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?"

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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.

Local Church Leadership

Jesus our Lord and Teacher washes Peter's feet

If you would like to understand the biblical approach to local church leadership, there is an excellent resource that I'd like to recommend.  It's an essay by James W. Garrett, called New Testament Church Leadership in the Local Church.  In this scholarly essay, he covers the following topics:

1. What was the local church government in the New Testament Church?
2. What are the scripturally assigned duties of New Testament Church leaders?
3. What is the governmental style of leaders in the New Testament Church?
4. What are the scriptural qualifications for leadership in a New Testament Church?

James W. Garrett

I have known Jim since the mid-1990's and feel blessed to call him my friend.  He has been to our home church in New Hampshire many times as a guest speaker, and has visited our home, as well.  According to his bio on his Doulos Press website, Jim was born October 5, 1930 in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and has provided leadership in the planting of 13 churches in Northeastern Oklahoma.  He is currently an elder of Tulsa Christian Fellowship (TCF) in Oklahoma.  Additionally, he is serving as consultant and mentor to church leaders, and as a guest teacher and speaker in churches and ministry groups. So he has a great deal of practical experience in church leadership, as well as biblical knowledge, giving him excellent qualifications to address such an important topic.  That's why I  personally recommend this essay to you.

After you have read it, I would be very interested in reading your comments back here on this blog.  I'd also like to encourage you to pass this great resource on to your friends and associates as well.

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." 

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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?"

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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.