Probably nowhere else in the record of Jesus' life on earth do we find more scathing rebukes than those He reserved for the religious leaders of His day. This does not at all mean that Jesus despised religious leaders. It only speaks to the corruption and hypocrisy evident in the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees. This is a problem that has plagued many churches throughout history. When the leaders forget that they are the servants of God and the congregation, they become corrupted by the power that God has given them in the church. How can we avoid this in our churches today? Here are some suggestions:
- Ministers in the church should labor to support themselves as much as possible.
- We must remember to give glory to God for any accomplishments.
- Remember that all of us and especially our ministers are servants of God. Their first responsibility is to please God, not their people.
- The Word of God needs to be the first authority in our lives, not the word of our ministers.
- We should respect our ministers as leaders.
Lord, help us to live our lives in service to You. Help us to respect our leaders as we should but not to hold them higher than You. Help us to have wisdom. Help us to keep our words and actions in alignment with the Bible. Help us not to live one thing and say another. Help us to live our entire lives to Your glory!
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