What Is Servant Leadership?
by David K. Bernard
Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Matthew 20:25-28, John 13, 1 Timothy 3:1, 1 Peter 5:1-3

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--what-is-servant-leadership
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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sure I do believe it's a valid scriptural concept and uh again let me refer you to a more extensive resource I've written a book called spiritual leadership in the 21st century and it discusses this very important topic and a lot of related things about what it means to be a spiritual leader so it's for pastors for ministers but also for Lay leaders as well spiritual leadership in the 21st century uh but let's go to the words of Jesus in Matthew chap 20 and I'm going to be reading from the new King James version the Disciples of Jesus were arguing over who would be greatest in the kingdom of God so Jesus took this opportunity for a teaching uh them so Matthew 20:25 but Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and those who are great exercise authority over them yet it shall not be so among you but whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant and whoever desires to be first among you let him 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 and that reminds me of after the Lord's Supper Jesus washed his disciples feet John 13 said I've given you an example that you should do likewise if I your lord your master your teacher if I have done this menial job which in that culture a servant would do U of washing your feet well how much more should you be willing to serve one another so it it does seem countercultural and and Jesus even stated that it was although I will tell you that a number of business books have gotten a hold of this concept and said if you want to have a good business uh and you want to be a good leader if you would learn this principle you'd be better but I think Jesus is pointing out an obvious truth that you alluded to that we think of a leader in the world we think of a business leader or politician or government official we tend to think of how much money they get how many perks and privileges how many people they order you know how many people are under them and report to them and that's leadership but Jesus said don't think like that in the church you think about a leader is one who serves so simple illustration if you're are a pastor of 20 people then you're trying to counsel them pray for them if they're sick you visit them in the hospital um you try to meet their needs in whatever way you can primarily spiritually but you're you feel a responsibility to help them well if you're a pastor of 200 now you're serving 200 people so we might think well the pastor of 200 is higher position he's probably full-time he's probably got a nice house he's got a good income so you know he may have a special parking spot because he's coming in and out and he he doesn't need to look for a parking spot if he's got to come preach and and so he gets these little perks and privileges um so that's a leader but if you look behind the scenes a good pastor will have a servant's heart and what you don't see is he is praying studying visiting people going to hospitals counseling helping with marriages you know helping uh so but but not just with 20 people 200 people so he may be getting up early to go pray for someone before surgery he may be awaking late at night with a crisis and so he's on call and I do think he needs to set some boundaries for his personal life and family but the point is he's serving more people so the quote higher in leadership in the church the more you're serving and you should have a servant's heart so it's not wrong to Aspire to leadership uh Paul wrote In Timothy you know if you aspire to the office of a bishop that's good if God has called you and you feel a burden to do that but coming back to what Jesus said if that's what you feeling feel is your calling remember it's to serve so you should only want that position if it enables you to be more effective in helping other people of course as humans we're all subject to mixed motives so do we want the church to grow um because more souls are saved and and discipled or do we want the church to grow because hey we'll get more Prestige and name recognition and maybe a better salary well it might be both but I think what we have to do is periodically As Leaders go back to God in prayer and say Lord Purge me of impure motives and help me to want the right thing but help me to want to for the right reason help me to always be a servant never lose sight that I'm to be a servant uh you know there's an interesting story um so Jesus having if if you read I already alluded to John 13 the washing of feet uh it it's interesting statement Jesus having Authority from God so as a man he was divinely ordained of course he was God manifest in the flesh but since he had Divine Authority he washed feet well that's counterintuitive we expect since he had Divine Authority you know he defeated the enemies or he healed the sick or he cast out demons but no he served and there's also a story of a centurion that had a servant that was sick and so this this Pagan or this Gentile but he did have faith he comes to Jesus and says um Lord Heal him and you don't have to come to to my house to speak the word and you can heal him because he says I'm a man under Authority and and I tell a soldier to go and he goes and you you would think he would say I am a man of authority you know I have authority so I know how to exercise it but he said I'm a man under Authority so I know how Authority works now that's interesting because I'm submitted to leadership I know how to lead because I serve someone else I know how to guide the person that's under me so that's a little different concept of leadership than what we think let me give you another passage oft scripture it's found in 1 Peter chapter 5 the Apostle Peter writing to the elders which that term is also used equivalently of pastors and Bishops in the New Testament as we see here even first timoth uh 1 Peter 51 the elders who are among you I exhort I who am a fellow Elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed Shepherd the flock of God which is among you now it's interesting uh the King James says Fe feed but the literal word in Greek is to be a Shepherd which of course feeds but you should note that the the King James word Pastor in English is equivalent to Shepherd so here the elders are called the Shepherds or pastors Shepherd the flock of God which is among you serving as overseers and here the Greek word is the same word translated as Bishop so here we see at least in this context leaders of the local church are called Elders SL pastors SL Bishops so these are the spiritual leaders of the church to these are the people to whom the upci would give up would give ministerial credentials and we would expect there would be a senior leader of the local church that we call the pastor senior pastor but other ministers of the church would also be Elders Shepherds overseers pastors Bishops however that that would be the New Testament terminology so going back Shepherd the flock of God which is among you so serving as overseers not by compulsion but willingly so you're not doing this because you're forced to but because you you have a desire you have a burden you feel a calling not for dishonest gain but eagerly so don't take advantage of people don't use your position to get money from people especially not fraudulently but I think the connotation is don't misuse your position for the sake of personal gain to you um it could include um you you know favoritism uh not for dishonest game but eagerly because you desire it nor as being Lords over those entrusted you but being examples to the flock so a true spiritual leader or a true Pastor is not a dictator but an example there is a true Spiritual Authority there's a true pastoral Authority but it's as a servant and it's by example so we as leaders should should do more than what we expect our followers and if we want people to follow us we have to go before them we have to be first in dedication in prayer in sacrifice in giving in commitment in love in service in humility and no Authority is unlimited except God's Authority all other authority must be accountable um and when we were talking about church government I said shared governance so a pastor works with a church board and a congregation and a leadership team and he listens to them he gets advice to them he's accountable to them just as they're accountable to him so we see a well- rounded Pastor or well-rounded spiritual leader does have Spiritual Authority but it's accountable Authority it's mutual submission that leader should have peers and leaders that he looks to that he listens to so whether it be if it's a pastor that man or woman's Pastor or a district superintendent or preser may not be in charge of their whole life but they respect the them and listen to them and get guidance from them or there may be spiritual Elders or peers as you get older that you will be accountable to them so it's a picture of spiritual leadership that's accountable uh that has concept of interdependence a concept of mutual submission respect for authority submission to Authority an example um that he will do if he expects his people to pay ties he pays ties Beyond himself which we have through ministerial dues at least in part um if he expects people to listen to his authority then he listens to authorities in his life which would include you know leaders who are elected by the body and leaders whom God has placed over him not necessarily in all respects but in relevant respects um and so if he uh wants his people to be faithful in attendance then he should be faithful in attendance and he wants them to cooperate with the overall all church program he should lead his church in cooperating with the other churches in the district and general church program so in other words be an example in every way whatever whatever you want people to follow in your leadership you should model that in your own leadership so here we see the concept of servant leadership leading as a servant and leading by example it may sound counterintuitive but I can tell you from experience 40 two years of full-time Ministry 18 years as a senior pastor and then as a leader of many as a dist preser district superintendent general superintendent I can tell you that when you lead with humility and service and example you actually gain influence and respect you actually become a more effective leader where people will follow you not because of a position or not because you assert Authority or not because you say God's going to discipline you if you don't but because they trust you and ultimately that's the best form of leadership