Sunday 10/14/12 RWJ/Pottersville UMC
Sermon: “They are Humble before there people”
(Qualities of a Good Leader Series: Part 1 of 5)
Scripture Lesson: Hebrews
4:12-16
Gospel Lesson: Mark 10:17-31
Good morning
brothers and sisters! I greet you in the name our risen Lord and savior Jesus
Christ! I hope and pray that you have all had a blessed week and I am happy to
be worshipping with you here this morning!
As I am sure
you are all too well aware, we have a presidential election coming up in less
than one month. It seems to me that every four years when we have a
presidential election cycle that many things happen within us. Some of us get
excited, some of us get apathetic, some of us get angry, and some of us feel a whole
variety of other ways. I think for most people though, even though they may
disagree on politics, even though they may disagree on the issues, what they
really want is good leaders. How many of you here want good leaders?
So to throw a disclaimer out about
this sermon series that I am starting today, I am not trying to give a stump
speech for either presidential candidate, but instead I am talking about
qualities of good leaders.
While many of
us are focused on the presidential election coming up, we need good leaders in
all capacities. We need good leaders in the military, our local governments,
our schools, our businesses, and etc. Good leadership is something that most
people want. While there are many qualities of good leaders, I have isolated
for this sermon series, just some of these qualities. Hopefully, as we enter
into this presidential election, this sermon series will make us more
reflective on what qualities as Christians we think make a good leader. As
Christians we have unique perspectives on what a good Christian leader is.
While not all leaders are Christian leaders, we often as Christians still look
a good leadership through our Christian moral and ethical lens. This is largely
how we establish just what a good leader is.
This morning,
I put forth that from a Christian standpoint, a good leader must be humble
before there people. A good leader is able to be at the level of the people
whom they are serving. A good leader is not egotistical and above there people.
In fact, scripture tells us that humility is actually a great form of strength
and leadership. James 4:10 says “Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Matthew
18:4 says, “Therefore, whoever humbles
himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” The Lord when he looks for leadership
wants humility. The Lord wants leaders who will humbly follow Him.
Did
anyone happen to watch the vice-presidential debate this past Thursday night? I
did, and I really enjoyed the debate. There was something I noticed though,
that was of great interest to me. What I noticed, was that Vice-President Joe
Biden laughed out loud at Congressman Paul Ryan, who is running against him, I
think over 80-times. He laughed at him, in almost a mocking or a condescending
way. Whatever your personal views on either of these candidates isn’t really
where I am trying to go here, but I personally felt after the debate, “Wow
Vice-President Biden wasn’t very humble in this debate.” It is unarguable that
the Vice-President has many more years in government that Congressman Paul
Ryan, so shouldn’t he have been more humble in this debate? Whenever I hear
Senator John McCain speak, I am always humbled myself at how humble he is. When
God calls leaders, scripturally, God is calling leaders who are humble.
In
the scripture reading this morning, Job struggled with being humble before the
Lord. In fact, Job seemed angry with the Lord, and was filled with complaints.
Job was a good man, but sometimes even good men and good women struggle to be
humble. I am not saying we will all be able to do this every day, all day, but
the Lord wants leaders who are humble. In the scripture reading this morning
from the gospel of Mark Jesus said his famous scriptural quote “It is easier
for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to
enter the kingdom of God.” So given this scripture, was Jesus anti-rich people?
I don’t think so necessarily. Instead I think Jesus was saying that many people
who are wealthy are not humble. Many who are wealthy are not humble, because
there wealth is there value. So when the rich man told Jesus all he had done,
Jesus praised him. The rich man then pushed and said “Teacher, I have kept all
these since my youth,” speaking of the commandments. Jesus then responded, by
basically saying do you really want to know me? Do you really want to follow me
fully? Jesus then of course tells the man to sell everything he owns, give the
money to the poor, and follow him. You see I think this just might have been a
test in humility. Some people I know that have a lot are quite generous, and
some that I know are not. I think that if the Lord blesses us with financial
wealth we need to be generous, humble, and thankful for all that God has done
for us. I think that the rich man was almost trying to negotiate his way into
heaven. He sort of was saying, “I have done everything on the salvation check
list.” I would like to think that Jesus was then thinking, “This man just
doesn’t get it.”
We
need to be humble before our Lord. And make no mistake we need humble leaders.
Not only as the president, but this church need humble leaders. I firmly
believe that the Lord has big plans for this church, but He needs humble
leaders to accomplish these plans. So with this said, I ask you this, “will you
humbly serve our Lord?” By this, I mean what do you feel God is calling you do
for Him? What ministries do you think you would be gifted for? God has gifted
all of us differently, and I am asking you to reflect this week on your gifts
and graces, and ask yourself “How can God use me?” Pray about it.
I
believe God has big plans for this church. Whether we start a 4th Day
Group, a Movie Night, a Covenant/Bible Study Group, Sunday School, or etc., the
church needs humble leaders to build the kingdom of God.
If
you feel called to run a movie night, to leader a prayer group, to be a Sunday
School teacher, to preach a sermon, or any other ministry, let me or one of the
church leaders know. The pastor does not own the leadership of God’s church. We
all are in the role of leadership in God’s church. You, my brothers and
sisters, have great gifts and talents, and I ask you too humbly to go before
the Lord and ask Him to use you, and He will. The church needs leaders, just as
this country need leaders. Will you serve God? Will you take up the mantle of
leadership in His church? Will come along side of me and the other leaders of
this church to build a better community, build stronger families, build stronger
bonds, and build a better life for us all? Won’t you come serve with us?
Proverbs 3:34 says, “He mocks proud
mockers but gives grace to the humble.” When considering other leaders that I
myself have always found humble, I think of President Jimmy Carter. Now once
again, I am not getting into the politics of this particular president, but I
have always admired his Christian faith. I have always felt that President
Carter was and is a humble Christian. Last time I checked, President Carter was
still building habitat for humanity houses and serving in many ways. I think of
many of the instances of humility of President Abraham Lincoln. President
Lincoln once said, “I
have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I
had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient
for the day.” The Lord wants humble leaders. Proverbs 15:33 says, “The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before
honor.”
I
want a president who is humble. I want leaders of all things who are humble.
The Lord wants leaders for this church who are humble. You will you humbly
serve Him?
I want to close today with a story on humility. Here is the
story:
Two traveling angels stopped to spend
the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to
let the angels stay in the mansion’s guest room. Instead, the angels were given
a space in the cold basement. As they made their bedroom up out of the hard
floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger
angel asked why, the older angel replied…. “Things aren’t always what they
seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very
poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food
they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a
good nights’ rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the
farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole source
of income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and
asked the older angel “How could you have let this happen!? The first man had
everything, yet you helped him,” the angel accused. ” The second family had so
little, but was willing to share everything and you let their cow die.”
“Things aren’t always what they
seem,” the older angel replied.” The Older angel then said, when we stayed in
the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in
the wall. Since the owner was so arrogant, so obsessed with greed and unwilling
to share his good fortune, I sealed the hole in the wall so he wouldn’t find
it. For the owner was not humble before the Lord. Then last night, as we slept
in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead,
because the farmer and his wife are humble before the Lord. “Things aren’t
always what they seem,” the older angel said to the younger angel.
Sometimes we get frustrated,
sometimes we don’t trust the Lord. We forget to realize that “Things aren’t always
what they seem.” As you go forth this week, consider the gifts and grace that
the Lord has given you. Ask Him how you can serve Him. Then come along side of
us and build His kingdom, this family, and this community in the name of Jesus
Christ. For the Lord needs humble leaders, and needs humble leaders all the way
up the level of the president. Amen.
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