Leadership of the Spiritual Family

1. Read: Luke 22:24-27

2. About the Text:

1) The disciples of Jesus had a problem.

2) They all wanted to be the greatest.

3) Jesus’ answer was simple: “You are acting like gentiles!”

4) The kings of the gentiles pretended to be benefactors to gain control over others.

5) Jesus reoriented their thinking; He had a different standard for leadership.

3. What does it mean to be a spiritual leader in our families?

1) God has given men the responsibility of being spiritual leaders in the family

2) This does not mean that others cannot be spiritual leaders in the family.

3) Leadership is about setting examples and standards of behavior for others to follow.

4) Jesus did this for us.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Jesus’ model of leadership is for leaders to serve.

1) “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:26-27).

2) “Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; And in His name Gentiles will trust.” (Matthew 12:18-21). Quoted from Isaiah 42:1-4.

2. Jesus is the Head of the church.

1) “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church” (Eph.1:22).

2) “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col.1:18).

3. Yet He is the One who serves.

1) “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

2) “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil.2:7).

4. Our leaders must be servants.

1) “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matt.23:11).

2) “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil.2:5).

3) “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal.5:13).

1. Jesus’ method of leadership is for leaders to humble themselves before others.

1) Read John 13:3-17 – Humility.

2) Phil.2:8 – “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

2. God wants leaders to be humble because He can work with the humble leader.

1) “Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear” (Psalm 10:17).

2) “The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way” (Psalm 25:9).

3) “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones’” (Isaiah 57:15).

3. Every family member may lead when he is displaying such good attitudes.

4. Leaders that display a prideful attitude will be resisted by God.

1) “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

2) “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate” (Proverbs 8:13).

5. How does a leader know whether he is being humble?

1) Is he following Jesus?

2) Is he communing with God the Father?

3) Is he serving his family?

4) Is he serving the church?

1. Jesus wanted His leaders to make disciples.

1) Matthew 28:18-20 – “make disciples”

2) “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:21-22).

2. This is extended to the family because the goal is to create disciples of our children.

1) “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.’ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph.6:1-4).

2) “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

3. Jesus disciples are followers of Jesus/God.

1) “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor.11:1).

2) “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Eph.5:11).

4. Jesus disciples are transformed into the image of Jesus.

1) “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

2) “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

5. We must effect spiritual transformation in our families as leaders.

1. To be a spiritual leader one must adopt . . .

1) Jesus’ Model of Leadership – Servant Leaders

2) Jesus’ Method of Leadership—Humble Leaders

3) Jesus’ Mission of Leadership – Discipling Leaders

2. Invitation