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I took some time today to meditate on the way the gospel is spoken of in Scripture, and particularly the titles it is given in the New Testament. In my discovery and travel through many Scriptures, there is only one time this title is used as you will see below. I will let you read these two verses and see the beautiful context of this title.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). The scope of this title holds my heart in awe. The gospel is so much more than salvation from hell and the payment of our sin debt. It is the divine story that began in past eternity and extends into the eternity to come. God has put His Son at the center of that story and given Him infinite glory and honor which can never be exhausted. Would you take time to expand your heart and embrace HIM? Though we are unable to comprehend such glory, the Holy Spirit given to those who believe are able to gaze on such glory and be transformed by it (2 Corinthians 3:18). Have you looked intently?
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As I further thought over the verses from yesterday’s blog, I began reviewing in my mind the glory of God’s wisdom in His Word. To keep our thoughts from being swayed and deceived by human wisdom, Paul makes some stunning statements about human wisdom that we need to remind each other of so that man’s ideas are put in perspective.
“We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”--” (1 Corinthians 2:7–9, Isaiah 64:4). These are the things that God has prepared in past eternity “for our glory.” This is also the work of the Spirit in us. “All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you” (John 16:15). None of us can imagine all the glories of Jesus the Spirit wants to reveal to us. May He open our eyes, clear away distractions, and reveal the glories of Jesus! We visited a relative that I have not seen for some time who expressed disappointment in not being able to focus on reading the Bible. In our conversation I suggested that he start journaling; writing down a few short thoughts of what the Scriptures were saying to him. I then gave him a few verses to inspire and encourage him in this new approach.
“Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24). “I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word” (Psalm 119:16). “Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight” (Psalm 119:77). “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). May you also find great joy and satisfaction in digging out treasures from God’s Word! Comparing ourselves with other leaders in the Church is a very dangerous thing. When we do this, it indicates that several things are happening that weaken our work for the Lord:
Remember the interchange between Jesus and Peter right after Jesus challenged him about his love. Peter gets distracted by seeing John following them. This is what I call a teaching moment for us to learn from. “When Peter saw him (John), he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”” (John 21:21–22). I challenge you to examine any “distractions” in your life and ministry. If they are people, make sure you recenter you heart and mind on Christ and ask the Spirit to fix your gaze on Him (See Hebrews 12:1-2). Jesus knew before He left His disciples that certain ones would need final instructions before ascending to the Father. The evening before Jesus’ arrest was part of the most significant moments The Master Leader could have spent with His final eleven disciples. In those final words He said, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Love was the central mark of Jesus coming as Savior (3:16) and it was to characterize these men in their leadership.
Jesus also knew that not all these men were built the same way and individuals needed extra coaching in specific areas of their makeup. In John 21, He approaches Peter and says to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to Him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17). If there is one thing that we must learn from this dialog is that love for others and our ability to show shepherd care flows out of our love for Jesus. Let me say this another way; our love for others will never rise above our love for Jesus. As I continue the theme of shepherding, it is important to remind ourselves of elements of leadership that are not acceptable in any form and those that should be marks of our service to the flock. To get our thoughts centered on these characteristics, I refer to 1 Peter 5:1-6.
“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:1–6). Peter challenges “elders” (shepherds) to make sure that they were not motivated by these negative pursuits. The opposite attitudes require some degree of personal sacrifice. Being willing, eager examples for the flock must grow out of humility. This character is the result of a close walk with the Lord and letting the Spirit develop humility in us. Remember Paul’s exhortation, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who… humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5–8). There is no greater model to follow! If there is any doubt with anyone that God cares about how shepherds care for His flock, Ezekiel 34 should be read over and over again. Through Ezekiel, God spoke “against the shepherds of Israel…who have been feeding themselves…clothed themselves. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, and the lost you have not sought” (34:2-4).
Sadly, there is a tendency in leadership today to miss God’s view of shepherding and merely see functions of leaders as only necessary for keeping church programs going. You will see in the verses below that God’s ownership of each ‘blood bought’ person (sheep) has a requirement to care for them with a deep sense of stewardship. The Church and every individual in it belong to God and we are accountable to Him for how they are treated. Paul expresses the same care to the Ephesian elders. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with His own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28–30). The quotations from Ezekiel and Acts both highlight the extreme dangers of leaders being self-focused for personal gain. Such motives show they lack the character of humility that destroys selfish ambition and cares for others above our own needs. One of the primary responsibilities of a shepherd is to protect the flock from predators or dangers that are not apparent to the sheep. This requires the shepherd to be aware of surroundings so they can detect signs that danger to the sheep is present.
When David was being questioned by Saul as to whether he was qualified to face Goliath and take him out, David said this, “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God” (1 Samuel 17:36). Notice that along with David’s experience in combat with dangerous beasts, he knew how to properly assess the enemy. Goliath may have been a human giant but that was no obstacle to David because the bigger issue was not his size but that “he has defied the armies of the living God.” Paul had the same acute discernment and was not afraid to call out those who were a danger to the Church. “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18–19). In identifying danger in and to the Church, we must realize that their evil work is a direct attack on what Jesus achieved at the cross. False teaching is far more dangerous than most consider it to be. It strikes at God’s purpose for the gospel and the Church. Will you commit to being discerning and able to take action for the sake of the sheep? I want to come back to David for another reason. Before God instructed Samuel to choose a king sons of Jesse, he warned him to stop grieving “over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over from the Israel” (1 Samuel 16:1). There was another quality God was looking for that Saul did not have, and it was not seen in “outward appearance” or the strength and preparedness for war. It was a quality developed in the secret life and walk with God.
“He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, Israel His inheritance” (Psalm 78:70–71). The leadership qualities in a good shepherd of sheep are the same qualities needed in leading people. It begins with a heart for God (1 Samuel 16:7). David’s ability to defeat a ‘giant’ enemy like Goliath came from his sense of stewardship and responsibility to care for what belonged to another. The flock David tended were his father’s sheep. The people of Israel belonged to God. This was a level of accountability that must mark every leader. When we view any role of leadership in this way, we first think about the value of God’s people to Him. Notice how Paul refers to the Church in his last meeting with the Ephesian elders. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). That sense of value must mark every encounter with God’s people. It should not be surprising that I select David as my next example. Like Moses (Exodus 2:12-17), David was called from being a shepherd of sheep (1 Samuel 16:11). From a human perspective, David was a very unlikely choice for a leader. He had never been mentored by King Saul, never served in a leadership role or been involved in public relations. Yet, his first assignment was a military maneuver that would defeat a tyrant and prepare the way for a future place in leading God’s people.
There are many character qualities with David that we could focus on, but there is one that stands out as critically important for any leader in the church. “With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand” (Psalm 78:72). That phrase “upright heart“ means with “complete integrity, blameless and without fault.” Some of you who read this will bark at me and point out David’s inconsistent life, peppered with sin. None of us can claim any degree of perfection. God is looking for leaders whose hearts are pliable in His hands, willing to let God shape and mold them with godly character. I am heart-broken with reports of pastors and leaders who resisted accountability and fall in some way. It is not just moral failure that breaks my heart but the growing trends to depart from biblical truth and teach what is false. Such leaders do not have “upright hearts” and have lost a healthy ` fear of the Lord. The Lord, our Head, is in the business of restoring leaders and the Church to leaders that is marked by godly character, a shepherd’s heart of care for spiritual maturity in the flock, and openness to accountability, first to the Lord, and then to other godly leaders. |
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