Leadership and Authority: Jesus-style (i)

Author(s)Church Society
Date 25 October 2022
Categories FWS and FWS 2023 and Ministry
Tags FWS and FWS 2023 and Ministry

"But you are not to be called `Rabbi', for you have only one Master & you are all brothers.  And do not call anyone on earth `father', for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.  Nor are you to be called `teacher', for you have one Teacher, the Christ.  The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:8)

How do you lead people? How do you honour the authority of others over you?

Amidst the plethora of trendy ‘must-read’ secular leadership books, and the tragic recent cluster of bad examples in the conservative evangelical world, Jesus’ teaching about servant leadership remains timely and radical.

But what characterises a Jesus-shaped leader?

This week we’ll consider what a leader looks like on the outside, next time what needs to be happening on the inside!

  1. They have been tested!

Jesus’ public ministry starts with testing the wilderness; Gethsemane precedes the glory of his death and resurrection; Peter is allowed to be ‘sifted’ (Luke 22:31) before called to lead. Ultimately every leader’s work will be tested (1 Cor.3:10ff) for its true quality to be seen.

But that means, the further we go in servant ministry, the greater the tests will be! Some testing will be internal – the temptations of power, lust, jealousy, frustration, self-worth. Some will be external – the testing of false accusations, criticism, satanic attack. Some will even be fraternal – betrayal, abandonment, treachery – our Judas’s. Resilience and perseverance under trial has to be a key characteristics of leadership. But how often have we trained future leaders to prepare to face up to these temptations? Jesus’ principle is (Matthew 25:14-30): only after faithfulness with small things should people be trusted with greater things!

  1. Their authority is three dimensional!

Biblically ‘authority’ has 3 aspects:
1. Responsibility/authority/order – who you are responsible for/to as you serve; your commitments; Eg Jesus’ authority comes in part from his identity as Son, which led him to freely submit to his Father and serve us – John 5:19f
2. Power/might/jurisdiction – what you able to actually do; your competence; Eg Jesus’ divine power was able to delivered all that he promised - Matthew 9:6-8
3. Presence/character/calling – why you are moved in the way of serving; your character. Eg Jesus’ was moved to minister from a self-sacrificing heart – John 13

Godly leaders need all three to serve faithfully: a public commission/ordination (Mat.10:1ff), personal ability/skill tested by its fruit (Mat.7:15ff) but it has to flow from a heart to serve (Mat.23:12f). It is not without value that occasionally leaders have the chores of chair stacking, etc; ‘Whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me! (Mat.25:31-46) How often have we given time and attention to character? We are to spur each other on to LOVE not just good deeds! (Heb.10:24)

  1. Their work is carefully collaborative!

Jesus built teams, and dealt differently with each: the Three – had access all areas, and shared the intimacy of Jesus’ most private moments; the Twelve – had a dedicated three-year training, and were given a share of Jesus’ power & authority when sent out in His name (Luke 9:1); the Seventy-two – were given responsibility to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry (Luke 10:1ff); the Women – who followed and provided for Jesus’ ministry (Mark 15:40f). What is striking is the diversity (Eg a zealot & a tax-collector on a team!) and responsibility that Jesus shared with others.

A Jesus-shaped leader is the catalyst for diverse and responsible teams – Jesus’ leadership enables people to take their responsibility seriously and use their gifts fully. But it is also the calling of the leader to bear with their weaknesses and be aware that some may fail or fall, and to be ready to bear that grief, as Jesus was with Judas.

So looking from outside, a Jesus-shaped leader will be resilient under trial; called, capable and compassionate in serving; and working from within diverse teams appropriately trusted to share in the work. You can tell a true leader, because Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. (Mar 9:35 NRS)

Next week we’ll consider what needs to be happening on the inside of a Jesus-shaped leader!

 

The 2023 Fellowship of Word and Spirit Conference, LEADERSHIP RESET, will address more of these issues facing the church and its leadership today. Get more details and book now to join us as we consider what it means to 'lord it over others as the Gentiles do', as we ask 'who can tell you to do something you don't want to do?', and as we think about what the Bible teaches and what wisdom we might learn from the world about how to lead well.