Acts Ministry Part 4 (Ministry)

ACTS MINISTRY PART 4 (Ministry)

GOD HAS DONE ALL THIS. HE HAS RESTORED OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THROUGH CHRIST, AND HAS GIVEN US THIS MINISTRY OF RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS.

GOD HAS DONE ALL THIS. HE HAS RESTORED OUR

RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM THROUGH CHRIST, AND HAS

GIVEN US THIS MINISTRY OF RESTORING RELATIONSHIPS.

IN OTHER WORDS, GOD WAS USING CHRIST TO RESTORE HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANITY. HE DIDN'T HOLD PEOPLE'S FAULTS AGAINST THEM, AND HE HAS GIVEN US THIS MESSAGE OF RESTORED RELATIONSHIPS TO TELL OTHERS.

IN OTHER WORDS, GOD WAS USING CHRIST TO

RESTORE HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HUMANITY. HE DIDN'T

HOLD PEOPLE'S FAULTS AGAINST THEM, AND HE HAS GIVEN

US THIS MESSAGE OF RESTORED RELATIONSHIPS TO TELL

OTHERS.

THEREFORE, WE ARE CHRIST'S REPRESENTATIVES, AND THROUGH US GOD IS CALLING YOU. WE BEG YOU ON BEHALF OF CHRIST TO BECOME REUNITED WITH GOD.

INTRODUCTION

Now the church is a society within a society. The church has a job in this world as well as to maintain its own inner life.

It has to present the Gospel to those outside; and it can only do that effectively as its members live a righteous life in Christ and that includes their relations to one another.

In other words the Church has a dual role—to evangelism to those outside and pastoral in to those within.

The body of Christ is composed of priests who serve the living God through Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The church is to engage in the proclamation of the Gospel as well as to minister to those within the congregation.

Not only is the community of Christ to be involved in the proclamation of God’s way of salvation to the world, but also it is to be concerned about other activities outside the church, that is to say, about justice.

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

Not only is the community of Christ to be involved in the proclamation of God’s way of salvation to the world, but also it is to be concerned about other activities outside the church, that is to say, about justice.

The church is to be the light of the world.

YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A CITY THAT IS SET ON AN HILL CANNOT BE HID.

In our fulfillment of ministry, there is a sense in which we acts as an instrument of God to accomplish His desired goals in this life.

Yet, on the other hand, we must also view ministry as God allows His children to participate in His ministry.

As we contemplates ministry, ministry is not limited to a particular group of saints, often called “clergy.”

Ministry is a function of every individual Christian; it is the body of Christ at work.

BUT YOU ARE GOD'S CHOSEN AND SPECIAL PEOPLE. YOU ARE A GROUP OF ROYAL PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION. GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. NOW YOU MUST TELL ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE. THE SCRIPTURES SAY,

PEOPLE. YOU ARE A GROUP OF ROYAL PRIESTS AND A HOLY

NATION. GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO

NATION. GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO

HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT. NOW YOU MUST TELL ALL THE

WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE. THE SCRIPTURES

SAY,

"ONCE YOU WERE NOBODY. NOW YOU ARE GOD'S PEOPLE. AT ONE TIME NO ONE HAD PITY ON YOU. NOW GOD HAS TREATED YOU WITH KINDNESS.

If we have a proper perspective of ministry, then we should be more effective toward the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth.

In order for us to develop a working theology of the ministry, you must first determine what the word church means. What is the church? Is it a denomination? Is it an institution?

Is it simply a religious social institution? Is it an organism? Is it the company of the redeemed? Is it the body of Christ? Is it the community of God on earth?

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

Is it simply a religious social institution? Is it an organism? Is it the company of the redeemed? Is it the body of Christ? Is it the community of God on earth?

Just how does one define or translate the word church?

How is the true church identified? Did Christ establish an organization? Or did Christ bring a body of believers into existence?

Just how should we characterize the church? Our model of ministry is our perception of the church.

It is Christ who chooses, gathers, protects, and upholds His church. The final goal of Christ’s activity is eternal life.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” ().

The beginning activity of Christ’s ministry involves three specific aspects: (1) teaching, (2) preaching, and (3) healing.

Matthew says,

“JESUS WENT THROUGHOUT GALILEE, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, PREACHING THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING EVERY DISEASE AND SICKNESS AMONG THE PEOPLE” ().

Mark sums up the mission as:

‘“THE TIME HAS COME,’ HE SAID. ‘THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR. REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS!”’ ().

If the church is not preaching the good news, if the church is not fulfilling the great commission, and if the church is not being people of teaching, of preaching, and of healing.

Then God’s community loses its fellowship with the mission of Jesus to the world and to “the least of these”.

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

God’s community loses its fellowship with the mission of Jesus to the world and to “the least of these”.

In chapter Jesus is talk to the ones on Judgement day, And divide the goats on the left and the sheep to the right.

And He tells the sheep you will be blessed because when I was hungry you fed them, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink.

When I was a stranger, you welcome me, and when I was naked you clothes me.

And I was in sick, you took care of me and when I was in jail you came and visited me,

And the people on the right , the sheep said Lord, when did we do this and this was Jesus response.

THE KING WILL ANSWER, "WHENEVER YOU DID IT FOR ANY OF MY PEOPLE, NO MATTER HOW UNIMPORTANT THEY SEEMED, YOU DID IT FOR ME."

Tommy Barnett made a statement years ago, that has forever impacted my life.

“ God told me to build a church on people that nobody else want or care for, because that where I am.” Tommy Barnett

So this is what I want you to think about tonight. “The question what the church is, is not the same as the question where it is,”

It is not “Where the church is, there is Christ”; rather, “Where Christ is, there is the church.”

To state more plainly, “Where Christ is, the church had better be.”

“WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME; AND WHERE I AM, MY SERVANT ALSO WILL BE. MY FATHER WILL HONOR THE ONE WHO SERVES ME” ()

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

“WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME; AND WHERE I AM, MY SERVANT ALSO WILL BE. MY FATHER WILL HONOR THE ONE WHO SERVES ME” ()

If the church is, according to its own claim, ‘the church of Jesus Christ’, then it is Christ who leads the church into its truth.

In this case the true church is to be found where Christ is present.” Every believer participates in the ministry of Christ through becoming a servant of the Servant.

Jesus instructs His disciples about true servanthood:

“JUST AS THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE AS A RANSOM FOR MANY” ().

Where is Christ? Is He not present in “the least of these”? Is He not present in His community of believers?

Jesus promises His presence to the church.

“I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE”

So with this understanding, if we are to be the church, that Jesus is our example and leader. And if we want to be the church, we want the power of Christ’s Spirit flow thru every limb and every organ and every vein of the body.

Then we must be in the ministry and we must be servants, and it can not be just to ourselves, or to the ones that we hand pick but it must be also to the least of them, to the ones nobody else wants, to the down and out, to one in the jail and prisons.

PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED BEFORE GOD AND THE FATHER IS THIS, TO VISIT THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR AFFLICTION, AND TO KEEP HIMSELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD.

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

PURE RELIGION AND UNDEFILED BEFORE GOD AND THE FATHER IS THIS, TO VISIT THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOWS IN THEIR AFFLICTION, AND TO KEEP HIMSELF UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD.

And finally let’s look at the word minister or ministry

In most instances where “minister” or “ministering” is found in English versions, the Greek has some form of diakonia (“service” or “ministry”), which occurs thirty-four times.

A related noun, diakonos (“servant,” “minister,” or “deacon”), occurs thirty times. The verb diakoneo (“to serve” or “to serve as a deacon”) is used thirty-seven times.

How does one really define ministry?

Is ministry healing the brokenhearted, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, teaching instructions to the saved, seeking justice for the wronged, ministering to “to the least of these,” and so on?

And is ministry reserved for a special class known as “clergy”? Or, is ministry for every Christian? Just what does it mean to minister?

Where a familiar word “minus” is root word for “minis-try”.

A “lesser” person or persons understood to be somehow “greater.”

Ministry may be describe as the service by a servant to a king, a slave to a master, or a wage earner to an employer out of motives as diverse as loyalty, duty, compulsion, or personal gain.

LESSON 4

MINISTRY

Ministry may be describe as the service by a servant to a king, a slave to a master, or a wage earner to an employer out of motives as diverse as loyalty, duty, compulsion, or personal gain.

Christians are invited to participate in God’s ministry. This ministry involves “the least of these,” as well as the various functions of ministry.

Ministry is not reserved for a special class, but for every believer.

Each person is to perform whatever gift(s) the Holy Spirit has given to him/her.

We must come to the realization that we are not here for ourselves or for a certain group of people. So in ACTS ministry, here at Southpointe we are going to minister to all.

There is no area of life that is not affected by the Christian’s call to ministry.

So tonight, I want to challenge you to get involved in the ministry. In ACTS MINISTRY:

Nursing Home ministry

Jail and Prison ministry

Hospital visitation ministry

Greeter ministry