Coffee With The Lord

GOD REWARDS THOSE WHO “STICK THEIR NECKS OUT” AND RISK EVERYTHING TO SUSTAIN, DEFEND AND HELP HIS FAITHFUL SERVANTS…

There’s a guy like that I read about this morning in the Bible… Not a guy with the “right national pedigree” (He was an Ethiopian” – He was even a bit different “biologically” (he was a “eunuch”) and he certainly “risked it” by helping someone who was not considered “politically correct” at the time (he risked everything to help Jeremiah who had been prophesying that Judah should surrender to Babylon’s invading armies, rather than resist them).

It was really rough to be an authentic “prophet of God” at the time – Just ask Jeremiah.  He had been telling Zedekiah, the king of Judah, that rather than resist the invading armies of Babylon, they should accept God’s judgment and surrender.  Some leaders in Judah accused Jeremiah of sedition – even treason.  Weak Zedekiah could not withstand them, so they took Jeremiah and threw him into a stinking cistern filled with mud and left him there.  Jeremiah sank into the muck up to his armpits and would have died there… except for EBED-MELECH, THE ETHOPIAN EUNICH – a servant in the king’s court!

Ebed-melech, risked everything, went to the king and said, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet by casting  him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the  city!”  And Zedekiah listened to Ebed-melech and allowed him to rescue Jeremiah by pulling him out of the cistern!  (Read it for yourself in Jeremiah 38:7-13).

So what happened to Ebed-melech for the risk he had taken to rescue God’s prophet when Jerusalem and Judah fell to the Babylon?  Here it is… “The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, ‘Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the Lord of host, the God of Israel: Behold I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good… But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord!  You shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid!  I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PUUT YOUR TRUST IN ME, DECLARES THE LORD!’”

HEY, IT PAYS TO DO THE RIGHT THING – EVEN IF IT MEANS YOU HAVE TO “RISK IT!”  Here it is from the mouth of Jesus Himself… “The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”  (Matthew 10:41-42)  GOD BLESS PEOPLE LIKE EBED-MELECH!

I’ve been around long enough that I’m a bit wary of my “good intentions.”   I can recall times I’ve been to an exciting and inspiring church service where I’ve been challenged to “make a commitment” and I’ve done it!! – made all kinds of “promises to God – only to discover delivering on those promises is more difficult than making them.  Shamefully, I admit to having some of the same spiritual challenges as Simon Peter who I read about this morning in the Bible during my time of “Coffee with the Lord!” 

After the moving experience of the Lord ’s Supper, Jesus predicted, “You will all fall away!”  This really bothered Peter and he fervently declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not!”  Jesus responded (knowing Peter “inside-out”), “Truly, I tell you, today – yes tonight – before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”  The Bible says at that point Peter insisted emphatically, “EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE WITH YOU, I WILL NEVER DISOWN YOU!” 

But in Gethsemane, when Jesus needed prayer support the most, Peter failed Him…  Jesus had admitted, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow – to the point of death!  Stay here and keep watch” (in other words “stay awake and alert – support me in prayer!”)  What did Peter and the others do?  They slept.  The Bible says, “Jesus returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,” He said to Peter, ‘are you asleep?  Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?  Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation!  THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK!’”

Peter failed!  And later, under pressure, Peter did precisely what Jesus had predicted! …  He died that he even knew the Lord (not once, but three times)! (vss. 66-72)

Tragically, the pathway of discipleship is all too often littered with the stuff of “good intentions!” … mine included!!  I need several things, it seems to me, as I reflect on Peter and my own failures this morning…

• I need to be more careful and thoughtful before I “pop off with my mouth” saying I’ll do something.
• I need the inner strengthening and support that prayer brings – I need to pray more. 
• I need the Lord’s forgiveness for all the times I’ve made promises and haven’t kept them!
• And finally, 4) I need the continual empowering of the Holy Spirit to help me (Peter certainly did… Thank God for Pentecost!!)

(Quotations from Mark 14 NIV)   

“ABUSE OF AUTHORITY” – It’s a big problem among leaders today!

I think we’ve all seen (or suffered from) individuals that let a little authority and power go to their head. They “throw around their weight” – they’re demanding, dictatorial , abusive and threatened by anyone who has another opinion. Tragically there are some of these kinds of leaders in Christian service! There is nothing “Christ-like” about the way they seek to lead others! As spiritual shepherds go, they “drive sheep” – they don’t “lead” them.

But there’s also the opposite extreme… The leader who avoids confrontation at all costs – the person who finds a place to hide when there is an issue to be dealt with – the “shepherd” who really wishes someone in the “flock” would just take over. I know a few of these… If you looked up the term “laissez faire” as a leadership term in the dictionary, their picture would be there. They are directionless, convictionless, valueless, and spineless. Those who seek to follow them have no idea where they are headed, what the vision is, or what values they stand for. They abuse by neglect.

I read a passage in the Bible today, penned by apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit that speaks clearly to “abuse of authority” (in fact, it’s actually found twice in 2 Corinthians – an epistle where Paul’s authority was being seriously challenged). I think these verses provide an understanding of leadership and the use of authority that served as a guiding principle for apostle Paul (and I want it to always guide me)… Here it what Paul had to say…

“If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do! So even if I boast somewhat freely about THE AUTHORITY THE LORD GAVE US FOR BUILDING YOU UP RATHER THAN TEARING YOU DOWN, I will not be ashamed of it.” (2 Corinthians 10:7-8 NIV)

“This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority – the AUTHORITY THE LORD GAVE ME FOR BUILDING YOU UP, NOT FOR TEARING YOU DOWN.” (2 Corinthians 13.10 NIV)

So how to avoid the two extremes I’ve presented… How to keep the “authority automobile” on the road and not in either ditch… I’ve come up with a little phrase personally that has helped me in my use of authority as a leader (and has helped a lot of other leaders as well)… here it is… God wants me to be “STEEL UNDER VELVET.” I need to use authority to build others up, not tear them down… “CONVICTION WRAPPED IN KINDNESS” Think I need to go out and find some more “velvet!”