I would like you to turn your Bibles this morning to Exodus chapter 18, Exodus chapter 18, and let me read a portion of the text to you and confess that we are not going to spend all of our time here.
We drew a book expositionally, and guess which book we are in right now? We're in John, and I have it on reasonable information that we'll probably be in John for another year and a half, maybe two, who knows?
You know, I have to tell you, there was a time in my life when I had a great hesitation in launching into the book of John. I really don't know why other than, well, I will tell you.
I started preaching in the book of John when I was called from Bethel to come here.
And there's always been that kind of pathological fear that if I start John, I'm not going to finish it, so let's not start the book.
But at 67, I have reasonable hope that I will be able to finish the book of John, Lord willing.
And it has been such an incredible blessing to me to be able to look week after week after week at the beauty and the holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And my heart has grown in affection for Him.
Isn't it happening to you?
You've grown in your affection for the Lord Jesus.
It says this, as we learn more about Him, we grow to know Him, and that affects us.
And so the normal pattern is to work our way through a passage of Scripture, through a book.
Today is a topical sermon.
And if I were to ask my wife to give her opinion on how I do at topical sermons, she would say,
Eh, okay.
Well, she's a little more blunt than that.
But, you know, the truth of the matter is, so you have to add extra prayer when a pastor decides that it's appropriate to preach a topical sermon.
But this is necessary and appropriate.
The reason being that on December the 9th, our congregation is going to hold our annual meeting.
And while there are important budget matters that we are going to bring to your attention,
the truth of the matter is, is that the way in which we spend the money that God has provided is not as important as the individuals that we place in leadership.
And that's critical for us to understand.
And so this morning, as we come together, we want to spend time studying what the Word of God has to say about biblical leadership.
What are the characteristics?
What are the expectations that God has placed on leadership?
And why is biblical leadership so important to the testimony of Christ?
Next Sunday, as I mentioned earlier, we are going to have a commissioning service for Caleb and Charity.
And it's going to be a wonderful service in which you are going to hear Caleb and Charity give a short summary of the work of God in their life.
You're also going to hear Gary Crawford, who is the missionary that is overseeing the Jamaican field.
He is also going to be giving this congregation an exhortation in response to our responsibility of our ministry to Caleb and Charity.
And then it will be my privilege to preach a brief message.
Now, that's interesting, isn't it?
Two messages in one day.
You're going to have a great time.
And we will be finished by 1.30 or so.
Don't worry about it.
That's hyperbole.
Some of you are getting really nervous.
But next Sunday, that is a very, very special day for our congregation.
And I encourage you to that and keep it in prayer.
Let me come now to the passage that we're going to begin in.
And there in Exodus chapter 18, if you will look, it says there in verse 13,
The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening.
When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said,
What is this that you are doing for the people?
Why do you sit alone and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?
And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God.
When they have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide between one person and another,
and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.
Moses' father-in-law said to him, What you are doing is not good.
You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.
You're not able to do it alone.
Now obey my voice, I will give you advice, and God be with you.
You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God,
and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws and make them know the way in which they must walk
and what they must do.
Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe,
and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Let us pray.
Our Father God, as we take your word in hand, and we preface our study with prayer,
our time of prayer is a reflection of our dependence upon you,
and a reminder to our own soul of the fact that you're the one who must open our eyes
that we may behold wondrous truths of thy law.
And we ask this morning that the word would make a difference in the lives of your people,
that when we think about leadership, we think about leadership in the frame
and with the encouragement and instruction of the scriptures.
When men think about the responsibility of growing to be leaders in their homes and leaders in ministry,
that they would recognize that you have spoken clearly on these things,
and that our desire would be to be obedient and faithful and know the joy that comes from that.
And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
As we look at this passage, I want you to understand that it serves as a launching point
as we think, first of all, about the significance of godly leaders.
I want you to understand that God has ordained that leadership is very important
regardless of the environment in which it is placed.
And when we think about the importance of leadership,
we need to recognize that the reason that leadership is important
is because of their role and blessing that they are to God's people.
You look here in this passage in Exodus chapter 18,
and we're not going to dive into it in great detail,
but I want you to recognize that Moses, in the process of doing what he was going about doing
when Jethro arrived on the scene,
he was doing his best to meet the needs of people,
recognizing that the needs existed and that their heart's burdens need to be attended to.
The problem, as we see in this passage,
is that he was the only one that really had anything to do with meeting the needs of the people.
And as a result, guess what was happening?
People were standing around from morning till evening.
This was no waiting room environment.
How many of you waited in a doctor's office to be cared for?
Ever done that?
I mean, the doctor says,
be there on such and such a time,
and usually, because of our pathological fear of being overlooked,
when do we arrive?
Most of us arrive a little early,
we take care of the paperwork,
and then we sit around for however long it is,
and one thing goes on and on and on,
and pretty soon someone finally walks out and says,
you may come into the room and you go past the scale, right?
How many of you go past the scale?
How many of you get to skip that part?
I'm just checking.
You know, you go past the scale and you do that little deal,
and then you're waiting in the room how long?
Wait, wait, wait.
The privilege we have in waiting is generally we get to sit.
They, in the ancient culture,
weren't carrying around little camp chairs,
and they stood standing from morning to evening
waiting for the opportunity to speak to Moses,
and here is what Jethro observed.
He said, listen, let me help you understand.
This is going to wear you out,
and it's going to wear them out.
Eventually, when a need that exists in a person's heart is not met,
it ends up creating frustration,
and frustration breeds over into sinful behavior,
and here is Moses being instructed by Jethro,
if you continue doing this, it's going to cause harm.
Problems that aren't handled eventually end up creating heartache,
and so here we find Jethro giving advice to Moses,
and he says, listen, what you need to do
is you need to divide the needs up proportionally,
beginning thousands, hundreds, tens,
and what you will do is that you will recognize,
by doing this, you're going to meet those needs,
and as needs are recognized, you can address them.
I want you to think with me of another passage
in relationship to this that I don't need you to turn to,
but in Acts chapter 6, you'll remember
that what happened in that case as the church grew,
it ended up where the needs of the widows,
particularly the Gentile widows were not being met,
and that created some turmoil,
some difficulty, and some argument,
and as a result, the apostles came together
and said, listen to the congregation,
you need to choose seven men
that are full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom,
have a good reputation,
and we are going to give them the task
of taking care of this responsibility,
and the purpose of that was to see to it
that the needs were met in adequate time.
I want you to understand that it is important
to realize that the role that God has assigned
to leadership is meeting the needs of people.
I want you to look at another passage
in relationship to that.
You're there in Exodus, but turn over,
if you would, to Numbers chapter 27.
One of the things that we need to recognize
about godly leadership is that they are really
a gift from the Lord.
Numbers chapter 27, verse 16 and 17.
In Numbers 27, we are given a little bit
of the setting around which or in which
Moses is given information that he is going to die,
and his very, very instinctive desire
is found there in verse 16.
And let the Lord, this is Moses speaking to the Lord,
says, let the Lord, the God of spirits of all flesh,
appoint a man over the congregation,
who shall go out before them and come in before them,
who shall lead them out and bring them in,
that the congregation of the Lord
may not be a sheep without a shepherd.
So the Lord said to Moses, take Joshua, the son of Nun,
a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
And what we find in this passage is here is Moses
towards the end of his life, recognizing the need
of God's people, and he says, listen, Lord,
you're going to take me out of the picture,
but my desire for the congregation,
for the people of God, the nation of Israel,
is that you provide leadership.
Good shepherds ultimately are gifts
from the great shepherd.
And a good shepherd cares for the flock of God
and serves the Lord by caring for his dear people
and blessing them and guiding them with the word
and with godly counsel.
I want you to recognize that the significance
of godly leadership is not only in that they serve
as a means of blessing, but they're also relatively
different from the world.
And I want you to see that.
Godly leadership are different
from the world's standard of leadership.
Boy, I tell you, as I was studying early this week
and praying about that, or last week,
I was really struck by what is happening
in our American culture with politics.
How many of you at this point are kind of brain dead
over the issue of what's happening
in the political scene?
It's like, you've got to be kidding me.
Anyway, I want you to think with me
about what Jesus had to say about leadership.
Turn in your Bible to Luke chapter 22,
verse 24 through 27.
Luke chapter 22, verse 24 through 27.
Incidentally, do remember that context
is very important to understanding Scripture.
And I think it's appropriate to recognize
this evening we're going to have the Lord's table.
We're going to come together and remind ourselves
of what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross.
In this passage that we're looking at,
we find out that once again,
the disciples are having this intramural bickering
about who's going to be first.
That's what this is all about.
And it's taking place right after the Lord's Supper.
Now think with me just for a moment.
In the context of the Lord's Supper,
several very significant things had happened.
For one, remember when Jesus had said to the disciples,
one of you, you here together,
are going to betray me?
See, I have to tell you,
I am struck by the fact
that instead of every one of the disciples thinking,
well, I imagine it's Peter,
or I think it's John,
or I think it's Judas,
what did they say?
What did they say?
They actually ask a very perceptive question,
which is kind of a stunning thought to me.
They said, is it I?
Am I the one?
One, usually when something ill falls out
about somebody here did something,
we think, well, I know who did that.
It's him, right?
We're great finger pointers.
But strangely enough, they, whoa, it might be me.
Second, after they had celebrated the elements,
reminding themselves of what Jesus was going to do for them,
after that, what did he do with a towel and a wash basin?
He washed their feet.
And he said, listen, I'm giving this to you as an example
and a model of servanthood.
Right after that,
they fall into their favorite little intramural bickering
about who's going to be first.
Verse 24,
a dispute also arose among them
as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
And he said to them,
the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them.
I want you to think with me just for a moment here
and pick up on this
because here are the disciples
having their little jockeying
for who was going to be most important in the kingdom.
And I want you to recognize how Jesus started into this.
Now, here are the disciples
all together,
right on the other side of the Lord's table.
And the first hint of Christ's disapproval
of their intramural bickering
comes out in the statement,
the kings of the Gentiles.
Now, think with me.
Why would I say that that was a little negative hint?
What did the good Jewish community think of Gentiles?
What was their attitude towards Gentiles?
Y'all here are my favorite Gentiles.
If he had said that,
what would have their Jewish flesh kind of risen up
and said,
who are you talking to?
Right?
He says,
the kings,
the despots,
the rulers,
the ones who are in charge in the Gentile nation.
And he says,
hey,
they're the ones
that think this way.
And so he takes this negative picture.
The kings of the Gentiles
exercise lordship over them.
When he used that little word lordship,
he was talking about
an individual
who was in complete control
of other people.
Complete control.
Absolute authority.
The one who had the right
of determining
not only what a person did,
but whether or not
the person continued to exist.
And he says,
the kings of the Gentiles,
they exercise lordship over them
and those in authority over them
are called benefactors.
Stop just for a moment.
Why do you think
the kings of the Gentiles
were called benefactors?
Were they really benefactors?
What's the answer?
Shake your head.
No.
They really weren't benefactors.
Do you think Herod
wanted to be called a benefactor?
The answer is yes.
About as much as
King,
how does it go here?
Kim Jong-il.
Yeah, there we go.
How many of you know
who Kim Jong-il is?
He is my favorite
despot.
If you want a classic illustration
of what a tyrant is,
Kim Jong-il,
or whatever his name is,
that's the classic one.
In North Korea,
people that he is unhappy with,
guess what happened to them?
They're blown up.
Or they're fed to dogs.
I mean,
there are all kinds of cruel things
that he does.
But you know what?
Do you know what his favorite title is?
Or one of his favorite titles?
Beloved leader.
You see,
those who were abusing their power
just love for people
to refer to them
as benefactors.
Dear leader.
Now,
with that kind of...
And there they're thinking,
yeah,
I'd like to be in complete control.
In fact,
I would like everybody
to talk to me nicely
and say,
oh,
you're the sweetest,
most wonderful leader
we've ever had.
And here's what Jesus says.
Look at the passage.
It shall not be so with you.
Well,
what a blow
to their crass immaturity.
Here they were
kind of bickering
about the matter
of who was going to be
the most important.
And Jesus says,
hey,
let me stop just for a moment
and help you guys understand
that this is the way
pagan,
unbelieving,
Gentiles think.
And it's not going to be
that way with you.
Those who lead
in the family of God
are to be known
for their servants' hearts.
You look there in the passage
and it says this,
rather let the greatest among you
become the youngest
than the leader
as one who serves.
For who is the greater,
one who reclines at the table
or one who serves?
It is not the one
who reclines at the table,
but I am among you
as one who serves.
And so when God's people
think about the matter
of biblical leadership,
I think it's important
for us to recognize
that the characteristic
of biblical leadership
is first and foremost
a servant's heart.
They're the ones
that should be counted on
to be up front on projects.
They're the ones
who should be counted on
to be willing to serve
the needs of other people.
They're the ones
who should be counted on
to be quiet and charitable
in the midst
of the turmoil of life.
Show me a humble,
godly servant
of the bride
and I will show you
a man that God
has been at work in
for a long time
to prepare him
for that task.
Do you realize
that men do not
become leaders
in the bride of Christ
just as an overnight process?
Everybody smiles
and says,
I got that one.
Yeah.
It takes time
to develop a servant's heart.
And by the way,
the best way
to test a servant's heart
is actually watch
and see how a person
what?
What?
Serves.
How a person serves.
I am very blessed
to stop and recognize
that in our fellowship
one of the things
that has been
such a rich encouragement
to this congregation
is the testimony
of servanthood
of all those
who have served
historically in this fellowship
as pastors and deacons.
It's a blessing.
Not one to be taken lightly
but one to be regarded
carefully as a recognition
of a congregation
that prayerfully
expect leadership
to actually be
what God expects them to be.
I want you to recognize
the significance
of godly leadership
also is the value
of their godly example.
Biblical leadership
in any and every role
is dependent
on godly exampleship.
There's no better illustration
of the sharp contrast
between the world's
expectations of leadership
and what you see
in the body of Christ.
Regardless
of what is going on
the expectation
of the word of God
is that those
who lead in the congregation
are models
of the character
that God is looking for
in godly men
and those who serve.
So I want you to think
with me here
that God recognizes
there is no alternative plan
for leadership
apart from godly character.
There's no alternative plan.
God's intention is this
is that those who lead
be examples
to the flock
in all things.
It's very interesting here
when you think about
the issue of godly character
in relationship
to leadership
to see how often
this characteristic
stands out
as front and center.
I recited the passage
in Exodus chapter 18
verse 21
where you remember
Jethro gave advice
he said listen
here's what you are
to look for
here's what you are
to look for
and he spelled out
the characteristic
that you will find
very similar
to the ones
I want you to look
at a passage
and put your finger on it
in Acts chapter 6
verse 3
we find a similar
expectation
to what we found
back in Exodus
let's look at it
Acts chapter 6
verse 3
here are the character
qualifications
for those that are
to be leaders
in the body of Christ
therefore brothers
pick out from among you
seven men
of good repute
what does that mean
what's good repute mean
it means good example
good testimony
they're men
who have been tried
and who have been found
to be men
of sterling character
by the way
how is character proven
there's a saying
smooth seas
do not make good sailors
do you know what that means
it means that you figure out
the character of a man
under adversity
and in difficulty
you find out
whether a man
is willing to be a servant
when
there is a call
to help move
and fewer people
show up
than you would like
I love going to moves
when there's so many people
that we're all standing around
getting one little bag
or box a piece
but when I show up
at 67
and I find out
that I'm one of the main lifters
it's like
heaven help me
how many of you understand
what I mean by main lifters
okay
how many of you realize
that when you go
to unload a van
or a truck
or whatever else
there are things
that I think
should be left
to younger men
hollow out there guys
you know
but
you find out
what the servant's heart is
by the willingness
and readiness
to do it
under adversity
in Acts chapter 3
it says here
you look for men
of good repute
good reputation
you look for men
full of the spirit
and how do we know
that a man
is full of the spirit
is that a
an unsolvable mystery
what's the answer
hello
it is telling us here
that you as God's people
are to look for
these qualifications
what are the characteristics
of a person
who is full of the spirit
hello
can anybody help me here
the fruit of the spirit
how do you know
what an apple tree is
you look underneath
the apple tree
in apple season
and what should you find
you should find apples
love
joy
peace
long suffering
patience
goodness
etc
so an individual
who is full of the spirit
in truth
is not a
dour
sour
grumpy
am I doing well with this
surly
person
have you ever been around
people that are just
kind of in a profound
funk most of the time
is that person
full of the spirit
what's the answer
no
now
I do want you to realize
that God has not
made all of us
to be equally expressive
hello everybody out there
just smile at me
because I want you to hear this
we have Jared
sitting over here
where's Jared
oh he's in the nursery
right now
that's right
how many of you
noticed that Jared
is a fairly
mellow bass player
is it a guitar
I don't know what
instrument it is
Seth
it's just like
it's one of those things
Jared is a very
mellow person
how many of you
noticed that
Mary is probably
on the other side
of the spectrum
okay
the real test
is if you put
Jared watching
the OSU
Michigan football
game
along with Mary
in the same room
you'd want to find out
that Jared
on a touchdown
was like
yeah
that's okay
Mary of course
doing cartwheels
you know
is like
yeah
am I right
Matthew
okay
God makes us
to be different
in our expression
but the issue
is this
is that
you can tell
when a person
is spirit filled
because their life
displays the characteristics
of the power
of the spirit of God
third thing it says
here in this passage
is that
full of wisdom
now when it says
full of wisdom
it is talking
about wisdom
that is from above
and that is wisdom
related to the word
of God
okay
at the end
of the day
wisdom
comes from God
and so
individuals
that you look for
to be leaders
are men
who know the word
and are dependent
upon it
let me have you look
at another passage
in relationship
to this issue
of godly character
and turn if you will
over to 1st Timothy
chapter 3
1st Timothy
chapter 3
we're recognizing
that God
has no plan
for leadership
apart from godly character
1st Timothy
chapter 3
beginning there
in verse 1
it says
the saying
is trustworthy
if any man
aspires
to the office
of overseer
he desires
a noble task
therefore
let the overseer
he must be
above reproach
he's an individual
whose reputation
is not sullied
by recurring
misbehaviors
he's a man
of one wife
he's sober minded
self controlled
respectable
hospitable
able to teach
not drunkard
not violent
but gentle
not quarrelsome
not a lover
of money
and as you work
your way through
both the passage
in relationship
to the overseer
the elder
the pastor
and to the deacon
one of the things
that you find
is that the issue
of godly character
stands front and center
final passage
in relationship
to this matter
of character
is over in
Hebrews chapter 13
verse 7
Hebrews chapter 13
verse 7
remember your leaders
put your finger on it
remember your leaders
those who spoke to you
the word of god
consider the outcome
of their way of life
and imitate their faith
remember your leaders
pay attention
is what god is saying here
pay attention
to your leaders
their role
in particular
is speaking
the word of god
to you
and modeling
a life
that displays
the character
of christ
so as you think
about the matter
of choosing
leadership
for the coming year
I want to encourage
you to remember
that what you're
looking for
is men
that are
examples
of biblical
character
there's something else
that I want you to see
and I'm going to make
a comparison here
in particular
between the role
of pastor
and between
the role of a deacon
and so go
if you will
there to 1st
Timothy
chapter 3
1st Timothy
chapter 3
we're going to be
looking at the
similarities
of godly leadership
we understand
the significance
of godly leadership
but what are the
similarities
that we are
looking for
you look there
in verse 8
and it says
deacon likewise
must be dignified
not double-tongued
etc
a little word
likewise
tells us a great deal
that I want us to
focus on briefly
this morning
the word argues
for viewing
pastors and
deacons as
similar
or viewing
overseers
bishops or
elders
whichever word
you're going to
use in this
case
and deacons
as being
similar
some have
made a great
deal of
distinction
between pastors
and deacons
between the
various offices
and while there
are distinctions
in terms of
role and
responsibility
there's not
distinction
in relationship
to character
and it's not
my intent
this morning
to carry on
the ongoing
argument
about the
differences
in government
in congregations
I am
persuaded
that the
scripture
cannot be
relied upon
to argue
persuasively
one side
or the other
of the issue
I do believe
that the
non-negotiable
is character
in leadership
and that is
the undeniable
argument
from the
passage in
Exodus
all the way
to the end
now notice
too here
that the
issue of
similarity
is not
about
tasks
but about
character
and what
we find
emphasized
in the
second part
of 1st
Timothy
chapter 3
is the
characteristics
of those
who are
going to
lead as
deacons
being
relatively
similar
to the
characteristics
of those
that are
going to
lead as
pastors
you look
there and
make a
quick comparison
between
chapter 3
verse 2
through 7
and then
the passage
that we
find carrying
on from
8 through
12
deacons
likewise
must be
dignified
not
double
tongued
not
addicted
to much
wine
not greedy
for dishonest
gain
they must
hold the
mystery of
the faith
with a clear
conscience
let them
first be
tested
then let
them serve
as deacons
if they
prove themselves
blameless
their wives
likewise
must be
dignified
not
slanders
sober
minded
faithful
in all
things
and so
when we
look at
this
I want
you to
understand
that
this matter
of similarity
between pastors
and deacons
is important
to understand
from a scriptural
premise
and one of the
things that you
can see
in our fellowship
is that those
who serve
as pastors
and those
who serve
as deacons
for all
practical purposes
have the same
character
qualifications
and have a
history of doing
so before you
as God's people
when you choose
a deacon
you're choosing
a man
who is one
who has
demonstrated
a servant's
heart
and godly
character
now the
underlying
purpose
in this
clear expectation
of character
being similar
is the fact
that godly
leadership
is expected
to be a reflection
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ
our chief
shepherd
and so
he is the
one who
at the end
of the day
godly leaders
are following
and he is
the one
that godly
leaders
are pointing
to
does that
make sense
why is it
important
in God's
people's
lives
that those
who lead
are men
of character
and good
reputation
why
fundamentally
because of
who they
lead for
and who
they represent
does that
make sense
they lead
on behalf
of Christ
the flock
does not
belong
to a man
it belongs
to the
Lord Jesus
Christ
who redeemed
it with
his own
blood
and those
who serve
as leaders
in the
fellowship
are responsible
to be sensitive
to that which
honors the one
who redeemed
the congregation
he is the
one that we're
looking to
and he is the
one that we
serve
and he is the
one that we're
bonded to
together
and so
when you
look for
leaders
you're looking
for individuals
that display
the heart
of Christ
I want you
to understand
as a result
of that
that pastors
and deacons
are to provide
a similar
model of
servanthood
of humility
and godliness
what you find
in a pastor
is something
that you should
find in a deacon
let me take you
back if I can
for a moment
back to Hebrews
chapter 13
verse 7
I love the
flow of the
passage here
Hebrews 13
is the
author coming
to the very
end of
his book
and one of
the things
that characterizes
the ends
of epistles
and scriptural
books
is that
they want
to wrap
it up
and give
you a good
summary
and stick
something
in your
mind
in relationship
to that
the matter
of biblical
leadership
comes out
we mark
what it says
there in
verse 7
it says
remember
your leaders
those who
spoke to you
the word
of God
consider
the outcome
of their
way of life
and imitate
their faith
and so when
it says
consider
it's giving
us a command
that you
as God's
people
are to
refresh
your memory
it's been
good for me
the last
several weeks
to remind
myself
of those
who have
served in
this congregation
as deacons
and the model
that they have
set for me
personally
I remember
them sitting
at the board
and making
decisions
and helping
as we work
through some
very difficult
things
I couldn't
help but
remember
Bill Driscoll
I couldn't
help but
remember
Hal Burchett
I couldn't
help but
remember
Tom Parsons
I remember
some of their
counsel together
when we were
working things
through in
relationship to
closing the
school
and when we
were working
things through
in relationship
to some of
the changes
that we've
made in our
fellowship
whether it's
small group
or music
ministry
and they
were men
that provided
godly counsel
and stability
in the flow
of those
things
I think
of my dad
who served
as a deacon
in fact one
of the harder
things that I
had to do
was say to
dad
I think
it's time
to let
somebody else
take up
the torch
and what a
desire
I remember
as he got
older and
older
he would
go to
every
he'd
ask me
on a
Friday
is there
a move
coming on
Saturday
he wanted
to go
with me
and he
was in
his 80s
and it
got to the
point where
I had to
he would
always say
so what
can I
carry
and I'd
get him
to stand
over the
side
when he
was about
85
and I'd
pick up
one of
these teeny
little boxes
and I'd
go over
and say
will you
take this
in
and then
I had
to be
careful
that he
didn't get
knocked over
in the
process
get the
box
in there
why was
he doing
that
why was
!
he
doing
that
he
wasn't
doing
that
to
receive
a
reward
from
people
who
said
thank
you
he
was
doing
it
because
he
was
a
lifetime
debtor
to
Jesus
now
listen
to me
carefully
a man
who
does
not
serve
under
that
sense
of
divine
obligation
is
missing
something
we
serve
because
of what
he
has
done
for
us
he's
made
us
debtors
to
the
cross
and
that
should
make
us
joyful
in
our
service
we
find
here
remember
your
leaders
those
who
spoke
to
you
the
word
of
God
consider
the
outcome
of
their
way
of
life
how
do
you
want
to
end
up
huh
how
do
you
want
to
end
up
as
I
get
older
and
I
get
closer
to
the
finish
line
I
think
more
often
of how
I
want
to
end
up
and
I
am
so
very
thankful
that
I
have
models
out
in
front
of
me
who
set
the
standard
and
made
it
clear
what
godly
leadership
and
servanthood
look
like
consider
the
outcome
of
their
way
of
life
what
was
their
trajectory
how
did
things
end
in
a
day
in
which
individuals
take
pleasure
in
self
gratification
I
remember
hearing
of
an
individual
that
was
going
to
retire
and
they
were
going
to
spend
the
next
three
years
driving
around
the
country
in
a
motor
home
kind
of
indulging
themselves
in
state
parks
and
whatever
and I
thought
well
you
know
not
going
to be
for
me
do
you
know
how
I
want
to end
up
I
want
to end
up
as
a
bride
as
a
!
servant
to
the bride
of
for
the
testimony
of
others
who
have
had
the
same
ambition
and
the
same
affection
and
it
is
my
pleasure
to
be
in
a
congregation
in
which
that
is
playing
out
now
mark
what
it
says
and
imitate
their
faith
you
know
what
that
means
imitate
it
means
to
follow
that
example
be
the
same
way
you
know
to
put
it
in
simple
terms
love
Christ
serve
like
them
so
when
we
think
this
morning
about
choosing
biblical
leadership
I
want
you
to
understand
that
God's
intention
first
of all
is
that
those
who
serve
among
God's
people
are
individuals
who
have
shown
the
work
of
Christ
in
growing
to
be
more
like
Jesus
isn't
that
right
secondly
God's
people
are
to
value
that
and
pray
for
that
encourage
that
and
then
choose
that
to
be
their
leaders
so
when
we
gather
together
to
attend
to
the
issue
of
choosing
biblical
leadership
one of the
things that
we want
to do
is to
say to
the
Lord
thank you
for the
ones
you
provided
and
thank you
for the
ones
you
will
provide
and
we
will
pray
for
them
and
support
them
and
seek
their
well
being
as
they
serve
as
servants
to the
bride
of
Christ
!
Let
me
our
Father God
this morning
as we
think in
very
practical
terms
about
the
value
that
you
have
placed
on
biblical
leadership
we're
thankful
first and
foremost
that
Jesus
Christ
is
the
principal
example
to
us
who
did
not
come
to
be
ministered
unto
but
to
minister
and
to
give
his
life
a
ransom
for
many
and
so
this
morning
as
we
think
about
leadership
we
want
to be
a
people
that
value
first
of
all
above
all
others
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
as
our
savior
our
example
the
one
who
we
want
to
be
like
and
let
our
lives
and
the
passion
of
our
souls
be
reflective
of
that
ambition
from
day
to
day
we
pray
father
also
for
those
who
are
here
today
that
do
not
know
Christ
that
even
today
as
they
are
sitting
under
the
teaching
of
the
word
of
God
thinking
them
to
realize
the
emptiness
the
darkness
of
their
soul
has
no
solution
apart
from
broken
repentance
willing
confession
of
sin
and
a
readiness
to
trust
in
Jesus
as
their
savior
we
ask
this
in
Jesus
name
amen
we
ask
that
you
stand