Leadership? What about Servanthood?

by James Moody
(Melbourne)

John 20:21

I’m going to preach, not on leadership BUT on Servanthood! Why? Because it’s a crucial part of a Christian life! And there’s proof.

We are here for 5 purposes overall which are:
1. To love him
2. To be part of his family
3. To become like him
4. To serve him
5. To tell others about him

Two out of those 5 purposes involve servanthood which was to serve him and to tell others about him. You see Ministry is service to believers and Mission is service to NON-believers! And we need to do both! Also the rewards in heaven will be greater!

I want you to write this down if you are taking notes: ‘We do not measure our greatness by how many servants we have but by how many we have served!!’

We need to fill the needs for others, not just ourselves and the reward of life will be much greater!

John 20:21
Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.

It doesn’t matter what role you are doing whether you are in a band, preaching, praying for people, audio-visual or even cleaning up a mess! In God’s eyes you are serving him!

2 Cor 5:20-21
So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as if God is calling to you through for us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God.

We are messengers of God’s Love and Purposes to the WORLD! Not just the church! Jesus calls us not only to come to him but also to GO for him. I can ask a lot of people which would be easier, Ministry or Mission? I guarantee that the majority would say Ministry because most would be scared to speak out to Non-Believers.

But we need to step out of our comfort zone and preach and evangelise to the non-believers out there who don’t know Christ because we are the only ones with the light of truth!

You know how Jesus says love others as you love yourself, if you tweak it, it can become something else as well, which is serve others as you serve yourself. We live in a society where you should only look out for yourself, a ME-FIRST society (why can’t I have this, what’s in it for me etc).

But some people are so sick of living in the dog eat dog generation so they look out to help others, to serve others so that they can feel blessed!

The one thing that drives me to tell others the greatest news on earth is this verse
Ezekiel 3:18 – I will hold you accountable for his blood.
(Can you imagine crying out from hell….because I was scared…he gets no 2nd chance….

There is nothing like that moment they are on the alter, calling to God on their knees, and God is looking down smiling and blessing you!

MONEY! This is a big thing in people’s lives. You can’t serve God and wealth, because you either have money motivating you or God motivating you. God uses that to test your servant hood.

We have so many role models to look out for in the Bible and one of the best was the young man, Joseph. He was a great servant. Every time he proved his worth in a test, his worth as a servant. He proved himself and God entrusted him with more responsibility and also blessed Joseph!

The BEST example we have is JESUS CHRIST! He called himself a servant, not a leader, but he used his leadership skills to serve others. You see everyone wants to be a leader, not a servant and there have been many books written on leadership but very few on servanthood!

I’m not discouraging you to be a leader, I mean we all need people to lead us but also to focus on serving others as well.

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Matt 24:36
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,a but only the Father.

Matt 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Jesus Christ can come to earth for the Rapture VERY SOON!! Nobody knows when. So I think we need to lead as many to salvation as we can before he comes because:

No.1 - So they won’t have to go through the terrible Judgements as described in the Bible,

No. 2 - There will be a greater reward in heaven waiting for you. God is in heaven writing a personal diary with your name on it. He writes what service you have done for the world, like opening the car door for someone, giving a poor man food. Worshipping in a band. ALL of those little things and big things. Even though the world doesn’t care about it. In God’s eyes, he loves it!

What I want you to think about, what I want myself to think about when I wake up are the thoughts of ‘SAVE ONE MORE WHILE I’M ON MY MISSION FOR GOD’ and soon after that I want to be able to say ‘MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!’

Note from Mark: What a great point you make: Everybody wants to be a leader but few want to be a servant. Thanks James.