James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
👉James informs us that leaders will receive a stricter judgment than other believers when they stand before the Lord.
👉 Why? The reason is, that they have a greater influence on people than others. Think about it. Think about your negative or positive influence on your followers.
👉When a follower makes a mistake, he affects only himself; maybe his family and the few around him. But when a leader makes a mistake, he affects the many that follow him.
👉The Scripture is particular about teachers/pastors because when they speak, people listen and their teachings and preachings influence them either positively or negatively.
👉This can be both good or bad news, depending on whether the leader’s words are worth listening to.
👉The question is How do you as a pastor or a teacher influence your followers? Positively or negatively?
👉God promises that those in positions of influence will give account for how they use that influence.
👉God will be the spiritual accountant, calling leaders to answer for how they used the resources He gave them, and what they taught His flock.
👉What so many teachers/pastors do not understand is that the flock is the Lord’s, not theirs. Any bad influence on the Lord’s sheep must be queried and judged by the Lord Himself.
👉It is important to remind us here that before God, we will give account for what we did with our lives and our influence.
👉 No bad influencer will escape God’s judgment. Both influencers and the influenced should be very careful because there are no excuses before God on that Judgment Day.
Remember Maranatha!
