The Pastor as a Servant Leader

Introduction

Turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew 20 and also to I Peter 5.

Over the past couple weeks, we’ve talked about preparing your church for a new pastor. We talked about how just like in marriage, finding a good fit for your church is as much or more about being the right kind of church as it is about finding the right man to be your pastor. One of the things that makes for a godly church is engagement in missions—being a missional church. That means reaching out to your community here, there, and everywhere. And last week, we talked about how you need to be cultivating a desire for a pastor. We talked about how important a pastor is to the life and growth of a church and how we need to be praying, fasting, and searching for a pastor.

This week, we’re going to start turning our attention to what to look for in a pastor. We will frequently pick back up on the topic of what kind of church Hilltop needs to be in order to ensure a “happy marriage,” but we’re going to be looking this morning at one of the most important qualifications in a pastor.

In the last week of Jesus’ life, he had a discussion with his disciples on what makes a good leader. Look with me in Matthew 20.

Matthew 20:20–28 ESV

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 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. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

FCF: We’re a lot like James and John here in this passage, at least on the inside. We naturally desire fame, glory, power, and status. Our sinful nature likes to put itself first.

Main Idea: But, in one of his last teaching moments before his death, Jesus showed us that being a leader means being a servant.

Scripture Introduction: Peter picks up this topic in his letter, in I Peter 5, and expounds on it a little. That’s where we’re going to focus our attention this morning.

1 Peter 5:1–10 ESV

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Prayer for Illumination

Transition: A Pastor must be, above all, a servant-leader. But what does it mean to be a servant-leader?

A Pastor must be willing to suffer. (vv. 1, 8-10)

The whole book of I Peter is about suffering!

Peter says that suffering helps refine their faith and reveal their salvation:

1 Peter 1:6–7 ESV

6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

He encourages servants to submit to their masters and endure suffering, looking to Christ as the example:

1 Peter 2:21–25 ESV

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

He encourages Christians to use their suffering to help them focus on holiness:

1 Peter 4:1–2 ESV

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

He tells them not to be surprised by suffering:

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

But what does suffering have to do with who you pick as your pastor?

Pastors are called to be a witness to the sufferings of Christ. (v. 1)

Not just a witness, but a living testimonial to the sufferings of Christ

As a pastor endures suffering, he models Christ for his people.

A Pastor/Elder/Shepherd has Christ as his example, who laid down his life for his flock.

Part of being a servant-leader is a calling to embrace suffering on behalf of others.

Pastors must bear the burdens of their congregation

They must endure the disapproval of their congregation and community—one of the hardest forms of suffering to endure.

They often endure suffering in forms of long hours, low pay, and little results for their labors.

There’s no way to know for sure whether a pastor will have the endurance necessary to weather the storms that will come while pastoring your church, but you can look at his track record to get an idea of his ability and willingness to endure suffering.

When you’re evaluating a pastoral candidate, get to know them and their spiritual journey. Ask them about some of the hard times they’ve gone through and what they learned through those. Their answer will give you a little idea of this aspect of their spiritual walk.

A Pastor must be willing to lead (v. 2)

Leading is an act of service

Some people lead because of their ego, which clearly contradicts this passage, as we’ll see.

But others are hesitant, or even unwilling to lead. They may pretend (or even think themselves) that their hesitance to lead is owing to their humility, when in fact, it could be their ego in disguise.

Unwillingness to lead or fill the role of pastor could be nothing more than an unwillingness to be vulnerable to others, to put themselves in a position where they will be judged, talked about, etc. This is just pride in disguise.

It takes courage to lead. It requires humility and self-sacrifice.

A Pastor must be willing to lead and not lead from compulsion

If someone asked me, ‘Why do you serve as a missionary in Papua New Guinea?’, there are two answers I could give. I could say, “Because God called me. I didn’t really want to do it, but I don’t really have a choice. I could try running away from my calling, but I know that God would have his way anyhow, so I might as well just do it.”

Another answer is, “Because that’s where God called me, and it’s a joy and privilege to serve him there. I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they hear the gospel in their language for the first time. I want to see people’s lives changed by the power of the gospel in their language, just as my life has been changed.”

Now, both of those statements are true, but the first one focuses on my compulsion by God to the ministry, whereas the second focuses on how privileged I am to be chosen by God for this ministry.

Papaw Hill used to always talk about how much of a joy pastoring was. As I got older, I realized that pastoring did, in fact, involve a lot of suffering. So, occasionally, I’d ask him about some of the harder times, and he would share them with me, but he always preferred to talk about the good times and all that God had accomplished through him. For him, it was always a joy to serve the Lord.

When you’re evaluating pastoral candidates, ask them: “Why do you want to be a pastor?”

A Pastor must be willing to serve (vv. 2b-3)

Motives are important (v. 2b)

In a small church, financial gain is not a likely motivator for a pastor—no pastor gets rich in a church of 20.

But, pride can still be a motivator. Being thought well of by people—being a ‘big fish in a little pond’—can sap the effectiveness of a pastor.

Another poor motivation is the ‘stepping stone’ mentality. Some pastors think of small churches as a ‘stepping stone’ to a bigger church. It’s natural for larger churches to want a pastor with some experience first, but whoever comes in as your pastor shouldn’t have his eyes already set on the ‘next church.’

A pastor who is thinking about the next church can’t focus his attention and efforts fully on this church.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What is your vision for Hilltop Baptist Church in 5 years? What kind of church do you see yourself pastoring after this one?

Being a Servant-leader means leading by serving. (v. 3)

A good pastor doesn’t make executive decisions often and he doesn’t manipulate people.

A good pastor leads by example.

John 13:1–16 ESV

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

A good church willingly follows and serves a good pastor.

It’s easy to take advantage of a good pastor, and many churches do.

He’s called to suffer, but that doesn’t mean you should heap on more suffering.

He’s called to be content with his pay, but that doesn’t mean you should be content with paying him less than he deserves or needs!

He’s called to serve, but that doesn’t mean you should treat him like a servant.

He’s called to lead, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t lead as well.

Conclusion

Are you praying for your future pastor? That he would be willing to suffer? Willing to lead? Willing to serve by example? Are you praying for yourself and your church, that you would be willing to follow his leadership? Willing to share his burdens? Willing to serve him? The most effective and healthy churches are those that are “clothe[d]…with humility” (v. 5)—where the shepherd humbly lays down his life for the flock and the flock does the same for the shepherd.