“Whoever exalts himself
will
be
humbled,
and
whoever
humbles
himself
will
be
exalted.”
Matthew 23:12 (ESV)
One
of
the
constant
paradoxes
we
see
in
the
Gospel
story
is
how
those
who
are
first
will
ultimately
be
last.
This
is
a
difficult
concept
to
understand
in
a
celebrity-‐laden
culture
in
which
we
live,
particularly
in
North
America.
Individualism
and
consumerism
have
fed
into
a
media-‐driven
push
that
everybody
has
to
be
somebody.
Unfortunately
this
obsession,
even
lust,
for
power
and
fame
has
slipped
in
somewhat
unnoticed
into
North
American
Christian
culture.
It
has
entered
the
culture
to
the
degree
that
pastors,
ministry
leaders,
and
church
leaders
are
constantly
working
to
make
themselves
and
their
ministries
known.
Sometimes
we
confuse
Gospel
proclamation,
and
even
evangelization,
with
the
proclamation
of
ourselves
and
our
ministries.
They
are
not
the
same
thing.
Evangelization
is
the
proclamation
of
Jesus
Christ
as
Lord
and
King,
particularly
to
those
who
do
not
know
Jesus.
While
making
our
ministries
known
may
have
a
secondary
effect
of
advancing
the
Kingdom,
it
also
can
have
the
negative
effect
of
making
it
all
about
us.
As
pastors
and
leaders,
we
must
greatly
consider
our
motivations
and
ambitions
in
growing
our
churches
and
ministries.
This
is
especially
prominent
in
social
networking
–
Facebook,
Twitter,
as
well
as
on
church
websites.
Who
are
we
announcing
as
Lord?
Who
is
receiving
the
glory,
and
is
ultimately
the
hero?
Those
of
us
who
are
not
pastors
and
leaders,
to
whom
are
we
subscribing
the
most
honor
and
respect?
We
need
to
be
careful
not
to
confuse
the
messenger
as
the
hero.
Jesus
is
the
hero.
I
have
some
human
“heroes”
as
well,
but
they
are
not
well-‐known
by
others.
If
I
would
have
an
opportunity
to
write
a
book
about
my
experience
in
Brazil,
I
would
simply
name
it
“Unsung
Heroes.”
The
book
would
chronicle
the
lives
of
maybe
a
dozen
pastors
who
work
in
the
slums
of
Brazil
on
a
daily
basis.
Ministering
to
the
poor.
These
pastors
have
very
little
in
every
sense
of
the
word,
but
have
a
keen
understanding
of
the
Gospel.
They
do
not
have
podcasts,
websites,
videos,
or
large
ministries.
They
are
not
a
part
of
a
conference
speaking
circuit.
They
are
not
known
by
many,
and
will
never
reach
celebrity
status.
Part
of
our
work
is
to
find
small
ways
to
resource
them
and
their
work.
Should
it
be
God’s
will,
I
hope
they
will
remain
“unsung.”
Jay Bauman
Restore Brazil (A V360 ministry in Brazil)
www.restorebrazil.com
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