Leadership and Followership: Embracing Humility and Service

Summary

In today's teaching, we explored the profound challenges and responsibilities of both leaders and followers, particularly in the context of the church and broader society. We began by acknowledging the widespread issue of burnout among leaders, a phenomenon not limited to the church but prevalent across various sectors. This burnout is exacerbated by a growing distrust in leadership, as evidenced by numerous studies. However, disengagement is not the solution. Instead, we can find guidance in the teachings of Peter and Jesus, who offer a different path.

Peter's letter to the persecuted churches in Asia Minor provides timeless insights into leadership and followership. He addresses three groups: leaders, followers, and the entire community. For leaders, Peter emphasizes the importance of shepherding the flock with willingness, humility, and a servant's heart, mirroring Jesus' example. Leadership is not about power or domination but about serving others selflessly. This approach contrasts sharply with the world's power dynamics, where authority often leads to self-serving motives.

For followers, Peter encourages submission to wise and Christ-like leadership. This submission is not blind obedience but a recognition of the value in learning from those with more experience and wisdom. In a culture that often celebrates independence and self-reliance, this call to follow can be countercultural but is essential for growth and humility.

Finally, Peter calls the entire community to clothe themselves in humility, casting their anxieties on Jesus and recognizing the true enemy—the spiritual forces that seek to sow discord and division. By focusing on humility and unity, the community can overcome leadership challenges and foster a spirit of service and love.

Key Takeaways:

- Leadership as Service: True leadership, as exemplified by Jesus, is about serving others willingly and humbly. It is not about seeking power or personal gain but about being an example of Christ-like love and service. This approach challenges the world's view of leadership and calls us to lead with integrity and compassion. [08:54]

- The Importance of Submission: Submission to wise and Christ-like leadership is crucial for personal growth and community health. It fosters humility and teachability, allowing us to learn from those with more experience. This submission is not about blind obedience but about recognizing the value of guidance and wisdom. [15:14]

- Humility in Community: Humility is the foundation of a healthy community. When both leaders and followers prioritize humility, they create an environment where service and mutual respect thrive. This focus on humility helps to eliminate power struggles and fosters a spirit of unity. [16:32]

- Recognizing the True Enemy: Peter reminds us to be vigilant against the spiritual forces that seek to divide and destroy. By recognizing the true enemy, we can channel our frustrations appropriately and respond with compassion and love, rather than anger and division. [20:35]

- Living the Kingdom Ethic: Embracing Jesus' kingdom ethic means leading and following with a heart of service, compassion, and humility. It challenges us to integrate our spiritual life with every aspect of our daily lives, ensuring that our actions reflect the love and grace of Jesus. [11:03]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:48] - The Crisis of Leadership
- [02:37] - Context of First Peter
- [04:51] - Addressing Leaders
- [06:48] - Leadership Beyond Titles
- [08:54] - Principles of Christ-like Leadership
- [09:54] - The Upside-Down Kingdom
- [11:03] - The Impact of Serving Well
- [12:39] - Addressing Followers
- [13:53] - The Challenge of Submission
- [15:14] - Learning to Follow
- [16:32] - Addressing the Whole Community
- [19:23] - Recognizing the True Enemy
- [20:35] - Spiritual Warfare and Community
- [23:04] - Application and Challenge

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- 1 Peter 5:1-8: This passage is the primary text for the sermon, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of leaders and followers within the church community.

#### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions does Peter give to leaders in 1 Peter 5:1-4, and how do these instructions reflect Jesus' example of leadership? [04:51]
2. According to the sermon, what are some of the challenges that leaders face today, and how does this relate to the concept of burnout? [00:48]
3. How does Peter describe the relationship between leaders and followers in the church, and what role does humility play in this relationship? [16:32]
4. What does Peter identify as the true enemy of the church community, and how does this understanding affect the way we handle conflicts? [19:23]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Peter's call for leaders to shepherd the flock "willingly" and "eagerly" challenge modern perceptions of leadership? What might this look like in today's context? [08:54]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that submission to leadership can lead to personal growth and community health? How does this align with Peter's teachings? [15:14]
3. How does the concept of humility, as discussed in the sermon, serve as a foundation for a healthy community? What are the potential outcomes when humility is prioritized? [16:32]
4. How does recognizing the true enemy, as described by Peter, change the way we approach interpersonal conflicts within the church? [20:35]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own experiences with leadership, either as a leader or a follower. How can you apply Peter's teachings on leadership as service in your current role? [08:54]
2. Consider a situation where you struggled with submission to authority. How might Peter's perspective on wise and Christ-like leadership change your approach in similar situations? [15:14]
3. Identify a specific area in your life where you can practice humility. What steps can you take this week to prioritize humility in your interactions with others? [16:32]
4. Think about a recent conflict you experienced within a community. How can recognizing the true enemy help you respond with compassion and love instead of anger and division? [20:35]
5. How can you integrate the kingdom ethic of service, compassion, and humility into your daily life? What specific actions can you take to ensure your life reflects the love and grace of Jesus? [11:03]
6. In what ways can you support leaders in your community who may be experiencing burnout? How can you offer encouragement and assistance to help them lead effectively? [00:48]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt anxious or overwhelmed. How can casting your anxieties on Jesus, as Peter suggests, provide peace and clarity in your current circumstances? [16:32]

Devotional

Day 1: Leadership as Selfless Service
True leadership is characterized by selfless service, as exemplified by Jesus. It is not about seeking power or personal gain but about serving others with integrity and compassion. This approach challenges the world's view of leadership, which often equates authority with dominance and self-interest. Instead, leaders are called to shepherd their communities with a servant's heart, prioritizing the well-being of others over their own ambitions. By embodying Christ-like love and humility, leaders can inspire trust and foster a spirit of unity and cooperation within their communities. [08:54]

1 Peter 5:2-3 (ESV): "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."

Reflection: Think of a leadership role you hold, whether formal or informal. How can you serve those you lead with greater humility and selflessness today?

Day 2: The Value of Submissive Learning
Submission to wise and Christ-like leadership is crucial for personal growth and community health. In a culture that often celebrates independence and self-reliance, this call to follow can be countercultural but is essential for growth and humility. Submission is not about blind obedience but about recognizing the value of guidance and wisdom from those with more experience. By embracing a posture of humility and teachability, individuals can learn and grow, contributing to a healthier and more unified community. [15:14]

Hebrews 13:17 (ESV): "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

Reflection: Identify a leader in your life whose wisdom you respect. How can you actively seek their guidance and learn from their experience this week?

Day 3: Humility as the Foundation of Community
Humility is the foundation of a healthy community. When both leaders and followers prioritize humility, they create an environment where service and mutual respect thrive. This focus on humility helps to eliminate power struggles and fosters a spirit of unity. By clothing themselves in humility, individuals can cast their anxieties on Jesus and work together to overcome challenges, building a community characterized by love and service. [16:32]

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Reflection: Consider a recent conflict or disagreement. How can you approach it with humility, seeking to understand and serve the other person rather than asserting your own perspective?

Day 4: Recognizing and Resisting the True Enemy
Peter reminds us to be vigilant against the spiritual forces that seek to divide and destroy. By recognizing the true enemy, we can channel our frustrations appropriately and respond with compassion and love, rather than anger and division. This awareness helps individuals to focus on unity and service, resisting the temptations to engage in power struggles or divisive behavior. By keeping their eyes on Jesus and relying on His strength, communities can stand firm against the forces that seek to undermine their unity and purpose. [20:35]

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV): "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Reflection: Reflect on a situation where you feel frustrated or divided. How can you shift your perspective to recognize the true enemy and respond with love and unity instead?

Day 5: Living the Kingdom Ethic
Embracing Jesus' kingdom ethic means leading and following with a heart of service, compassion, and humility. It challenges individuals to integrate their spiritual life with every aspect of their daily lives, ensuring that their actions reflect the love and grace of Jesus. By living out this kingdom ethic, individuals can transform their communities, creating spaces where love, service, and unity prevail. This holistic approach to faith calls for a commitment to embodying Christ's teachings in every interaction and decision, fostering a culture of grace and compassion. [11:03]

Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to live out the kingdom ethic. What practical steps can you take today to align your actions with the teachings of Jesus in this area?

Quotes

But as Jesus' followers, I think we're called to something different. Something more. And although we may be tempted to divorce our wives, our work, civic, community, or even home life from our spiritual life, this is not what Jesus asks us to do. Instead, he calls all of us, bosses, community leaders, political officers, parents, ministry leaders, to be eager to serve, to wash the feet of those we lead, and to care more about people than what those people do for us. [00:09:54] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

So here is my question for you today. As a leader, wherever you may find yourself, do you seek to serve others through the example of Jesus? And if not, what do you need to change to lead like Jesus wherever you are? [00:11:22] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

To be clear, Peter is not suggesting that these younger ones submit blindly to authority or follow no questions asked, but he is suggesting that if a leader is doing their best to be like Jesus, they're doing the things that he has outlined above, if there is healthiness at the top, then people should follow their lead. [00:13:00] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Submission, as unpopular as it may be, does lead time and time again to humility, teachability, and growth. And submission ultimately is the first step. The first step in becoming a Jesus-like leader. [00:15:04] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

After all, we are all serving a chief shepherd named Jesus, as Peter puts it in verse four. To be a Jesus follower is to embody submission in every single aspect of our life. [00:15:53] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

And finally, when conflict arises, our frustrations can be appropriately channeled when we remember the real enemy. This last instruction is the one that I want to spend the most time on today. [00:18:49] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

His most effective strategy is picking us off one by one, separating us from the pack, sowing seeds of power, greed, pridefulness, domination, and rebellion among us, isolating us, and then deflecting the blame onto other people. [00:20:17] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Rather that we wage war against the spiritual war that is happening, that we take up weapons like prayer, compassion, love, service, and we discard things. Things like hate, anger, mean-spirited comments, gossip, authoritarian rule, or inappropriate rebellion. [00:21:40] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

This means we respond with joy instead of jealousy when a mentee becomes more successful than us. This means we respond with a heart of service instead of resentment when we aren't. This means we respond with love when we're not recognized for our work. This means we respond with undeserved love when a leader treats us unfairly. And this means that we respond with humility, one that learns from others even when we think we know better. [00:21:52] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

In a way, I want to ask you, where are you being challenged? Where are you being challenged? In a world where good leaders are rare and many are unwilling to follow, in a world where having compassion for even the most difficult and the deplorable is rare, what would it look like to lead, follow, and live like this? [00:23:16] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?