"THE MEASURE OF A SPIRITUAL LEADER"

“THE MEASURE OF A SPIRITUAL LEADER”
LUKE 22:24-30
And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.'" But it is not this way with you, but the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.

For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who have stood by Me in My trials, and just as My Father has granted Me a Kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (NASB).

INTRODUCTION
Way out West, a cowboy was driving down a road, his dog riding in the back of the pickup truck, and his faithful horse in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and had a terrible accident.

Sometime later, a state police officer came upon the scene. An animal lover, he saw the horse first. Realizing the serious nature of its injuries, he drew his service revolver and put the animal out of its misery. He walked around the accident and found the dog also hurt critically. He couldn't bear to hear it whine in pain, so he ended the dog's suffering as well.

Finally, he located the cowboy—who suffered multiple fractures—off in the weeds. “Hey are you okay?” the cop asked. The cowboy took one look at the smoking revolver in the trooper's hand and quickly replied, “Never felt better!” The cowboy staring death in the face had a change of attitude.

I would like to share with you on the subject: "The Measure of a Spiritual Leader."

I. THE AMBITION OF THE DISCIPLES V. 24
The most important event in human history is about to happen, and the disciples are still arguing about prestige in the Kingdom. Verse 24 states that “there arose a dispute among them as to which of them was regarded to be the greatest.” The word “dispute” means contention or quarrel. What was the state of affairs that generated this dispute? The hour for Jesus to depart this world is at hand. Jesus has had the Last Supper with His disciples. The clock is ticking for the betrayal, the arrest, subsequent death on the cross to take place, and yet the disciples are fighting over the place of prominence.

The cause of the dispute is pride. Pride is what causes you to seek a position of prominence. This verse also shows a sign of spiritual immaturity. Spiritual immaturity breeds selfish ambition. Ladies and gentlemen, selfish ambition has no place in the service and the Kingdom of Christ. While Jesus' mind is fixed on the cross, the disciples are preoccupied with greatness. But this is no time to worry about status. Why do you want to be a spiritual leader in the local church? Do you want to be a leader so that you may have a title in front of your name? Do you want to be a leader so that you may have a special seat? Do you aspire to be a leader so that people will bow before you in your community? Every leader and aspiring leader should examine his/her motives.

The disciples are wrapped up in their own concerns as such; they do not perceive what Jesus is trying to tell them about His approaching death and resurrection. What are your major concerns today? What has preoccupied your mind today? The disciples were obsessed with their own significance. Leaders let me ask you an important question. Had you not been elected to your present position in your church would you still be coming to church? I know people who move their membership to other churches because they did not win certain leadership positions. That is purely selfish ambition and it is a sign of spiritual immaturity. Get your eyes off yourself and focus your attention on Jesus Christ and you will see things in proper perspective. What dominates the disciples thinking is power, not service. I am afraid that many Christians today are like these disciples. As you have been elected a spiritual leader in your church, what dominates your thinking? Is it power or service? I have observed many African leaders for some time. In my observation, one thing I have noticed is that many Africans by nature are power-drunk. We are obsessed with power, but frown at service. That is why Africans want to be presidents and CEOs for life. They love the prestige and the privilege but despise service to the people who voted them to office.

II. THE ATTITUDE OF THE DISCIPLES VV. 25-27
There is no wonder that Jesus is the perfect Leader and Master Teacher. In verse 25, Jesus rebukes the disciples with an illustration from the unbelieving world. The term Gentiles used in this context means all those who are not God's people; in other words, those who have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus says those pagan kings and rulers wield power and lord it over their people. Pagan kings and leaders are authoritarian. They demand recognition from their people and not the other way round. Here Jesus is much more concerned about the attitude of the disciples toward leadership. The world's system of leadership is different from leadership in God's Kingdom. Worldly leaders are often selfish and arrogant as they claw their way to the top. Some kings in the ancient world gave themselves the title Benefactor. However, 1 Peter 5:3 warns leaders in the church against lording it over others. Some people are so consumed with their titles that their personality is wrap up in their titles. Africans are very good at this. Woe betides you if you forget to call him/ her Nana, Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer or Attorney, Accountant, etc.

The disciples have walked with Jesus for almost three years, yet they have some attitude problems that need to be changed. Here the attitude that needs fine-tuning is their attitude regarding leadership. I like what Chuck Swindoll said about attitude. “The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think, say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, or a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. Nor can we change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We also cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is to play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me, and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you—we are in charge of our attitude.”

Just as our attitudes are the extra pluses in life, they also make the difference in leading others. Leadership has less to do with position than it does with disposition. In this passage, Jesus sees a negative attitude of the disciples toward leadership and He sets out to help them correct it before it becomes a major problem and a hindrance to the Christian enterprise. Today many people join a church with a consumer mentality. They come with what is in it for me attitude; and not what can I contribute to the church and the Kingdom of God. It was President J. F. Kennedy who said, "Don't ask what my country can do for me, but what can I do for my country." Leaders of local churches have been chosen not to wield power but to serve. Jesus disapproves of status seeking in His Kingdom's work. Christians with a consumer mentality become spiritual prostitutes. They jump from church to church without inner contentment. I have observed with amazement how some Christians have made God their servant and themselves the masters. They are always requesting things from God, but they never do anything positive for the Lord. They even fail to tell others what Christ has done in their lives.

There are some people in our church that I highly respect and admire. Some of them seldom come to the pulpit to do anything. Rather, they work behind the scene. They are not selective in what they do for the Lord in the local church. They do not wait to be told what to do. When there is a need, they are there to meet that need. I know a family that volunteered to clean the church building and the yard. I know of a certain lady that anytime I visited their church she would be cleaning and arranging the chairs in the sanctuary. Don't you realize that the Lord takes notice of such believers who are selfless in their service to Him? Jesus points out to the disciples that their attitude is not different from the world.

In verse 26, Jesus draws a contrast between the disciples and their secular leaders. Non-Christian leaders have selfish ambition and full of pride, but spiritual leaders are to cultivate humility and servant leadership spirit. This is important because God exalts the humble and brings down the proud. Jesus says, the Gentiles lord it over their people, but it is not this way with you. The pronoun "you" is emphatic. The Christian ministry is not a spectator game. You are to be a participant. If there is a work to be done, don't wait to be told. You go ahead and do it. There are some that join a church and demand that they be given chance to come to the pulpit to pray, read, or teach. That is not a mark of humility. These same people when it comes time to come and clean and straighten up the church building, they are nowhere to be found. Prove yourself and the Lord Himself will open doors for you. The Christian ministry is not limited to what you do in this pulpit. The Christian life is more than that. The way you do your secular job is also a service to Christ. The Christian life is one of service to Christ and others. In the Christian service it is better to train ten people to do the work of ten than you doing it all by yourself. The Christian attitude is in sharp contrast with the world.

Among the followers of Christ, the greatest must become the youngest; take the lowliest place. In Christ's Kingdom enterprise, greatness is defined by service. Jesus is showing and teaching the disciples to have a change of attitude toward leadership. This is a revolutionary teaching. Jesus was a revolutionary, not in the guerrilla warfare sense, but in His teaching on leadership. In God's service, the way down is the way up. There is no place for competitive spirit in the service of Christ. There is no place for competition in Christ's church. Worldly people are so conceited that they claim the title benefactors—they look for fame and honor, which they even extort forcibly. Among the followers of Christ, this should not be the case. Spiritual leadership should not be regarded as a means of enjoying special privileges over others, but as a special responsible form of service to be rendered in deep humility before God. Why do you want to become a spiritual leader? Why have you become one? What is your attitude toward leadership?

Robert Half International, a San Francisco consulting firm asked vice-presidents and personnel directors at one hundred of America's largest companies to name the single greatest reason for firing an employee. The responses underscore the importance of attitude in the business world.

 Incompetence: 30 percent
 Inability to get along with other workers: 17 percent

 Dishonesty or lying: 12 percent
 Negative attitude:10 percent
 Lack of motivation: 7 percent
 Failure or refusal to follow instructions: 7 percent

 All other reasons: 8 percent
Notice that although incompetence ranked first on the list, the next five were all attitude problems. Whether you will be a success or failure in life is largely dependent on your attitude. What is your attitude regarding leadership? Is it your attitude to rule people? Are you going to be a leader who folds your arms and give instructions but refuse to get your hands dirty? Then you are not qualified to lead in the church.

Jesus is about to go to the cross but He knows that the disciples need some adjustment in their attitude concerning leadership, and He makes efforts to help them make the change. Your complaining spirit or high expectations will never determine your destiny in life. Life is full of surprises and the adjustment of your attitude is a lifelong project.

In verse 27, Jesus reveals that real leadership does not concern itself with status or rank, but service. If you don't have a humble and teachable spirit, you cannot be an effective leader in the church no matter how much potential you have. Jesus poses a rhetorical question to the disciples on leadership (v. 27). Jesus points to His own example not that of the culture. The problem the church faces today is that there are many who want to use the world's philosophy or their cultural philosophy to dictate the affairs of the church. But the truth of the matter is that, biblical worldview is diametrically opposed to our own worldviews. In John 13, Jesus grabs a basin of water, girded Himself and begins to wash the disciples' feet, leaving us an example of humility and service. Jesus ministered to the poor, the rejected of the society, the sick, those of different race and gender, children, or anyone who had a need. Position and status meant nothing to Him. We need leaders of such services and attitude in the church today.

Jesus shows us that leadership is not attaining a rank that allows you to exercise authority with your own interests in mind. Leadership is a responsibility and a trust to exercise your skill and energies to serve those who are led.

Our culture witnesses many battles that revolve around power. The Bible and the church do not deal in power politics. People in positions of authority are stewards who look to God to meet their needs and who serve Him according to their calling. Jesus is saying to you that faithful service in a lowly place is itself true greatness. Right now war is raging in Syria where innocent people are being killed. The situation there boils down to leadership and power.

III. THE AFFIRMATION OF THE DISCIPLES VV. 28-30
Jesus is the greatest model of effective leadership because He does not see only an attitude that needs to be changed, but also an attitude that needs commendation. In verse 28, Jesus recognizes the faithfulness of the disciples. Recall that many have set out to be disciples of Jesus, but they have all forsaken Him. These would-be-disciples have come to Jesus with different reasons and motives. By the way, some people join the church with different agendas and motivations. These people with hidden agenda have forsaken Jesus, but the disciples have stood by Him in His trials. Let me add that this time Judas Iscariot has left to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin. Jesus therefore affirms the persistent loyalty of His disciples. They have remained with Jesus and continue to be faithful to Him. Some leaders have remained faithful to the Lord in the church. There was a time when people were leaving their church for greener pasture elsewhere. But not everybody joined the bandwagon, and the Lord seems to be turning things around. Every church goes through a period of transition and testing, but when the people of God remain faithful to Him, He steps in and turns things around.

Jesus does not only recognize the faithfulness of the disciples, but He also rewards them for being faithful to Him. Faithfulness to Christ has its rewards. Jesus' ministry has endured all kinds of hardships and opposition from His enemies, and yet the disciples have stood steadfastly with Him. Jesus promises the disciples two benefits or rewards. First, He promises that the disciples will fellowship with Him in His Kingdom. The authority that Jesus has given them is not only for this life, but for the one to come as well. Those who stand through thick and thin would be rewarded. The eleven disciples will receive what Judas misses.

Second, Jesus promises that the disciples will enjoy royal state. The royal state they are fighting over will not be realized in this life, but the one to come. They will execute judgment on the twelve tribes of Israel. The disciples have a central and unique role in God's plan. Jesus' statement in verses 28-30 shows that His rule will never end. At a future day, Jesus will judge all humanity and the disciples receive authority now to help exercise that rule later. Ladies and gentlemen, your humble service to Jesus Christ will not go unnoticed. Therefore, continue to serve and give your best to Christ and His work.

If the messages from this blog have been a blessing to you and you want to give to support this ministry, you can write your check to:

KENADARKWA LLC
Kennedy A. Adarkwa, PhD
6402 Redding Court
Arlington, TX 76001