Pastors and the Pasture

Pastors and the Pasture

Many dynamics are woven into the fabric of a church culture, but the most important is the aggelos, the senior leader of the church. People have great ideas on what a church should look like, but only One can infuse a leader with the wisdom needed for the church they shepherd. A wise master builder is of utmost value: a man who has deep callouses on his knees and a worn-out Bible he studies—a leader who touches God before he speaks to the people. Leaders are, in reality, gatekeepers for the local church culture.

George and I have moved quite a bit and finding a home church was always a challenge. Reading websites and visiting churches was just the beginning of each adventure. Noting the “What we believe” tab was followed by the “What we value,” and then the numerous visits before finding out the real dynamics of each church culture. Usually what is truly valued is quickly apparent, for it flows from the pulpit each service. Jesus said that out of the mouth flows the heart, so if prayer or the Presence of the Holy Spirit or community or the lost is valued, the leader will talk about it and it will be woven into the fabric of the church culture.

The senior leader determines what food is served at the Sunday banquet, but only in part; what food can be served is also determined by the maturity of the people seated at the table. Hebrews 5 states that the writer wanted to serve the Hebrew church steak, but the people could only digest milk. Their spiritual maturity determined their diet. However, a wise leader, the one with calloused knees, will not only see the current condition of the people, but will also see how to keep them (or get them) moving forward. It isn’t healthy when people continue to drink milk year after year. Neither is it healthy for people to be unchallenged in their spiritual walk with the Lord.

Years ago the Lord showed me a picture of a leader as they were teaching. The leader became a prism as the Holy Spirit moved through them when they taught. Each person listening was touched by a different color of the spectrum, as the Holy Spirit took the things of Jesus and revealed them to the people. The Holy Spirit, knowing each person, was able, through one message, to touch each person exactly where they were currently in their walk. But this type of message does not come from putting together a good message, it comes from revelation, from anointing—from the Holy Spirit. 

A leader who only speaks to people where they are at will never move people forward. People need to be challenged. People need vision. People need to hunger for more of God, His Kingdom, His ways, His Presence. As hunger is stirred, people themselves begin to feast throughout the weeks as they feed themselves. There is nothing more intensely valuable than a personal encounter with the living God. This is where vision from God is birthed. This is where spiritual maturity increases exponentially. This is where deep calls to deep. This is what we are created for.

George and I have had great teachers whose teachings were anointed systematic lessons and we have had an anointed leader who mostly shared his messages. One leader took his messages right out of the Thompson Chain in the back of the Bible—good message, no anointing. It was obvious which leaders spent time with the Lord.

A few weeks ago the Lord showed me a picture of a green house. Along with the picture was an understanding that the green house represented the church—my church, in particular. I understood, through the Holy Spirit’s revelation that the green house is a uniquely designed environment for optimum growth. However, everything within the green house must be brought in: the soil, sunlight, seeds, fertilizer, pots, water—everything. The door is tended by the leader(s) of the church, and whether or not they acknowledge it, whether passively or actively, they determine what comes into the green house.

Bottom line, senior pastors determine the pasture in the local church. An aggelos’ personal relationship with the Lord should spur people on to go after God, instead of giving them a nice padded cushion for their rump.

Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. 

Psalm 127

Jars of Oil

Jars of Oil

A couple weeks ago I was invited to meet with a group of leaders within the Truckee Meadows valley. Different ministries were gathering for fellowship. The intent was to build relationships with each other, so that we would begin to work together in relationship, honoring each other’s gifts and walk with the Lord. To build, so to speak, a wall around the Truckee Meadows valley; a spiritual wall, much like the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah.  

As we discussed ministry, the Holy Spirit showed me what I thought were jars of oil—dusty jars lining dusty shelves. The feel was much like traveling medicine gypsies. “Interesting,” I said, “I just saw dusty jars of oil lining dusty shelves.” Everyone hit “pause,” then without interruption tapped the “pause button” again and continued with their conversation, as if uninterrupted. I was startled by the revelation the Holy Spirit had shown me, and left the meeting pondering, asking the Lord, “What did those jars of oil represent?”

In the days following it became quite clear what the Holy Spirit meant when He showed me those dusty jars sitting on dusty shelves. First, the oil was no longer fresh and flowing as it once had been, rather it was stagnant, bottled and stored, ready for sale. Ready, that is, to be pulled off the shelf whenever something resembling anointing was needed. “I’ve got just the thing just for that…”

Of course this is not to say that everyone in the area is peddling anointing, but some are. 2 Corinthians 2:17 says, For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. Some peddle their ministry; not all, but some. People whose job it is to lead God’s people ought to get paid for what they do. The Bible makes clear that they should. (See Matthew 10:10) The jars of oil have nothing to do with leaders getting paid. What the Holy Spirit showed me was an entirely different storyline.

Consider that when people have had an anointed ministry they can stop operating under His anointing. Probably not all at once, but slowly, surely, they begin to operate more in the flesh than in the Spirit. They continue in ministry, howbeit, sadly an unanointed ministry. And since gifts and callings are irrevocable, there continues still, by God’s grace, a hint of what used to be. People can fake anointing in a lot of different ways and usually only those who know the Holy Spirit and His anointing can tell. Maybe they themselves don’t even realize that they have make a great exchange—flesh for anointing. Hebrews 2 descriptively says, Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. The natural human tendency is to drift away from God.

In the letter to Sardis Jesus says, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name [NIV reputation] that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.”

Jesus makes clear to Sardis they used to walk in a place they now only have a reputation for. Revelation 3:3 says Sardis Church was to “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast [to attend to carefully, take care of] and repent.”  Furthermore, He commands them, “Be watchful [give strict attention to], and strengthen the things which remain.” How had they received and heard and what was Sardis commanded to “attend to carefully and take care of, giving strict attention to”? Jesus doesn’t specifically say, probably because we all have our own stories and walk with God. This is true both individually and corporately, as individual local churches. Most assuredly though, it has to do with their deep relationship with the Lord that gave them a reputation of being alive.

Where are you now? 

Are you full of life?

How is your oil? 

Is it still flowing? 

These are questions we should regularly consider before the Lord.

In the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25), five were wise and five were foolish. The five foolish didn’t take oil with them and didn’t realize that their lamps were going out until it was too late. They were dimming down. When they asked the five wise for some of their oil they replied, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” So, there is a place to purchase oil.

Where?

I’m quite sure there is only One Who has oil to sell. It isn’t cheap, but it is free.