The God Who Holds Leaders Accountable, Part 1

Micah 3:1-12
Broadcast Featured Image

Today’s message dives into the principle that faithfulness in what God has entrusted to us can lead to even greater trust. This holds true for money, responsibility, influence, ministry, and friendships.

Pastor Colin underscores the importance of recognising the various trusts we hold, from relationships and work to special gifts and ministry. He reminds us that being faithful in these areas can result in more responsibilities from God.

The episode takes us through the book of Micah, chapter 3, focusing on the message “The God Who Holds Leaders Accountable.” Here, Pastor Colin elaborates on how every leader, whether in elected positions or appointed roles, holds an accountability before God. Importantly, he also connects effective prayer with righteous living, saying, “Effective praying depends on right living.”.

1

00:00:00,880 –> 00:00:06,800

It’s a general principle in life that if you are

2

00:00:06,800 –> 00:00:12,240

faithful in what God has trusted to you now God will trust you with more in the future.

3

00:00:12,800 –> 00:00:17,760

Wonderful principle really. It’s true of money. It’s true of responsibility.

4

00:00:17,760 –> 00:00:24,959

It’s true of influence, ministry, and friendship. Faithfulness leads to more trust.

5

00:00:24,959 –> 00:00:28,480

Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick,

6

00:00:29,200 –> 00:00:34,480

I guess there are some people probably thinking, I’m pleased that God holds leaders accountable,

7

00:00:34,480 –> 00:00:39,040

but that doesn’t apply to me. I’m not a leader. Yes well you may not be a leader but God has

8

00:00:39,040 –> 00:00:44,880

given you a trust. Everyone has been given an trust. You’ve been trusted with relationships,

9

00:00:45,439 –> 00:00:49,919

you’ve been trusted with certain work, you’ve been trusted with certain gifts,

10

00:00:49,919 –> 00:00:56,160

and all of us are accountable for the trust that God has given in to each of our hands.

11

00:00:56,240 –> 00:00:59,919

That relates to leaders in regards to the responsibilities of leadership,

12

00:00:59,919 –> 00:01:04,480

but it relates to everyone in regards to what’s trusted to us. So there’s a very important

13

00:01:04,480 –> 00:01:09,599

principle here and a wonderful principle that when we’re faithful with regards to what God

14

00:01:09,599 –> 00:01:15,279

has trusted to us, he trusts more. He’s wonderfully generous in that regard,

15

00:01:15,279 –> 00:01:18,959

but we are accountable for all that’s trusted into our hands.

16

00:01:19,599 –> 00:01:25,040

So we’ll look at this today in the book of Micah chapter 3 as we begin the message,

17

00:01:25,040 –> 00:01:28,959

The God Who Holds Leaders Accountable. Here’s Colin.

18

00:01:28,959 –> 00:01:33,360

I’m gonna plunge straight into the text this morning and see where it leads.

19

00:01:33,360 –> 00:01:39,279

It really is a story with a surplusing and a wonderful ending.

20

00:01:41,919 –> 00:01:52,480

Look at verse 1. Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel.

21

00:01:52,720 –> 00:01:57,839

So straight away in this chapter, it’s very obvious that God is speaking to leaders.

22

00:01:59,120 –> 00:02:03,599

Let’s take a few moments to ponder that theme before we walk through these verses together.

23

00:02:05,360 –> 00:02:12,160

The Bible has a very great deal to say about leadership and all leadership is a gift or a

24

00:02:12,160 –> 00:02:20,000

trust from God. Some positions of leadership are elected, that is, the people make a choice

25

00:02:20,479 –> 00:02:27,039

through a process of voting and trust the task of leadership to others who are willing to take

26

00:02:27,039 –> 00:02:32,559

that responsibility. It happens in government, it happens in the church and in many other spheres.

27

00:02:32,559 –> 00:02:41,039

Leadership is a trust that is given by the people. In other spheres, especially in business,

28

00:02:41,039 –> 00:02:48,080

leaders are appointed. There’s no voting that is involved. But leadership is still a trust

29

00:02:48,160 –> 00:02:52,720

from those who make the appointment and ultimately from God. Very interesting

30

00:02:52,720 –> 00:02:59,679

that the apostle Paul tells us in the book of Romans, chapter 13, that the governing authorities

31

00:02:59,679 –> 00:03:05,039

are established by God. Fascinating that he would say that in Romans of all places because

32

00:03:05,039 –> 00:03:11,119

the Roman empire was hardly a model of democracy. But even governments like the Roman one is not

33

00:03:11,119 –> 00:03:16,880

elected by the people. Paul says, the authorities are established by God and that means

34

00:03:17,520 –> 00:03:23,199

that even the most tyrannical authority is accountable to God.

35

00:03:24,080 –> 00:03:31,600

So, all leadership then involves a gift of trust from people to people and ultimately from God

36

00:03:32,160 –> 00:03:38,800

to people. And therefore, all leaders are accountable, first, to other people and then

37

00:03:38,800 –> 00:03:44,240

ultimately to God. So, for example, I am accountable to the church board and to the

38

00:03:44,240 –> 00:03:49,199

congregation who hired me. The same is true in your work, whatever that is,

39

00:03:49,199 –> 00:03:55,919

whatever authority or responsibility you have is given to you by someone else and you are

40

00:03:55,919 –> 00:04:02,320

accountable to them for the way that you use it. Now, I think it s worth taking a few moments

41

00:04:02,320 –> 00:04:07,759

just to list the trust that has been given by God to you. And if you have a pen and a bit of

42

00:04:07,759 –> 00:04:12,559

paper, you might like at least to jot down one or two headings to consider, and one or two immediate

43

00:04:12,639 –> 00:04:17,760

ideas that come to mind. Because you will be surprised, as I think I ve been surprised again

44

00:04:17,760 –> 00:04:24,959

just looking through how much has been trusted by God to each and every one of us. Take the

45

00:04:24,959 –> 00:04:31,600

area, for example, of relationships, your relationships are a trust from God.

46

00:04:32,720 –> 00:04:38,000

Every time I do a wedding I am reminded of this in a particular way. That a great deal of the

47

00:04:38,000 –> 00:04:43,440

happiness of one woman is now trusted into the hands of a man and the great deal of happiness

48

00:04:43,440 –> 00:04:50,640

for that man is now trusted into the hands of this woman. It is a trust. If you’re a husband,

49

00:04:50,640 –> 00:04:57,679

if you’re a wife, you have been trusted with another person by God. It’s a huge trust.

50

00:04:58,640 –> 00:05:07,200

When a child is born, this new little life is trusted to the parents. God places this little

51

00:05:07,200 –> 00:05:14,799

life in your hands. Friendships involve a gift of trust. Your friends influence your life,

52

00:05:14,799 –> 00:05:22,559

you influence their lives and a good friend is one who is trustworthy. So what has God

53

00:05:22,559 –> 00:05:29,040

trusted to you in the area of relationships? As you map it out, you’ll find it’s quite extensive.

54

00:05:30,399 –> 00:05:36,000

That’s just one area, look at your work. Your work is a trust from your employers to you

55

00:05:36,000 –> 00:05:40,559

and ultimately from God to you, you have certain responsibilities in your work.

56

00:05:40,559 –> 00:05:44,399

There are certain things you’ve been trusted to do. If you’re a teacher you’re trusted with

57

00:05:44,399 –> 00:05:50,880

students. If you’re a nurse or you’re a doctor, you’re trusted with patients. If you’re working

58

00:05:50,880 –> 00:05:56,160

in investments, you are trusted with other people’s money. If you’re a pastor or a missionary,

59

00:05:56,160 –> 00:06:01,760

you are trusted with the scriptures and the care of God’s flock. You may have been trusted with

60

00:06:01,760 –> 00:06:07,760

the oversight of other people, maybe two or three in a project team, maybe two or 300

61

00:06:08,559 –> 00:06:13,679

in a large company. What have you been trusted in your work?

62

00:06:13,679 –> 00:06:21,920

Then there’s the whole area of your gifts, your abilities, which are a trust given from God,

63

00:06:21,920 –> 00:06:26,720

your ability to work with your hands as we’ve just seen folks working with their hands

64

00:06:26,720 –> 00:06:32,559

in the service of other people, your ability to work with your mind is a trust from God.

65

00:06:33,440 –> 00:06:38,399

Your creativity, your enterprise, your love for children, your sensitivity towards people

66

00:06:38,399 –> 00:06:42,880

with special needs, your ability to connect with young people, your natural way of being

67

00:06:42,880 –> 00:06:47,600

able to communicate the gospel with others, these are all gifts that have been trusted

68

00:06:47,600 –> 00:06:53,679

to you by almighty God and you’re accountable for the way that you use them.

69

00:06:53,679 –> 00:06:55,679

What gifts has God trusted to you?

70

00:06:55,679 –> 00:06:59,119

Don’t say he hasn’t given me any, that means you just haven’t seen them yet.

71

00:07:00,239 –> 00:07:01,600

What has he trusted to you?

72

00:07:03,119 –> 00:07:04,399

And how are you using them?

73

00:07:05,679 –> 00:07:08,640

Then of course, there’s the whole area of ministry itself.

74

00:07:09,440 –> 00:07:12,799

You may have a Sunday school class, you may be a small group leader.

75

00:07:12,880 –> 00:07:17,760

Whatever your ministry is, it is a trust from God and the ministry we share together

76

00:07:17,760 –> 00:07:21,279

is a trust that God has given to us as a congregation.

77

00:07:22,959 –> 00:07:29,839

Your money, all that passes through your hands, you have been trusted with a certain amount of

78

00:07:29,839 –> 00:07:31,359

money, large or small.

79

00:07:31,359 –> 00:07:33,440

It is a trust from God.

80

00:07:34,480 –> 00:07:37,920

Together as Christian believers, we are trusted with the gospel.

81

00:07:38,720 –> 00:07:40,799

And Paul says we’re to guard the gospel.

82

00:07:40,799 –> 00:07:44,399

Jude says there may be times when we have to contend for the gospel,

83

00:07:44,399 –> 00:07:48,640

we are trusted with proclaiming the gospel, and we are trusted with living the gospel.

84

00:07:48,640 –> 00:07:53,679

So it’s good to make a list of all that God has trusted to you.

85

00:07:55,600 –> 00:07:59,440

And you will see very quickly that God has trusted a great deal

86

00:07:59,440 –> 00:08:03,519

into your hands as he has to mine.

87

00:08:04,480 –> 00:08:08,899

Now it’s a general principle in life that if you are faithful

88

00:08:08,899 –> 00:08:13,679

in what God has trusted to you now, God will trust you with more in the future.

89

00:08:13,679 –> 00:08:15,440

Wonderful principle really.

90

00:08:15,440 –> 00:08:16,980

It’s true of money,

91

00:08:16,980 –> 00:08:20,359

it’s true of responsibility, it’s true of influence, ministry,

92

00:08:20,359 –> 00:08:22,100

and friendship.

93

00:08:22,100 –> 00:08:26,220

Faithfulness leads to more trust.

94

00:08:26,220 –> 00:08:29,720

You’re faithful in what God has given you already,

95

00:08:29,720 –> 00:08:32,979

it’s more than likely he’ll trust you with more.

96

00:08:33,679 –> 00:08:36,020

Remember, Jesus told a story about three servants

97

00:08:36,020 –> 00:08:38,700

who were trusted with investing money.

98

00:08:38,700 –> 00:08:40,099

Two of them did a good job.

99

00:08:40,099 –> 00:08:43,280

They were enterprising and they showed themselves

100

00:08:43,280 –> 00:08:45,940

to be wise managers.

101

00:08:45,940 –> 00:08:48,280

And when their employer returned,

102

00:08:48,280 –> 00:08:49,340

the employer said,

103

00:08:49,340 –> 00:08:52,440

well done good and faithful servant

104

00:08:52,440 –> 00:08:55,500

you’ve been faithful in a few things

105

00:08:55,500 –> 00:08:57,799

and what was the result of that?

106

00:08:57,799 –> 00:09:01,880

I will now put you in charge of many things.

107

00:09:01,880 –> 00:09:05,140

In Luke’s version of the parable,

108

00:09:05,140 –> 00:09:06,460

when the master comes back,

109

00:09:06,460 –> 00:09:08,539

I guess Jesus has told it more than once,

110

00:09:08,539 –> 00:09:10,260

the master is saying to his servants

111

00:09:10,260 –> 00:09:12,179

you’ve been faithful in a few things.

112

00:09:12,179 –> 00:09:15,619

I’ll put you in charge of 10 cities.

113

00:09:15,619 –> 00:09:20,140

Big responsibility is the gift that God gives

114

00:09:20,140 –> 00:09:23,820

in the light of earlier faithfulness.

115

00:09:23,820 –> 00:09:28,380

Jesus spells out the principle of God rewarding faithfulness

116

00:09:28,380 –> 00:09:32,580

with greater responsibility in Luke 16 and verse 10.

117

00:09:32,580 –> 00:09:36,940

He said, whoever can be trusted with very little

118

00:09:36,940 –> 00:09:40,380

can also be trusted with much.

119

00:09:40,380 –> 00:09:44,039

And whoever is dishonest with a little

120

00:09:44,039 –> 00:09:48,099

will also be dishonest with much.

121

00:09:48,099 –> 00:09:49,739

Now that’s an important principle.

122

00:09:51,219 –> 00:09:53,780

See, whenever you’re faced with making choices

123

00:09:53,780 –> 00:09:56,539

about who to trust,

124

00:09:56,580 –> 00:09:59,380

look at that person’s track record.

125

00:09:59,380 –> 00:10:02,159

That’s what we learned from the scriptures here.

126

00:10:02,159 –> 00:10:05,299

Because the person who’s been faithful in little

127

00:10:05,299 –> 00:10:08,780

is the person who you can trust with much.

128

00:10:08,780 –> 00:10:12,039

And the person who did not do so well with little

129

00:10:12,039 –> 00:10:16,619

is the person that you should not trust with much.

130

00:10:16,619 –> 00:10:19,940

So whenever you find yourself making choices about trust

131

00:10:19,940 –> 00:10:21,659

here’s the question.

132

00:10:21,659 –> 00:10:25,080

Where has this person proved faithful?

133

00:10:25,979 –> 00:10:29,260

You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith

134

00:10:29,260 –> 00:10:32,159

and we got to pause the message briefly there.

135

00:10:32,159 –> 00:10:33,619

The message is called

136

00:10:33,619 –> 00:10:36,260

The God Who Holds Leaders Accountable.

137

00:10:36,260 –> 00:10:38,099

And it’s part of our series

138

00:10:38,099 –> 00:10:40,719

Close Encounters with the Living God.

139

00:10:40,719 –> 00:10:42,340

If you’ve missed any of the series

140

00:10:42,340 –> 00:10:44,599

or if you want to go back and listen again

141

00:10:44,599 –> 00:10:47,500

you can always do that by coming online to our website.

142

00:10:47,500 –> 00:10:51,700

That’s at openthebible.org.uk

143

00:10:51,700 –> 00:10:53,739

You can also find us as a podcast

144

00:10:53,760 –> 00:10:56,700

and that’s available on your regular podcasting site

145

00:10:56,700 –> 00:10:58,640

Just search for Open The Bible UK

146

00:10:58,640 –> 00:11:01,700

and subscribe to receive regular updates.

147

00:11:01,700 –> 00:11:02,780

Back to the message now.

148

00:11:02,780 –> 00:11:06,119

We’re in Micah 3 here’s Colin.

149

00:11:06,119 –> 00:11:09,719

Whenever you find yourself making choices about trust

150

00:11:09,719 –> 00:11:14,719

here’s the question, where has this person proved faithful?

151

00:11:16,260 –> 00:11:18,900

It’s a great question that will keep you

152

00:11:18,900 –> 00:11:22,200

from trusting the wrong people.

153

00:11:22,320 –> 00:11:26,520

When you’re choosing leaders, when you’re choosing friends,

154

00:11:28,719 –> 00:11:33,559

when you’re considering what to look for in a life partner,

155

00:11:33,559 –> 00:11:37,099

when you’re choosing who to hire for your company,

156

00:11:37,099 –> 00:11:40,539

when you’re choosing who to trust with a confidence,

157

00:11:40,539 –> 00:11:43,979

when you’re trying to discern the extent of the freedoms

158

00:11:43,979 –> 00:11:44,820

that you should give

159

00:11:44,820 –> 00:11:46,940

to your teenage son or your daughter.

160

00:11:46,940 –> 00:11:47,919

Here’s the question.

161

00:11:49,119 –> 00:11:51,760

Where has this person proved faithful?

162

00:11:53,080 –> 00:11:56,539

And faithfulness leads to more trust.

163

00:11:58,159 –> 00:11:59,599

And what follows from that, of course,

164

00:11:59,599 –> 00:12:04,320

is that more trust leads to more accountability.

165

00:12:04,320 –> 00:12:05,919

See, you and I are accountable

166

00:12:05,919 –> 00:12:08,460

for all that we have been given.

167

00:12:08,460 –> 00:12:12,080

And the more that God trusts into your hands,

168

00:12:12,080 –> 00:12:14,520

the higher the level of accountability,

169

00:12:14,520 –> 00:12:17,760

because there is more for which you are now accountable.

170

00:12:18,599 –> 00:12:21,400

You are accountable for all that you have been given.

171

00:12:22,400 –> 00:12:24,919

And the more that you are given by the hand of God,

172

00:12:24,919 –> 00:12:27,479

the more accountable you become.

173

00:12:27,479 –> 00:12:29,159

By the way, that is why the Bible

174

00:12:29,159 –> 00:12:31,679

urges us to pray for our leaders.

175

00:12:31,679 –> 00:12:36,219

Children, pray for your parents.

176

00:12:36,219 –> 00:12:37,700

Pray for your mom and dad.

177

00:12:38,799 –> 00:12:42,000

Pray for your mom and dad because they’ve got a big job

178

00:12:42,000 –> 00:12:43,599

that they’ve been given by God

179

00:12:44,599 –> 00:12:47,200

to lead and to direct your life.

180

00:12:48,880 –> 00:12:51,320

Congregation, pray for your pastors

181

00:12:51,380 –> 00:12:52,640

and for your elders.

182

00:12:52,640 –> 00:12:56,640

God has given them a big responsibility to lead the flock.

183

00:12:57,859 –> 00:13:00,059

Citizens, pray for your president,

184

00:13:00,059 –> 00:13:02,619

your senators, your congressmen, your local leaders.

185

00:13:02,619 –> 00:13:05,400

God has given them a big responsibility

186

00:13:06,440 –> 00:13:07,659

to lead our country.

187

00:13:09,440 –> 00:13:11,679

And the God of the Bible is the God

188

00:13:11,679 –> 00:13:16,179

who at every level holds leaders accountable.

189

00:13:17,380 –> 00:13:19,520

You see this most clearly in the New Testament

190

00:13:19,520 –> 00:13:23,119

in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 17,

191

00:13:23,119 –> 00:13:26,500

where the writer to Hebrews says to a Christian congregation

192

00:13:26,500 –> 00:13:29,320

obey your leaders and submit to their authority

193

00:13:29,320 –> 00:13:33,280

for they keep watch over you

194

00:13:33,280 –> 00:13:36,539

as men who must give an account.

195

00:13:38,880 –> 00:13:43,659

So the pastors and the elders will give an account to God

196

00:13:44,960 –> 00:13:46,760

for what has been trusted to them.

197

00:13:47,739 –> 00:13:50,940

God holds leaders accountable.

198

00:13:52,820 –> 00:13:54,119

And on the last day,

199

00:13:54,119 –> 00:13:58,159

we will have to answer questions like this.

200

00:13:58,159 –> 00:14:00,679

How have you been faithful to the gospel

201

00:14:00,679 –> 00:14:02,299

as an elder or as a pastor?

202

00:14:04,239 –> 00:14:06,520

How have you shephered of the flock of God

203

00:14:06,520 –> 00:14:08,419

as an elder or as a pastor?

204

00:14:10,359 –> 00:14:14,179

How have you led God’s people in vigorous fulfillment

205

00:14:14,179 –> 00:14:17,739

of the great commission that I, Christ, gave to you?

206

00:14:20,179 –> 00:14:24,159

They must keep watch as those who will give an account.

207

00:14:26,260 –> 00:14:28,159

That’s what it says about leaders.

208

00:14:29,200 –> 00:14:30,739

See, the more that’s trusted,

209

00:14:30,739 –> 00:14:32,719

the higher the level of accountability.

210

00:14:35,380 –> 00:14:37,580

So, no one should underestimate the responsibility

211

00:14:37,580 –> 00:14:40,539

that goes with the privilege of leadership.

212

00:14:40,539 –> 00:14:42,179

Pray for your leaders.

213

00:14:43,179 –> 00:14:45,940

Because they’ve been given a great responsibility

214

00:14:45,940 –> 00:14:50,700

by you and before God.

215

00:14:53,580 –> 00:14:55,479

Now, once again, that was a bit of a long introduction,

216

00:14:55,479 –> 00:14:57,820

but it sets the scene for what we have here

217

00:14:57,820 –> 00:14:59,739

in Micah, in chapter three.

218

00:14:59,739 –> 00:15:01,179

Because you notice right from verse one

219

00:15:01,179 –> 00:15:03,739

that God is speaking to leaders who have been

220

00:15:03,739 –> 00:15:06,859

given a trust and therefore are accountable.

221

00:15:06,859 –> 00:15:10,140

The problem here is that these leaders

222

00:15:10,140 –> 00:15:14,520

in Micah, chapter three, have betrayed their trust.

223

00:15:14,520 –> 00:15:17,239

Very simply, they are abusing

224

00:15:17,239 –> 00:15:21,020

what God has trusted into their hands.

225

00:15:21,020 –> 00:15:23,940

Verse two and three, should you not know justice?

226

00:15:23,940 –> 00:15:28,400

You who hate good and love evil.

227

00:15:28,400 –> 00:15:31,239

And then we have this description of tearing skin

228

00:15:31,239 –> 00:15:33,799

and flesh and bones and so forth

229

00:15:33,799 –> 00:15:36,940

and chopping up meat for the pan.

230

00:15:36,940 –> 00:15:38,619

I mean, these prophets and priests

231

00:15:38,739 –> 00:15:42,799

were supposed to be the shepherds of God’s people.

232

00:15:42,799 –> 00:15:44,299

From this description, it seems they were

233

00:15:44,299 –> 00:15:47,840

more like the butchers of God’s people.

234

00:15:48,940 –> 00:15:51,700

So what does God do when leaders

235

00:15:51,700 –> 00:15:55,280

are unfaithful to their trust?

236

00:15:56,440 –> 00:15:58,900

What happens when a prophet or a priest

237

00:15:58,900 –> 00:16:01,900

or a pastor or a parent or a product manager

238

00:16:01,900 –> 00:16:04,640

or a publicist or a professor or a promoter

239

00:16:04,640 –> 00:16:06,460

or a plumber proves unfaithful?

240

00:16:06,460 –> 00:16:08,140

I’ve run out of peats,

241

00:16:08,140 –> 00:16:10,340

but you can run this in any sphere of life.

242

00:16:12,299 –> 00:16:15,739

What happens when you prove unfaithful

243

00:16:15,739 –> 00:16:18,140

in what God has trusted to you?

244

00:16:20,299 –> 00:16:21,260

Answer?

245

00:16:22,320 –> 00:16:27,320

God stops listening to the leaders’ prayers.

246

00:16:27,979 –> 00:16:30,219

Look at Verse 4, you’ll see it very clearly.

247

00:16:31,200 –> 00:16:34,299

Then they will cry out to the Lord,

248

00:16:34,299 –> 00:16:35,780

but he will not answer them.

249

00:16:37,239 –> 00:16:39,659

At that time he will hide his face from them

250

00:16:39,659 –> 00:16:42,979

because of the evil they have done.

251

00:16:45,080 –> 00:16:47,700

Now, here we come to another principle

252

00:16:47,700 –> 00:16:49,820

that runs right the way through the scriptures.

253

00:16:49,820 –> 00:16:51,619

And it’s simply this,

254

00:16:51,619 –> 00:16:56,619

that effective praying depends on right living.

255

00:16:56,739 –> 00:17:01,739

Effective praying depends on right living.

256

00:17:02,179 –> 00:17:03,840

Let me give you some scripture for this.

257

00:17:03,840 –> 00:17:05,699

You will find it all the way through the Bible,

258

00:17:05,839 –> 00:17:07,359

one that is such a clear principle.

259

00:17:07,359 –> 00:17:09,800

James 5.13 he says,

260

00:17:09,800 –> 00:17:13,699

it is the prayer of a righteous man

261

00:17:13,699 –> 00:17:15,479

that is powerful and effective.

262

00:17:15,479 –> 00:17:16,739

Why does he say that?

263

00:17:17,719 –> 00:17:20,359

Because God does not listen to the prayers

264

00:17:20,359 –> 00:17:22,839

of those who are committed to the path

265

00:17:22,839 –> 00:17:24,520

of unrighteousness.

266

00:17:26,199 –> 00:17:29,660

Effective praying depends on right living.

267

00:17:30,880 –> 00:17:33,880

Or 1 Peter 3.7.

268

00:17:33,880 –> 00:17:36,680

Listen to this in the context of marriage.

269

00:17:36,680 –> 00:17:41,680

Husbands, be considerate as you live with your wives.

270

00:17:43,859 –> 00:17:45,900

Treat them with respect.

271

00:17:45,900 –> 00:17:47,339

Why?

272

00:17:47,339 –> 00:17:51,579

So that nothing will hinder your prayers.

273

00:17:53,939 –> 00:17:56,140

You giving your wife a hard time?

274

00:17:57,500 –> 00:18:01,000

Don’t expect God to be inclined to listen to your prayers.

275

00:18:01,000 –> 00:18:02,160

That’s what Peter says.

276

00:18:04,020 –> 00:18:06,180

Or Psalm 66 in verse 18,

277

00:18:06,180 –> 00:18:09,800

If I had cherished sin in my heart

278

00:18:09,800 –> 00:18:11,880

the Lord would not have listened.

279

00:18:11,880 –> 00:18:13,560

Could this be plainer?

280

00:18:13,560 –> 00:18:15,959

He’s not saying, if I’ve ever sinned God won’t listen

281

00:18:15,959 –> 00:18:18,160

but he says, if I cherish sin in my heart,

282

00:18:18,160 –> 00:18:20,300

if I hold onto it, if I pursue it,

283

00:18:20,300 –> 00:18:21,640

If I will not give it up

284

00:18:21,640 –> 00:18:24,300

I can’t expect that God will listen to me.

285

00:18:27,040 –> 00:18:29,680

Or 1 John 1 in verse six.

286

00:18:29,680 –> 00:18:31,920

If we claim to have fellowship with him

287

00:18:31,920 –> 00:18:36,920

and yet walk in darkness, walk in darkness

288

00:18:37,000 –> 00:18:41,160

then we lie and we do not live by the truth.

289

00:18:42,839 –> 00:18:45,020

Now hear me clearly, this does not mean

290

00:18:45,020 –> 00:18:48,040

that you have to be perfect before you can pray.

291

00:18:48,959 –> 00:18:51,760

The reason that we come to God in the name of Jesus

292

00:18:51,760 –> 00:18:54,400

is that none of us can come with completely clean hands

293

00:18:54,400 –> 00:18:56,199

or completely pure hearts.

294

00:18:57,939 –> 00:19:00,520

But what good scriptures teach us clearly

295

00:19:00,520 –> 00:19:03,900

is that if there is sin in your life

296

00:19:05,099 –> 00:19:10,079

that you continue to pursue and that you refuse to face

297

00:19:11,119 –> 00:19:14,400

you cherish it, you walk in it

298

00:19:14,400 –> 00:19:16,219

and you will not turn from it

299

00:19:17,219 –> 00:19:20,640

then very simply God has an issue with you,

300

00:19:20,640 –> 00:19:23,719

he really does, and what he says is

301

00:19:23,719 –> 00:19:26,520

look if you will not deal with your sins

302

00:19:26,520 –> 00:19:29,020

I will not listen to your prayers.

303

00:19:29,780 –> 00:19:32,300

It would be a farce for you to suggest

304

00:19:32,300 –> 00:19:34,939

that you’re drawing close to me

305

00:19:34,939 –> 00:19:37,739

when actually you’re pursuing a path that’s far from me,

306

00:19:38,839 –> 00:19:39,859

that’s hypocrisy.

307

00:19:41,599 –> 00:19:43,800

And God says I won’t play any part in that.

308

00:19:46,079 –> 00:19:48,380

Now you see that is why self examination

309

00:19:48,380 –> 00:19:52,020

and confession of our sins is so important

310

00:19:52,020 –> 00:19:54,459

when we come to God because God has made

311

00:19:54,459 –> 00:19:57,680

an unbreakable connection between your relationship

312

00:19:58,020 –> 00:20:00,199

with Him and your relationship with others,

313

00:20:01,739 –> 00:20:03,640

your responsibility towards Him

314

00:20:03,640 –> 00:20:06,099

and your responsibility towards others.

315

00:20:07,000 –> 00:20:08,339

That’s why for example when we look

316

00:20:08,339 –> 00:20:10,459

in the 10 Commandments, the first four

317

00:20:10,459 –> 00:20:12,579

are about what it means to love God

318

00:20:12,579 –> 00:20:16,040

but you can’t have these without the last six

319

00:20:16,040 –> 00:20:17,959

that are about how you relate to other people,

320

00:20:17,959 –> 00:20:20,119

you loving your neighbor as yourself,

321

00:20:20,119 –> 00:20:22,020

how you relate to your mom and dad,

322

00:20:22,020 –> 00:20:24,400

how you tell truth in the office,

323

00:20:24,400 –> 00:20:26,739

how you have integrity at work,

324

00:20:26,739 –> 00:20:28,079

how you’re faithful to your wife,

325

00:20:28,079 –> 00:20:29,420

and so forth and so on.

326

00:20:31,140 –> 00:20:33,739

Because a life of love for God cannot be pursued

327

00:20:33,739 –> 00:20:36,579

without integrity towards others.

328

00:20:39,000 –> 00:20:41,420

Satan wants to erect a wall in your mind

329

00:20:41,420 –> 00:20:44,859

so that you can think yourself spiritual

330

00:20:44,859 –> 00:20:46,739

while you pursue an unchanged life

331

00:20:46,739 –> 00:20:48,380

and God says don’t think I’m listening

332

00:20:48,380 –> 00:20:50,619

to your prayers under these circumstances.

333

00:20:52,459 –> 00:20:54,000

It’s the same in the Lord’s prayer, isn’t it?

334

00:20:54,000 –> 00:20:55,640

That unbreakable connection.

335

00:20:55,640 –> 00:20:59,319

If I come to the Lord and I say, forgive me my sins,

336

00:20:59,319 –> 00:21:02,219

he immediately asks me, well now Colin

337

00:21:02,219 –> 00:21:05,160

is there anyone else around you that you need to forgive?

338

00:21:06,040 –> 00:21:07,900

I cannot separate these two things

339

00:21:07,900 –> 00:21:09,660

because I can’t have a little privatized

340

00:21:09,660 –> 00:21:11,400

spiritual relationship with God

341

00:21:11,400 –> 00:21:15,140

that is separate from the way that I live my life

342

00:21:15,140 –> 00:21:16,819

in relation to other people.

343

00:21:19,439 –> 00:21:21,339

So you see all these scriptures are pointing

344

00:21:21,339 –> 00:21:23,560

to the same fundamental principle

345

00:21:24,900 –> 00:21:29,900

that effective praying depends on right living.

346

00:21:30,439 –> 00:21:32,020

That’s why prayer is such a powerful thing.

347

00:21:32,020 –> 00:21:34,640

When I come to seek the face of God,

348

00:21:35,979 –> 00:21:38,000

there more than any other time

349

00:21:38,000 –> 00:21:40,979

I have to search my heart.

350

00:21:40,979 –> 00:21:44,359

Search me and know me, see if there is

351

00:21:44,359 –> 00:21:48,239

any wicked way in me.

352

00:21:48,800 –> 00:21:51,300

Now, you see what’s happening in Micah chapter three.

353

00:21:52,160 –> 00:21:55,640

Here are people who are ripping others off,

354

00:21:55,640 –> 00:21:59,300

chewing others up, and then coming on Sunday

355

00:21:59,300 –> 00:22:01,079

to the temple and saying their prayers

356

00:22:01,079 –> 00:22:02,880

and thinking that they’re spiritual.

357

00:22:04,400 –> 00:22:06,760

But they did not listen to the cries of the poor

358

00:22:06,760 –> 00:22:08,540

and God says, as long as that’s the case,

359

00:22:08,540 –> 00:22:10,540

He will not listen to their cries either,

360

00:22:11,560 –> 00:22:14,880

because God holds His people accountable.

361

00:22:15,640 –> 00:22:16,459

Accountable.

362

00:22:17,800 –> 00:22:19,520

That’s a great reminder, isn’t it,

363

00:22:19,520 –> 00:22:21,680

that God holds us accountable

364

00:22:21,680 –> 00:22:24,760

for what He has entrusted into our hands.

365

00:22:24,760 –> 00:22:26,339

You’ve been listening to Open the Bible

366

00:22:26,339 –> 00:22:27,680

with Pastor Colin Smith

367

00:22:27,680 –> 00:22:31,140

and a message called The God Who Holds Leaders Accountable.

368

00:22:31,140 –> 00:22:33,660

It’s part of our series Closing Counters

369

00:22:33,660 –> 00:22:36,680

with The Living God and if you’ve missed any of the series

370

00:22:36,680 –> 00:22:38,839

or if you want to go back and listen again,

371

00:22:38,839 –> 00:22:43,280

why not come online to our website, openthebible.org.uk

372

00:22:43,339 –> 00:22:45,260

and there you can hear any of the messages

373

00:22:45,260 –> 00:22:47,760

which have already gone out on air.

374

00:22:47,760 –> 00:22:49,959

Or if it’s easier, find us as a podcast

375

00:22:49,959 –> 00:22:51,859

on your favorite podcast site.

376

00:22:51,859 –> 00:22:55,920

You can do that by searching for Open the Bible UK.

377

00:22:55,920 –> 00:22:58,500

While you’re on our website, have a good look around.

378

00:22:58,500 –> 00:23:01,439

We have plenty of resources for individual Christians,

379

00:23:01,439 –> 00:23:04,819

for Christian groups and for Bible study in general.

380

00:23:04,819 –> 00:23:06,719

You’ll also find Open the Bible Daily

381

00:23:06,719 –> 00:23:10,000

which is a set of short two to three minute reflections

382

00:23:10,000 –> 00:23:11,900

based on Pastor Colin’s teaching

383

00:23:11,959 –> 00:23:14,579

and read in the UK by Sue McLeish.

384

00:23:14,579 –> 00:23:19,719

All these are available on our website openthebible.org.uk

385

00:23:21,020 –> 00:23:22,939

Open the Bible is supported entirely

386

00:23:22,939 –> 00:23:25,300

by the generosity of our listeners

387

00:23:25,300 –> 00:23:26,619

and we want to thank you

388

00:23:26,619 –> 00:23:29,260

for supporting our ministry in that way.

389

00:23:29,260 –> 00:23:31,739

If you haven’t previously supported Open the Bible

390

00:23:31,739 –> 00:23:33,660

but you’d like to begin doing so,

391

00:23:33,660 –> 00:23:36,280

we’d like to thank you by sending you a copy

392

00:23:36,280 –> 00:23:39,900

of Kevin DeYoung’s book, Impossible Christianity.

393

00:23:39,900 –> 00:23:43,119

It has a very long subtitle.

394

00:23:43,119 –> 00:23:44,520

The subtitle is

395

00:23:44,520 –> 00:23:46,959

why following Jesus does not mean

396

00:23:46,959 –> 00:23:48,699

you have to change the world,

397

00:23:48,699 –> 00:23:50,459

be an expert in everything,

398

00:23:50,459 –> 00:23:52,260

accept spiritual failure

399

00:23:52,260 –> 00:23:55,859

and feel miserable pretty much all the time.

400

00:23:55,859 –> 00:23:58,359

Colin, how did the book help you?

401

00:23:58,359 –> 00:24:01,780

Well, it brought a fresh sense of peace to my soul.

402

00:24:01,780 –> 00:24:04,920

The problem is that sometimes we put burdens

403

00:24:04,920 –> 00:24:07,619

on ourselves that God never intended us to carry.

404

00:24:08,020 –> 00:24:11,300

We all know that we never do anything perfectly

405

00:24:11,300 –> 00:24:13,619

and that none of us is perfect.

406

00:24:13,619 –> 00:24:15,180

But what we can lose sight of

407

00:24:15,180 –> 00:24:17,900

is that it is actually possible to live a life

408

00:24:17,900 –> 00:24:19,380

that is pleasing to God

409

00:24:19,380 –> 00:24:21,880

and that acts of faith and hope and love

410

00:24:21,880 –> 00:24:24,180

really are pleasing to him.

411

00:24:24,180 –> 00:24:27,180

And Kevin De Young brings us out in a beautiful way

412

00:24:27,180 –> 00:24:30,280

that I think will bring a sense of relief

413

00:24:30,280 –> 00:24:33,459

to the souls of many people who read this book.

414

00:24:33,459 –> 00:24:34,819

And that’s why I’m really excited

415

00:24:34,819 –> 00:24:36,619

that we’re able to share it this month.

416

00:24:36,660 –> 00:24:39,060

It was immensely helpful to me

417

00:24:39,060 –> 00:24:41,020

and I think that it will be immensely helpful

418

00:24:41,020 –> 00:24:42,420

to everyone who reads it,

419

00:24:42,420 –> 00:24:45,339

especially people who have a tendency

420

00:24:45,339 –> 00:24:48,739

to put too great burdens on themselves.

421

00:24:48,739 –> 00:24:50,739

Well, we want to send you a copy of this book,

422

00:24:50,739 –> 00:24:53,599

Impossible Christianity by Kevin De Young,

423

00:24:53,599 –> 00:24:54,819

as a way of saying thank you

424

00:24:54,819 –> 00:24:57,619

for your financial support this month.

425

00:24:57,619 –> 00:24:59,500

If you’re able to set up a new payment

426

00:24:59,500 –> 00:25:01,719

of five pounds per month or more

427

00:25:01,719 –> 00:25:03,420

to the work of Open the Bible

428

00:25:03,420 –> 00:25:05,660

we’d love to send you this book.

429

00:25:05,780 –> 00:25:08,020

Full details of this are on our website

430

00:25:08,020 –> 00:25:10,180

and you can give online.

431

00:25:10,180 –> 00:25:12,680

For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith

432

00:25:12,680 –> 00:25:15,660

I’m David Pick and I hope we will see you along next time.

433

00:25:21,500 –> 00:25:25,579

Does it really matter if we’re faithful or not?

434

00:25:25,579 –> 00:25:28,939

Discover what’s at stake next time on Open the Bible.

Details

Sermon Series
Date
Primary Audience

Monthly Offer

Get your free copy of ‘The Advent of Glory’ by R. C. Sproul when you set up a monthly gift of at least £5, or a one-off gift of at least £50…

Donate

Colin Smith

Trustee / Founder and Teaching Pastor

Colin Smith is the Senior Pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He has authored a number of books, including Heaven, How I Got Here and Heaven, So Near – So Far. Colin is the Founder and Teaching Pastor for Open the Bible. Follow him on X formerly Twitter.

Linked resources

No linked resources found.

Search

Search

Header Submit Search