21 September 2012
3
John 1:9-10 I have written something to
the church; but Diot'rephes, who likes to put himself
first, does not acknowledge my authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he
is doing, prating against me with evil words. And not content with that, he
refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also stops those who want to
welcome them and puts them out of the church.
This is a text that is
seldom preached on, and one wonders why. This speaks to the lack of servant
hood in the leadership and of those who refuse to respect the authority of
others. A person like Diot’rephes had the
opinion that he alone would control who preaches, and who would be acceptable
in a congregation and if people did not like his opinion it did not bother him
if they left to go somewhere else. When people disagreed with him he used his
power to force the issue.
Now we sometimes do not
realise that when we close the doors to others and deny others through that to
come to church, that we too are considered to be problematic, and we may well
find our names in future scripture of what we have done. The only person with
authority in a church is Jesus Christ, the pulpit belongs to Him, and we enter
that place in fear and trepidation. When Jesus gives authority to preach, He
also gifts with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, when man gives authority we
seldom find that same wisdom.
Be encouraged today to
recognise the authority that Jesus has given to others.
David
Point to ponder: Jesus gives authority not men.
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