Leadership Jesus-style The 6th message in our 9-week series entitled The Saviour Points the Way. Sunday, August 8, 2010 Speaker: Phil Hainaut

Mary Ruth Swope "To be a good leader, you have to study the patterns of the most effective leaders who have ever lived. In my opinion, the most effective leader was Jesus.”

Leader Principles of Jesus 1. Leadership involves humble servanthood

Matthew 20:20-28 “Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ‘What is it you want?’ he asked. She said, ‘Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.’ ‘You don't know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. To sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.’

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Philippians 2:5-11 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Leader Principles of Jesus 1. Leadership involves humble servanthood 2. Leadership involves teaching by your example

John 15:20 “Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” Matthew 12:35 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good, the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings for what is evil.” Luke 7:18-22 “Are You the coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered “Go, and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear and the gospel is preached to the poor.”

John 13:1-4,12-17 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him…

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Leader Principles of Jesus 1. Leadership involves humble servanthood 2. Leadership involves teaching by your example 3. Leadership impact comes from relationships not positions

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice “It’s simple to get people to do something easy, but considerably more difficult to get them to do something hard. Successful diplomacy often involves the latter. Personal relationships really matter. Without relationships, you cannot ask people to do hard things. I guess I was the most traveled secretary of state in history. I traveled over a million miles. I know the value of sitting across from someone and feeling their body temperature when I talk with them.”

Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.” John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory…full of grace and truth.” Luke 9:6 says: “He went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.”

Leader Principles of Jesus 1. Leadership involves humble servanthood 2. Leadership involves teaching by your example 3. Leadership impact comes from relationships not positions 4,5. Leaders choose and develop key people, knowing there is no success without a successor.

Matthew 4:25 tell us “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.” Luke 10:1 “The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” Mark 3:14 tells us “Jesus chose the twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

John 14:12 “The works that I do, you shall do, and greater works, because I go to the Father…” Matthew 28:18,19 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”

Leader Principles of Jesus 1. Leadership involves humble servanthood 2. Leadership involves teaching by your example 3. Leadership impact comes from relationships not positions 4,5. Leaders choose and develop key people, knowing there is no success without a successor.

Conclusion: Have I realized that I am a leader, called to influence others for Christ? Is my life characterized by servanthood? Who do I actually serve in my family, my neighbourhood, my workplace, my school, or any other of my network circles? What do I actually do to serve them? Am I a model of what I claim to believe before those that I am trying to influence? Who am I actually building relationships of influence with? Am I investing the best of my life in the right people?