Ian Barclay's Thought For The Day

A CHRISTIAN LOOKS AT MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
Difficult choices (ii)
Reading: Matthew 7:15-23 Click to view passage

We are still looking at the cost of discipleship. If our first choice is about the way we live, our second concerns the sort of teachers or leaders we have.

There are two types of leader. There are genuine and false teachers. There always have been, we see them throughout the Old Testament, the New and church history. Remember our Sunday morning teaching on Revelation! The fact that outside the notice board proclaims a Christian church doesn’t mean it is so on the inside We need to: (i) Choose our leaders carefully.

Study the leadership. Are they more interested in themselves than Jesus, are they teaching their own ideas rather than the bible, are they after power or riches for instance? (ii) Look at their clothes Jesus says a shepherd’s clothing doesn’t make a shepherd, the same goes for a dog-collar or tie. The point is are they trying to say something by what they wear or the rituals they perform? (iii) Study their language The fact that they say, “Lord, Lord,” (v22) doesn’t mean anything if Jesus doesn’t know them. “Know” (“knew” v23) means “to acknowledge and to hold with favour. (iv) Look for the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Almost everything that God does, the Evil One can impersonate, one exception is holiness!

Meditate: On these verses regarding the sort of leaders you want.

Prayer pointer: Thank you for the leaders we have, please keep them walking with you.