Servant Leader

Message Transcription

Well, we've been walking and praying together through these last many weeks about the opportunity of calling some some men to come along and serve as elders at Broadway. We've been trying to listen for God's spirit and look around our community and and join the elders as they discern who might God be inviting to to partner with them in the coming months and years. You've been hearing us say that the elders are going to give some updates. In fact, next Sunday, I want to invite you to be sure to be here as they're going to lay out kind of the process, how this is going to unfold over the next few weeks. So I want you to be sure to be here if you know someone who's not here today. Be sure to reach out and encourage them to be here next Sunday. As we think about this process of what it's going to look like and how it will unfold and the different parts that we will get to play in that. So again, be sure to be praying about that. Be here for that. This is an exciting time to be at Broadway. You know, we were reflecting even as a leadership team last night together, we got a chance to get together and celebrate some important folks and and in doing so, it just got me thinking about what a different place we're in right now. Going through Covid was really challenging for all of us and certainly for the church all over.

And it feels like after the last five years we've had some other transition the last couple of years, just lots of things, folks coming and going. And and we seem to be now in a season where things have started to settle down a little bit. We've got our staff fully formed, which is really exciting, some amazing, amazing partners that we get to work with every day. There's a sense of of energy and excitement not only in our church as we get a chance to watch all these precious little ones run around all over the place. We get to hear their voices and their cries throughout worship, and it's just an amazing thing. We feel this energy in this life that is growing inside of us. But we've also been able to sit and reflect on some of the doors that God is opening in our community. You know, one of the things we've been trying to to be these last few years is better neighbors in our community. How do we better reach out to those around us, especially to those who are far from God or who may not have ever encountered a true relationship with the living God and and to be really good neighbors. And so in the midst of all of that, we've been discerning, okay, God, how do we do this? And so this opportunity to invite some men to come in, join our eldership is a chance for them to to join us in discerning, okay, God, what's next? Where do we go next? What's happening next? And so I want you to keep praying and keep discerning and keep listening for God's leading in that his word to you in that we want you to to talk with us some about that.

And again, you'll hear more about that next week. When you look at the process of of how leaders have been added to the Lord's Church throughout scripture, it's pretty interesting. There's not a whole lot of definitive here's the the order of instruction. This is how you do it. Instead, we can go back and watch how the early church did that. So you may remember back in Acts Chapter six, when the Hellenistic Jews or the Grecian Jews were complaining to the Hebraic Jews about their widows not being cared for or not being watched over in the ways that that they should have been? Well, the apostles at the time, they gathered the church together and this is what they tell them. They said it would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom. And we will turn this responsibility over to them. And we'll give our attention to prayer and to the Ministry of the Word. And when there was a problem in the local church, then the apostles gathered together and said, okay, let's let's discern around us who are some folks that are leading well, that could help take charge of this so that as leaders we could be about the role and the work of leading.

Well, you remember, Paul, who went throughout, especially all through acts we hear and see him, him sharing the gospel and planting churches and knowing for those churches to thrive and to continue growing and moving and making an impact for the kingdom in their areas. He knew they would have to have some leaders. And so we read about different ways in times where Paul and particularly in Acts 14, where he and Barnabas were told they appointed elders for these churches and with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord and whom they put their trust a little bit later on in in the New Testament, we read the letters that Paul would then send out to a lot of these churches and to some of the church leaders. And one of those is Titus. And in Titus, he reminds Titus of why he went to Crete. He said, I left you in Crete. The reason was so that you might put in order what was left unfinished, that you might complete the work that we had started together, that unfortunately, I had to keep going. And so I left you there to complete it. And part of that work is to appoint elders in every town.

And that what we see most often in the early church, the way that leadership was happened was this discernment process within the church. And then those who were serving as leaders, appointing by God's spirit and wisdom and counsel. New leaders. And so that's the model that we're trying to embody as best we can here. And in fact, you'll hear again how we're going to try to do that more specifically in regards to this current elder process. But what you're going to see is it's going to be really Holy Spirit directed that we're listening for and trying to discern God, who are you calling? Who have you gifted and have you called to be here at this time and place to help join us in our leadership? And there's a part for us to play in that church. There's a part for you and I to play. There's a part for the elders to play. And again, you're going to hear some more about that. But one of the things that you won't hear is they're not going to come to you and and lay out this democratic process. Right. We're not going to ask you to nominate candidates upon which we have an election that then they represent our constituents before the rest of the. No, no, that's that's not how leadership is done in the church. Instead, you're going to hear a discerning and Holy Spirit led and lots of prayer and lots of wisdom and lots of counsel that we're hoping to get.

And again, there's a part for us to play in that. And I want us to be praying about our part. But in the meantime, I wanted us to take some time this morning to think again about what does it mean to lead in the church? What do leaders look like in the church? Most often when this topic comes up, we'll we'll turn over to First Timothy chapter three, or we'll spend some time in Titus chapter one and and listen to Paul as he speaks to Timothy and Titus and and gives them some pretty specific criteria to look at. And what I want us to, to do this week is I'd love for you to go back and read those passages, to think about those kinds of qualities, those kinds of men. Paul was writing to real people who lived in a real context and real place in real time. And so you hear lots of different qualities that he's challenging them. Hey, in your church in this day and time, here's what you need to be looking for. There's certainly not an exhaustive list of all the qualities that are expected of an elder because one that's missing, that's not on. There is not one time does it say an elder should be a man of prayer. But we would all say, Well, no, I'm sure Paul thought he would. Well, yes, of course there would be a man.

Why? Because these lists, interestingly enough, are not just for elders, for leaders, for deacons. They're actually requirements of discipleship. In fact, if you go back and follow Jesus through the gospels, what you're going to hear is a lot of these same qualities he's calling out in his disciples. And so, Paul, rather than trying to create some new exhaustive list, is actually doubling down on the work that Jesus had already done on the teaching that he had provided and said, Look for men who take this seriously, who are trying to embody it with grace and mercy and peace and truth. And those are the folks that I want you to start appointing opportunities to lead and serve in the church. So those are important passages. I want us to spend some time in those in the next few weeks, pray through those, think about those. But this morning I want to actually take us to a different passage. I want us to look at the best leader that's ever been in God's church and that's Jesus. And I want us to listen in on a conversation that he has with some of his first leaders as he talks to them about the significance of of a way of life that leads to leadership, that actually adds credibility or if it's not pursued, takes away credibility. And so let's turn back to this passage in Matthew chapter 20 and just set a little context where, remember, at this point, Jesus is now headed to Jerusalem for the very last time.

He's been there a couple of times before. This is the last time he'll go to Jerusalem before his crucifixion. And so we hear him say a few things on his way up. In fact, it's the third time, right as this passage is where we find Matthew. This is the third time that Jesus is going to have stopped and warned his disciples, Hey, guys, when I get to Jerusalem, things are not going to go the way you think they're going to go. In fact, I'm going to be tortured. I'm going to be handed over and I'm going to be crucified. And the first time that warning happens is in Matthew chapter 17, or rather Matthew chapter 16. And Peter does not like it, right? Peter is not happy with this. And so he pulls Jesus aside and he's like, Dude, what are you talking about? You're killing the vibe on this thing. We got some momentum going and you're just cutting it off at the knees. And Jesus says, Get behind me, Satan. And Peter and the other disciples are just going, What? Well, then, in chapter 17, just a chapter later, he does it again. He says, Now, guys, remember, we're headed to Jerusalem, but it's not going to go the way you expect. And. And this time nobody says anything. They don't know what to say. In fact, what Matthew says is they're just they're filled with distress.

Your translation may say grief. They just they're wrestling and trying to grasp. What are you talking about? I thought we were. I thought we were going to take over to finally kick the Romans out. Right. They had these images, this idea of what a messiah would be. And Jesus says it's not going to go that way. So here in chapter 20, Jesus is going to. Say it again. And again, there's no response. There's no response by any of his disciples when he says it's it's going to it's going to look pretty bad. Right. Instead, right on the heels of that, we have this little interesting interaction. And so let's take a look beginning at verse 20 of what happens then. The mother of Zebedee's sons, James and John, it's James, and John's mom comes to Jesus. And the boys are with her. And kneeling down, she asks a favor of him. What is it you want? Jesus asked. She said, Grant, that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom. Now, if you've been with us this summer, you know, we went through the Psalms and a couple of weeks ago we talked about Psalm 121, this reminder of God's presence. I look my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from? It talks about God is at our right hand, right? This image of the right hand is more than just he happens to be at that location, but rather this right hand was the seat of power, the seat of action.

And so here we have Zebedee or the Sons of Zebedee mom. So James and John's mom comes and says, I want you to put them at your right and your left. Which again, if we're listening with our our our Bible ears, we hear this is more than just I want them to be located here and here. It's when you come in your power, I want you to bring these guys with you right When you step into the role of leadership that we know you're destined for, we want you to to sign them right and left. Now, before we get too quick on mom's case and go, Oh, man, Mom, come on. Right. I know it's weird to think about a mom overfunctioning for her children, but just go with me here for a minute, okay? Before we get too far down that road, we need to stop and. And look at how Jesus responds, because it's. It's pretty quickly realized. Jesus sees right through this request. And I'd be willing to bet this really wasn't Mom's request. This is. Hey, Mom. Don't you think we'd be good at that job? Yeah. You ought to talk to Jesus about it. And because Jesus, he'll reply to them and he says, You don't know what you're asking. Can you drink the cup? I'm going to drink. And of course they answer. Rather.

Yes, we can.

Right. Halo. Shaft of light. Yes, absolutely. No problem. Now, remember, I hope you have your West Texas translation with you today, because when he says you don't know what you're asking. Right. We we recognize that's a y'all Y'all don't know what y'all are asking. Can y'all really do this? And the boys are like, Thanks, Mom. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. And Jesus says, Mm. Interesting. Right. Yes, we can. Jesus has something to say about it. Notice when he say we want a position of power. Would you put one of my sons to your right and one to your left? Jesus says, Can they drink the cup? Right. Have you made that connection yet? In leadership. Friends. See, leadership in the church involves drinking a cup. That's kind of an interesting metaphor in the Old Testament that was often associated with suffering and testing and rejection and judgment. Elders, Can I get an amen drinking a cup as a leader? Right? You're going to deal with some suffering and some rejection and some hard conversations and some challenging situations, right? Jesus doesn't say, oh, it's going to be it's going to be awesome. It's going to be great. You're going to. He says, Can you drink the cup? Is. See, one of the things that we're considering leaders and who will come and join the leadership team. Can that person drink the cup? How do they handle interaction? How do they handle conflict? How do they handle situations where they're getting chewed on and chewed out? My Jesus says that's actually happens in the church.

Now, I know it's hard to imagine because it doesn't happen that way here at Broadway. We never have any problems. We don't have struggles. So our elders are they're kind of oblivious to this stuff, but you can talk to them about it afterwards. Right that drinking a cup, it's a real thing. Jesus says, Can you do that? And they say, Absolutely no problem. We're on it. Got it. Now, sometimes this idea of drinking a cup is referenced in to Jesus death. But and so Jesus referencing that cup might be some scholars have said, oh, he's referencing his death, which I don't think is the case because he's going to respond to them and say this you will indeed drink the cup. But to sit at my right and left is not for me to grant. Those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my father. Jesus says, Yeah, you are going to drink the cup. And you are going to experience what it's like to be a leader in my church. You're going to. You're going to walk that road. It's going to happen. Now, where that happened, where you end up on that, That's not for me to decide. Those positions that you asking about. That's not up to me.

The father has already appointed those, which again, I think is a really interesting way to respond. That a leader in is someone who is willing to suffer on behalf of a group of people that he cares about and that he loves. In fact, being willing to suffer doesn't actually add to any position of authority necessarily. All right. Jesus says you're going to drink the cup, but. As far as the glory part goes, that's not up to me. You see the disciples often this was the case. They were overconfident in their abilities. Fast forward about six chapters and they're around this table and they're once again drinking a cup, which I think Matthew's kind of drawn a line and pointing us to. But Jesus says, you guys are going to fall away. And remember, who is it that says no? No way. Right. Peter stands up and goes, No, not like the rest of these yahoos. They may fall away, but never me. And Jesus says, actually. Actually it's going to be you to. But Matthew says, and I've missed this. I don't know how I missed it, but he actually tells us they all were like, No, Jesus, not us. No way. Until. Yes way. But Jesus says that's not the end of the story. You're going to drink this cup, fellas. You're going to experience it. But that's not the end of the story.

There's still more to be done. There's still a chapter yet to be written. So leaders have to be willing to embrace suffering and sacrifice and rejection. In fact, they have to be first in line for that. But that's not the only part of the story. There's a lot more yet to come. And so we pick up where. Hannah read for us this morning. That Jesus has this reorientation of what it's going to look like to lead. And I hope we'll pick up on it. Says When the ten heard about this verse 24, they were indignant with the two brothers. Why were they mad? Why were they mad? Now because. Because James and John thought of it first, right? It's not like, Oh, how could you ever betray us that way? We are all so. No, no. It's like, Oh, mom, that's genius. Why didn't I think of that? Get Mom to say it. Then I can say, Well, I don't know what Mom's talking about, but I guess if you want to consider it, sure, why not? Why didn't we think of that? Jesus again, he says. You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. And their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be first must be your slave. Now, it's kind of an interesting, again, phrase here.

And if we knew the Greek, it might even mean a little bit more to us, because a couple of the words that Jesus uses in and switches out here, we lose a little bit in the translation. But he says, you know how the Gentiles. Well, that phrase there that's translated Gentiles is is ethernan, right? Ethnicities, tone, ethnos. When it says Jesus sends out his disciples, Matthew, 28, go into all the ethnos, right? All of the ethnic, all the nations. All right. Jesus says there's a way that the nations work the way that the world operates, and you know it because you feel it. Right. And we can say amen to that, don't we? We know what it's like to be ruled over by someone, to have someone who has authority over us and they use it. And some even abuse it. Jesus says, you know how those officials and here he uses the word mega. These mega officials, not just small, but. Like really important people. You know how. If you want to be big. You've got to get yours and you've got to make sure nobody gets theirs on your watch. Not so with you and Jesus here now switches out a couple of words. Instead of the word ruler, he he substitutes the word servant. Diakonos where we translate the word deacon. If instead of being the ruler, you need to be a servant, a deacon.

Or a slave? A doulos. Whoever wants to be a. He says, If you want to be great, if you want to be mega. You got to serve. You got to be willing to be a slave. Who ever wants to be the mega leader among you must be a slave. You see, the greatness of a leader is not defined by how many people he or she commands, but how many people he or she serves. Jesus says in the kingdom, to be mega actually belongs with servant. There a mega servant there, A mega slave. That means they reorient how they have all their gifts and their opportunities and their power, and they leverage it on behalf of the good for people. Again, we think about that intuitively. We know in our hearts that's the best leaders we've ever been around. Do you think about a teacher in your life? You think about a person, a manager who was over you, someone who led you? Well, one of the ways they led you was not by always telling you what to do and then forcing you to do it whether you liked it or not. But rather they were the kind of leader who was willing to serve to get down in the level where you were and to help you understand to move forward, to go beyond. They would inspire and challenge you. And in that way they became this mega leader in your life.

Someone that you would go to when you needed wisdom and counsel. Someone that you could trust. That when the chips were down, when things were going against you, you could talk and you could be really honest and really open with them. You see, we know that's something in our our culture that there's not a lot of places where you can have real honest, open conversations where you can talk about hard things, challenging topics, challenging subjects. Can we talk about remember we talked about this a few weeks ago. The psalmist said that God's a place. Should we be talking about this? That's why we want leaders here who are open and willing to have hard conversations. You see, to be a mega leader is to create space opportunity for engagement. They're the ones who are humble. Who are willing to serve. In fact, Jesus says the reason that you're to be a mega servant or a mega slave is because that's what I am. Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve. And to give his life as a ransom for many. Who ever wants to be a mega leader in amongst you. He tells his disciples, You need to be a mega servant. You need be the last one in line when it comes to to getting needs met. You need to be the first one in line when it comes to meeting needs.

So church, as you're praying and as you're thinking this week and the next few weeks ahead. About who has God calling to serve us. I hope that you'll keep this story in mind. That we're looking for some mega leaders to come alongside us to help us head into the great future that I know God has for us and we need some help. And so as you're thinking about and praying about that and listening for God in that, we just invite you to say who's who's manifesting their leadership in your life through service. Who's manifesting their leadership in our church by becoming a slave to others, putting their needs ahead of their own. Who are the ones like Jesus who are pouring themselves out? Rather than filling themselves up. Because they recognize there's another kingdom at work in the world. Theirs is the kingdom that's breaking through all the time. And the scholarly world they have this phrase ecclesiology rests on Christology. It's kind of a fancy way of saying ecclesiology the church, how the church operates and functions and finds itself in the world it's based on. It's built upon the foundation of Christology, what we believe about Jesus, who Jesus is. So how we operate as a church, as Jesus people, is based on what we believe Jesus, who He is, how He lived. Jesus said, I came not to be served.

But to surf. And to give my life as a ransom for many. Church. Those are the kinds of folks disciples we're trying to build here at Broadway. And our hope is that God will raise up a few to come in in leadership role and say, okay, now let's take those gifts and unleash them on helping the church become who she's been called to be. God. That is our prayer and our hope these days. That you would open our eyes once again to the way we see leadership around us and in our world. It's all about getting the votes. About taking power and then holding on to it, and then crafting rules and laws and opportunities so that I can stay in power. So I can stay in control. Yeah, that's not the way of the kingdom where Jesus had all power and authority in heaven and he gave it up. Jesus, You gave it up. To enter into our experience. To serve. To do for us what we couldn't do for ourselves. That we might have hope of a of a different kind of life. Yeah, that's who we want to be here at Broadway. We want to be a church that's known for its surf. How we treat others when they come into our community, even maybe especially those that that don't agree with us, that don't believe like us, they don't live like we live.

Oh, God. Would you help us to all. Hear from you today on what is it that you're asking us to do to become more of a servant? In your kingdom. God, this isn't just a call for leaders. This is a call for all of your followers. That we are to follow in the way of Jesus, and that was the way of sacrifice and service. God, would you help us? Maybe it's a relationship that we're in right now that's just really. This was really hard to serve. They annoy us. They frustrate us. Or they take advantage of the opportunity, the power differential, God, whatever it may be. And how do you want us to serve that this week? After others of us may be a situation at work. An opportunity. And maybe it's as we're sitting here trying to plan our next step for life. Where are we going from here? Yet, wherever it is. Would you speak to us by your Holy Spirit? Help us God to aspire to mega service. That mega power. Father, thank you for being such an amazing example to us. Thank you for your gospels that that show us and all throughout the New Testament, the stories of the church trying as best they can to live it out. Yet you gave them wisdom. He gave him opportunity. And then you inspired him to use their imaginations on how best to live this out in their context, in their time and their place.

Oh, God. We're asking for that blessing as well as we as we consider who it is that you're calling to come along and join the the leadership team here. Again, it's joining the servant leadership team. Yeah. Would you help us to see? Pray especially for our elders, as they'll be discerning, very closely guided by your spirit. God, would you fill them with your spirit? Give them wisdom. The God as your church. Would you help us to be the kind of people who who discern that and who are willing to be humble to follow where you are leading? Oh, God. It's an amazing thing to be a part of a community where our leaders serve and we're so thankful to be a part of that here. Would you help us to continue living that way? And God, wherever you call us this week, help us to find the place where we can serve, knowing that's your way and that it speaks powerfully to the world around us, who spends so much of their time lording it over God? Would you help us not to be people who lorded over one another, but instead who serve and who give sacrificially? Father, we thank you for again the way of Jesus, his example. Give us courage and strength by your Holy Spirit this week to follow in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.