Month: June 2024

As we saw last week, everyone is capable of influencing others; everyone is a leader in some capacity (see Matthew 5:13). However, as we all know, every leader is imperfect. Every leader is prone to making rash decisions, communicating poorly, getting angry or frustrated, and making many other mistakes. Every leader is a fallen human needing a savior. 

Leaders should be humble when they fail and grow through their mistakes (see Proverbs 16:18). Leaders who quickly admit and repent to others when they have made a mistake are leaders who will ultimately carry greater influence. Why? Because the primary role of a Christian in leadership is to point people to the only one who can save. Humility is a great place to start (see Numbers 12:3). 

In the book of Numbers Chapter 20 we read about a defining moment in the life of Moses when he made a hasty decision that cost him dearly. 

Falling before God

This event took place in the Israelites’ fortieth year of wandering. The area of Kadesh was a familiar place where they had likely camped several times before. They came back to this place because there was water. It had been a good place to set up camp. But this time, the spring was dry, and they were getting desperate. 

The people began to complain to Moses and Aaron, as they had done many times in the past. But Moses did not respond by trying to argue with them; rather he fell on his face in prayer before the Lord (see Numbers 20:6). 

What a lesson in leadership. Moses didn’t defend himself; he went to the Lord, and the glory of the Lord appeared. 

As Christian leaders, our instinct when we are criticized is to defend ourselves and try to convince our critics that we are doing what the Lord is leading. But the Lord doesn’t need us to defend Him.  Instead, we need to go before Him and allow Him to encourage us and give us the way forward. This is so hard to do in the heat of the moment. 

Falling before the flesh 

The Lord gave Moses instructions to follow in order to bring water from the rock (see Numbers 20:8). God told Moses to take the staff that signifies his authority and to speak to the rock, declaring that the rock must yield its water. 

But Moses was weak and worn out.  In spite, he called the people rebels, drawing attention to his own authority. And instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it twice. 

Though Moses hadn’t followed the Lord’s instructions, the water began to flow, sufficient for millions of people and their livestock. Despite the seeming success,

Moses failed the Lord, and God disciplined him by not allowing him to progress with the nation into the Promised Land. 

This seems like a very harsh punishment for mere indiscretion, at least in our eyes. We can easily sympathize with Moses. He was old, tired, and frustrated. He had been leading these rebellious people for 40 years, and they kept quarreling with him. On top of it all, he was grieving the recent death of his sister. 

Moses lost his temper (See Psalm 106:32-33). Have you ever lost your temper and done something you regret? I certainly have. 

Failing has consequences

For his act of unbelief and his failure to give God glory in upholding His holiness before the nation, Moses forfeited his right to lead the people into the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:12). 

We wrestle with this. We want to see Moses getting a pass, but this is an important lesson for us. When we are under stress, overwhelmed, tired, or even grieving, we are not  excused  to sin. Circumstances are no excuse to disobey God (see 1 Corinthians 10:13). 

But what about grace? After all, the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, right? 

Not so fast. When we fail to obey God, there are often consequences that we must live with. 

The second century Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, said, “How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.”

When it comes to our relationships, for example, we may repent of our offense, but often the tear in the relationship lingers. Moses had to live with the consequence of his failure. We have to live with the consequences of ours.

Failing is not defeat

This is wonderfully encouraging for us. Many characters in the Bible failed but were forgiven and used mightily by God. Take the Apostle Peter as an example. He denied Jesus three times at his crucifixion, but Jesus graciously restored him. Peter went on to be a powerful apostle and church leader. 

When we have  as a leader; been hasty in our response to criticism, gotten angry or irritable, the enemy loves to whisper that we are done and should resign and walk away. But Jesus came to free us from sin, guilt, and the accusation of the enemy (see Psalm 147:3, 1 John 1:9). 

The rock that Moses struck in Numbers 20 is a picture of Christ. Moses was instructed to speak to the rock and do nothing more (see 1 Corinthians 10:4). The reason why Moses was told to speak to the rock and not strike it is because, when it comes to the Gospel message of salvation, there is nothing we need to do to add to the completed work of Christ.

None of us are perfect. In our brokenness, we desperately need a savior. As we are daily faced with our humanity and weakness, we can go to the Rock that is Jesus for living water that refreshes our souls.

Failure is not defeat because the Gospel is true. 

Falling before Jesus

What are you dealing with today? You may be dealing with the consequences of sin, and that is a normal and a painful part of life. But you can be free from the accusation and the guilt of your sin. 

Why not repent right now and allow the blood of Jesus to cleanse you from all unrighteousness (see 1 John 1:9)?

“Leadership is influence”, John Maxwell

Moses was arguably the greatest leader in the Bible aside from Jesus. And when it comes to leadership, we can learn much from Moses. 

As you read the books of Moses, from Exodus to Deuteronomy, there is one phrase that is hard to miss: “And God said to Moses…” This phrase appears well over one hundred times in these four books. 

Humbled by God

By Exodus Chapter 3, Moses was an eighty-year-old man, a murderer, a fugitive, and someone who was content to live out his days as a shepherd. Long forgotten were his days in the halls of power in Pharaoh’s  kingdom. 

Moses had to be humbled by God before God could begin to use him. And that’s when God called him, because God had prepared him. 

As Moses was mundanely tending his sheep, he sawa bush that was on fire. This was probably not unusual in the desert, but we see in verse 3, “And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”

This bush was on fire but it was not being consumed.  Moses turned, and that was the moment God had been waiting for, waiting for Moses to pay attention. 

Moses said in verse 3, “I will turn aside to see this great sight…”

There is value in turning aside to observe when God is doing something. God is speaking all the time in the little things; we just have to learn to stop and look (see Psalm 19:1-2).

“When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” (Exodus 3:4)

When God calls you, how do you respond? “Here I am”? Or do you look over your shoulder to see if God is calling someone else?

God warned Moses to stop before coming too close and to take off his sandals (see Exodus 3:5). 

Moses was humbled to bow  before God. This is the true beginning of Christian service. Servants who know how to take off their shoes in humility can be used by God to walk in power.

Seen by God

The Lord then spoke to Moses, “Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings.” (Exodus 3:7)

It is so encouraging to know that God sees the suffering of His people (see Exodus 2:25). 

God sees all those times when you feel that your work and struggles go unseen. Your Heavenly Father sees. Nothing is outside of the sight of God; this is a promise you can be sure of. 

Called by God

God called Moses to an impossible task, to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. The task was too big for Moses, and he was understandably resistant. 

God is seldom going to call you to do something that you can do in your own strength. His aim is to display  His glory through the humble obedience of people. In verse 8, God said that He would deliver the nation out of the hand of the Egyptians. God was inviting Moses to be a part of what He was about to do. 

We must never believe that God needs us; he invites us to be a part of what He already plans to do.

Backed by God 

Moses began to resist God’s call, and God gave him that incredible Bible promise, “But I will be with you…” The power of the Almighty God is always sufficient for anything that He calls us to do. 

Moses asked God in verse 13, “What is your name?” This question led to the most powerful revelation of God in the Bible up to this point. “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14)

From this time onward God was known by this statement, “I am Yahweh”. A name that means so much and is so holy that most Hebrew people would be afraid to even whisper it.   

God said to Moses—and He says to us—“I am wherever you are, and I always will be”. 

What a promise for Moses as he considered the call of God on his life! This promise applies to all Christians. Every person who has given their life to the Lordship of Jesus has a mission and a calling. It may be to your workplace, your neighborhood, childcare ministry, youth ministry, across the states or to another nation. God’s name is Yahweh, I AM with you. 

Moses kept on making excuses, denying the call of God. Have you ever made excuses when God calls you? We say things like, I am too old, I am poor, I am uneducated, I don’t speak well, I am too shy, I am too sickly, I am…, I am…, I am….

Notice how we focus on ourselves when we make excuses, and God emphatically responds, I AM WHO I am. 

As we observe society around us and in the church, there is a general spirit of apathy that is having a dramatic impact on our culture. Maybe God is calling you today to put down the phone, put down the remote, and begin serving the Lord, leading and influencing the people He is calling you to. 

We need to repent of the excuses and submit ourselves to the perfect plan of God for our lives. 

What is God calling you to do today?

This past Friday our small team arrived home from Morehouse, MO. Where we served the local First Baptist church and the pastor Jason Crow.

Jason is a bi-vocational pastor who is married to Amber. They have six children, some adopted and two special needs children. His life is full and challenging.

The church is struggling. Half of the congregation did not return after COVID and now they barely have thirty people in attendance.

The primary mission was to engage with the community and to see how the church could be better connected. The town of a little over 900 people was easy to get around, and very quiet. There is only one store and not much else going on. It seems the “porch-sitting” is the favorite pastime. There is a spirit of apathy that envelopes the town with little room for ambition.

We were saddened to learn that one of the local churches was responsible for a good number of the towns folk never wanting to attend church again. They had been hurt by something that was being taught or modelled by this particular church in town.

One of those hurt was a young lady we met. She claimed to know all about the Bible and the Gospel message, but that she was now a pagan and that she worshipped “deities”. I told her that she was worshipping demons and that they would surely be a bitter disappointment for her. She bluntly told me that she knew that she was going to hell, but that it didn’t bother her. In fact, she said she was okay with it.

In fact, we had interactions with two separate people who acknowledged that they were going to hell but were not worried at all about that eternal destination. Satan and his demons have deceived people into believing that Hell will be an acceptable alternative to heaven.

But that is not what Jesus said about Hell. Jesus said it was a place of eternal punishment and suffering (see Matthew 13:41-42, Matthew 5:22, Matthew 25:41-46, Mark 9:43).

This is why we go and tell people about what Jesus has done for them. This is why we proclaim the Gospel message. Hell is real, but we are created to know and live eternally with our Creator. Jesus made the only way for salvation. Sadly, this young woman even acknowledged that.

As I was thinking about the town and what has caused the churches to become so poorly attended and why the people seem to have such utter hopelessness, I was reminded of Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

There are possibly many different reasons why churches decline and eventually close, but I believe that not prioritizing the regular gathering together as the Body of Christ must be high on the list.

Being a regular part of a church family is not an optional extra for a Christian, it is life and breath. Sunday is when we worship, pray, and hear the Word of God proclaimed to build us up and challenge us.

During the week, we gather in different settings to encourage one another, to grow together in love and unity. These could be life groups, Sunday school, prayer meetings or different church events.

Summer seems to be a time when people miss church attendance the most, but I challenge you to commit to getting more involved in our church family this summer. The reason I encourage you to get more involved is found in verse 24 of our text, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.”

Notice that it is the responsibility of the church family to stir up the body of Christ, this is not the role of the Elders, Deacons or other leaders, it is everyone’s responsibility.

Who did you encourage today? Who did you stir up today?

2020-2021 caused many churches to close, because people neglected to meet together, people stopped encouraging one another.

The writer to the Hebrews uses the word “Habit”. The Dictionary explains habit as, “a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.”

Life is about habits, we all develop them, some are good for us and others are destructive. Being active in a church family is a good habit that is guaranteed to bring life.  

Commit to being an encourager, stirring one another on towards love and good works.

What is God inviting you to be a part of today?

This is a very challenging passage. How do we respond to our leaders when they promote immoral things and even use our tax dollars to pay for things that we don’t approve of?

As Christians who stand for the truth of God’s word, we must not be surprised by the resistance and even persecution from the world around us.

In 1 Peter, the apostle is writing to exiled Jewish Christians who were facing persecution, ridicule and abuse for their faith. Peter instructs his readers to submit to the authorities of the land. These people probably felt that their opinion counted for little in a hostile society. This may sound familiar to Christians in America in 2024.

When we feel that the societal norms are opposing our Christian beliefs, we are tempted to respond in one of three ways.

1: We fight. We write angry letters, we grumble, and post angrily on social media. If we are honest, we see the public figure, the politician as the ultimate enemy. We fight back, because we are so invested in our world and our constitutional rights. We fight because we forget that as a Christian, we are part of an everlasting Kingdom, one that will outlast every earthly kingdom.

2: We flee. We find a Christian community that accepts us and then we circle the wagons, close the doors and quarantine ourselves from anyone and everyone who does not believe as we do. We spend all our time within a bubble that ensures we are never tainted by the world out there. But that is not what Jesus has called us to, how can we share the Gospel or be the Salt and Light in our world, if we are hiding from the world?

3: We conform. We don’t like to be the odd one out, we don’t like being exiles and as a result we adapt, we modify our behavior, and we conform to fit in. But as followers of Jesus, sometimes we try to conform, even when we know it is not God’s will for us.

We minimize the call to holiness in order to fit in.  

“Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream^”

Malcolm Muggeridge

However, instead of fighting, fleeing or conforming, we are called to engage with society and be good citizens who follow the laws of the land to avoid legitimate punishment. (See 1 Peter 2:13-14). This is for the Lord’s sake, and in verse 15 we read that it is God’s will for us.

God chooses to reveal himself to those who reject Christianity, through us doing His will, and that is being subject to those who are in leadership in society. We are called to walk in humility and serve our society (See 1 Peter 2:16).

Then we come to verse 17, this is where the conviction and challenge really hits home. “Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”

As believers, we are to honor everyone, even the ruler of the land. Notice that we honor the emperor, but we fear God.

Honoring everyone seems a far fetched ideal in our world, but we are called by God to do it. We live in an age where people say the most dishonoring things online, claiming that they have a right to speak their mind. But for a Christian, this is not permitted.

Honoring is not agreeing, you can disagree and still honor the person at the same time.

Honor our political leaders:

Surely the Bible isn’t talking about America in 2024? The truth is that Peter’s readers faced a government that was cruel and murderous towards Christians under emperor Nero.

We are called to perform our civic duties and pray for our leaders.

Now we must remember that if the government makes laws that defy God’s Word and His standards, then we are required to honor the government, but fear God. And this will require us to take a stand for Biblical truth (See Acts 4:19-20).

Throughout history, thousands of Christians have respectfully and peacefully spoken out against various issues, whether it was slavery, the fight for the unborn, child labor, poverty, and so much more. Christians are called to honor everyone, but fear God.

Honor your Boss:

In the following verses, Peter addresses how slaves were to respond to their masters. During the first century, many of the readers were slaves or indentured servants, people who were bound by contract to their master.

We cannot fully equate these words into our context here in Kansas City in 2024, but the principles of how we are to relate to our boss or supervisor are similar.

Many supervisors are kind and fair, but other times they are people of poor character who belittle and verbally abuse their employees.

So how do we respond? We join in with the gossip at the proverbial watercooler, maybe we don’t give our best effort or even look for ways to discredit our supervisor.

But the Bible says we must not repay evil for evil. We must commit to working with excellence.

Now, this does not excuse the supervisor or boss who is doing something illegal or abusive. In this case, we are required to report him or her to the authorities.

But how do we respond to demanding and unfair bosses? The Bible calls us to submit to their authority and commit to doing good.

As Peter is writing these words it is almost as if he hears the grumbling and the murmuring; “you don’t know my master”, “you don’t know my situation”, and our personal favorite, “but what about my rights!”

Peter immediately turns to the example we have in Jesus (See 1 Peter 2:21).

These are difficult words, humanly speaking it is impossible. We cannot do this in our own strength, this kind of lifestyle is only possible when empowered by the Holy Spirit.

As Christians we must always have an eternal and a supernatural perspective. And when we live this way, the Holy Spirit will give us the strength and the grace to endure, to honor and to love.

Jesus is our example (See 1 Peter 2:22-24). Jesus knows exactly how challenging this is for us, that is why he sent us the Holy Spirit to empower our day to day lives.

This is where we must take our Christianity and apply it to the real world. The world we live in. The practical day to day.

So, what are you facing today? Give that situation to the Lord and allow Him to lead you in how to respond with honor and grace.