Titles
John 1:21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23He said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the LORD,” ’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
Asserting who you think you are, or who others have told you you are, before men is usually an indication that you aren't.
John knew who he was, and the quote from Isaiah that he chose to give in response to the question demonstrated it...but he knew those asking his identity wouldn't understand.
Those who say they are apostles, and the like (prophet, evangelist, etc.), are generally false:
Revelation 2:2“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
It is human to want to establish yourself...to make sure everyone knows your role among them so they will yield to that role. There are a thousand seemingly soft and tiny ways to assert yourself, but to the Lord they are all the same as shouting your position to others...lording it over them:
Mark 10:42But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Those truly called to greatness in Jesus' body abhor titles, they don't gather with other title holders, they don't separate from people...they go in the opposite direction. They dial down who they are and dial up who Jesus is. They discern the body of Jesus. They call others into the roles their own flesh desires, and they take up the role the Spirit beckons us all to: the humble place.
If a leader resists this reality, what they become is isolated, burnt out, confused, and lonely. You don't have to be these things to be a leader. Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light. The yoke part of it is hard on the flesh, but the nature of that yoke is easy on the spirit of a man.
To take up the cross of leadership Jesus' way is very hard on the flesh, but it makes the Spirit soar inside. It isn't a lonely road....in fact, it's exactly the opposite. It makes a person relatable. It turns followers and 'eaters' into friends and 'food preparers'. Yes, it costs all human pride and looks like a weak way to establish authority from the human perspective, but it's the only true place of authority in JESUS' value system.
It takes a great deal of faith to minister in this seemingly thankless way. It really does. But it is the only leadership structure that gets accolades from heaven. It takes faith, but without faith, it's impossible to please God:
Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
In this hour the old church authority structures are crashing to the ground all around us. The Evangelical church is being gutted from the top down right before our eyes. Abuses of power, unchecked 'authority', and depravity are the fruit of the pyramid system of authority in the church. The corporate structure super-imposed on the church has led her into an entirely false authority based on a worldly value system. It has divided Jesus' body into 'leadership teams' and sheep. This is not in the Bible.
If you want to flourish in this hour, come out of that structure. When you take up titles and see yourself as separate from those you are supposed to serve, what happens is you severly limit your role in the kingdom. You get what you want! This truth should makes us seriously consider what we actually want!
I am not just talking about pastors. Everyone in any leadership capacity is tempted to strive to be seen as the leader. If you want to be separate and an 'important leader' what you will get is loneliness and isolation. If you want to take the low place, what you will get is relatability, friendship, support, respect, and integrity that only God can and will establish for those it has been prepared for:
Luke 14:8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
9“and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
11“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
God is empowering many in this hour. As leaders are beginning to see the failure of the old systems they are calling others up. Those being empowered will be tested in the same realities. Many who always felt they needed more authority will be given it, if we miss this heart value, those who are now experiencing more authority will fall into the same old trap. Both the greatest and the least need to see an entirely new paradigm of power...a new value system.
Matthew 23:6“They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7“greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
8“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10“And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
22Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23He said: “I am
‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the LORD,” ’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
Asserting who you think you are, or who others have told you you are, before men is usually an indication that you aren't.
John knew who he was, and the quote from Isaiah that he chose to give in response to the question demonstrated it...but he knew those asking his identity wouldn't understand.
Those who say they are apostles, and the like (prophet, evangelist, etc.), are generally false:
Revelation 2:2“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
It is human to want to establish yourself...to make sure everyone knows your role among them so they will yield to that role. There are a thousand seemingly soft and tiny ways to assert yourself, but to the Lord they are all the same as shouting your position to others...lording it over them:
Mark 10:42But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Those truly called to greatness in Jesus' body abhor titles, they don't gather with other title holders, they don't separate from people...they go in the opposite direction. They dial down who they are and dial up who Jesus is. They discern the body of Jesus. They call others into the roles their own flesh desires, and they take up the role the Spirit beckons us all to: the humble place.
If a leader resists this reality, what they become is isolated, burnt out, confused, and lonely. You don't have to be these things to be a leader. Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light. The yoke part of it is hard on the flesh, but the nature of that yoke is easy on the spirit of a man.
To take up the cross of leadership Jesus' way is very hard on the flesh, but it makes the Spirit soar inside. It isn't a lonely road....in fact, it's exactly the opposite. It makes a person relatable. It turns followers and 'eaters' into friends and 'food preparers'. Yes, it costs all human pride and looks like a weak way to establish authority from the human perspective, but it's the only true place of authority in JESUS' value system.
It takes a great deal of faith to minister in this seemingly thankless way. It really does. But it is the only leadership structure that gets accolades from heaven. It takes faith, but without faith, it's impossible to please God:
Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
In this hour the old church authority structures are crashing to the ground all around us. The Evangelical church is being gutted from the top down right before our eyes. Abuses of power, unchecked 'authority', and depravity are the fruit of the pyramid system of authority in the church. The corporate structure super-imposed on the church has led her into an entirely false authority based on a worldly value system. It has divided Jesus' body into 'leadership teams' and sheep. This is not in the Bible.
If you want to flourish in this hour, come out of that structure. When you take up titles and see yourself as separate from those you are supposed to serve, what happens is you severly limit your role in the kingdom. You get what you want! This truth should makes us seriously consider what we actually want!
I am not just talking about pastors. Everyone in any leadership capacity is tempted to strive to be seen as the leader. If you want to be separate and an 'important leader' what you will get is loneliness and isolation. If you want to take the low place, what you will get is relatability, friendship, support, respect, and integrity that only God can and will establish for those it has been prepared for:
Luke 14:8“When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him;
9“and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place.
10“But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you.
11“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
God is empowering many in this hour. As leaders are beginning to see the failure of the old systems they are calling others up. Those being empowered will be tested in the same realities. Many who always felt they needed more authority will be given it, if we miss this heart value, those who are now experiencing more authority will fall into the same old trap. Both the greatest and the least need to see an entirely new paradigm of power...a new value system.
Matthew 23:6“They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7“greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
8“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10“And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11“But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
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