16: Faith and Leadership: The Most Misused Bible Verse for Leadership

To be a follower of Jesus is to serve others, regardless of whether you are a leader or not. This also means that for Christian leaders, your position and your achievements do not matter unless they serve others.

1:55 – What does serving others look like in Christian Leadership?

6:41 – Matthew 20:25-28 (Often used as a verse about leadership)

• Jesus said that if you want to be great, you do it by being a servant. Service is greatness but He didn’t say that service is the path to greatness.
• The biggest misunderstanding about this verse is thinking it’s a verse about leadership. It’s not. It’s a verse about service. It’s a verse for ALL followers of Jesus, not just the leaders.

17:25 – Chase service, not leadership.

23:51 – If you’re a leader, remember that in God’s eyes, none of that achievement matters until it serves the people. Greatness is service. You come to serve; serve without seeking appreciation or recognition.

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly,  and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” 

Luke 17:7-10 (ESV)

Don’t chase leadership. Look for opportunities to serve.

25:59 – What are you called to do right now? You can serve wherever you are.

26:30 Application

1. Shrink the power gap
   • the gap between you and the people following you
   • Philippians 5:2-7
     • Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
2. Raise people up
   • Psalm 18:35
     • You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.
   • Does your leadership keep people at their current level or does your leadership lift them up?
3. Focus on delivery
   • Service is about impact on other people.
   • If you really want to serve, focus on delivery. 

The ENC Leadership Podcast is hosted by Joseph Bonifacio.