Dead Weight: Part II

FOR LEADERS

I want to continue on our journey with Jonah this week. I want to be sure that we understand what is meant by dead weight. You see, dead weight (a heavy immovable mass) can destroy you if (1) YOU ARE THE DEAD WEIGHT and (2) IF YOU ALLOW DEAD WEIGHT TO REST IN YOUR PRESENCE.

Professional Christians -- those who have the words and the look but lack the conviction and action - are blind to their own condition and have no understanding of destiny in their hearts. They are satisfied with attending church, working, watching television, hanging out with the children or friends and going back to church again. The passion to be more and do more in God is just too much for them. They have a plan of their own that they want to flow with, and they resent ANYONE, even the Lord, giving them direction concerning their lives. When God says go, they say, "It's to hard. I can't."

Jonah RAN. The thing that I really want you to see here is that ONE MAN'S DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD almost cost innocent people their lives. Is this relevant today? Yes, it is.

You see, if you're a Jonah then your life is ruled by YOU and selfishness. As a result, everyone around, if they do not disconnect, will pay the price for your disobedience. In Voices of Christ, I have to watch this closely. In Jonah's case, that entire crew lost nearly all of their precious cargo! All of their hard work went up in smoke! It was only after sitting around and discussing the problem AND THEN noticing that Jonah was ASLEEP that they began putting the pieces together.

JONAH HAD TO GO!

In the New Testament, the bible warns us that it was by one mans disobedience that all men fell into sin, and it was by one man's obedience that they were redeemed. I believe that is in the book of Romans. While the passage was specifically speaking of Adam and Jesus, the principle still applies today.

In the New Testament there is a scripture that says if there is any among you in the faith who are disorderly that we must separate ourselves from them less the ax fall and crush them, and you to.

So Jonah's story still has relevance.

IF YOU ALLOW DEAD WEIGHT TO HANG OUT WITH YOU, IT WILL INFECT YOUR MINISTRY AND DESTROY YOUR LIFE. It's time to begin cutting UNPRODUCTIVE Christians out of your life. Jonah WOKE UP after the Lord took him through a shaking! But I tell you, there will be MANY WHO WILL SLEEP FOREVER... and die in their professional Christianism.

You can't teach these kinds of people! If you try:

1. Offense will rise within them.
2. They will begin to withdraw from you, but they won't leave.
3. They will begin gossiping and complaining.
4. They will spread their disease like a wildfire in those around you.
5. They will tell others that you've changed for the worse because they do not understand spiritual elevation and maturity.
6. They enjoy whining.
7. Pretty soon bitterness will set in.

Before you know it, a war will start in the midst of your camp and you won't even know why. If you do, great damage would have already been done. A big hole would have been blown into your ship! LEADERS! GET THE DEAD WEIGHT OFF YOUR BOAT!

The Lord is requiring us to cut people loose from our lives now. If you've given directives in your ministry and among your leaders and they HAVE BLATANTLY IGNORED YOU! DONE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO! YET THEY STILL WANT TO WALK WITH YOU! It is time to seek God to see if they are ASSIGNED TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not about how long a person has been with you OR what they tell you they will do. It's about willingness, selflessness, etc. It's about servanthood, loyalty and OBEDIENCE to God...

God wants us to begin cutting things away from our own lives...