THEME : INFALLIBLE OR INDISPENSABLE?

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL..
DATE : Thursday 9 October 2014
THEME : INFALLIBLE OR INDISPENSABLE?
Memorise:
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:4–11
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not
carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God
that giveth the increase.
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall
receive his own reward according to his own labour.
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are
God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise
masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let
every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 SAMUEL 29-31 and PROVERBS 9:1-12
Message
Grace is crucial to our growth in Christ. As Christians, we need the grace of
God to overcome all the perils on our way to Heaven. Two of such perils are
the feelings of infallibility and indispensability. Nobody, no matter how spirit-
filled, is incapable of making mistakes. A spiritual leader must be willing to
concede the possibility of mistakes and should be able to yield to the advice
and criticism of other brethren. The mindset of being infallible is a problem
which many sound Christians fall victim to. A leader who knows God, and
probably knows Him better than his colleagues, is in danger of falling
unconsciously into this subtle peril. Do you have the impression that you are
infallible? Do you think you are incapable of making mistakes? Beware! This
feeling possibly emanates from the fact that you are talented, spiritual and
your sense of judgment has been proved to be more accurate than that of
others, or from the fact that you are capable of praying, thinking and wrestling
with problems more earnestly and successfully than your colleagues and
peers. This kind of feeling is dangerous. If care is not taken, pride will set in,
and a time may come when you will be unwilling to yield to the advice of
others. Nobody is infallible.
Also, nobody is indispensable. No one is too important to be without. Nobody is
irreplaceable. God always has substitutes. When King Saul became obstinate
and disobedient to God, he was replaced by David. The knowledge that God has
substitutes should make you humble and keep you on your toes. This same
knowledge should encourage you to delegate responsibilities properly and
mentor younger ones. Many leaders cling to authority long after it should have
been passed on to younger men because of the thought that they are
irreplaceable. They believe that in the best interest of the work, they should not
relinquish office. Are you a Christian leader? Are you a minister or a worker in
God’s vineyard? Be informed that you are neither indispensable nor
irreplaceable. Are you a missionary? No missionary is indispensable. Any
missionary who has made himself indispensable to the church he planted has
done a great disservice to the church. From the earliest days of planting a
church, a missionary should set it up in such a way that he will remain in the
background. He should cultivate in the members a real dependence on the Lord
and train spiritual men who as soon as practicable, would assume full
responsibility over the work. Practical solutions to the peril of feeling
indispensable are humility and mentoring. Go ahead and replicate yourself in
others through mentoring.
Action Point:
Be actively involved in follow-up, discipleship and mentoring of younger
Christians.
AUTHOR : Pst E. A ADEBOYE