Biblical Authority and Servant Role of Leader

Scripture Reading: I Thess. 2:1-12

A. We live in the midst of conflict between the world system and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ—Matt. 20:17-28; also, Matt 23:11, Mark 10:32-45, Luke 22:24-27

1. Asking for position (recognition, influence, honor, the benefits of ruling, the association with power and authority) or 
2. “Drinking the cup” (of death, of execution of self for life giving to others, of servanthood—so complete that one lays down his life for those he serves)
3. Those of the world system seek authority and dominance, the privilege and ability of control, to assert power.
4. Those who would be great in Christ’s kingdom do so through serving Christ’s brethren by pouring themselves out on the behalf of others
5. Jesus, the eternal King, is also Jesus, the eternal servant
6. Do we desire privilege or servanthood? Authority or service? Freedom for others or control of them? Do we come to be served or to serve?
7. May the ministry of Jesus Christ find expression through us as we, too, give our lives a ransom for many.
8. Those who are great are those who minister, that is, one who executes the command of another (diakonos)
9. The one who would be chief, should be a servant (doulos) – one giving himself to another’s will
10. A leader is an ordinary person who
    • Surrenders to the service, anointing, call of God from among the people
    • Who loves to serve his Lord and the Lord’s people
11. Much of the Bible is written by servants to servants

B. Sacrificial servanthood increases authority, honor

1. Phil 2:1-11 Christ
   • Servanthood attitude and obedience
   • Brings God’s exaltation, favor, and stewardship (bestowing) of his authority upon the servant
   • All authority given to Christ
     • Because He gave all of Himself for all of the needs of all people
     • Delegated to us as his body
   • Of all the roles Jesus could have chosen to accomplish the salvation of humankind…
     • Judge, world ruler, entertainer…He chose servanthood.
2. Phoebe—Romans 16:1-2
   • Help her because she helped many
3. Diotrophis III John
   • Believers assisting missionaries—5-9 (traveling ministers, evangelists)
   • Diotrophis v.9-11, loves to be first, doesn’t accept counsel of spiritual fathers, unjustly accuses spiritual authority, doesn’t receive traveling ministers, brethren; puts those he disagrees out of the church (rejection rather than resolution of conflict); “leaves.”
   • Contrast with “elders” at Washington, DC; Saturday morning / visiting to observe elders/servanthood coffee (offered coffee from time to time before I sat down)—eager to be servants—I wasn’t a dignitary, but a buddy of one of their buddies.

C. Implications for congregational leaders

1. I Peter 5:1-5
   • Leaders are to care for people (shepherd)
     • Voluntarily
     • Not for monetary gain, but out of eagerness and service
     • Not demanding control
     • Examples
   • Leaders, elders to have “firsthand” ministry-not aloof, or they may
     1. Lose touch with what God is doing in the people
     2. Minister through someone else (paid minister)
     3. Develop resistance to ordaining new elders
     4. Create standard for eldership in terms of training, education, rather than fruitful servanthood
     5. Fill life with other things rather than feeding and tending sheep
     6. Deteriorates into having positional authority in the church but not involved in living ministry of the church
   • All government grows out of firsthand ministry and maintains the biblical mandate to rule only as those governing continue to minister—Bob Wright
   • Spiritual authority from ministry
     • Watchman Nee
       • Resurrection life = that which God does in one’s life that no one can do naturally apart from God’s power (grace, supernatural)
       • Ministry flows out of resurrection life; as we minister (service, share, impact, declare, model) His life to other, they recognize Him at work in us, and they grant authority to us in our lives.
       • The measure of ministry determines the proportion of authority.
       • When we attempt to exercise authority beyond our level of ministry, our authority becomes positional and no longer spiritual.
     • Therefore, appoint leadership according to the grace (ability and life of God) in them, according to where they give life in the body
       • Not necessarily by vote
       • Nor by success in other spheres of life
       • Nor by influence, finances, or power or other kinds benefits they may have.
     • Cultivate ministry to the Lord (prayer and word); pray for and serve (help) leaders so as to free them for such ministry.

D. Benediction Hebrews 13:20-21