Loyalty to the Man of God
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Transcript of Loyalty to the Man of God
2352 Dallas-Cherryville Highway Dallas, North Carolina 28034-0512 USA
Paul A. Brintley, Sr. Minister
SERVICES Wed. 7pm - Sat. 6pm - Sun. 11am
Complimentary Breakfast Sundays at 9am
www.strivingon.com
Loyalty to the
Man of God Paul A. Brintley, Sr.
About Paul A. Brintley, Sr.
At an early age, my family and I lived in the projects of Mount Airy,
NC. Growing up, I saw my neighbors partake in crime, drugs, and
drunkenness. Yet my mother (Susie McClure), a widower, was
determined to follow the teachings of my deceased father who
diligently taught the Gospel of Christ for many years. My father
(Bishop L.C. Brintley) was the founder of three churches. After his
death, my mother continued to bring my brother (Ty), sister (Jean)
and my self to the Gospel Assembly Church even though it was
100 miles away to Gastonia, NC.
During my teenage years, I continue to go to church but my heart
was not in it. The sins of this life had took me under. I was afraid
that God was watching, but yet I continued on living under the
power of sin. My sophomore year of high school changed the path
of my life. I began attending Victory Christian Academy until going
on to college. While in college the Holy Spirit began dealing with
me about ministry.
Not knowing what lied ahead in my life, I diligently started seeking
God and drawing very close to my Pastor, William N. Podaras.
Brother Podaras reared me in the departments of Christianity.
Having a true man of God leading you is one of the most important
things that can bring you even closer to the Lord. Under my Pastors
guidance, I became a very successful businessman.
After being an Associate Pastor, of the Gospel Assembly of Kings
Mountain, NC, for two years, I married Celeste Crocker on January
27, 1996. We have been blessed with our only child, Paul A.
Brintley, II.
After founding a church in Shelby, NC, I have moved our assembly
to our current facilities in Dallas North Carolina.
Loyalty to the
Man of God
Paul A. Brintley, Sr. January 20, 2004
Obey them that have the rule over you,
and submit yourselves: for they watch for
your souls, as they that must give account,
That they may do it with joy, and not with grief:
for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17
Yet I suppose it necessary to
send to you Epaphroditus, my
brother, and companion in
labor, and my fellow soldier,
but your messenger, and
he that ministered to my wants.
Philippians 2:25
16
The things that we do today will have much influence
on tomorrow. The Bible teaches that in the last days there
will be individuals that will be heady, high-minded, and
truce breakers (2 Timothy 3:1-5). All three of these de-
scriptions are of such that are not willing to submit to God's
authority. These disciples are so head strong that they will
not allow anyone else to be their under-shepherd. Everyone
needs guidance. No one can make it on this journey alone.
Every man's head is Christ who is the Chief Shepherd. The
Chief Shepherd must have under-shepherds that have a re-
sponsibility of feeding the flock of God (John 21:17). So as
we allow the under-shepherd to lead us we cannot be high-
minded. A truce breaker makes a pledge of commitment
then breaches that pledge by being disloyal and not being
faithful. Once we make a vow, we must follow through
with it as we have purposed in our heart.
15
Loyalty to the Man of God
Table of Contents
Loyalty to the Man of God ........................................ 1
The Set Man ........................................................... 2
Becoming Armor Bearers ......................................... 6
Worldly Influence Produces Unfaithfulness ................ 9
Divinely Called Men ............................................... 10
A Servant, Yet Being Saved ................................... 12
Loyalty to the Man of God
Being loyal has no self-gratification. The recipient, not the
loyalist, receives the gratification. The only self-gratification
that can be received is when someone is loyal to you. No one
should put on loyalty just to display a facade to get someone
to be loyal to them. Loyalty has its rewards. Many men of
God began showing faithfulness to someone else before they
started in ministry. The apostle Paul was faith to the Phari-
sees and then later to the elders in Jerusalem. Paul reminds
us in scripture that faithfulness is the key to being successful
in caring out commanded responsibilities. Have you been
faithful in another mans? Can you look back at when you
served others? Are you being served today as a result of
your faithfulness? The next few pages address the proceed-
ing questions and explains what it takes to become a servant.
1
Solomon said, "faithful are the wounds of a friend."
Wounds never seem to be good, but they are for the better-
ment when they press us toward perfection. Companion-
ship encourages one another to stay faithful when the other
is lacking. Romans 15:1 says, "We then that are strong
ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please
ourselves. "
The opportunity that we have to work together strength-
ens the whole body. Faithfulness is instilled in individuals
that have had a good example of faithfulness displayed be-
fore them. As we are kind and loyal to one another the
seeds that we are sowing will produce that same loyalty
back to the one who sowed.
If you want to sit under an oak tree in your later days,
plant an acorn in your youth. Use the men around you and
they will be loyal to you. God called men to know their
time of ministry and to pray for others to come along and
recognize the calling.
Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the con-gregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shep-herd. Numbers 27:16-17
14
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly
unto you, that I also may be of good comfort when I know
your state. For I have not man like-minded, who will
naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not
the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the
proof of him, that as a son with the father, he hath served
with me in the gospel. Philippians 2:19-22
Although Timothy’s head was Christ, he was a follower
of Paul. Paul told the church at Corinth to be followers of
him as he followed Christ (I Corinthians 11:1). We know
that the head of every man is Christ and no minister, parent,
or wife can be ordained a minister's head. When Titus was
sent to Crete he was directed to go by Paul, yet Christ was
Titus' head (Titus 1:5). Faithful men like Timothy and Ti-
tus worked with Paul and showed their faithfulness to him
and their reward was their own ministry. Romans 13 ad-
monishes us to be subject to higher powers; whether they be
ministers, governments, or parents, every soul must be sub-
ject to another. No man can stand alone in the ministry and
be successful. We find that in a multitude of counselors
there is wisdom safety (Proverbs 11:14). All ministers need
comrades, associates, peers- someone to be accountable to
in the ministry. Everyone is to be submissive to some au-
thority, even if it is obeying the speed limit on the freeway.
13
The Set Man
Every Christian should be led by the Holy Spirit. Its
leading will develop son ship in your life (Romans 8). We
ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit. The church has its
government which is set up in the Bible by the Lord Jesus
and His Holy Spirit; which is expressed through the minis-
try. Our leaders are very valuable to us as we travel on this
Christian journey. Journey, what a journey? Nehemiah asked
the king if he would be granted permission to go to Judah in
order to rebuild the city of his fathers. The king asks how
long will the journey be and when would Nehemiah return
(Romans 2:6). We ask the same questions about our Lord's
return. Peter said that some would even complain and begin
to scoff by saying, “where is the promise of the Lord's com-
ing?” (2 Peter 3:4). The church is awaiting the Lord's return.
(1 Thessalonians 4:17) There must be a hope established in
the people of God not to faint. The ministry has been estab-
lished to bring the believer into maturity through the word of
God. Christians today must not let their hope be deferred
because of the frailty of man, but must have a revelation that
God is still building his Bride through the church. Paul told
the Hebrews that they must assemble more frequently as the
close of the age draws to an end (Hebrews 10:15). Biblical
2
assembling has structure to it. One of the structures or orders
of service is teaching from the ministry. These teachings
allow the believers to mature in their walk. We are all striv-
ing to reach the fullness of Christ as mentioned in
Ephesians 4.
The crowds that followed Jesus really never had a reve-
lation of who He really was. They looked to the loaves and
the fishes. They didn’t look for and adhere to his teachings.
The miracles, signs, and wonders drew them to His meet-
ings. Jesus was aware of this fact:
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover,
in the feast day, many believed in his name,
when they saw the miracles, which he did. But
Jesus did not commit himself unto them, be-
cause he knew all men, And needed not that
any should testify of man: for he knew what
was in man. John 2:23-25
If there is not some main attraction in the so called "church"
today, the people lose their faithfulness to the church. Loy-
alty to some is not even important. The congregation just
wants entertainment. Ringling Brothers put a monkey and an
3
A Servant, Yet Being Served
When the disciples asked the Lord to give them more
faith in Luke 17, Jesus told them that they must first be-
come servants. No maid eats her meal until the master has
eaten and is full. Then after the maid has seen that the mas-
ter has taken his fill then they may sit to eat. The title of
servant is not prestigious. Its root meaning is what a ser-
vant does. So one must be willing to serve before they de-
serve to be served. All leaders must be able to show others
what service is all about. Being able to first serve estab-
lishes character, character produces respect, respect pro-
duces loyalty, and loyalty motivates followers.
Each minister has a mentor or father figure that they
either look to or pattern themselves after. The minister has
served this mentor on a daily basis. "And if ye have been
faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you
that which is your own?" (Luke 16:12). Learn their life,
ways, communication and practices. These attributes are
manifested in the way they live and preach. Most men of
God have shown their loyalty to another minister, and still
look to that minister for guidance. Timothy’s loyalty was to
Paul.
12
that describes a current circumstance in detail. Although the
minister is gifted to look at several scriptures and receive
guidance in those unique situations, some may not see the
clear picture of what the ministry is presenting. Yet the min-
ister is looking far beyond the apparent, and has your future
in mind. Here is when the ministry needs the support of
those that the Lord has placed close by his side.
God has men in the earth today that are divinely called.
There may be only few truly called when you compare a
man of God to everyone who calls themselves Reverend so
and so.
"For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel."
Romans 9:6b.
Neither is all that say they are men of God are men of God.
Yet those who do possess this rare calling are precious and
they are due respect and loyalty. Elihu said that there is
maybe “one in a thousand” (Job 33:23) in his looking for a
man called by God. This office that has been established by
Christ is functioning today through apostles, prophets, evan-
gelist, pastors, and teachers. The five offices of this ministry
has three duties that must be established (Eph. 4:11-12):
1. The perfecting of the saints 2. The work of the ministry
3. The edifying of the body of Christ
11
elephant under a tent and drew a crowd. Two rival sport
teams can come to a stadium and draw tens of thousands of
fans to watch them compete. When the crowds come they
are united. They sing together, clap together, and even shout
in unison. After a few days, the monkeys and elephants go to
another city. The two sporting teams go to another city. The
crowds disperse with no unity or loyalty to one another.
Coming together is a beginning
Staying together is progress
Working together is success.
In mankind faithfulness must be developed. Even the
natural bond between parents and children must be estab-
lished and adhered to or even it can be broken. Even though
a child is reared in a loving home, they will still revolt. A
marital relationship must be built on trust or there easily
could be division and a lack of loyalty, which often times
ends with a divorce.
Today the simplest event can cause one to doubt an-
other’s vision and calling. The ear has heard a lot of garbage
that has never been expelled from the body. Our president is
an elected official and the way the president makes his elec-
tion sure is to build a group around him that has the success
4
of his administration at heart. That group around the presi-
dent must be loyal and believe that his vision for the country
is fulfilled. The vision of the church for today is established
in the ministry and the conveyed to the church. The church
must take the vision to heart by revelation and see to it that
they do not allow themselves to hinder the vision. Unless
the church catches the vision that has been planted in the
man of God for that hour, the vision will be delayed in that
city "vision tarry wait" (Habakkuk 2:3).
5
Divinely Called Men
Messages come over the bible stand that are purposed
by the Holy Spirit to cut away some of the things that are
pulling the church away from God. The church is some-
times deceived, believing that the man of God is too old
fashioned and is stuck in some older generation. Ministries
of God are instructed to conform to modern, worldly ways.
Thoughts of conforming are pressured by the congregation's
behavior. Fellow ministers tend to bend, Babylonian minis-
ters have already bent to the influence at their own church.
When the man of God uses the word of God to combat these
thoughts, individual’s loyalty begins to fail.
"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth
himself: but the simple pass on and are pun-
ished." Proverbs 22:3; 27:12
This proverb must be very important for the writer to
place it twice in the scriptures. The prudent man is watch-
ing for snares and pitfalls that are out before the believer and
is diligently warning his followers about them. Foresight is
so important. God calls His ministers to be seers. Ministers
are demanded to stay before the Lord for guidance concern-
ing current events. There is not always a verse of scripture
10
Worldly Influence Produces Unfaithfulness
Satan and all the evils of this world have a delight in the
lack of loyalty among God’s people. The lack of loyalty is
not only among one another, but also towards the ministry.
Evil forces are at work to destroy the thing that will eventu-
ally lead to their own demise. Many are losing the revela-
tion that God is still alive and at work today. The revelation
of God at work is dwindling because of the lack of loyalty.
The enticements of the Evil One and the fashions of this
world cloud the vision of the church. Many doubt the real-
ness of God, which is a very deceiving spirit at work. There
is a divine order of leadership that the Lord is using to carry
out the perfect will of God in these last days.
While gathering thoughts, the ungodly inventor searches
the lust of their own evil, corrupt, fallen nature. These inven-
tions, facades, ideas, and lifestyles seem to be appealing
when presented to us through various forms of media. The
attractiveness of these many enticements lure individuals
into following after and taking part in their purposes. Yet
their purposes are not always a benefit to the believer but
only a snare to get us away from the things of God.
9
Becoming Armor Bearers
The Bible has many examples of loyalty to leadership.
In 1 Samuel 10:26, Saul went home to Gibeah, and there
went with him a band of men, whose heart the Lord had
touched. The Lord will impress in your heart a revelation of
whom you should faithfully follow. The outward look does
not always tell the story of an individual. Sometimes we
judge a book by its cover instead of its contents. When the
Lord gives you a revelation of who you should be loyal to,
the mistakes in that minster's life that he has committed are
easily forgiven and forgotten just as Christ forgives. Imag-
ine a great swimmer in shark-infested waters and a boat
comes by to save this swimmer. There is no question that the
swimmer would be anxiously getting on the boat. What
would happen if this swimmer looked at the captain and said
that captain was never a good person? What would happen
if the swimmer saw some of the mates that worked on the
boat complaining that the captain never treated them well?
Would the swimmer tread water and debate if he should get
on the boat or not? It is very advisable that the swimmer
gets on the boat. Sometimes the one that we think has done
the most damage to us could have been used by the Lord to
perfect us, or work something out of our spirits.
6
We see that all of the sons of the prophets understood
that they had to submit to earthly leadership as well as heav-
enly. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came
forth to Elisha and said unto him, "Knoweth thou that the
Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?" And
he said, "Yea, I know it; hold your peace" (II Kings 2:3)
Before Elisha was known as a prophet for God, he was
known as a servant to Elijah. But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there
not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the
Lord by him?" And one of the King of Israel’s servants an-
swered and said, "Here is Elisha the son of Shapat, which
poured water on the hands of Elijah" (II Kings 3:11).
Once a man of God has been instructed by the Lord to
fulfill a task, he must develop disciples (followers). Most
people do not understand that being faithful will bring you
honor.
Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a
man over the congregation. Which may go out before
them, and which may go in before them, and which may
lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the con-
gregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shep-
herd. And the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the
son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand 7
upon him; And set before him Eleazar the priest, and be-
fore all the congregation; and give him charge in their
sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him,
that all the children of Israel may be obedient.
Numbers 27:16-20
The first individual to catch on to the revelation is the
closest person to the minister. Wives are usually doubters,
and do not believe initially the calling on their husband.
Yet, as soon as the wife foresees that the Lord is at work in
the vision, then all others that stand by faith begin to take
hold. As the vision gets clearer to the people they realize
that the man of God has heard from God.
8