I’M getting my picture taken tomorrow by a real photojournalist (it’s actually Sarah Schultz of NewLife). I’M going to have my picture in the paper (the River East and Glastonbury Citizen, most likely). Maybe they’ll even write something nice about ME. You see, I am a BIG SHOT, because I am a PASTOR.
(Now that you’ve finished throwing up…) This past Sunday I spoke about intercession, praying on behalf of others. One of the images that has stuck in my head is that of Moses in Exodus 17. Joshua was leading the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites, and Moses spent the whole time on top of a nearby hill with the staff of God in his hands, interceding for the Israelite army. The Bible says that when Moses’ hands were raised, the Israelites were winning, but when his arms fell, the Amalekites would have the upper hand in the battle. In a comical but brilliant remedy for Moses’ tired arms, his friends Aaron and Hur held his arms up all day until the Israelites were victorious. The story ends with the line “so Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” Certainly Joshua and his army got the honor that day, because they were the ones on the field fighting. However, it is clear that without Moses’ intercession, the battle would have been lost. The absolute importance of behind the scenes intercession is made even clearer by Paul in Ephesians 6, where he tells the Ephesian church that our struggle is not against things of this world but is actually against spiritual forces of evil. The battle is not won in the field alone, but on the hill of intercession. Which brings me back to me being a big shot pastor. Our country is crazy about celebrities, as I’m sure you’re all aware. From the tabloids to the TV shows dedicated to celebrities, you can’t escape Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Nick Lachey, Paris Hilton, and so many others. And now with reality TV, regular people are getting their moment in the spotlight every day. Some of you may read the Java section in the Hartford Courant, where sometimes they even report on the parties and goings-on of local “big shots”, in an attempt to lend a celebrity air to our small state. All of this frenzy over making it on TV or getting your picture in the paper can’t help but influence you to think that the glory belongs to one in front of the crowd, the glamorous ones who manage to be seen by thousands of readers or viewers. And the church sometimes has a hard time resisting that view. Lots of publicity goes to the “glamorous” mega-church pastors, Christian rock stars, and Christians who make it on radio, TV, or in the paper. It’s easy to think that somehow, because they are famous (even if just for 15 minutes), that they are more spiritual and are what we should aspire to become.
The truth is that the Joshuas of the Christian world will make headlines, winning battles and leading their people to victory, while the Moseses (not to mention the Aarons and Hurs) go unnoticed, even though the victory would not have been possible without their intercession. Both are necessary – the Israelites couldn’t have won without those on the battlefield and those on the hilltop. But because of the celebrity-mad world we live in, only one will likely get the glory.
But not in the eyes of the Father. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).
NewLife has clearly been in a battle from the start, as all churches attempting to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission are. It is not a battle against the “evil people” of this region, but it is a battle against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that will do all they can to destroy the witness of Jesus’ church. I recognize that because my name is on the front of the bulletin and my sermons will be on our website, I will get a large share of the honor (and criticism) from people. But I know, and God knows, that the battle is not won by Joshua alone, but by all those who fight alongside of him, and ESPECIALLY by Moses, Aaron, and Hur, interceding in the background for God’s people.
This church, and the people of this region, desperately need more Moseses, Aarons, and Hurs, more people willing to fight the true battle of intercession, regardless of the anonymity under which they might toil. Their honor, which will be great, may never be recognized this side of heaven. But without their work, our work as a church is a lost cause.If the Lord has called you to be a Moses, an Aaron, or a Hur, please accept my sincere thanks, and continue fighting the battle through any of the following ways: · Come to church 15 minutes early and join the pre-service prayer team· Join a home fellowship and find a community that will intercede for each other
· Pray through the items listed below in the Prayer Wall
· Keep the elders and pastor and ministry leaders and members of NewLife in prayer as they “fight” on the front lines
· Pray for the Lord to have victory in the spiritual realm in this region so that hearts might be changed and God’s kingdom be “on earth, as it is in heaven” The world may give the glory to the one whose picture is in the paper today, but tomorrow that paper will be sitting in the recycle bin, replaced by pictures of yet another “big shot”. The work of the intercessor, however, will gain eternal honor for the person of prayer and for the Lord Jesus.
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