The Most Important Words Leaders Could Ever Hear

Pastor Robert Morris concluded the Gateway Church Connect Conference with a message he described as the most powerful word he has ever given to church leaders. He entitled this teaching “Stop Tolerating.” My leadership notes are below.

I’m posting out of session order, but I wanted to get this one up because of the significance of the word.

I’ll post the remainder of my Connect Conference notes throughout the week.

Brian Houston – Session 1
Brian Houston – Session 2
Robert Morris – Session 1
Robert Morris – Session 2 (this post…)
Jimmy Evans – (still working on these…)

STOP TOLERATING

• There is a spirit trying to kill you as a leader.
  • 1 Kings 19 and Revelation 2 speak about the spirit of Jezebel.
  • This spirit likes to stand next to people in positions of leadership and authority.
  • It is manifested in other people who want to be near your leadership and authority.
  • They are hoping to get in your inner circle and influence you.
  • The spirit of Jezebel wants to control.
  • The spirit of Jezebel attempts to get you to defile yourself thereby disqualify you inwardly or outwardly for the ministry and leadership.

• Leaders tolerate this spirit too much.
  • Tolerate means to allow someone to do as he wishes.
  • We tolerate the spirit of Jezebel because we don’t want to confront it.
  • We don’t want to confront the Jezebel spirit because of what we’ll get back.
  • We dread the over-the-top reaction from the person or we fear being rejected.

• A Jezebel spirit (controlling) cannot operate without an Ahab spirit (the controlled).
  • Every person has been affected by the Jezebel spirit and the Ahab spirit at some time: All of us have been controlled; all of us have attempted to control.
  • Ahab conquered more land than anyone else other than Solomon.
  • You can be a great conqueror and still be impacted by the Ahab spirit.

• The Jezebel spirit is not gender biased; it effects both men and women.

• Insecurity, rejection, pride, arrogance, manipulation and control are the symptoms you will see in someone who is operating in the Jezebel spirit.

How can a leader know a Jezebel spirit is affecting them?
LEADERS WILL EXPERIENCE FOUR THINGS FROM A JEZEBEL SPIRIT

FEAR

• When someone with a Jezebel spirit comes around a leader, the leader will become fearful of the people and situations around them.
• They feel like the fear is overwhelmingly powerful.
• Jezebel is not a strong spirit compared to God
• Leaders address spirits in God’s authority not their own.
• It has power because we tolerate it.
• As long as we have authority, this spirit will attempt to attach itself to us through someone else.
• Many people who have a Jezebel spirit feel rejected by the father and have a dominant mother.
• The most subtle way a Jezebel spirit gets to a leader is through a friend.

ISOLATION

• A Jezebel spirit causes leaders to want to run off and watch movies, or just get away from everyone and be alone with themselves.When you want to get away from everyone and everybody, a Jezebel spirit might be trying to impact you.
• There is a difference between Isolation and Solitude
• Solitude is getting alone to be with God; Isolation is getting alone to be with You.

EXHAUSTION

• If you’re having problems sleeping, it might be a Jezebel spirit.
• When you get out of town, do you sleep for hours?
• When you drive back into to town do you feel the oppression?

DEPRESSION

• Thoughts of depression come from a Jezebel spirit.
• Thoughts of suicide are evidence of a Jezebel spirit.
• The prayer for death is not uncommon from leaders: Moses (Ex 32:32), Jeremiah (20:14), Jonah (4:3).
• Thoughts of quitting are evidence of a Jezebel spirit.
• Sexually impure thoughts are evidence of a Jezebel spirit.
• Strange and prolonged sicknesses can be the result of a Jezebel spirit.
• Bizzare and near fatal accidents (the person is not trying to kill you–it’s the spirit) are signs of a Jezebel spirit.
• The Jezebel spirit will try to steal your peace joy and confidence, kill you with sickness and accidents, and destroy with depression and fear.

PRACTICAL WAYS TO DEAL WITH THIS SPIRIT

• Get with God
• Seek counsel
• Take action
• Remove the person from leadership and all areas of impact in your life.

• If you don’t deal with this, the Lord will deal with you.
  • He will remove you
  • He will raise up someone else to stand up
  • He will raise up someone else to carry your ministry with double the anointing

• You can be gracious with the person; you can’t be gracious with the spirit

What’s being held up in your leadership because you tolerate a spirit?