The Kingdom of God- God's Approach to Leadership/ Rashea@LLO2 Academy

Jesus was hated by religious leaders, scholars and law makers, because He exposed their flawed approach to God's Word, God's people, society and government. He spoke with power, and they did not like that. "Too common, they thought. How could a common man have so much power and influence," they debated? 

More than a carpenters son, Jesus was God's Son. It was prophesied of Him. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me." Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God to the world (Isaiah 61; Luke 4:16-20; John 1, 3:16). Jesus was and is God the Son incarnate (John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-17). 

"This is ridiculous! Blasphemy," the Pharisees and Sadducees shouted! Jesus in no way was afraid of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

For every moment they shouted blasphemy, another woe was added to Jesus sermon regarding their blatant hypocrisies and disregard of the Scriptures. "You teach the traditions of man as if they are the traditions of God," Jesus said to the Pharisees. The Pharisees emphasized their preferences and lukewarm and condemning opinions more than the Scriptures. 

Jesus respected the law, and even came to fulfill the requirements of the law, but He wasn't afraid of those in government. Jesus knew His assignment. His assignment wasn't to be liked by the hypercritical theologians or law makers of His day who perverted and distorted the law and its intended purposes. Jesus was focused on restoring lives which neither religion nor the religious were doing.

Oh... the Pharisees were good at condemning people, but they had no power nor compassion to save lives. Jesus condemned their lack of effort and lack of concern for the people. Jesus was not impressed with their prayers, prestige or propaganda. Yeah, their hype benefited their lives, their pockets and their cause, but it was at the expense of oppressing the people and mishandling the sacred Scriptures.

Why go to church if you fail to be the church? Why call yourself a Christian, when you fail to be Christlike? Why condemn others for the very things you're doing?🙃👀

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus was and is God the Son. Jesus was fully Man and fully God. God wrapped Himself in divinity and humanity and dwelt among mankind (Luke 1:26-56; Romans 5; Hebrews 10).

God the Son is now fully divine. He crucified the curse of humanity, and was resurrected in His divinity. "IT IS FINISHED," Jesus exclaimed! He gave all people of every creed, every color and every culture a restored hope that is beyond the confines of brokenness and despair.

Jesus did not think, believe, speak nor act as the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes did in His era. Nor did Jesus speak lukewarmly about the Kingdom of God. Despite His compassionate approach to the people, Jesus did not sugar coat the stipulations of God's sovereignty and requirements.

This is not a diss. This is the truth. It's in the Bible. 

The Pharisees hated Jesus, because He was popular, and His popularity was growing beyond their liking.🤦‍♀️🙃 Sounds all too familiar. Nothing is new under the sun.

Jesus did not badger the people, but through His decisive and direct teachings of the gospel He brought the people up to a higher standard of knowledge, understanding, accountability and living. The Pharisees did not like that. Empower the people? That would be the end of their oppressive systems and greed. 

Jesus wasn't a rebel nor was He a radical. Jesus rightly taught the Word of God. His teachings were contrary to the Pharisees teachings that were enslaving the people to religious systems which were not benefiting the people. They were benefiting the religious leaders. 

I am not opposing leaders that go about their livelihood the right way. I am expounding on leaders who mistreat people and manipulate God's Word to get what they want and what they have. This approach to success and leadership is what angered Jesus. 

The religious leaders were selling more than prayer. God's house became a mall in the name of God.🙃👀 Jesus restored order, and this disrupted the Pharisees system of disorder and greed.

Their solution? "CRUCIFY HIM," they ranted. Crucify the very one that actually cared about the well-being of all people.👀

There is a time for investing in the things of God, and there is a time set to pray. Jesus taught that. Jesus demonstrated that. Jesus lived that, and the religious and educated HATED him for that.

Jesus empowered the people. The religious and educated isolated and restricted the people. Jesus spent time with the people. The religious and educated often had sects and avoided the people.

The religious leaders, the educated and law makers made themselves superior to the people and demanded praise when in their presence. Jesus being fully God and knowing Who He was made Himself of no reputation. Jesus was approachable. Equality was for all, and the Apostle Paul further emphasized equality in his New Testament teachings. Under the New Covenant all people are re-created equal.

The religious and educated cried, "Crucify Him!" Jesus reached out and gave and spoke life to the oppressed, down trodden and weary. Jesus confronted the pious approach and teachings of law givers, religious leaders and the educated. What good are laws, religion and education if they divide, disconnect and deviate the people from the true meaning of God and what it is to worship God?

Jesus wasn't dangerous. The actions, hypocrisies and thoughts of the proud religious leaders, scholastic educated and ruthless law makers who's hearts were haughty and beyond feeling for the human condition were the real and present danger. They sold Jesus out, and used his own friend Judas Iscariot to do it for 30 pieces of silver.

To turn people's hearts away from God is dangerous. Moreover, to be a professing Christian and to do so is even more dangerous.🙃👀 Jesus did not demand to take freedom and faith away which the law, the learned and the religious often did. Jesus educated the people and gave them a new sense of faith and freedom through the gospel in a practical way.

Sons vs. Slaves

Oppressive oppressors despise freedom to think for yourself, be yourself or to be equal to those oppressing you. Oppression is of the devil. God despised this system of oppression from the beginning. God never intended anyone to be a slave but free. "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed."

"We are sons of God." Sons of God is the spiritual birthright of all God's children. Sons and daughters of God have rights. Slaves have no rights. 

We are servants of God. A servant is a son in the Kingdom of God. A servant is a slave in the kingdom of darkness. So which are you based on this observation? Are you a son that serves God or are you a slave that serves the devil?

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders and exposed their true state of existence. "You are of your father the devil. You do his will (John 8:44)." Can a Christian confessing Jesus as their Lord and Savior be the child of the devil?" According to the Bible, yes! Through unbelief. To teach unbelief through the Scriptures is Satan's language and DNA.

We who are of God align ourselves to the teachings of the Bible first. To hold others rigidly accountable to the Scriptures and to manipulate their true intent without the proper understanding is heresy and dogmatic (falsehood and false teaching) of the Scriptures. To hold others accountable to laws, traditions and educational policies that you yourselves break is heresy and hypocrisy. A student is no better than the Master or Teacher giving the lesson. God is expecting us to uphold the Constitution of the Bible by our actions not just our words.

We cannot be hearers of the Word of God only. We must obey God's Word to the best of our ability as we dependon the Holy Spirit's guidance, power and help. This is the correct approach to godly leadership accordingtothe Bible.

Rashea@LLO2