Misc. Leadership Principles – Part Four
[Before we begin, I would like
to express my sincere appreciation to those who have stayed with me
through this series on The Leadership Principles of Jesus Christ. I realize that there are numerous principles
with which we need to renew our minds to, but try and remember that you should
take it slow. I myself, have to
remember the same thing. I am no
different than you are and you are just as important to God as any other
believer.]
We are going to take up right where we left
off in Matthew Chapter six (6) in the very next verse. Jesus Christ is telling us to be cool and
not to worry about ANYTHING. Let’s go
to the Word and let the Word speak.
Therefore I say unto you, Take
no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet
for your body, what ye shall put on. Is
not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? –
Matthew 6: 25 (Read verse 26 also)
Christ said not to worry about what you are going to eat or drink or about what you will wear. Don't worry about anything in your life. The birds worry about nothing and God feeds them. Aren't you more important to God?
Which
of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? – Matthew 6: 27
By
anxious thought, can you add to your height?
Does worry or anxiety ever accomplish anything?
And
why take ye thought for raiment?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither
do they spin: -- Matthew 6:
28 (Read verse 29
also)
And
why should you wonder or worry or have any anxiety about clothes? God arrays
the lilies greater than Solomon was ever arrayed. God does this. God takes
care of you. If God clothes the grass
of the field, which is here today and gone tomorrow, will he not clothe you, 0
ye of little faith? Don't ever wonder
about what there is to drink or eat or what there is to wear. These things are what the heathens focus on
- they are material things. God knows
that you have need of all of these things.
BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND ALL THESE
THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.
Take
therefore no thought for the morrow:
for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. – Matthew 6: 34
So
don't worry about the future and
don't think about tomorrow. Don't be
anxious about tomorrow. Tomorrow will
take care of itself. There is enough
evil in this present day for you to deal with.
Moving
on to Matthew chapter seven (7), we come to a major leadership principle, which
many of us find very difficult to apply.
This reminds me of Corinthians, which tells us not to think evil. We are surrounded, in this world by evil,
almost everywhere we look, and yet we are not to judge anybody. You see, judgment is meant for God. I admit, in this day and time, man does the
judging, but we as believers are not to imitate man, but we are to be
fashioned, in our renewed mind, according to what the Word says.
Judge
not, that ye be not judged. – Matthew 7: 1
Also in Luke:
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: -- Luke 6: 37
In Matthew 7: 3,
Jesus Christ is giving us some good advice in the form of reproof and
correction. Please read the verse. Christ is saying: How can you help a brother who
has a small spiritual fault when you have a larger one? First get your own life in order according
to the Word of God, and then you can help others. You must be able to see clearly before you can help another to do
the same. It makes sense, doesn’t
it? The Word of God is the only truth
in the world. It always makes sense.
Thou hypocrite, first cast the
beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote
out of thy brother’s eye. – Matthew 7: 5
A ‘beam’, in the New Testament, is a metaphor
which indicates a great fault or vice. A ‘mote’ is any small dry particle such
as a piece of wood or dust.
Jesus Christ always did the Father’s Will and
obviously God has a great sense of humor.
He’s saying “Hypocrite, you have a beam in your own eye, a GREAT FAULT,
and here you are judging your brother who has a piece of dust in his eye – a
very small fault! You’re trying to help him?!
Get the beam out of your own eye first, and then you can see clearly to
be able to help your brother.”
Now to move on to a principle that you better
adhere to, because if you do not, you will find yourself in a deep spiritual
trap. Once applied, you will easily see
the benefits of this commandment of God and it will actually be easy to
apply. I saw this trap being sprung on
me as soon as I got into the Word of God in 1974. It was being arranged by someone who was, up to that point, my
best friend. We were both witnessed to
and invited to an area Branch meeting of Christians and my friend acted very
interested, but when the believer who held forth God’s Word left, my friend
said that he was not going to get involved.
For the first time, I saw a counterfeit way about him and pride. It was the beginning of the end of our friendship. I went to the meeting and my life was never
the same since. Let me explain after we
review some applicable Scriptures pertaining to fellowship with darkness.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion
hath light with darkness? -- II Corinthians 6: 14
And have no fellowship with
the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. -- Ephesians 5: 11
Darkness is referring to unbelievers. We are not to fellowship (hang around) with
them. Why?
Be not deceived: evil communications [associations]
corrupt good manners [morals]. -- I Corinthians
15: 33
You become like those you associate with and your good
morals will eventually become corrupted.
Be careful here – it will happen if you choose to fellowship with
darkness. Now let’s see what Jesus
Christ has to say in the seventh chapter of Matthew.
Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. –
Matthew 7: 15
My best friend actually began to make fun of the meeting
I attended. I explained to him what
took place and also spoke to him about this exact subject – fellowship with
darkness. He joked and said “Let’s go
and fellowship with some darkness.” You
see the fact that he made the decision not to seek God first was already having
an effect on him. It was a little bit
freaky to see. For the first time in my
life, I wanted to get away from him.
His life eventually became a disaster, slow but sure. He dropped out of college, his wife left
him, took the kids, and he now lives alone and works at a job he hates. He was one who loved this present evil world
and it destroyed him. Everyone has free
will. Our lives have become like
opposites.
You should read verses 16, 17, and 18 of Matthew Chapter
7. Jesus Christ explains that you know
where someone is coming from by what they manifest in their lives. The fruit they cultivate is either good or
evil.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall
know them. – Matthew 7: 20
I have put together a separate teaching on this subject
simply called Fellowship With Darkness. It would be wise that you study this
teaching and be sure to master it. I
have seen people drawn away from the Word of God many times. The adversary is so sly that he will work
through the ones you love the most to pull you away from the Word. Why?
Because he knows that the Word of God must set you free from his
clutches. He wants to continue to
control your life. I have seen parents,
girlfriends, member of someone’s family, friends etc., influence a new believer
to walk away from God. I knew God was
working wonders with me so I told my earthy family to take a hike. I allowed no one to pull me away from God’s
Word. You need to acquire that
strength.
Believe, me, when it comes to God’s Word, you don’t
have any friends. You must keep God
Almighty first before your family, friends, spouse, girl or boyfriend, whatever
and whoever. GOD FIRST, PERIOD.
Christ says in Matthew that we are not to give that which
is holy unto the dogs (God-rejecters).
Don’t share God’s Word with those who persistently refuse to
believe. DO NOT CAST YE YOUR PEARLS
BEFORE SWINE lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and deny
what you said and then attempt to break you in pieces. You are not to witness to people who you
know refuse to believe. YOU DO NOT
FELLOWSHIP WITH DARKNESS.
Enter ye in at the strait
gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because straight [narrow] is the gate, and
narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. –
Matthew 7: 13, 14
Jesus Christ said that the way is broad and
the gate is wide that leads to destruction. The adversary has many ways for you
to destroy your life - many tricks and traps. BUT strait is the gate and narrow
is the way, which leads unto life, and THERE ARE FEW THAT FIND IT. That way is by the Word of God - by renewing
your mind and applying it in your life. That is the only way to the more than
abundant life. You may be one of the
few who found that way. You should know
by experience, many of the other ways the adversary has for a person to follow,
that lead to destruction of life.
Now let’s move to a new principle.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to
their works. – II
Corinthians 11: 13, 14, 15
Jesus Christ also taught us this in the Gospel of
Matthew.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my
Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then I will profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity. – Matthew 7: 21, 22, 23
Not everyone that said to Christ
"Lord, Lord" will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but those that DO
the rightly divided Will of God. There
are so many counterfeits out there - so many religious people that know
nothing of God's Word. Neither do they
make any attempt to study the Word of God.
They may talk about Jesus Christ but they know nothing about him since
they don't study the Bible.
There are many so-called ministers in
this world that are nothing but counterfeits working for the god of this
world. That is why you must know the
genuine to recognize the counterfeit.
Very many of Satan’s ministers are transformed into angels of
light. You see them in many religions
and also on television. They take
untold amounts of money from blind followers and line their pockets. Their end shall be according to their
works. Thus saith the Lord.
Now we will move to another new
principle, which will probably be the last in this series, Part Four.
And the world passeth away, and the
lust [over-desire] thereof: but he that doeth [practices] the will of God abideth forever. – I John 2: 17
God is saying that the doers of the Word, those who
renew their mind, will have eternal life.
Jesus Christ spoke in a parable which when understood, is stated in more
detail.
Therefore whosoever heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built
his house upon a rock: And the rain
descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell not: for it was founded
upon a rock. – Matthew 7: 24, 25
Verses 26 and 27 goes on to say the opposite
regarding those who hear God’s sayings
and do not do them. One person
builds his house upon a rock and the other upon sand. That rock is Jesus Christ.
When you base your life upon the Word of God, you
can withstand a great deal of tribulation without giving in to pressures or
failure. Unbelievers may act like all is fine, but inside they are
suffering, are full of fear and anxiety and actually live a miserable life,
giving in to worldly ways and submitting to evil and conformity. These are the people you want to stay away
from. Remember what we taught about
previously, regarding fellowship with darkness.
And in conclusion, let’s talk about a final
leadership principle of Jesus Christ that made a major impact on his ability to
influence others to God’s way of thinking.
Jesus Christ had boldness and acted without fear. He had confidence and it showed when he was
teaching. The words he taught did not
trickle out of his mouth. Let’s see
what God’s Word says about this subject.
And it came to pass when Jesus had
ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes. – Matthew 7: 28, 29
Jesus Christ studied the Word of God in great detail
so when he taught it to others, he had confidence in what he was saying and
knew it to be true and accurate. He did
not stumble and get stuck in his words as the scribes surely did. He never let spectators run his
performance. He took charge – he was a
leader in the true sense of the word.
That’s what it means when he said he taught them as one having
authority.
This is what will happen to you as you listen and
apply the Word of God after you are born again of Holy Spirit. Once a person becomes born again of God’s
Spirit, he now has body, soul, and SPIRIT. Take a look at what happened to
Peter after he was born again of God’s Spirit after the original outpouring on
the Day of Pentecost. Remember that 50
days before the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the Apostles were behind closed doors
for fear of the Jews. Peter now spoke
as one who had authority.
But Peter, standing up with the eleven,
lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known
unto you, and hearken to my words: -- Acts 2: 14
This was the first verse of the first Christian
sermon and concluded in verse 40. Peter
stood up – he lifted up his voice – and he said - you men – listen to me! That’s acting without fear and only the Word
of God uproots the fear out of a man or a woman.
In Matthew, towards the end of Chapter Six and Seven
alone, in this teaching, I counted seven (7) leadership principles of Jesus
Christ. In Chapter eight (8) we will
continue learning from the greatest teacher who walked this earth and his teacher
was God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe.
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