Lead: 12 Gospel Principles for Leadership in the Church by Paul David Tripp

Author:Paul David Tripp [Tripp, Paul David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Religion, Christian Ministry, Pastoral Resources
ISBN: 9781433567667
Google: xz_2DwAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1433567636
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2020-08-23T22:00:00+00:00

7.

Servants

It’s a biblical theme that needs to be studied, taught, and brought to memory again and again because it is so radically counterintuitive. The most often used term for a spiritual leader in Scripture is servant. So it is vital that every leadership community does its work, understanding that what God has called each leader to be defines how God has called him to do what he has been called to do. What is the motivational joy in the heart of a true servant? The joy of a true servant is not power; the joy of a true servant is not control; the joy of a true servant is not acclaim; the joy of a true servant is not comfort or ease; and, of course, the joy of a true servant is not position. What gives a servant joy in being a servant is service.

Why is service so unnatural for us? Why do we love to be known as servants while not always loving the call to serve? Why do we fall into thinking of opportunities to serve as an interruption, a hassle, or a burden? Why do we count the cost while forgetting the riches we have been given? Why are servant posture and attitude not normal in the hearts and lives of those whom God has called to lead churches and gospel ministries? I think the answer is clear. In 2 Corinthians 5:15 Paul argues that the DNA of sin is selfishness. Sin is self-focused, self-absorbed, self-defensive, and self-aggrandizing—selfish in the purest sense of what that word means. So as long as there are artifacts of sin still resident in our hearts, we will be vulnerable to the temptation to make life about us—what we want, what we think we need, and what makes us content and comfortable. I am convicted as I write. I am required to face the fact that, like every other sinner, my default idol is the idol of self, and because it is, my default craving is for what I find comfortable, enjoyable, and exciting.

So it is an argument for the presence and power of rescuing and forgiving grace when any sinner finds joy in the self-sacrifice and self-denial that are the normal life of a servant. It takes grace to free us from the powerful inertia of sin’s individualism. It takes almighty power to free us from the depth of our self-allegiance. And it is all too easy to give way to sin’s draw. It is also vital for every leader to remember that the struggle of selfishness is the focus not only of the rescue and forgiveness of our justification, but also of the transforming work of our sanctification. Leader, your Savior has rescued you from you, is rescuing you from you, and will continue to rescue you from you until that rescue is no longer needed. If the leaders around you were to characterize your attitude and actions as a leader, would they say, “He has a servant’s heart”?

The Servant

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