"Lay no hands suddenly on no man," 1Timothy:5:22a
This was the advice that the Apostle St. Paul had given to the young pastor St. Timothy regarding placing different persons into potions of leadership within the Church.
Over the years which I have spent in the
ministry, some few have asked, and had wondered how the leadership of the
Church is brought to lift one person to a position(s) of responsibility,
ordaining them or giving them a commissioning to serve within a particular
ministry within the local assembly.
All fellowships have their own method by which
this process comes about, but in the end, it is always that our Lord Jesus
has appointed such a one to serve, and the Holy Spirit leads the Church
leadership to simply acknowledges that is so.
"I'm a Prophet!"
In a particular congregation a man, who on
more than one occasion, approached me and informed me that, "God has called me to be a prophet" to
eight churches in the area, including the one which I pastored.
When , this was said to me by this man , the Holy Spirit
said, (for lack of better words) "Be careful (again, over the years I have heard such assertions before
from men who wished to insert themselves into positions of leadership) "do
not let your guard down".
This is what is called discernment, a gift of
the Holy Spirit. Discernment is provided that pastors see what is behind
words and actions. It is difficult to put it into words, yet it is real,
simply put you can see the heart. I do not know any other way to say it.
The holy skeptic reared its' head, and I
gave this person a little space and considered what was underfoot. Several
more times this same man came again to me and again each
time asserting certain "insight" into
situations and telling me about encounters which this individual had
with leaders in different churches in the area and his place in giving these
leaders direction.
On several occasions, this man had offered
input to me, that frankly, did not match what I knew to be true. This man
had made "prophetic" comments regarding
my private prayers to God. What this man asserted had been revealed to him,
simply did not match reality, what I personally knew to be true.
This man also wanted me to provide him
introductions and endorsements to these eight area pastors who come from a
wide range of Christians Churches and traditions, these pastors whom I knew
well and had and worked with them on varies projects in our area.
There are many, (and I seemed to encounter them
all), "self-ordained" persons
roaming the churches. These persons have no oversight or accountability to
anyone, they will often retort that they "answer to
God" if they are questioned.
Many of them carry with them an attitude, or
if I may use what some of our Pentecostal brethren would call a "Jezebel Spirit."
The main goal is, in spite of claims to
the contrary, is power and control not truth or right and wrong, but power. I
have never once seen it different.
Just a note, where as the "Jezebel spirit" seems to effect
mainly lay persons that is, based on my own experiences,
however, the "Nicolaitan spirit" seems
to be found with some of the clergy.
The "Nicolaitans",
in Revelation:2:15, were a group
of "power driven" clergy which were found
in some places within the early church. These pastors had begun as disciples of
the Deacon Nicholas from Antioch who was among the first Deacons of the church.
The "Nicolaitans" used
their position and authority for their own gain and advancement at the expense
of the membership of the church. I am not talking about legitimate salaried
clergy (of which I was one), after all, it says the "labor is worthy of his hire" and again "do not muzzle the ox which grinds the
grain". St. Paul addressed this in his Epistle to the
Corinthian Christians.
These "Nicolaitans "used
their position for themselves. They liked power. This cautions all who are in
church leadership to be servants of the people that God has placed us over.
"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants
to become great among you must be your servant," Matthew:23:11
"This proposal pleased the whole group.
They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip,
Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to
Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their
hands on them" .Acts:6:5-6
Self-Ordained
This article is really not regarding the
"Jezebel spirit" as such, but please bear with
me. This spirit or attitude in my experience seems to effect "lay persons" rather than the clergy. The
description of it is found in Revelation.
"I have this against you: You tolerate
that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads
my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is
unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those
who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
I will strike her children dead." Revelation: 2:20-23
The description found in Revelation of "calls herself a prophet" speaks of
person(s) who are affected by this spirit as being "self-ordained" not having the blessing or
oversight of church leadership but, rather, taking it upon themselves; they
want it, so they attempt take it.
It is sad, but over the years many have wanted
potions of authority within varies churches and they attempted to insert
themselves into such potions without God's calling.
Those who carry the attitude of the "Jezebel spirit" claim to have special insight and understanding of truth above that of the God appointed church leadership. They will often circulate through a local congregation looking for ones who will tolerate them and give ear to their ideas.
They, at times, will do this under the pretense
of a "prayer group" to mask their true
intent, what they are, in reality, doing is attempting to create their own
church within a church.
Dear Christians, please learn to recognize
this spirit when it raises its head to cause division in the church, even if it
assumes the face of longtime friends.
"Now I say to the rest of you in
Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s
so-called deep secrets”, (24b)
When Christians tolerate such a one to operate
among them, then there is a price to pay for the division that is
spawned. God will move to deal with a person after giving them time
to change.
"Nevertheless, I have this against you:
You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching
she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food
sacrificed to idols" (20)
" I have given her time to repent
of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of
suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely,
unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead"(21-23a)
How to Know
So, having said all that, how does the
church leadership know when a person is being called by God into a particular ministry?
If the leadership of the church listens, they will hear the, "Vox Spiritum Sanctum"
the voice of the Holy Spirit concerning God's will regarding a
person's calling into ministry or leadership. How do we hear?
"As they ministered to the Lord, and
fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
whereunto I have called them." Acts:13:2
The Holy Spirit spoke in the midst of the
church and designated Barnabas and Saul to go and preach the Gospel. So
how would the Spirit of God speak to us today regarding the calling on a person’s
life into ministry?
I knew man, in one of the congregations which
I served many years ago, who attempted to thrust himself into ministry under
the rational that his "business success" qualified him for church
leadership, yet the Holy Spirit was not speaking regarding this man being
placed into the ministry, and in truth was just the opposite. This man's
attempted grab at power caused division and problems from which that
congregation may never recover from.
The Holy Scriptures give us sound input about
choosing church leadership. St. Paul writes regarding the Elders and Deacons.
We can read of St. Paul's instructions in 1Timothy: 3:1-12 St.
Paul tells us that a person’s desire to serve in leadership is good,
"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever
aspires to be an overseer desires a good thing."(1)
So if there is an inclination in a person
toward leadership that is "a good thing”,
but that alone is not sufficient. St. Paul, after giving the general
requirements as to how such a one should conduct themselves tells St.
Timothy that such candidate.
" ....must first be tested; and then if
there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons."(10)
The Local Church
This being tested takes time. It requires the
leadership of the church to watch and pray asking for God's direction. Is the
fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives? Is the Holy Spirit speaking about
them? The Holy Spirit will speak regarding one that is called; he will do this
through the members of the local
assembly who will be gently prompted
by The Holy Spirit to give feed back to the church's leadership.
This is why it is so important for one to be a
committed part of a local assembly, if one is not part of a local
church there will be none to testify regarding their calling, or
if person cannot be committed to a local assembly and drifts from
church to church, they cannot be vested with responsibility.
The Holy Spirit, in short, speaks through
the members of the church to verify a person’s ministry not though anyone
coming to the leadership and announce "I am a Prophet" ...self-testimony
is not evidence of a person’s calling, it may be what they want, but not what
God wants. This is especially true when a person has no lengthily history with
a church. Even Jesus did not speak of himself in this way but the Father did of
His Son.
"If I alone testify about Myself, My
testimony is not true. "There is another who testifies of Me, and I know
that the testimony which He gives about Me is true".…John:5:31-32
From God
All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are made to
be used within the community of the church because they are at their heart
relational not functional. 1Corinthians:12:
"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians: 4:11-16
This means, within the community of the church
we help each other and others help us. All valid ministries within the body of Christ, whether they
be the upper leadership of a denomination or in a local church assembly,
these potions come from God himself.
" So Christ himself
gave," as we read in Ephesians.
"And no man takes this honor to himself,
but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Hebrews: 5:4
When God places one in a position of
leadership, the church acknowledge it through the sacramental
ceremony of laying on of hands, we simply say that we know God has placed
such a one in a given role publicly before all.
This should bring support from the church and
do-a-way with politicking, if any resist after God has over time made
it clear of the person's calling, then they are not rejecting the person
but God himself whether they understand it or not.
"Whoever listens to you listens to me;
whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent
me." Luke: 10:16
If the church has somehow misunderstood God's will,
then God will, over time, make it clear. This calls on us to have faith
and trust in the leadership of Christ over his church.
God has and is working in the midst of his people;
our Lord invites us all to participate with him as he carries out his work upon
the Earth. He calls each of us into ministry. He will show us where and how we
can serve. It comes though him alone not just through our own desire to be
in a given role or self-declaration.
Remember the words of St. Paul "Lay hands suddenly on no man”, the next time
someone declarers to you "I'm a Prophet"...
Benediction: May we each and all have the
discernment of the Holy Spirit in understanding of the calling of each and
us all, today, tomorrow and forevermore .Amen.
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Rev.Todd Crouch, Norman, Oklahoma
"If It Is Not About Jesus,
It Is Not About Anything"
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