[Ken Thomson] Well good morning everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here with you. Let me put my eyes on. Here we go. I'd like to start off by actually thanking God for all the meat, the messages that He through the men that have spoken to us, have given to us. I would ask that you would, however, at this point reflect back on and recall the sermon given to us by Dr. Aust specifically because he ended where I want to pick up. He talked about seven revolutions and the final revolution being that of governance and it is that that I want to speak to us about today. You know, we have all been given an awesome calling and that calling is actually two-fold. There is, at this point in time, our calling involves discipleship that we must learn during this life to be disciples of the Master. Of course, the Master being Jesus Christ. However, after this portion of our calling there remains the greater responsibility. Now, I won't turn there. These have already been referenced earlier and maybe again in the future. But let me just give you some scriptures for you to jot down. Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10 tell us that in the fulfillment of this time that we will be kings and priests serving under Jesus Christ. Revelation 20:4-6 tell us that we will sit on thrones and reign.

And then Revelation 22:3-5 tell us that our reign under Jesus Christ will be forever and ever. So from these scriptures and many others that we could look at, it is clear that while today in this lifetime we are called to be disciples, imitators of the Master, to learn the ways of the Master, our future responsibility will involve rulership, leadership in the Kingdom of God. And because of that, it is absolutely imperative that we learn how to rule, but not according to the ways of man, but rather, again, according to the ways of our Master, according to the ways of Jesus Christ. So today I want to ask a question and it is this question that I want to address after the remainder of the message and that is as rulers in Christ's dominion what kind of ruler will you be? As rulers in Christ's dominion, what kinds of ruler will you be?

Now, if you go into a bookstore, particularly a bookstore of any size, you will probably find an entire section in that bookstore devoted to management. For the sake of this message, I want to just quickly define for us a fundamental difference between management and leadership or rulership management. Management can be defined as the use of external controls applied to people through various methods to make them, the people, accomplish a given task. Again, it has to do with external controls or how… or ways rather in which people are managed. Anyone with authority can manage if they follow the principles, controls, and methods of management. But leadership is something altogether different. Leadership is not just based on external controls. It involves more. It involves internal qualities of a person, internal qualities which can be used to motivate and to guide and to draw followers to a particular objective.

Unlike management, which, again, involves external controls and only requires authority, leadership is internal and is based on influence. While there are certainly, I'm sorry. While there is certainly authority in godly leadership. Please let me state that again. There is authority in godly leadership. Authority is not the primary focus of a godly leader. We aren't there to simply flex the authority muscles if you will. Leadership requires more than just authority. Now, why am I telling us this today? Well, because as has already been mentioned, you and I in this lifetime are in training, but we're not in training to be managers, but rather to be leaders, to be rulers in the dominion of Jesus Christ. Your future job description will not be simply to manage people through external controls. Now, there will be external controls and we will discuss that briefly. But rather we are in training to develop within us internal qualities that will allow us to motivate and to guide people towards a specific destination. First, towards discipleship and then ultimately to guide them to become children of God. Leadership is about showing the way. It's not about pushing or shoving or corralling people or flexing our authority muscles. So with this as a backdrop, let's talk about and look at Christ's leadership style because He is the Master. We are the disciples and we are, if we wish to be rulers in His dominion, we are to learn and to develop and apply His leadership style.

Let's start by looking at what Christ tells us not to be like. Turn with me to Matthew 20. Now, in Matthew 20 as you're turning there, let me just rehearse for you the background here. Here is where the mother of James and John, two of the disciples, comes to Christ and ask Christ to grant her two sons prominent places in the Kingdom of God, to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus Christ. The focus here was on power and authority and recognition. Now, when the other 10 disciples found out about this, they were incensed but not of a righteous indignation because they too wanted power and authority and recognition. So Christ had to deal with this. Christ had to teach them a better way. So let's pick it up in verse 25. Matthew 20:25 where it says, "But Jesus called them to Himself and said..." So here's the instruction of the Master to you and to me, “You know that rulers of the Gentiles lord it over the people, and those who are great exercise authority..." There's flexing of the authority muscles. "They exercise authority over them.” So Christ recognizes this is the ways of man. This is management.

But then Christ goes on to say to you, to me, to His disciples, to any who would be rulers in His dominion, "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you..." And now Christ lays the foundation of Christ-like leadership. "Let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave." Now, these weren't just words to Jesus Christ. This was a principle. This was a way of life and this was the great and almighty God, the Creator, giving this instruction to His disciples. But he was not above these instructions. He did not come just to speak the words. He came to emulate, to be the example. Notice it goes on to say, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as ransom for many."

So we see here when we look at the life of Christ, we see this foundational principle, this internal quality as exemplified in throughout His life in humility and service. Humility and service, that is the fundamental internal quality and the foundational quality of Christ-like leadership. And as rulers in the dominion of Jesus Christ, it is to become our foundational quality, humility, and service. Now, the scripture here uses terms as servant and slave. Does that mean then that as rulers under Jesus Christ, we ought to let people walk all over us because after all, we're the servant, we're the slave, right? Is that what that is saying? No, it is not. We don't let people walk all over us. There is authority in the dominion of Christ and there is authority given and granted to those that will rule with Him over the entire world. There are external controls that will be in place.

Now, external controls can be negative. They can be neutral or they can be positive. You know, if you think of in times past in slavery, one external control to get people to do what you want them to do might be the whip. Well, that would be a negative external control. But there are also positive external controls and we read of and we understand that they will be external controls within the Kingdom of God. We refer to those external controls as the law of God. And I won't' go there to look at it. Again, it's already been referenced. But just jot down Zechariah 14:16-19. And just a quickly rehearse, this is where Christ says that you know, the law will be kept, the Holy Days will be kept and if anyone does not come out to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, if anyone is not walking within the external controls, the law of God defining right and wrong righteousness and sin. And the law tells us to observe the Feast and He says, if anyone does not do that, there will be punishments.

So, again, I'm not saying that they aren't external controls in place within the Kingdom of God, but we're not there, we won't be there to simply herd people and corral people and Lord over people in order for them to keep these external controls. As leaders under Christ, we are not going to be just enforcers. And I want you to notice the word just. We're not there just to enforce the external controls, just as Christ isn't just enforcing those controls on us today. Again, as leaders, as rulers in the kingdom, and our job will be to lead people using those external controls, yes. But lead people to discipleship through the law. As David stated, the law, these external controls are very, very good. “They are holy and just and good.” And king David stated that the law “is a lamp and a light” unto his feet to guide him, to direct him, to know the right way to live, to know how to be a disciple.

So, again, as rulers, we will lead and guide and motivate others to obey. But not just obey because if it's simply obedience, then it is simply an external control. We will be there to lead and guide and direct so that they will obey from the heart. One of the wonderful things about the law of God is in all of our lives, it starts as an external control and yet as we develop in the Master’s mindset, it becomes an internal quality, doesn't it? It's not just obedience, but it's obedience from the heart. We don't just obey the law because we have to, we obey the law because we want to. It's what we want to do. It's what we want to be.

Let's notice the attitude of a Christ-like leader in his dominion as explained in Isaiah 30. Isaiah 30... And I'm just going to break into the thought here in Isaiah 30. And let's begin in the middle of verse 20. This is where I really want to focus. It says, “…your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers." Here it's showing us something about the leadership style of Jesus Christ. We aren't there. We won't be there to simply lord it over people, but we will be there as teachers, as guides or, if you will, as shepherds. Now, going on. It says, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’” whenever the person “turns to the right hand or to the left. Wherever you turn,.." I'm sorry, "to the right hand or to the left."

So notice the instruction as a teacher, as a shepherd. It doesn't say that if a person turns to the right hand or to the left, this huge two-by-four comes down and smacks them up the back of the head. That's not what it says. It says there will be a voice. "Hey, wait a minute. You're digressing from the law. You're stepping outside the boundaries. This is the way. Come back into the way." You understand? You see the gentleness of this. Now, if people refuse to do so, again, Zachariah, there's a purpose for the external controls. There is punishment. There is authority, but we don't just jump to authority. We seek to teach and guide and direct and motivate people to walk in the way. Again, we ought to be teachers and shepherds to guide and to redirect. It's interesting to note, we're going to look at three titles of Christ today. One of the titles of Jesus Christ is He is the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd.

So Christ-centered leadership is based on the foundation of humility and service, being a good shepherd. Let's now notice another internal quality that is required for rulers in Christ dominion. We read earlier that Christ came to serve, but what motivated, what motivates His service? What motivates our service? You know, there are many different motivations for people serving. You might serve to receive recognition. You might serve to receive promotion or what have you. What was Christ’s motivation for service? Turn with me to Matthew 15. Matthew 15. And, again, let me just rehearse for you as we're turning there the story. Christ here in Matthew 15 executed or performed an amazing act of service through the miracle of the fishes and the loaves. Now, you remember the story, how people were with Him and He performed this great miracle to feed them, but not spiritually. He had already done that. We're talking about to physically feed these human beings. But the question that I want to ask is what motivated Him to perform this act of service? And we find the answer in Matthew 15:32. It says, Matthew 15:32 now, "Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, ‘I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint by the way." The keyword here is compassion. And this takes me back to the message we heard yesterday by Mr. Iiams and how he touched on the compassion and that driving force of Jesus Christ. Compassion is used at least a dozen times throughout the gospels to tell us about one of the great arms of Christ-like leadership. Compassion in Mark 9:36, I won't turn there, but we read that Christ had compassion on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

And so He taught them. He was their spiritual shepherd. In Luke 19:41-44 we read that Christ looked down on Jerusalem and was actually brought to tears because the people had strayed so far from their God that they didn't even recognize when the Messiah showed up, and the result of that was to be an impending destruction on those people. Now, was Christ happy about the destruction that was about to before Jerusalem? Well, certainly He understood that there was a need for punishment. But it says He was brought to tears. He wept. So, again, we see this concept of compassion. Christ takes no pleasure, the Father takes no pleasure in the punishment of people, in the destruction of people. Of course, we read of that in Ezekiel 33:11 where it says that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but hopes that all will turn to repentance.

That's what God desires. God's not standing there waiting for someone to mess up and then zap, or to bring out the two-by-four. I often think of it in these terms, God would much prefer to use a feather to guide and to redirect then the two-by-four. If He has to, He will use the two-by-four, but he would much rather us be responsive to where He can just use the feather. Christ never saw people as objects or inconveniences. Sometimes we can be brats and sometimes we deserve to be spanked. But Christ always saw people for their value and for their potential, the potential to be children of the most high God. So one of the great arms of Christ-like leadership that comes off of the foundation of humility and service is that of compassion. Again, it's interesting when we look at the titles of Christ, Christ is not only referred to as the Shepherd of God, He is also referred to as the Lamb of God. Now, given that human beings do at times act like brats and walk in rebellion to God, there is another arm of Christ-like leadership that we all need to be aware of and understand. Although compassionate, although ever compassionate, Christ will never compromise. Although compassionate, Christ will never compromise.

Turn with me to Revelation 19. In Revelation 19 and let's begin in verse 11 and one of our speakers went here, I think it was Mr. Dowd, went here and look at verse 15. We'll drop down there momentarily. But let's start in verse 11. Revelation 19:11 it says, "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on it was called,” And this, of course, is describing Jesus Christ. "Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war." Now, as was brought out again, I think this was by Mr. Aust, when Christ does return, mankind will be so hard-hearted and that not even as when they go through the tribulation, not even when they go through the final seven plagues. It says, these plagues come upon them and they still refuse to repent. That's how hard their heart has become. And so when Christ returns, He will have no option but to use the two-by-four. And it says that He will then judge and make war.” Because it's the only way to bring about everlasting peace. But it says, "in righteousness He will judge…” and exercise authority and distribute punishment, in righteousness. Well, if we cross-reference this to Psalm 119:172 what are we told? "That all the commandments of God are righteousness." They depict the righteousness of God. Now, they can't make you and me righteous. We're not made righteous by the law. We are made righteous by Jesus Christ living in us. But the law defines the righteousness of God. And it says, "in righteousness,” He will make these judgments and exercise authority and distribute these punishments.

Dropping down into verse 15. It says, "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations." Now, I want you to notice something here. It doesn't say that in His hand is a sword in which He will strike the nations. It says this is this sword is something that proceeds out of His mouth. What is this sword? Well, again, if you want to cross-reference Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12 it identifies this sword as the word of God. This word that you have in your lap. This is the sword that Jesus Christ will use to judge the nations and to rule the nations as it goes on to say. "And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron." And, again, as other translations put this, it says that “Using the Word of God, He will shepherd the nations…" Going back to His title, the Good Shepherd, He will shepherd the nations.

He will use a rod of iron or what we can also refer to as a scepter of strength. A scepter, meaning authority and kingship and rulership. It is a scepter of strength. What is the strength of the scepter? It is the strength of this Word, the Word of God, the infallible, the immutable, the everliving Word of God. That is the scepter of strength that He will use to judge and rule and shepherd the nations. And, again, we see this uncompromising approach using the word of God. Christ will never compromise with the Word of God and we see how He will execute that in the Millennium. Again, if we go to, we won't turn there, but Zachariah 14 tells us of this uncompromising approach that, "Hey, the law is in place. It's there for your good and if people will not adhere to it, then there will be punishment because Christ does have authority, authority from the Father."

So we see then this uncompromising approach to the Word of God is the second arm of Christ-like leadership. The second arm, again, coming from, stemming from, the basis of humility and service. So what I'd like to do now to conclude is I'd like to turn to one final scripture that to me so beautifully and so aptly described for us in totality, the Christ-like approach to leadership. And, again, why am I telling us this? Because we are in training to become rulers under Jesus Christ with Jesus Christ in His dominion. Turn with me to the book of John, John 8. This is a well-known story. I'm sure you know, if you've been in the Church any period of time you've read this, you know this, but I want to rehearse it again from the perspective of bringing out Christ-like leadership. And as we go through this story, I want all of us to be aware of something.

If you're taking notes, jot this down, John 8:3-11 is my story. It's your story. It's my story. Now, the specifics might be a little bit different, but regardless, the result is the same. It is our story. So let's take a look then at John 8 beginning in verse 3. John 8 beginning in verse 3 it says, "Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to her ‘Teacher…'" speaking to Christ, "...this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act." Was there any doubt that this woman had sinned? Absolutely not. She was caught in the very act and they go on to say, "Now Moses, in the law commands us..." Now, let's pause for a second. Oh, here are these rulers at that point in time, these righteous people and they're quoting the law, the righteous law.

Were they really concerned about the law and whether it had been broken or not? Were they concerned about this woman as an individual and how to help her? Was that where their focus was? Was that their attitude? No. Going on. It says, "Now the law commands us that we should stone her. But what do You say?" Now, in verse six we see their motivation. We see their attitude. “They said this, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.” They weren't interested in the law. They weren't interested in this woman as a child of God. All they were interested in was trying to trap Jesus. Going on, "But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear them. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said, ‘He who is without…'" Now, this is the judge.

All judgment has been given onto Christ. This is the judge. This is the King of Kings. This is the Lord of Lords. And He says, “'He who is without sin among you, let him throw the stone first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard had been convicted by their conscience, went out one by one beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to the woman ‘Where are your accusers?’” He understood that the attitude of the Pharisees and scribes was that of an accuser. Christ, although supreme judge and King and ruler is not, does not have the attitude of accuser. That attitude and that title belongs to someone else. The accuser of the brethren, as we are told, is Satan.

That's an attitude that we don't want. So He's not acting as accuser here. Now, He will act as judge and King and Master. But he says, "Where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?" That's what they were doing. They were condemning this woman, passing final sentence. "This is it. There is no opportunity to change. There is no opportunity to repent. Condemned." “'Where are those that condemned you?’ She said to Him, "No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her..." Here is the leadership, the rulership style of our Master. "Neither do I condemn you." Compassion. He grants time for change and repentance. He is not at this point, passing final judgment on this woman by granting her as a wellspring that pours out from Him, compassion. But compassion, not just to forgive and forget everything. It doesn't mean that He doesn't have the uncompromising approach. It doesn't mean that He didn't judge the situation. He judged the situation and knew that she had sinned, but He extended compassion and then told her because of His uncompromising approach to God's Word, "Now go and sin no more." As I said at the beginning, this is your story. This is my story. Has Christ not had compassion on us? Has Christ now also said to us, "Now go and sin no more?"

Christ looked at the heart of this woman, looked into the heart and He can do that and saw something that He could work with. And so He was willing to apply His blood to the crime, to the sin. And then by doing that He could extend compassion to her. It's interesting to note that Christ is depicted as the shepherd. He is depicted as the Lamb, but another title is He is also the Lion. He also has this non-compromising approach. So we're seeing based on this concept of humility, these two arms of Christ-like leadership. So what does Christ leadership style look like? What does the Lord require of you? What internal qualities are we to be learning in this life so that we will be ready to rule in the next as rulers in His dominion?

Let me close by giving you a visual item. A very visual person. The more sensors that we can use to learn something, the more likely it is that we're going to remember it. So let's have a look at this visual aid. Starting off with Micah 6:8. “What does the Lord require of you?” Three things, three things, humility, compassion or love, and an uncompromising approach or justice. The three things that we have discussed, built upon the foundation, the foundation of humility and service. The title of Christ, the Shepherd of God springing from this foundation is one of the great arms of His leadership that of compassion, Christ title, the Lamb of God, but this arm is also balanced with another arm and that is the non-compromising approach. The fact that Christ will never compromise with the Word of God. And so we see this triangle where we have humility and service but built off of that is compassion and built off of that is this non-compromising approach.

This is the model of Jesus Christ. Now, when Dr. Aust spoke, he mentioned something else. You can go to the next one. I have listed this as compassion without compromise. The two great arms of Christ leadership. I found it interesting that when Dr. Aust spoke and he was talking about governance, he used a different phrase. But he and I were talking the same thing because the way Dr. Aust put this was, we can go there. Law defined by love. Is that, know what this is. I'm sorry. Love defined by law. Let me get it right. But not just this, you know, touchy-feely love as he put it, but a love that is based on the law of God. Why? Because the law of God actually defines love. Christ, when He was asked to define the law of God, how did He do it?

Love God, love neighbor. Paul says that the fulfillment of the law is love. So brethren, if we wish to be rulers in the Kingdom of God, in the dominion of Jesus Christ, this is our model. As Christ was longsuffering towards us, allowing us time to grow in grace, in knowledge, and be brought to repentance, so too we are to learn to be long-suffering with others, with those that we will have rulership over. Compassion without compromise, love defined by law, that should be our creed. Take the time now. This is our time of training. So take the time now to learn this model, to practice this model as opportunity arises so that when the time comes, we will be ready. We will be qualified to be rulers in Christ's dominion.