Real Authority

"After Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were amazed at his teaching. For he taught as one who had real authority-quite unlike the teachers of the religious law." Matthew 7:28-29 NLT

What was it that made Jesus' teaching so powerful? How was it different from the teachers of the law?

The first difference would be one was anointed and one wasn't. There was something powerful and penetrating about the truths that Jesus spoke. Jesus was delivering more than just good information. There was something transforming about his message.

The second difference would be one was filled with integrity and the other was filled with hypocrisy. True character displaced the white washed teaching of the religious leaders. Jesus never taught anything he didn't model in his own life.

Thirdly, the crowds were amazed. It was obvious to the listener that something was unique, motivating, and liberating about Jesus teaching even though he was a carpenter's son from Nazareth. The teaching of the religious leaders had been basked in religious higher education that burdened people with rules and regulations.

How do you measure up to the standards that Jesus set? When you teach do you have real authority?

God's Authentication

I have been rereading Blackaby's book, "Spiritual Leadership" again. I would recommend it to you if you haven't picked it up lately. In it he reminds us that every leader needs God authentication with 5 overriding principles. Here they are:

1. God will fulfill his promises to the leader and the leader's organization. In other words there should be ample evidence of God's affirmation on a leader's life.

2. God will vindicate a leader's reputation over time. Criticism is not necessarily a sign of poor leadership.

3. Changed lives will be a true sign of God's affirmation. Spiritual advancement must be evident in lives the leader's influence.

4. Others will recognize that God is the driving force behind the leader's agenda.

5. The leader will have an unmistakable mark of Christlikeness in his public and private life.

How do you stack up against these principles?

Shepherd's Advantage

Two summers ago we made a trek into Bethlehem to visit the Shepherd Fields and the Church of the Nativity. It was awesome to be at the birthplace of Jesus and to identify with the shepherds.

Ordinary men, doing their job, watching over their flock. Men who were called by God to come and be the first visitors to the Christ child. They immediately left what they were doing to see the Christ child the savior of the world, the Messiah. What a privilege and delight to these men to be the first to see the baby Jesus.

As I thought about this familiar part of the Christmas story, I began to identify with the shepherds as a pastor. Our job is to keep watch over the flock. But a higher calling is to connect with Jesus. If we connect with Him intimately the flock will be better protected.

Secondly, we need to count it a privilege to be called "pastor" shepherd. Healthy pastors should never forget that our first responsibility is to be a shepherd, not a prophet, not a CEO, not an administrator.

Third, good shepherds need to be the first to proclaim the joy of meeting Jesus. The shepherds left the encounter with the baby Jesus telling everyone the good news. Healthy pastors need to be excited, intentional, and role model about sharing what it means to meet Jesus face to face.

Over this holiday season I want to again remind you what a privilege it is to be a shepherd.

You may feel ordinary but have been given an extraordinary opportunity to proclaim the good news!

Merry Christmas.