The Challenge of Communicating Servant Leadership

Welcome to our new Hub. In this Hub we will be discussing the Challenge of Communicating Christ's perfect example of servant leadership. I will be referring to several articles from Christians for Biblical Equality's, "Arise News Letter." One article will be from Gilbert Bilezikian, on "The Servant Leader' Hoax" a short article from this inspired writer of Biblical Equality. Also a longer article from the founder of Christians for Biblical Equality, Catherine Clark Kroeger, titled "The Challenges of Communication," This lovely inspired lady has something to say to us from her own personal experiences on how servant leadership works.

You can see from our titles that the teachings of Christ's principles of servant leadership is not always easy to do in a world that has more or less turned its back on the Redeemer's teachings of the first century Church and reverted back to the "Fall' in Genesis 3:16. However, it is our responsiblity to continue to reveal this important aspect of Christ's major teaching for the welfare of those striving to overcome the mis-teachings of this world's paganized Christianity. Since the "Fall," human relationships have drifted further away from what God had started as the perfect senario in Genesis 1:26-31, and Genesis 2:20-25. As our relationships became more and more tarnished by Satan's deception, (Revelation 12:9), of Eve and Adam's failure to rescue his wife from making the fatal mistake that would make life on this earth a vertial hell on earth for 6,000 years. Now, as Adam sinned with his eyes wide open it would take the coming Redeemer in person to rescue us from the power of the grave, Gen. 3:6, Romans 5:12, Genesis 3:15. What could have been a life of continual honey moons and bliss and happiness for us humans turned into a place of sin and death. It did not take to long for most of human kind to pervert themselves and for God to have to destroy them, Genesis 6:5-7.

However, God delivered Noah and his Family of 8 people to start a new episode to bring about a change in human nature through Christ's prophesied first coming, Genesis 3:15. Now, the Saviour Himself would arrive and begin to teach his way of "Equality" through his servant leadership vessel, the Church. It is here that he laid the foundation for a perfect new world government through a people that would listen to his teachings, the priesthood of all believers, 1 Corinthians 3:7-15, 1 Peter 2:5-11, Ephesians 2:16-22 and Acts 2:17-21.

This new family, of which Jesus Christ became the source of life too and, is the vessel where all humans can someday be part God's family, if they repent of their sins and receive the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 3:9-21. This sounds easy but Satan is still the god of this world and was allowed to have Jesus Christ martyred and persecuted the Church and its people down through the ages, even up into these days. Satan has also been allowed to raise up his own paganized version of "Christianity" with his own brand of Christian leadrship. The same brand that Adam chose, male patriarchy, the chain of command leadership pecking order. This would have a clergy over laity, and male over female format much like Adam's male pagan leadership example. Once again woman would be treated as second class citizens even in the Church. So once again God's leadership is usurped again by men even though Jesus Christ told his original disciples not to follow any pagan concepts that might seem right to them, Matthew 20:25-28, Proverbs 14:12.

In Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian's article from the "Arise news Letter from CBE , "The Servant Leadership' Hoax," warns us of this very deception of men to revert right back to pagan leadership under the cover of following Christ's servant leadership examples. Its just another attempt to lead gullible people astray from the truths of Christ. Gilbert Says,"This pious-sounding cliche is commonly used as a foil to mask abuses of authority committed in both church and family enviroments. Christ's radical teachings about the divinely - ordained nature of leadership exposes the hypocrisy of this system and upturns the hierarchical concept of leadership literally flat on its head. He replaces it with a community - intensive developmental model designed to become the force intended to bring the paltry kingdoms of this world into subjection to the kingdom of God. It is all a matter of right communication from the true source of life Jesus Christ's true servant leadership examples, John 14:6.

There is a language barrier here which needs to be communicated from God the Holy Spirit to those chosen in Christ's priesthood of all believers to all the new prospective future followers of Christ. Christ egalitarian way is very sorely needed in the churches today that claim they follow Christ. Remember Christ is our foundation? It is how we apply Christ's teachings that will decide what kind of witness we will give and how it is communicated and what kind of rewards will be given. There are many different ways to build on Christ's foundational and commandment teachings, but equallity is one of the most important. It is the very life blood of His work and precious golden opportunity for us to spread the true Gospl of Jesus Christ, and to walk in the Spirit of Biblical equality as one Church, 1 John 1:7-17.

As I was reading over Catherine Clark Kroegers very inspired article from "The Arise News Letter," "The Challenge of Communication," I can only admire her insight of communicating through a language barrier. Though she passed away very recently, February 14 of this week, how keen was her understanding that it really takes the Holy Spirit living and moving in us daily because we are Her and Jesus work in us, John 16:13-14. It takes the gifts and the calling of the Spirit and Christ to break down all the hedges Satan has set up to discourage us. A needy person can appreciate our body language or discernment or the gift of speaking in tongues were needed even if we are not aware that the Holy Spirit is reaching them through us, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

Catherine found herself trying to reach across barriers, although the State she lived in is not a large state, it stands seventh highest in number of legal immigrants who live within its borders. So many of these people have such deep needs and limited abilities to even communicate with them. It is at these times that it is hard to reach out to them but feel very helpless to do so. How am I to bridge the gulf, how do I engage in a ministry of caring. Catherine says that she was beginning to see that part of our ministry as Christ followers is to minister to those whose languages we do not speak. We do this by simply living out our convictions. As we are instructed in the Word, we can obey, share, and love, and the Holy Spirit can empower.

Catherine thought of God's ability to communicate, of how Jesus came to bridge the gulf and how he Himself was the Living Word. His own life reminds us that the message is not only what we say, but also what we do. Catherine said, that she had come to realize that as we demonstrate Christ's love, we can communicate by our own lives some of the values of biblical equality. The Bible says we are living letters even when our language is faulty, 2 Corinthians 3:2. She found this to be true in three recent happenings in her life.

A woman with a severe medical problem came to her church community for help with her visa. She was denied help because she was a voice insisting on the equality of men and women in this church. Catherine preached sermons about God's use of woman in church , and she has discovered that women can have a voice. She also knows that Catherine was struggling to learn her language as she supplies her with books and other resourcs on biblical equality. She was to be her mentor as she engages in a training course for immigrant lay leaders. Her vision is becoming a reality.

This lady was in an evangelical immigrant enclave that retains its own language, customs, and churches, but cannot acknowledge the domestic abuse in its midst. Catherine was given the opportunity to proclaim what the Bible says about abuse. Catherine had been warned that the pastor would not listen to a woman, but they had to acknowledge the truth of the Scriptures she shared. Now they ask that she come back to speak to the women. This means working with the community leaders, shelter and social workers, and gray haired clergy. The common core is excitement over what can be found in God's great message and how revelant it proves to meet contemporary social needs.

Another experience that Cathrine had was a student who had been sent from Kazakhistan with little understanding of the English language or American academic requirements, and had no place to live. For this student that had come from a very new nation, there is an opportunity for him to see how women are received in the academic world as we try to help him negotiate many challenges. Even locating a competent interpreter is difficult! Its still to early to figure out the fine print on his visa. In the mean time of course there is the opportunity to do all these things Jesus told us to do: feed the hungry, take in the stranger, and try to steer him through the shoals and quicksand of American life.

All to often we forget the power of the Holy Spirit working through us when we are faced with barriers like language. Not only can we overcome these barriers, but we can proclaim the Biblical truth of equality while doing so! We must never lose sight of our great witness as truth bearers in all situations.

So we can read from Catherines own personal witness that it takes work to accomplish these things in faith and hope but not always knowing how things will work out now and in the future. There is a certain clean, good feeling that many things can be accomplished when we know the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father are lookig over our shoulders to see that so much fruit can be born by doing the simple things done through communicating servant leadership, Romans 8:27-28 - And he that searchs the hearts knowth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.

From wisdom comes knowledge and undertanding if we listen closely to the Holy Spirit, Proverbs 1:8,20; 2:1-11.We need to ask for wisdom in faith, seeking the truths of God so we can undertand th concepts of headship and servant leadership, Matthew 6:33; 7:7-11, James 1:5-6. Then we can communicate the simple truths of God to those called to be renewed into God's egalitarian family, 1 Corinthians1:20-31. One pure language would make things simple, but for now we need to search and discern the Scriptures to find our way through the book of Ages and communicate hidden truths to those in need.

Thank God for people like Catherine Clark Kroeger and her husband Richard Clark Kroeger, they have left a legacy for us to follow. You can know the truth and truth can make you free, John 8:31-32. If you would like to learn more about Christians for Biblical Equality and servant leadership, check out our Web page at: www.cbeinternational.org. The challenge of communicating servant leadership can only be achieved when the Holy Spirit dwells in us and we become servant leaders for Christ, who lives in us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, John 14:23.

CBE has numerous resources to help you along the way to a happier life in the Spirit of Life: Romans 8:1-4 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be filled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.