Agape: Prophetic Leadership

Ezekiel 37:1–4, 7a 

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.

2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.

3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded.

Do you see the contradiction in positions in the 1st verse?

·         The hand of the Lord took Ezekiel “DOWN”

·         We think the only place the Spirit takes us is UP

Just because you are taken down does not mean His Spirit is not on you.

The prophetic life is one of contradictions: Ezekiel in the Valley and Elijah in the famine

The Lord asks a question: “Can these bones live?”

The Lord has a tendency to let you see one thing, then challenge you to say the opposite.

I SEE the “dead, very dry bones”,

but God does not want your conclusions and what you say about the situation to be based on what you see.

Because what you see would seem to indicate that there is no hope

God wants you to say based on your faith not your sight – Faith Matters

You must learn to see from the spirit, even while dealing with harsh realities in the valley.

What specifically did the Lord tell Ezekiel to do? 

Prophesy to bones – a situation where life & hope & promise were long gone

What do you do?

Why do you do it?

·         Strong sense of calling

·         Care about the people

Do you think God has something to say about what you do?

Do you think God has something to say to the clients you serve?

How would the Lord speak to them?

The obvious answer is through you.

How does he want you to speak to them?

Prophetically

That means He wants you to speak to them based, not on where they are now but, on where they will be.  When you talk like that you are talking like God.

Rom 4:17:  He calls those things which are not as though they were.

When you talk this way, you are being prophetic.

A prophet was also called a “seer”

The Lord does not want you to see them as they are but as they will be.

Ezekiel saw a valley of dry bones, but God saw an exceedingly great Army. (vs 10)

However, before you can see them correctly you must see yourself correctly.

God has called you to Prophetic Leadership.

1 Cor 14:1

Pursue love (agape), and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

What is it to be prophetic? It is seeing the way God sees, then all saying what God says.

You are not speaking your own mind for a situation; you are speaking the mind of Christ.

When you prophesy, 1 Cor 14:3 tells us the outcome of saying what God says:

·         Edification = to improve someone; to add to them; to building on to them

·         Exhortation = to encourage; to strengthen; to persuade or provoke to do something

·         Comfort = to counsel; to give peace and strength

Why is it critical that you be a Prophetic Leader?

Because there are people living in the wilderness who need you to do more than lead them out.  They have a wilderness mentality.

A wilderness mindset will work the system expecting free food to fall out of the sky every morning (manna), but when you challenge them to move forward to the fulness of promise and potential, they will say, “We are not able”.  They see themselves as grasshoppers.

Change won’t be lasting if you take them out of the wilderness, but don’t take the wilderness mindset out of them.  That’s what the prophetic accomplishes.

Prophetic Leadership gives vision beyond the giant obstacles and helps people have the right view of themselves.  Prophetic Leadership affirms, “You are not a grasshopper.  You are well able”.

Being a Prophetic Leader gives you an advantage

The prophetic ensures that the Agape of God is applied fittingly to each unique situation.

Jesus didn’t heal the same way each time: laid hands on, spit on, sent word, was touched,

Jesus said that He only did what He saw His Father doing. John 5:19

The prophetic connects you to what God is doing

It gives you the mind of God for unique situations

The Prophetic leader seeks to “see” and “say” from the mind of Christ

Six Characteristics of a Prophetic Leader:

1.  The Prophetic Leader focuses on potential & destiny

The Prophetic “Seer” recognizes the buried treasure in a person.

The Prophetic Word begins to unlock that treasure.

2.  The Prophetic Leader gives directions on how to handle the season they are in

We must know what to do in each season.

·         The brook dried up – where to go.

·         Don’t quit.  Let your fishing nets down again, except in a different place this time.

3.  The Prophetic Leader gives wisdom & strategy for financial success & independence

·         Business Plan with jars for the oil – 2 Kings 4:1-7

·         Debt Release miracle of the floating ax-head – 2 Kings 6:1-7

4.  The Prophetic Leader has a multi-generational focus

Mal 4:6

Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.

5.  The Prophetic Leader understands that the individual’s welfare is connected to the community’s welfare

Jer 29:7

Work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.

6.  The Prophetic Leader is fluid and flexible.  While people are the focus, you must understand the influence of time and place.  You can function in the valley, the wilderness or the famine.  You must be able to be amongst the bones and not become dry, but instead bring the bones to life.

The Lord prospers Prophetic Leadership and Prophetic Leadership prospers others

Matt 10:41 NLT

If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet.

The Lord has a reward for you for functioning as a Prophetic Leader, but the reward is also attached to you.

2 Chron 20:20

Believe the Lord & you will be established.  Believe His prophets & you will prosper.

Ezra 6:14

So, the elders built [the temple], and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo.

1 Sam 10:9-13

Saul came among a company of prophets and God gave him a new heart, and he prophesied with them. Therefore, it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

This happened before he was anointed to lead God’s people

Challenge:  create a company of Prophetic Leaders.

Create a prophetic company to intensify, multiply and amplify Prophetic Leadership.

Prophetic Leadership will not only cause Agape’s movement to continue, it will cause it to prosper