Lesson # 3 - Dance Ministers, who do you love? Who are you set out to please?

Dance Ministers, who do you love? Who are you set out to please?

John 12:37-43 and Matthew 5:41-44

In John 12:42-43 we read

“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

Pharisee- a Jewish sect- also called the “pious ones.” A society of men zealous for religion, who acted under the guidance of the scribes. They were the more popular and influential party. They had a zeal for the law – their attitude was external, formal and mechanical. They laid stress not upon the righteousness of action, but upon its formal correctness.

Believing in Jesus Christ is believing in everything He said, did, taught, expects of us, revealed to us and promised us. Our faith lies in Jesus Christ and He is the author and finisher of it. Therefore,  our goal is to please the father. We should not try to be accepted into popular groups or win the favor of well known people in the church or outside of the church. As believers we are commanded to preach the truth of God’s holy Word without compromise. By standing up for the truth we will be disliked, persecuted and even thrown out of our churches especially if we stand up against all of the false doctrine, witchcraft, religion and tradition of the church. Who cares if some won’t like us, invite us back to minister, or turn their nose up at us. Who cares? What matters most is that we please the Father and not men.

John 5:41-44 clearly teaches us that if we strive to please men then the love of the Father is not in our hearts. The only praise we are to seek after is the praise from God. If we try to please men then we are not the servants of Christ (Gal. 1:10). In this ministry there are a lot of temptations to seek opportunism,  to put our own name in lights. There is much competition, jealousy, greed, selfish ambition and the like. If our focus is not on Jesus, His will and His purposes it will be easy to fall into one of the above. Let’s keep our hearts, minds and eyes on Jesus. Let’s seek to please Him and Him only operating under His direction. Let’s keep our motives pure and holy so that God can enlarge our territories!

Be Blessed.

PDCM