1.246 The Cost of Weak Leadership in the Church
You wonder why we keep ministering on the necessity of leadership in the church. I’m going to minister to you today on just that. The Lord gave me a very real picture, so I’m going to pass it along to you. Those who do not allow sound government and sound leadership into their churches are going to cause many to miss what God has planned for their lives. Yep, the Lord is just that serious.
I’ve noticed for quite some time that there is a real void in the leadership of the church as a whole. If we look at the early church, we can see that the Apostles and Prophets were the main “overseers” if you will. There was the council at Jerusalem and then the Apostles were sent forth and established churches, leaving local government in place, or to set a church in order.
I’ve actually had this observation for quite some time, but last night the Lord brought this into focus. I began observing that there hasn’t really been a voice of leadership since the early church faded out. I began questioning the Lord about this and queried him saying, “Without the lead offices being on the scene for about 2000 years, seems to me the pastors had to take matters into their own hands and lead their people.” I wasn’t being rude or disrespectful, I was just noting my observation, knowing that my thoughts aren’t His thoughts and that He would open my understanding, and boy did He!
There is no way to get around the fact that the pastors have been the ones leading the church and it’s out of order and it has kept the people from going into the truth. There should be one vision leading God’s people and it comes from the apostle’s and prophets. It doesn’t have to be one person or one ministry, but it does have to be ONE VISION
1Co 1:10 KJV 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment
ALSO
Eph 4:3-6 KJV 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 [There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.
So the Lord started bringing these scriptures to me.
Pro 29:18 KJV 18 Where [there is] no vision, the people perish
There hasn’t been a contemporary Word or Vision to lead God’s people since the early church faded out. I began asking the Lord why He had left His people without these necessary ministries to lead the church. And boy, oh boy, did he show me! He said, “My Apostles and Prophets have been shut out of the church. They have been silenced!”
Luke 13:34-35 KJV 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen [doth gather] her brood under [her] wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate
I was taken aback! Then He began to show me how the weak pastors have given into rebellious and stiff- necked people. They have led the people just like Aaron did and facilitated them building a golden calf.” This is why we MUST have strong leadership. Men and women of God that will not cave to the pressures of rebellious hearts, but those that will be steadfast in the faith and hold God’s standards for the church!
Exo 32:25 KJV And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:)
they were now deprived of the divine protection
You want to know what’s wrong with the church and why nothing is happening? This is right here. You want to know how and why the church got off course, well this is it.
THE CHURCH IS NO LONGER UNDER DIVINE PROTECTION. IT’S OUT OF ORDER, IT’S IN REBELLION AND HE WON’T BLESS OR BRING DELIVERANCE AS A WHOLE BACK TO THE CHURCH UNTIL IT COMES UNDER HIS ORDAINED LEADERSHIP. HE CAN’T AND HE WON’T BECAUSE HE IS A GOD OF ORDER AND HE IS NOT GOING TO GO AGAINST HIS ORDAINED PLAN.
Luke 11:47-52 KJV Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
You want to know what the Lord is referring to here in verse 51, it’s this:
[2Ch 24:20-21 KJV] 20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. 21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
Because of the very word I am ministering here right now, that God’s blessing and divine protection is off the church, this is why the Apostles and Prophets were silenced in the church. Any time a word of correction to keep things in God’s order, they were shut out and silenced and the pastors took leadership into their own hands for their own selfish gain. The Word of God is very clear about the government of the church and the necessity of each office. Pastors are not the leaders of the church as whole.
Eph 3: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
He then took me to Ezekiel 34—You need to go read that about the failing of the pastors/shepherds.
***Because the Apostles and Prophets were silenced in the church God cut off the vision and brought a famine. There is no WORD FROM THE LORD. ***
Which has brought us to this scripture:
[Amos 8:11 KJV] 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:
This isn’t a lack of hearing scriptures. As you know we have 24/365 access to anything and everything scripture wise. We have preaching, teaching, praise, reading of the Bible. You name it and it’s going on. So clearly this is not what the scripture is referring to. It is referring to THE WORD OF THE LORD, in the Old Testament there are many voices I can think of, in the New Testament it started with John the Baptist and continued with the book of Acts Apostles and Prophets. These ministries have been shut out of the church and it cannot come forward in maturity until it is set back in its right order.
I understand that this does not sit well with the current church format. But when God says He wants to bring about a change, then something has to change. Take these words and let the spirit of God soften your heart and give you understanding so we can move forward as a church.
People are always calling for unity, but what, exactly are we supposed to unify behind? Where is the Word from God to lead his people all over the world. People proclaiming to believe in a last day move of God, but yet, there is no vision, no plan, no leadership on how to bring this move to the foreground, what steps we, as believers need to take in obedience to God’s instruction to position and condition ourselves for this move. People are just willy-nilly running around talking about seeking God, but no unified vision on what to seek for.
Please hear me today. Please stop and assess these things and take them to the Lord in prayer.
It’s time to get into relationship with Jesus. Stop listening to every voice you hear and let’s press him to bring His word of leadership and restore the Apostles and Prophet’s ministries to get us back on the right foundation and the church forward.