Essentials Of The Faith / Adult Sunday School Class / Christian Leadership

Servant Leadership

SECTION FIVE: THE 'BOTTOM LINE' OF LEADERSHIP: SERVANTHOOD

I. The Bottom Line of Leadership: Servanthood
Question: What is Servant Leadership?
                 What does it look like in action?

    A. Biblical Usage of 'Servanthood/ministry'
         1. Dulos
             The New Testament uses several terms to express the concept of servanthood. Every  believer is a slave (dou`lo") of the Lord Jesus. People in the ancient world despised slaves since it meant living without freedom under  the authority of another. Every Christian is privileged to be a "slave" of the Lord Jesus, living to please Him  (Gal. 1:10) and to serve others (Gal. 5:13).

         2. Huperatase
            The word uJphrevth" ("helpers, assistants, officers, stewards") emphasizes the stewardship or accountable authority of a person who is under authority (e.g., Matt. 26:58; John 7:32;  Acts 5:22; 13:5).

         3. Latrea
            A believer also offers to his Lord latreiva, service that flows from prayerful  dependence (cf John 16:2). Such service is the visible display of worshiping faith.

         4. Leytorgia
            Another vital aspect of ministry is embodied in the term leitourgiva. It describes the activity of  believer-priests in evangelism (Rom. 15:16), financial sharing (Rom. 15:27; 2 Cor. 9:12), and practical service (Phil. 2:17, 25, 30).

         5. Diakonia
             The most comprehensive biblical word for service is diakoniva. The word used most frequently to describe the spiritual activity of believers differs radically from the world's value system. Diakoniva refers to menial and mundane activities, such as waiting on tables or caring for household needs—activities without apparent dignity. The New Testament introduces a radically new attitude toward ministry.

            Diakoniva is  not the activity of a lesser to a greater, but is the lifestyle of a  follower of the Lord  Jesus. Ministry/Service is not the activity of an elite class (clergy), but the mutual caring of a band of brothers and sisters.Such service is personal and practical. A diavkono is one who by choice and position has come to be under the authority of  his Master and who therefore serves others in love and gratitude.

            Jesus is the source of an entirely new attitude toward diakoniva found throughout the N T.

   B. The Paradox of Service (John 12:23–26)
Action: Read John 12:23-26
Question: What is a Paradox?

         As the time of Jesus' death drew near (John 12:23), He said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit"  (v. 24).

Question: What is this verse saying about Servant Leadership?

         To hoard one's life, to live selfishly seeking to save one's life is to waste and lose his life. To serve is to "hate one's life," to repudiate self-love as a life  pattern. But it is, in fact, to invest life and to keep it for eternity. In view of that principle, the Lord added, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be" (v. 26).

Question: What is this verse saying about Servant Leadership?

         An essential feature of a servant is that he follows his master. For a believer, this means obedience to a life of self-denying  sacrifice. The paradox is that when a servant follows his Lord in suffering, he shares with Him in glory. Sacrificial service also involves honor from God, for "if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him" (v. 26; cf. Luke 18:29–30).

    C. The Reward of Service (Luke 12:37; 17:7–10)
Action: Read Luke 12:37; Luke 17:7-10

Question: Have you ever known someone who served in some capacity or did some work for the church or an individual in
                 the church and when they were passed over for praise or thanks, they decided to quit serving?
                 What is the problem here?

        Two neglected truths about ministry are stated by the Lord in these passages.
             -First, service is obligatory and a disciple deserves no praise for doing his duty (Luke 17:7–10). Even the finest service establishes no claim on God since believers are at best unprofitable servants. But God is gracious. In fact, He is so gracious that besides receiving the service of faithful, alert servants, He even reverses roles and actually serves His servants (12:37).

            -Second, service is graciously rewarded by God. Nothing could more clearly underline the truth that grace and love lie at the heart of Christian service.

    D. A servants authority

         The Christian leader is a servant  leader. Many people find the concept of servanthood repulsive, since it seems to be demeaning and undignified. True, a servant is limited by the will of his master, a servant is dependent on his master for all his life needs, and he has no freedom to do anything  except what his master desires. But there is another perspective concerning the role of a  servant, at least a servant of God.

         The Hebrew word  for servant ranges in meaning from a slave to a vassal king but always refers to one characterized by dependence and  servitude. Royal officials and  personal representatives of a king were thus designated  "servants." The term "servant"  indicated a degree of honor, depending on the  position of the one served. To be the  "servant of God" denoted the highest honor.

         This means that to be a servant leader under the Lord Jesus Christ is to gain the highest  honor since it enables the one who occupies the position to share in the very glory and prestige of the Lord of the universe.

Question: Can one be a Servant Leader and still be in authority in the church?   Why?

         Many have the impression that because a servant is subject to his master, he cannot exercise authority over those who are under him. In other words, how can a servant leader serve others and still exercise authority over them as necessary when providing  leadership for them? This is a significant issue because a failure to exercise necessary authority is one of the major problems of leadership.

Action: Read 2 Cor. 4:5

Question: What does this tell us about how a leader exercises authority?

         A key passage in helping resolve this tension is 2 Corinthians 4:5.  The servant leader is  enslaved to those whom he serves, but not to do  their will; he is enslaved to them for Jesus' sake, that is, out of concern for Christ's interests. Thus he serves others not to do for them what they want but to do for them  what  Christ wants; the servant leader serves others out of an interest in seeing Christ's  purposes accomplished in their lives. And what are Christ's interests in the lives of  others?

Consider the list below:
1. Christ is interested in God's glory (John 17:4).
2. Christ is interested in proper worship (Matt. 21:12–17; John 2:13–22; 4:24).
3. Christ is interested in discipling (Matt. 28:16–20; Mark 1:16–17; John 17:6).
4. Christ is interested in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16–20; Mark 16:14–15; Luke 24:44–49; John 20:19–23; Acts 1:8).
5. Christ is interested in restoring sinning saints (Matt. 18:15–16).
6. Christ is interested in confronting sin (Matt. 18:15–20).
7. Christ is interested in disciplining rebellious saints to maintain the purity of the church (Matt. 18:15–20).
8. Christ is interested in correcting competitive leadership (Mark 10:43–45).
9. Christ is interested in stable marriages (Matt. 5:31–32; 19:3–12).
10. Christ is interested in having authoritative leadership (Matt. 18:18–20; 28:20; Mark 6:7; John 20:21–23).

       From this list of Christ's interests in the lives of His followers it is clear that servant leaders must have and exercise authority if they are to provide true leadership. The  difference between secular leadership and Christian leadership does not lie in the absence of authority but in the attitude that motivates authority, the sanctified nature of ambition and motivation, and the holy character mentioned earlier.

       Servant leaders must  exercise authority if Christian churches and organizations are to develop and grow. The servant leader under the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be negligent if he is to represent  the interests of his Lord responsibly. However, his authority does not come from his position or his power or his dominance, but from his commitment to the Leader, his  reflection of the Leader's glory, his redirected ambition, his  motivating love, and his faithful exercise of authority. In essence, the servant leader serves by leading, by providing direction, by holding others accountable, by planning, by organizing, and by equipping others to do the same.The servant leader is a servant first.  He makes certain that other people's highest priority needs are being met.

Question:  How  can we know if we are servant leaders?

       Ask yourself these questions
           -Do we serve others to help them grow as Believers?
           -Do they , while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more  like servants  themselves?

         The concept of servanthood also determines the ultimate purpose of ministry. A servant's goal is not to enlarge his sphere of influence or to achieve his personal goals. The goal of ministry is to be useful to the Master in such a way that His glory is  increased and His work is extended.

         A believer, willing to be a servant and committed to doing the will of his Lord and declaring His glory, can rest in the certainty that God will supply his needs. "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His  name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints" (Heb. 6:10).