Part 2: “Let Servant Leadership Be Your Mantle of Excellence for Christ.”
Well praise Almighty God from the highest mountain top, as Jesus Christ who loved us, has washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests unto God. (Rev.1:5-6) Consider this, born-again Christians are the most powerful people on earth! We have God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the kingdom of God abiding in us! As spiritual kings unto God, we have the ability to open our mouths and decree and declare the promises of God, and see them established in the earth.
As priests unto God, through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, we have access to God to intercede and make petitions on behalf of sinners, drifting Christians, even the nations and see the Lord save them. Moreover, as priests of God, we have been given the authority to forgive the sins of others, just as Jesus Christ forgave us for our sins. No other god, religion, nor human being has the power to forgive sin, only Jesus Christ and born-again Christians!
No one can provide supernatural services of healing, deliverance, prosperity, protection to mankind in the way God’s spiritual kings and priests are able to do, because our kingdom is not of this world. (John 15:19) We are citizens of the kingdom of God, which is far above and superior to every kingdom in the universe seen and unseen.
Now, let me change directions somewhat and tell you a story. About three-years ago, I met a great man of God named, Apostle Coy Wade. He and his wife, Minister Bobbie Wade are close friends with my mother, Pastor King, and they came to visit us for a few days.
On the Sunday during their visit, Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie accompanied me to our church service at the school in Germantown, Maryland. As we approached the neighborhood where the school is located, I saw Apostle Coy’s eyes get big. He got excited when he saw the potential of the neighborhood surrounding the school, for outreach ministry, that Exousia Ministries could do to bring people to Church and win souls to Jesus Christ.
When we arrived at the school he and Minister Bobbie helped me unload the car. When we got inside the school, immediately they both started asking me about things they could do to help set up for church service. Before I could even really say much, they began taking down the folding chairs off the rack, setting them up, and cleaning the pulpit. With insistence, Apostle Coy even told me to go back to the dressing room and get ready for service. He volunteered to set up the audio equipment for me!
I was shocked at Apostle Coy’s willingness to help me, given he is an Apostle, anointed of God. Truthfully, I expected Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie to just come into the school and take a seat and wait for service to begin. But, they had a certain spirit and energy about them. They were just as fired up for church as I was. I have observed and had fellowship with many members of the five-fold ministry, but never have I seen and received such humility and grace from clergy, as I received that day from Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie.
When I came out of the dressing room, they had already begun praying and anointing the ministry and service. On that day, I saw the spirit of servanthood on Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie. The service they rendered to me and Exousia Ministries are the inspiration for this message, that I want to preach into the ears and hearts of God’s spiritual kings and priests: “Let Servant Leadership Be Your Mantle of Excellence for Christ.”
You see, Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie could have been the type of clergy who would think and reason that cleaning the pulpit of another church, setting up audio equipment, and putting down chairs was beneath them. Even though it was the Holy Ghost that instructed them to help me in all the things they did, through pride, they could have resisted the Spirit of God, and decided to do nothing to assist me.
Frankly, I believe, if I had needed the bathrooms cleaned Apostle Coy and Minister Bobbie are the type of saints that would have volunteered to do it with joy! Listen well my dear Christian brothers and sisters. As spiritual kings and priests unto God, given all the many graces the Lord has bestowed upon us, we must guard our hearts, minds, and mouths against the “spirit of pride.”
God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. (Eph. 1:3 & II Pet.1:3) Thus, maintaining the proper attitude and motive toward God is essential, given all that He has invested and entrusted in us.
God absolutely hates pride, and it causes people to fall. God even calls a proud look an abomination (disgusting/idolatry). God by no means hates people. He hates pride. (Prov. 6:16-18 & 8:13) When a Christian becomes prideful, one of the things they will do is, “speak out of turn.”
What I mean by speak out of turn is, they will say and do things that are opposite of what God has called and commissioned them to do. They will speak words from their mouths that are perverse and forward against God and His ways. The spirit of pride can be illustrated on a fulcrum shown below. People who are dominated by the spirit of pride range from, those who are self-boasters, to those who live in false humility.
Self-Boasting………………………………False Humility
Beginning in the middle of the fulcrum and moving to the left, the spirit of pride takes its stance in self-boasting. The person who indulges in self-boasting is conceited, big-headed, and puffed-up. One of my favorite expressions is this: “Never let your head get bigger than your shoulders.”
Self-boasters enjoy bragging on themselves, forever broadcasting to anyone who will listen about their self-worth, actions, achievements, and live for the applause of others. They are also quick to tell you what they will and will not do; and every sentence a bragger owns starts with me, myself, and I. People who are self-promoting tend to be obsessed with comparing themselves with and competing against others for positions, possessions, and notoriety. Lastly, when things go wrong, self-boasters refuse to take responsibility for their own actions, and are quick to make excuses and point the finger at someone else as being the culprit.
However, self-boasters ought to take careful note of the fall of Lucifer and his self-absorbed boasting about how great he thought he was and what he would do to dethrone God, and be as God. (Is.14:12-15) When Lucifer, turned Satan, rebelled against God, he fell like lighting from heaven to earth. (Luke 10:18) What a fall and sound that must have been when Satan hit the earth! CAA, CAA, CAA, BOOOOOM! He became a complete nobody, having lost all authority to rule the first created earth by God.
All Christians who are self-boasters must immediately leave the spirit of pride. Self-boasters do not trust in God to get things done, rather they rely on their own wisdom and strength. Self-boasting has no room for acknowledging and thanking God from the heart for the things He has done for them.
But be assured; it was true, yesterday, today, and forever that apart from Jesus Christ no one can accomplish anything! (John 15:5) None of us can afford to boast or brag about any goodness of our own. For we are all saved by grace through faith in the finished works of Jesus Christ. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Now moving from the middle of the fulcrum of the spirit of pride to the right hand side is, false humility. Most people do not associate false humility with pride, but in many respects it is just as dangerous as self-boasting. False humility is that age-old religious demonic spirit of “feeling unworthy” to receive and do what God has anointed and appointed you to receive and do.
People taking their stance in false humility, when called upon by God, see themselves as being ill-equipped to render service unto God. They think they are too small in stature, not smart enough, nor strong enough to carry out God’s will and plan. They stubbornly resist and wrestle with the will and plan of God for their lives. They even have the unmitigated gall to tell God to find someone else to carry out the assignment God has given to them to do.
Christians in false-humility puzzle me at times. They express such an unworthiness and unwillingness to do God’s work, but when they were living in sin and membered to the kingdom of darkness, they never felt unworthy to obey Satan. When Satan tempted them to lie, steal, or curse someone out, they never said to Satan “I feel unworthy to sin.”
While in the kingdom of darkness, we all were perfect little puppets, willing to do whatever the devil instructed. (Eph. 2: 1-3) But now that we have been called into and have our citizenship in the kingdom of God, when God calls us into His service, most Christians say they feel unworthy, to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out devils.
Many of the men and women in the Bible initially tried to use false humility to excuse themselves from the call and commission God had for them—but eventually they took up the mantel of servant leadership to accomplish all God had called them to do. We should all understand that God will never change His mind about that which you have been elected to do. His gifts and callings are without repentance. (Rom.11:29)
For example, Moses was chosen, called, and commission by God to lead the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, and into the promise land. In Exodus, Chapters 3 and 4, God introduced Himself to Moses as the great, “I AM THAT I AM”—and with great detail revealed His plan to Moses on how Israel would be delivered with many plagues placed on Egypt.
God reassured Moses He would be with him all the way. Moreover, the Lord performed several mighty signs and wonders to further boost Moses’ morale and trust in God, and repeated the covenant promises that He swore to his forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
All the while, Moses was in a steady state of low self-esteem and stubborn reluctance to trust God. Moses’ stubborn reluctance resulted in resistance to God’s commands, which is the spirit of pride at work. Finally, in Exodus Chapter 4:10-16, Moses told God, that he was “not eloquent,” “slow of speech and a slow tongue.” He even pleaded with God to send someone else to deliver Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh! Immediately, God’s anger was kindled against Moses, and told him to have his brother Aaron accompany him, and serve as his spokesperson.
Although Moses was set on tearing himself down with low and false humility, God knew Moses possessed the necessary skill set to deliver Israel from bondage. Behind the scenes God had watched and guided the life of Moses from birth into adulthood, and knew he would become a great military leader. Moses’ low image of himself was totally unfounded—his claim of not being eloquent was complete rubbish!
According to the Bible and Jewish historians, from an infant, the Hebrew Moses was adopted by a princes of Egypt, and grew up as a prince in Egypt and groomed for leadership. Moses thrived in the Egyptian palace setting for 40-years. He received the best education, military training, and served as a conquering general in the Egyptian army.
As a military leader he was held in highest esteem until he killed an Egyptian who was smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. The Pharaoh learned of the murder and sought to slay Moses, but he fled and made his home in Midian. (Exod. 2:11-15) Thank God Moses eventually humbled himself under the mighty hand of God and watched God deliver the children of Israel with a mighty stretched our arm. Israel left Egypt with all of the wealth of Egypt, and saw Pharaoh and his armies drown in the Red Sea—their bodies washed up on God-made peaceful shores.
The prophet Jeremiah is another example of a person who initially exhibited false humility when called by God to be a prophet to the nations. In Jerimiah 1:4-7, the word of the Lord came to Jerimiah (at age 17) saying that from his mother’s womb, he had been sanctified and ordained by God as a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah, thereafter, spoke out of turn to God saying, that “he could not speak for he was (only) a child.” In essence, Jerimiah was telling God, He had the wrong person and was ill-equipped to serve as a prophet to the nations. God immediately corrected Jeremiah saying, “say not I am a child,” and told Jeremiah that he would go to all that He would send him to, and speak whatever God would tell him to say.
God gave to Jerimiah further assurances that He would be with his mouth, and he heeded the call. Jerimiah served as a prophet to Judah (the southern kingdom). His message was very simple to the people of Judah—repent of your sins and return to God, or face God’s judgement.
For 40-years Jerimiah preached to the people. He faithfully and boldly confronted the leaders and the people with their sin, and prophesied both of their 70-year captivity in Babylon and their eventual return from exile. However, not one person in Judah believed Jerimiah and turned to God.
Jerimiah was hated among all the people of Judah and suffered many persecutions—so earning him the title of the “Weeping Prophet,” for he wailed for the great sins of his people and nation. The record of judgment of Judah and prophecies about other nations are given to us at Jerimiah Chapters 46:1-52:34. Biblical scholars say that most of the prophecies spoken by Jerimiah, he saw come to pass in his life time.
Saints of God, how many Christians do we have today, who like Moses and Jeremiah, when called and commissioned by God to do His work, speak out of turn against God? So many Christians today feel unworthy and ill-equipped to go and preach the gospel to the lost, to heal the sick, cast out devils, and raised the dead. Even though God has commanded that they do so! (Mark 16:15-18) Similarly, many Christians resist and refuse to see and call themselves, “spiritual kings and priests unto God,” even though God has washed them in His Son’s own blood and made them kings and priests unto Him. (Rev.1:5-6) Moreover, most Christians refuse to call themselves Holy, even though God said be so! (I Pet. 1:15-17)
In fact, many Christians prefer to say about themselves that they are just “sinners saved by grace.” What false humility this is! We are “saved by grace through faith…“it is the gift of God.” Not by works, thus, no one can be a self-boaster. (Eph. 2:8-9) Nowhere in these verses does it say we are “sinners.” You cannot be a sinner and saved too! Yet many Christians insist on frustrating the grace of God calling themselves both sinners and saved in the same breath.
Let me ask you a question. When you talk to other Christians or to people of this world, are you more apt to say about yourself that you are “a sinner saved by grace,” or “a spiritual king and a priest unto God?” Which phrase are you more comfortable with saying about yourself? Are you living in false humility?
If you are living in false humility, stop it now! Be quick to leave the spirit of pride, which causes you to “feel” like you are not anointed, powerful, or blessed enough to do whatever God has called and commissioned you to do. Rest in knowing you are whatever God has called and made you to be.
The spirit of pride is nothing more than a vice the devil tries to use to get you to be self-absorbed in your own thinking, speaking, and abilities, which is contrary to God’s will and plan for your life. The devil just wants you to be an eternal failure like he is—but that is not going to happen!
Jesus Christ was always quick to correct His disciples whenever they displayed any hint or trace of pride among them—whether it was due to self-boasting or false humility. For example, as I mentioned last week, the disciples came and asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? (Matt. 18:1-4) Jesus called a little boy to come to Him and set him before the disciples. Jesus exclaimed that whoever humbles themselves as the child had done, is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Notice that the disciples’ question was out of turn—they were acting as if they could compete with one another through self-works to earn the position of greatest in the kingdom of heaven. So, Jesus immediately answered and corrected their thinking by teaching that all who have the humility of a child to do as Jesus commands is greatest. Do you get it? Humbly and lovingly doing whatever Jesus Christ commands you to do makes you greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Similarly, at Luke 10:1 and 17-20, we see Jesus Christ doing the same thing when he sent out the 70-disciples to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. They all returned from the outreach ministry with joy; saying, “Lord even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” Jesus explained (as I noted earlier) that He had seen Satan fall as lightening from heaven. But He admonished the disciples not to marvel (don’t get big-headed) that the devils are subject to them—but rejoice that their names were written in the book of life.
Finally, during last week’s Sermon, I gave you a homework assignment to read and meditate on John 13:1-17. Let’s take a few minutes now to read through it. There are many things that can be taught from the story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples on the night of the Last Supper.
For context, let’s understand that foot washing in the Jewish culture, at that time, was reserved for servants of households to perform when guests arrived. The servant who commonly performed the foot washing was considered the lowest and meaningless slave in the household.
But here we see Jesus Christ, Master and Lord, on the day before Passover, His arrest and passion: taking off His outer garment, taking a slave’s towel girding it around His waist, pouring water into a basin, and washing the disciples’ feet. Jesus Christ took on the form of a slave—lowest of all—and washed the feet of the disciples, including the feet of Judas who he knew was about to betray Him!
To the spiritual kings and priests unto God, (born-again Christians) this is a lesson and example of servanthood that Jesus Christ, not only wanted His hand-picked disciples to learn and obey, but for everyone who would ever believe in and receive Him as Savior and Lord.
It should be obvious from reading the story, that Jesus Christ did not wash the feet of the disciples for the sake of following a Jewish tradition of showing hospitality toward guests that entered the house. First, because Jesus was not a slave worker of a household. Second, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples after they had eaten supper. So there must have been another lesson Jesus was trying to teach the disciples from washing their feet.
Now, focus your attention on verses 6-8. When it was Peter’s turn to have his feet washed by Jesus, Peter asked Him, “do you wash my feet?” What a question to ask, after Jesus had already washed the other disciples’ feet. Why would Peter even ask such a question? Peter really was saying to Jesus: You are not going to wash my feet. Jesus said to Peter, what He was doing he would later understand.
However, that was not good enough for Peter. Watch how Peter responded to Jesus. Peter said, “you will never wash my feet.” Peter was saying to Jesus; not now, not tomorrow, and not ever will I allow you to wash my feet!
Many Christians may see Peter’s actions as being humble, but they were actually totally out of turn and order. Peter had still not yet learned the lessons Jesus had been trying to teach about servanthood after more than three-years in ministry with Jesus. At this point in the story, Peter is in the spirit of pride. Moreover, Peter was see-sawing on both sides of the fulcrum of the spirit of pride.
On the one hand, Peter was full of false humility. He was reflecting on his own life and imperfections, and felt unworthy for Jesus, Master and Lord, to wash his feet. But then, his emotions shifted to the other side of the fulcrum of the spirit of pride. Rather than willingly submitting to Jesus washing his feet (in child-like obedience) like the other disciples had done, Peter was refusing to let Jesus wash his feet. He didn’t care that his peers’ feet were washed by Jesus. To Peter’s way of thinking under no circumstances could he permit Jesus to wash his feet. Peter was saying I’m different from everyone else.
As such, Peter was expressing arrogance and rebellion against the authority of Jesus—and exalted himself above the knowledge of God. Peter was placing his own thinking about what Jesus should or should not do above that of the Lord. And in this way, he was in disobedience and arrogance to the Lord. His mouth and rambunctiousness was causing him to miss out on a vitally important lesson Jesus was teaching about how the kingdom of heaven works.
Peter’s refusal of the foot wash immediately prompted Jesus to correct him—letting him know that if he could not wash his feet, Peter could have no fellowship with Him. The ramifications of not being in fellowship with Jesus would have had far reaching and grave consequences for Peter.
For example, Peter would not have been able to abide in the “Love of Jesus Christ and Love of God the Father.” (John 15:1-5) His faith would never work, because faith works by love. (Gal. 5:6) He would have given the devil permission to lead him into temptation and the bondage of sin—for whatever is not of faith is sin. (Rom.14:23) Moreover, without abiding in the love of God and Christ, Peter would never be able to comprehend and experience all of the righteousness, peace, joy and so much more that flows through having intimate knowledge of the love of God. (Eph. 3:17-19)
In washing the disciples’ feet, what Jesus Christ was teaching the disciples, and Christians today, is that: The fruit of the love of God is servanthood. Servanthood is the greatest expression of the love of God. (John 3:16) Jesus Christ wore the mantle of servanthood throughout His ministry. (Php. 2:5-8 & Acts 10:38) He only did whatever He saw and heard God His Father say and do. (John 12:49-50)
If we are to follow after Jesus Christ, we must become totally yielded servants of God and to all men. As spiritual kings and priests unto God, we need to hear and heed the words of Jesus Christ and make them our mantel:
Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for
so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master have
washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one
another’s feet. For I have given you an example
that ye should do as as I have done. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his
lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent
him. If you know these things, happy are ye if you
do them. (John 13:13-17)
When Jesus said we ought to wash one another’s feet, as He had given example, He was not merely talking about the actual physical foot washing traditions that many of our churches observe during New Year’s Eve “Watch Night” services.
While foot washing observances are a good tradition to follow, the greater lesson that our Master and Lord is teaching is that daily we are to walk in true humility by obeying God and lowering ourselves to love and serve every person, including our enemies. To serve others just like a slave would render service unto his master and the guests of the house. Jesus wants our attitude and treatment of all people to be transformed into servanthood towards all people.
As spiritual kings and priests unto God, it is through servant leadership that we abide in Jesus Christ, the Anointed One and His Anointing. Servant leadership causes us to walk in the display of kingdom authority, dominion, and power on earth. Servant leadership causes virtue and compassion to flow from the bowels of our born-again spirits to meet and exceed the needs of others, including our enemies.
Servant leadership teaches your children, and those around you, to value all human beings above yourself—because Jesus valued you above Himself! We are not greater than Jesus Christ who sent us, and Jesus has commanded that we love and serve others, as He did. (John 13:34)
Therefore, Christians must learn that the way up with God—the way to greatest in the kingdom of God—is all the way down to the lowest in service to others. Servant leadership is the mantle of Christ that spiritual kings and priests unto God must wear. Servant leadership causes God to exalt you in due season. (I Peter 5:6)
The Apostle Peter eventually fully learned the lessons of servant leadership, and his life was transformed, along with the other disciples, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the day of Pentecost—when the Holy Ghost was poured out on them, and made available to all flesh. (Acts 2:1-4) It was Peter who stood with the other disciples and boldly preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to men gathered from every Jewish nation. And, while serving all people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, when confronted with persecutions from crowds of unbelievers, it was Peter with the disciples who boldly declared that they would rather “obey God than man.”(Acts 5:29)
Peter became the great leader Jesus knew he could become, changed from Simon, to the Rock. He learned submission, restraint, true humility, compassion for all, and courage. Examine, for example, these passages written by the Apostle Peter. (I Pet. 3:8-11 & 4:8-10) Notice, there was not a trace of the spirit of pride in him after the day of Pentecost. When your life is truly sacrificed to Jesus Christ, all selfishness and foolish pride dries up and dies—and only the spirit of servant leadership emerges and takes over your life.
Let us feast on these additional scriptures on servanthood and see how serving others brings pleasure to God. As spiritual kings and priests unto God, make servanthood your life-style. (Gal. 6:2, Heb. 13:16, John 15:12, Matt. 5:16, 42. Prov. 3:27-28 & 19:17, and Rom.12:13)
Finally, Jesus Christ said that if we learn and act as servants of one another, we would be “happy,”—fortunate, joyful, and complete. Doing service to others in obedience to God’s Word, brings forth the experience of true and perfect liberation in your life. (James 1:25)
When you are free from the bondage of selfishness and self-centeredness which is rooted in pride, God’s love and blessings are able to flow through your life as you are totaling trusting God to meet and exceed all of your personal needs. The servant’s hands will always hold in magnification the anointing, blessings, wisdom, power, and favor of God.
Next week, we will take a deep dive into the words and meditations of your heart. Have a great day! Every day, on purpose, be sure to serve others as Jesus Christ has served you!
See you next week should the Lord tarry.