December 8, 2024 -Leading the Church

HOSEA 10:1-14:9

JUDE 1:1-25

PSALM 127:1-5

PROVERBS 29:15-17

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Jude 1:17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

Yesterday I had talked about writing to some of my spiritual parents to bring them joy and to ask for their prayers about my recent call to become an elder in my church. One person received it with joy and gave encouragement in return. Another responded out of the hurt and consequential bitterness that they are currently struggling with due to the "negative memories of 'church' and people" and a disappointment in "North American Christianity". He encouraged me to bring an "atmosphere of hope, love and biblical truth" to our session which I don't think he felt a sense of from his time in leadership many years ago. It makes me sad that his experience in church leadership has caused a divide between him and the body of Christ. Every day we are closer to the coming of our Lord and therefore we are living in the "last times" and it shows in the church. There are always going to be those who are following their natural instincts and making choices that spawn from their human ungodly desires. When a church selects those for leadership based on their own personal opinions and ideas instead of by earnestly seeking God's wisdom in finding those who are living in the Spirit there will be division. Our natural instinct will work in direct opposition to the the Spirit of God so developing sensitivity to the Sprit is the only way to battle our ungodly desires. He also shared that "Good leadership means quietly examining the situation, listening to the membership (as well as God if that can be determined), doing your homework, and in an atmosphere of collegiality begin making suggestions to improve the ministry." I agree but I think that we need to prioritize listening to God.

Jude 1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

The only way for our church to listen to God for His direction in any area is for its members especially it's leadership to build themselves up in their faith and personal relationship with Him so they can better recognize when He is speaking. Learning how to pray in the Holy Spirit so that our prayer will be inline with His desire not our ungodly desires should be a priority. If the church is praying in the Spirit and keeping in God's love He can and will reveal His will in His timing. This is how we should function as we "wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring [us] to eternal life." Living with the anticipation of His coming will give us better ability to keep ourselves in His love and praying in the Holy Spirit. Which in turn will help us to live and make decisions according to Godly desires not our own personal ungodly desires.

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the guards stand watch in vain.

That is how we allow the Lord to build the house of God. When we try to do it on our own and according to our own ungodly desires it will be in vain. We may have leadership in our church but if they are not trusting the Lord to guard and watch over us their work will be in vain.

Psalm 127:3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

As leaders of the church we should have been raised up by Godly spiritual parents and we should be seeking to do the same for others. That is what discipleship is and that is our primary job. We will be given offspring in accordance with our willingness to serve according to His will. This makes me think of the Bema again. If we are living in anticipation of the second coming of Christ we need to think about the judgement seat. As we stand before the Lord we will get to see all the spiritual children that we have been given from the Lord as well as how they were sent out like arrows in the hands of warriors piercing the ungodly hearts of other with the love of Christ and making more disciples. Therefore raising children of their own that will be credited back through the generations of spiritual heritage.

Proverbs 29:15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,

    but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.

16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,

    but the righteous will see their downfall.

17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;

    they will bring you the delights you desire.

More about children. Thinking about this in context of spiritual children and leadership in the church I see that even spiritual children need to be reprimanded at times in order for them to be taught wisdom. If those in leadership are functioning from a place of their human ungodly desires we should expect discipline. As well we need to follow Jesus teachings on discipline in the church. If we avoid discipline in the church sin and wickedness will thrive. But that is not the worst part "but the righteous will see there downfall" is. We are warned over and over again that when our failed human hearts and minds are surrounded by wickedness we are more likely to stray down the path of sin but if we do all we can to bring light and truth to the darkness of sin, wickedness will flee. The result will be that the children of God will bring peace and the delights we desire as John said in yesterday's reading.