The church is going through a transition right now. The form of the church that has evolved through the last few centuries will not be able to survive the coming times. Like John the Baptist was honored by the Lord, we should honor the church of the past for all that it has accomplished. But another type of leadership is being raised up that we must now follow. One will decrease and one will increase.
As we have discussed, leadership in a transition is different from the type of leadership that may be effective in other times. The leader in transition must discern the times and know how to respond to them. The Lord had a severe rebuke for those who knew the signs of the weather better than they understood the signs of the times. In recent times, weather forecasting has become increasingly accurate, but, in general, the church's discernment of the times does not seem to have kept up, but it will. How?
In I Chronicles 12:32, we are told about "...the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do...." Issachar was one of the twelve sons of Jacob which became one of the twelve tribes of Israel. How did this one tribe understand the times and have the wisdom to know what to do? We are given the answer in Genesis 49:14-15, when Jacob is prophesying over his sons. He says this concerning Issachar:
"When he saw that a resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor."
Issachar saw that the resting place was good, and he saw the land was pleasant, but he gave himself to doing the hard, practical work, even becoming a slave. This servant's heart enabled the Lord to trust the sons of Issachar with what will be the most valuable gift of all in the times to come—the knowledge of the times and the wisdom to know what to do in them.
It has been said that in the present information age, information is the most valuable commodity, but accurate information about the future and the wisdom to know what to do with it will soon be many times more valuable than all other forms of information combined. It was this combination of being able to interpret Pharaoh's dream about the future, with a word of wisdom to know what to do about it, that enabled Joseph to be promoted to be the Prime Minister of Egypt in his time. Those who combine these gifts will soon find themselves likewise elevated to high places of influence.
Many people seem to feel called to Joseph's ministry, as I am quite often told by people, but it is rare to find anyone who wants to go through the preparation for this like Joseph did. Not only was he rejected by his brothers, but he was sold into slavery by them. Then, being a slave was not enough discipline—he had to be falsely accused by his master's wife and thrown into the dungeon. Still interested in this type of ministry?
As I have shared often, I have watched many very gifted people go on to bear little fruit in their lives, mostly because they refuse to go through the discipline required to be trusted with high level authority, which is influence. As a general principle, the easier something is to attain, or the quicker, the more insignificant it is. If we really want a significant ministry, it will not likely happen fast or easily. That's why we are told to emulate those who through faith and patience inherited the promises. The more significant the ministry, the more faith and patience it will likely take to attain it.
It is for this reason that most people, even very gifted people, usually live lives of frustration and regret because they only wanted to do the fun part, often considering themselves above the hard work required to actually bear fruit. These are the ones who may shine brightly for a moment, but then quickly flame out like a meteorite. They simply do not have the substance, the depth of character, knowledge, wisdom, and devotion to work hard to keep the fire burning for long. These usually pass their later years in bitter frustration, living in the past because their present is so shallow and their future so dim.
It requires hard work to be a "son of Issachar," and not many are willing to do it. It was for this reason that the Apostle Paul was actually required to make tents. We may think this was a tragic waste of the great apostle's time, but the Lord would not have trusted him with the great revelations that he was given if he had not been willing to stay moored to the practical, even the mundane, and turn it into worship to the Lord. What we teach, we also have to live if we are true.
Having a vision is the fun part, but there are few who are willing to do the practical and usually hard work that it takes to make the vision a reality. It is also easy to start losing your vision as you get into the details. Don Potter once shared an insight that I thought was very important about King David. David was a prophet, and if he had focused just on that he might have been the greatest prophet of all. He was also a musician and psalmist, and had he just concentrated on that, he might have been the greatest ever, but he was called to be a king and administrator, and that is where he really left his greatest mark. Being a prophet and musician served his ultimate calling, but he kept the main thing the main thing.
Now most who have never held a position of leadership want to be a king or the top leader, not realizing that the ultimate hard work it takes. There is an unending stream of maddening details that every leader of a significant work must attend to. The glory of human recognition wears off fast, though that seems incomprehensible for those who have not experienced it. Even so, the power can be like a drug, very addictive, and one that will sap your life, which happens to anyone except remain Christ's slave.
Although servant leadership is talked about a lot, it is truly rare, and may only be truly found in the church, but it is actually hard to find there too. Even so, before the end of this age, it will be the only kind found in the church. True leadership is a burden; it is a cross, and not many are willing to take it up. The leadership of the world is self-seeking and self-serving, and is by far the most common leadership found today, even in the church.
If you want to know one sign of the times that marks the fact that the end of this age is near, it will be the church becoming a radical and effective force in the earth. This will begin with a new breed of leadership. The church will become an army that eclipses any other army in history for power and effectiveness, but to save lives, not take them. We will also see the church specializing in the way that different departments of the military specialize, while working together like the military instead of competing with each other.
At the same time the church becomes such a radical force, she will become a bride without spot or wrinkle. Just as Solomon prophetically foresaw the bride in Song 6:10:
She will be beautiful and as awesome as an army at the same time. We are about to see both of these characteristics become increasingly manifest. The church is going to be something beautiful to see, and she is going to be more awesome than any army has ever been.
