Michael L. Gill
“No Room for Self-importance”
In Matthew 23: 2 - 12 you can see a single theme. We are to obey authority, not seek titles of honor, and serve each other.
Verse 8: Only Christ is Master and all we are brethren (equal).
Proverbs 22:2 "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is maker of them all."
1st Peter 5:1-3 "...(not) as lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."
First, there is no room for self-importance where titles exist only to point people to the all-important Christ.
Self-importance tends to elevate itself over others! Don't get bossy! Get busy!
I have often wondered what a mutual servanthood would look like in a church. My personal thought is that deacons are not business managers, but servants; elders are not corporate organizers, but overseers-by-example; pastors are not CEOs, but shepherds.
What are titles? Why do we have them? How are they used?
1. Titles are designations, which can tell us how a person functions in the body of Christ. Perhaps indicating what spiritual gift was received from the Holy Spirit. Some of those gifts are listed in Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:6, and 1st Corinthians 12:4.
2. Titles are distinctions, which separate and elevate individuals above their peers. People who have recognized capabilities usually feel they are responsible to plan and manage resources for the spiritual and numerical growth of their churches.
3. In either case, people who are "untitled" tend to yield to the “titled” rather than thinking things through for themselves or they abandon the “titled” to go their own way. If one does question, it is seen as insubordination. Capable and caring church leaders are often left to work alone when their decisions and actions offend some other person.
We must conclude from scripture that we are to subordinate ourselves only to God (who tells us to obey legitimate authorities), and become helpers of each other. We may be more willing to accept and obey the commands of God to encourage spiritual growth in the saints, to minister to the body of Christ, and to edify the body of Christ with these goals in mind: unity of the faith, knowledge of Jesus, spiritual maturity unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13). We may be less willing to accept and obey the commands of church leaders when it appears they are abusing their titles in some way! There is no room for self-importance where titles exist only to point people to the all-important Christ.
Some of my friends have stopped attending church, saying they have been hurt by its leaders, members, or hypocrites. While offences abound between leaders and members, self-less and loving service could heal it all. Focus on the goal. Encourage each other into the fullness of Christ. The "untitled" are not to abandon their leaders, nor are the "titled" to abuse their followers! Both are to occupy themselves with encouraging to other into the fullness of Christ!
It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly..., who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat.
Teddy Roosevelt
Second, there is no room for self-importance among those who follow Jesus. .
Self-importance tends to be devoted to itself. What do you have? Use it to magnify Jesus!
Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]?
This great truth has been used by men to justify NOT following a spiritual leading from the Lord! Men have said, "We don't have enough money to do that." Wise stewards must know what they have and where it is needed because they will give account to the Master. Jesus shows here how it is vital to count the cost of construction. In this context, Jesus also shows how important it is for a leader to count the cost of going to war or seeking peace. It is good to wisely manage a building program. However, “counting the cost” in temporal resources as the primary criteria for obeying and following Christ is NOT the lesson here! The eternal (non-temporal!) value of what is sought is much higher than temporal (non-eternal!) resources can acquire. Do it anyway! This scripture is really about an absolute, and personally aware, surrender to Jesus. Are you as willing to follow Jesus once you are aware of just how much it is going to cost you? How easy it is to respond in some emotional state of euphoric adoration! When a person begins to encounter real costs, real losses, real conflicts, and real injuries because he or she has chosen to follow Jesus, will their commitment falter? Jesus summed it up with, "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." -Luke 14:33. You may honor God a little, by giving up part of your money, part of your time, part of your heart. You are not a disciple until you hold back from Him NONE of your money, of your time, of your heart! Self-importance is replaced with Jesus-importance!
Wait a minute! Now that everything you have and are belongs to Jesus, don't just throw it away!
2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy [it] of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
This expenditure did not empty David’s kingly resources. He could have easily paid a hundred times this amount. Nevertheless, in the eyes of all his contemporaries, this was a generous price to pay, especaily when he could have had it for nothing! David did not waste, but neither was he cheap! There is wisdom in this balanced service. Effectivness and efficiency were at a proper balance. David was a very important man. His every action expressed to everyone around him how important God was to him. King David's statement and action here pointed to God's importance, not to David's! Understand that what we do, or do not do, in present time has eternal rewards or consequences. David effectively pointed people to God, and efficiently reserved resources to purchase building materials for the construction of the temple! That temple, built later by Solomon, certainly pointed people and nations to God for generations after David was dead and buried!
People who do great things often receive great acclaim. There is no room for self-importance among those who follow Jesus. In everything you do, point people to Jesus. With Jesus as your only posession, now wisely manage everything to point people to Him. Being willing to give up everything for Him is not the same as devoting everything to Him!
Third, there is no room for self-importance in a world where people die.
Self-importance wants to coast into heaven. Going to heaven? Take others with you!
2nd CORINTHIANS Chapter 5
For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in [this] tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing [is] God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore [we are] always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, [I say], and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
This very comforting promise is stated here in order to lead to a call to action! Absent from the body and present with the Lord is often read at funerals, or to the dying. This great truth is a key factor in understanding the Apostle Paul’s zeal to seek the unbelievers.
It is true that when believers die they go to be WITH Jesus!
Think of that!
It is also true that unbelievers die.
They will also see Jesus.
But what does actually happen to a person after their earthly body dies?
Think of that!
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to [answer] them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves, [it is] to God: or whether we be sober, [it is] for your cause.
Judgement awaits everyone concerning the deeds done in this earthly body. Numerous passages of Scripture speak of the difference between what believers and unbelievers face at that moment. The deeds of believers are tested by fire, whether made of precious or perishable stuff. From that someone coined a phrase that says, “Soon one life will be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”. How true. What happens to unbelievers who must face Christ? Of that, Paul says, “Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” No one has an excuse for rejecting the Creator-God who abandoned Heaven and made Himself able to die in order to destroy death! Abundant and convincing proofs of His eternal power and God-head and faithfulness and love surrounds every person. It is very important to note that the Apostle Paul appeared as “beside himself” and as “sober” in his efforts to persuade men to come to Christ before they die. Urgency drove him to rescue as many as possible and even more by all means. Personal peril and loss were part of the cost. Here, the cost to the unbelievers outweighed the cost of any earthly thing a believer would loose. Consider this. What earthly thing can a believer take to heaven? What earthly thing would be worth taking to heaven, seeing that gold is treated like asphalt there? If we believers will die and leave earthly things behind anyway, why not do anything we can, spend everything we can, to persuade unbelievers, thus converting earthly things into eternal life for the lost? If we do not so, our earthly things are totally wasted, and an eternal soul will face the terror of the Lord! This is an urgent motivation.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And [that] he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we [him] no more. Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now, along with that urgent motivation, the Apostle Paul reveals his passionate motivation. If Jesus had to die to save us, we were as good as dead. Once dead, now alive only because of Jesus, how shall this second and new life be used?
Should we use this new life to pursue old ambitions, old comforts, old prosperity, old hobbies, or any other earthly and temporary thing? You see how that there is no room for self-importance in a world where people die? WE have been given eternal life with Jesus in heaven; unending life and joy and blessing! What awaits people who die in unbelief?
Love and gratitude to Jesus for this astounding gift that cost Him more than we can comprehend constrains us to no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again! If you are the treasure that Jesus sought at a cost to Himself that we cannot begin to imagine, what shall be the best use of your life now? What service could be worthy of such a love as His for you? What service could express your worship of and gratitude to Him? It is very simple. Bring this word of reconciliation to the unbelievers.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
What does “beseech” mean? God is “beseeching” others through us who have answered the call to be ambassadors for Christ. “Parakaleo” is the Greek word used here. The definition of this word is primarily to call to one's side, call for, and summon. It is much like saying to someone, "Come along with me." (It is very similar in meaning to the New Testament name of the Holy Spirit, “Parakletos” (One who comes along side to help, Advocate...). It is much like God is saying to you, "I am with you to help you". ) Most often it is translated as beseech, which means to beg or entreat. The eternal, powerful God who created everything in wisdom is revealing Himself as begging unbelievers to turn and be reconciled. Look at the extravagant step God has taken to reach the lost!
God counted the cost of offering reconciliation to unbelievers.
He paid it.
I am not asking you to count the cost of reaching the lost. I am asking you to count the cost of NOT reaching them, not begging them to be reconciled to God. Because of His great sacrifice to bring eternal life to you, I am asking you to consider how to spend the rest of your earthly life. The Apostle Paul did what looked unreasonable and reasonable, both crazy and sane, both beside himself and sober, as an ambassador of Christ beseeching people to be reconciled to God.
Will you make this change all at once? Perhaps that is too hard. Take out a 3 x 5 card and write down something on it that you do for your own pleasure that you will turn into an eternal treasure. That time and/or money can be put to use in servant evangelism, follow-up ministries, teaching or bringing friends to Bible Studies, joining our Intercessory Prayer Team, providing rides to church for people, or other God-directed ways.