Part 1 Learning to Lead

Part 1 Learning to Lead

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up a mountain; and his disciples came unto him" (Matthew 5:1).

Only disciples are willing to climb mountains, to make serious effort to develop their spiritual life. So when Christ wanted to separate those who were genuine about following him, from the lukewarm crowds, he would simply climb a mountain, or impose some other discipline. In the modern church, however, everything is measured in numbers. Masses have become the opiate of religion! The obsession to have bigger congregations and bigger buildings means that preachers only tell people what they want to hear, while the disciplines of Christ are not spoken of because they are too unpopular.

"And he opened his mouth, and taught them saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (5:2-3).

"Blessed are you poor people, but woe to you rich people" (Luke 6:20-24). The poor of this world will inherit the kingdom of heaven because they are rich in faith; but rich men blaspheme Christ by condemning the poor (James 2:5-7). Who dares to preach this today? The prosperity gospel of the Western church preaches exactly the opposite. It praises capitalism (the love of capital) while the Bible calls covetousness (the love of money)idolatry (Col. 3:5), or the ultimate abomination. Christ's requirement for a would-be Christian is to "give up all your possessions" (Luke 14:33). This teaching is one of the most avoided subjects in western churches who are in comfortably wealthy countries. If you won't do this, he says you should not begin to call yourself a Christian (Luke 14:29).

"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (5:4).

First we give our wealth to God; then we give our families to him. It is better to mourn the loss of these things for God, and to have the comfort of Christ, than to try to keep something we will lose one day anyway. A missionary who was killed by Indians in Ecuador said, "It is wise to give what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose." Jesus warned that his teaching would divide families (Matthew 10:35-37), and he had to leave his own family behind when they refused to accept God's will (Luke 8: 20-21, John 7:5). He knew that working for God's Kingdom must be first.

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (5:5)."

When you pass the material and emotional tests, the next test is physical. After Satan failed to destroy Job's faith by taking his wealth and family, he attacked his "skin" (Job 2:4-5). The word "meek" comes from a word for a horse that has been broken, so that he will work obediently for his master. We too need to be broken and humble, so that we will not give in to the selfishness of our flesh, or the fear of pain and of being uncomfortable which comes when Christ tells us to turn the other cheek, or to lay down our lives for one another ( I John 3:16). Meekness may mean suffering, torture or death, or it may mean giving our time in service to others. In all these ways, we are giving our lives in love.

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (5:6).

When your wealth and family are gone, and your flesh is broken, there is not much you can do except hunger and thirst for something better. You have nothing left to keep. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" (I Cor. 15:26). When we want God more than life itself, we begin to fight the "last enemy."

Until we find something worth dying for, we do not have anything worth living for ( Lk. 17 :33). Despair is more than a willingness to die; it is almost a desire to die. We must come to the realisation that we need a purpose to live for MORE than even life itself. It is the last step down before the big climb up.

Big spiritual battles can only be won by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:29). Most of us never get around to fasting because we're not really desperate. When we do get desperate, God will come to fill us with his way of righteousness which is love, peace, truth and justice. We must empty ourselves of our own selfish desires before we can be filled with something far better.

"Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy " (5:7).

God's righteousness comes first through forgiveness. And this is always more readily available to those who know what it is to forgive others. Being merciful does not buy forgiveness; but it is a quality in those people whom God chooses to give mercy to. "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy," says God.

Some people could almost be called Christian before they ever heard of Christ. Though lost, they are already "sheep"--like the Good Samaritan. These are the poor, the mourners, the meek, and those who hunger for righteousness. They could come from any country or any religion; their theology is not as important as their sincere desire for truth. Saving them is as easy as telling them that they have already been forgiven through Christ's sacrificial death.

"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (5:8).

Forgiveness leads to holiness. Holy means "set apart." Jews set apart one day each week for God. On this day they rested from their labours. It was called the Sabbath (or rest) day. But Jesus taught seven-days-a-week rest, and seven-days-a-week holiness (Lk 16:13; Mt 11:28; Jn 6:27). He gives us a new job, working for him, and we are to "labour to enter into that rest" (Hebrews 4:11).

Because the early Christians lived only by faith, it set them apart from the rest of the world. "We know that when Jesus shall appear, we shall see him as he is. Every man who has this hope purifies himself, even as He is pure" (I Jn 3:1-3). Seek holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). But we cannot be pure in heart if we are trying to serve two masters (James 1:8).

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God" (5:9).

Peace does not just happen. It must be made. To be a true peacemaker we must share the peace Christ offers (II Cor 5:18). "Follow peace with all ." (Hebrews 12: 14). "Go into all the world and preach the gospel of peace to every creature" (Mk. 16:15).

The parable of the Sower is about evangelism. In it, one group of people accept all that the Sower offers, but do not share it with others. "When they have heard, they go forth and are choked with cares, riches and pleasures" (Lk 8:14). Jobs, building funds, and church socials keep the church from giving God's peace to this war-torn world. Jesus might say that many churchgoers today are of their father, the devil! (Jn 8:44). But God's children are peacemakers. They do not have time for other occupations; for they should walk worthy of the vocation to which they have been called. (Eph 4:1).

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". "Blessed are you, when men insult you, and persecute you and say all manner of evil lies against you, for my sake. Rejoice, and be glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (5:11-12).

Forgiveness leads to holiness; holiness leads to evangelism; and evangelism leads to persecution. We cannot alter this pattern. It is programmed into the first seeds of the gospel that we preach. If we are not persecuted, we are not following Christ... for "All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (II Timothy 3:12). If there is more religious persecution in overseas countries than in Australia, it is only because there is more real Christianity there. Many churchgoers make heroes of earlier prophets while attacking or ignoring present-day critics of the church (Mt 23:29-38). Everyone wants an easy way to share their faith, so they won't be criticised or persecuted; but when we can accept that persecution is inevitable, and even rejoice about it, we will get on with the job.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, there is no way to make it salty again. It is good for nothing but to be thrown out, and to be trodden under foot". "You are the light of the world. A city that is on an hill cannot be hidden. "Neither does one light a candle, and put it under a bowl, but on a candlestick; and it gives light for everyone in the house". "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt 5;13-16).

Jesus words of truth are salty. Paul says, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt" (Col 4:6). But where is the salt in today's bland diet of religious fellowship and respectability? If we take the teachings of Christ out of Christianity (which is just what the organised churches have done) we have a false Christ, and a false gospel. "If the salt loses its sting, it's not fit for shi... cah-cah!" (Lk 14:34-35). Paul was very religious before he accepted what Christ taught. But after his conversion, he said his old religious pride was just a heap of shi... poo-poo! (Philippians 3:4-8) The church today is more upset by the language Jesus used, than by its own lukewarmness. But Christ says to the lukewarm church, "Look at you! I want to spue!" (Revelation 3:6)

The light of the gospel has been hidden under a covering of respectability for too long. If we are ashamed of Christ's words, then he promises to be ashamed of us (Mk 8:38).

This study is trying to put the light back up where it belongs, but you too can help. "Don't you know that everyone runs in a race, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it!" (I Cor 9:24). Don't wait for someone else to set the pace. Now more than before, the world needs leaders. But the paradox is that in God's Kingdom the greatest leader is actually someone who is the greatest servant of all the others! We can be that, by living our lives as though only one person will be found faithful to Christ's teachings and we want to be that person. "When the son of man returns will he find any real faith left on the earth?" (Lk 18:8). The reply is up to us. We can be salt and light for the world or we can become part of the world's dung heap.