God is Judging the Works of Church Leadership “What have you here, and whom have you here, that Apostles Today you have hewn a sepulcher here, as he who hews himself a sep-ulcher on high, who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?” Isa.22:16. The Lord is asking two questions, ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What have you been doing?’ The steward is answerable to God for what he has been doing. God is saying to this steward, ‘You have been building something for yourself, making a name for yourself, so you will be remembered after you die.’ Instead of being a steward looking after God’s house, he has been build-ing something for himself. So often we see the successful local church constructing an ornate new worship centre with all sorts of facilities for the comfort of the worshipers; or we see the sen-ior leader growing wealthy and amassing private things unto himself. Meanwhile, the command to preach the gospel to every person (Mk. 16:15-16), and to go to all nations to make disciples (Matt.28:19-20) is ignored. There are many illustrations of this from the past in Eu-rope. Large cathedrals, built by man, sometimes taking many decades to build and costing men their lives, are simply monu-ments to man, empty shells, tombs [sepulchers]! Many people visit these places but they do not meet with God; they merely admire the architecture and artwork that give glory to man. Such buildings were built by ‘stewards’ [bishops] who were meant to be overseeing and shepherding the house of God, that is, building the lives of people to know and reflect the glory of Christ. But they have stumbled and focused on their own work, their own ‘house’, seeking to make a name for themselves, even a name that will remain after they have gone.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 07:40:56 +0000
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