Servant Leaders, Part 4

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. What images come to your mind when you think of the position of leader? The world's leader seeks power and renown and is lifted up based on talent, appearance, and cunning. But 1 Peter 5, 1-4 portrays the biblical image of the leader as a servant. Today, Rich unpacks the text to show how a leader must think and function within the church. God's Word presents church leadership as a weighty responsibility that requires a constant view toward the cross and eternity. Let's listen in. This is the fourth part of a message titled Servant Leaders.

It was first preached on February 26, 2023. The thing that I need to continually guard against in all the things that I do, all the meetings, all the counseling, all the sermon prep, all the teaching prep, all the envisioning, everything, all that goes into that, all the counseling, all of that stuff. I can be so busy visiting people, all of that stuff. I can get so busy doing that, but I cannot afford to substitute that for my walk with God. Because just because I'm doing church stuff doesn't mean I'm walking with God. You can't be an example if you're not walking with God. You have to be living in the outflow.

Your priority relationship is that vertical one, and then the horizontal is the outflow of that. That's why you need to be doing life with the flock. You can't lead by example if you're not doing life with the flock. And the chief shepherd, do you remember what he did, John chapter 13? It was the night of the Lord's table. It was the night that he was betrayed. It was the night before his crucifixion, and he's in the upper room, and he's with the apostles. And what does he do? Puts a towel around himself, and he gets down at the position of a slave, and he washes their feet. Dirty, grimy, smelly feet of the apostles. He's doing the function of a slave. And this is the Messiah, their creator, who's washing their feet. And you know what he said? I've left you an example so that you would do the same thing also.

So much for celebrities. It is about the gospel being lived as one who is among the flock, being an example. He says just before this, not domineering. Not domineering over those in your charge. Because it is a trust. But listen, here's the difference between stewardship and ownership. Does a steward own what has been entrusted to him? He does not.

What do you have that you have not received? This church is not my church in the sense of I own it. It is my church in the sense of we are one flock.

We are a community. But it is not my church in the sense of possessive. It's the Lord's church.

Let me tell you, that is a very, very comforting reality. Not domineering because that would be a matter of control or driving them like a cowboy thinking the church is like cattle. You've got to get behind them and whip them and all that kind of stuff, right? And a person who is domineering or a person who is in a position of control. And we've read and listened to podcasts, numerous podcasts of churches in the last decade or so that have just folded up. Why? Because there was a celebrity at the helm building his own kingdom and the church imploded around it.

It's way too common. And that kind of person who is domineering over people is a person who thinks he is beyond accountability. No one is beyond accountability. I love meeting with our board. It is a delight to meet with those men because they manifest a love for God and they manifest a love for people and they also manifest enough love for me to speak the truth to me.

That's powerful. Too many boards out there who don't love the pastor enough to speak truth to him. No pastor is beyond accountability. No pastor is so larger than life that he becomes untouchable. I mean that's what happens with celebrities, isn't it? You talk about entertainment celebrities, athletic celebrities, right?

And you encounter them and it's like, oh, it just takes your breath away. It should not be the case with a pastor. Because a person who controls and is beyond accountability does nothing but manipulate objects. And the people of the church become objects of manipulation. That is the opposite of shepherding, the exact opposite of shepherding.

Don't really mean this to be a polemic against 21st century American Christianity, but there's a reason why Peter wrote this. Because there's a very clear job description in this. Shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight, doing it willingly, eagerly, and as an example to the flock. Now let me make a point here too. Because as I've said so many times, Dwight and Bobby and myself, we are not the only ones in this room who are in ministry.

You with me? All in ministry should aspire to these standards. All in ministry should aspire to these standards. How many of you are in ministry?

You're getting it. If you are in Christ, you are in ministry. We just happen to be the ones who have the ministry as a vocation to lead, to be the point people in front of the pack, passionately following Christ. And we're all walking together. So take that very seriously because there is an accountability.

There is an accountability. Look with me at verse 4. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Now some of us can get really stuck on that receiving the unfading crown of glory, but you know what the scary part is, is when the chief shepherd appears.

You know why? Because this is his flock and I have been entrusted with teaching and leading and caring for, serving this flock. There's a serious accountability there. This is living with the end in view. When Christ the chief shepherd appears and it's his flock, he is going to appear and it is his flock. And James makes it very clear when he says, we who teach will be judged with a greater strictness.

That's weighty folks. Have we been faithful to God's self-disclosure or have we been preaching our agenda and our preferences and our emotions? Or have we been teaching and unpacking the treasures of God's self-disclosure? Judged with a greater strictness. When the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. There will be a reward, but the reward is not for having the position. The reward is for faithfulness. Faithfulness. The reward is not for the results.

The results are entirely God's business. The reward is for faithfulness. Faithfulness to what? To God's word and to God's character and his purpose. As opposed to aspiring to be one of these people who, when people encounter you, it just takes their breath away and they almost faint in front of you like they can't speak, right?

I mean, who doesn't want to be that level of an influencer, right? Not the shepherd. Not the shepherd who is the under shepherd of Christ. You see, those people already have their reward. I'm pretty certain that when the chief shepherd appears, they will be in silence in awe.

And the only statement that will matter is well done. Good and faithful what? Servant. This is a beautiful picture of his church, folks, the community of the free. Because God leads his people like a flock. We are his flock and I'm one of you. Dwight is one of you.

Bobby is one of you. So let's do this together. As we follow the chief shepherd. Father, we are blessed by your self-disclosure. We are blessed by your presence among us and the person of your Holy Spirit who indwells each of us that belongs to you. Father, I pray that you would do a work among us that we as a flock would be more and more a community of grace. With a culture of discipleship. Coming alongside each other to walk with each other in a Godward direction as we follow the chief shepherd. Father, this is a very high calling and a very weighty responsibility. We thank you, Father, for the church beautiful because when she is the church, she is beautiful. And we look forward to that day, Father, when we will celebrate together at the grand feast of the marriage supper of the Lamb. We look forward to our rehearsal tonight. We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, Pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.