Matthew 20:20-28 - Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Romans 12:6-8 - Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Hebrews 13:17 - Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
3 ways leaders in Christ’s church should be diligent
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 - But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
1 Timothy 3:4-5 - He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:12 - Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
1 Timothy 5:17 - The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
Titus 3:8 - This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
Titus 3:14 - Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
I. Be Diligent to Follow the Lord’s Leadership
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 - But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
A. Foundational to being a follower of Jesus Christ
Romans 10:9-10 - …that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
B. A struggle that began in the Garden of Eden
Genesis 3:11 - And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
C. A future promise that should make us long for heaven
Isaiah 42:1-4 - Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.
D. A present reality if we allow it to be
1 Timothy 3:4-5 - He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)
1 Timothy 3:12 - Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
1 Timothy 5:17 - The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
II. Be Diligent to Organize and Manage
A. By understanding the goal
Colossians 1:28-29 - We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
B. With a willingness to be out-front
1. Because of the centrality of our mission
Matthew 28:18-20 - And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
2. Because of the diversity of the body
Ephesians 2:13-15 - But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace…
3. Because of the power and beauty of “equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry”
Ephesians 4:11-12 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ…
Ephesians 4:16 - …from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
III. Be Diligent to Guide Followers in Doing Good
Titus 3:8 - This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
Titus 3:14 - Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
Titus 1:12-13 - One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true..
A. Especially important in an adversarial culture
B. Helps a church shine the light on the beauty of the gospel
Matthew 5:13-16 - You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
- In his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, author and pastor John Maxwell wrote that Everything rises and falls on leadership
- there’s some debate about whether the statement originated with him…just like in this internet age, there’s debate about practically everything…but setting that aside for the moment…do you agree with that statement?...
- admittedly, it’s words from a human being…as opposed to a statement that comes directly from the Scripture…
- and there are some aspects that ought to give us pause…
- I’ve had the privilege of serving in local churches for many decades and it would be my observation that much of what makes a real difference in churches has very little to do with leaders…instead it’s men and women serving behind the scenes whose names may never be known…and who actions may never be acknowledged…
- so the word “everything” is an overstatement…and it would also seem to be somewhat at odds what the Lord said in Matthew 20…
- Matthew 20:20–28 (NASB95) - Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
- so, much of what falls under the heading of leadership today would be labeled by Jesus as “Gentile style” leadership…that’s the way those who don’t know the Lord would do it…which I’m sure John Maxwell would agree with…
- so perhaps we could adjust our statement to say that many things rise and fall on leadership, and that in Christ’s church – leaders are called to function quite differently than those who lead in the world apart from the Lord’s guidance and direction…
- now, with those caveats and others we could probably mention as well, at some point I think we’d all say – there’s no doubt that leadership is very important…
- and I wonder how many people who think about that right now with a very negative experience in mind, while others might think about it with a positive one…
- many things rise and fall on leadership, and when it wasn’t present – it was frustrating, wasteful, unproductive…
- while others would say…many things rise and fall on leadership, and when I experienced it in action, it’s amazing how delightful it was…and our team made a surprising amount of progress because we were led well…
- it would be interesting to go around the room and hear stories from bot perspectives…
- well, why are we raising this topic this morning?...the answer is because in the list of spiritual gifts that God gives to His people to in turn be a blessing to His church, one of them is the gift of leadership…and we’re going to turn our attention there this am…
- with that in mind, please open your Bible to Romans 12…page 126 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- this summer we’ve been talking about Hope for Fruitful Service…and the first messages focused on fruitful character from 2 Peter 1:5-7…
- now we’ve pivoted in the second half of the summer to a discussion of the spiritual gifts…
- because one of the primary reasons we can have “hope for fruitful service” is the amazingly encouraging truth that God has given each one of His children at least one spiritual gift for the building up of the body of Christ…
- Peter said it this way - 1 Peter 4:10 - As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
- we’ve pointed out that there are several passages in the Word of God that list some of the spiritual gifts…and we say it that way because the lists are not identical…which has led some Bible students to conclude that the lists are intended to be exhaustive, but illustrative…
- but the one we’re following this summer is the one I asked you to turn to…Romans 12:6–8 - Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
- we have the privilege this morning of seeking to…Finding Hope in the Spirit’s Gift of Leadership…
- now, how do we intend to address this issue today?...
1. We want to be sure that we are mining everything we can from God’s Word on this topic…
- the particular word translated “leads” in Romans 12:8 is actually found seven other times in the NT…so for sure, before the morning is over, we want to have pointed out what those verses teach us…
- and I might preface that with – some of them are rather surprising, and all of them can add to our understanding of biblical leadership…
2. Many who are here today have been given the Spirit’s gift of leadership…and our goal is to think about what the Bible says about how to exercise that gift properly…
- you don’t want to fail to use the gift if God has given it to you – nor do you want to exercise it improperly…there are a lot of minefields here…
3. We are all called, in one way or another…to follow the various leaders the Lord has placed in our life…
- the writer of Hebrews said this - Hebrews 13:17 - Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
- I hope all of us would say – I want to bring joy to the various leaders God has placed in my life…and I don’t want to do anything that would bring them grief…
- so let’s organize our thoughts around the 5 words in our keystone passage… he who leads, with diligence…by looking for 3 ways leaders in Christ’s church should be diligent
- this is probably as good a place as any for us to think about the question…what are the other seven places this word “lead” is used in the NT?...
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
- 1 Timothy 3:4-5 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)
- 1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
- 1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
- Titus 3:14 Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
- so with all that biblical data in mind, let’s think about 3 ways leaders in Christ’s church should be diligent.
I. Be Diligent to Follow the Lord’s Leadership
- we all have to decide either what kind of leaders we want to be, or what kind of leaders we want to follow, or both…
- there is a phrase in the 1 Thessalonians passage that can help us from either perspective…
- 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, 13 and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.
- it’s the “in the Lord” part…
- godly leaders are never an end in themselves…
- they are submissive to the great king, the Lord Jesus Christ…
- and what motivates someone to follow such a leader is because they know that in so doing…they are ultimately being helped to follow their Lord and Savior…
- that raises a very important question in this culture or any culture…do you have any place in your life for leadership in any way, shape, or form?...
- or have you bought into the Invictus mentality that you’re the captain of your fate?...
- you might remember the old hymn, sung to the Lord Jesus Christ – King of my life, I crown thee now…
- I wonder how many people in our culture might adjust those words to say – King of my life, I crown me now…
- if that’s the case, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be pleased with any human leader in your life, because you’ve not settled the issue of whether you want a divine One…
A. Foundational to being a follower of Jesus Christ
- Paul said it this way to the Romans - Romans 10:9–10 - that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
- the hymnwriter said it this way:
- I sought a flag to follow, a cause for which to stand
- I sought a valiant leader, who could my will command
- I found them all in Jesus, the life, the truth, the way…
- Beneath His flag I’ll take my stand and follow Him today…
- friend, is that your testimony this morning…if not, we would invite you to admit your sin and place your faith and trust in Christ as Lord and Savior…
- because you can’t exercise the gift of leadership, or follow those who have been given that gift well…until you first done business with whether you have any place for submission in your heart and life…
- now what about the person who would say – well, the problem is that all the prospective leaders in my life are all imperfect…that’s why I don’t want to follow anyone’s leadership – whether they’ve been given that spiritual gift or not
- so are you saying that if human beings were born in a perfect environment, with a perfect leader, with perfect rules/expectations – let’s say…one…that such a person would naturally and joyfully submit?...
- you know where that one’s going, right?...this is…
B. A struggle that began in the Garden of Eden
- Genesis 3:11 - And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
- is there a lesson there?...
- there’s a stream of rebellion that runs in all of our hearts unless we seek to address it in the power of Christ…
- we can’t follow someone else’ leadership unless we’re willing to follow His [how would you evaluate yourself on that one?]…
- someone else might say – but following imperfect leadership is hard…there’s no doubt about that…
- perhaps we should pause and ask why the Lord has allowed that to be the case?...
- maybe to focus on…
C. A future promise that should make us long for heaven
- imagine a scenario where the Leader is perfect…
- Isaiah 42:1–4 - “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”
- we’re admittedly a long way from that…however, to some degree this can be…
D. A present reality if we allow it to be
- you might say – how so?...
- think about it from our two perspectives…
1. If you believe God has given you the spiritual gift of leadership…are you exercising that gift in a way that is first submissive to Jesus Christ?...
- one of the lessons I learned very early in ministry is that you can tell a lot about a person by simply giving them authority and watching what they do with it…
- some are clearly in submission to Christ as they lead…and others clearly aren’t…
2. If you’re struggling to follow the leadership God has placed in your life…is it possible that you don’t have a “human leader problem” – you have a “divine leader problem”?
- in this rebellion culture in which we live, it’s good to be reminded that God is the One who ordained the concepts of leadership and submission…and when His people are functioning within their God-give roles using God-given strength and principles, the et result can be a very beautiful thing…
- now let’s pivot to what the leader actually does…
- several of the passages especially emphasize that, don’t they?...
- 1 Timothy 3:4-5 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)
- 1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.
- 1 Timothy 5:17 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
- so that means that a leader must…
II. Be Diligent to Organize and Manage
- you can tell if a person has this gift if they have the ability to organize projects and the willingness to manage people…
- it’s a gift given by the Sprit of God to the church of Jesus Christ…and it starts…
A. By understanding the goal
- this isn’t just about getting things done…
- it’s about accomplishing tasks together that can draw people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ…and helping everyone involved become more like Christ in the process…
- it’s like Paul to the Colossians - Colossians 1:28–29 - We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.
- this is one of the things I love about being associated with our church….
- There are so many women and men who are gifted leaders, but they exercise that gift with a purpose…
- that’s one of the reasons we’re not afraid of starting new ministries…because by God’s grace there are often people who are willing to step up and lead them in a purpose-focused fashion…
- one example is Christmas for Everyone [could give some background on how we got involved]…
- the leaders of that ministry are Matt and Nadia Bechler – along with a number of men and women lead alongside them…
- I appreciate that the Bechlers see that not simply as making presents available for children and parents who might be struggling financially…
- they want the gospel to be front and center in the way our guests are treated, the ways Bibles and other spiritual resources are available, the way we pray and follow up…
- and in the way that each of our volunteers are trained and served…why?...
- so that every person – either one of the guests or one of the servants…will either come to Christ if they haven’t already, or become more like Christ as a Christian serving in that ministry…
- because the leaders have their eyes on the goal…
- and everyone would also say this – that kind of leadership is very easy to follow…
- and ultimately what is that?...
- it’s the Holy Spirit being very good to Christ’s church…by gifting people to lead us well…
- what else do we see form these 3 passages…
B. With a willingness to be out-front
- you can’t lead someone to a place you’ve not been…
- but somebody has to go first…someone has to get out of everyone else…
- I remember when we first launched the Living Nativity [could develop how/where we got the idea]
- this is our 33rd year – and by God’s grace, over 250,000 people have attended…
- the Bethlehem wall as 70 feet long, and 24 feet high…for perspective – the long walls of this gym are 85 x 21
- the very first year, groups of us would meet Arvid Olson, who has his master’s degree in theatrical design, out at a barn we used to have…
- Arvid would have an overhead projector where we would trace lines on 4 by 8 sheets of oxboard and then paint them all sorts of wild colors and shapes – not having any idea what we were doing…
- until the first set-up day…when we put the entire thing together…
- it was a stunning piece of artwork…but somebody had to be out-front…
- someone had to know what the rest of us needed to be doing…and the Lord used Arvid to be that person…
- now we might want to back up for a minute and ask, why do churches even need leaders…and are there any reason to believe that churches especially need leaders…
1. Because of the centrality of our mission
- we’re not making widgets here…or making profits here…or making a name for ourselves…and on and on…
- the church of Jesus Christ has the most important mission imaginable…
- Matthew 28:18–20 - And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
- there’s nothing more important than that…which is why – if God has given you the gift of leadership…one of the questions would be – are you using it to help our church accomplish the mission He has given us at this time and place?...
- [could talk about serving as a youth pastor while in college]…
2. Because of the diversity of the body
- Ephesians 2:13–15 - But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
- it would be one thing to talk about leading a group of people where everyone was very similar in age, backgrounds, ethnicities, economic condition, viewpoints, etc…but a church is anything but that…
- if a diverse as us is going to accomplish anything of eternal value…we’re going to have to have all sorts of gifted leaders, and all sorts of willing followers…
- [develop tear down night at the LN]
3. Because of the power and beauty of “equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry”
- · Ephesians 4:11–12 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
- · Ephesians 4:16 - from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
- while Faith has approximately 175 employees ministry-wide, we hire as a last resort…
- it is amazing how much work gets done by godly laypersons…
- if that’s the way God ordained His church to function…leaders at every level at crucial to people being equipped to do the work of the ministry well…
- [could develop the upcoming deacons’ election and how these men and their families are such wonderful leaders]
- there’s one last emphasis that comes out of these key uses of this word that we need to study…
III. Be Diligent to Guide Followers in Doing Good
- we’re thinking of:
- Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
- Titus 3:14 Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.
- it’s not just a matter of leading…but leading with some level of understanding of what’s occurring in culture…and how best to live and affirm the gospel…
- Paul is modeling that for Titus… Titus 1:12–13 - One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true..
- well, then what?...if they are false teachers who are pretending to speak for the Lord, they have to be reproved as verse 12 goes on to say…
- but often times the best way to lead is to identify needs and then rally the church’s resources to meet them…
A. Especially important in an adversarial culture
- so what are some ways you can do that?...
- [develop ministry at the HH]
- [develop serving with the CDC, with special emphasis on stepping up for a leadership responsibility]
B. Helps a church shone the light on the beauty of the gospel
Matthew 5:13–16 - You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
- to do that well, we need leaders who have been gifted to us by the Spirit of God, and men and women willing to joyfully follow
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