Title: Great Choice
Contents
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, who were called teachers and leaders of the Jews at that time, "Keep everything they say and do it, but do not imitate their deeds" (Matthew 23:3). The Lord said that because when they taught people, they forced them to observe difficult things that they could not do, but they themselves did not observe these things.
So, they seldom took the lead in sacrificing or serving and devoting themselves. If they did something, it was for the sake of others. They prayed aloud in the streets when they prayed as they walked around in holy clothes. And they only looked for upper and higher seats to sit, and they liked to be greeted on the street.
That is why the Lord told them not to imitate them. And the Lord said, “If you want to be the greatest, you must be a servant of others” (Matthew 23:11). In short, in order to be recognized in the world, and to be praised for ‘good job’ when you go before God in the future, you must first humble yourself as much as possible and become a person who serves others.
And if you want to become a leader who teaches or guides others, or if you are given the opportunity to reach that position, that person should be able to sacrifice and devote all of himself. Otherwise, there is a high possibility that you will hear a voice saying, ‘You only speak plausibly well.’
Perhaps, perhaps, the most important leaders in the world are fathers and mothers. Because, no matter who you are, you will be most directly and most influenced by your father and mother. So, I don't think there is a leader more important to a child than their parents.
That's why we can all be leaders. In particular, we Christians have a mission to live as the light of the world. Therefore, we must set an example of sacrifice, devotion and love to the world. That is why we must lead the people of the world who are in that darkness into the light of the Lord.
Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel. God said to him, “I will make you a great leader.” And he said, “From this day on, I will make the people of Israel look up to you” (Joshua 3:7). And God said, “I will cherish you and take good care of you as I have loved Moses.”
After all, a leader is established by God, and only when God loves and takes care of him can he become a great leader. In other words, whether we become parents and take care of our children or become leaders in the church are all happening in God's grace and providence. Therefore, wherever you are in your position as a leader, you should seek wisdom from God and exercise it according to his holy will.
In Joshua 3:15 and below, there is a scene where the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan.
The priests carrying the ark of the covenant first took their first steps into the Jordan River. Then, the flowing Jordan River just stopped. It was barley harvest season when the river overflowed, and the river stopped flowing. So the people could safely cross the river and go to the other side of Jericho. God stopped the river so that the Israelites could cross.
However, when the priests carrying the ark of the covenant reached the middle of the river, they stopped. And the priests stood in the middle of the river until all the people had crossed over. It was a dangerous situation that if the river flowed again, they might be buried in the river as it is, but they risked death to keep it. Indeed, the priests of that time showed their true form as leaders.
1. Yes. Leaders must set an example in which their words and actions are consistent.
In his first letter to the Thessalonian believers, Paul said, “We lived truly reverently, uprightly, and blamelessly before the saints” (2:10). He said that the Saints would know well by watching them.
That's amazing. In fact, it is not easy to say this, but Paul said it with great confidence. He even says that God will prove it, so how confident is his attitude? In order to be able to say this much, you must truly live a life of sacrifice and devotion.
In other words, only those who have put into practice what they have said with their mouths can say these things. If Paul had taught others plausibly while not practicing it properly, I don't think he could have said it with such confidence.
On the other hand, Paul did not spare praise for the Thessalonian church members. Paul said that he taught the church members by exhorting them to live a life that conforms to God's will, just like a father chastising his children. At that time, those saints well accepted the gospel Paul preached as the word of God, not the word of man.
As a result, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, which he wrote, reveals that the Thessalonian church members have a new and changed life through the words Paul preached. In other words, they not only accepted the gospel that Paul preached with joy, but also believed and put into practice the word, leading to a new and changed life.
Today, we must also strive hard to live centered on the Word of God while praying hard. We must believe in the fact that only the Word of God has the power to change our lives.
2. We must keep away from our own will and thoughts and live uprightly in accordance with God's will.
When Paul was teaching the Thessalonian church members, he said that he taught them by admonishing them like a father sternly admonishes his children to “live a life that is worthy of God’s will” (2:11). That is, the essence of Christian faith can be said to be 'living a life that is worthy of God's will while keeping away from my thoughts and greed'.
However, to live like that, we must humble ourselves and humble ourselves. If the purpose of life is to show off your possessions and abilities in the world and to brag or live proudly, you will have no choice but to live a life that is far from God's will. In other words, if we live a life to be seen by others, we cannot actually live a life that is beneficial to us.
That is why the Lord said, “The greatest are those who serve others with the lowest of humility. In other words, we should not exaggerate or exaggerate ourselves in order to be treated and accepted by others, but rather empty and humble ourselves. Only then can we draw closer to the true God.
And only those who humble themselves like that will take the lead in whatever they do. People who shout loudly always look behind their backs or just nag. However, the person who humbles himself and lives with humility does not say anything and does his job quietly.
Saints!
If you want to be a little higher in the world, or if you want to live a proud life, please let go of that vain heart. And I hope you will humbly accept the Lord's word and do your best to live uprightly according to it. So, through the power of the Word, experience the change of life and give glory to God.
Then, we will be able to be good fathers and mothers who set an example for our children, and the light will be revealed in the world as well. Not only that, you will be able to carry out your duties as a leader well, no matter where you are and what responsibilities you take on.
By all means, I sincerely pray that you and I can become more humble than we are now and live a life that is worthy of God's will.