SOUTHERN ASIA BIBLE COLLEGE

RESEARCH PAPER #1

SERVANT LEADERSHIP
SUBMITTED TO
PASTOR. JAMES PETER & PASTOR. ABHISHEK SARKAR
IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE MN421
FOUNDATIONS OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY

MASTERS 1 B

SUBMITTED BY

MAGARAJA PRASANTH

M1961

BANGALORE, KARNATAKA

AUGUST 20, 2019.

 Table of Contents
Introduction 1

1. Meaning 1

2. Servant leadership 2

2.1 principles of servant leadership 2

3. Biblical understanding 3

3.1 Views of authors 3

4. Jesus’s Model of Leadership 3

4.1 How did Jesus lead 3

5. Strategies for my future ministry 4

6. Application 4

7. Conclusion 5

Bibliography 6
Introduction

Christians are called to lead and serve in every in every generation. The goal of each
believer is imitating Jesus Christ 1 (Jhn 14:6; Phil 3:8). The methods that Jesus to train and equip
His followers two thousand years ago are still the ones that are effective for the twenty-first
century Christian church. The challenges that Christian leaders face today are very similar to
what Jesus faced in training his twelve disciples. Concept of servant leadership is an old
principle found in the Holy Bible Jesus demonstrates as a servant leader by washing the feet of
the disciples in John chapter 13. The Gospel of Mark also records Jesus explaining that when
someone wants to be great, they need to be a servant of all Mark 9:33-35.

Jesus become a transformational leader in history due to the style of his servant
leadership style and that made a great impact on his disciples and successful result it in the
Christian world and He could able to push people towards the Christian goal.

“Leadership is not a synonym for lordship, our calling is to be servants not bosses, slaves
not Masters”2

Meaning
“Leadership is influence, the ability of one person to influence others to follow First
follow His or her lead”.3

“It’s not the position that makes the leader; it’s the leader that makes the position”.4

leadership is measured by the influence - the followers are proof of leadership.

1
All scripture references taken from the NIV Bible 2011.
2
John Stott, New issues facing Christians today (Mumbai: GLS, 1999), 430.
3
J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (Secunderbad: GS Books, 2017), 27.
4
John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (US: MG, 1998), 28.

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Servant leadership

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and “whoever wants
to be first must be slave of all”.5 (Mrk 10:43-44).

“The term servant speaks everywhere of low prestige, low respect low honour. Most
people are not attracted to low-value role. When Jesus used the term, however, it was a synonym
for greatness. And that was a revolutionary idea, Christ thought that the kingdom of God is a
community where each member served the other. Paul wrote “serve one and other in love” Gal
5:13.6 Servant leadership does not come as a result of theological training, but it is out of pure
love of Jesus and reverence and humility. Jesus said that he came to serve others but not to be
served, because he emptied himself His heart was God centered- unless until one become empty
of Ego, Selfishness, and Tender’s his/her Heart in their life he/she cannot serve. Jesus was
broken in all areas of mankind except regarding sin He never compromised to commit sin. When
we are ready to be broken in the hands God. And that Love that makes us bend down and touch
the dirty feet to cleanse with Love. A servant leader finds happiness in serving others and seeing
a smile on his/her eyes through his true service.

Principles of servant leadership

“1. Servant leaders humble themselves and wait for God to exalt them (see Luke 14:7-11).

2. Servant leaders follow Jesus rather than seek a position (see Mark 10:32-40).

3. Servant leaders give up personal rights to find greatness in service to others (see Mark 10:41-
45).

4. Servant leaders can risk serving others because they trust that God is in control of their lives
(see John 13:3).

5. Servant leaders take up Jesus’ towel of servanthood to meet the needs of others (see John
13:4-11).

5
All scripture references taken from the NIV Bible 2011.
6
J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership (Secunderbad: GS Books, 2017), 21.

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6. Servant leaders share their responsibility and authority with others to meet a greater need (see
Acts 6:1-6).

7. Servant leaders multiply their leadership by empowering others to lead (see Ex. 18:17-23)”.7

Biblical understanding
‘Servant leadership comes under the Biblical Leadership because the world is seeking for
results through leadership for the benefits/profits, but the sacred realm is after the fruit of the
spirt. And the servant leadership is demonstrated by Jesus in the gospel of john 13 and the
leadership is a spiritual gift which is commanded to stir up their gifts (2 Tim 1:6) To use for the
service of the body of Christ (Eph 4:12)’.8

Views of authors
1. “The true measure of leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less”.9
2. ‘Effective leadership demands to listen and serving to others who are in need’10
3. “Most of us live our lives by accident—we live as it happens. Fulfilment comes when we live
our lives on purpose.”– Simon Sinek11

Jesus’s Model of Leadership

“For Jesus, the Model of leadership was servanthood”.12

‘Jesus was not doing things that He wanted to do but He was doing the will of His Father
as a service to his mission and this becomes a great model because He gave even His life to serve
God and people with all heart (Jhn 6: 38)’.13

How did Jesus lead

We think that the miracles performed by Jesus made him a great leader, but the fact is
Jesus never wanted to be called as a great leader, but he wanted to have a deeper mutual
connection with people. That made him become a servant leader. Jesus’s weapon for his

7
C. Gene Wilkes, Jesus On Leadership Becoming a Servant Leader (LifeWay Press: Nashville, Tennessee,
2015), 7.
8
Dr. John Alex, Ebenezer Theological Journal vol. 5 (Ebenezer Theological Seminary, 2016), 34.
9
John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (US: MG, 1998), 23.
10
Hauerwas Stanley, The Cost of Moral Leadership (USA: Grand Rapids, 2003), 169.
11
https://everydaypower.com/simon-sinek-quotes/ (accessed on 18-08-2019)
12
C. Gene Wilkes, Jesus On Leadership (US: Tyndale House, 1998), 15.
13
Ibid.

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revolution leadership impact on the world is LOVE and He trained his disciples as leaders which
become a great legacy and rest remained as history till today. This legacy is still
inspiring/influencing many till today that is the secret power of his servant leadership of love.
Jhn 13 is will explain this powerful strategy in a beautiful scenario.

Jesus was always under the guidance of his Father and led people with the help of the
holy spirit. He has a perfect model His Father in front and followed him/immitted and said the
people to follow me (Jesus) as how I follow my father. This insight was told by Paul in I Cor
11:1 putting/turning torchlight towards Jesus.

Strategies for my future ministry

➢ Urban Strategy – I will practice and implement this method which was used by
the apostles who went city to city. To the centres of commerce, power, and influence and
meet people and identify their needs and approach them according to that need through
Love in actions (Serving). But relevant to today’s context for example, Conducting
Medical camps, providing education, solving social community problems such as water
and electricity also especially teaching skill/artworks to women and girls such as stitching
cloths, hand-looming, crafting, painting, etc.
➢ Appointing local leaders- in the church’s planted and established by walking up in
cities and towns for preaching and teaching primarily so that they will grow in both ways
spiritually and mentally.
➢ Along with the above methods I like to give my first priority to the household
ministry of hospitality like Aquila and Priscilla showed Jesus by their lovable hospitality-
bandaging the wounded, took care of persecuted people, providing food and shelter to
needy and poor impacted people more than preaching and teaching at that particular time
period. At present, there are many abused children/women waiting for serving hands
more than the preaching lips, many orphans/street children without homes looking for
love and care than comforting sermons.

Application
I admit that I found myself poor in serving others and this paper challenging me to
develop that lifestyle and I pray that God helps me to learn to serve people with Love and
without expectations. I came to know good principles and strategies of serving people and caring

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for them I will start practicing from now and implement in my future ministry for the extension
of the kingdom and God’s glory. I feel good to do this research paper because I am learning
important life lessons.

Conclusion

Leadership/Servant leadership is a vast subject like an ocean it takes a lot of effort and time to -
study but beyond as a subject its matters of the heart to be a real servant leader.

The one who becomes God centered and experiences the love of Christ cannot be silent without
serving. In fact, the call to be a minister of God is absolutely a call to serve/service. And one
cannot become a servant leader without the Love of Christ- the key. Paul in his writing to I Cor
13 says “I’m nothing” if I don’t have love.

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Bibliography
Dr. John Alex, (Ebenezer Theological Seminary, 2016. “Seminary and Effective Leadership -
Biblical Leadership.” Ebenezer Theological Journal vol. 5, 2016: 34.
Maxwell, John C. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership . US: MG, 1998.
Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership . Secunderbad: GS Books, 2017.
Stanley, Hauerwas. The Cost of Moral Leadership. USA: Grand Rapids, 2003.
Stott, John. New issues facing Christians today. Mumbai: GLS, 1999.
Wilkes, C. Gene. Jesus On Leadership. US: Tyndale House, 1998.
—. Jesus On Leadership Becoming a Servant Leader. Nashville, Tennessee: LifeWay Press,
2015.