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“You have heard it said,…

But I say unto you…”

I believe that Jesus was establishing a point by reiterating these two statements six different times in Matthew,  Chapter five. Throughout the course of our life we have heard many things. A lot of what we have heard has helped to form our present value system. Not all of it is good and some of it is not true.

The essence of becoming a disciple of Christ is to allow “what He has said” to supercede everything else we have “heard which was said” previous to hearing Him.

“If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed.” (John 8:31)

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God doesn’t empower people so that they can live foolishly or selfishly. He grants us “divine enablement” (grace) so that we can work in harmony with Him on the earth to see His kingdom come and His will be done.

“I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and physical and mental strength and ability over all the power that the enemy possess; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” (Luke 10:19)

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Many have formed their understanding of spiritual leadership from a particular perspective of religious culture rather than the Word of God and direction of the Holy Spirit. The accepted culture can result in church growth but is not necessarily a gauge of the “formation of Christ” in a people. The tradition can become so ingrained that even people outside of the church develop an expectation of what they think the church should be, because they have watched “believers” act a particular way for so long.

“So for the sake of your tradition, you have set aside the Word of God, depriving it of force and authority and making it no effect.” (Matthew 15:6) 

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Many hear a particular word with their ears, but never allow it to penetrate to the depth of their heart. Meditating and pondering what has been spoken is like covering over the seed with a protective layer of soil that will insure an eventual germination of what has been planted. Spiritual words cannot be intellectually processed. They must be discerned by the heart.

“Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts…”  Psalm 95:7,8

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I know it might sound strange, but it is a sobering reality. Sometimes we refer to it as “practicing what you preach.” Leading means you are out in front of the pack. If you have not settled things internally yourself first, you cannot expect others to jump in line and follow.

You need to believe in where you are going enough to make the necessary sacrifices to get there. The task of every visionary is to reconcile what God is showing him and then personally consecrate himself for whatever needs to be done to accomplish the task. If God is leading the leader, then it will be worth it.

“…be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)

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In the Kingdom there is something (actually Someone - Jesus) called “Truth” that when applied to our lives, liberates us into the purposes for which we were created. Man’s systems and kingdoms are still trying to determine what truth is and even leave it up to the individual to determine for himself if he so desires. The result has been a quagmire of “relativism” that if left unchecked and unchallenged will continue to produce chaos and confusion. Freedom is not unbridled permission to do whatever you want to. It is the ability to fully function within the parameters for which you were created.

You were created by God for purposes that only He can reveal and lead you in to. Truth is the track to life. Follow it and you will find fulfillment and freedom.

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“If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bondservant to Christ.”             (Galatians 1:10)

Principle: You cannot always please both God and men.

There is a “tension” in leading people in the things pertaining to God. Every godly leader has experienced it to some degree. Sometimes it is possible to satify both sides, but when it is not possible the choice should be clear.

Every spiritual leader will encounter times when the rejection of people drives him to find his affirmation in the Father (from Whom all grace flows). Making the tough calls is part of the program that cannot be circumvented. 

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Many pastors and leaders get frustrated when the people they are presumably leading do not respond to the words that they are ministering. This should not be a place of contention, but rather a revelation.  As a leader you have found the boundary of just how far they are willing to go. Our call is to disciple others, but the reality is we cannot take people someplace they are not willing to go. If they are not following God, they will not follow a person representing God.

The opposite is also true. A heart that is open and responsive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit will be quick to respond to the ministry of the Word by someone else. Your leadership as a minister of the Word will be welcomed and appreciated and the words that you speak will find a place a rest and ultimately bear fruit.

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A holy, consecrated lifestyle. (1 Corinthians 6:17-20) Through our untiy with the Lord, we become “one spirit” with Him. A sobering statement is found in verse 19, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you and you are not your own you were bought with a price…So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.”

Make Jesus visually observable to the world. (1 Thessalonians 1:12) Others need to see Jesus in us. Sometimes, we don’t even have to say anything, just let your light shine. Simply by living what you believe, you will affect others in ways that you don’t even know.

“…may the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified and become more glorious through and in you, and you in Him…” 

Speaking and serving according to the grace given you. (1 Peter 4:10, 11) All of us have been given abilities by God to empower us to do things that we could never do in our own human strength. This is the essence of grace. As we discover how He has enabled us to fulfill His purposes, steward those abilities properly, and serve each other with them God is honored.

Suffering reproach for His name. (1 Peter 4:14, 16) There is a glory that is revealed in us when we suffer for the sake of righteousness. We are told to be happy and rejoice (v.13) when this type of reproach happens, as this is a sign that we are in Him and count it worthy to sometimes be rejected  with Him.

“…if you are censured and suffer abuse because you bear the name of Christ, blessed are you, because the spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, is resting upon you.”

Through these simple examples we can all join together to be a part of the increasing glory of God in the earth.

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