Hooray for servants of the Kingdom
When you’ve pastored as long as Cheryl and I have (over 30 years now) it’s easy – at least for folks like us – to look back on all the things you wish you could do over again ... differently. I suppose that goes with being human. This past week-end, though, reminded me of something else entirely. Something that’s gone right, wonderfully right, at GT and The Embassy of Heaven. (It’s encouraging to me that there are a few of those things to look back on, too.)
What I’m so grateful for, and feel such a wonderful sense of worthy investment in, is cultivating a strong, Christ-honoring culture of servanthood at GT over the years. I suppose that the reason it has worked out so wonderfully for us is that it wasn’t my idea in the first place. It was Jesus who told his followers that the expression of the Kingdom of God in the earth was supposed to be filtered by a heavenly quality of character that he himself had, and would continue to model for them. It was this heavenly quality of character that Jesus taught would distinguish Kingdom of Heaven authority from the leadership styles of sinful men, and would protect his church from the abuses of selfish human nature and ego-centric leadership; thus keeping leadership in his church as safe as possible from human corruption and abuses.
One can almost feel the shock-waves permeate the group when Jesus said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it must be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be a servant to everyone else, for even the Son of Man did not come to be served by others, but to serve others and to give his life as a sacrifice for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)
Jesus didn’t just talk about it. He modelled for his followers the life of a “sacrificial servant” – always serving and giving of himself for the good of others.
Again toward the very end of Jesus’ teaching ministry, he reiterated this important foundational principle when he said, “The greatest among you must be a servant to everyone else. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matt. 23:11-12)
It must have been as difficult for them in those days as it is for us today, because even at the Last Supper, the Twelve hadn’t learned this foundational lesson yet. Let’s have a look:
“The disciples began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, ‘In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they call themselves friends of the people. But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the greatest leader should be the greatest servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here. For I am among you as one who serves.’” (Lk 22:24-27)
The simple fact that the Twelve Apostles struggled so with this “servant leader” concept that Jesus so clearly modelled and taught should be a strong clue for us that it won’t come easy for us, either. Similarly, the fact that Jesus continued to unrelentingly re-focus them on the supreme importance of the servant leader model also tells us that the idea is simply too crucial to the well-being of authentic Christianity for any of us to ignore or neglect it, though , tragically, many today seem too.
So here’s my pitch, people: Hooray for all those who aren’t elbowing toward the stage to get a hand on a microphone or finally get in the spotlight. Hooray for the servant-hearted great ones who have learned to find a need and meet it or find a hurt and heal it. Hooray for all those who serve in secret – away from the notice and accolades of men. Hooray for those who aren’t looking for recognition in this life for doing the right thing by following the example of our Supreme Leader who modelled the greatness of a life of sacrificial service lived for the pleasure of the Father and the well-being of his family. Servants of the Kingdom, we applaud you.
