FIGHTING FOR OUR LOST FRIENDS


1. The identifying mark left on the early Christians was the

.

Acts 4:11-12
Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

2. Jesus brings together a surprising mix of two opposites:

and .

Romans 1:1-3
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God…

1 Corinthians 4:1-3
This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ …

3. Jesus’

on this combination was matched by his , and tells us “This is !”

Luke 22:24-26 (NLT)
Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.

John 13:1-5 (NLT)
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

THE SECRET OF THE SERVANT-LEADER CONNECTION

1. It Keeps Leaders From Being Destroyed By

And .

Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Matthew 20:26-28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

2. It steers leaders away from

and .

3. It catches the world’s

so Christ can be .

Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.