For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray and make request for you, that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to walk worthily of the Lord]unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: Colossians 1.9-14
What a tremendous prayer Paul makes for the brothers of Colossae. I believe that in this prayer we find the heart of God for every leader and for every believer in particular, and it is that all of us be filled with the knowledge of his will.
There is nothing more glorious for every believer than to know the will of God in order to walk according to the will of God. How can we please God if we don’t know what he wants? What is his perfect will? We find the will of God in the Word of God, there the will of God is already revealed and he tells us that he wants us to be filled.
The word “filled” comes from several Greek words: Plethos meaning filled to the brim, and Plehro meaning filled to overflowing. Like when you have a glass overflowing with water, that is the “full” to which the word refers; filled with the Spirit, overflowing with the Spirit, manifesting the Spirit in all His will. He says to be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
He speaks of three things: Knowledge, Wisdom and Spiritual Intelligence. Knowledge is what we learn; wisdom is how we apply what we learn; spiritual intelligence, it is the revelation that comes from God, the hidden and profound things that God knows and that he reveals to his saints, so that once that information or that knowledge is revealed we can walk according to the will of God.
So the source of revelation is the Holy Spirit. When the Bible speaks of spiritual intelligence, some Bible scholars say that it refers to the knowledge of the secret things of God, the revelation that comes through the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of the spiritual gifts that God has given us.
It speaks to us of spiritual intelligence, the source of revelation is the Holy Spirit. The source of knowledge is teaching. So the Bible speaks of mysteries that God reveals, which once revealed are not a mystery and become knowledge so that the church reaches a new level.
That is the objective of today: to take you from the knowledge of the word to a fresh revelation of what God wants to do, so that we can walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing him in everything and bearing fruit in every new work, at the same time growing more and more in his knowledge and be strengthened with all power, according to the power of his glory for all patience and long-suffering.
Two leadership qualities. The leader who does not have patience or long-suffering had better retire from being a leader. It is what God wants to do. That word “strengthened with all power” comes from the word dúnamo that means to receive power to be confirmed, to make us strong, to be trained and it speaks to us of that dynamic compound of God’s power, “dúnami”.
Then he tells us that God wants us to be confirmed, enabled, made strong with all power according to the power of his glory for all patience and long-suffering. On this occasion we are going to talk about some of the things that are imperatively necessary to be men and women called by God, and to train ourselves in the things of God to walk in the ministry.
Multiplication is not God’s purpose. God’s purpose is quality. God is more interested in character than quantity
Therefore, we are not simply climbing a ladder to see how high we can go, our role is to be faithful servants to what the Lord has asked us to do, no more and no less. And the sooner we understand this, the more peaceful our lives and our ministries will be.
I prefer to be responsible before God for the little he gave me or for the little he gave me, than for everything I wanted to do myself.
The word says: add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, patience; to patience, mercy; to piety, brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection, agape. Because if these things are in you and abound, they will not let you be idle and fruitless. No, regarding the knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but he who does not have these things, he has very short sight, he is blind. Therefore, brothers, try to make your calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1.5-7
The word vocation is your call; what God has called you to do. We are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
It is required of stewards to be found FAITHFUL. 1 Cor. 4.2
The time between your calling and your separation is the time of your preparation. When God finds you faithful and views your character.
My spiritual father, Jack Hayford, says leadership is about character and character growth is what forms the spearhead for a leader. Therefore, the character is applied and to that character are applied the moral qualities, by which a person is judged, apart from his intelligence, his competence and his talent.
For God, your character is more important than your abilities. Your talents and abilities were given to you for the work of the ministry, however your character is your behavior.
I say that the gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s evidence to the world of what He can do trough you, However The Fruit of the Spirit which shapes your actions and behavior is God’s evidence to the world of what He has done in you.
• Fidelity ( Faithfulness) and Perseverance Requirements for Leadership
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;
and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much…
…And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s,
who will give you what is your own? (Luke 16:10, 12)
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He
counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. (1Timothy 1:12)
My personal testimony of God’s Calling. From my birth I was given the name Pastor. On July 31 of 1983 I found out through a 35 minute prophecy given to me by Dr. Bill Hamon. That word is part of my book Leadership, Ministry and Battles. From that moment on I began to prepare myself for the time in which God would separate me for the Work he had predetermined for me. On February 5th of 1989 I was separated for the work of the ministry by the Presbytery of Prophets and teachers at Word of Grace as they laid hands on me and prophesied my calling to the nations. A complete record of these prophecies is found in my book The Restoration of Apostles and Prophets and their Influence in the 21st Century. An identical situation as we can read on Act Chapter 13 about the separation of Paul and Barnabas by Prophets and teachers at the Church of Antioch.
Psalm 138.8 declares that Jehovah will fulfill his purposes for my life and Psalm 139.16 declares that ALL the days of my life are written in the book of life without missing one. Romans 8:28 declares that we are called according to HIS purpose. Over and over again we find Biblical passages that declare that from our mothers’ wombs we were called. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, The apostle Paul and others we read were called form their mother’s womb.
God has a purpose for each of us and for the generation in which we live and in the city where we find ourselves. There is no coincidence with God. Everything has his cause and everything has his plan. The Bible declares of King David that having fulfilled God’s purpose for his generation he slept with his parents.
The word purpose from the Greek prosthesis means a deliberate plan, an anticipated plan, or an intention.
How great it is to know that God already had everything predetermined for our lives and that he has a job for us as leaders and men and women chosen by the Almighty to serve Jesus Christ. We are not only called to do the work of it but also to FINISH IT.
Jesus Christ declared: My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work.
We have been satisfied to do the will of God but the call is not only to begin but to FINISH. To bring everything to fruition. To a certain purpose.
I have glorified you on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do. John 17.4
• Perseverance
I know your works, and your hard work and patience; and that you cannot bear the wicked, and you have tested those who say they are apostles, and they are not, and you have found them liars; and you have suffered, and have been patient, and have worked hard for my name’s sake, and have not fainted. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love .Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent , and do the first works; if not, I will come to you quickly, and I will remove your lamp stand from its place, if you have not repented. Revelation 2:2-7
Ephesus Personal Testimony
The Church was warned that they lost their first love and needed to Repent
The apostle Paul recognizes the importance of his call and the need to finish and fulfill his call declaring and exhorting us saying: But I do not pay attention to anything, nor do I consider my life precious to myself, as long as I finish my race with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace. Acts 20.24.
Therefore take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of the Lord, which he gained by his own blood. Acts 20.28
The word BISHOP from the Greek episkopos means: an overseer, a leader, and refers to one who is working on God’s work and who is in a position of leadership. It has been the Holy Spirit who has put us in the position where we find ourselves.
The apostle Paul at the end of his days looking towards his ministerial life declares: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. For the rest, the crown of righteousness is kept for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who love his coming. 2 Timothy 4.7-8.
By declaring that he has fought the good fight he is referring to all the adversities, the difficulties, the problems, the persecutions, the betrayals, the accusations that a position of leadership brings. It is an intense battle against the flesh, the world and the Devil. Paul exhorts us to persevere, to stand firm and not be easily discouraged.
Let us not tire, then, of doing good; for in due time we will reap, if we do not lose heart. So, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the family of faith. Galatians. 6.9
All the work of the ministry has to be based on the result that is ahead. This is what should encourage us to be able to finish the work in order to fulfill the call. Jesus Christ left us the model, he showed us the way and that is why we are called to be imitators of Christ. Jesus Christ said that He had not come to be served but to serve.
Well, I tell you, that Christ Jesus came to be a servant of the circumcision to show the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, Romans 15.8
But now that you have been freed from sin and made servants of God, you have sanctification as your fruit, and as an end, eternal life. Romans 6.22
Servants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with simplicity of your heart, as to Christ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; Serving willingly, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that whatever good each one does, he will receive from the Lord, whether he is slave or free. Ephesians 6:5-8
The words SERVER, or SERVANT come from the same root that mean slave or worker and this generally means someone who works.
How marvelous will be to hear these words: Well done thou good and faithful Servant. You have been faithful in the little, You will be given much.
Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1.6