Sabbath: Servant Leadership
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Pet. 5:1-10, Acts 6:1-6, Jer. 10:21, Matt. 20:24-28, Prov. 3:34, Rev. 12:7-9.
Memory Text: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NKJV).
Studies of growing churches almost always highlight the importance of effective leadership. This leadership takes its vision from God and His Word and provides opportunity for everybody in the congregation to exercise their own spiritual gifts in pursuit of the gospel commission.
But church leadership is highly challenging. Volunteers, who often give of their time even though they already are busy, largely run churches. Members can “vote with their feet” by ceasing to attend if something happens that they cannot support. Furthermore, an effective Christian leader also must be deeply spiritual. And we shouldn’t forget that Peter is writing to churches that are experiencing persecution. The church leader is particularly vulnerable at such times. Who, then, is equipped for this task?
In 1 Peter 5:1-10, Peter addresses the matter of Christian leadership on the local church level. In these verses, he writes about some of the crucial characteristics needed not just in the local leaders, but in members, as well. His words are as relevant for us today as they were then.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, May 13.
(43)
Christ has made such a non repayable sacrifice for us that we ought to do our utmost to serve him.Who else would do this? He really does love us and we owe our lives to him.
All he asks is for us to live good honest lives and to keep his Sabbath holy
and honorable. Is that too much to ask after giving your only son in such a sacrificial manner? We really should do his will.
Servant leadership, as outlined in 1 Peter 5:1-10, encourages leaders to shepard the flock unselfishly, willingly, and to not abuse their position by misleading/mistreating their flock. It further expounds upon how we are to clothe ourselves in humility, and cast our cares on Him. The text then closes out with warning of the devil's agenda, and encourages us to be vigilant in ensuring we resist the enemy and remain steadfast in the faith.
I believe applying this text to our lives is crucial because it gives us direction on how to reduce the chances of us ruining our witness to those we hold leadership over, so we may continue our Christian walk in a way that is pleasing in His sight. In doing so, congregants will have a clearer picture of true worship and dependance on the Lord, because they'll be under the care of leadership who role model that behavior.
Unfortunately, it's not everyone is given opportunity to perform their own Spiritual gifts at church... for many reason, jealousies, proudness, any kind of negative reason. They don't follow God's way, most people in church are partialed. They usually focus on people that have high titles, they ignore the poor or the middle class. Most of the time if you are not in their clubs, you will not be nominated or for not giving big amount of tithes. In addition, they choose who they want to help. Jesus never does that or did.
Peter is lecturing us regarding of leadership. How members can exercise their Spiritual gift in church. We should let God elect the leaderships, not us. We can't just choosing someone or a group of people and pray, presenting them to God, that is not right. Look for God's consent first, then He will give the answer. It's the same thing when you like a guy or a woman you presenting her or him to God, telling Him this is what you want, but this person is not allowed in your life by God's permission.
Most people make God's church turns into business or like a club ... Exetera...it's not really like a true family in Christ and this is not church. There is no true love among of us, mostly in us. The Lord sees everything, the Lord knows.
Hi Nancy. Rest assured that if the Holy Spirit has given you spiritual gifts, no human being can prevent you from using them. You may not be able to use them in the way you planned, but God wouldn't give you an assignment and then allow man to prevent it.
Don't let pride prevent you from using your spiritual gifts. If you were selected by God to receive them, He will provide ample opportunities for you to use them to His glory.
There is no exception to this since God rules the army of heaven and the inhabitants of earth (Daniel 4:35) so no one can stop God from using you for His purposes.
Nancy, I see some of what you describe, happening in churches, but I have to say that I have seen many occasions of where people have been given talent-based roles too. Churches are not perfect because they are made up of people like you and me and sometimes the church acts like us. Is that such a big surprise?
I worked for the Seventh-day Adventist Church all my life and have seen the best and worst of church "behaviour". I have seen the church go the extra mile to support and encourage members, and I have seen members treated poorly. Rather than make blanket criticisms of the church where we see cases of poor church leadership, we need to speak up appropriately when we see wrong, and we need to praise Goe when we see the church doing the right thing as well.
You mention the idea of God electing the leadership. I am not sure how you propose that God does that, other than speaking through the hearts and minds of the church community of believers. God does not usually open a window in heaven and point out a person to be a leader. In fact some of our best leaders have been rather reluctant to take on the role of leadership and it is only by Holy Spirit led encouragement from church members that they have taken the role on.
I am sorry you think that there is no true love in the church. Let me share with you a church experience of my own. I had a significant role in the local church for about 20 years and I lost it when we had a new pastor come in, who was unfamiliar with my role and experience. He said to a committee that he thought that I was a bit old for the job (I had developed grey hair by this time). He was chastised for his comments, but in the aftermath I thought that the time had actually come to relinquish my role. It hurt. I would have liked the circumstances to be different, but that is the cut and thrust of church life and I have learned to roll with the punches. The really wonderful thing that happened is that I received an amazing amount of support from my fellow church members. I felt loved and continue to feel loved. I still attend the same congregation. The other thing that happened is that God has opened other doors outside of church where I can continue to exercise the same talents that I had been using in church and that would have not been there if I had stayed with my role in Church.
Bad things to happen in church, but good things happen as well. It is a place to grow, but we need to remember that we are God's agents for that to happen. If we refuse to let God use us, then bad things happen. That is our fault and not the fault of the Church.
Maurice, you have explained well and for sure i have been blessed. But let me say that now your not exercising your talents out of the church, it is still within the church (Because i believe anything you do is per SDA church doctrines and princples)
Be blessed.
Servant leadership is one that's led by the Holy Spirit. It entails leading people to Jesus Christ and His mission on earth, sharing the plan of salvation with others, teaching them God's Commandments, the sanctuary and the imminent return of our Saviour. A servant leader is therefore Christ-centred and Christ-like, helping believers to find God's plan for their lives; submitting to a higher purpose rather than on personal gain. Jesus set the standard in Matthew 20:26-28 and Matthew 23:11-12 when He said: "It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 26-28). In this regard, Christ washed the feet of his followers, a task that was reserved for the house-servant. Moreover, Jesus sacrificed His life freely out of service for fallen humanity under the will of God. He was motivated by love for His followers. Lastly, Paul stated, “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me.” A servant leader is principally a servant of the gospel of the Lord.