SERVANT LEADERSHIP - The Blue Letter Bible Institute

Servant Leadership – Lesson 10 6
Self-Promotion in Ministry by Jon Courson
Moses was not firing, not initially. He was falling on his face in humility, seeking God. The
weapons of our warfare are not carnal. They are not argumentation or proving our point
philosophically or theologically. It is not that.
Paul says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). Any time that I wrestle
against a person, I am inevitably fighting the wrong battle. There are spirits at work that are
manipulating or exploiting that situation, and there is where the true battle is to be fought, in
prayer, in intercession. Whenever I am fighting against a brother, struggling against a person, it is
proof that I am fighting the wrong battle and I am moving out of fear and intimidation.
Moses here falls on his face, then he spoke unto Korah.
And he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow
morning the LORD will show who is His and who is holy, and
will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses
He will cause to come near to Him. Do this: Take censers, Korah
and all your company; put fire in them and put incense in them
before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom
the LORD chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon
yourselves, you sons of Levi!” Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear
now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of
Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel.”
(Numbers 16:5-9)
Do you not realize the opportunity that you have in your present situation, Korah? Do you not
realize the calling or the glorious position that you are in right now? Why are you desiring,
Korah, to take on more, and to climb the ladder higher, when you have a great opportunity
presently to minister?
I think that all of us need to regularly be adjusted in our understanding of the priority of ministry.
I do. We so often say that the key to ministry is speaking before the masses or evangelizing
before the heathen. I suggest to you there is a different key. There is a higher priority.
Ezekiel 44 gives us that very pointedly. There we are told,
The Levites, who went astray when Israel went astray and
caused Israel to fall into idolatry,” the Lord says, “they shall bear
their iniquity. They will pay the price. They shall stand before
the people, to minister to the people, to offer sacrifices for the
people, for they caused Israel, the people, to fall into iniquity,”
saith the Lord. (cf. Ezekiel 44:10–11)
Now when I first read that it seemed very perplexing and confusing. Wait a minute. Lord, You
are saying that these Levites who caused Your people to fall into iniquity and into idolatry are
going to pay the price by standing before the people, sharing with them, and offering sacrifices on
behalf of them? That is not punishment, Lord, that is privilege. But wait, the Lord then goes on to
say,