Servant-Leader

 Servant-Leader

Becoming God's Man Series - 

Edward Lee. 20/4/2018

Session 3 : The Call – Man as a Steward (Servant Leader)

Speaker : Ps Kirk Tan, Chairman, Men’s Ministry Network

Brief Description : This session speaks about the 1st of four primary callings of God’s men as Servant Leader, what it means, the challenges we face, how Adam failed but Jesus fulfilled this primary calling, restoring this primary calling unto us.

• Opening and Prayer 

• Key foundations from past sessions:

a.      Session 1: Crisis of Manhood (Sinner) - Rebellion

                                               i.      Man moved from being made in God's image to rebellion, leading to

                                              ii.      Worldliness > Lukewarmness > Lostness

                                            iii.      We are missing our identity and calling

                                            iv.      Our Father calls for us: "Adam, where are you?" - the call not of a cosmic policeman, but of a heart-broken father to his lost son.

                                              v.      Video link : https://vimeo.com/167112813/36b400075a

                                            vi.      Dialogue ink: https://vimeo.com/167703956/436fc8a514

b.      Session 2: Celebration by the Father (Son) - Restoration

                                               i.      God pines for our return so that we may receive forgiveness for our restoration.

                                              ii.      Repent > Return > Receive

                                            iii.      God as our heavenly Father - our foundational relationship from which everything else flow.

                                            iv.      Our value can never be taken away from us because we are precious to him. And when we are put back together (restored), we will have our full value.

                                              v.      Vimeo link : https://vimeo.com/166792578/937794d93d

                                            vi.      Dialogue link: https://vimeo.com/167704437/77ed15094f

c.       Out of our sonship in God flows four primary callings:

                                               i.      Servant-Leader - The God we must obey.

                                              ii.      Spiritual Guardian - The truth we must uphold. (Richard)

                                            iii.      Love-Giver - The family we must love. (Francis)

                                            iv.      Brothers' keeper - the brotherhood we must protect. (How Giap)

• Servant-leader

The Last Supper by Daniele Crespi

a.         Why must we first be a servant?

                                               i.      Being comes before Doing (Gen 1.26) - Humanity was first made in the image of God before we are given the authority to rule.

                                              ii.      Our authority to lead is derived from God’s authority over his creation.

o   So it's in being a servant of God that we find our authority and anointing. Therein also lies the whole thrust of leadership, it's about us first following Jesus that we may point others to him (Ps Kirk Tan in Session 3 Dialogue).

b.         What is it about being a servant that makes us turn away?

                                               i.      Our view of servanthood as lowly - We tend to view servanthood as something lowly, something despicable to be avoided. Yet when it comes to the things of God, when it comes to the kingdom, service is something of great value to God (ibid).

                                              ii.      When we look at the Scriptures, Christ himself says there is greatness in being a servant. Perhaps this is the critical reversal of values we need to embrace as Christians, that to serve is something of value to God, not to be despised, not to be avoided, but rather a sense of great privilege in honor of God our King (ibid).

• Washing of Feet

a.         Video – John 13.

b.         Washing of feet

c.          Short reflection

• Why is it so difficult to be a servant-leader as defined by Jesus?

a.         Watch video (Q5).

b.         Bluntly put, though we have left Egypt, Egypt hasn't left us. There is still so much of the love of the world in us. Hence therein lies the challenge to servant-leadership. When we become servant-leaders, it begins to cost us - the world begins to mock at us, even laugh at us. People who do otherwise seem to get ahead.

c.          And therein lies the real test of what we really value. Do we value obedience to God? Do we believe honoring him above all else is what really counts and matters? Or do we have that lingering feeling that it's beginning to hurt too much.

d.         I believe servant-leadership ultimately springs out of a love for God, knowing how much he first loves us (Ps Kirk Tan in Session 3 Dialogue).

e.         Sharing.

• How do we die to self to become a servant leader?

a.      Watch video (Q6).

b.      Often times there is not enough sense of the ugliness of self. Perhaps we do not say it, or we wouldn't, but we think, "The self is not so bad". It needs a bit of fine tuning, a bit of remake, but the ugliness of self is not really apparent to us.

c.       I was very struck this whole picture of disobedience given by RC Sproul. He says that when we are disobedient to God, picture a tiny creature shaking his fist at God saying "I'm going to do it my own way. I don't give too hoots about what you're telling me to do."

d.      That picture stuck in my mind. It painted for me the sheer audacity of a puny creature defying an almighty God. And often times when we come to that place where we recognize the ugliness and vileness of that attitude, then it breaks us. And when it does, we cry out to God in desperation, "Lord, change me. This has got to go."

e.      I feel when we are driven by that desperation, therein begins the whole process of dying to self.

f.        Sharing –

• Closing