Title
Are You a Crowd Pleaser?
Scripture
So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas...and he delivered Jesus...
(Mark 15:15)
Devotional
The political arena and the nature of man have changed little over the centuries. We still succumb to the pressure of popularity. Our political leaders govern by polls and the crowd is ruled by the trend. Godly leadership and accountable servitude yield only to the truth. Godliness does not yield to what may be popular or most advantageous. It yields to what is right. Godliness asks, “What is best?” not “What is the most popular?” As a leader, your decisions may not always find the favor of man; however; they must find the favor of God. When we seek to do right at any cost, the end result will always produce the favor of God, and when we have the favor of God, the favor of man will follow. For example, how often do your children disagree with your decisions such as eating their vegetables, going to bed, taking a bath, and the like? Don’t be a crowd-pleaser, be a God-pleaser, and you will find favor.
Thought For The Night
“Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Consensus asks the question: Is it popular? Conscience asks: Is it right?” Martin Luther King, Jr. famed American civil rights leader
Evening Text
Mark 15:15: So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas…and he delivered Jesus…
Looking for Answers
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Does God ever attempt to please the crowd?
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Are crowds usually right or wrong?
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How does the crowd influence you?
Evening Study Guide
Defining: Of the thirty plus times the term “crowd” is used in the Scriptures, I seldom found instances where the term was used in a positive manner. By definition: A number of persons collected into a close body without order—a throng.
Referencing: “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil,” Exodus 23:2.
Applying: If you must be part of the crowd, lead it.