-—-—I Sunday |ijf;; J $Pc/icc/ > SPemon By Bcuie Wilboo INTRODUCTION On election day many of us vote without being very sure we know which candidate is best. We may elect a man because he has a pleasing personality and looks good on Tv, or because he'is recommended by a political party, a labor union, or some other group. After the election we are sometimes distressed to find that we have chosen some people who are incompetent or dishonest. Good leaders are hard to find. Good leaders are hard to find in the church, too. People of sterling character and strong devotion to God and His Word may be lacking in leadership ability. Gifted leaders who easily win a following may not know and follow the Word of God very well. Obviously, the thing to do is to combine leadership ability with knowledge and strong devotion, but sometimes we see conflict instead of combination. The church has two main tasks: One is making disciples, and the other is teaching them to do all that Jesus says to do. Fortunately, some leaders and followers are skilled in one of these tasks and some are skilled in the other. Each can- major in what he does best while supporting and encouraging his brother who majors in the other task. All leaders and followers can learn from Paul the apostle. His primary work was evangelism, preaching the gospel, making disciples; but his writing deals more with teaching those who have become disciples. When we think of leadership in the church, we turn often to his writing about elders in l Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. In this lesson we use another text where we see Paul’s own leadership described, and by this we may be guided both in leading and in choosing appropriate leaders. LESSON BACKGROUND When Moses returned to the people whom he led, he wore a veil to hide the fading glory of the Old Covenant that shone in his face, but Paul proclaims the glorious New Covenant openly in the plainest language. Still some people are so devoted to the Old Covenant that they wear the veil and cannot see the glory of the New Covenant When people turn to Christ the veil is taken away. Seeing Christ’s glory, we are being transformed and becoming like Him. THE LESSON “God in his mercy has given us this work to do, and so we do not become discouraged. We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God’s sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone’s good conscience. For if the gospel we preach is hidden, it is hidden only from those who are being lost. They do not believe, because their minds have been kept in the dark by the evil god of this world. He keeps them from seeing the light shining op them, the light that qomes frdm the Good ! News al^ut^ogiory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. For it is not ourselves that we preach; we preach Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. The God who said, ‘Out of darkness the light sha|l shine! ’ is the same God who makes his lights shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of Christ. Yet we who have this spiritual treasure are like common clay pots in order to show that the supreme power belongs to God, not to us. We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies; but we are never without a friend, and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus’ sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you,” (2 Corinthians 4:1-12). In great grandma’s day, a lady sometimes would faint from fright or shock or exertion or a corset laced too tightly. That meant she would become unconscious. To be discouraged here means to become worn out, to quit, to end an activity. Paul would not do that and verse 1 suggests two reasons: a) he had a ministry, a service, a job to do. The Lord had given it to him, and he would not grieve the Lord by abandoning it; b) he had received mercy. He considered himself the chief of sinners, (1 Timothy 1:15), and with some reason. But in His mercy the Lord redeemed him from sin, and gave him the ministry, - the job of preaching the gospel, and supplied strength for that work. If ever a Christian had reasons enough to give up, Paul had them. Read 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 and review the partial list of his troubles. But giving up was not even to be considered. Paul was devoted to the job Jesus had given him, and he was determined to do his job. Such energy, devotion, and determination are in the character of a leader. Why was Paul so willing to live with death so constantly? He did it so that the life also of Jesus might bf manifest in our body. His continuing life was the life of Jesus because Jesus preserved it, and because it was lived in Imitation of Jesus. During the recent 102nd annual anniversary and Homecoming celebration held at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. Father Edward G.W. King Jr. received a donation towards the church's building fund from Betty Cherry, president of Squaws, Inc. Present for the event were