The Greater Ministry Of The Church

Introduction

Ministries of the church are often considered:

The Usher’s Ministry

The Music Ministry

The Media Ministry

The Trustee Ministry

The Finance Ministry

The Men’s Ministry

The Women’s Ministry

The Children’s Ministry

The Youth Ministry

The Family Ministry

The Diaconate Ministry

The Food Pantry Ministry

The Higher Ground Ministry

The Outreach Ministry

The Kitchen Ministry Care of Sick-and-shut-in

The Sunday School Ministry

The Vacation Bible School Ministry

The Pastoral or Elder Ministry

The Joy Ministry

Is there a greater ministry within this list?

Is there a greater ministry in general?

Or rather does the church have a greater ministry as a whole?

I know many of you will say or rather you ought say, since we are the Baptist Church of All Nations, that it is the Great Commission

This is the Greater Ministry:

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Bigger, Faster Leadership: Lessons from the Builders of the Panama Canal by Samuel Chand

Transition To Body- And Ministry is difficult, so why do it?

2 Corinthians 1:3–7 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

2 Corinthians 3:4–6 CSB

4 Such is the confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 It is not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. 6 He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

We do it for something greater

Body- The Greater Ministry of the Church is

Transformative Nature Of Our Personal Relationship With Christ (2 Cor 5:16-17)

2 Corinthians 5:16–17 CSB

16 From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective. Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective, yet now we no longer know him in this way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:16 NIV

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

regard- to possess information about—‘to know, to know about, to have knowledge of, to be acquainted with, acquaintance.’

Illustration: What we know about people in the flesh vs. what the Holy Spirit transforms inwardly

To judge others according to worldly standards, or from a sinful point of view, only furthers division and discord rather than fostering reconciliation.

1 Samuel 16:7 CSB

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

LaShaun Pace would later sing

I know I've been changed, hey, oh, I know I've been changed You know, I know, I know I've been changed You know the angels in Heaven done signed my name

a zealous, law-observant Pharisee would have pegged Jesus as a charlatan and blasphemer whose crucifixion revealed him to be accursed by God

2 Corinthians 4:18 ESV

18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Jesus’ contemporaries, who imagined him to be some recycled prophet, John the Baptist, Elijah, or some other prophet (Mark 8:28). Those who judge him according to the Spirit, however, draw a different conclusion. He is the Son of God sent by God to redeem humankind and to reconcile them.

Mark 8:27–28 CSB

27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”

In (Christ)- a marker of close personal association—‘in, one with, in union with, joined closely to

Creation- to make or create something which has not existed before

to change into a different physical form especially by supernatural means

b

: to change strikingly the appearance or character of : TRANSFORM

Isaiah 43:18–21 CSB

18 “Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. 19 Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert. 20 Wild animals— jackals and ostriches—will honor me, because I provide water in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people. 21 The people I formed for myself will declare my praise.

{

Transformative Nature Of Our Personal Relationship With Christ (2 Cor 5:16-17)

}

Our Personal Responsibility To Communicate Christ’s Reconciliatory Message (2 Cor 5:18-19)

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 CSB

18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

Reconcile- to reestablish proper friendly interpersonal relations after these have been disrupted or broken (the componential features of this series of meanings involve

(1) disruption of friendly relations because of

(2) presumed or real provocation,

(3) overt behavior designed to remove hostility,

(4) restoration of original friendly relations)—‘to reconcile, to make things right with one another, reconciliation.’

Overt- done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden.

God, who through Christ Reconciled us to himself

God gave us the ministry of reconciliation

Gave- to give an object, usually implying value

John 3:16–21 CSB

16 For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

God, In Christ was reconciling the world to himself

God was entrusting to us the message of reconciliation

Entrusting- to cause a state to be—‘to cause to be, to make to be, to make, to result in, to bring upon, to bring about

Message- that which has been stated or said, with primary focus upon the content of the communication—‘word, saying, message, statement, question.’

{

Transformative Nature Of Our Personal Relationship With Christ (2 Cor 5:16-17)

Our Personal Responsibility To Communicate Christ’s Reconciliatory Message (2 Cor 5:18-19)

}

So what is the content of the message of reconciliation?

Our Urgent Appeal as Christ’s Representatives of Reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20-21)

2 Corinthians 5:20–21 CSB

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

5X the use of reconcile in the passages of scripture read in your hearing

Illustration: Reconciling the bank statement and general fund ledger each month

Salvation is literally a matter of life or death

Ambassador. Messenger or envoy officially representing a higher authority.

to function as a representative of a ruling authority—‘to be a representative of, to be an ambassador of

Appeal- to ask a person to accept offered hospitality—‘to invite

to urge strongly, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage

Urgency- to ask for with urgency, with the implication of presumed need—‘to plead, to beg.

2 Corinthians 6:1–2 CSB

1 Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!

righteousness- the act of doing what God requires—‘righteousness, doing what God requires, doing what is right.’

quality or state of juridical correctness with focus on redemptive action

2 Corinthians 5:6

Transition To Close

THERE IS an American embassy in England. Located in that building is all the power of the U.S. government on one square block. Everything needed from an American standpoint is inside that building, because when it speaks, it speaks on behalf of the government.

Suppose another world leader said to the president, “Let’s have negotiations.” The president can say, “I already have an ambassador in your country.” What he would be implying is that to talk to an ambassador is the same as talking to him.

The Bible says that you are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. When people hear from us, they have just heard from God.

He has given us delegated authority to speak on His behalf.

How can we be ambassadors with our mouths closed?

He has given us the privilege of being a spokesperson.

Speak up, man!

Speak up, lady!

Evans, Tony. Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations (p. 35). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

An A·chik (Garo) pastor, schoolteacher, and missionary from Jorhat, Assam, India.

This is a folk song that originated in India as a song of new converts to Christianity among the Garo tribe who live in an area which is now the state of Meghalaya, but was until 1970, the state of Assam, in northeastern India.

I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.

2. Tho' none go with me, I still will follow, Tho' none go with me I still will follow, Tho' none go with me, I still will follow; No turning back, no turning back.

3. My cross I'll carry, till I see Jesus; My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus, My cross I'll carry till I see Jesus; No turning back, No turning back.

2 Corinthians 5:20 CSB

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

Isaiah 52:7 CSB

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

2 Corinthians 5:11–15 CSB

11 Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

2 Corinthians 4:15–16 CSB

15 Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day.

Close

2 Corinthians 2:14–17 CSB

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. Who is adequate for these things? 17 For we do not market the word of God for profit like so many. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.

Psalm 118:19–25 CSB

19 Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. 20 This is the Lord’s gate; the righteous will enter through it. 21 I will give thanks to you because you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This came from the Lord; it is wondrous in our sight. 24 This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Lord, save us! Lord, please grant us success!

To Him Be Glory In the Church!

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.