Stand Strong Sample

Lead Like Jesus

There’s no shortage of bright, intelligent, and likeable pastors. Churches are filled with them. But what the Church, especially America, really lacks is servant leaders, leaders who care more about others than they do themselves.

We often hear church members say, Yeah, we know the pastor is pretty cocky and all, but, hey, look at the size of the church. God is really using him!

But let’s pause for a moment and think about Jesus.

How did He lead?

How did Jesus teach the people?

Jesus led by serving. He said He didn't come to be served, but to serve and give His life for many (Matt. 20:28).

Jesus said that He came to help the sick. Something He demonstrated over and over again. He visited people no one wanted to visit. He spoke to people no one wanted to speak to. He touched people no one wanted to touch.

And why did Jesus do this?

Jesus said, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus demonstrated unconditional love by taking the sins of mankind and dying on the cross.

That's servant leadership.

In the church culture today, we’ve become too enamored by the personality of the pastor—that we’ve neglected the person of Jesus Christ. We’ve overlooked the pride of the pastor at the cost of neglecting humility, which is a quality every leader of a church needs.

Acts 20:28 reads, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

The primacy of a leader is to shepherd.

So who has God called you to shepherd? Who are the people God has placed in your life that need your love and leadership?

Whatever you do in life, remember this—you are called to lead like Jesus.