Sermon Notes for February 5, 2012

Following: the School for Leadership

Luke 7:8 - 9

I. Introduction

Last week we saw that an external hindrance to following is poor leadership; today we will see that good leaders were first of all good followers.  The best leadership development may therefore be said to be learning to be not a leader, but a follower.

II. Good Leaders Were Good Followers

A. Some Leaders were trained in an intentional apprenticeship.

1.  Joshua was a servant of Moses (Numbers 27:19 - 20). He was at Moses' side from the time of the Exodus and throughout the entire wilderness experience, until he was officially ordained in a public ceremony as Moses' successor.  Consequently there was an orderly leadership transition when Moses died; the people enthusiastically accepted Joshua's leadership.

2. Elisha followed Elijah (1 Kings 19:19 - 21).  Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha, signifying him as his successor.  After that ceremonial transfer of the prophetic office, Elisha served Elijah until the day Elijah was taken up into heaven.

B. Some Leaders were trained by following in humble circumstances.

1. Joseph - second in command of all Egypt- served as a slave and prisoner. He did not despise his increasingly humble status, but served diligently where God put him (Genesis 39:22).  There probably has never been such a dramatic exaltation from follower/servant to leadership in human history as that of Joseph.

2. Moses  - leader of Israel in the Exodus - served his father-in-law Jethro for forty years, keeping his flocks out in the wilderness (Exodus 3:1).   At was on the back side of the mountain that he encountered the LORD and was sent back to Egypt.

C.  Some leaders were trained by having to follow extremely adverse leadership.

David - Israel's greatest king - faithfully served Saul, even though Saul kept trying to kill him (1 Samuel 20:30 - 33; 24:6;).  David recognized and followed God-ordained authority even though Saul was in the wrong. David left it in God's hands to remove Saul, and God did.  Consequently David was left with none of Saul's blood on his hands and with no accusation of rebellion.  The submission David gave to Saul was granted to David; eventually even Saul's clan followed David.

D. Application: don't push yourself forward into leadership; follow faithfully; watch; learn; accept humble circumstances (you will meet God in unlikely places!); serve diligently where God places you; defer to legitimate authority.

III. Great Leaders Continue to be Good Followers

The greatest leaders not only exercised authority, they continued to be followers through their submission to God-ordained authority.

A. David submitted to the truth as proclaimed by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1 - 13). This was in contrast to many later kings who failed to follow the Lord's direction as proclaimed by the prophets - e.g. Zedekiah (2 Chronicles 36:12).

B.  Paul, who exercised spiritual authority (e.g. 1 Corinthians 5:3 - 5), was himself under authority. He reported to the elders in Antioch and Jerusalem. He submitted to the authority of the elders of the Jerusalem church (Acts 21:23, 26), though doing so involved great risk and led to his arrest and long imprisonment.

C. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to whom all power and authority is given in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 1:22).

1. Jesus submitted to the authority of His parents (Luke 2:51).

2. Jesus submitted to governing authorities, paying the temple tax (Matthew 17:24 - 27) and advising the Jews to "render unto Caesar" (Matthew 22:17- 21).

3. Jesus followed the leading of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1).

4. Jesus followed the commands of God the Father (John 12:49).

Even the Lord Jesus submitted to His Father's authority, and did nothing and said nothing that was not authorized by God the Father.  If Jesus placed Himself under God-ordained authority, how much more needful for me to be under that authority! Incidentally this is positive proof that there is no spiritual inequality between a follower and the one he follows, for there is no inequality within the Trinity.

D. The Centurion, who defined his authority in terms of his place in the chain-of-command, was commended by Jesus (Luke 7:8 - 9).

The centurion understood that he was under authority; those who served him recognized that when he ordered them to come and go, he also was obligated to a higher authority to see they performed their tasks.  His orders carried the authority of Caesar; he recognized in Jesus one whose orders carried the authority of His Heavenly Father.  Jesus recognized the Centurion's viewpoint as evidence of great faith. Submission to authority is a spiritual issue because it requires faith to believe that God is in control of the chain-of-command; that He can turn the heart of the king (Proverbs 21:1).

E. Application

Discern the God-ordained authority in your life, and submit to it. Discern your place in the chain-of-command, and live by faith as a person under authority, both in the exercise of authority and in submission to authority.