No matter how much we wish for it to be, there is simply no father without the son. No one can claim a relationship with our heavenly Father without abiding in Jesus Christ the word of God.

Being under authority is the norm in the body of Christ, this is the same for men and women. There can be no ministry unless  we are first discipled in a church and then sent.

The gifts may work, so will the devil against us, because we stand alone.

This question of accountability and submission is so vital that I tell people that when they meet a minister for the first time, the first question  they should ask is “Who sent you?” or “Who do you submit to?” If the minister or pastor says “God” then, I warn that they should run from these quakes as fast as they can!

You see, if such women/men of God are sent, there is submission, obedience and accountability, If not they simply don’t want to submit to anyone else or have someone over them telling them what to do!

The Lord Jesus set an example by constantly referring to the fact that He was “sent” or “given” things to Him by His Father to do the work He gave Him to do. This shows He never called Himself to minister; Jesus needed to be sent or given ministry by someone higher than Himself for His ministry to be legitimate, even though He is God the Son (John 17:2-4, 6-9, 11-12, 18, 21, 23-25).

The early church also functioned with this concept of sending. For example, even though Saul and Barnabas had already felt called by God into ministry they didn’t dare send themselves until the leaders of the church in Antioch also received a confirming word from the Lord to send them. (Read Acts 13:1-2, in which the tense of the original Greek wording shows that God had already called Saul into the ministry before the leaders of the church received the confirming word.)

Even Paul the apostle submitted the gospel of grace he was preaching (to the Gentiles) to the leading apostles of the Jerusalem Church (Peter and John) for fear his work was in vain (Galatians 2:2, 9).

• Galatians 2:2 2 I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
• Galatians 2:9 9 James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.

The bible specifies that while it is the God who calls, it is the church that sents.

Jesus said in Mathew 9:37 that the harvest is ready, but the workers are few. This shows that it is not just a matter of calling. In Matthew 22:1-14 we understand that many are called but a few are chosen. Even among those called, there was one present without the wedding garment who resolved to yield no homage, but to assert his independent self-sovereignty. What that symbolizes about that man is that

• He came into the banquet when he was told to, but he came only in appearance, he came not in heart.
• The banquet was intended for the honour of the son, this man was willing to eat the good things, but he intended no respect to the prince.
• He said, “I will come, but it shall be in such a way that the royal purpose shall not be served, but rather my purposes and needs be met.
• I shall be present myself as an onlooker, but take no share in the ceremony
• I will, on the contrary, show that I have no care for the business in hand, except so far as it serves my turn.
• The man came in full exercise of self-will and self-love.

The Lord calls every one to his kingdom regardless of sex.  The wedding garment highlights in a special way that he also expects all of us to abide by his expectations. Those who do not will be cast into the exterior darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. These are called but not chosen.  ( cf Mt 22:14).  THEY CAN NOT BE COUNTED AS WORKERS OR LABORERS FOR THE HARVEST.

Jesus stated his expectations for preparations of the laborers in Matt 28: 18-20

i)        ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said,

(1)    “All authority in

(a)    heaven and

(b)   on earth has been given to me.

ii)       ¹⁹Therefore

(1)    Go (Remember, they are already his disciples, not untrained strangers)

(2)     and make disciples of all nations,

(3)    baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

iii)     ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

iv)     And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul tells Timothy “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (NIV). How will they be qualified? By being entrusted with the things Timothy has heard, they will be qualified. They are reliable, they can be relied upon to walk the talk, to obey and to do, to submit to their calling.

Jesus discipled the 12 and sent them. Jesus expects them to make disciples of all nations. Discipleship requires submission to authority. It is those proven disciples in the church who are marked by the Holy Spirit to be sent by the elders.

This is the way it is according to the Bible. The choice is ours to abide or not.

A sister in the church has this line at the bottom of all her emails “A man cannot touch his neighbor’s heart with anything less than his own.” The fact is that we do touch others with the contents of our heart, and if our heart is set on rebellion, it will affect others in the church. This is the principle behind 1 Cor 5:9-11,  2 Timothy 3: 1-5, and Eph 5:11; where the bible tells us to have nothing to do with them, talking about those who call themselves Christians: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

There is simply no Father without the Son. No one can claim a relationship with our heavenly Father without abiding in Jesus Christ the word of God.

Those who claim to do so are under deception. Have nothing to do with them.

2) God’s Pattern For Your Life.

Our theology (a preconception about God) often comes into conflict with the Spirit’s guidance in our life – and when it does, we face the grave danger of missing the will of God.

When God began to impress me to become an itinerant preacher I resisted with adamant protest. For eleven years I had been starting new churches and pastoring them. Now God was telling me to do something that would mean giving up pastoring local churches.

I argued, “Lord, it isn’t scriptural. Everything You do, or will ever do, You must do through a local church.” That was my theology at the time. I protested to God, “This idea of itinerant preaching isn’t according to the pattern of the Book of Acts. I’m supposed to do all things according to the pattern!” (Hebrews 8:5 was a favorite text of mine).

One Sunday morning as I was walking to a meeting to preach, the Lord spoke tome:

“Why don’t you read the rest of the verse?” I knew what the Lord meant. Read the rest of Hebrews 8:5.

“Lord, why should I read the rest of the verse?” I have read it hundreds of times. I have preached from it scores of times, Lord, I know that verse backwards and forwards. Why should I read the rest of the verse?”

The insistent voice of the Lord inside kept pressing, “Read the rest of the verse,” I opened my Bible and read, “See saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount” (Heb 8:5b). Three words struck me like dynamite: “Showed to thee”.

“Do ALL things according to the pattern showed to thee.”

My theology was based on a pattern showed to Moses, to David, to the early Church – but God was saying:

“You’ve got to do it the way I show you. Noah built the ark because that was My pattern for Noah. Moses built a tabernacle because that was My pattern for Moses. solomon built a temple because I told him to. Peter, Paul, James and John all did what I told them. That was the pattern for their lives.

“You must do what I tell you to do, in the way I tell you to do it. That will be My pattern for your life.”

Finally I understood. I had to hear and obey God’s voice. I couldn’t do things just because “it has always been done this way.” I had to obey God.

And, my friend, that is still the issue, isn’t it? God has a plan for each of us. The ministry He gave Billy Graham is like that of John the Baptist of whom the Scripture testifies: “John didn’t do miracles” (John 10:41). Kenneth Hagin and Oral Roberts are more like Stephen, who

“…..did great wonders and miracles among the people” (Acts 6:8).

All three of these great evangelists are doing what God told them to do – yet each is very different from the other. Each of us must hear and obey God’s voice. That is what will distinguish you from the thousands who will not. Most will not hear and obey God’s voice. You must!

Do not let your traditions keep you from doing what God says. Hear and obey the voice of God. Some will despise, oppose and criticize you. Others will doubt and assail you. Your pride will suffer. But whatever! Do the will of God!

3) Experience On Corn Island.

In 1962 I was part of a two-man effort to evangelize a little island off the east coast of Nicaragua. A convert from meetings I conducted three years previously had preceded us to this island and started a church.

In the traditional way of evangelists, I had preached fervently for several nights – without seeing one person converted to Christ. My co-evangelist and I were so frustrated and desperate, we announced a prayer meeting for four o’clock each morning. In this way, we could pray with the members before they went out on the early morning fishing and fruit gathering expeditions.

We expected ten or twelve church members to come. To our amazement, the little church building was packed with about 100 people (as many as we had seen in any of the evening meetings).

Now everyone knows you do not have evangelistic crusades at 4 a.m. – but this is what the meeting turned into. God was going to shatter my preconceptions about the way He worked and teach me a lesson about hearing and obeying His voice.

We started the prayer time with a little chorus:

Sweep over my soul, sweep over my soul.

Sweet Spirit, sweep over my soul.

My rest is complete, as I sit at His feet.

Sweet Spirit, sweep over my soul.

After struggling through the chorus a time or two, one of the ladies began to prophesy. Her speech was halting. She stammered as if having great difficulty in getting out the words. It was making me nervous but I thought, “Let the poor soul try – it will do no harm.”

Three times she repeated these words, “Take off the shoes from off thy feet, for the ground whereon thou standest is holy ground.” All I heard was a woman for whom I felt sorry, stammering out words that seemed totally inappropriate for this moment of low inspiration.

My partner, dear Brother Heeley, heard something quite different. He heard the voice of the Holy Spirit calling sinners to repentance. (I’m glad he had better spiritual hearing than myself.)

He arose and began to speak quietly. “Now folks, I believe the Lord has just spoken to us and we need to respond. I do not know for sure whether the Lord means for us to literally take off our shoes or not. But just in case – it will do no harm for us to do so.”

Feeling a little foolish, we dutifully began removing our shoes. Brother Heeley continued, “What the Lord probably means is this. We are to put off the old shoes of a sinful life and step out into a pathway of righteous living. We are to abandon the old life of bondage and rebellion and step into a new life of liberty and obedience to Jesus.

“If you want to do that right now – just leave your shoes there behind, step out and come down to the front of the building so we can pray together.”

To my amazement, what all my “super-charged evangelistic sermons” did not produce – Brother Heeley’s sensitive spiritual hearing and response to God’s voice did. People began coming from all over the little building. Then one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed took place.

As they came, it seemed there was an invisible line drawn right in the front. When those who were coming to receive Christ passed that line, they fell flat on their faces as if struck by an invisible angel. These very stoic farmers and fishermen were scattered all over the floor, weeping and sobbing tears of sorrow and repentance for their sins as if their hearts were breaking.

I though when the first half-dozen had fallen, it would frighten everyone else and they would turn and run out of the service.

But they didn’t. They just kept right on coming until almost every sinner in the service had received the gift of repentance and salvation (over fifty came to Christ).

WOW! Who ever heard of winning souls that way? Who ever heard of this “method” of evangelism? But you see, the secret was in “having an ear to hear what the Spirit was saying.”

I shamefully admit I did not hear the Spirit in what was taking place in the service. But – thank God – my partner did! He obeyed the Lord, and a great revival broke out that shook the island from one end to the other.

Oh Lord! Deliver me from my disobedience, preconceptions, traditions and hardness of heart which prevent me from hearing and obeying Your voice. AMEN!

4. Disobedience Stops God’s Voice

Brother Judson Cornwall said he was fervently praying, asking the Lord to speak to him. The Lord finally said, “Judson, why should I speak to you again, when you haven’t obeyed what I told you the last time I spoke to you?” Brother Cornwall got right up and did what the Lord had previously told him to. Then he started hearing the Lord’s voice again.

“So then faith comes by hearing the word of God” (Rom 10:17).

Faith can be defined as “Obedient action to what God says.” to hear God’s voice doesn’t mean just to hear with your ears. It means to respond obediently to what He said.

When my son was about nine years old I spoke to him and said, “Son, take this sack of garbage to the waste bin.” He said, “OK, Dad!” Thirty minutes later I cam back and the garbage was still there. Did he hear me? Not in the biblical sense. Until he obeyed me, he had not heard me.

I called my son back in and showed him the “board of education” which I was getting ready to apply to his “seat of learning.” Then he heard me, and took out the garbage.

Faith comes by hearing .. the word of God – that is, hearing and obediently responding to what god has said.

a. Pride Prevents Obedience.

A great hindrance to our obedient response is PRIDE. I heard Oral Roberts say, “Every time I’ve prepared to pray for the sick, I’ve had to hang my pride on the cross again – because I know that only a few of those I pray for will be healed.”

Despite doubters, scoffers and critical newspaper reporters, Oral Roberts persevered through humiliation to do what he heard God telling him to do. Because of his faithfulness to an unpopular calling, thousands have been healed and the ministry of healing is practiced more widely all the time.

Many of us have been held back from doing what God is saying to us because we fear what others will think of us if we obey the Lord. ‘The fear of man bringeth a snare” (Prov 29:25). the “fear of man” is just another expression of pride. Basically, we don’t do what we know God wants us to do because of PRIDE.

Our carnal mind thinks, “If we try what God is saying and fail, what will the people think? My minister friends won’t understand me. My denomination will not agree with what God is telling me to do.”

All these thoughts have their root in the fear of man – PRIDE! Many who desire to do the will of God are held back by fear of man.

I am often asked, “Brother Ralph, how can you be sure God is speaking to you?”

I reply,  “I can’t always be sure. Often I am not sure. I test it out. I try it. I check out the facts with others it might involve.

“The Bible says ‘prove all things’ (1 Ths 5:21). The only way you can prove something is to try it. I often fail in the trying – but one of the elements of faith is risk. You have to take the risk of becoming a fool for Christ’s sake.”

Don’t let pride paralyze you. Try to do what you feel God wants you to do. Though you may have some failures – there will be some successes too. Take the risk. Step out on faith and attempt great things for God.

b. Preconceptions Hinder Obedience.

One of the most interesting stories in the Bible is in 2 Kings Chapter 5. It vividly illustrates how our preconceptions prevent us from hearing and obeying God’s voice.

1)Naaman almost Misses A Blessing

Naaman was a Syrian general whose Israeli housemaid was a captive from war. Naaman had the incurable disease of Leprosy. His maid told him about a prophet in Israel named Elisha who had power from God to heal people.

Through diplomatic channels, Naaman contacted the king of Israel and made arrangements to visit Elisha. When Naaman arrived at Elisha’s modest home, the prophet sent out his servant to gell General Naamanwhat God said he must do. “Go wash in the JordanRiver seven times, and you will be healed of every trace of your leprosy” (vs 10).

Naaman was angry and stalked away. “Look!” he said, “I thought the prophet would have the common courtesy to come out and see me. I thought he would call on the Name of the Lord his God, and wave his mantle over the leprosy and I would be healed.” (Note his preconception of how he would be healed.).

“If it’s rivers I need – I’ll go back to Syria to wash in the crystal waters of Abana River or Pharpar River – not down in the muddy Jordan River.” With that he left in a rage.

One of his servants pled with him. “Sir! If the prophet had asked you to do some great or difficult thing you would have. So why don’t you obey (key word) when he has asked you to just go wash and be cured?”

Finally persuaded, Naaman went down to the Jordan river and dipped seven times as the prophet had told him. When he obeyed, his flesh became as healthy as a little child’s. Naaman was completely healed.

Naaman almost missed receiving the blessing he sought. Why? Because of a preconceived idea of how God would heal him. His preconception and pride prevented his obedience.

You see, a preconception is rooted in pride. It is in effect a statement that “I know everything. I can conceive things before they happen – as they will happen” (a deific quality).

When things do not happen as we preconceive they will – it undermines our deific (pride-filled) image of ourselves, and we, like Naaman, stalk away angry and resentful because God didn’t conform to our preconception of how He would do it.

3. An Unregenerate Condition

I have traveled in more than fifty nations preaching the gospel. One of the big problems I encounter as I travel is unregenerate church leaders, clergymen who have never been born again of the Spirit of God. Is it any wonder they do not hear God’s voice?

Over 200 years ago, John Wesley, the founder of one of the greatest revival movements in the world, was sailing back to England from missionary service in the Georgia colony. He had been there trying to relieve some of the inhumane treatment of prisoners.

On the sailing ship, Moravian missionaries from Bavaria engaged John Wesley in conversation. “John Wesley, are you born again?.

“I am an ordained Anglican clergy-man,” he responded.

“That is not what we asked you, John. Are you born again of the Spirit of God?”

John replied, ” I’ve been working with prisoners, helping the poor and doing all kinds of good deeds since I graduated from seminary.” (John was trying to avoid this ” Heaven or Hell” issue.)

The Moravians kept pressing him. “John Wesley! Jesus said, ‘ye must be born again.”‘

Confronted over and over on this question, John Wesley spent a great deal of the remainder of the voyage re-reading his New Testament. He encountered verses like “The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom 8:16).

He pondered, “What is Paul taking about? ‘The spirit bears witness with our spirit…’ What does that mean?”

He read 1 John 5:10, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.”

He mused, “I haven’t experienced any witness in my heart like John talks about. Am I born again?”

The more he talked to the Moravians and read his New Testament, the more he became convinced that he did not have “saving faith”.

a. Saving Faith Or Intellectual Agreement.

One day he read James 2:19, “The demons also believe and tremble.” John Wesley began to see there was a difference between “saving faith” and intellectual agreement with the historical facts recorded in the Bible about Jesus. The demons believe the facts but do not have saving faith.

Convinced that his church, his seminary professors and his missionary board had let him down by not making certain he had been born again of the Spirit of God – John began his search for spiritual reality.

A short time after landing back in England, John went into a little nondescript London mission one night to hear the preacher. Sitting there listening to the gospel presented with clarity and simplicity Wesley later testified, “My heart was strangely warmed.” He left the mission that night with a peace that passes understanding – joy unspeakable and full of glory!

Finally he knew the joy of being born again of the Spirit. He now knew what Paul, John and James were talking about. He finally knew the difference between spiritual reality and intellectual agreement with the gospel. He spent the remaining years of his ministry showing people and priests how essential it is to know you are born again.

b. You Can Know You Are Saved.

What about you? Do you know you’ve been born again? You can know! why don’t you ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart?

Pray this simple prayer: Lord Jesus! I confess You are my Lord. I believe You bore my sins to Calvary’s cross to save me from sin. I believe You rose from the dead and are enthroned at the Father’s right hand in Heaven.

I trust You and Your blood alone to be the full payment for my sins. I renounce and turn from my sins. I receive your Holy Spirit to bear witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. All this I ask in the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!

If you prayed that prayer sincerely, Jesus has come into your heart. Now go and tell someone immediately – “I have received Jesus as my Lord and Savior and I know, I know, I know I am saved and on my way to Heaven.”

The Bible says, “For if you tell others with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. for it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith confirming his salvation” (Rom 10:9,10 tlb).

Now that you are born again – and you know that you are – you are a candidate for the Lord to start speaking to you. You can hear His voice. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27).

When Jesus comes into your heart He cleanses it and sweeps it free from sin and darkness, and takes away the hard heart and gives you a soft and tender heart of flesh so you can hear His voice.

“Your filthiness will be washed away… And I will give you a new heart - I will give you new and right desires – and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love. And I will put my Spirit within you so that you obey my laws and do whatever I command” (Eze 36:25-27 tlb).

1. Hearts Not Perfect Before God

“For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward him, so that he can show his great power in helping them” (2 Chr 16:9 tlb).

The people in Bible times understood the heart to be the sea of:

1. the emotions or affections,
2. the motives, and
3. the intentions of the person. God is vitally concerned with these things.

a. Worldly Affections.

If our affections are set on things on the earth rather than things in Heaven, this offends God (1 Jn 2:15). The Bible tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength (Matt 22:37).

b. Impure Motives.

If our motives (or motivations) are impure like the prophet Baalam (Numbers 23) then God will severely jude us. Baalam bartered God given miraculous gifts for money, fame and prestige.

c. Wrong Intentions.

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) were pretending to give all their money to the work of the Lord, but were really keeping back much of it for themselves. Because their intent was wrong, God killed them.

Oh! how we need to guard our affections, motives and intentions to make sure they are pure. God knows our heart, doesn’t He?

“For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). We can’t hide these things from the Lord. And if we do not keep our hearts right in His sight, we will not hear God’s voice.

2. Hardness Of Heart

“Today, if you want to hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb 4:7).

When I and my team go somewhere to preach the gospel, we often fast and pray for God to empower us so we will be able to heal and bless the people. We often set aside a day for fasting and prayer during these times.

It is our custom to select three mature Christian couples (husbands and wives) nd form them into a prayer team. We may have five or six prayer teams ministering to the people during the day of fasting and prayer.

The prayer team place their chairs in a circle. Those coming to be prayed for sit in the middle of this circle.

We encourage these teams to pray in the Spirit (in other tongues – 1 Cor 14:13,14) and expect the Holy Spirit to give them supernatural help for the people who are coming for prayer.

a. Unforgiveness Stops God’s Voice

A lady came to the prayer circle my wife and I were part of. She had severe arthritis which was causing her a lot of pain in her back and hands. Her fingers were so curled over with arthritis, she couldn’t straighten them out.

She said the Lod had stopped talking to her. She had not heard the voice of the Lord in over eight months.

As the team began praying in the Spirit, a picture started forming in my mind of a corn filed from which the harvest had been taken. The ground was hard and dry and the corn stalks withered. As I pondered whether this picture had meaning to the sister’s need, I felt the Holy Spirit began to say to me, “This is th picture of this sister’s heart. It is hard and dry.”

I prayed, “Why Lord?” The Spirit responded, “Her husband has been mistreating her and she hasn’t forgiven him. Her failure to forgive has caused this hardness of heart. And because she has not forgiven him, she has not been forgiven. All this hs combined to cause tremendous frustration in her heart. This is causing the arthritis which afflicts her.”

I am not always sure that I am hearing the voice of the Lord when something like this happens. So, to test out whether it was the Holy Spirit or my own imagination, I told the sister about the picture in my head (vision), I related to her what I thought the Lord had said to me about her situation. Then I asked her, “Is any of this true?” She broke down in tears and reply,” Yes, Brother Ralph, it is all true.”

b. Forgiveness Brings A Return Of God’s Voice.

The compassion of the Lord filled my heart for this dear sister. With tears streaming down my face I said, “Sister, Jesus loves you very much and wants to hear you and wants to speak to you. Verbalize your forgiveness. Just speak out and say, ‘I forgive my husband all the evil things he has done to hurt me.’ When you do that the Lord will heal you, and your heart will be softened. When you have a tender heart (instead of  hard heart) the Lord will speak to you again.”

She did as I suggested and within three minutes all the arthritis was gone. The stiffness and pain in her back was healed. Her finger joints came free and she could bend her fingers like any normal person.

Several days later she told me through  tears of joy, “Brother Ralph, the Lord has been talking to me again. He is so good!” I found out later, she was a church leader of a fine church.

This story illustrates how important it is to have our heart right with God. A hard heart, a calloused heart, an unbelieving heart, and scores of other “heart conditions” can prevent us from hearing God’s voice.

Is God still speaking today? Is it possible to hear the voice of God? Christian leaders are confused about this issue.

Some believe that God can guide us and give direction when we need it. Others say God only speaks to us by what we read in the Bible. I believe that God still speaks to us today by His Holy Spirit just as He did in Bible times. What do you believe?

The Pseudepigrapha tells about a sect of the Pharisees that came into existence 800 years (or more) before Christ. This sect taught that all God would ever say was already said through the writings of Moses. Any subsequent prophetic voice or writing was invalid. They accepted only the first books of the Bible. Nothing more!

It seems many church leaders believe the same doctrine today (with some modification). For example, modern-day “theological Pharisees” teach that God only speaks to us now by what is written in the Bible. Beyond that, God is not speaking anymore.

While the Bible is a finished book, and no one should dare add anything to the Canon of Scripture, the idea that we now serve a DUMB GOD (one who cannot speak) is a great theological travesty.

Many will die to defend what God said (past centuries) but “… refuse him that speaketh [presently in our day and time] from heaven” (Heb 12:25).

Seven times we are admonished, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith [present tense] unto the churches” (Rev 2:7; 3:22).

A. THE NEED TO HEAR

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).This word “proceedeth” speaks of a present-continuing function. That means something that happened in the past, is happening in the present, and will happen in the future.

This verse could be translated, “Man…lives… by every word that has been spoken and continues to be spoken by the mouth of God. ” God, Who spoke in ages past, is speaking in the future. GOD IS NOT A DUMB GOD!

This is not to say the Bible is still being written and we need to add to it. I do NOT believe that. The Bible does teach us however, that God wants a people to “dwell in, and walk in” (2 Cor 6:16). “living epistles, known and read by mankind” (2 Cor 3:2,3).

Oh, how we need to hear His voice! We can only live (have the life and blessing of the Lord in our churches today) by hearing every word that continues to proceed from God’s mouth to our hearts.

1. To Know God’s Will

Every church leader faces this question: What does God expect me to do, and what am I to leave up to God to do? Where does my responsibility end and God’s begin?

On the one hand, the Scripture says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by me Spirit, says the Lord” (Zech 4:6).

Some have suggested this teaches God will do it all by His Spirit and we need do nothing.

On the other hand, Jesus said, “That servant who knew his Lord’s will, …neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes” (Luke 12:47). This clearly teaches that God holds His servants responsible to know His will and to take action to implement (do) the will of God.

How do we reconcile this tension between God’s sovereignty and the church leader’s responsibility to implement the will of God?

We can easily, resolve this dilemma by examining Jesus’ words again. “That servant who knew his Lord’s will… neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes…” (Luke 12:47). Jesus contrasts this with the servant that knew not his Lord’s will. That servant ” shall be beaten with few stripes” (vs 48). Both ways you get a beating. If you know – and don’t do, and if you don’t know – and don’t do.

God wants church leaders who know and do their Lord’s will. The will of God establishes the limits of our responsibility. If we don’t know His will, we will be judged less harshly, though we will still be judged. To do the will of God we must know His will. To know His will – we must hear His voice. It’s that simple!

a. A Personal Testimony.

When I was being trained as an evangelist, I used to preach to nearly everyone I met, hoping to find someone who accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. I had read in one of my books and it taught me to use the following outline. By giving the sinner these four points, I might lead someone to Christ.

• You are a sinner (Rom 3:23).
• The penalty of sin is eternal hell (Rom 6:23).
• Jesus bore your penalty for sin on the cross (1 Pet 2:24).
• Receive Jesus and you will be saved *John 1:12).

Let me assure you, all the above is true. This is all people need to know to be saved. If they believe this with all their heart, they are born from above by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

But not one person I talked to was born again during that whole summer. Not one wanted to receive Jesus. What was I doing wrong?

I was relying on a formula, a method, instead of the leading of the Holy Spirit. I was not hearing the Lord’s voice of direction and my efforts were fruitless.

Some years later, observing Brother Heeley lead scores of souls to Christ, I found out how wrong I had been in my approach to soul-winning. Everywhere Brother Heeley went to lead people in Christ.

When Brother Heeley needed a haircut he would pray. “Lord, lead me to a barber that needs You and is ready to receive You.” He would get in his car and drive by several barber shops. When he sensed that inward feeling from the Spirit that he had found the right one, he would go into that shop, fully expecting to lead the barber to Christ. he seldom failed.

When Brother Heeley would put air in his bicycle tire, or go to the market for his wife. it was always the same. He would pray for the direction of the Holy Spirit – and then listen for God’s voice of gentle direction. He would always find sinners who were ready to receive a Savior as he followed the Spirit’s leading.

I asked him one day, “What method do you use when you talk to people, Brother Heeley?: I don’t have one,” he replied. “I listen for the voice of the Spirit to direct me in what to say to people. I never say the same thing twice. The Lord helps me to discover their need and talk to them about it in a loving, concerned way that let them know I care and God cares.”

Brother Heeley was born and raised in Canada but never heard the  gospel until he was past 40 years of age. He was led to Christ by an itinerant soul-winner who demonstrated a loving concern for him. Brother Heeley does what the man who let him to Christ did. He itinerates all over Canada, showing loving concern for people and leading them to Christ. His secret? He hears and obeys God’s voice.

I’ve tried to emulate Brother Heeley since I met him. I have found God will lead you if you desire He do so. Listen for God’s voice and He will gently lead you to people who need salvation and are ready to receive a Savior.

Not only in soul-winning, but in every area of our ministry, we need to hear God’s voice. What then hinders us?

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me… the elders of Israel…..that they may stand…with thee. And… they shall bear the burden of the people with thee…” (Num 11:16,17).

If you see a man reaching for responsibility, promote him! That man will be a blessing to the Lord’s work. If you see a man reaching for authority, be on guard! That man will damage the work of the Lord.

a. Leadership Is Not Lordship.

“Feed the flock of God… Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet 5:3).

God made mankind to exercise dominion (see Genesis 1:26). For this reason, in the heart of most men there is the desire to rule.

Ruling according to the biblical model is quite different from the way most leaders in the world exercise their authority. Hence we need to understand the Bible model for leadership.

Using dominion as Jesus did was legitimate. “..I do always those things that please the Father” (John 8:29). He used His leadership position to teach, bless, heal, break bondage’s, cast out demons, forgive sins and heal the broken-hearted (see Luke 4:18). All this pleased His heavenly Father.

“For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus did not exercise dominion as a self-serving dictator. Jesus saw His role as a servant-ruler.

His disciples did not understand this. They thought leadership would mean a high position in which they would receive praise and honor.

“Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a special request of him.

“And he said unto her, What do you want? She said unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on the left, in your kingdom.

“Jesus replied… Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant;

“And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your slave: Even as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:20-28).

The Lord did not want His apostles ruling OVER. Rather He wanted them serving UNDER the people, bent low, washing their feet – like a lowly slave. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet – like a lowly slave.

“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet (John 13:14).

The Apostle Paul affirmed this in his writings. “But now in Christ Jesus ye… are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph 2:13,20).

This teaches us the leadership (apostles and prophets) are foundational ministries in the church. The foundation of a building is under it, in a supportive role – not over it, dominating and holding it under dominion.

The ‘chief cornerstone’ was the top-stone (or head-stone) in the pyramid. This place is reserved for Jesus alone. He alone has any right to rule in the church as the ‘chief cornerstone.’

Any church leader who tries to take the place of Jesus is in danger of operating as an ‘anti-christ.’ In the New Testament, the Greek word for ‘anti-christ’ not only means ‘against Christ’ but in some passages ‘in the place of Christ.’ Those trained for leadership must understand this important principle.

Centuries before Christ, the Israelites tried to make their deliverer, Gideon, a king. He wisely responded, “…I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you” (Judg 8:23).

1) The Parable of Jotham.

I recommend you read the parable of Jotham (a relative of Gideon) in Judges 9:7-21.

In his parable, none of the ‘fruit-bearing trees’ or vines would accept the summons to rule over the people. Only the thorny, fruitless ‘bramble bush’ responded to the call to be a ruler. Note how the ‘fruitful vine’ responded in Jotham’s parable: “Then said the trees unto the ‘vine’, Come thou, and reign over us.

“And the ‘vine’ said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? (Judg 9:12,13). The ‘vine’ refused to rule over others.

Jesus had the same attitude. He was the true ‘vine’, and He too refused to be made a king (see John 15:1). “When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king he departed again into a mountain himself alone” (John 6:15).

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “..Let this mind be in you, which was also in christ Jesus:

“Who being in the form of God, thought it no something to be grasped after to be equal with God:

“But made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men:

“And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Therefore, “Let nothing be done through strife or conceit; but in humility of mind let each think of others as better than themselves” (Phil 2:3-8).

2) Paul – An Example.

Being an apostle of Jesus brought no honor or praise. Paul described his leadership role in these words. “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place.

“And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

“Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.

” I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (1 Cor 4:11:14).

The Corinthian church and their leaders had a wrong understanding of their role in this present world. They thought they were to be like gentile rulers (see 1 Corinthians 4:8). Paul used stinging words of sarcasm to correct their wrong ideas.

b. The church Leader – a Burden-Bearer.

The Scripture uses the oxen (water buffalo) as the symbol of the church leader. “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?.

“Or does he say this referring to we who are leaders in the church?  For our sakes, no doubt this is written…” (1 Cor 9:8.10).

The oxen was chosen as the representation of the church leader because of its patient endurance in the labors of harvest. The steady, enduring strength and selflessness of the oxen has made it the most loved and revered of all animals used in agriculture.

As such, the oxen illustrates the biblical role of the church leader – a burden-bearer, one who joyfully takes the responsibility to see that others are fed and cared for.

It is obvious from Scripture that those who faithfully fulfill their leadership role bear many burdens like the oxen. Paul described his ministry in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 in these graphic words:

“….. in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

“Of the Jews five times received  I forty stripes save one.

“Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

“In journeying’s often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own country men, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren.

“In weariness and painfulness, in watching’s often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting’s often, in cold and nakedness.

“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” None but the sincere church leaders want these kind of burdens and responsibilities. such are God’s oxen.

Seek out these kind of men and train them for leadership. Observe these biblical principles for training leaders:

“… for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success” (Josh 1:8).