Aug 27 2023 Do You Want to be a Great Leader?

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Henry:

As a technologist, I will open with the disclaimers and cautionary notes.
What I am going to share is intended for people who believe that the Holy Spirit works to mature those who have chosen to follow Christ and that the Holy Spirit works to influence those people through some means or another.

This is not intended as instruction in behavior or in doctrine.

I am not appointed to speak in the first sense or qualified to speak in the second sense.

As I said, I am a technician, not a theologian.

This insight is, for me, a connection that the Holy Spirit lead me to.

For me, it is an instruction, I think.

I offer it as something for your consideration and perhaps, prayer.

When I was younger, I spent years being helped by counseling.

I have, for much of my life, been around people who are in therapy and, consequently, have spent some time speaking with therapists. I recall a meeting with a therapist who I esteemed to be very good who was working with someone who knew me well. She said: …..“my client has asked that I speak to you so that you would have a clear understanding of your role in their care”.

You need to be aware that my client has a trained and experienced THERAPY TEAM guiding them, setting goals for them, and helping them attain the goals.

She said………this process will be very emotionally demanding for my client.

My client has asked that you be part of their SUPPORT TEAM.

Your job is to remind them that they have value and to remind them that you, and others, love them.

And, yes, it’s OK to, occasionally, do something nice for them too.

This all made sense to me.

It was good the hear that the person in therapy had a good THERAPY TEAM and that THEIR progress was not MY responsibility. All I needed to do is help them survive the process.

So, as one who believes that Holy Spirit works to influence my brothers and sisters through diverse means,

I can relax a bit , and take my place in the SUPPORT TEAM.

Mike Marette:

Mark 10: 33 "Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles.

34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he will rise again."

This is the third time that Mark has indicated that Jesus would be crucified.

It is like the voice of the common man – like that Oliver guy on YouTube now.

Mark does not use fancy words – just the language of the common man – HOWEVER – it is genius what he does with common language – He makes connections – and themes and metaphors used in amazing ways – and irony like no other part of the Bible. This story is all about irony.

We get the first response from the disciples after Jesus tells you He is going to be mocked and crucified – You’ve got to be kidding me! (There are a lot of you’ve got to be kidding me moments…)

Right then…

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 He said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" 37 They said to him, "Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory."

And we have to ask – WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?! How insensitive are they? It is bold, presumptuous, and outrageous!

For the longest time, I misunderstood this. I always thought they were talking about heaven – in your glory – based on how good you were, people lined up around Jesus – and they wanted to be the first two. I no longer think that is what is being talked about here.

James and John had a very different view than that – and their view was not that of Jesus. The last words were – Look, we’re going to Jerusalem.

Earlier, Jesus took them up on the mountain and there was the transfiguration – and they are thinking – we are going to the Capitol! He is going to be king! He is coming into power!

And when they way right and left – it was – we want to be your chief advisors… Notice, they left Peter out. If I were Jesus, I would be fed up. And you would too. But He is calm and patient, because…

38 But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking!

He is basically saying – you’re ignorant. What you are thinking about is never going to happen! Something else is going on here…

Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I experience?"

(Suffering, calamity is the cup He is referring to…)

39 They said to him, "We are able."

This is a “we are able” of ignorance. It is a clueless boast. We know in just a couple weeks – he says – I am going to be tried and you all will abandon me! Peter – never! And all the disciples said the same thing and they all abandoned Him.

Before looking at Jesus’ response, we need to go to Star Wars…

Remember when Luke had to go to the beta-var system to meet Yoda in the swamp? “I’m not afraid of Darth Vader!” and Yoda says – “You will be!”

Then Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience…

Jesus knows these guys are clueless. He understands their selfish ambition – but He also sees into their future and sees them transformed by the Holy Spirit – and each will give their lives many years later – but they aren’t ready for that yet…

40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been prepared."

There is one other time where Jesus has people at His right and left – same phrase – and that time was on the cross – His glory – that is His glory – when Jesus is on the cross.

To the world, that was His shame – but to God, that was His glory!

Mark 10: 41 Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John.

They were not angry because of their insensitivity – but because they beat them to the punch!

In context – during the second time – earlier…

Mark 9:33 Then they came to Capernaum. After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all."

And here they are – still arguing – but God will transform them. They failed. We fail. But Jesus is looking past our failures to what He knows we will become – but we need to look past others’ failures to what we know THEY will become.

Mark 10: 42 Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.

He does it in a kind way – but He is saying – You are acting like the pagan rulers – you do not understand authority, power, greatness – you are seeking power, applause, using manipulation and control tactics – that is the way of the world – then He says this:

43 But it is not this way among you.

There is no place for this in the kingdom of God.

Wednesday night – the 2024 presidential election debates started – and what you saw was how the world does power. But Jesus is saying – there is no place for this in My kingdom. That does not mean that some of them aren’t better than others.

There are two words Jesus uses to describe greatness – Servant and Slave.

Many call this the Great Reversal – or the Upside-down Kingdom.

Servant simply means this – a household servant or maid – a cleaning person, someone who waits on tables. Those who are downstairs in Downton Abbey.

If you want to understand power, leadership, and authority in the kingdom of God – Be like that. Make that your life ambition.

Slave – Two similar but different words – from Oh wow! To Oh NO! Slaves are the lowest – member of the household, member of the community. They are at the bottom.

Jesus is saying – if you want to be greatest, go to the bottom.

Now, wouldn’t it be cool – and I know it wouldn’t work – but for one of those leaders to say – I am the slave of all…

And we say – Jesus can’t mean this literally. He will demonstrate this in a few days – He means this exactly literally – He goes there by choice. He tells Pilate – you have no authority over Me, I choose this path.

Cindy read a discussion of Christians arguing online – we live in a time where we cannot follow the Sermon on the Mount because evil people are in charge.

There are a lot who believe that! We have to ask, who was in charge when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount? We can always follow the Sermon on the Mount.

Slave language is hard for us – because of our history – but it was Paul’s favorite word. When Paul described himself, he used the word slave. The NASB uses bond-slave, but it means slave. Other translations just use servant. They are trying to soften it. But this is the Jesus Way – for all – Self-sacrificial service. Not just service – a maid or server at a restaurant gets paid, but this is self-sacrificial service for all – radically others-centered.

A few ways this might be seen today.

The Jesus Way is highly relational and personal. We cannot do the Jesus way unless we are focused on personal relationship. Other-centeredness requires us to be in relationship with people. There is a lot of service that we need to do that is good and important – and we might be on our own doing – but Jesus was so incredibly relational and personal with all of this.

Relationships do not develop in the spotlight. They don’t develop in a position of leadership or power. Yes, leaders can have relationships – but if they try to create the relationship FROM that, they are lost.

Think of a boss and employee –

I am going to use our church building as a metaphor. We have an upstairs where the Holy, Spiritual stuff takes place. I know we have fun up here, but relationships take place downstairs in the kitchen! I know this is not a perfect metaphor –

We need to serve through our presence – hospitality – having people to your home – visiting people – initiating to connect personally – face-to-face with others. Especially people who are cooped up for one reason or another – it is such an important way to serve.

Some of you are great examples at this.

The third – what Henry shared – to do the Jesus Way – we must – we really really really must – understand that we are not the Holy Spirit in someone’s life – even your children’s lives! Now, we all LIKE to be the Holy Spirit for others! We have all tried! But you are not His apprentice! He is not retiring and seeking someone to replace Him!

Like Henry – we all, from a good heart and concern desire to help people – and we do – but sometimes we go too far – and step out of the role of helping through service and stepping into the role of Holy Spirit.

This does not mean we don’t give advice, when appropriate – but in appropriate ways!

You may have wisdom and experience that may benefit others – maybe in something like plumbing… But in case you didn’t know – there are no expert and professional disciples! When it comes to discipleship – don’t give advice as an expert and professional.

Believe it or not – there are no experts or professionals in marriage. They may have written books or have helpful things to say – but we all struggle.

With YouTube and social media, there are a lot of experts out in the world. The Holy Spirit does not have a social media account – and He is not backing anyone’s channel…

Finally – the Way of Jesus – self-sacrificial service requires… SERVING! Real serving! Us doing household service! Serving one another! All of us! Jesus type of serving! And that means taking the lowest position in a setting or context.

When I teach, I am serving. When Jeff or Dick leads worship – they are serving. When you lead your small group – you are serving – but all of us need to do the jobs – the cleaning, the waiting on tables, - all of us have those responsibilities in our serving – because Jesus did.

Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."