But Jesus called them to him and said, “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 ESV
One of the most popular topics in the past couple of decades has been that of church leadership. Books have been written, seminars offered, and seminary classes taught, all on leadership. As time passes and older generations of church members pass the baton to younger generations, a concern high on the list is leadership. Who will lead the church in the future? What can we do to begin training them now?
The Bible is by no means silent on the subject. Matthew 20:25-28, as quoted above, describes the meaning of the term, servant leaders, from a Biblical perspective. There are three areas in which godly men are called by the Scriptures to follow their Lord in a servant leadership capacity.
First, the Bible calls men to be servant leaders in their marriages. For husbands, the command of Scripture is clear. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. The call here is not to both husband and wife, but to the husband exclusively. He is called to love his wife as Jesus loved the church, laying down his own goals, ambitions and desires for her welfare. He is to take the initiative in sacrificing, in serving, and in studying the Scriptures. Who bears the greatest responsibility for the success of a godly marriage? The husband. There is a specific, undeniable call for men to be servant leaders in this important arena of life.
Second, the Bible calls men to be servant leaders in their families. Ephesians 6:4 says, Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The traditional model of child rearing is essentially the mother taking responsibility to be both parents to the kids, since Dad is busy earning a living outside the home. In the Biblical model, however, the father has a clear responsibility to be a servant leader for his children, regardless of the demands of his employment. The Scriptures nowhere say, “Raising the children is just for the women.” Instead, fathers are called to be deeply involved. Children are powerfully influenced by the presence of a godly father who takes an initiative in their training and rearing.
Third, the Bible calls men as servant leaders in the church. 1 Timothy 3:2-7 says, Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. These servant leaders of the church are also called elders or pastors. The terms are all interchangeable. Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, God repeatedly and frequently calls men to serve selflessly in the offices of prophet, priest, king, apostle, elder, and deacon.
The Scriptures are crystal clear about God’s call to men to be servant leaders. Men, will you devote yourself to following your Lord in these most important ways? Will you take the initiative in service, in sacrifice, and in selflessness for the glory of Christ? You, your wives, your children, and your church congregations will all be richly blessed as a result.
With a shepherd’s heart,
Pastor David
About the Author
David Bess is pastor of the First Baptist Church, in Waynesburg, PA. He has pastored Baptist churches for over 40 years in Indiana, West Virginia, and now Pennsylvania. He resides in Washington, PA with his wife, Jeannie. Their son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren live in nearby Canonsburg, PA. He has MDiv and DMin degrees from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. He is currently pursuing a MARBS degree from CBTS.
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This blog post is authored by a student of Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.
