Servant Leaders (Matthew 22:15-22; Acts 6:1-6)
Listen.October 19th, 2008
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
Recently I read about a corporation that lost $929 million dollars in revenue, saw its stock price fall from $53 to somewhere in the high teens, while the CEO of that corporation received a million dollars in salary plus an additional $6 million in cash bonuses. At another failing large corporation, the CEO resigned. His compensation package from this failing corporation was a bonus of $10 million plus $28 million in stock options and an additional $1.5 million in annual perks.
These stories are becoming extremely common in this financially turbulent time. The stories amaze us as we find people who made bad choices, perhaps bordering on illegal choices coming away from their failed positions with enormous financial packages. These are the folks who take risks and end up hurting the shareholder. These are the folks who can simply walk away and never have to work again, while the hard working person with a 401K or other stock market investments has seen their portfolios freefall.
As we view these incidents, we understand that there are many greedy, self-serving, self-centered people in leadership capacities. But, this morning as we begin our 6th week of our emphasis Living the Mission, we find a stark contrast between self-serving leadership and the discipleship that calls for servant-leaders.
Choosing leaders
We find this different kind of leadership being lived out in scripture, especially this morning we discover it in the book of Acts chapter 6. The early church was rapidly expanding in numbers. A great many people were being added to the faith community each day. You’ll remember the three thousand on Pentecost and the five thousand after Peter preaches in the temple. With such rapid growth came problems. These were problems of administration. We find it particularly evident in the distribution when one group of widows was being overlooked when food was being handed out. Some felt that the Hellenists in the group were being discriminated against.
According to the passage the Hellenists were neglected while the Hebrew widows were receiving more than their share. In understanding the situation we should note that Hellenists were Greek speaking Jews. They had come from other areas and had lived in a Greek culture. The Hebrews were the Jewish Christians.
The early church then had to develop a structure that would provide for all the Christ followers. The structure needed to have sufficient people in the right places in order to accomplish the mission of the church. This mission included feeding and caring for the widows and orphans as well as making sure that prayers were offered and the word preached. The disciples came together and worked out a plan. They would choose people of high quality, full of the Spirit and wisdom. These individuals would be the ones who would be responsible for the food distribution; they would wait on tables, and I presume would help organize a system so that all would receive food and care.
While these individuals would serve the tables, the twelve would devote themselves to prayer and to serving the Word. Here we find a beginning of an organizational model that continues to this day, only with an abundance of additional categories. However, what we see here is the basic fact that a community of faith needs a variety of people working together in ministry so that God is glorified and the people are cared for.
The community was pleased with this organizational plan and so they chose from among them seven men. The number of seven was not simply a random number, but one that reflected organizational principles from other areas. The number seven reflected the number of people who were on a local Jewish community council as well as reflected the number of people on ancient councils. This number gave authority and provided a sense of tradition and continuity with what the people knew.
The men they chose were not chosen at random. If we look at the names of the men chosen for this task, we discover that they are all Greek names! Remember the party that felt neglected? The Hellenists were the Greek speaking Jews. And so from among the discriminated group the seven were chosen, prayed over and began their ministry of service. In the community of Christ leadership rises from the functional needs of the community, not from the top down. These men were servant leaders – looking out for the best for others in the group. They were not selfish or proud but knew that even the most menial task, done in a loving spirit glorifies God and shows God’s love for others. A servant leader is not a selfish leader!
Servant leadership
What I find interesting in this story about organizing the group to meet the needs of the community, is that the concern is to provide for the needs of those who are in desperate situations. It is not about a self-centered ambition that looks out only for self. There was a focus on others and the men chosen were to serve. This was a benevolent act. It was not about me! The seven didn’t complain and say, “Why do I have to do this?” “Someone else can wait on tables and minister to others.” “It’s beneath me to do this trivial and meaningless work.” “Peter gets to preach and I have to wait on tables!”
What we find are men who give themselves to the Lord and in so doing serve others with envy or malice or self-centered pride. Every decision was based on others s they responded to the call to serve. These were humble men filled with the spirit and instilled with a desire to serve for the glory of God and for the building of community.
Are we willing to do whatever it takes to care for, love, and build the kingdom of God? Have we been able to pray that God will use us in a mighty way in service as his people? Too often our egos get in the way of our willingness to serve. Many people come to a point where the church exists only for their needs and concerns; for their personal issues. The attitude of “what can I get out of it” pervades many decisions that people make in the church.
However, as we see in our passage, a Christian lives for Jesus and in the attempt to be like our Lord, our egos and our selfishness is cast aside in favor of a servant attitude. As the community of faith in the early days of the church looked and saw what their leaders were doing – serving tables, being involved in the food distribution and rolling up their sleeves to go to work – they would understand that to be leader was to be a servant. That servantship would extend from serving table to serving the word and the worship service.
Walt Kallestad, senior pastor at Community Church of Joy, Glendale, AZ, has begun the process of moving a program, staff led mega church to a mission-driven, disciple-making church. This has caused great difficulty among the members. As program staff was let go, lay members had to pick up a ministry. Many members were irritated, anonymous letters were received by Pastor Kallestad which suggested that people were displeased with the process, and several thought he ought to resign. But he continues to move in the direction that God is providing. Each task or ministry in the church is vital. There is nothing that we do that can not glorify God. For example, we have many in volunteer ministries that support other ministries.[1]
We, too, have many unseen – and some would say thankless tasks that need to be done in order for the congregation to continue to be vital and serve the Lord. Everything from mowing the lawn, to trimming trees, to organizing work days, to caring for the altar to visiting our sick and shut in, to working at PADS to various projects around the church… all important tasks done by servant leaders. Functions may be different but each ministry is vital to the working of the community of faith at Christ Lutheran Church. Perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is “How does what I do in the congregation glorify God and help this community of faith to live as God intends? It’s not about us, it is about Jesus and his people. A servant leader is not a selfish leader!
God is glorified
As we work together God is glorified. No one can be a Christian in a vacuum. We live our faith in community. When that community is functioning the way God intended, it is a beautiful and glorious thing to behold. In that early church, God was glorified as the leaders took up various ministries: serving table, doing benevolent work, preaching and leading worship. I would imagine there were some who were cooking and baking and gathering the food so that the widows were cared for. They worked together without envy or jealousy, each doing that which God gifted them for.
That structure of leadership continues even today: Those who were chosen to serve came to be known as deacons in the church. Those who served the word and devoted themselves to prayer came to be the clergy. Just as important then as today, one position or the other are to be accomplished in Christ – for working together for his glory and great and mighty things can and will happen for the Kingdom of God. By grace we have been called into this community of faith – are we using our gifts for the glory of God? Are we involved in service in and at Christ? Or is it still about me?
A servant leader is not about being selfish. It is all about the welfare of those around us. A servant leader is not afraid to do the thankless and often unglamorous jobs in the congregation, but will pick up the job, volunteer for it and through graciousness perform the service solely for the joy of serving Jesus. Every decision a servant leader makes is based on other people for a servant leader is not a selfish leader!
Conclusion
In the comic strip Peanuts, we find Peppermint Patty telephoning Charlie Brown. She says, “Hi, Chuck, old buddy…how’ve you been?” “Fine, Patty,” Charlie says. “Uh could you hold the line for a moment? I think someone’s at the door. Do you mind if I put you on hold?” Patty responds, “Don’t put me on hold. Put me on HUG!” Servant leaders care for others as they do their ministries. In everything and in every ministry we base our decision on others for the sake of Christ. After all a servant leader is not selfish leader. Amen.
[1] Kallestad, Walt. Theology News & Notes, Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, CA. Fall 2008, p 5.