JESUS – EASY, RELAXED LEADERSHIP

We often focus, quite rightly, on the words of Jesus when we read the gospels. His words were (and are) life to all who will hear. But we can also learn from the way He interacted with His disciples.

For example…

In John 11:7, a few days after learning that His friend Lazarus was sick, Jesus says to His disciples: “Let us go to Judea again.” This comes across not so much a command as an invitation. It’s obviously more than a suggestion because we can see that going to Judea was His firm intention. But His leadership here is exercised in an easy, relaxed manner.

Genuine authority does not have to be exercised harshly or condescendingly , as one vastly superior speaking to ones vastly in-ferior. Jesus led by relationship, with warmth and respect.

In v8 it’s worth noting that the disciples felt comfortable enough with Jesus that they could question His wisdom. “Lord, are you sure about this? The people down there tried to kill you not so long ago!”

How many times, in our walk with the Lord, do we feel that His leading doesn’t make sense? We question His wisdom and look for excuses to disobey. Are you absolutely sure, God?

Does Jesus get upset when His disciples question His wisdom? Not at all. Rather than rebuking them for asking questions, He simply explains enough to give them assurance that He knows what He is doing.

Martha does a similar thing in v39 when Jesus commands that the stone be rolled away from Lazarus’ tomb. “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Again, Jesus simply calms her fears and reaffirms His command.

There are many other examples of this in the gospels. And I confess that I’m no better than these earliest disciples. I have often questioned God about what I felt He was saying to me. But, without fail, He gently reaffirms what He wants from me.

We can learn a great deal from Jesus and His easy, relaxed leadership style. He is not offended when we check (and double-check) His leading in our lives. He invites us to go with Him into exciting (sometimes frightening) new situations.”

WHAT IS GOD THINKING ABOUT?

OK, I’m only human. I cannot pretend to know what God thinks about all the time. He reveals Himself up to a point but there are some things which we cannot know at this present time.

Deuteronomy 29:29 says: “Some things are hidden. They belong to the LORD our God. But the things that have been revealed in these teachings belong to us and to our children forever. We must obey every word of these teachings (God’s Word version).”

Thus whatever God chooses to reveal is revealed for the purpose of our obedience. The Old Testament covenants were instituted with this in mind.

Deuteronomy 29:9 says: “Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.” The New Covenant, instituted in Christ, is a whole new ball game, but this verse still holds true. There is blessing in the Covenant for us and no Christian would want to disqualify himself/herself by disobedience or by failing to live by God’s Word.

But, let’s face it. In the busy-ness of life, the covenant of God is not always uppermost in our minds. We push it into the background while we deal with whatever is more pressing. Not so with God. He is always mindful of His covenant with us.

 “He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant (Psalm 111:5).” This tells us what God is thinking about. He wants to bless us, and He has established Covenant for that purpose. So we may confidently assert that God is thinking about Covenant.

God will never forget the promises associated with His New Covenant. Nor will He suddenly decide that something else is more important, so that we get shunted down the divine priority list. He is always mindful of His covenant with us!

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, recorded in John’s gospel, chapter 3, is humorous in places but very enlightening overall. The term ‘born again’, which we hear so often, occurs only here and in 1st Peter 1:23.

Verse 8 says: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

What does this mean? Surely it cannot mean that those born of the Spirit are flighty and unpredictable like the wind. Surely it doesn’t mean that born again believers can never know where they have come from or where they’re going next!

Maybe Philip, in Acts 8, was a bit like that. But everyone who is born of the Spirit?

No, I think Jesus is saying that, from a human perspective, the process by which we are born again is a mystery. We may analyse it with our theological minds – I’ve tried to do that myself – but the subtleties are always going to elude us. It’s a bit like trying to explain in technical terms how Mary became pregnant.

Being born again is a work of the Holy Spirit, that much we can say. Therefore, we ought to be wary of telling anyone that getting born again is a human achievement. People can repent, come to Christ and give their lives to Him, but they cannot make themselves born again.

When Jesus says: “You must be born again,” therefore, He is explaining the only way of entering the Kingdom. As in, this is what has to happen before you can enter.

Isn’t it good that spiritual rebirth is entirely out of our hands?

WHEN DOES INDIVIDUALISM BECOME A PROBLEM?

In Deuteronomy 12:8, Moses issues a stern warning to the people of Israel: "You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes.”

In this verse, and many others like it, God is speaking out against individualism. It's not that individual men and women have no choices, nor that they are somehow not valued as individuals. The problem arises when everyone in a given community does “whatever is right in his own eyes”. In other words, there is no accepted community standard of right and wrong.

Most of the great moral issues of our time can be traced back to the same attitudes that foster individualism. Do what you feel is right. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should do. It’s your life, so do whatever makes you happy. There’s no such thing as sin.

Hence we have people declaring that homosexuality is right in their own eyes, women insisting that an abortion is right for them at this time of their lives, and paedophiles finding ways to convince themselves that, for them, sex with minors is quite acceptable.

I used three examples in that last paragraph but some readers may consider the third to be in a totally different category. They may argue that paedophilia is universally recognised as unquestionably wrong, a terribly bad thing to do. Some might even be offended that I mentioned paedophilia in the same paragraph as homosexuality and abortion.

But the link is clear. In each of these examples, and countless others that I could have used, people are making choices based on what is right “in their own eyes”. Their choice. God, as our Creator, has the only legitimate right to explain what is right or wrong and, in a way, this is what the whole Bible is about. But mankind stubbornly says to God: “No way! We don’t believe in you and we’re not going to accept your definition of right and wrong.”

So, paradoxically, we see individualism working en masse, like when teenagers used to express their individuality by all wearing the same sort of jeans, haircuts, etc.

The verse I quoted at the beginning of this blog actually comes in a context of worship. Moses was saying that it’s not right, in the sight of God, for everyone to worship according to whatever is right in “their own eyes”. Multiculturalism says exactly the opposite but I’m not sure this is a message that too many Australians are willing to hear at this point of time.

As for me, and as for our local Christian communities, otherwise known as churches, we can (and indeed must) put aside whatever is right “in our own eyes” in order that we might do the will of God.

A SERVANT’S EXPECTATION

In Luke 17:7-10, we read about some hard-working servants who don’t expect thanks or gratitude for the work they have done.

“And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.' "

This raises some uncomfortable questions. Is God saying that employers should expect their workers to do long hours for no extra reward? Is he saying that we shouldn’t bother to thank people for doing their duty? Although we can see how this passage may have been used this way in the past, it doesn’t seem to fit with modern wisdom about workplace relations.

I think we have to realize that this teaching is aimed at the disciples (and hence ourselves) as servants of God. It is not a lesson for employers or managers. The point is that God is not there to serve us; we are there to serve Him.

That’s obvious, right? Well maybe not so obvious to some Christians. They seem to think that God exists to help them fulfill their every dream, to have lovely, contented lives surrounded by all the material possessions and personal relationships that their hearts may desire.

Jesus makes it perfectly clear. The Kingdom is God’s, not ours. We must seek to do His will, not the other way around.

Everybody called to Christian service should have v10 as their trademark.  We will never be entitled to commend ourselves.  And our service to our Lord is never finished.  His needs come before our own.