Tag: Apostasy

Jesus’ Kind of Intense Warning to Christian Leaders that Really Applies to all Christians-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

 With minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance – 1st Peter 1:13-14 NIV

Last year I did a deep dive into the book of Matthew. I had read Matthew before, many times, but I had never really studied the book. Luke and Mark were more my jam. 

I learned a lot. 

 I also developed a deep respect for the author. As I dug deeper, I was repeatedly struck by the fact that Matthew’s brain worked very differently from mine. Matthew’s brain was a well-ordered machine. My brain is more like a series of random, jumbled-up tunnels. His ability to organize information was genius, mine is middling at best. 

Sigh.

 Perhaps, the most surprising aspect of the book of Matthew was the clear warnings the book gives concerning Christian leadership in the years prior to Jesus’ return. 

It won’t be pretty. 

According to Jesus (Matthew 24:45-51) there will be good servants (leaders) who care and feed Jesus’ other servants (church people). The good overseers (Christian leaders) will be richly rewarded for their faithfulness (45-47). 

However.

There will also be a lot of really bad leaders who develop serious doubts (either consciously or subconsciously) concerning when or if Jesus will return in bodily form (verse 48). This crisis of belief will affect their leadership in detrimental ways. Specifically, these leaders will become egocentric. Their leadership platform will become a means of gaining money and attention. These leaders will mistreat those they are tasked with feeding and caring for spiritually. 

Truth-be-told, the world is already seeing some of Jesus predictions being played out. Narcissism in church leadership is running wild. A large number of regular, everyday Christians have left their churches because they have experienced church hurt at the hands of self-absorbed leadership. Many have yet to return to any church. Abusive, sinful and hypocritical Christian leaders are so common very few people even bother getting worked up over their antics anymore. 

Sigh. 

I believe this passage is specifically talking about pastoral leadership in the endish times. 

Subsequently.

It is imperative Christians stop enabling self-absorption and personal kingdom building in church leadership. Everything everyone does in church should be about building God’s Kingdom here on earth not monuments to human awesomeness (Matthew 6:9-10). 

Christians do the kingdom of God serious injury when they stay in churches where the leadership is obviously abusive, hopelessly self-focused or indifferent to people. The quality of the preaching should not be the number one consideration when choosing a church, the character of the people in the pulpit should be.  Public speaking (which is what preaching is) is simply a skill anyone with operational vocal cords can develop.  A person can be an excellent speaker and a terrible person/leader. This true even if they hold the title of “pastor”. 

Additionally, most Christians lead someone, so this passage applies to most Christians at least to some degree. How Christians lead matters. A lot. Human beings who don’t know God or who don’t know Him very well judge God by the behavior and overall character of His people. This means a church, a home, or Christian organization will turn people off to God if the character of the leadership (parents, pastor’s, leaders) is bad.  

Leaders can help halt the losses Christianity has experienced the last couple of decades by electing to view leadership the way Jesus viewed leadership.  Jesus literally had all the authority in the universe (Matthew 26:53, Matthew 28:18, Luke 4:36) and yet He didn’t get hung up on it. When He did play the “authority card” it was always about someone else’s needs, not His own privileges, popularity or authority.  We see this see this demonstrated beautifully in His dealings with the money changers (Matthew 21:12-13). Jesus was outraged. However, He wasn’t about mad because He was being slighted or disrespected, even though He was, it was literally HIS temple they were defiling. Jesus’ concern was for the people who were being marginalized by the moneychangers (mostly gentiles and women). Concern for who we’re leading, rather than our own popularity or authority should always be our north star. 

This means self-promotion, getting hung up on honor or becoming overly attached to the perks of leadership is a serious no-no for any Christian leader. Please understand, it is GOOD for Christians to give respect and honor to those who lead them and to one another. We should go out of our way to out-honor each other in Christian communities (Romans 12:10, Romans 13:7, 1st Timothy 5:17, 1st Peter 2:17). Just as teachers and leaders will be judged for how they lead, followers will also be judged by God for the level of cooperation and respect they give to those tasked with leading them (Hebrews 13:7, Hebrews 13:17). Nonetheless, it is highly inappropriate for Christians (leaders or not) to demand honor. Practically speaking this means we see those we lead as equals and treat them with even greater dignity than we expect for ourselves.  

Attitude is everything. 

The best Christian leaders have the mindset of managers. They believe deep in their hearts they answer to Jesus (the owner) for everything they do and say (James 3:1). Embracing this reality is the only to keep a human being’s worst inclinations at bay. 

One last thing. 

Matthew 25:45-51 isn’t JUST about leadership. It also tells us (in a roundabout way) that there are serious real-time consequences of not believing in and/or anticipating the return of Jesus. Christians who expect the return of Jesus are protected from falling into patterns of greed, selfishness and self-glorification. 

Belief in the return of Jesus is the best protective medicine.

What do 1st and 2nd Kings Teach us About how God Works in Tough Times?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Our wrongdoings testify against us, Lord, act for the sake of Your name! Our apostasies have indeed been many. We have sinned against You– Jeremiah 14:7 NASB 

A while back it dawned on me that I have been spending almost all of my Bible reading time in a few New Testament books. 

It was high-time I broaden my horizons. 

So, I dusted off the books of 1st and 2nd Kings. The first few chapters of 1st Kings is mostly just palace intrigue. It tells the story of the the death of King David and the opportunistic scheming that occurred around his passing. The book reaches a high point early on with the installation of David’s son Solomon as his replacement. Solomon had a promising start. God blessed his efforts and Israel thrived economically and militarily under his leadership.  

It all kind of goes down-hill from there.

Despite his wisdom and obvious leadership ability, Solomon was a dismal failure when it came to all the things that really matter in life. The Kingdom split following his death and both Israel and Judah wandered far from God.  Most of the rest of 1st Kings is just a glum recounting of one bad, evil, idolatrous king after another bad, evil, idolatrous king. The book gets slightly more interesting with the introduction of the prophet Elijah in 1st Kings 17. Then 2nd Kings devolves into a serious of weird and disturbing stories that cover topics as diverse as floating ax heads and cannibalism. The weird stories are interspersed here and there with more sad stories of more terrible kings and their leadership foibles. In chapter seventeen Israel falls and is taken captive by Syria. King Hezekiah begins ruling Judah in chapter eighteen. Hezekiah and Josiah were the last of Judah’s even halfway decent kings. However, their leadership was not enough to keep the country from falling ever deeper into idolatry and ruin. King Nebuchadnezzar makes his first appearance in chapter twenty-four, his arrival on the scene ushers in the Babylonian captivity and the end of Jewish sovereignty. 

Sigh. 

This is why I like the New Testament.

I was surprised by just how bummed out I felt when I was finished reading the books. It wasn’t the first time I read either book. However, it was the first time either book hit me in such a soul-crushing kind of a way.  

As I sat in my sad feelings I did experience a couple of insights:

First.

The book of 1st Kings is basically just a long, sad recounting of Israel’s long slide into apostasy, unbelief and sin. 2nd Kings tells the story of how God worked in the lives of those who lived faithfully for God when everyone else turned their backs on Him.  The books hit me hard because I am also living in a season of apostasy. We don’t call it that, that of course, we call it “living in a post-Christian culture”, which sounds way nicer than “apostasy” but it’s basically the exact same thing. Whatever you call it, it sucks. It sucks living in a declining culture. It sucks watching the whole stupid world devolve into moral and intellectual chaos. It sucks seeing people degrade themselves with stupid ideas and even stupider behavior. It sucks watching people do everything possible to deny the reality of God. Most of all, it sucks feeling overwhelmed by the darkness and ugliness of a post-Christian world. 

That being said. 

There’s hope.

We aren’t Israel and God hasn’t left the building (metaphorically speaking of course). He’s still on His throne and He is still working in the hearts of His people, which means He is still working in our culture. Revival could be just around the corner. In the meantime, following are four lessons I gleaned about living in a post-Christian culture from 1st and 2nd Kings.  

Community is critical in tough times– 

In 1st and 2nd Kings God works most powerfully through little communities of prophets who banded together to support and encourage one another. Community, connection, partnership and close friendship is an ongoing theme throughout the book. The takeaway for contemporary believers is clear. The key to remaining spiritually strong and emotionally healthy while the world is literally going to hell around us is making Christian community a priority in our lives. 

When the going gets tough God shows off– 

All the depressing historical truths aside, one of the high points of both books is seeing God work among the believing remnant in 1st and 2nd Kings. From Mt. Caramel in 1st Kings 17 to the ax head incident in 2nd Kings. God showed His power and provided for His people in new and unexpected ways. It just makes sense to have hearts of faith and expect Him to do the same in our time. 

 God works in surprising places in dark times- 

One key theme of both 1st and 2nd Kings is provision for gentiles in general and gentile women in particular (1st Kings 17:9-20, 2nd Kings 4:1-37). Both books make it clear that when previously believing people turn their backs on God, He shows Himself in mighty and life-giving ways to people groups we wouldn’t necessarily expect Him to work through. I believe with all my heart we should expect a movement of God in unexpected places in the coming years. 

And finally: 

Relentlessly courageous leaders bring hope and healing to a graceless age – 

Two bright spots in 2nd Kings are the stories of Hezekiah and Josiah. Both men were hardworking, tenacious, God-fearing leaders who had the insight to recognize the serious nature of times they lived in and the grit to do something about the problems at the root of Israel’s trouble. They understood it was idolatry and the sinful practices that accompany idolatry destroying the people they loved (2nd Kings 18:1-6, 2nd Kings 23:1-24). Their love for people, steadfast leadership and determination to serve God wholeheartedly resulted in revival that brought social change and kept judgment at bay. 

So. 

All that to say, one of the key takeaways from 1st and 2nd Kings is that God is always at work even in a post-Christian world that feels like it’s going to hell all around us.  Usually in ways we least expect.