, never think some people are more important than others. Suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and wearing expensive jewelry.
“At the same time, a poor person comes in wearing old, dirty clothes. If you show more respect to the to the rich person and say, ‘Please, sit here in the best seat,’ but say to the poor man, ‘Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,’ then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives. If you treat one person as being more important than another, you are sinning.”
Yes, leaders who honor themselves by sitting on the high table are sinning. Church members who show such honor to these men are also sinning. Both those who seek honor from men and those who give it to them are sinning.
Leadership in Christ’s church is simply providing an example of godly lowly service combined with the persuasive power of truth. Loving the brethren by serving them and speaking the truth in love are what constitute godly leadership.
Are you a leader? Do you love people to respectfully greet you with a title of honor? Then you are condemned by Christ. You are foolish and proud. Jesus warned you of this:
Mt.6:5 & 23:7: “Don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand up and pray in houses of worship so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have their reward in full. They love for people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ‘Teacher.’”
And so the proud, self-appointed rulers of the churches love the recognition of men. They love to be seen by men and to be honored by titles of their own invention: “Reverend, Doctor, Father, Pastor, Bishop, Prophet, Venerable, General Overseer.”
Jesus said in Mt.23:5: “All they do is for show. They make the boxes of Scriptures that they wear bigger, and they make their special prayer clothes very long.” And so man-made rulers in the churches wear special robes, clerical collars, caps, gowns, and march in procession.
But Jesus’ leaders are simple men who love others more than themselves. They sacrifice for the good of those they serve, rather than having those they rule serve them. Paul said in 2 Cor.1:24: “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy.”
In 1 Pet.5:1-3, Peter described himself as “your fellow elder” and said that true leaders “watch over the flock, not lording it over them, but proving to be examples to the flock.” In Rev.1:9, John simply refers to himself as “your brother, and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus.”
Here are 3 Apostles who describe themselves as fellow workers, fellow elders, and fellow brothers: this is godly leadership in Jesus’ church. Such leadership is nicely summarized in Heb.13:7: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you, and considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith.”
True leadership is providing an example of godliness for others to observe and follow while teaching the truth in love: humble service combined with persuasive truth. It is a spiritual type of leadership absolutely unlike that of the world. The world says: Serve me or be punished. Christ’s leader says: Observe me and listen to God’s Word.
A true leader is a humble servant who is an example of godliness. 2 Cor.4:2 also says he is one who “by open proclamation of the truth, commends that truth to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” Nothing is by force; it is by persuasion. He also stands before his own family well as an example of life and truth.
1 Toim.3:5: “But if someone does not know how to manage his own household well, how will he care for the church of God?” He provides a consistent godly example, serves his family in self-sacrificial love, and cares for their needs. He teaches them the good and right way and prays that the Lord will open their hearts to love Christ as he does. This is leadership, both in the home and in the church.
Without a doubt, the apostle Paul was a great leader. He served others and suffered along with them in all their afflictions. In Acts 27, he spoke the truth of the Word of God to all onboard the ship that was soon to be dashed upon the rocks. He was among them.
He suffered what they suffered. He spoke boldly to persuade men of obeying the Word of the Lord to escape otherwise certain destruction. But when all came to pass as he had declared, he did not sit apart waiting for fellow sufferers to serve him.
No, because of needs of men, because of the cold and the rain, Acts 28:3 says: “Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire.”
Paul saw the need and arose to do the work of a lowly servant for the good of all. That is leadership. It is like Christ, but unlike what we find in our churches today.
Copyright Steve Phillips 2020