Servant Leaders As Kings, Priests, and Judges

I'll begin with a question to our members here. What three roles will the saints fill or occupy in the world tomorrow? We come back from the Feast of Tabernacles. We've had a lot about that wonderful 1,000 years, and we know that Jesus Christ and the saints are going to reign here on the earth. What are the three basic primary roles that the saints of God are going to occupy or fill at that time? Okay, let's get a bit of participation from the audience.

Okay, Kings, priests, and Judges. Very good! That's the one I wanted. That is a role that the saints of God are going to occupy, and we'll read verses on that in just a moment. We came up with the answer. That's great. We get 100% on this test. Well, let's read a few verses on showing what the saints of God will be doing during the 1,000 years. Let's go to Revelation 1. We'll begin there. Let's read some scriptures, because you know these are things that people in the world do not understand. They think that those who overcome Christians are going to go up to heaven what they do up there. They float around on a cloud, I guess, play a harp. What did they do?

But we know that is not what the Bible teaches at all. Let's read then in Revelation 1 and verse 5. It's talking here about greetings from God our Father in verse 4 and verse 5 from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us, and here is what or two of those roles, has made us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. So kings and priests. Let's read also Revelation chapter 5 and verse 10. Revelation chapter 5 and verse 10 have made us kings and priests to our God, and we shall reign on the earth. So it shows definitely we're not going to be up in heaven. We're going to be reigning as a king and priest. You know, we don't often think about that, but here we come to church every Sabbath. Did you know we're receiving training little by little by little? We are receiving training even though we don't really think about it that often that we are this this training is preparing us to be at a very high position or office a king and a priest. We have a little bit of trouble there, I think, even picturing ourselves as a king or a priest. And yet that's exactly what we are being prepared to be. Let's go for that third role in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And this scripture makes it very clear that there is another role that that is a separate one that is different than the other two and a very responsible role that indeed we will occupy one day as well. That of a judge. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 1. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? The saints of God will judge right here on the earth, the world. And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? And it shows that we should not need in the Church of God to go to the civil courts to settle a matter. We should be able to sit down, sitting down with member, possibly with a minister present to help guide toward a solution to the situation. So the saints are going to judge the world. They're going to fill the role of a judge. Let's also read Daniel chapter 7. Daniel brings out the very same thing that judgment is going to be turned over to the saints of the Most High God. Look at us, Daniel chapter 7 and beginning in verse 21. Daniel 7 and verse 21.

I was watching, and the same horn was making war against the saints and prevailing against them, until the ancient of days came, that's talking about the second coming of Jesus Christ, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom. That's when Jesus Christ returns and begins to set up God's kingdom on the earth. Also, reading on done in verse 27, then the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms how widespread under the whole heaven, that's all over the earth, then, under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So let's look at, let's consider these three roles that the saints are going to occupy in the millennium. We're coming back from the Feast of Tabernacles, where our minds, I think, are still on that wonderful 1,000 years, and during that 1,000 years, you and I have a high responsibility. I don't know if we realize just how great a responsibility will be laid upon our shoulders. Before getting into a description of kings, priests, and judges, I want to read from a couple of articles here. First of all, it's from a book by Otis Mitchell on Western Civilization, a concise history of Western Civilization, and he brings out near the end of his book that it has been stated that the best solution to avoid constant international hostility is and release mankind's tremendous energies for constructive uses is to build a world government. But then he goes on down in the same paragraph to say, if self-interest remains the guiding principle of national states into the 21st century, it is unlikely that any workable supernatural national government could exist. And it brings out then that man is not able to develop a world government, and yet that is the solution. We need a world government that is able to administer justice and peace and equity to everyone.

And that's exactly what Jesus Christ is going to bring, a world government. I want to read from another article. This article goes way back to June 23, 1975. I saved it because it has some crucial things regarding leadership that is needed in the world. Even back at that time, there was recognition that we needed leadership able to address the problems mankind was beginning to face at that time. Let me read from this article from U.S.

News and World Report magazine, June 23, 1975. And it says in this article, effective leadership will be hard to find in the next quarter century because today's political institutions can't respond quickly enough to head off rapidly escalating problems.

The world scholars feel is destined to lurch from crisis to crisis until political systems can deal with dangerous trends before they get out of control. And so it brings out global crises that may include nuclear terrorism, oil wars, widespread famine, and political revolution are almost certain to occur before the end of the century. Of course, that was up to the year 2000. And the article ends by saying the crucial question—no, let me read just a bit before that.

Lester Brown of the World Watch Institute said, we delude ourselves if we think the years ahead will be easy. At best, they will be traumatic and they could be catastrophic. The crucial—and the article ends with this paragraph—the crucial question is whether we can create a workable order for an increasingly interdependent world.

This will require of our generation a level of leadership, understanding, and generosity of spirit that few past generations have been called upon to supply. So they bring out there's a need for leadership in the world. What would they ever think today because conditions have gotten so much worse than they were almost 50 years ago? What would they say about the world today?

Yes, this world needs the government of that Christ is going to set up on the earth, and Christ is not going to do it alone. It will be Christ and the saints. And the saints, as we have read them already, will be kings and priests and judges. They will occupy those three roles.

Let's look at these three roles and get some job descriptions. This is your job that you are called to do in the future when Christ does set up God's kingdom. What is the job description for a king? Well, a king, as we know, is a supreme ruler. He is sovereign over a territory, region, nation. A king provides leadership. He governs.

He rules. He leads. Let's read a scripture out of Revelation now, Revelation 2, and verse 26. This shows that we're going to be a king that has control. We'll be in fact in complete control over a city, a territory, a region, a nation. I don't know if any of us will be necessarily over a whole nation, but we might have a territory or region. And here's how we will lead or be a king. Revelation 2, verse 26. He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end. To him I will give power over the nations, again showing that it's going to be right here on the earth.

The idea of going to heaven is just simply not in the Bible. Saints of God are going to have power over the nations. Verse 27. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. As the potters' vessels, they shall be broken to pieces. So the saints of God are going to rule and they will have authority and power over that which that territory or region. You know, without realizing it, we are being prepared to rule.

We're being prepared to rule with equity, justice, fairness. Prepared to rule over people, over nations or region. That's the job description of being a king. Well, what is the job description for a priest? A priest is a teacher. He is a teacher of spiritual knowledge. A priest ministers to the needs of people. He is a religious leader. Let's go to Revelation 20. Revelation chapter 20. And that's what we are being prepared for the ministry. Did you know that you are receiving training right now to be a minister?

I tell you, when I went to ambassador college, I didn't realize I was being prepared to be a minister. That's been my life for well over 50 or 60 years now. A minister. I didn't realize it when I was going to ambassador college. Not at all. Most of our members who attend church don't realize you are being prepared to be a minister. That's what it says right here. Revelation 20 and verse 4, I saw thrones. And notice the word judgment. We haven't got to that yet, but judgment was committed to them. We will be in that business of being a judge. We'll get to that in just a moment. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and the word of God who had not worshiped the beast or received the mark of the beast in their foreheads or their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So this is talking here about a resurrection. They're resurrected to reign with Christ during the millennium. The rest of the dead not living again until a thousand years later. Then back to verse 4, this is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power because they will be resurrected to immortality. For they shall be priests of God and of Christ, ministers of God and Christ, and reign with them a thousand years. A priest is a minister. Without realizing it, we are being prepared to minister to people. Yes, to encourage them. That word was mentioned, encourager, to be an encourager, to be a teacher of religious knowledge. I had an interesting experience so many years ago when I went to visit someone. It turned out to be kind of a problem visit. I don't know if that was anticipated, but I took one of the members with me. I think it was one of the deacons in the local congregation. I took him with me on this visit, and problems developed, and it wasn't a very pleasant visit. Kind of a hard one that I had to deal with. That comes up. And after the visit, we got back in the car, and the member said to me, you know, I wouldn't want to have your job for anything, because there are difficult moments in a minister's job. He has to face human nature, face problem situations. I wouldn't want to have your job for anything. I told him, one day you're going to have my job. So we all are going to be ministers, and I imagine there might be situations that you'll have to deal with also, and that will not be necessarily the most pleasant. But whatever comes up, you'll be a teacher, you'll be an encourager, you'll be one that guides in the right and proper conduct. So we cover what a king does. We cover what a priest or minister does. What about a judge? What's the job description for judge? A judge is what? He's a public official, vested with authority to hear and determine legal matters in a court of law. So you're going to administer justice. You'll have the authority to hear and determine justice and legal matters in a court of law. You will have the authority to hear complaints or a situation that arises. You will have the authority to settle matters of controversy. Might there be controversies in the region or territory that you will rule over as a king and minister to as a priest? Might there be controversial matters? Human beings are still going to be human beings. Yes, there will be matters of controversy and you will, as a judge, you will need to apply God's law to render a just decision. So there's a distinct role here that we need to consider that one day we will occupy. A righteous judge must take whatever circumstances and correctly apply God's law to make a right decision on what to do.

So we have to know the laws of God. Let's notice a couple of verses that we will administer judgment. Isaiah chapter 9. Jesus Christ is going to be the top judge. He'll be the one. If there's any decision that just can't be settled locally, then we'll bring it up the line. We'll bring it all the way to Jesus Christ if need be. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6. To us a child is born, to us a son is given, government shall be upon his shoulder. His name will be wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end upon the throne of David over his kingdom to order and establish with noticed judgment and justice from that time forward even forever. So yeah, there's going to be the administering of judgment and justice. Let's go also to Isaiah chapter 11.

So Jesus Christ will be, again, the top judge if there are matters that need to be brought to his attention. He will be the one to make the final decision. In Isaiah chapter 11, it talks about a branch, a rod from the stem of Jesse, verse 1, a branch out of his roots. Talking about Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. In verse 3, his delight is in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by the sight of his eyes or decide by the hearing of his ears, but with righteous judgment he will judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.

So Jesus Christ and the government under him, us, the saints of God, kings and priests, this is the type of judgment we will be rendering. And so we have to learn God's laws and know God's laws and how they apply today. I will say this, that if you come to services week by week and if you are studying our literature and well aware of it, you are learning how to judge, maybe without realizing it. And you can take circumstances, you can take a situation, and you can say, what does God's law say should be done in a situation like this?

So we'll be saying a little bit more about that as we go along. What are the three roles then that we will be doing? We will be a righteous king. We will be a holy priest or minister. And we will be a just judge.

And that's what God has been doing the 6,000 years. The world doesn't realize it, but even right now today God is developing righteous kings holy priests and just judges. Choosing and training future kings, priests, and judges to reign in the government of Christ. Let's digress just a little bit here. God's government that he is establishing has structure.

And it's amazing that over this 6,000 years he has been choosing ones in every age, every age. There have been at least one or two, if not more, that have been prepared to reign in this government. And when Christ returns, this government will rather quickly, almost instantly, like congeal and form and will respond to the leadership of Jesus Christ. There will be assignments rendered.

Here's your responsibility. We'll get to that in just a moment. There are 14 positions that are outlined in the Bible already taken. You can't have them. In fact, you can't have anyone other than what God is preparing you for. He is preparing you for a position over a city, a region, a territory.

God is getting you ready for it. There are 14 positions that are already taken. Let's go to Zechariah chapter 14. Zechariah 14 and verse 9. This one we all know, but it's good to read. Zechariah 14 and verse 9. The Lord shall be king over all the earth. And that day it shall be the Lord is one, his name one. So Jesus Christ is going to be world king. And there are verses that show where his headquarters will be. And that is Jerusalem. There are many verses.

Out of Zion shall go forth the law. Zion is Jerusalem. From Jerusalem, the Word of God goes forth. That's in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4. And so Jesus Christ, world king. That position is taken. Let's go to Ezekiel 37 and verse 24. Ezekiel 37, 24. And here we have another position that is taken. David, my servant, shall be king over them. And they shall all have one shepherd, and they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them.

It's talking about the Israelites. And David is going to be king over all 12 tribes. As they are restored out of captivity and brought back to the land that God gave Abraham, the land of Canaan, the land of Palestine, David will be resurrected and he will be king over all 12 tribes of Israel. Is David qualified for that position? Yes. Would you and I be qualified for it? No. But David has been prepared. Did David know that he was being prepared to reign over the 12 tribes?

There's no indication that he did. He didn't know. During his lifetime, God never revealed that to him, that we are aware of. So David, the man after God's own heart, well prepared that he reign over the 12 tribes of Israel. And let's go to Matthew 19.28. We have 12 positions already taken, as this scripture points out. Matthew 19. Matthew 19.28.

Verse 27, Peter said, We've left everything and followed you. What shall we have? Verse 28, Jesus said, I say to you that in the regeneration, he's talking there about the millennium, the world tomorrow, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Again, we notice the word judging. They will be also a king, each of them over a tribe, and they will be the minister or the priest for that tribe, and they'll be the judge as well. So the 12 apostles will each of them be sitting on the throne, and they will be judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So those 14 positions are taken. You can have them. Jesus is World King. David is King over all of Israel. The 12 apostles then are each of them over one of the tribes of Israel. By the way, that shows a little structure, doesn't it? Under King David, the 12 apostles will, if they have a question of judgment, it goes up to David then, and if David doesn't have the answer, it goes up to Christ. It shows a structure that God is developing in his government. But there are thousands and thousands of other positions that we can imagine. What about Abraham? We're not really specifically told what Abraham will be doing. Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah. Will Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be a top vice presidential team? We have speculated they might be at the very top level of government under Christ. What about Daniel? Might Daniel rule over Gentile nations? Maybe all of the Gentiles. Or Paul. Paul also went to the Gentiles. So it seems they have been prepared to work with the Gentile world in some way. Exactly what their specific position will be is not described in the Bible, but we can speculate they will have a position. We know that. Joseph, we wondered if he might, because his name is almost synonymous with prosperity, that maybe he would oversee the world's economy. Make sure nobody is hungry. Noah, he gave birth through his three sons to all of the various nations on the earth today. Might he help in racial and national affairs? Elijah and Moses. So we can speculate about many of these. They will have positions of authority. Each of them will be a king. Each of them will be a priest, a minister. Each of them will be in the position of making judgment, a judge. So what will your position and my position be? Let's go to Luke 19. We don't know for sure. We've wondered, though, if many are not being prepared to rule over a city or a region, a territory, perhaps. Would some people have maybe one city, some five, maybe some ten? Luke 19 and verse 17. Here's someone that had his minah had earned ten minas. Verse 16, he had increased and grown what was given to him. Verse 17, he said to him, Well done, good servant, because you were faithful and of very little have authority over ten cities. Be a king over ten cities. That's a region, then, a little territory. But the second came and said, Master, your minah has earned five minas. He said to him, You also be over five cities. So his region, his territory, is not quite as big. He had not grown to overcome. He's given less. So could you and I, then, be in that position of having a city? Maybe your city has a hundred people. Maybe your city has five hundred people. It'd be your responsibility to be their king, their priest, their judge.

And if you have authority over ten cities, might you, under you, have another saint who has overcome maybe over each of the cities, helping you. How will that structure be developed? We're not told exactly, but we know that the government of Christ will have structure. So without realizing it, that's what we are being prepared. You young people, we have young adults here. You have that opportunity as well to be a king, priest, and judge. So I hope you'll think about that and want to accept the invitation that God is offering to you. Okay, what should we be doing, then? A couple of things that we should be doing that I want to point out that are very important. Number one, to be a king and priest and judge under Christ, we need to know our Bible and be living by it. Number one, we need to know our Bible and to be living by it. Let's go to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17 and beginning in verse 14.

It talks about when Israel would go in and possess the land and say, I will set a king over me. You shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses. Verse 16, he shall not multiply horses for himself, not try to accumulate for himself. Or verse 17, multiply wives. But look at verse 18 now. Deuteronomy 17 and verse 18. It shall be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom. Someday we are to sit upon a throne as a king. And it says here that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book from the one before the priest the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life. There's Bible study, Bible reading every day. All the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord is God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes. So this scripture shows the importance of knowing the Bible. That's why we emphasize Bible study like no other church. No other church emphasizes reading our Bible even daily more than the Church of God. That's because we are to know this book, and we are to understand it, and we are to live by it. Let's read 2 Samuel 23. 2 Samuel 23 beginning in verse 1.

2 Samuel 23 and verse 1. These are the last words of David. The last words near the end of David, thus says David the son of Jesse. Thus says the man raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel. So this is the one that will be the king of Israel in the millennium. Well, these are his last words. Verse 2. The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue. God's word has to be on our tongue, too. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spoke to me. So this is what God told David. He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God, and he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, like tender grass, springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. So this shows that a person that is going to rule over men has to then be just. He has to himself know God's word, and he has to be living by it. So to be a king and priest and judge in God's government, we need to know this book, this book, the Holy Bible, we need to know. And to be living by it. A second thing to be a king, priest, and judge in the government of Christ, we must become a servant. That word was mentioned. Yes, we must become a servant to mankind.

God's government is not of the people. God's government is not by the people, but God's government is for the people. It's based on love for the governed, the people. It's a servant, servant leadership. Let's go to Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20.

And beginning in verse 20, this mother of Zebedee's sons, who were James and John, came and had a little request, just a little question, what do you wish? She said, well, not very much, just to grant that that my two sons can sit on your right hand and on the left in your kingdom. That's all she was asking. Jesus said, you don't really understand what you're asking. Are you able to drink this cup, be baptized with this baptism? They said, we're able. He said, you will indeed drink my cup. They were later martyred. But to sit on my right hand or my left, verse 23, is not mine to give, but for those for whom it is prepared by my father. When the 10 other disciples heard about this, they were moved with indignation against the two brothers. Jesus called them and he settled them down. He said, you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and those who are a great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. Whoever wants to be truly great, let him be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. And the word in the Greek is doulos. It is slave. Just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life a ransom for many. So Jesus Christ showed the type of government that we will be a part of. It will be a servant government. The saints will be kings, priests, judges, but they will be true public servants. Today, political leaders often claim to be public servants. They often are not. There may be some that truly do strive to be a public servant, but they will be in the minority, I'm quite sure. But the saints will be true public servants, serving the people, their needs, teaching them the meaning and purpose of their life, and leading them toward God's kingdom.

You know, even today, there are a few, a very few that have understood this concept of true leadership. That true leadership is being a servant. For example, J.C. Penney, who began the J.C. Penney stores, began in 1902. He began his store in Wyoming, and his store was first called the Golden Rule stores because he believed in treating customers as he would like to be treated. And of course, he built a multi-billion dollar empire. The Golden Rule stores, J.C. Penney. Danny Thomas, a famous comedian, singer, actor, producer, said success in life has nothing to do with what you accomplish or gain for yourself. It's what you do for others. Again, this concept of servant leadership. And Booker T. Washington, who was the president of Tuskegee Institute, said to his students, you come here to learn, you go forth to serve.

So how well are we learning to apply Jesus' words just as the Son of Man came to serve and give his life? Are we learning the role of a servant?

It is absolutely essential. If we are to be a king and priest and judge in God's government, then number one, we must know our Bible and live by it. Get to know this book, live by it, read, study, our booklets, our literature, all of that is very important. Sabbath services, learn from sermons, Bible studies, and number two, we must be a true servant. I think we have a lot of that in our congregation here, but look for ways to serve at church, at home, at work, because they're constantly looking for ways to be a servant, a true servant to mankind. So yes, to begin to wrap this up, Jesus Christ and the saints of God will set up a world government. Mankind needs a world government. This world groans. The Apostle Paul in Romans 8 brings out that the world groans in pain and suffering. But do we see our high calling? Wouldn't you like to be high calling? Wouldn't you like to be able to turn things around? We'll be able to do that under Christ. And without realizing it, God is training us and preparing us for that job right now.

You say, well, I don't know. I don't know if I could be a king or priest or judge, but yes, you can. God is preparing you in spite of yourself. God is not choosing the great and the mighty, either. He is choosing the weak and foolish things, the Apostle Paul wrote.

God is not choosing the best players, the most brilliant. He's choosing ordinary people. Most of us are ordinary. Most people in God's church are just ordinary people. But God is going to take ordinary people and prepare them to be kings and priests and judges. And that's the title I've given to the message today. Servant leaders as kings, priests, and judges. Let's read one final scripture out of 1 Peter chapter 2. Yes, whether we realize it or not, God is preparing us to be a king and priest and judge in the government that Christ will set up on the earth. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9. It identifies or describes who we are, and it's something that we ourselves maybe don't fully realize. I've tried to point this out today, though. Whether we realize it or not, we are being prepared to be a king, priest, and judge in the government of Christ. 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 9. But you are, what are we? You are a chosen generation, a specially chosen or selected generation. God looks it down in the masses of people and said, I want you. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood. That royal has to do with being a king. A priesthood has to be to do with being a minister of God. A holy nation, his own special people. You may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. We proclaim it today, but we are going to proclaim it in a much greater way during the millennium.

Yes, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. What a great high calling God has given to us.