Plenary Session 5
We need to give thanks to God for what He has done, and we still need to remember to call out for His help for our shortcomings. A big theme here is how we’re apparently being honest about how we’ve been faltering.
Artistic expression of Paul’s final words before he left for Jerusalem, taken from Acts 20:13-38.
13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
Serving as Jesus served
Philip Ryken speaks
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.Acts 20:13-38
In all the diversity, there is only one kind of Christian, only one who is able to do the true work of evangelism – one who embraces Christlike servanthood as a way of life. We’re all called to be servants wherever we are.
Leadership is servanthood. Whether you are a Pastor, Missionary, CEO – you are a servant. Unless we are servants, too, we cannot fulfill the great commission.
‘You might think of Luke as volume 1 of the work of Jesus. Acts as Volume 2 fo the work of Jesus. Today, we’re in volume 3. If what we do is in Jesus’ name, then we need to go the way Jesus did — as servants.’
43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”Mark 10:43-45
We love as Christ loved us, we serve as Christ served us. The Great Commission can be seen as Christ-centered proclamation with Christlike practice.
5 Aspects of this Servanthood:
First is Servanthood to the Gospel:
24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.Acts 20:24
Paul puts his life into service of something which is greater than his life: the gospel of God.
Martin Luther says, ‘I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; Otherwise, I did nothing. And while I slept… the Word did everything… For it is almighty, and takes captive the heart’. We trust the Word to do its work.
Second is Servanthood to the Holy Spirit:
22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there…Acts 20:22
We’re also servants of God’s spirit. They waited for the Spirit at Pentecost. They followed the Spirit to the ends of the earth, constantly in prayer.
We do not resist the Spirit; We rest in the Spirit. We trust the Word to do the Word’s work, and we trust the Spirit to do the Spirit’s Work. When we see the Spirit touch people, we see how powerful the Spirit is – We trust and behold the world-changing power of the spirit!
Third is Servanthood to the Church:
The Lausanne Covenant states, ‘Christ’s evangelists must humbly seek to empty themselves of all but their personal authenticity in order to become the servants of others.’
For those of us blessed with families, our love for our ministry should not come before our husbands and wives, and our brothers and sisters. They ought to complement each other, but it all starts in the family. It shows in the forefront of our ministry.
We have loved ones at home. Do not serve God at the expense of family life but rather WITH the strength from family life. Turn your servant hearts to home before to the rest of the community.
Fourth is Servanthood to Other Leaders:
The Leaders of the church were not self-conscious or insecure in any way. They operated, not out of their own egos but by the power of the Spirit. ‘It’s a spirit of humility and friendship, study and prayer, partnership and hope’, as Billy Graham shares.
True leaders are servants of other leaders. Servanthood is considered lowly; For followers of Christ, servanthood is always as high as calvary where our suffering servant Lord died for our sins.
We lay our lives down for one another – this implies our sharing of our talents with each other – even, it is ventured to say, with the entire global church!
We ought to ask ourselves: Not who God calls us to lead, but who is God calling us to serve?
Fifth is Servanthood for the Lost:
Our servanthood is for every tongue and tribe, for all who have not yet the joy of Jesus Christ to the ends of the world!
Paul’s servanthood to the Gospel to the leaders and to Ephesus, was also for the sake of the lost. The people gathered in the congress for those who could not gather. We want the lost to join us in the fellowship.
Paul knew he couldn’t reach every sphere of society, but we see, through his courageous leadership in the shipwreck, he projected servanthood that, indeed, turned the world upside down.
Servanthood is leadership, and leadership is seen in the small things, for even in these small things, we, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, turn the world upside down.
‘You built a bridge to me and one day Jesus came walking over that bridge’
Will you make His servanthood your leadership? Jesus Christ, by His Spirit calls into this servanthood which makes His beauty visible, which makes the Gospel credible to the world, for the glory of the Father!
Young Leaders gathered on stage, as a panel. Speaker 1 from Ghana, Speaker 2 from UK, Speaker 3 from Cameroon, Speaker 4 from Panama, Speaker 5 from Taiwan, Speaker 6 from Norway.
Who is your generational neighbor, and how are your going to intentionally commit to your neighbor?
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Consider that Christ had a double commission – To go forth, globally, AND generationally.
Many of the youth are frustrated as they see the church irrelevant, unloving, and inauthentic. Who cares that in some parts of the global church, 62% of those leaving the church do so before the age of 18? (The Public Religion Research Institute, 2016)
What role does vulnerability plays?
- Delphine, Speaker 3 speaks: It serves a part in establishing and maintaining deep connections. It is not really celebrated, but at the same time it is hard to be fully seen and known without vulnerability. It creates the necessary depth for deeper impact. You’re putting power into another person’s hands to let you down. But if love is the process of meeting needs, vulnerability is the bridge to experiencing love.
- Are we willing to be vulnerable with one another as generational neighbors in order to develop the depth of authenticity necessary for effective discipleship?
- We carry scars from previous relationships, from people who did not know what to do with the vulnerability we gave. We need to establish a safe space for people to be vulnerable – who will risk being vulnerable first?
- As members of the body of Christ, each of us must stop trying to find that safe space and start becoming it for others. Jesus demonstrated this vulnerability in the Garden of Gethsemane.
- The world needs to see Christians who, in addition to trusting God, also trust each other with themselves. Our vulnerabilities expanded to others. What is more important to you? That people are impressed by you, or that they are influenced by you?
What do you think might really happen if intergenerational vulnerability isn’t considered?
- Ravel Speaker 4 speaks, and focuses on collaboration, and intergenerational collaboration.
- To collaborate intergenerationally is to commit to the possibility of producing an outcome greater than what one generation could produce alone.
- All generations should love one another by listening to one another. We share responsibilities in that way, bearing one another’s burdens.
- The most important intergenerational collaboration is respect. Elders can give us wisdom accumulated from experience, and younger people can give energy and fire to move the machine of God’s ministry.
- For the sake of God’s work among generations alive and unborn, will you choose to love and respect your generational neighbours as a means to foster intergenerational collaboration towards discipleship?
Ravel continues: ‘I decided to stop asking what other generations could do for me, and started asking what I could do to improve intergenerational collaboration in my context’
Generational dynamics differs in different parts of the world, but we can all learn from what Paul has to share:
Whole life mentoring is a matter of the heart, characterised by loving family relationships.
Appreciate the grace of God in others. Barnabas did so for Paul.
As Christ ministered to Barnabas to move the way he moved, needing others, so Christ would minister to us as well.
We have strengths and vulnerabilities. Let’s trust each other as generational and global neighbors. We need one another.
Each one of us is both a Paul and a Timothy at the same time. Who is your Paul, and who is your generational Timothy’s?
Steven Oh speaks
Together is better. It’s more effective, and it’s beautiful. Let the church display and declare Christ together.
Christ said ‘Go, and make disciples of all nations’ – and we need to make sure our own visions aren’t just focused on doing our own thing. The Great Commission is our own responsibility, and in our doing our own stuff, we see that lesser and lesser people are hearing the good news of Jesus Christ.
I’m personally reminded to consider, and rather, to apply our working with one another. It’s not just the work of missionaries, but every artist, every businessman, EVERY member, every part of the body of Christ.
The Great Commission was given to the church, and we are part of the church – we all play a part in the Great Commission. What does it mean to take part of that collective responsibility, when we do more than just acts of random kindness, but coordinated church action?
Let’s remember that we are part of the whole body of Christ, and we take part in the whole mission and Great Commission, for the sake of the whole world.
There are both flies and bees are in the same garden – which one you are depends on what you are looking for. Bees seek beauty. Flies seek filth. – Based on a Russian saying
Let us seek beauty. Let us pursue love.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.2 Timothy 2:22
Let us declare and display Christ, together!
In a Breakout Room with Ezra from Hyderabad, India; Mark from Ireland, Sarah from Australia, and Rea again from Indonesia by way of the Philippines.
Christlike Servanthood
In what specific ways do you see servanthood advancing the Great Commission in the world today?
This servanthood is countercultural – nobody is beyond our realm of service. Rea shares that we serve the lost – when she serves those with special needs in her part of the world, she also shares with their family – she listens to everyone’s stories, assisting with their every day talks and walking alongside them.
What leadership traits that are valued in your culture or in Christian ministry are out of step with Christlike servanthood?
People can be confident, passionate, they could preach good and right things, but perhaps not serving or listening; That could be a real danger to the body.
Some folks seek too much attention; The leaders shouldn’t be expecting others to serve them but be the first person to serve others. A good leader, servant leadership helps disciples further the work by doing the work.
18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the dgospel.1 Corinthians 9:18
Brought up the estuary concept, but Mark also shared on the apparent synergy between old and new human body cells.
What are some practical ways to cultivate stronger servanthood in your church, your organization, and your personal ministry?
Rea says actions still speak louder than words. Respect is as much in our actions than in our words. Sarah says, plain and simple, ‘model it’. What’s next? Pray, and model it.
Quite the wonderful congress. I HAVE learned a lot… I suppose I should put it all together. Soon… soon.
Until the next post, may the Lord bless us greatly and abundantly. Amen.
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