WILL YOU SURVIVE THE SPIRITUAL RETIREMENTS? (Part 3)

WILL YOU SURVIVE THE SPIRITUAL RETIREMENTS? (PART 3)

By Pastor William Boachie-Ansah

​TEXTS: Ezek 34:1-10, 1KINGS 19:1-16​

'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I WILL REQUIRE MY FLOCK AT THEIR HAND; I WILL CAUSE THEM TO CEASE FEEDING THE SHEEP, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I WILL DELIVER MY FLOCK FROM THEIR MOUTHS, that they may no longer be food for them." (Ezek 34:10)

¶ And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "IT IS ENOUGH! NOW, LORD, TAKE MY LIFE, FOR I AM NO BETTER THAN MY FATHERS!"  5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 ¶ And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 11 Then He said, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 And he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life." 15 Then the LORD said to him: "GO, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 "Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. AND ELISHA the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah YOU SHALL ANOINT AS PROPHET IN YOUR PLACE.

INTRODUCTION

In the previous discussions, we have been considering why God had to retire Elijah prematurely when he was at the apogee of his ministry. We have also been reflecting on how god is doing same to church leaders of our time. Today, we explore things which could make God retire people in ministry just as He did to Elijah.

THINGS WHICH LEAD TO COMPULSORY SPIRITUAL RETIREMENT

1.

Negative confession.

Elijah loosely said he was no better than his fathers (19:4), that is, the Israelites of old who rebelled against God; those who God banned from entering the Promised Land. Why should this great man compare himself to those people, and still expected God to keep on using him?Just as God prevented those people from entering the promise land, Elijah’s ministry was cut short. God may now stop using any man of God whose confession becomes negative and full of complaints.

2.

Doing things not according God’s will.

Every true man of God is expected to know what God wants to use him to accomplish within every period of time. If we fail to know the times and what we have to do, God needs to bypass us and use those who are alert. If this goes on for a longer period, we drift away from God automatically.

3.

Mishandling of the Holy things of God, .e.g. tithes, women, etc.

Mishandling tithes here implies not paying tithes, misapplying tithes, and stealing other people’s tithes. Serious ramifications abound for any church leader who mishandles church money; because it is God’s money. Any man of God who willfully takes advantage of the frustrated women and sleep with them will also cut his ministry short. And again whoever takes the glory of God for himself may be treated as God’s spiritual rival, and the consequences may be humiliation or God gradually withdrawing from him.

4.

Slandering and murmuring.

This refers to talking bad about God’s people, complaining bitterly about God’s people. Elijah’s accusation that the Israelites were seeking his life was baseless. It was only Jezebel who was seeking him, but Jezebel wasn’t an Israelite!

5.

General unfaithfulness.

Any act which is not in conformity with the revealed word and will of God; or against church doctrine, tenets and policies is considered as unfaithfulness. If any church leader persistentlycontinues to be unfaithful to God and his church in general matters, God may not have any option for him other than retiring the fellow.

It is my prayer that the leadership of God’s business on earth which is the Church, see Him right as the serious business partner He is, and engage in good business practice in order to remain with Him forever.

CONTACTS:           PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH

  THE CHURCH OF PENTECOST (ADOAGYIRI DISTRICT)

         P.O. BOX 203 NSAWAM

​​          Boachieansah@gmail.com

         copadoagyiri@gmail.com

                      http://boachieansah.webs.com

WILL YOU SURVIVE THE SPIRITUAL RETIREMENTS? (PART 4)