Rooted in Christ- Part 11- The Work of Ministry

Introduction

The apostle Paul has just written of his desire to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus through the proclamation of Christ coupled with the warning and teaching of every man to nurture their spiritual growth.

Paul was not satisfied with conversions to Christ alone but had a sincere desire to see every believer grow to maturity and become conformed to the image of Christ.

This should also be the goal of every servant of God. It ought to be our aim to promote spiritual growth in those we minister to such that they become mature disciples of Christ.

It must be recognized that this will not be attained without much hard work and the expenditure of much energy. Paul’s life and ministry was marked by his abundant labor in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV 1900

But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

II Corinthians 11:23-31- in labours more abundant and so many other sacrifices to accomplish the ministry that God had called him to.

It may be often suggested that Paul’s success hinged upon his keen intellect, his special giftedness, or his powerful influence, but more than anything Paul’s success hinged upon a willingness to work.

If we desire to see a measure of success in ministry we must:

Labour

This is a word that Paul uses often in his writings. He speaks of this labour in his letters to the churches at Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippians, Colosse, Thessalonica, and as he wrote to Timothy.

Paul wanted it to be known that successful ministry requires hard work.

The word Paul uses literally mean to work to the point of exhaustion. This is exactly what Paul would do to invest into the lives of believers in order to move them towards spiritual maturity.

A great example of this is found as Paul writes to the carnal church in Corinth who had failed to grow to maturity:

2 Corinthians 12:15 KJV 1900

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Paul was willing to expend whatever energy was necessary to ensure that these immature believers would progress to spiritual maturity.

We must recognize that ministry if it is to be fruitful will require this type of labor. We must be willing to labor in our study of the Word of God, we must be willing to labor in prayer, we must be willing to labor in personal discipleship.

Lasting results in ministry will not come with ease but through much labor and much sacrifice.

This does not mean that we neglect our families for this is our primary area of ministry, this does not mean that we neglect our career for we must work to provide, but it does mean that we must labor fervently for the Lord if we expect those we minister to make progress towards spiritual maturity.

We ought not to expect that we shall see results in ministry with little labor. God will not work to make up for our laziness.

Many have the idea that ministry is not difficult and that it requires little effort but this could not be further from the truth. Real ministry requires work and often to the point of exhaustion.

A Sunday school teacher may teach a lesson each week without much labor or effort but if the teacher is to truly minister to his/her students and help them to develop into mature Christians there will be much labor in prayer, in personal investments into their lives, and in study and preparation to deliver the material to their class.

The difference between the successful teacher, preacher, pastor, minister, is often simply their willingness to work harder than others.

If we desire to see a measure of success in ministry we must:

Strive

This word literally means to compete, to fight, to struggle and is the word from which our English word agonize is drawn.

This captures the fact that as Paul labored to promote the spiritual growth of believers that there were many forces which were at work to the contrary.

The world fights against spiritual growth, the flesh fights against it, and Satan most certainly works against the spiritual growth of believers.

There are many things we must contend with as we labor to bring others to spiritual maturity.

We must contend with the world and its various influences. The world and the pleasure that it offers presents a powerful pull against the spiritual growth of the believer.

The flesh also proves to be a powerful competing force. So many believers have been taught and shown what they must do to progress to spiritual maturity, but they choose to live in the flesh rather than be led of the spirit.

Galatians 5:16–17 KJV 1900

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

We must not forget that there are real enemies which fight against the work that we are trying to accomplish in those that we attempt to lead onward to spiritual maturity.

We cannot ignore these enemies and we must contend with them if we are to be fruitful in ministry producing mature disciples of Christ.

Paul was well aware of this enemy for like you and I he could sense the struggle even within himself.

Romans 7:21-25- the inward struggle

1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV 1900

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

We must recognize this reality and fight against these forces as we strive to produce spiritual growth in those we minister to.

If we desire to see a measure of success in ministry we must ultimately:

Depend Upon God’s Power

Our work and our striving will only go so far and ultimately we must learn that the power comes from God.

It is God who gives us the energy to keep labouring and the strength to keep striving.

Paul was not going to be outworked by anyone but he also realized that all that he had accomplished for Christ was the result of God’s mighty power at work within him.

Paul knew the most important thing was not how hard he worked but that he remained connected to the power source.

God was the source of all the great success of the Apostle Paul and any success that we enjoy in ministry will be owed to the power of God which is at work within us.

Ephesians 3:20 KJV 1900

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

God’s power coupled with a believer who is willing to labour to the point of exhaustion and who is willing to strive against the forces of evil has no limits.

What could God do with even just a small handful of men and women who would spend themselves for the cause of Christ striving for the spiritual growth of others in the power of God?

1 Corinthians 2:4 KJV 1900

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV 1900

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Paul often uses this word in referring to the mighty power of God which is active in believers enabling them to accomplish great things for God.

God’s power is not to make up for our laziness and lack of preparation but where we lack in anything the power of God is sufficient to accomplish the task.

Conclusion

Fruitful ministry requires hard work and intensity laboring at times to the point of exhaustion.

Fruitful ministry requires striving against those things which would hinder spiritual growth.

Yet the source of any success in service to God lies in His power which enables us. Paul was willing to work and strive but he knew that it was God’s power which would bring results in leading men towards spiritual maturity.