Make Way for Future Ministers

Any organization, place of business or even a household needs to have a next in line, so that when the time comes, what ever has been created and maintained for a certain time can be taken forward, in many cases, propelled. Our existence is but finite in the dimension of time, for in Genesis 3:19 it is written that "..for dust you are and to dust you will return", and the only way we can live on is if others decide to keep our works alive, or to make it thrive.

When the focus is merely ourselves, we tend to see that we reach a certain position and then we feel "We made it!". But once we have made it, then it begins to dawn on us that making it was but the start of something which demands a lot from you, who at times has very little or nothing to offer. Are we humble enough to then say "I was not ready for this" or to admit that "I cannot do this without help"?. This situation usually occurs from glorification of hierarchal positions, the need for increased social status and the drive to prove ourselves to others who did not believe in us.

In ministry, if this is the situation which occurs, we will have people who are resentful, stressed and overwhelmed to deal with the amount of people who have troubles and concerns in their lives, leading them astray, and at times, not being there for them at all. There is also the one sheep that got away that you become unaware of, which is one of the more important tasks of a shepherd. Then an heightened sense of pride can take over your personality by receiving the spotlight, which can open doors to the enemy, even though you are doing Gods work!

There is an overwhelming weight on such leaders, which is also imparted from scripture, to take their work with utmost care and honor towards God, as they are actually responsible for souls of the people that He put in their lives. There must be a certain reverence to the positions of Church leadership, as it is Christ Himself who is in the leader guiding people towards Him. For that, the leader must strive to have a strong relationship with Christ. Yes, nobody is perfect, but the willingness to become more like Him and the understanding that you cannot do it in your own strength are crucial to possess for such an individual.

This allows the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you, at a level which we cannot comprehend. You will be able to deal with multiple people at a time, providing the words of wisdom to them where needed, then preach the sermon you need to in order to lead the people in the right direction, perform healing and deliverances, then to go and get that one sheep that got away, and after it all, still have the energy to spend time with your family and loved ones. Not doing it in our own strength is the actual way to give God all the glory, which allows no room for pride to enter our lives.

There is a strong need for the Church leadership to understand how the Holy Spirit actually operates, not just theoretically or theologically, but literally. One of the ways that the Holy Spirit is allowed to operate freely is when people in the Church operate in their God given gifts boldly and unashamedly. Another way is to surrender to God and submit all your ways to Him, which allows the Holy Spirit to operate through you individually. Among other things, one of the ways that we allow the Holy Spirit to operate freely in the Church is to have the right leaders in place.

The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer, but not every believer is meant to run the Church. Certain positions are meant to be filled by certain people already chosen by God. The responsibility of the present leadership is to realize who those people are and act on Gods will in their fullest capacity. This realization can only come through the Spirit of God, for it is written in Isiah 55:8 that “'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord". This is an extremely important requirement for a Church to run as God intended, to avoid sidetracking, misdirections and problems, as the leaders of the body must be united in guiding the body in the right direction, the destination being the same, that is God.

This was also an example set by Jesus, as he went to each of his disciples and called them publicly to follow him. We expect people to come and prove themselves to us, then maybe we will give a chance to them. But our Lord already knew who to call, when to call and how to guide them to build his Church, which many are struggling to build in this day and age. Jesus is the example we need to follow on how to build the Church my friends, but for some reason, it was blind to many of us, including me. The person with whom God decides to build a Church is also equipped with finding the right people to help build and grow it to the capacity at which God intends.

The Parable of the Tenants is a powerful reminder of what happens to the chosen people of God if they do not acknowledge His future servants. Although Jesus had intended the parable of the tenants to be for the teachers of the law, the Pharisees, as they had rejected multiple prophets whom God had sent and finally even rejected the Son of God, that is Jesus, then it goes on to say what will happen to them because of this. But parables are an eternal source of wisdom and knowledge of the Kingdom of God and it contains multiple levels of information as to how the followers of Christ must operate, if you want to know more on this, kindly read the article Tares among the Wheat, where it is explained in depth.

The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:33-44)

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?“ Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

As Jesus spoke this parable after the Pharisees questioned his authority, we understand that he was addressing the matters of false authority, rejection of Gods authority and times when people are not able to believe in who He has chosen. As you go through the parable, when the servants in the parable were rejected and killed by the tenants, it points to us that they questioned the authority of the servants. Even though it clearly states that the owner has sent them, that is God, they could not see or acknowledge that. The follow up action of beating, killing and stoning them is just an indication of how they have taken action out of their own authority, even though they had none, as it was not their vineyard.

As we get into the initial few verses, we understand that there was a vineyard that was built with a wall around it, a winepress and a watchtower. Each has its own function to the successful working of a vineyard. If you remove any one of them, it may be detrimental to the functioning and stability of the place. This is the Church built by God with his boundaries, provision and vision, everything needed to produce much fruit for his kingdom. Then he gave it to the care of the tenants, that is, the people he chose to create, start and maintain the Church. God has always been the rightful owner of the Church, for it is written in Psalms 24:1 that "The earth is the Lord ’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;".

Now when the owner sent his servants to collect his fruits and they were beaten, stoned and killed, this can be interpreted two ways. In one way, this can be seen as the Church not bearing fruit and the people's reaction is to not accept it. The other way is, part of the fruit must be produced and owned by the chosen servants of the Lord. In which ever way we see it, it is understood that the Church is not bearing fruit to its potential. Here, bearing fruit represents the growth and maturity of leadership and congregation in Christ and the continued fulfillment of Gods will for the Church, as it is written in Ephesians 4:16 that "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.".

Then it goes on to say that the owner sends more of his servants, that shows Gods love and mercy on us sinners. In spite of the tenants treating the owners servants in violent and hurtful ways and not bearing fruit, he still chooses to give them another chance, a chance that allows us them to repent, change their ways and to give what is owed. This is but a reminder for each one of us as Church leaders and members to question if we are bearing fruit to our potential and if the head of the Church continues to be Christ, allowing him to appoint his servants to bear fruit, as it is written in Ephesians 1:22 that "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church..".

As the tenants continue to treat the servants in the same way, the owner finally sends his son to them. From Matthew 21:37, the words "Last of all" makes it clear that this is the last chance that God will give us. When the owner says in Matthew 21:37 that "They will respect my son", it shows Gods continued faithfulness in us regardless of our past mistakes. Despite being given multiple chances, the tenants then kill the son as they identify him to be the heir, wanting to steal his inheritance. The behavior of the tenants displays selfish ambition, greed and self-glorification. The son, or the heir here, represents the future leaders through which Christ wants to operate, who are next in line to continue to run and maintain the Church, which is the inheritance.

Finally, when the owner of the vineyard comes, it is said that he will bring those wretches to a wretched end. Jesus, in his own actions, shows how He will respond to this situation in Matthew 21:19 where "Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered". This is a warning to us that we should strive to bear fruit not only as an individual, but as a community of believers, so that we are ready to receive Christ when he comes again.

To conclude, Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of the parable in Matthew 21:43 that "..the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.". This means that the Church, its blessings, its authority, its members and everything that God has bestowed on it will be taken away from the people who are not producing its fruit and then will be given to people who will bear its fruit. Being a Christian does not automatically take you out of the context of this parable, as you can accept Christ and still not bear fruit. The only way we can successfully run the Church is to submit to the leadership of Christ and allow him to direct it, us being mere vessels through which he operates, giving him all the glory, honor and praise.

Don't Kill the Messenger!