Leadership in the Kingdom of God

Welcome back to our study of healthy leadership!

Let’s read Jesus’ words in Matthew 20:25.

… “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:25 – 28

Jesus said that leadership in the Kingdom of God is of a fundamentally different nature than the leadership of the world. Unfortunately, the leadership that is present in so many Christian organisations and even churches is not only “worldly” in its authoritarianism; it is often worse than worldly leadership and downright abusive!

In this course we’re going to look at both abusive leadership and true servant leadership. A godly leader will be firm and strong, but he will not dominate the people in his organisation or church. However, a leader who is insecure in his relationship with God and with others may compensate by domination over others. There are clear biblical warnings against leaders being overbearing or controlling, or using God’s people to serve themselves.

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them … Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts …

Ezekiel 34:2-5

God expected His leaders to serve the people, but instead they made themselves fat off the people! And God pronounced severe judgment against them. There are many warnings like this in the Old Testament, and also in the New Testament.

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

John 10:12-13

The leader here is not a true one. He’s just a “hired hand.” He’s doing it for the money. He’s not willing to personally suffer for the sake of the sheep and so he runs at the sign of trouble.

Look at Peter’s exhortation to Christian leaders:

… shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

1 Peter 5:1-4

This is the leadership of the Kingdom of God!

And this must be true for leaders in every area. Not only church leaders, but leaders in business, non-profit leaders, leaders in the family. God has called you to be a servant leader!

Now, let’s look more deeply at what that means …