MEMORISE:
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1
READ: John 13:12-17
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 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.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
MESSAGE
Our Lord Jesus Christ was recognized as a great teacher when He was here on earth. He taught so wonderfully that those who heard Him were astonished at His teachings. Mark 1:22 says:
“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”
While teaching His Disciples His principles on leadership, He said to them in Matthew 20:28:
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
In this one verse, He addressed issues of leadership, power, authority and human dignity. The power in this verse lies in the fact that it upturns the notion of what greatness really is, by establishing how a leader must first humble himself or herself in providing necessary service to others. Jesus further expanded His teachings on leadership to include the fact that anyone who desires to be a leader must first be a good follower. He also explained that even though the leaders of the world might exercise authority and control over their subjects, it must not be so among children of God in Luke 22:26, He said:
“But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.”
As disciple of Jesus Christ, we are expected to walk in these principles. Every potential leader in the Body of Christ must first learn to be submissive in service and followership. In Matthew 23:11, Jesus said to His disciples that he who desires to be the greatest among them must first be the servant. He also taught them in Mark 9:35 that if anyone desired to be the leader amongst them, the same fellow must humble himself to take the least position and serve others. To further emphasize the role and importance of service in Christianity, Jesus told His disciples in John 13:13-15:
“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 I have done to you.”
A disciple cannot be above his Master; neither can servant ever be above his Lord. We are expected to live a lifestyle that honors God. The leadership principles Jesus taught are firmly built on are firmly built on fellowship, service, humility, obedience, and loyalty. If you want to follow Jesus Christ acceptably, you must align your attitude with His principles on leadership.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, please grant me grace to continually live a life of service to You as a good follower of Jesus’ Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 4
Jeremiah 51:24-40
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 14: LET US WITH A GLADSOME MIND.
1 Let us, with a gladsome mind,
praise the LORD, for He is kind:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
2 Let us blaze His Name abroad,
for of gods He is the God:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
3 He with all-commanding might
filled the new-made world with light:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
4 All things living He doth feed;
His full hand supplies their need:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
5 He His chosen race did bless
in the wasteful wilderness:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
6 He hath with a pious eye
looks upon our misery:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
7 Let us therefore warble forth
His high majesty and worth:
for His mercies shall endure,
ever faithful, ever sure.
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