WHO’S YOUR ONE? Day 21

God Leads Through His People

“Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭77:19-20‬ ‭CSB‬‬

God could have led the Israelites across the Red Sea and into the Promised Land without the assistance of any human, but He chose not to rescue them this way. While God’s people were saved through the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, He used Moses and Aaron to do it. This is the pattern we see throughout scripture. God’s plan of redemption for the world is accomplished through His people sharing the gospel. He does not have to use us, but He chooses to use us for His name’s sake. God leads His people through His people. Never underestimate the role you can and will play in the lives of those you are sharing the gospel with and discipling. If God is going to do a work in your one’s life, He will likely use you and other believers to do it.

As you go about your day, look for opportunities the Lord has given you to be His hands, feet and mouthpiece to those you encounter. (From “Who’s Your One?” Devotional, NAMB)

GOD THE FATHER: The Leader of His Household

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. ... “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:5-6,11-12)

God has designated me to be the leader of my household.  That’s a father’s job.  Too many men fail in that role.

I assure you, God the Father, never fails.  He leads His dear children along (Prov.3:5-6).  It doesn’t mean the path will always be easy.  It will always be best.  We may not understand the ways God leads us—but we are told not to lean on our own understanding.  What are we to do when we don’t understand with our head?  Trust Him with all our heart!

The Father’s leadership isn’t just in direction, but in discipline (Prov.3:11-12).  He is not a permissive parent.  The man who decides to be his son’s friend rather than his father, allowing him to pursue his own path, may think that he is being loving, but is actually being cruel.  Children need discipline. God the Father sets the pattern. He corrects us with compassion and disciplines us because He delights in us.  Our response determines whether the pain makes us better or bitter.

THE LEADERS WE NEED

Do government leaders reflect the morals of the people or do government leaders direct the morality of the people?  Are they thermometers or thermostats?  Some of both, I think. Since the leaders come from among the people, they should be expected to often be as the people, but since they have influence over the citizens, they make a difference in the climate of the culture.  For good or bad, government leaders can set the tone, even as they are sons of the times.  Proverbs 29 has something to say about this.

1.  LEADERS CAN BRING BURDENS OR BLESSINGS.   “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (‭v.2‬). We can rejoice the day that a good leader is elected, but will rue the day that a godless one is.

2. LEADERS CAN UNDERGIRD OR UNDERMINE.  
“The king establishes the land by justice, But he who receives bribes overthrows it.” (v.4‬).  The leader’s policies will be built on a foundation of stone or sand.

3. LEADERS CAN BE WISE OR WICKED. “If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.” (v.12‬).  A leader’s administration will feature those of delightful or demonic counsel, mirroring the leader’s heart.

4. LEADERS CAN BE COMPASSIONATE OR CRUEL.  “The king who judges the poor with truth, His throne will be established forever.” (v.14‬). How the powerful relate to the powerless says much about the leaders.

5.  LEADERS MAY BRING EARTHLY REWARD, BUT THE LORD BESTOWS ETERNAL REWARD. “Many seek the ruler’s favor, But justice for man comes from the LORD.” (v.26‬).  It may be that God’s people get no justice here, but they are guaranteed by a Sovereign God to get it hereafter!

King David was Solomon’s father.  Solomon, who penned these words had a son, Rehoboam who would become king.  David was a man after God’s own heart, and a great king—though not a perfect man.  Solomon succeeded his father and was superior in the material prosperity and military power he brought to the kingdom, but declined over time spiritually.  Just read Ecclesiastes to see how he spiraled downward. Rehoboam’s reign would degenerate further and the kingdom would deteriorate and divide.  The nation would never be the same.

It has been said that, “In a democracy, people get the leaders they deserve.” Nations are born, grow strong, decline, and die. It is comforting to know that the Kingdom of God abides forever!

HEAVEN IN YOUR HOME

His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed.  (Psalm 112:2)

Our home may be the closest thing on earth to heaven—or the nearest thing to hell.  Choices we make—and the choices of other family members as well—establish that environment, because God has made a choice to bless the home that is blessable.  How a husband and wife relate to God and to each other has a dramatic effect on the children and their choices.  It does not guarantee that when they reach maturity physically that every family member will continue to walk in God’s ways, for each of us must make that decision, but it points them in the right direction and affords them with the best opportunity for experiencing the favor of God in their future family, also.

Heaven in your home requires the man of the house to be a man of God (Ps.112:1).  He has a profound reverence for the Lord.  His heart is in awe of the majesty of God and at the same time abased at the depravity of his own soul.  This leads him to amazement of God’s grace and mercy.  Such a spiritual leader in the home is known as, “a God-fearing man.”  Rather than a legalistic obligation exhibited toward God’s commands, he displays delight in following God’s will.  None of us would discount the significance of the mother in the home, but typically, if the father is a man of God, his wife will partner with him.  Being a spiritual leader isn’t about a man exerting authority, but embracing responsibility.  This is foundational to having heaven in your home.

If that is the foundation, then the framework built atop that spiritual commitment is seen in Ps.112:4-10.  Godly parents build with character, “upright…and righteous” (v.4).  Reputation is what we are in public and how others view us; character is what we are in private and what our family knows about us!  To character, we nail down conviction (v.6-8).  The parents are solid in their beliefs, not shaky about it.  They not only can tell the children what they need to do, they can tell them why—based on the authority of God’s Word.  Character and conviction must also be connected to compassion (v.4b-5a, 9).  We can articulate the truth without being angry about it.  Love marks the followers of Christ, and our children need to be taught to be compassionate and generous.  They will not accept the message unless we present the model.  The fourth pillar added to character, conviction, and compassion is this: correction (v.5b).  Discretion is the wisdom to guide our family in God’s course, and if we see a child straying to correct them.

This godly foundation and framework brings God’s favor to our family (Ps.112:2-4a; 113:1-9).  God’s favor includes a godly heritage on earth (Ps.112:2-4a; 113:7-9).  God wants to grow some spiritual champions from our offspring and we can cultivate the soil, weed the ground, and water the sprout.  Our children can be successful in life—and that isn’t about them claiming trophies, scoring touchdowns, passing tests, and accumulating treasure—it is about abundant life in Christ!  God’s favor is ultimately about a great honor in eternity (Ps.112:6, 9b; 113:7-8).  More than anything we have in this life, we want our children with us in heaven!  The greatest reward for godly parents will be to see their offspring with them in heaven’s glory.  Their home in heaven then begins with bringing some heaven to your home now.  God help us in this great task!

 

 

LIVING IN VICTORY

Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear….  (Psalm 27:3a)

We can look at the evil conditions about us—whine and surrender—or we can suck it up, set our chin, dig in our heels and look to heaven for victory!  From his first fight, when David faced a ten-foot giant with only a slingshot—throughout many battlefield engagements—the veteran warrior was a winner, not a whiner.  What battles are you facing today?  Have you suffered too many spiritual setbacks?  Are you beaten down—a spiritual casualty?  David tells us how to live in victory.

There is VICTORY’S CONFIDENCE (v.1-3).  We hear the confidence in David’s voice—faith that casts out fear.  His confidence was in the power of God.  He knew that if God is for us none can stand against us.  That confidence expressed so clearly is a compelling power coming from a leader.  Fear is contagious also.  Leaders make a choice whether to inspire faith in God’s army or fear—and that will make a big difference.  John wrote, “This is the victory that overcomes the world—even our faith.”  (1 Jn.5:4b)

Next, note VICTORY’S COMMUNION (v.4-5).  David’s confidence was rooted in his communion with God.  He met with his Commander and received orders from heaven’s headquarters!  A winning strategy was communicated to him.  This is indispensable.  When the bulk of our time is spent listening to the world rather than listening to the Word, it is no wonder our minds are enslaved with fear.  It is time spent with God that fortifies our faith!  “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Rom.10:17)

Then we have VICTORY’S CELEBRATION (v.6).  Here is an expression of confidence—so sure of victory that David is already planning a celebration.  In modern sports terms—the champagne is on ice in the locker room!  Too many church services are like a funeral rather than a festival.  We drag in here on Sunday mornings and nurse our wounds.  Looking into the faces of some, it seems that they have accepted defeat.  Haven’t you read the end of the story?  We win—and heaven will be a great celebration of victory!

Also, we have VICTORY’S CRY  (v.7-10)  Where can we go, but to the Lord?  David knew the victory would be won through prayer.  He cries out to God for help.  My hope for change in America doesn’t rest in the White House but higher up—to the One who sits on the White Throne!  2 Chronicles 7:14 is the winning strategy God gave us—humble yourselves and pray and seek His face!

Observe also VICTORY’S COURSE (v.11-13).  Winning armies require good training.  Our field manual is the Bible.  God has given us spiritual armor and our weapon is truth.  The Great Commission is our marching orders.  We win the battle one heart at a time. 

Finally, there is VICTORY’S COURAGE (v.14)  David knew how to build the morale of his troops.  That is my mission today.  Good leaders have an unconquerable spirit that puts them in front as they charge the hill.   Now, men and women, “CHARGE!”

HOW THE CHURCH GROWS

 

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.  (Acts 6:7)

Where there is life, there is hope—we’ve heard that.  Another truth is that where there is life, there is growth.  A healthy child with proper nourishment will grow, and so when churches are healthy, they grow as well.  That is the pattern in the early church.

The church grows by CONFRONTING PROBLEMS.  “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.”  (Acts 6:1)  This church made progress, but wasn’t perfect.  When problems inevitably came, they confronted and corrected them.  Ignoring a minor infection can lead to a life-threatening condition—and this is also true of the Body of Christ.

Growth also requires CONSIDERING PRIORITIES.  “Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.’”  (Acts 6:2)  It wasn’t that caring for these widows was beneath the dignity of the preachers—it was just that their mission and gifts were in other areas and they dare not be diverted from their calling.  A way to meet this need was found, but the primacy of prayer and preaching could not be compromised.

The church grows then by CONSTRUCTING PLANS.  “‘Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”’  (Acts 6:3-4)  The larger the church, the greater was the need for organization. Sustaining and expanding the work demanded larger ministries and leadership development.  When a church listens to God and leans on the Holy Spirit, He guides us to strategically install personnel and implement programs for healthy growth.

Underscore this, then, that the church grows by CHOOSING PEOPLE.  “And the saying pleased the whole multitude.  And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”  (Acts 6:5-6)  Everything rises and falls on leadership.  The “church staff” can never do it all.  A healthy church needs all the members of the Body functioning.

The church continues to grow by COUNTING PROGRESS.  “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”  (Acts 6:7)  We don’t choose between diet (teaching) and exercise (evangelism and ministry) since both are required for health.  What gets measured gets done.  A church must check its vital signs regularly.  Even the hard-hearted priests experienced life-change—and spiritual transformation leads to numerical multiplication.  May God make our church have such an irresistible impact!

CONNECTED IN GROWTH: Our Guides

 

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

God has given spiritual gifts to His people.  In this case, the Apostle Paul is speaking of gifted people that guide the church in growth.  I enjoy saying (with a wink of the eye) to our congregation, “Did you know that I am God’s gift to this church?”

But, it is true!  Now, there is no room for boasting.  Having such a calling to service is as much an act of God’s grace as the call to salvation.  We deserve neither—yet, this is how God works.  He sovereignly places people in His Body, according to His desire, and not our merit.  Nonetheless, these leaders are essential for the church to be built up.

The apostles and prophets were essential in putting in the foundation of the edifice.  Paul previously stated,

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.  (Ephesians 2:20-22)

Christ is the Cornerstone that is the beginning and anchor point for His church.  Then the Spirit of God placed the apostles and prophets in the first century church to establish the solid teaching upon which the church would rest.  Once the lifespan of the Apostles was completed, these gifted people passed off the scene.  There are none who carry such direct authority from Christ Himself today.  They were a special class who had walked and talked with Jesus, appointed by Him and eyewitnesses of His resurrection.  Similarly, the prophets spoke directly from God until the New Testament was written.  The church no longer needs more apostles and prophets—when the Bible is proclaimed, God speaks.  In this sense, the ministry of these men continues through the message they wrote.

Now, atop that foundation, the frame of the edifice is being extended upward and outward—each new believer being another stone in the spiritual structure.  The gifts of the evangelist and the pastor-teacher are crucial to the construction.  I use the term pastor-teacher because Paul’s intent seems to be that these are not two different offices, but a composite term describing the officer’s duty to lead the flock as a pastor and to feed the flock as a teacher.

These gifted leaders guide the work to make sure it remains sound and straight—connected with the Cornerstone and aligned with apostolic doctrine.  The evangelist adds another stone and the pastor-teacher cements them together with truth.

We should recognize that every believer is called to evangelize the lost.  The pastor-teacher is commanded specifically to, “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim.4:5).  Yet, we find there are certain people who are gifted by God to gather the harvest.  I may preach and a few are saved, while the evangelist preaches and a bumper crop is reaped.  I think if Billy Graham said, “Mesopotamia” and extended an invitation, hundreds would come forward in response!  At least it seems that the evangelist has such gifts—and, indeed, they are tasked with such a responsibility and given the tools to do it.

Yet, the harvest would be lost, if the grain were not conserved.  That is the primary work of the pastor-teacher.  God has gifted me—and other men like me—with this sacred charge.  We guide the church and it grows.

But, notice that the growth is a result of the people of God being equipped for their ministry.  The “ministers” of the church are often identified as the elders of the church—her pastoral staff.  Such a local church will never grow significantly, if the people view the pastors as “hired hands” brought in to do the ministry.  The work is too vast for such a few.  The harvest is too large for a handful of workers to preserve it.

I do have a ministry as a pastor—and that ministry is to equip you to fulfill your ministry!  Pastors are gifted guides but they do not have all the spiritual gifts.  Each person God sets in the church has at least one spiritual gift—and some have multiple gifts.  None have all the gifts!  So, these gifts must be discovered, developed and deployed for the church to be edified.

In the pastor-teacher’s job title there is the implication that he must exhort the people as pastor, prodding them with the staff of Scripture to undertake their ministry and then as teacher, prepping them with the sustenance of Scripture—feeding them in the rich pasture of God’s Word.  The result will be a church that is the dynamic, expansive force that glorifies God by impacting the world.

Has God called you to be an evangelist?  Billy Graham is soon to give his final altar call.  Whom will God gift in this next generation?  Perhaps the Spirit is compelling you to devote yourself to serving the church as pastor-teacher.  I am not as young as I once was.  There will come a day when I will preach my last sermon.  That I will is not debatable—only when I will is not declared—unknown to me, but not to God.  So, after that God will have readied another man to stand in my place, even as I have walked the path to the pulpit where my predecessors have trod.

God is calling each member to be a minister—if not an evangelist or pastor-teacher—then to love on little ones in the nursery, or to help teens wrestling with the world that they might be victorious, or to teach young adults to become solid in conviction in a compromising era, or to challenge median adults to not become complacent, or to console senior adults in the specific struggles that aging brings.  God wants some to be ushers, cooks, cleaners, chaperones, deacons, drivers of the church bus, and much more.  Are you being obedient to God’s call?  We must all work together for this enormous task.  Then the church will grow—and that is God’s expectation!

THE LEADER’S AVAILABILITY

 

I once heard Dr. John Tiller, the former pastor of the church I now serve say in a sermon, “The greatest ability is availability.”  It doesn’t matter how much potential you have until your performance fulfills it.  Then, I think of what leadership guru John Maxwell said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  Jesus—as in all things—exhibited the leader’s availability absolutely.

 

This is THE FORCE OF OUR SERVICE.  As we make ourselves available to be used of God, we see Him work through us in incredible ways.

 

·         Jesus was available TO THE DISTRESSED.

 

Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.  Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him.  Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”  (Luke 4:31-37) 

 

Now, whether we encounter those who are actually possessed by demons, or more likely oppressed by spiritual forces, the grim reality is  so many are under Satanic bondage these days.  What shall we do?  Will we reach out to them in compassion, and declare to them the power that will set them free?

 

·         Jesus was available TO THE DISEASED.

 

And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.  Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her.  So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.  When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.  And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.  (Luke 4:38-41) 

 

We have a ministry to the sick.  Elders may be summoned to anoint with oil and pray for the sick.  Physical infirmity may hinder spiritual productivity.  Sometimes God is most glorified through giving grace to press on despite our weakness, and sometimes He is most glorified in giving grace to bring healing—even miraculously.  But, whatever a Sovereign God decides, he has chosen to use us as channels through which that grace can flow.

 

·         Jesus was available TO THE DESPERATE

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”  And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.  (Luke 4:42-44)

 

These people were desperate for Jesus.  Wherever He was and whenever He was there, they sought Him out.  That is true of people everywhere.  He moved from place to place.  His mission was urgent.  Lives are filled with hopeless desperation.  Is there any hope?  Does anyone care?  As God’s church we offer hope to the world, but a church will not be encouraged to this task without the example of her leaders.

 

If a leader shuts himself up in an ivory tower far from the hurts of people, then he has forfeited his right to church leadership.  Shepherds must be with the sheep if they are to help them.  Ours is a day of celebrity preachers who don’t counsel the distressed, visit the diseased or take time for the desperate.  What would Jesus do?  You can see here by answering the question, “What did Jesus do?”  Go, and do likewise.

 

THE LEADER’S ACTIVITY

 

An effective leader doesn’t just say what others ought to do, but shows what leaders do.  Jesus shows us in Luke chapter four THE COURSE OF OUR SERVICE.  We do what Jesus did. 

 

As He embarks on His public ministry—three and one half years that changed the world—He was active as God’s spokesman and soldier.  He shared the Gospel and He stood His ground. 

 

Jesus COMMUNICATED THE WORD (Luke 4:18b-21).  We see the words, “preach” and “proclaim” (twice).  He had a Word to declare.

 

·         It would be a message of good news to the poor, “Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor.”  None are so low the Gospel cannot reach them.

·         It would be a message of healing for the grieving, “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.”   None are so brokenhearted that the Word cannot mend them.

 ·         It would be a message of liberty to those in bondage, “To proclaim liberty to the captives.”  None are so enslaved that the truth cannot free them. 

·         It would be a message that brought light to the blind, “And recovery of sight to the blind.”  None are so blind that God’s light cannot restore them.

 ·         It would be a message of deliverance to the oppressed, “To set at liberty those who are oppressed,” None are so burdened that God’s promises cannot lift them.

 

What Jesus said was in the context of the Jewish Year of Jubilee.

 

And you shall count seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.  Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.   And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family.  That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine.  For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field.

In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.  And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.  According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.  According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.  Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.  (Leviticus 25:8-17)

Christ said His message was, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”  Jesus is our Jubilee—the fulfillment in His New Covenant what was prefigured under the Old Covenant.

What Christ communicated is the same message Christian leaders today need to declare.  Our message can inspire those we lead to rise above their circumstances and become all God means for them to be. 

 

But you will soon discover that plenty of people are opposed to the light.  They don’t want the Gospel for the poor, because in their pride they won’t admit their spiritual bankruptcy.   Rather than embracing the pain of a broken heart and seeking the Healer, they callus their heart to shut out the pain.  Such refuse to admit their slavery, proclaiming their liberation.  They hide from the light because they don’t want to see the dirt on their soul.  These reject the idea of needing help for their burdens asserting their independence.   Their mocking attitude was addressed by Jesus,

 

He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself!  Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”  Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.  (Luke 4:23-24)

 

People seemed impressed as a first response, but then took a second look.

 

Jesus, in His leadership then not only communicated the Word, He COMBATED THE WICKED (Luke 4:22-30). 

 

·         Some of these wicked opponents were the skeptical, “So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  And they said, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’ ” (Luke 4:22).  There are always those who want to make Jesus only a good man.  We must fight that error.  It is when you say Jesus is the only Way and we must bow to Him that people will reject you.

·         There are also the hateful. 

But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”  So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.  Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. (Luke 4:25-30) 

 They wanted to kill Him already!   Jesus illustrated from Scripture two instances where the Jews rejected God’s work and Gentiles instead received the miracle.  This was like throwing a lit match into a gas can!  Truth can be incendiary!

 

But a man is immortal until his lifework is done.  Jesus would die—not by being thrown down a hill, but raised up on one in crucifixion.  He would die according to the will of the Father and not the whims of men.  What a picture of Jesus—not some delicate, effeminate Christ of medieval portraits—but a muscular man pushing the mob aside as He marched threw their gauntlet of fury. 

Like Jesus we need men who will take a stand no matter the cost—men of courage and conviction.  We are following the footsteps of Jesus when this is the activity we conduct.  This is the course of our service.

 

THE LEADER’S ABILITY

 

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me...” (Luke 4:16-18a).

 

As the Model Leader, Jesus described THE SOURCE OF OUR SERVICE.  Jesus had a supernatural assignment, so it required a supernatural ability.  Likewise, we have a task too great for human ability.  We must have Heaven’s anointing! 

 

God’s leadership standard demands one who is SCRIPTURALLY EQUIPPED, “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written...” (v.16-17).   Jesus was a student of and in submission to the Word of God.  For our service to be effective, we must be Scripturally equipped.  Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  God’s kind of leader knows the administration manual is the Holy Book and follows its direction.

 

Furthermore, the leader who emulates the Jesus model will be SPIRITUALLY EMPOWERED, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me...”  (v.18a).  Remember how after His baptism the Dove had descended upon Him.  Following that we read how He went into the wilderness to do battle with the Devil, “filled with the Spirit” as He was “led by the Spirit.”  (Luke 4:1)  He went out to minister, “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). 

 

When early church leaders were chosen, the preeminent qualifications were, “men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.”  (Acts 6:3) They would be men Scripturally equipped—the source of their wisdom—and supernaturally empowered—the source of their strength.  This is the standard for leadership in the church today—for pastors, deacons, or whatever task we have.

It is time for church leaders to raise the level of their experience to the high bar God has set, rather than bring the bar down to the level of our experience!  It is not hard to jump over a bar designed for the limbo instead of the high jump!  Yet, that is the failure we are succeeding in accomplishing far too often.  Churches are crumbling because leaders are stumbling short of God’s standard.  Lord, help me to what I can’t do apart from You!

THE SHEPHERD’S STANDARD: The Cultivation of Contentment

 

“A bishop then must be…not greedy for money…” (1 Timothy 3:2,3 NKJV)

Covetousness is a basic prohibition—the sinful spirit forbidden in the tenth commandment.  The New Testament calls it idolatry.  Covetousness is a cancer of the heart—materialism—that becomes a consuming craving which captivates the pastor’s passion and clouds the pastor’s vision.

If a preacher doesn’t get into trouble with the lust for a woman, then this is the next most powerful enticement—the love of money.  “Covetousness characterizes false teachers (Tit 1:11; 2Pe 2:1–3, 14; Jude 11), but not Paul’s ministry (Ac 20:33; 1Co 9:1–16; 2Co 11:9; 1Th 2:5).”^[1]

The pastor who is greedy will supplant the Biblical bottom line of seeking God’s glory with pursuing monetary benefit.  This corrosive force decimates the minister’s testimony.  The world believes that every man has his price—and if we succumb to greed, then we have affirmed their worst thoughts about pastors and their hypocrisy.

The NASB renders this to be, “free from the love of money.”  There is a liberating power in contentment to preach and serve without concern for how it affects the giving of some wealthy member who might not appreciate the message or desire a different direction in the church.  We don’t work as a hireling, but as a true shepherd!

Contentment is the antidote to the disease of covetousness.  Let us cultivate it by focusing on the eternal and find the blessedness of giving rather than getting.

The question is, “Where will a pastor invest his life?”  Will it be in the pursuit of God’s Kingdom agenda or in building his own little kingdom?  Will the shepherd fleece the sheep for his profit or will he feed them for their good and God’s glory?

A PRAYER

Blessed Giver of All Good,
Thank You for Your assurance that You will supply our needs.  May we rest in contentment that the One who feeds the fowls and clothes the flowers will do so for His servants.  Grant us Your spirit of generosity that will root out the spirit of greed which is the spirit of the age.
In the Name of the Perfect Provision, Jesus,
Amen.

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^[1] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (1 Ti 3:3). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.