The Nature of Prophecy ...continued

Examples of Prophecy and their problems

By William Kay (used with permission)

ANSWER2

2. A woman in your congregation has had a disagreement with a member of the ministry team in your fellowship. After a few weeks, when you have nearly forgotten the incident, the younger sister of the woman concerned attends your morning service. She comes up to the ministry team at the end and says privately and graciously that she has a word from the Lord. This word is, "Let the one whom the Lord has anointed to lead be given his rightful place. Do not hold on to the reins of leadership but give them up so that God's true leader can come forth".
Again, assuming you are a member of the ministry team, what do you do?

The first thing would be to thank the sister for having the courage to come up in the way that she has to share what she thinks is a word from the Lord.

In your judging of the matter, you must again be aware that the person bringing the message to you is very largely a stranger. You are also to be aware that her family relationship to a member of your congregation who may be feeling sore about the leadership team is likely to be consciously or subconsciously influential. More than this, however, you remember that the appointment and deposition of leaders is not in the hands of prophets (Acts 14.23; Tit 1.5). The "word from the Lord" that you have heard assumes that one leader will be removed and another will replace him. Your attitude to what you have heard should be sceptical, but you would be wise to leave pending the possibility that God may wish to make changes to the leadership team. You do nothing and wait.