SERVANT LEADER

1. Servant knows who the master is: John 10:2-5
Sheep knows who the shepherd is and follows the shepherd, and no one else.

2. Leader is a servant in Kingdom of God: Mat 20:25-27; Mark 10:44
Leader must operate from a position of power and authority, but not for the purpose of having power, being ‘right’, or to elevate self, but from position of desire to elevate or serve others.

3. No reward for just doing duty: Luk 17:6-10
We expect thanks or recognition for doing work, especially when we think we did well. But the Bible says that a servant gets no thanks or reward for doing his / her job. On the other hand, there will come a day when we will be rewarded in heaven and our work will be found as treasure there. Mat 25:21, 23

4. A Christian is (or should be) always serving and is always a leader, always a teacher.
A. Col l 3:23 says we should do all things as though for Christ and not for people. Since we are Christ’s servants, this means we are 24/7 servants! This means that our job is ministry, our hobby is ministry, our sports are ministry. There is no such thing as a part-time minister, just as there could not be such a thing as a part-time pregnant woman! You either are or are not!
B. Mat 28:19 instructs the disciples to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey Christ. A disciple makes disciples, by definition here. If one is not making disciples, one is not a disciple. If your students are not making disciples, you have not made a disciple!

5. Heart or Mind?
We tend to think the heart is the measure of success in being a servant, but as the saying goes: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. We need to consciously control our minds and bodies to do the master’s will, and we need to ensure it is His will and not our own!
Romans 8:5 talks about having our mind on spiritual or fleshly (worldly) things. This does not refer to religious or secular matters, but to where our mind is, whether conscious to please Jesus or just unconsciously handle the matter of living, whether it be in religious activity (including ministry) or playing sports, for example.

6. Able to Give/Receive
A. Instruction - from any source
Our pride usually prevents us from learning new things, especially from subordinates. If we really have the paradigm that we are servant of those we lead, we should be eager to learn from them! Another aspect of this is that if we are unwilling or unable to learn, we cannot be good instructors. As noted above, a disciple is also a teacher, and must hone instruction skills.
B. Discipline: Hebrews 12:6 and 11, Prov 3:11, 15:31-32
God gives us the example by disciplining those he loves (and we are to love even our neighbors, more especially our subordinates), and we should welcome it, even though it is not pleasant at the time. This message is echoed throughout the Bible in various instructions and examples.
From the giving correction standpoint, we often are reluctant (or too eager) to correct because we don’t know about correction in love. Usually we correct with a negative attitude, thinking ourselves better, or ‘right.’ Correction in Love has the attitude recommended in Phil 2:3 . . . consider others better than yourself. If we have this attitude toward the other, and our correction is indeed intended to serve (help, build up, elevate) the other, then the correction can be received.

7. Position of Power
Servant Leader may seem to be a misnomer, or oxymoron, and in the world’s view this could not be effective, for the leader would become a doormat, or at best ineffective in commanding respect and discipline. A truly powerful person has no thought or need to protect him/her self. We need to lead (and serve) from this position of knowing who we are in Christ!

SOME WEDDING PHOTOS

THE VENUE on the SEA
THE LADIES

SUNSET VIEW

GOING FISHIING

Men's Study group - Harvesters Christian Fellowship

Jesus had already appeared to the disciples twice, so they knew he was around. They must have been waiting for his return appearance, yet he was slow in coming. Peter, always the impetuous and impatient one, seems to have given up hope that Jesus would return, and said "I’m going fishing." This is what he knew, it was his life before Jesus, and without Jesus, he would return to the old life.

We now live with the promise that Jesus will return, and we, too, often lose hope that he will really return. After all, it is already more than two thousand years! And we, too, after being born again and having experienced a closeness with Jesus, sometimes seem far from him, and are tempted to go back to our old lives and habits of before we met Jesus. The temptation to say "I’m going fishing" is great.

When they returned to the old life, these fishermen were not successful all night. Then someone appeared to them on the shore, asked if they had success, and they had to admit they had not. The person, actually Jesus, but they did not recognize him, told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. When they did so, they caught more fish that the net was designed for.

Many questions here.
Why did these men, who had lived for Jesus for 3 years, not recognize him? The Bible says they were only a football field away from shore. Yet they did not recognize him. Perhaps it was not yet light? Or perhaps like the men on the road to Emmaeus (Luke 24) their eyes were prevented from recognizing him?
What difference is left side of boat or right? The net goes under the boat, the water is the same, the fish are the same. Yet they obeyed him, and were successful.

Of interest is the fact that Jesus was a carpenter, not a fishermen. They were the fishermen, and knew the fishing business. Yet Jesus knew where the fish were better than they.

Many times in our lives Jesus appears to us, perhaps as a person we do not recognize, and gives instructions. Something inside us tells us it is right. When we obey, we will be successful. Sometimes we must trust our ‘instincts’ and be obedient even though we don’t know the person and what they are saying doesn’t make sense. Sometimes we ‘know better’ but for the particular instance it would be best to follow what might seem like unwise advice.

There are all kinds of lessons and questions in the passage of Jesus feeding them breakfast, but I want to focus on John’s statement that they did not dare ask who he was, because they already knew. Why does John write this? Why would it even be in their heads if they already knew? This passage must be in the Bible for a reason, a reason for us and other believers through the centuries. Why?

I leave you for now with this question, though we did discuss it on the Sunday following Easter in Tondo, Manila, Philippines.

This is a short version of what I preached at Bologo, outside Calatrava, Romblon, Tablas Island, Philippines

Easter is the Sunday in which we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from the tomb. The scripture I chose for today was written for the Israelites, but we can apply the instructions and promises to our own lives as Christians, adopted into the family of God through the blood of Christ.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,and the glory of the LORD rises upon you"

Today we remember the day that this light Himself rose from the dead, so that we could shine. His instruction to us: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, NIV) The glory of the Lord has risen upon us, so that we can shine. Certainly darkness is in the world all around us as people everywhere look for some meaning in life, some purpose, but see none, but grope in all the wrong places.

The promise that nations will come to our light assumes that our light is indeed shining as Jesus instructed, that our good deeds are notable, that our peace, joy, and love in the midst of trial and turmoil have become infectious to set people free from worry, fear, anger, bitterness. It assumes that we are carrying out the Great Commission to go into the world (that world of darkness around us) and make disciples. If we are doing that, people will be drawn to the light.

The death and resurrection make it possible. We must make it happen.