Earlier this year I had the opportunity to talk with a friend of mine as he was sharing how he came to a recent revelation on how he would be handling a certain aspect of ministry in the future. He shared how he had invited a minister in to minister at the church God has entrusted him with specifically because he believed in his gifts and desired him to minister according to the gifts he had demonstrated in the past.
When the minister arrived he flipped the script so to speak. He went a whole different route, teaching on a difficult subject matter rather than preaching and ministering through word of knowledge - which was why he had been invited, He attempted through several ill placed comments to imply that the subject matter was so deep that he needed to be invited to stay there a couple of weeks to teach in order for them to fully receive the knowledge of what he was teaching. When he flowed in his God given gifting he was on point. When he started to teach he sunk faster than a lead balloon. Needless to say it was not received and he might never get another opportunity to minister again at that church.
My friend lamented on why he did not just handle the assignment that he had been given. Why did he feel the need to do something different just to prove he could do it and because it has become the new in thing for ministry "teaching" - and yet fail so miserably. God revealed to both of us in that conversation that We made this mess.
It is time for us to stop blaming God and the adversary for what they are not doing. We as members of the Body of Christ have created this monster. An old quote came to my mind that God will never do by miracle what he requires us to do by obedience. Simply put, it is up to us to fix this mess we made, not God.
No matter how much we try to teach and explain the value and importance of every gift in the Body of Christ, as pastors and leaders we are also too often guilty of promoting one gift above another. It is evident in who we "allow" to come and minister at our churches. As a result we become hypocritical when we say we value the teaching gift but never bring anyone in to teach. We exalt preachers that can "bring it" and "kill it" but those gifted in other areas are never called. As a result these ministers who aren't getting opportunities to minister in the area of their calling try to spiritually diversify themselves to appeal a greater audience often at a cost of minimizing or sacrificing their true gift from God. This places them out of order and in disobedience to God. Yet we fail to see how we helped create the enviorment for them to disobey.
We protest that many preachers are pastoring that should not be. But why are they doing so? Are they rushing God? Are they simply being impatient? Or have we effectively silenced them by not even giving them opportunities to use their gifts to the point the only way they can do what they believe God has called them to do is start a church or ministry, or pastor an existing church?
Pastors not training and teaching those young men and women God gives them in the things of ministry have left them vulnerable to all sorts of chicanery. Too many preachers are laying unholy hands on new ministers claiming to want adopt them as spiritual sons and daughters not to pour into them Godly wisdom, spiritual things, Bible knowledge and ministry understanding but to pick their pockets of dollars. Seeking fame and fortune at the expense of those whom God has called you to serve.
We made this mess. We need a pretty big broom to get to cleaning it up. Let's start with repentance.
No comments:
Post a Comment