Servant-Leaders Must Know Themselves (Sunday, September 14, 2025)

Luke 4:1-13

4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 And Jesus answered him, “It is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,

and him only shall you serve.’”

9 And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

to guard you,’

11 and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Servant-Leaders Must Know ThemselvesBrian Lee

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Introduction

Before Jesus began his public ministry, Jesus was tempted by Satan with three powerful lies. Because these temptations expose the condition of human hearts, understanding these temptations help us to fight back. What were they? They are three lies of performance, posessions, and popularity.

I. I Am What I Do (Performance)

“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (Luke 4:3)

Up until this point, Jesus had apparently done nothing of significance for thirty years. He had not yet begun his ministry. What contribution had he made to the world? So far, nothing. So, Satan says, “Prove yourself. Show that you are worth something by doing something spectacular.”

This is the temptation of performance, and this is everywhere. Our culture asks the same question. What have you accomplished? How have you demonstrated your usefulness? What do you do?

So, most of us consider ourselves worthwhile if we have scored sufficient successes in work, family, school, even church, and relationships. When we don't, we may move harder and faster, go inward into depression out of shame, or perhaps blame others for our predicaments.

How many of us live with that voice? Leaders, even servant-leaders in the church face this. We are often measuring ourselves by sermons we preach, the growth of the ministries, budgets balanced, or problems solved.

But Jesus does not play the game Satan wants to. Jesus relies on the written Word. He quotes, “Man shall not live by bread alone” (Deut. 8:3). What was Jesus saying? Let's take a look at the entire Deuteronomy 8:3 which says:

He [God] humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

When Israel was in the wilderness, it wasn't manna that sustained them; it was God who provide them the manna. God didn't sustain them because Israel performed her religious duties well. No, God sustained them for who they are and not what they do.

Christians, hear this: your worth is not in your performance. Ministry is not a stage to prove yourself. You serve not to earn God’s love, but you gladly serve because you already have the love of God in Christ.

II. I Am What I Have (Possessions)

“6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:6–7)

Jesus was taken to see all the magnificence and power of the earth. Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world. “Look around, Jesus. Look around you at what everyone else has. You don’t have anything. How will you survive? You are nobody. How will you matter without earthly possessions and power?”

Our culture defines "success" by what we own, control, or accumulate. The car we drive, the home we live in, the education we can afford, the titles on our résumé. Even in ministry, we often define "success" in terms of growing influence, financial stability, or even titles.

But Jesus resists again: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve” (Deut. 6:13). In other words: “My worth is not in what I possess. My security is not in what I can control. My identity is in God alone.”

That God loves us apart from anythihg I accomplish or accumulate, is revolutionary. But it's true. Our culture, our family of origin, and even our inner voices tell us that we need applauses from people and in order to get them, we have to have done something to show for it. But, the Gospel turns things upside down.

This is crucial for all Christians, but especially for those who serve in an ordained capacity. If your worth is tied to possessions or control, your service will become distorted. You will become enslaved to protecting self rather than freely serving Christ. Remember your worth is in God. And, if you do that, you will lead with freedom, not with fear.

III. I Am What Others Think (Popularity)

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you.’” (Luke 4:9–10)

Satan’s final tactic was this: “Make a public display. Win the crowd. Show them your greatness.”

Most of us are impacted by what other people think of us. How will they see me if I say something wrong? What will they think of me about my school, about my job? As a result, we often live other people's dreams. We get all stressed out because we need to get into certain types of institutions.

This is the temptation of popularity—finding identity in the approval of others. For everyone (and not just leaders), it can be devastating to live like this. Our joy rises and falls with compliments and criticisms. We will hesitate to make hard decisions because we fear what people may think of us. We end up living a lie when we crave people's applause more than God’s approval.

But Jesus refuses.

“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Deut. 6:16).

His worth was already secure in the Father’s voice at His baptism. "He is my son in whom I am well pleased." He did not need the crowd’s applause.

And so it should be with us. Servant leaders must not lead by chasing popularity. True service comes when we no longer live for people’s opinions but for God's glory.

Conclusion: The True Identity of a Servant Leader

At His baptism, before doing anything, Jesus heard the Father say: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” That identity carried Him through the wilderness and into His ministry.

Brothers and sisters, before you step into leadership, before you stand in front of people, you must first rest in who you are before God. You are not what you do. You are not what you have. You are not what others think. You are who God says you are—beloved, chosen, redeemed in Christ.