Servant Leadership 201

There are a few verses I want to look at in Mark 10: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” and “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” and “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”

Observation: In Mark 9 we see the concepts of servant leadership taught by Jesus. We was trying to change the culture of the time and teach that to be a great leader, you must be a great servant. He tells his disciples again that to be the greatest you must be the least, to be first, you must be last, and that even the heart of a child is worthy of his time. He spent much of his time preaching on this one subject…servant leadership.

Application: Life is all about priorities. We can’t do everything so we must decide what is most important. Jesus was teaching that the best thing was to love and God and love others. In order to love God, He is asking that we show our love by serving others. It is a link that can’t be broken. I’ve actually heart people say that they are too busy to serve. WHAT!?! Serving others is exactly what Jesus was all about. He only had 3 years on this earth, and he spent it serving others. He was a busy man yet his priorities were simple. Spend time with God first, spend time serving others.

What are your priorities in life?

Prayer: God, rock my way of thinking! Let me never forget that living the life God has asked me to live means his priorities in life are given by God. Keep this on my heart every second of the day!

Servant Leadership 101

Mark 9:33-37 says, “They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Observation: The disciples were arguing over who was greater….not greater between God and Jesus, but between themselves. It’s the same argument that every sibling has made. “Who does mom love more?” They were ranking themselves. This could have been brought on because Peter, James, and John were allowed to  101witness Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. Jesus goes on to tell them that to be great in HIS kingdom, you need to serve others freely. He then illustrates this by taking a child and telling them that those the disciples will freely serve is like a child.

Application: Servant Leadership is a contradiction in terms. Most people would describe a leader is someone who no longer has to serve others, but he/she is to be served by others. Think of a king, he does not serve others but is served. Jesus came to blow up everyone’s understanding of what a leader was. This was best illustrated by Jesus washing his disciple’s feet (John 13). All of the Jews thought that the messiah would be a political figure or king who would lead them. Jesus came to lead by being the very example of what the Old Testament law spoke of. By loving and serving others, He was being the leader that God had always desired for his people.

What kind of leader are you? Every follower of Jesus is a leader. But you will have to make the choice to be a servant leader, because anything else may not live up to the standards set by Jesus. Do you put the needs of others first? Are you willing to wash the feet of your friends, family, and neighbors? These questions are tough to wrestle with because of a 5 letter word: PRIDE. We don’t want to be the least, that’s no fun. But that is what God is calling us to today.

Prayer: God, let me serve those around me. Let me be the least and you be the most!

Raising Up the Next Generation of Leaders

In the book of Numbers 27 we read, “So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.”

Observation: Moses was the most amazing leader only second to Jesus. God used Moses in countless ways. It was time for Moses to begin passing the mantle of leadership to another. God chose Joshua. The process began by Moses giving him “some” of his authority. Joshua would lead Israel into the promise land once Moses died.

Application: Are you a leader? If so, who are you pouring your life into? Every leader should be mentoring another potential leader. You have a lot to give and it would be a shame if all that wisdom and experience was wasted. So Ask God today to bring someone into your life who will be your Joshua.

Prayer: God, I pray for the next generation of leaders, that you bring “Moses'” into their lives.

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Mark 4 21-23 says, “He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Observation: Jesus is preaching using a series of parables that teaches people about the Kingdom of God. Before this passages he is using a seed as the main example to describe our faith. Then he moves onto a lamp that represents our faith to those around us. It is a light. And it should shine to those around us.

Application: There is song that says, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” I’ve been singing that song since I was a child. It was meant to teach children that we should be bold in sharing our love of God with those around us. As I think about this passage now, there are parts of my life that I may not be too proud to let shine to those around me. Sometimes I can get consumed with fear, frustration, faithlessness, pride, etc. I guess you could say that I will let about 90 present of my life shine, but there is 10 percent that I want to put under a bowl so others can’t see. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” There are portions that I don’t want others too see because it may not lead them to praise God. I need to examine my life and faith and sniff out the things that I want to hide under a bowl.

Prayer: God, show me today what it is that I’m hiding under a bowl.  Let my light shine, 100 percent of my light, to those around me.

Your Boss is the Boss

Numbers 16 says, “Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent  and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”

Observation: Numbers 14-16 deals with the same concept. People were not getting their way and were grumbling towards Moses and God. They were ready to go back to Egypt and into slavery. So they were punished. They would not be able to enter the land God had promised them. A little later, 3 dudes come to Moses complaining that he was being treated better than they were by God. They wanted to be equals. They were eventually swallowed by the earth for their sins.

Application: I am called to follow my leaders. It really doesn’t matter what I think about leadership styles, decisions, etc. If the men I follow love God, are seeking Him, and submitting to His leadership, then it doesn’t matter what happens because I am called to submission to them because they are in submission to God. It is a hard thing for anyone to follow a leader because most people enjoy control. But what pleases God? Joshua and Caleb pleased God. They did not grumble. They obeyed and followed the leader.

Prayer: God, you know my heart. Please give me a heart that is surrendered to following you and the leaders you have put in my life. I ask that you bless them and keep them safe today.

Facing the Giants

Numbers 13:30 says, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

Observation: Numbers 13 is one of those passages this is full of suspense, drama, action, and giants! God had promised Abraham that his people would possess a land that he would give them. It took several generations but eventually, through the leadership of Moses, they came upon the land. Moses sent out 12 spies, one from each tribe, to scope it out. They all agreed that it was a beautiful land with all the good stuff they needed. But 10 of the spies said, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” There be Giants in this land!

Caleb then says, whatever! God promised it so let’s go take it. If we go on to read Joshua we see the many battles necessary to take the land, but it was done as God said.

Application: Facing the Giants was a movie released a few years ago. It’s the story of a team who faces impossible odds but with faith and determination, succeeds and wins a title game. We will face a giant or two every day! It depends on how you move forward with it. The same concept plays out with David and Goliath. Little man, big giant, little man wins because of faith and determination.

So what has God promised you? And what Giants are in the way today? How will you respond to your giants…like the 10 other spies or like Joshua and Caleb?

Prayer: God, give me the strength to face my giants today, this week, this year.

Waiting for the RIGHT Answer

Numbers 9:7-8 says, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the LORD’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?” Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you.”

Observation: Israel had a questions and wanted an answer. It doesn’t really say how long they had to wait for God’s answer, but Moses said they would wait for the right answer from God.

Application: Waiting is probably the most difficult thing to do in the world! We could come up with a quick answer to our problems, but it may not be the RIGHT answer. There is something good in waiting for the right answer from God.

Prayer: God, let me find peace and joy in waiting for you to speak when I need answers.

Kindness

Acts 27: 3 says, “The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.”

Observation: Julius was the centurion guard ordered to watch over Paul so that he would be sent to stand trial. Julius, I’m sure, was a very good solider. Paul was an important piece of cargo. It says in Kindness, Julius let Paul see his friends while they were in a port so they could provide for his needs. I’m sure that God was watching over Paul by softening Julius’ heart, but it doesn’t say that. Later, Julius again saves Paul by not allowing him along with the other prisoners to be killed because the ship had wrecked and the prisoners would be able to escape. Again, God was using Julius to watch over Paul’s life.

Application: We often times want to be in Paul’s position where God is sparing us from heartbreak or troubles. But have you ever asked to be in Julius’ shoes. We can ask God to be a blessing to someone else. But we need to be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If you feel that you are to show kindness, it’s probably God asking you to be obedient so that someone else can be blessed. And maybe because you will be blessed because we were used to help others.

Prayer: God, let me be a blessing to someone today. Don’t let my agenda get in the way of what you want to accomplish today in the life of someone around me.

For All The Bean Counters and Mathematicians

Leviticus 4:46-49 says, “So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by their clans and families. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting numbered 8,580. At the LORD’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.
Thus they were counted, as the LORD commanded Moses.”

Observation: The book of Numbers deals with…numbers. There was a lot of counting going on. Here we see that those men from the tribe of Levi (the Levites) were set apart for a special duty. They were essentially responsible for the tabernacle and worship duties towards God. Moses’ responsibility was to do a head count and hand out jobs to each group. Once Moses knew how many men he was dealing with he would have a better job managing the roles and responsibilities.

Application: I’ve got to be honest here, at first reading it’s difficult to figure out how I can apply Numbers 3-4 to my daily life. But you have to remember that something as simple as knowing what and who you got so you can accomplish something was sort of invented by God through Moses for the benefit of the Israelites. So there is a certain beauty here. Some people get numbers, their life is numbers, they love numbers. Other people could care less about numbers, they don’t understand numbers, and it shows in their finances. It doesn’t really matter if you are a mathematician or not, you need to know a little about numbers so you can better manage your life. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. And if you can’t measure what you have, you can properly manage it. So I guess my application for this passage is that there is something beautiful about counting and knowing what you are dealing with. Weather it is your personal budget, or you are a manager of people, or whatever, you need to know what you are dealing with to be a good steward of what you have been given. Moses was being a good and obedient steward with the people he had. He measured the numbers, assigned the jobs, manged the people, and was found obedient in the process. Cool.

Prayer: God, teach me the importance of knowing what you have entrusted me with so I can be found obedient and responsible. Make that true in my personal life and my professional life.

Are You Guilty or Innocent?

Acts 24:1 says, “Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor.”

Observation: Paul pretty much lived his ministry life in jail. He was always causing “trouble” by telling people that Jesus was the only way to God. He would go into the synagogues, streets, homes, wherever he went, he was preaching Jesus. And this time was again before a judge being convicted by the high priests and elders of the synagogues. They were accusing him of causing unrest within the people. He was essentially asking questions that people didn’t want to hear, and giving answers that were not very Jewish at the time.

Listen to their complaints in Acts 24, “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”

Paul was being charged with going against the system. What was it that allowed him to never back down? I think if you and I had been blinded by the light from Jesus, told what to do, healed, and sent on our way, we probably wouldn’t be so quick to back down from a spiritual or cultural fight.

Application: If I was put on trial for going against the system, what would I be charged with? If I landed myself in jail, once I was released would I keep on preaching or would I turn and run to stay out of “trouble?” I would love to think that I would have the same determination as Paul, but I can’t say for sure because I have not been tested the same way he was. I do hope that I can be accused of preaching Jesus and asking questions that cause people to question their own belief system. What do you believe? Why? Are you willing to stand up and defend it no matter the cost?

Prayer: God, let the things that people say about me condemn me of being a follower of the Way, a sold out follower of Jesus Christ. Let me not back down when my convictions are leading me. Today, give me the strength to stand up for what is right no matter the cost I would pay.