LEADERS THE WATCHMEN

Sons Training October 9, 2017

One of the promises of the Lord to this ministry was that it would be used to raise up a demonstration of the message, and to raise leaders after God’s own heart. Sons Training is instrumental in fulfilling this vision, as such every leader must be diligent in ensuring they receive all that this platform offers. The lessons, quizzes and videos are all designed to raise and develop you in ministry. If taken seriously, they will change your life and the lives of those whom you lead. For the past two weeks, we have been focusing specifically on leaders and ministers: what type of leader are you? And what can cap your ministry? In this lesson, we ask another very important question, what is God’s expectation of you as a leader? Many may not immediately see the relevance of such a question, but consider that God’s judgement of your tenure here on earth will be based on what He expects you to do while here. Leaders, we must not take this lightly.

Hebrews 13:17

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

God placed leaders as watchmen in the Church for the development of the five-fold ministry and for the perfecting of the saints. However, many have focused on the physical display of the Holy Ghost and bodily exercise such as speaking in tongues and praise and worship, with little concern with the perfecting of the soul. We’ve often seen how leadership has been manipulated to cause the body of Christ to seek the material wealth of this world. Nevertheless, God’s requirement remains the same: leaders are to “watch” over the souls of those they lead, because God is holding them accountable for the people’s spiritual disposition. Watchman: tsaphah (tsaw-faw') To peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await: to look into the spirit world. To see those things that will affect or oppose the body of Christ. From the nation of Israel to the Church, the Lord has placed watchmen over His people. Let us go back to the schoolmaster to discover the responsibility of the watchmen.

Isaiah 62:6-7

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

It is the responsibility of the watchmen to preach the Word of God, bring the people to the righteous standards set by the Lord and to a place of praise in the earth. Leaders are not supposed to keep silent, but minister those things that pertain to godliness. However, we must not be deceived - only the pure in heart can see God, or His people. Therefore, leaders themselves must bring their power and authority in the saints’ lives under the control of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

All sons of God are charged with the severity of a holy, blameless life, but leaders even more so. The flock look to the shepherd for an example of Christ. They may never understand all the revelation and deep mysteries of God, but it should be made clear just from watching the life of God’s leaders. Paul said it this way, “

1 Corinthians 11:1

1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ”

If you were to say this to everyone you lead, would you be left with anyone following you? It is certain that not everyone will be receptive to God’s word being ministered through us. There may be many who think that we are unfit for the task that we have been given, and others who resent the fact that we were chosen rather than them. However, in the midst of it all, what should be the disposition of our hearts towards them and towards our calling? Another man’s disapproval should not prevent us from giving them the words of life that were entrusted to us. I have often seen leaders get apprehensive to sound the alarm, when they observe something that has the potential to harm the rest of the flock. Many of them take the approach of dealing with issues in “prayer”, or “trusting the word to work in the people’s lives”.

Some even attempt to “soften the blow” of correction by developing friendships with the sheep, before attempting to confront them. Leaders, this is dishonesty. The dishonesty comes from the fact that the leader is not dealing from the truth of who they are. The leader knows that he/she was put in this son’s life to perfect them, and in the life of the unsaved to reconcile them to God. To know that there is a hinderance to this purpose being fulfilled, but lessen the severity of it, is to lie. It is to say, “God does not like what you are doing, but it is not that serious anyway.” God set the leadership in His body as it pleases Him, and endowed them with the gift of discernment - the ability to be a watchman in the lives of the people. The watchman not only identifies the problem, but retrieves the soul(s) involved and steers the sheep inside the heart and mind of God. Dealing with souls is always a matter of life and death, and your response to negative dispositions in the church should come with the same level of urgency as Christ within you. It is very important that the body of Christ begin to focus on the perfecting of the saints. It is imperative that they also come into the knowledge of the truth. We must step aside, deny self and allow the Holy Ghost to do what He came to do: to lead and guide the body of Christ into the heart and mind of the Father.

Love, Apostle Kareem Flowers.