Hey leaders! A good friend of mine in ministry gave me a booklet with 52 core truths for youth ministry (1 for each week) a year or so ago and I wanted to share with you some of these great truths. This week is Why God Believes in Accountability:
One thing is true YOU CANNOT LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BY YOURSELF!! We need God's strength (Philippians 4:13) and other believers to help us (Hebrews 10:24) in our trek (or journey).
· On the most basis level we should all have a spiritual mentor (or leader) in our lives who challenges us to daily surrender to God's will in our lives. We should summit to that leader when they call us out (because of sin in our lives) or encourage us to surrender to God's will in our lives. Hebrews 13:17 says "Obey them that have rule over you , and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give an account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable to you." One commentator has this to say about this verse:
"Obey them that have the rule over you - Obey your leaders. He is not fit to rule who is not capable of guiding. (See on Heb. 13:7) In the former verse the apostle exhorts them to remember those who had been their leaders, and to imitate their faith; in this he exhorts them to obey the leaders they now had, and to submit to their authority in all matters of doctrine and discipline, on the ground that they watched for their souls, and should have to give an account of their conduct to God. If this conduct were improper, they must give in their report before the great tribunal with grief; but in it must be given: if holy and pure, they would give it in with joy. It is an awful consideration that many pastors, who had loved their flocks as their own souls, shall be obliged to accuse them before God for either having rejected or neglected the great salvation."
Transforming Truth:
1. It is profitable to serve under God given authority
2. God given authority is itself accountable to God (meaning that if God is the one that put the authority in your life then at the heart of the matter you are under the authority of God)
· Not only should we have a spiritual mentor in our lives but we should also realize that we are stewards over all that God has given us (spiritual gifts, time, creation, etc.). It is a humbling reality that God has chosen to use us to carry out His work (Matthew 28:18-20) here on earth. First Corinthians 4:1-2 says this, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” We are to be found trustworthy because all of us will one day give a personal account of our lives to God. Romans 14:12 says, "So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God." Will you go before God with joy knowing you were a good steward of His varied grace or will you go in shame knowing that you squandered opportunities that were put before you?
Transforming Truth:
1. Stewards are accountable to their lords
2. All of us will one day give a personal account of our lives to God
· Finally, we should understand that even Jesus was accountable to God the Father. Jesus had one mission here on this earth and it was to die for the sins of the world. He showed the ultimate surrender at the garden of Gethsemane when He said “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” In John 17:4 Jesus says this, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” We need to follow that ultimate example of Jesus and understand that our accountability to God is a serious matter.
Transforming Truth:
1. Even Jesus made Himself accountable to God, His Father.
What are some ways you could encourage and mentor a student in your small group? Email me your thoughts this week!
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