Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional. This week, following on from Sunday’s message on eldership, we are reflecting on some aspects of Biblical leadership.
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Today, in our final reflection on biblical leadership, we are considering the two crucial aims of godly leadership: Love and mission.
To watch this devotional, please select the link below. (You can also listen to it on Spotify and many other podcast platforms.
In today’s world, many so-called “leaders” are celebrated for their achievements in technological innovation, financial success, or amassing a large following. However, these metrics often lead to a misunderstanding of what true leadership entails. By worldly standards, Jesus Himself might not have been recognised as a great leader—His focus, methods and results were vastly different from the world’s definition of effectiveness and success!
For elders (pastors) and anyone serving in a leadership role within the church, two priorities should stand above all others: love and mission. These reflect the essence of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission, serving as the foundation for godly and effective leadership.
1. The Great Commandment
All Christians, and all leaders, are to love and are to encourage love in others. Jesus, when questioned on the greatest commandments, replied:
‘Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”’ (Matthew 22:37-40)
Loving God and loving people are God’s will for us. They are attributes to be seen in church leaders, and are attributes and a culture that elders are to seek to develop. Paul, in writing to Timothy, spoke of the goal of leadership:
‘As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.’ (1 Timothy 1:3-5)
Leaders of churches have a great ‘aim. They are seeking, through teaching and the various activities that are organised, to build a community of love. The church is to love God, love one another and show God’s love to this world.
2. The Great Commission
The second great ambition of elders of churches is to lead the church into obedience to The Great Commission. Jesus, just before His ascension to heaven, gave us our marching orders:
‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”’ (Matthew 28:18-20)
Pastors of churches are not just to create a loving community, they are to seek to develop awareness and responsiveness to Jesus’ commission. They are to teach, pray and set up strategies that help the church to ‘seek and save the lost’.
Let’s pray together as we finish
“Lord Jesus, help my church leaders, help my church, and help me to respond to your will that we go to all nations and make disciples. Fill us with your compassion and fill us with your Spirit toward this end. Please teach us, and give my church leaders the wisdom and ambition that we love you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and that we love one another as is your will. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
On Sunday, as we appointed Phil Mash as a new elder, our message was on the theme of biblical leaders, and eldership in particular. The church devotionals this week focus on this theme in some more detail so please do use these.
Please read Acts 20:17, 28-32 and discuss: church leaders are described in the synonymous terms of: Elder, overseer and shepherd. What are elders meant to do in the local church?
Please read Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 28:18-20 and discuss: The two great aims of elders is to lead the church into The Great Commandments and The Great Commission. In what ways is our local church seeking to do this? (Consider our vision and goals in answering this - https://www.communitychurchputney.com/our-vision ).
How often should we pray for our elders and leaders and how can we ensure that we put this into practice?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus; alternatively, pray for the ‘people of peace’ that you regularly meet with.
Let’s pray together: Pray for one another out of our study together and for anything else for which people would like prayer.
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