Page 78 - TH130 Kingdom of God A4 Final

The Kingdom of God

the difference between how the world views leadership and how Jesus
views leadership in the kingdom of God.

The Worldly Leader

Followers

Followers

The Kingdom Leader

Figure 7.1—Upside-Down Leadership

In the world’s system, the leader is expected to be the one on top. He
or she controls others and receives most of the glory and benefits. In the
kingdom of God, the leader is the one who is on the bottom. He or she
serves and blesses others. This seems illogical—upside-down—yet it is
still true. A truth such as this is called a paradox. Jesus’ teachings about
the Kingdom contain other paradoxes, such as:

• To get, you must give (Acts 20:35; Luke 6:38).
• To live, you must die (John 12:24).
• To become great, you must humble yourself (Matthew 18:4;
23:8–12).
• To be first, you must become last (Mark 9:35).
• If you love your life you will lose it, but if you hate your life you
will gain it (John 12:25).

Many of Jesus’ teachings are in direct contradiction to the wisdom
of the world. Here are some examples from His Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5–8, compare Luke 6:20–49):

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).
• “Blessed are those who mourn” (5:4).

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