Moses (3) (Acts 7:36-38)

 Moses (3)

 

 

 

 

 

[Acts 7:36-38]

 

 

The leadership of Pastor Nakjoong Choi at Sunrise Church is intriguing: A leader is like a conductor of an orchestra.  He must harmonize the diverse individuals in the world to become one.  They are not one in uniformity, but one in harmonizing diversity.  Nothing different is wrong.  A spiritual leader is someone who, regardless of age, gender, social status, or wealth, brings people together in unity through the Holy Spirit.  Our society needs efforts to acknowledge and achieve harmony in diversity.  “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3) (Internet).  I believe this is a fitting definition of leadership for our church.  It is the responsibility of both myself and our church leaders to harmonize Korean ministry, English ministry, and Hispanic ministry brothers and sisters in Christ, making them one.

 

In Pastor Han-heum Ok's book ‘Those Called by Mission Do Not Lose Heart,’ there is a wonderful quote from President Harry Truman: ‘What is a leader?  A person who gets others to do what they don't want to do, and later makes them like it and feel happy about it.’  ‘Leadership is having the foresight to pull people into what the general congregation doesn't want to do.  Then, allowing them to taste happiness and joy through the very thing they initially didn't want to do.  Therefore, those who exercise leadership are characterized by being ahead of others’ (Ok).  Leadership is about having influence.  If one can exert influence, then they can be considered a leader.

 

Today, in Acts 7:36-38, the passage discusses Moses.  He was considered the greatest prophet for the Jews.  Today, I want to meditate on Moses in three aspects and receive the valuable lessons that God wants to give us.

 

First, Moses was a leader.

 

Look at Acts 7:36 –“This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.”  A leader, or to put it in more relatable terms, someone who "leads," how should they lead people?  I believe the best way is through being an example.  In other words, showing the image of Jesus so that one can lead.  When thinking about what kind of people our church leaders should be, I am reminded of Henry Nouwen's book title: "The Living Reminder."  The leaders should be people who remind us of Jesus.  In Numbers 12:3, the Bible says, "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth." Jesus is meek and humble in heart (Mt. 11:29).  In other words, Moses was a leader who resembled Jesus.  Just as Jesus was humble, so was Moses.  He was humble, yet he excelled above all men on the face of the earth.  This fact emphasizes the importance of character in leadership.  When it comes to leaders, character is essential, more so than skill or ability.  Among the aspects of character, humility, like Jesus and Moses, is crucial in leadership.  Why is humility important in leadership?  It is because God gives grace to the humble (Jam. 4:6).  Then, what was the grace that God bestowed upon Moses?  It was the ability to lead the people of God, the Israelites, from Egypt, through the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, to the promised land of Canaan.  This ability was none other than the miracles and signs he performed over forty years (Acts 7:36).  What are the "miracles and signs" mentioned here?  They are the ten plagues that God sent in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea in the wilderness as if it were dry land (Exod. 14:1-31), the water that gushed out when Moses struck the rock with his staff in Rephidim (17:1-7), and the destruction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Num. 16:1-40) (MacArthur).

 

Here we find a valuable lesson that our leaders must learn: that a leader must first be a person of character, not just a person of skill.  In other words, our leaders must understand that God's power is manifested when they are humble.  However, in this day and age, our pastors and church leaders are often too focused on acquiring skills and abilities.  In previous generations, church leaders, like those in our parents' generation, sought God's voice in the quiet chamber, just as Moses experienced God's refuge on Mount Sinai.  They served the church with faith, listened to God's voice through prayer and scripture, and led the congregation.  However, in my generation and others like mine, the emphasis is not on the quiet chamber, but on places like the library, seminar rooms, and computer labs, where skills are honed.  Skill without character support only leads to pride in those who follow, but it cannot transform their lives.  It cannot lead them to green pastures or still waters.  However, a leader who seeks to emulate Jesus, a humble leader, is accompanied by the grace of God, allowing the power of God to manifest, not human or worldly abilities.  Our leaders must take to heart the truth that Paul spoke of: "And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10).  God chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise and the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Cor. 1:27).  The confession of Asaph, the psalmist, in Psalms 77:10, "…  It is my grief, …" should be our confession.  A truly humble person acknowledges their weakness and is willing to confess it before God and others.  Furthermore, a person who acknowledges their weakness while trusting and relying on God's strength is a truly humble person of character.  Our leaders absolutely need this.

 

Second, Moses was a prophet.

 

Look at Acts 7:37 – “This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.’”  Here, Stephen is quoting the prophecy of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15 from the Old Testament.  Of course, the phrase "a prophet like me" in Moses' prophecy refers to the Messiah, namely Jesus Christ.  As we know, for the Jews listening to Stephen's sermon at this moment, Moses was the greatest prophet.  There was no prophet as great as Moses for the Jews.  Yet Stephen is saying that this greatest prophet, Moses, prophesied of a "prophet like me."  The audience of Jewish listeners already knew from Peter's sermon in Acts 2 that Jesus Christ, who performed great wonders, signs, and miracles (Acts 2:22), was a prophet (v. 30).  So, they understood from Stephen's sermon that the "prophet like me" prophesied by Moses was referring to Jesus Christ (Yoo).  Here, we need to consider the prophetic roles of Moses and Jesus. The role of a prophet means that both Moses and Jesus acted as intermediaries between God and His people.  The role of this intermediary is to proclaim God's word to God's people.  For example, just as Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and proclaimed them to the Israelites, Jesus proclaimed the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving one's neighbor.  The difference between Moses and Jesus, however, is that if we were to say Moses was the "mediator of the law," then Jesus is the "mediator of grace" (Park).  The prophetic proclamation of Moses led to salvation through obedience to the law, while the prophetic proclamation of Jesus leads to salvation through faith in Him as the gospel.

 

Here, we must also consider the prophetic role necessary for leaders.  In other words, all of us have the responsibility to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as prophets of God.

 

(1)   The first responsibility is that the proclamation of the gospel should not only be with lips.

 

In other words, our lives themselves should be a proclamation of the gospel.  Our leaders should strive to resemble Jesus.  In other words, it is truly dangerous for someone who has not become a person of character to proclaim the gospel.  It becomes an obstacle to the gospel, not its proclamation.  Because of us, someone may choose not to come to the church.  I wrote an article titled "Let's Not Evangelize Carelessly!" and I'll share a part of it here: "I think our actions, our existence, in the midst of failing to remind people of Jesus, often reflect the zeal of preaching like the Pharisees, or like Saul, also known as Paul, before he believed in Jesus.  A life and heart filled with falsehood and hypocrisy, surprisingly, are exposed by God before unbelievers.  That's why I think Christians often commit the sin of hindering evangelism.  Evangelism without a heart of love is inevitably ineffective.  Lips may shout love, but if the recipient cannot feel that love, it's just clanging cymbals.  However, we have become too familiar with evangelism training received from church evangelism programs or Christian organizations.  Instead of trying to witness through our lives before attempting to do it as a testimony, we often try to testify before living a life as a witness.  Attempting to evangelize zealously while not living as a witness, in the end, may lead people to the church, but they may eventually become souls who, after being hurt and leaving the church due to trials, never look back or step into a church again.”

 

(2)   The second responsibility is that one should not fear the rejection of the other person after proclaiming the gospel.

 

In today's sermon by Stephen, we see in verse 35, "Moses, whom they rejected," and in verse 39, the word "rejected" is repeated twice.  This points out the sin of the Jews who were listening to Stephen's sermon, as they regarded Moses as their greatest prophet but rejected Jesus, whom Moses prophesied as the "Prophet like me."  Look at John 1:11, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him."  Despite the fact that the Jews were eagerly waiting for the Messiah, Jesus, whom they had been waiting for, came to them, and yet they did not receive him.  They not only did not believe, but they also crucified Jesus and sent him away.  Therefore, as disciples following the path of Jesus, we do not need to fear when others reject us while we proclaim his gospel with our lives and words.  What is embarrassing is that while heretical individuals, even when faced with opposition, fervently continue to spread their 'gospel'(?), we Christians, on the other hand, may become discouraged and hang our heads when we face rejection even though we are faithfully proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus.  I believe this may be due to a lack of passion for the gospel.  We should not fear the rejection of others and faithfully fulfill the prophetic role of proclaiming the Gospel.

 

(3)   Third and last, Moses was a pastor of the wilderness church.

 

Look at Acts 7:38 - "This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers.  He received living oracles to give to us."  What is the responsibility of a pastor?  What type of pastor do the members desire?  In the "General Layperson's Consciousness Survey Report on the Presbyterian Church in Korea's Ecclesiastical System" (June 27, 1997, Planning Department of the Kyogang Conference) it says (Internet): What kind of pastor are the lay members of the Korean Presbyterian Church looking for today?  After surveying their consciousness, the results are as follows.  Above all, a pastor must be a spiritually insightful preacher.  When asked about the top priority among the roles of a pastor in the Presbyterian denomination, 67.3% of the respondents answered 'preaching,' far surpassing the next highest response of about 12.1%, which was 'prayer.' 'Bible study' (8.1%), 'counseling, care' (4%), 'evangelism, mission' (3.1%), 'education' (2.3%), and others (3.1%).  The lay members demand pastors who are fully dedicated to their calling.  I asked the respondents, "What type of pastor is requested in the Korean Presbyterian Church today?"  The top choice among the respondents was 'a type who completely dedicates themselves for the church' at 32.3%, followed by 'a type that compassionately cares for the congregants' at 24.2%.  Other pastor types received about 10% each, with 'a type that demands absolute obedience and submission through exceptional spirituality' (12.1%), 'a type that takes responsibility and makes all decisions' (11.7%), and 'a type that entrusts congregants to practice their faith autonomously' (10.3%).  However, the peculiar fact was that the response to 'a type that entrusts to congregants or elders' was only about 3.6%.  This can be seen as a result reflecting the lay members' basic consciousness that at least 'pastors should be leaders.'  Ultimately, pastors requested in the present era should be leaders who proactively present the purposes and directions that the spiritual community should achieve while having a dedicated attitude.  It can be seen here that pastors with an extreme dominating or extreme neglectful attitude are no longer welcomed by congregants in reality.

 

The responsibility of a pastor, as mentioned in the Bible, is to lead God's people (the saints). How do they lead?  They must faithfully proclaim the word of God and guide the flock, as stated in Acts 7:37.  In these two verses, the pastor's responsibility can be summarized in one word: guiding the saints with the word of God.  In today's passage, Stephen says that Moses was the one who received the "living oracles" to give to the people (Acts 7:38).  This teaches us that in order to faithfully proclaim the word of God, pastors must first receive the word of God, which is the path of life.  How then, can pastors receive the word of God?  They must enter the wilderness.  In Henry Nouwen's book "The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry," there is a passage that says: ‘We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with Him and Him alone.  Our first task in solitude, therefore, is not to pay undue attention to the multitude of things that clamor for our attention, but to turn our minds and hearts to Him who is our Lord’ (Nowen).  We can only face our sins in the situation of grace, reveal our wounds in the place of healing, and give up our entrenched fears of Christ in true devotion.  It is when we realize that Christ living within us is our true self, that we can gradually dissolve our compulsions and experience the freedom of being children of God."  In the lonely wilderness, pastors must encounter the Lord, seek His thoughts and hearts through grace, humbly listen with a heart that longs for His voice, and face their own true nature.  In this process, we must confront our sins through His word.  In other words, we must face our true selves (Nouwen).  In this context, we must approach the cross with humility, bearing our sins, and confess with faith that it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  When we experience true freedom in the truth, we can boldly proclaim the word of God.  In this perspective, pastors, like Moses, must shepherd in the wilderness.

 

Christian Today" (May 17, 2005) - 9th Anniversary Special Interview with Pastor Jung-chil Jo.  In the interview, there was a question that resonated with me: ‘If you were to diagnose the Korean church based on your 50 years of ministry experience?’  The church should have a positive image that welcomes many people.  We need to reflect on the image of the church now.  The good image of the church is deteriorating continuously.  The problem with today's church is that the presence of God is not felt.  As a pastor myself, I often think, 'Is God present in today's church?' ...  When a Korean church regains a form that seems to have been anointed by God, it will become a true church.  Who is responsible for this image of the church?  It is the responsibility of the pastor if the presence of God is not felt.  If the pastor does not convey the thought that there is a God, then the congregation cannot think that God exists.  How should the Korean church change?  Looking at our lives, there should be such a fragrance of Christ that people hear that God is present (Christian Today).

 

 

 

 

In the pursuit of the spirituality of the wilderness,

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Praying to lead the entrusted flock under the guidance of the Lord)