Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers and Prosperity Teachers

I want to discuss two types of people for whom it is very hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. However, in order to set the context properly, I would first like to discuss the difficulty level for most others besides these two types of people.

The General Populace
First of all, it is already difficult for anyone to enter the kingdom, contrary to popular opinion. This is what Jesus taught. He said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” (Joh 14:6)

People want to believe that there are many ways to God, but Jesus taught that there is only one way and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. Christianity is very exclusive. There can be no other gods beside Jesus. He alone is Lord. No idols are allowed. It matters not how nice of a person you are or how many good works you do, if you don’t come through faith in Jesus Christ, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

You have to repent and believe in Him. “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’" (Mat 4:17). Yet the message of repentance is seldom heard today.

Jesus also said to Nicodemus, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God…Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.’” (Joh 3:3,5,7)

You might be raised as a Christian and attend Church all your life, but you must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. Without being born again, born of water and of the Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God.

You must be converted and become like children, or else you will not enter. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 18:3)

And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luk 9:23)

Much of what is being preached these days is a cross-less gospel. People want to have all the positive benefits of following Jesus without the cross. If you don’t accept the crucified Christ you cannot get to heaven. If you don’t take up your own cross daily and follow Him, you cannot be His disciple.

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Luk 9:24)

As I wrote in my article, The Cost of Discipleship, following Jesus will cost you everything.

Jesus said that many people follow the wide road that leads to destruction, and few people follow the narrow way that leads to life. "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Mat 7:13-14)

This is why entering through this door requires striving. "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (Luk 13:24)

There are four types of soil and only one of the four produces a crop when the seed is planted on it. The hard-packed soil along the path, the rocky soil, and the soil that has thorns are the three types that do not produce any lasting fruit. Only the good soil that hears the word and accepts it is the one that produces a crop, thirty, sixty, or a hundred fold what was sown (Mk 4:14-20).

The Righteous
Now that I have set the stage by showing how difficult it is in general for anyone to be saved, let’s look at how it is for the righteous to be saved. Peter wrote, “And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?” (1Pe 4:18). This clearly teaches us that it is with difficulty that the righteous person is saved.

Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees. "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:20)

He also said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Mt 7:21)

The apostle Paul also taught that we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God. “After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ‘Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’” (Act 14:21-22)

As I wrote in my article, Remember Lot’s Wife, once you have decided to follow Jesus, don’t look back. “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”(Luk 9:62). As that song says, “I have decided to follow Jesus. The cross before me; the world behind me. No turning back! No turning back.”

The Rich
Yet of all the people in the world, it is perhaps hardest for the rich to enter the kingdom. Jesus said to His disciples, "Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Mat 19:23-24).

Jesus told the rich young man that, in order to enter life he must obey the commandments. While the man was confident that he had kept these since he was a boy, Jesus told him that to be perfect, he should go sell his possessions and give to the poor. But he went away sad, because he was wealthy. The deceitfulness of riches and the cares of this world are like thorns that choke the life out of the seed of the Word that is planted in our hearts. So beware of riches.

Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Mat 6:24).

He also said, "Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort." (Luk 6:24, NIV).

Paul wrote to Timothy, “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1Ti 6:9-10).

Despite all these warnings in Scripture, the prosperity gospel is one of the most popular teachings in the Church today. I’m warning you, flee from the love of money.

The Teachers
The last type of person for whom it is most difficult to enter the kingdom of heaven is the teacher. In this same group we have all those who preach the Word, and any minister of the gospel. James wrote, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (Jas 3:1). This means that those who teach the Word will be judged with greater strictness and the punishment will be more severe.

Jesus said, "And that slave who knew his master's will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” (Luk 12:47-48)

Those who teach are the ones who know the Master’s will. If they do not get ready or act according to His will, they will be beaten with many blows. They have been given much. Therefore, much will be required of them.

Paul knew this very well. That is why he said, “But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” (1Co 9:27).

Jesus said, “Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'” (Mat 7:21-23)

Notice that these people who call Jesus their Lord even prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles. Yet the Lord said He never knew them, and told them to depart from Him, because they did not do the Father’s will, but practiced lawlessness.

Don’t assume that because you are a preacher or teacher that you will go to heaven. In fact, it is quite the contrary, since it is even more difficult for ministers of the gospel to be saved.

Putting it All Together
We must come through Jesus alone, repent, be converted through the experience of being born again, born of water and of the Spirit, and become as children. We must deny self, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. We must do the will of the Father in heaven. We must put Jesus words into practice.

Scripture teaches us that it is a straight and narrow way to get to heaven and few are those who find it. Fewer still are those who after finding it remain on it until they reach the holy city.

We must enter the kingdom through many hardships. It’s hard for the righteous to be saved. But it is even harder for the rich, as well as the preachers and teachers. I’m sure that plenty of people in both those categories have lost their souls, despite confessing Jesus as Lord. Indeed, the ones for whom it will be hardest of all are those who are rich teachers or rich preachers. They have the least chance of ever entering the kingdom of heaven, because they have two major challenges, either of which would difficult enough on its own.

Therefore, let me encourage you today to fight the good fight, beat your body and make it your slave, throw off every sin that so easily entangles us, run the race with perseverance, compete according to the rules, enter through the narrow gate, walk the straight and narrow path, deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus, get ready, and do the Father’s will. Don’t be deceived by the riches of this world. And let not many of you become teachers, much less wealthy preachers or prosperity teachers.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading my articles What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, A Biblical View of the Poor, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, The Cost of Discipleship, The Straight and Narrow Path, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Ibrahim's Experience in Hell, Exposing Heresy, The Top Ten Things Jesus Taught, Better a Little, All Things Handed Over to Jesus Christ, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Holy Fire Baptism, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, Is Obedience Optional?, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, and Costly Grace. I also recommend Kenneth Hagin’s Forgotten Warning by J. Lee Grady.  You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Leadership Approach Reveals View of God

I would like to share with you some thoughts on Christian leadership that my wife Jennifer had, which I thought were quite insightful. She said:

"It seems that the way in which the leadership in a church or other Christian organization behaves and treats others reflects their view of God and of the gospel.

If the leadership is behaving in a way that is not consistent with the God of the Bible, then are they really worshiping the one true God?

If the leadership is behaving in a way that is inconsistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then are they really preaching the true gospel?

On the one hand, the leadership can view God as someone who tolerates sin.  In that case, they do not take sin seriously and do not take measures to bring discipline. They fail to realize that according to the Bible, those who live in sin will not be accepted by God and, thus, will enter the kingdom of God (Rev. 21:8; 22:15; 1 Cor. 6:9-10).

On the other hand, the leadership can view God as someone who is rather on the unforgiving, unmerciful side and nearly impossible to please.   This view will most likely lead to sheep abuse. Furthermore, even God 'does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities' (Ps. 103:10 NIV), when we walk with Him with Him in contrition.

Leadership in this category need to be reminded that God is love.  Love is patient and kind.  It's not easily angered.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Cor. 13).  Leadership that is not behaving in a manner consistent with this description is not representing God."

I agree with her, and she said it well. I would add that the people in any church or Christian organization tend to reflect the views of the leadership, which shapes the culture within that group. So it can have a beneficial effect or a damaging one.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, The Nature of False Prophets, Are We Really Little Gods?, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Servant of the Lord

In the book of Isaiah, there are five servants mentioned. One is Isaiah the prophet, who was a type of Christ (Isa 20:3). The second is God’s people Israel, also known as Jacob (Isa 41:8-14; 42:19-20; 44:21-28; 45:4), which was also a type of Christ. The third one is King David, who is also a type of Christ (Isa 37:35). The fourth one is Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over King Hezekiah's household (Isa 22:20-24), and was yet another type of Christ. The fifth is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the One I would like to focus on here. Let’s look at some of the verses that refer to Him, keeping in mind that sometimes there is a double reference to Israel and the Messiah in the same passage.

We begin with the prophecy about Eliakim son of Hilkiah that clearly has a double reference, one of which is about Christ.

"Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My Servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, And I will clothe Him with your tunic And tie your sash securely about Him. I will entrust Him with your authority, And He will become a Father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Then I will set the key of the house of David on His shoulder, When He opens no one will shut, When He shuts no one will open. I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And He will become a throne of glory to His Father's house. So they will hang on Him all the glory of his Father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.” (Isa 22:20-24).

This is clearly referring to Christ, since the Lord explicitly said so in His Revelation to the apostle John: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name…” (Rev 3:7-8)

Likewise, when the Lord says, "I will drive Him like a peg in a firm place" (Is 22:23), the word "nail" here (yatēd) means properly a peg, nail, stake, or spike. It is often used to refer to the large spikes that were used to fasten tent cords. It is also used of nails and spikes that were driven into walls. The phrase literally means, "I will fasten Him like a nail in a secure place". This is an obvious reference to the crucifixion of Christ, in which large nails or spikes were driven through His hands and feet to fasten Him securely to the cross (John 20.25; Acts 2.23; Col 2.14).

After His death, His body was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, who received permission from governor Pilate to do so (Joh 19:38-40; Mk 15:43-46). Accompanied by Nicodemus, Joseph had to remove the nails, in order to take down the Lord's body. When they did so, the prophecy was fulfilled that said, "On that day the peg which I firmly fastened in place will be removed." (Is 22:25a, GW). The Hebrew word in this verse for removed is (mush), meaning remove, take away, or withdraw.

The prophecy was that when the nail would be removed on that day, the burden that was on it would be cut off and fall (Is 22:25b). Since the Lord Jesus was the one driven in a firm place (Is 22:23), and He was the burden hanging on it, then His body is what fell when the nails were removed. Joseph and Nicodemus probably climbed upon a ladder and used either ropes or a long piece of linen cloth draped over the top of the cross as a pulley system, in order to gently lower the body from the cross down to the ground. Since the Romans sometimes used ropes in conjunction with nails to secure a victim to the cross, Joseph would have cut off those ropes. This would explain why the prophecy says the burden would be "cut off." Since the Lord was also carrying the burden of our sin in his body, this prophecy may also have a secondary reference to the burden of our sin that was cut off or destroyed at that time.

Now let us continue on to what is known as the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah, which are found in chapters 42 - 53.

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.  (Isa 42:1-7) 

"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My Servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. "Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"  (Isa 43:10-13)

"But now listen, O Jacob, My Servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My Servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.' "This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will name Israel's name with honor. "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last, And there is no God besides Me. 'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'" (Isa 44:1-8)

In this passage He is referred to as the First and the Last, which we know is Christ. The apostle John said, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” (Rev 1:17-18). The Lord also said, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev 22:12-13)

In this passage in Isaiah 44, He is referred to as the Rock, which is Christ. Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."  (Mat 21:42-44)

The apostle Peter further elaborates on this saying, "’A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” (1Pe 2:8)

Another passage in Isaiah about the Lord’s Servant is this:

Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God." And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, "Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You." Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;”  (Isa 49:1-8)

The next passage speaks of the suffering of the Lord’s Servant, the Messiah:

“See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness— so He will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand..” (Isa 52:13-15, NIV)

When it says that He will be lifted up, this refers to His being lifted up on a cross and crucified. Jesus confirmed this when He said, "’And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’ But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” (Joh 12:32-33). Jesus Christ was truly the suffering Servant.

When it says, "There were many who were appalled at him— His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness," this refers to the gross disfigurement He suffered from the beating, flogging, and crucifixion that He endured for us. It was appalling, even worse than anything we have seen in any painting or movie. He was swollen, bleeding, and marred to the point that He did not really look human anymore. The expression, "He will sprinkle many nations," refers to His precious blood sprinkling many nations.

When it says in Isaiah 52 that He will be raised and greatly exalted, it is referring to His resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God. In Mark’s gospel it says, “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19).  Peter also said, "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to My Lord, "sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."'  (Act 2:33-35). The apostle Paul wrote, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb 1:3). And again he wrote: “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

The end of Isaiah 52 is a preface to what is written in Isaiah 53, which is a detailed description of the crucifixion of Christ. And in that chapter it says, “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isa 53:11). God the Father saw the anguish of His Servant’s soul and He was satisfied. We are justified by personally knowing Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, His Servant.

Jesus even declared Himself to be a Servant when He said, "Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mat 20:26b-28)

And Peter said, "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, the One whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him…For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."  (Act 3:13,26)

So there are an abundance of passages that refer to our Lord, the Messiah, as God’s Servant. He served His disciples by washing their feet during the last supper, on the night He was betrayed (Jn 13). He served us by giving His life for us on the cross. And He still serves today by interceding for us (Heb 7:25). Even when He returns, He will serve His people at the table in the kingdom of heaven. He said, "Blessed are those slaves whom the Master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird Himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.” (Luk 12:37)

Therefore, since our Lord and Savior is the Lord’s Anointed Servant, He has set us an example that we should follow. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” (1Pe 2:21) And “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1Jn 2:6). Every disciple of Christ, every elder, apostle, pastor, teacher, prophet, and evangelist must be a servant of the Lord and others.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, and others are from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Because I Love You" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: I also recommend reading Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Crucified with Christ, What Jesus Did Not Do on the Cross, Holy Washings - Part II, Persecuted or Popular?, and Success in God's Eyes. You may also access other articles about the Good Shepherd on the Home page for this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

___________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Success in God's Eyes

Success in God's eyes does not mean you'll have great numbers of people following you. Beware when all men speak well of you. Jesus warned, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way." (Luk 6:26)

In reading Jeremiah, I am amazed by his godly success. His main message was "Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm." (Jer 25:5-6).  Yet the people of Judah did not listen to him during his 23 years of ministry, warning them to turn from their evil ways and prophesying God's coming judgment. (Jer 25:3). Instead, they cursed him, mocked him, spoke arrogantly to him, beat him, abused him, imprisoned him in solitary confinement, and threatened him with death. Yet he continued to prophesy the Word of the Lord to them for another 18 years after that (Jer 52:12).

They never did listen to him. So they were carried in chains into exile in Babylon for 70 years, where they remained captive and fell by the sword, famine, and plague. Yet the Babylonians, who recognized him as a true prophet of God, treated Jeremiah kindly. And he was spared from going into exile. “Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, ‘Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.’” (Jer 39:11-12). It may not look like success to the world, but let's see someone try to top that!

Jeremiah has touched more people since his death than he did during his lifetime. There were about 4,600 people from Judah who went into Babylonian captivity (Jer 52:30). That was his audience. But since his death around 2,500 years ago, his writings have been translated into over 2,000 languages and read by hundreds of millions of people around the world! His writings have encouraged many, led some of those people to repentance, helped many to persevere through trials, and others to a closer walk with God. That goes to show us that we can't base our sense of success on what we see in the natural during our lifetime. Instead we should serve the Lord with our whole heart in obedience to His commands, and trust that He will bring forth fruit for His glory that will last long after we're gone from this world.

Many Christians will gladly receive false prophets who predict good times ahead, peace and safety. The apostle Paul warned that “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” (1Th 5:3). There are plenty of prophets like this. But they usually practice deceit (Jer 8:10). Both prophet and priest are polluted (Jer 23:11). Jeremiah gave us the real test of a true prophet. "The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent." (Jer 28:9).

Historically, the religious people have persecuted God’s true prophets. It would not surprise me if non-believers have greater respect for God's true prophets than do the sons and daughters of light. Jesus said that if anyone receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, he would receive a prophet's reward (Mt 10:41). Ebed-Melech was a good example. He was a Cushite from the Nile region who helped get Jeremiah out of the cistern (Jer 38:8-9). Later he received a reward (Jer 39:15-17). And if they receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, they will receive a righteous man's reward. Jesus said that if they receive true disciple, then in doing so they also receive Jesus Himself. And if they receive Jesus, they receive the Father who sent Him (Mt 10:40).

Look at the people of Nineveh for example.  These non-believing Gentiles received Jonah as a true prophet and their reward was that God spared their city.  There were 120,000 children in that great city, which didn’t know their right hand from their left, plus adults and animals (Jon 4:11).  That was a real success!

I love the book of Jonah, because it’s a true story of mercy and compassion.  He had a mission to go and preach to people who were enemies of Israel.  The message was that they needed to repent, because Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days.  Many Christians today would say we don’t need that kind of preaching.  They would say that it’s doom and gloom, and that we need more preaching on love and grace.

But I see it just the opposite. The whole reason that God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh was that He did not want to have to destroy them.  But God was going to have to destroy them, if they did not repent of their wickedness.  The only obstacle was that Jonah knew that God would mercifully spare them, if they repented.  He did not want to see these enemies of Israel spared.  In fact, after the whole city, from the king to the most lowly person repented, and God spared them from destruction, Jonah confessed to God why He ran from his mission.  “He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’” (Jon 4:2).

Then there was also the mercy that God showed to Jonah himself.  When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach, he ran from God and went in the opposite direction, away from Nineveh.  But the ship he was on encountered a huge storm that nearly sank it. It was only when they threw Jonah overboard that the storm ceased.  And God in His mercy sent a big fish to swallow Jonah.  It was there in the belly of the fish that Jonah himself repented.  God forgave him and had mercy on Him, giving him a second chance to complete the mission. The Lord knew before He sent Jonah that this would happen, and He intended on being merciful to Jonah. God also intended on being merciful to the Ninevites before He sent Jonah to preach to them.  And in the end, the Lord was merciful to Jonah and the Ninevites. 

So rather than doom and gloom, this was a real story of mercy and compassion in every respect, for those who have ears to hear.  Maybe the church today needs more preaching of repentance, faith and forgiveness.  Those who do preach this message are in good company with people like Jeremiah, Jonah, Jesus, and John the Baptist. 

However, preachers may be afraid that they will lose people, by proclaiming this message.  It’s true that often times the so-called believers don’t receive the servants of God sent to them. So if you’re concerned about rejection, the prospects of this could scare you away from this kind of preaching.  It’s not for the faint of heart.

Jesus only had one apostle and a few women who remained with Him to the end, during His crucifixion.  The rest were scattered.  The apostle Paul, at the end of his life said, "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them." (2Ti 4:16) In some of the places where Paul made disciples and established churches, those same places are dominated by Islam today with barely a trace of Christian faith present.

But those who are obedient to the Lord in preaching the full gospel of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will receive a rich reward.  Their ministry may seem like a dismal failure in man’s eyes, but that’s not what God looks at. They may not draw large crowds, but they are truly successful in God’s eyes.  And the fruit they bring forth will be the kind that lasts!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Accountable Correctable and Teachable

If you want to serve in the Body of Christ, you need to be accountable, correctable, and teachable. I learned long ago from my mentor, Owen Carey, that these characteristics are necessary for anyone who desires to function in their God-given place of service. The easy way to remember these is that the first letter of each word forms the acronym “ACT.” Let’s open our Bibles and find out what the Word of God teaches us about this.

Accountable
First, let’s look at being accountable. There are many people who are sincere Christians and even pastors who have no true accountability in their lives. A person who is accountable must give an account for himself. He does not act independently, but allows others to hold him accountable for his actions and words. He’s willing to submit himself to other men whom he trusts. He doesn’t just have a form of accountability without any teeth, like being accountable to others who always agree with him. That means those men are free to ask him questions from time to time about his life and ministry. It means that their lives are open for examination from one another.

Questions are just one way that we hold each other accountable. Here are some examples of accountability questions in God’s Word:

Peter’s Question to Ananias
The apostle Peter held Ananias accountable for his actions. Ananias was a part of the church in Jerusalem, where Peter was serving in oversight. Ananias and his wife Sapphira saw Barnabas sell a piece of land he owned and give all the proceeds to the church. So they decided to do something similar, in order to look just as generous as Barnabas, except they secretly kept back some of the money for themselves. It was this secret withholding that got them into trouble. Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? "While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." (Act 5:3-4)

It would not have been a problem if this couple had publicly declared that they were giving only part of the money to the church from the sale of their property. But in light of what Barnabas had just done, they were pretending to do the same as he did. They did not act with full disclosure. They acted in deception.

In this passage, we find that Peter asked Ananias four accountability questions: 1. Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 2. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? 3. And after it was sold, was it not under your control? 4. Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart?

Peter’s Question to Sapphira
Peter also held Sapphira, the wife of Ananias, accountable. She was an accomplice to this whole matter. And Peter responded to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?" And she said, "Yes, that was the price." Then Peter said to her, "Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well." (Act 5:8-9)

Note that Peter asked Sapphira two accountability questions: 1. Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price. 2. Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Sometimes people need to ask you questions, in order to hold you accountable. And we should not become defensive or evasive when they do so.

Rich Man’s Question to the Manager
Jesus also spoke about a certain manager who needed to give an account of his actions to the rich man for whom he worked. Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. "And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.'” (Luk 16:1-2)

The rich man asked the manager one accountability question: What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management!

As I make disciples, I walk in a mutually accountable relationship with them. We ask each other questions on a regular basis like this: 1. How have you been a testimony for Christ this week through both your words and your actions? 2. How have you experienced God in your life this week? 3. How are you responding to the promptings of the Holy Spirit? (i.e., promptings occur when the Lord leads you by His Holy Spirit). 4. Do you have any need to confess sin? 5. How did you do with the Bible reading we agreed to last week?

In leadership, this is just as important, if not more so. The Roman centurion recognized the authority of Jesus. He said to the Lord, "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." (Mat 8:9). He knew that if you want to function in a place of authority, you yourself must be submitted to authority. You cannot do so otherwise. That’s why I have surrounded myself with men to whom I am accountable.

Those who exercise the oversight in the Body of Christ must be under authority. They must be in mutual accountability with other men. There are no “Lone Rangers” in the Church. You cannot say, “I’m the pastor, or I am an apostle, so I am accountable to nobody but God.” Without accountability, we are all vulnerable to veer off course into error. It can happen to anyone. That’s one of the reasons why we need each other this way.

Some of the key areas where we need to be accountable as disciples and leaders are finances, our relationships with others like our spouses, and what we view on the Internet, as well as other photographic media. There is no area of our lives that God does not see. And we all need to be accountable to someone we can trust, whom we allow to speak into our lives, asking questions of us. So we can see from Scripture that accountability is a basic aspect of service.

Correctable
Now that we’ve briefly looked at the need to be accountable, let’s see what it means to be correctable. To be correctable means you can be corrected easily. If you are saying or doing something incorrectly, then others can come up alongside you and bring correction.

Two examples from Scripture come to mind when I think of people who are correctable. The first example is from the life of King David. He was a great and godly King, whom the Lord had used mightily. But in a moment of weakness, he was tempted with sexual sin, and gave into it. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his best warriors, Uriah the Hittite.

After he had did so, he then covered it up. He brought Uriah in from the battlefield and got him drunk. Then he tried to convince Uriah to go sleep with Bathsheba. He apparently hoped that if she became pregnant from his sexual liaison with her that Uriah would assume it was his child and not suspect any foul play.

But Uriah showed great leadership character. He could not require his soldiers to do anything he was not willing to do himself. So he could not go and lie with his wife at home, while his men were away from their wives, risking their lives out there on the battlefield. Since he refused to allow himself this pleasure, David’s attempted cover-up failed. So David successfully arranged for Uriah to be killed on the battlefield, and in doing so, he was guilty of murder.

Since David was not willing to confess and admit his own sin, God sent Nathan the prophet to correct him (2 Sam 12:1-12). Nathan did so quite effectively and it brought the Lord’s conviction upon David. He didn’t get defensive and say to Nathan, “I don’t have to listen to you. I’m the king.” Once David was confronted with his sin, he immediately repented. Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." (2Sa 12:13a). And it was then that David wrote Psalm 51, a broken hearted prayer of repentance to God. While there were still serious consequences for his sin, God had mercy on David and forgave him. In the end, David was correctable.

Another example of someone who was correctable is Peter, the apostle. Here’s the story as the apostle Paul told it: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.” (Gal 2:11-12).

God had previously shown Peter, known as Cephas, that it was all right to eat and associate with Gentile believers, and he did so freely. But then some men began to influence Peter in a wrong way. These men taught that Gentile believers must be circumcised like Jews in order to be accepted by God. This caused Peter to withdraw himself from associating with the Gentiles, out of fear for what the circumcisers would say. And when Peter visited Antioch, Paul confronted him face to face over the matter. Paul said that Peter was clearly in the wrong and even though he was one of the original twelve apostles, Paul corrected him. We have no reason to believe that Peter rejected Paul’s confrontation. Peter was correctable, and God continued to use him mightily. He was instrumental in many key decisions in the church that gave freedom to the Gentiles, and he went on to die a martyr’s death for Christ.

Sometimes we need correction in an area of our life where we are committing sin. We may have justified it in our own eyes or become deceived in some area. Paul taught Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2Ti 4:2). There’s a time when it’s necessary to reprove or rebuke. If we repent when we are corrected, then there is forgiveness and mercy. But if we continue in sin, that’s different. Paul taught Timothy this way: “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.” (1Ti 5:20)

Other times we may need someone to correct us in an area we were simply mistaken. It’s not always a sin that needs to be corrected, but sometimes it can be something that we were going about doing in the wrong way. We may need to be instructed, redirected or lovingly guided back on track.

If you want to serve publicly, then you must be open to receiving correction. If you prophesy in the church, there is the potential for you to do a lot of good, building up the Body of Christ. But there is also the potential for you to do a lot of harm to people. If you are off base on something you say or in your delivery, then you may need to be corrected. If we’re not willing to be corrected, then one of two things generally happens. Either we stop serving and pull back, or we plunge forward in our own ways and do damage to others.

Lastly, let me say a word to those who may need to correct others. How we correct someone must always be in line with the heart of Jesus. We should not do it in such a way that intentionally humiliates the person or damages him. Instead we should be gentle and speak the truth in love. Sometimes all that’s needed is to exhort the person or appeal to them. Paul taught Timothy, “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers.” (1Ti 5:1). The one who seeks to correct another person needs great patience. We need to remember that we are all imperfect human beings. There’s no need to be harsh with each other. We are a family in Christ and should treat each other that way.

Teachable
The final characteristic of the Lord’s servant that I’d like to examine is the need to be teachable. No matter what your ministry is in the Body of Christ, you need to be teachable. It doesn’t matter whether you are operating in hospitality, helps, serving meals, visiting the sick, or proclaiming the gospel. It doesn’t matter whether you are teaching the Bible, prophesying, or caring for the sheep. No matter what your gift is, you are not exempt.

A great example of this is Apollos. He was a great teacher of the Word. Here’s his story:

“Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Act 18:24-26)

Apollos was an eloquent man, who had been instructed in the way of the Lord. He was mighty in the Scriptures, fervent in spirit, and spoke boldly for Christ in public. It’s important to note that he spoke and taught accurately concerning Jesus. But he was only familiar with the baptism of John, which was a baptism of repentance.

When these two disciples of Christ, Priscilla and Aquila heard him, look how they handled it. They took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. They didn’t embarrass him with a public correction. Priscilla and Aquila co-labored with the apostle Paul (Rom 16:3), and even hosted a church in their home (1Co 16:19). But they walked in humility toward this man of God, treating him with love and respect.

Notice how teachable he was. Even though he was so well known and effective in his ministry, he was open to being taught more accurately concerning Jesus. This is the attitude we should have. It doesn’t matter if you are a highly effective teacher or preacher of God’s Word. It matters not how famous you are or how many years experience you have behind the pulpit. You still need to be teachable.

There are times when your doctrine may be out of line with Scripture and someone needs to show it to you. Don’t argue with them, bristle, or get defensive. Listen to what others have to say, especially those to whom you have submitted your self or with whom you co-labor. But anyone should be able to come to you and teach you something, including a child. As long as what they are showing you is based on God’s Word, you should pray about it and ask the Lord where you may have been incorrect. Diligently search the Word to see if these things are true, and then make the adjustment where it is needed.

Now what do you do if the person who is over you in Christ is teaching something inaccurately? You should take them aside and discuss it. Sometimes doing this right after they speak is not always the best way. Likewise, email is the worst form of communication to try and resolve any sort of conflict, including a doctrinal one. A lot of damage can be done when we use email to try to show someone an area of Scripture more accurately. This also applies to correcting a person as well. The reason is that the person can read tone into the email that you may not have intended, and it may end up hurting them. You could do more harm than good approaching it that way.

You may need to go up to them and invite them for lunch. Let them know you love and appreciate them and that you’d like to get together to talk. Spend the time to show you care and sit with the person in a relaxed setting.

When you meet with the person, a good way to begin is to ask him, “What was in your heart when you shared that?” Take the time to first understand the person, before you seek to be understood and make your point. Once you have come to understand the person’s motive and intentions, as well as what he actually meant by what he said, you are better able to address it.

If the matter cannot be resolved with your leader individually, it’s appropriate to request time to sit with him and the other elders to discuss it in front of them. This might happen if your leader does not agree with what you have attempted to show him. In that case, humbly present your concerns to him before the other elders. If he is truly accountable and teachable, this will be received well.

That doesn’t mean that everything will work out the way you want it to. There is the possibility you may be incorrect about the matter you have sought to teach. But this is the best way to handle it. It should result in everyone searching the Scriptures together in great humility to find the Truth. And ultimately the truth of God’s Word should be upheld. Everyone should grow in respect for one another, and their relationship with each other should be stronger as a result of this experience.

Putting it All Together
In order to serve in God’s house, you need to have the right character. I’ve learned that a person can destroy with his character what he has built with his gift. You may spend years building something great for God with your gift. But if you do not allow God to deal with a character flaw, it will eventually destroy what you have built. If there is an area of your life that is not in obedience to the Lord’s Word, then it will all come crashing down eventually and damage many people (Matt 7:27).

Make sure you first deal with your character flaws before you start to serve publicly. The only way to do so is to allow other godly people to speak into your life. You need to be accountable, correctable, and teachable, and then you can ACT. You may still have areas in your life that the Lord is working on, and you may not be perfect yet. But if you are accountable, correctable, and teachable, you will be free to serve publicly in the Body of Christ.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page, such as A Tale of Two Kings, The Servant of the Lord, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Success in God's Eyes, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, Persecuted or Popular?, and Having a Servant's Heart. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.