Jesus’ Leadership: Your Authority is Nothing without His! A pre-Easter Message

Jesus’ Leadership: Your Authority is Nothing without His! A pre-Easter Message

Kelly Durant        4-2-06 Re: 3-12-23

 

Luke 22:24-30

24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

28 “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

 

2. Have you ever had a problem with a bill or service, and you call the company and the person on the other line of the phone keeps running you around in circles? In frustration, what do you do? You say, “Can I speak to the manager?!” It’s obvious that some people cannot resolve certain issues, right? You need one in authority! A leader covers all the issues!

 

The story of the life of Jesus covers so many subjects before His arrest, trail and crucifixion! If you want to know more, He covers everything from the coming of the Holy Spirit, to the hypocrisy in the fake people of God, to the Signs of the final days of earth.

You can read all of these things between John chapters 12 to 18, or in Matthew 23 to 26.

 

Today, however we are going to focus in on something in Luke that happened right after the Lord’s supper and before Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus made it clear He only acted upon the authority of His Father and today we will examine the problem all of us have with authority. Imagine, Jesus knows He will be crucified in a very cruel way in the next few days, and the disciples are not perceiving this by all that He is teaching them, they’re too worried about who will be first in the kingdom of God! 

 

3. My wife and I had meetings before with the coaches of the soccer leagues whom we did programs with and do you know what the biggest problem was with the leagues? It was not the kids getting hurt, or the lack of no money for uniform needs, it was a problem with authority, of who is in charge! Who was the leader and who obeyed who was always an issue.

 

Apart from coaches not respecting one another, a coach may often have said to some bystanders,” Hey, you are too close to the field, move back”; and the people instead of replying, “Okay, sorry, coach” and move their reply was often, “Who are you to tell us anything? I will stand where I want!”  Many people are like goats, rebellious!

 

Not respecting authority also included the people using the other fields in the park that they did not have permission to, and then we had the problem of losing the city park’s permission due to the disrespect of these people not listening to us nor obeying rules. 

 

In today’s world a lack of respect towards authority is creating a lot of negative repercussions in society and in the church! Leadership is not about who is the most arrogant bully to just appropriate it, it is about leadership as Jesus modeled it. Jesus must be our top authority!

 

4. You may be aware that some Anglo Americans complain that new immigrants do not respect their culture, and that they do not respect the laws. When you travel abroad and meet most Americans, they are the same way not following customs or language. I wish for you to see after this message today how a person can earn respect as a leader no matter the culture by doing leadership the way Jesus did it. Leadership is not a race or cultural issue, it is a God ordained issue, and Jesus is the One who empowers and guides each person, not ourselves. 

 

To begin with, as we see with these passages, a leader and his authority is not determined by himself or herself, arguing amongst others as to who should have it. For spiritual matters is determined by God, for our earthly matters it is by functional systems with rules, by skills by logic and by the merits of how one serves others, and by putting into practice good leadership. 

 

Let’s look here again in verse 26 that says that the leader is the one who serves, not just the one who sits at the table and expects to be served. Jesus says it clear in verse 27 that He wants us to follow His example by serving as He served. 

 

5. There are plenty of unprepared people today who want to be in charge because of some idea they have that their race, place, or face deserves it, that their money should buy it, or that their position should just be because they deserve it?! Even people in the church, amongst some church leaders today, wanting to be the big leaders so they have others serving and obeying them. This is what is wrong with politics today, people who assume power, but they are people full of greed and self-interests not qualified and then we see with them everything falls apart! 

 

Jesus’ way is the standard! Those of you that know Regina and I well know that we are the first to arrive and the last to go and real leaders carry out responsively their duties. Leaders are usually doing humble tasks that others could do but often don’t do so the real leaders do them.

 

I want you to know as servant leaders, as appointed commissioned Majors, we are not too proud to load and unload trucks, to cook and wash dishes, to vacuum the floors, to clean the bathrooms, and to sit and listen to people when they want our ear. Great leaders must be humble like Jesus who washed the feet of those He loved. 

 

6. I know some of you respect us and you have caught the same vision to serve, and you are humble not concerned over what you need to do to help, and Regina and I are proud of you. Jesus even says right here that we will be judges in the Kingdom of God if we show the fruits of serving Jesus in a way that wins others to the Kingdom of God. We will be judges in the New Heaven and earth Kingdom!

 

In the Salvation Army we teach others to serve Jesus by example and working hard, not being concerned if you are the leader or not, and it is the best way to follow Jesus. What is it we “Saved to Serve, and also Saved to Save”! Actually, we see by the verses of today that Jesus expects every Christian to be so thankful to have His truth, love and Salvation which came from the cross, that he or she is willing to do anything at any time for Him and others. 

We must be willing to take up our cross and follow God, serving others in love. 

 

A true leader is one who is serving so well that he or she has experienced blood, sweat, and tears on their body, as Jesus had to, to prove that they love God.

 

7. I will tell you that even amongst ourselves, as in all Corps, there has been these conversations of who is the greatest. It happens everywhere in all circles! It is just the dynamic of fallen creatures and our corrupt human nature. But respect from God, and from a handful of others, will only come with hard work. A title, or a piece of paper means nothing if the people do not see you sacrificing yourself, truly loving them by being concerned for them. 

 

Do you pray for another when you see they need it? Do you pray when you see another being out of place? In the end it is God who corrects us! Consider this verse, Hebrews 5:8

though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. If Jesus learned like that, all of us as well will need to learn by suffering as well!

 

If you want to know how to make Jesus happy with you, look at the good examples we know. Observe the people who have served in the body of Christ not even wanting a title of leadership. Some people have served hundreds of hours for years, faithfully being here without pay and you and I know their reward is in heaven. 

Most of you know in your heart if you are serving God as He wants you to or not. 

 

8. Many of you give all of your free time to the Lord and you come very often to help and serve in many ways, and this makes you be a leader by merit. Regina and I, and many people are very thankful for you, and you will be the ones who will have rewards in heaven!

 

Matthew 25: 44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” 

 

So, with us and with the Lord, anyone who wishes to be a leader and does not serve as Jesus did, will not be considered as one worthy in this life nor the next. The proud will be abased, and the humble will be exalted! Those that sit and want others to serve them at their table had better realize that Jesus expects them to be serving the table too! Who has authority in the eyes of Jesus? Only the ones who are obedient to submit and obey the rules, to do Jesus’ commands, serving others in love! Good followers make good leaders! 

Are you serving Jesus in love as we must do in The Salvation Army? Do you take up your cross daily and obey Jesus? Lead as Jesus led! Ask yourself, who looks up to me? Do they see Jesus in me? Ask yourself, does it matter I might be last in this world? The first are last in heaven! Pray..