23. Leadership of Christ

SERMON 23.

LEADERSHIP OF CHRIST

1 Peter 2:21

• A Lawgiver (Romans 8:1-2).

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• A Ruler (Matthew 25:21-34).

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• A Captain, (Hebrews 2:10).

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• A Teacher, (Jno. 3:2).

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• A Leader, (1 Peter 2:21).

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• A Shepherd, (Jno. 10:11).

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• A Chief, (Ephesians 2:19-20).

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• A Head, (Col. 1 18-24).

Notwithstanding their greatness and intelligence, men are failures without a leader.

Israel needed a leader to show them the way down into Egypt. Moses had to lead them out, and even when Moses left them for forty days to get the law from God, they showed their helpless condition when they called on Aaron to make them gods to lead them. When Moses was dead they had to have a Joshua to lead them out of the wilderness, and even to lead them around Jericho.

David's men needed him to lead them in battle. Wellington said Bonaparte was worth 40,000 soldiers on the battle field, because his men fought better under a leader. The South fought bravely with a Lee or a Jackson to lead them. The North felt like a failure could not come to them with Grant to lead them.

So it is true in the home, in the school, in the country, in the state, in the nation. We fail without a leader.

God recognized this nature in man. He knew that we were born separated from our Father's home by the great sea of life and the river of death. He knew our dependence upon a leader; so He selected a Leader in the life of Christ. This Leader can meet all conditions of life; arouse an interest in all kinds of life; open a channel to each vocation in life; take men in their most interested vocations, and lead them to the great fountain head.

The shepherd is not interested in law; neither is the teacher interested in war. But that He may interest all classes Jesus does not confine himself to any channel. If he should speak in law terms only, none but lawyers would listen; if he should speak as a teacher only, none but teachers would hear him. From all the vocations of life, he comes to us as a leader. The teacher should not build a fence around his channel, or make a creed for his peculiar doctrine and say this only, is right: for Jesus goes to the shepherd as well. The captain should not make a creed around his doctrine and say this is all; for Jesus calls to the lawgiver also and says, "Follow me."

Here is where much of the trouble and prejudice of the religious world exist today. Man has been too small in mind, and too lazy in energy to study these divine truths as a whole. Each church gets a single thought as a leader in their system, and tries to close the gates of heaven against all others who may not endorse their leading thought; whereas it may be that with careful study and thought from different angles they might find that the leading' truth taught by others and condemned by them is as much a part of the word of God as the leading thought they are teaching. Therefore I come to look at the Bible, not through all the channels given, but through enough to show that God comes to us in different lines, to lead different minds and different vocations in life to the great fountain head of all life and truth that we might find in Him a sufficiency for all in every time of need.

I notice that Jesus comes to one class as a law-giver, declaring that we are made free by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Many good people will fight salvation by spiritual law as taught in Romans 8 th chapter, declaring that it is all of grace and no law connected with it.

Again, I look at the Bible, and I see Jesus coming to me as a ruler, claiming I must be faithful in all his instructions to meet his approval at the last day. That class of men and women, who all of their life time have been working under rules and following commands say, "This is the kind of salvation I want. Let him speak and I'll obey. It is not my business to lead but to follow. I love and can trust and follow him all the way." Others will object and say, "He has done it all before the foundation of the world, and if I do anything I am wanting to divide honors with the Lord. I am only an empty jug and must wait for God to fill me."

Again he comes as the captain of our salvation. The boy who has lived and fought long on the battle field says, "He is my Savior. He never lost a battle; He knows where and how to fight, and I'll fight under Him and subject to His authority in all things. "The soldier, then, finds great love and enjoyment in looking to Jesus as the great Captain of his salvation, after the last battle of life has been fought.

He comes as the Great Teacher, teaching us on every principle and along every line that will make us happy in this life. He teaches us how to cross the river of death that we may have no fear; for He promises not to forsake us there; and as we have learned that He, Himself, once went down into that river, and remained there for three days and came up safe on the other side, and calls upon us to follow Him, the teacher can safely trust and follow Him.

He comes as a leader; was tempted in all things as we are; suffered, hungered, and met all our enemies. He not only fought but conquered them and tells us plainly that He is the way—we can not get lost in following Him. He is the truth which will make us free; and He is the light of the world; He is the life. All may regain what they lost in Adam by following Him to His Father's home where we can eat fruit from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.

He is our shepherd. When we look out on the field, and see the faithful shepherd watching for the wolf, leading his flock out and in, ever protecting them, we can then enjoy the divine assurance that Christ is our shepherd and protects us if we are only members of His fold. However, we should be impressed that he is the only shepherd—protecting only one fold (John 10:16) and all the sectarian folds who have built sectarian pens with human doors, and human creeds to control them, and human doctrine to feed them on may not come underthe great protecting hand of Christ, the only God appointed shepherd.

He is the chief corner stone. As much of the human race was divided into bands and small parties when Jesus was here, and these parties had their chiefs to lead them in battle, so the Son of God comes to that class and says, "You can be builded into the house of God and I'll be your chief corner stone."

The final thought in our lesson is that He comes to us as the great head of the church. Just as sure as Jesus is the head of the church the church is his body (Ephesians 5:23). Not only is Christ the head of the body, but the Bible says there is one body (Ephesians 4:4). Jesus is not only said to be the head of this one body (the church), but he is said to be the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5:23). In speaking of this body or church, Paul said it was purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28).

Each head has its own peculiar body, and each body its head. Jesus says that he is the head of the church which is his body, and this body was purchased with his blood, and he is the Savior of the body. Then, ii' a man can be saved outside of the church, he is saved outside of the purchased possession; and if outside of the purchased possession, then outside of the body of Christ; and if outside the body of Christ, then outside of the blood of Christ; then if outside the blood of Christ outside the power of God.

Therefore, we conclude that the only safe place a man can find is in the body, which Jesus says is in the church that was built on the rock, and as Jesus built only one church on the rock we conclude that all denominations must be built on the sand.

Jesus said their buildings would tall; and that every plant which His Father had not planted would be rooted up (Matthew 9:13).

Let us remember that Jesus is not our leader unless we are willing to submit and let Him lead us His way into His church, and through His church into heaven.