Church Ministries - Lecture 10 - The Motive of Ministry is Love

The Motive of Ministry is Love

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

You can speak/preach better than anyone…You can have great faith…You can give sacrificially…and still not have love.

Oswald Sanders suggested in one of his books that there is another way to humbly read these verses:

Christ in me is patient, Christ in me is kind, Christ in me does not envy, Christ in me does not boast … Christ in me is not easily angered … Christ in me keeps no record of wrongs … Christ’s love never fails.

HOW HAS SOMEONE IN MINISTRY SHOWED YOU LOVE?

If we don’t love the Shepherd, how can we love His sheep?-39

Also, the reverse may be said.

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

There will be evidence of our commitment to Christ. What is the evidence of our commitment to Christ? We will love people. The depth of our relationship with Jesus will be reflected in the way that we treat people.

The servant of the Lord can’t minister effectively if mixed motives compete in the heart. Love of attention and praise, love of money, love of authority, even love of ministry, can never glorify God or carry God’s servant through the hills and valleys (frustration) of spiritual service. Only a love for Christ can do that-40

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Constraineth=to hold together, i.e. to compress

Here Paul’s conception of Christ’s love for him holds him together to his task whatever men think or say-Robertson’s Word Pictures

The more we love Christ, the more our hearts will be filled with his love; and that love must be shared with others-40

The love of Christ was practical love. He did not love in thought only and in word, but in deed and in truth, and if the love of Christ constraineth us we shall throw our souls into the work and service of love-C.H. Spurgeon-40

How can you effectively take up your cross and follow Him?

You must fall in love with Him.

LOVE – 1 Peter gives us an outline of how we should minister to the laity from a place of love.

1 Peter 5:2-5 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

Gives us Four Characteristics of Good Church Leaders:

1. They realize they are caring for God’s flock, not their own.

2. They lead out of eagerness to serve, not out of obligation.

3. They are concerned about what they can give, not about what they can get.

4. They lead by example, not force.

“Ministry love” isn’t something we manufacture. Actors can psych themselves up to play their roles, but shepherds need something deeper to fulfill their calling-41.

As a matter of fact, the entire movie industry is about “pretending.” Often, actors portray roles that are vastly different than who they really are. Politics are often the same way.

This is impossible in the ministry. As I stated before, you can only wear the façade for some long before your “true identity” shows up.

. . .without a love for the people we serve, ministry becomes drudgery-41.

Without love. . .we act like elder brother in Christ’s parable, who did his father’s work but didn’t share his father’s loving heart.-41.(Luke 15:11-32)

Loving ministry not only builds up the servants, but it also builds up the people we serve. The servant who looks at people and asks, “What can they do for me?” will end up exploiting them instead of serving them-42.

. . .experienced shepherds know that it requires a great deal of patience to lead the flock. Not all the sheep will follow at the same pace or keep as close to the shepherd as they should, and some sheep will carelessly stray and have to be sought by the shepherd and brought back to the safety of the flock-42.

Can people really know that we love them?(ask how)

As ministers/leaders, we must recognize the value of manifesting our love for people.

*This is not to say that we walk around with our heads in the clouds OR that we always preach on love.

Instead, it is a consistent, daily EXAMPLE.

People need to know that you love them. Often, THIS TAKES TIME and above all, CONSISTENCY.

How can you manifest a true example of love? By doing something for someone (who you know cannot repay the kindness) without expecting ANYTHING in return.

. . .if we really love people, we accept them as they are and identify with their deepest needs-43.

You are not going to get very far if you only deal with externals.

EXTERNALS ARE ESSENTIAL, but they are not the main issue!

Our goal is to get to the heart issues.

You are not going to do a man a lot of good if you “yank” him aside as soon as he walks in the door to your church and tell him that he needs to shave and get a haircut when he has been married five times and is addicted to drugs and alcohol.

SIDENOTE: A lot of holiness churches take a lot of pride in their outward standards to the peril of evangelism. They are proud of the fact that they don’t have any tattoos, pierced ears, or “rough” characters in their church. Illustration: girl w/pants.

Illustration: in the 70’s a church a was a youth pastor at had a sign on the doors before you entered the sanctuary. It was a dress code. A visitor saw that sign, and wasn’t dressed appropriately, so they turned and were leaving and the new pastor stopped her and said, “Why are you leaving?” She replied, “I’m not dressed well enough for this church.” The Pastor ripped the sign off the wall and tore it in half.

In our efforts to preserve the standard, I’m afraid that we have become petrified to the point that we have perverted the purpose of Christ’s death.

We have allowed the liberals and charismatic church to keep us from practicing the true Biblical mandate of loving people.

This doesn’t mean we approve of their lifestyle or whitewash their record, for Christian love is neither blind nor hypocritical. . .The most unloving thing we can do to people is to close our eyes to their greatest needs and carry on a masquerade ministry that’s based on illusion. page 43

This is the other side of the spectrum. Don’t emphasize an experience without growth. Instead, continually push them towards God. As they get closer to God, changes will occur.

True, you must meet people where they are at, but you must be willing to encourage them to Godliness. You job is not to make them comfortable, it’s to make them right.

If you truly love people, this should be your desire.

No, Christian love means seeing saints and sinners as they are, but seeing them as people for whom Christ died and in whom Christ can do wonderful new things. Without ignoring the problem, we see the potential-43.

True love will see potential (what can be).

After all, isn’t that what Christ did for you and I?

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Love will speak.

. . .love without truth is hypocrisy. 43.

Love will speak with kindness.

. . .truth without love is brutality. -43.

Keep the well-being of the other person ever before you!

Aspire to a ministry that helps and not hurts people.

Bottom of paragraph on pg. 41.