Attributes of Effective Ministry

We are going to pickup in Acts 20:18 tonight, but first I just want to give some cliff notes on Acts 20:7-17. These verses are almost like a “funny story” about Paul that Luke felt led to share.

Paul is teaching in Troas. He is going to leave the next day so he delivers a sermon. Some folks think I get long winded, Paul went on and on until midnight. There is a young guy named Eutychus sitting in a window three stories up listening. He fell asleep listening to Paul, and falls out the window to His death below. Paul bored this kid to death. Luke, our author and a physician says Eutychus is dead. Paul goes down to Eutychus like its no big deal: “This is nothing for God.” Through the Spirit, Paul raises the kid from the dead, feeds him, and then goes back upstairs and teaches until daybreak. No big deal, just another day in the life of the Apostle Paul.

Paul then leaves on foot Assos while the others traveled by sea. They met up and sailed together to Miletus.

We all need that alone time with God. Paul needed it, you need it, I need it. Those are the times we are going to God. We are seeking Holy Spirit guidance and filling.

The Holy Spirit is mentioned 42 times in the book of Acts, we could call this the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles. A Spirit led life.

It almost appears like Paul is fighting against Holy Spirit in this chapter, but he is not.

Paul had in his spirit to get to Jerusalem for Passover, he was on a tight schedule. To stay on this schedule, he sends a message to the church leaders and elders of Ephesus to meet him in Miletus.

There are three words Paul uses to speak to these leaders: Elder, overseer, and shepherd. These words are used interchangeably. In the book of Acts, this is the only message given to a Christian audience. Every other message is given to unbelievers, Jews, gentiles, and officials that Paul is dragged in front of. Paul is addressing church leadership. We are going to title our study tonight: Attributes of Effective Ministry. Paul is telling us how to get it done. This is Paul’s third and final missionary journey.

1. An Open Life

Acts 20:18 NLT

18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now

First Attribute of effective ministry– Open life. You know that Paul lived out what he believed. He was with them in Ephesus for three years. An open life. Lunch together, fellowship, messages, get togethers. They not only heard him but lived with him. Paul remained the same at the pulpit, in the pew, and at home.

Anybody in ministry, worship team, pastors, deacons, knows this. If you go out in public and someone knows you from the church, you will see people turn and go “psspsspsps.” You know they are watching, and they will watch you like a hawk.

Paul lived a life that was no different in front of others or behind closed doors. His life was open to inspection by others. He remained transparent in his walk with Christ.

That is the level of transparency and accountability we are to strive for, daily. If I would not do it or say it in front of church folks, why would I be doing or saying it at all? They may not see it, but God certainly does. His Spirit abides in the believer.

2. Remain Humble

Acts 20:19 NLT

19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

Second attribute of effective ministry. Remain Humble. Sometimes we see notoriety go to peoples heads in the faith. We have seen this in younger believers and some older believers. The LORD will start working in someones life, working through someone, and they will begin to inflate. The individual becomes big headed instead of big hearted. Somehow they become super spiritual and better than others. It is heartbreaking to witness as this behavior does not glorify God in any way. The Apostle John provides an example of this kind of elevated behavior.

3 John 9 NLT

9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us.

There are those who always want to be in the limelight, want to be first, and do not want to collaborate. That is dangerous and is not an attribute of effective ministry. Everything must always be Spirit driven coming into agreeance with Christ and the Word of Truth.

3. Hardships

Acts 20:19 NLT

19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.

Third Attribute of effective ministry. Hardships.Paul endured many trials at the hands of the Jews. Without hardships, without testing, how can we grow? How can we point to the glory of God? In serving the LORD, you must face hardships.

In his Pastoral letter to his son in the faith, Paul says this to Timothy:

1 Timothy 5:22 NLT

22 Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

A lot of preachers take this verse out of context to mean: “Do not appoint church leaders who have not been to seminary.” What it means is that a person must go through hardships, difficulties, trials, and tribulations so that they can effectively point to the grace of Christ Jesus.

Hardships are the sandpaper God uses to knock off the rough edges. Where do hardships come from? For the most part, people. Some people are seeking human approval in the ministry. If you are seeking human approval, you are going to be disappointed. We must let God buff down the roughness and make our hearts smooth.

I heard this breakdown. It is called the 10-10-80 rule. 10% will love you just for showing up. 10% will hate you because they don’t like how you look, or the sound of your voice, or they way you talk, they don’t like your family, they don’t like your dog. They have just decided to hate you. 80% have not decided. They want to see if you are going to feed them, help them, speak truth, if you are humble.

Don’t quit. Find where you fit and keep going! Don’t find your worth in man or woman, but in God alone.

4. Balance

Acts 20:20–21 NLT

20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

Fourth attribut of effective ministry. Balance.There must be a balance between preaching and teaching. There is the Word of God and then there is the How do we get there. We talk about The Fruit of the Spirit but also how to develop the fruit. You can go out and quote scripture to the world, but how does scripture apply?

Like Paul, we do not shrink away from the truth. The same message whether public or private. repent from sin, turn to God, place our faith in Jesus Christ. Whoever it is you may be speaking to, you have to help them with the “How do I get there” part. God has chosen to put you in that persons life, in that moment, for a reason. Share the word of Truth, but be willing to teach as well.

5. Sensitivity to Holy Spirit

Acts 20:22–23 NLT

22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.

Fifth attribute of effective ministry. Sensitivity to Holy Spirit.Some believe that Paul was fighting the Holy Spirit here. He was going to go to jail for four years, go through some tough times. Paul did not make a mistake. He was sensitive to the Holy Spirit. He wrote Philippians from the very jail cell he would occupy for four years.

Philippians 1:12–14 NLT

12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. 13 For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. 14 And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

In Paul’s heart, this is a win. To Jesus, this is a win.

When we are sensitive to Holy Spirit in our lives, we may go places we have no desire to go. Talk to people we have no desire to talk with. When we are sensitive to Holy Spirit, we share the message of Christ with people we would never even consider sharing the message with.

I never imagined going to church regularly, let alone teaching. Church was a drag for me. I did not want to be around all those Bible thumping better than everybody else hypocrites! Carolyn “Can we go to church Sunday?” Me: “Go, I aint stopping you.”

This is personal for me as it is for so many of us. Carolyn remained sensitive to Holy Spirit, others in my life remained sensitive to Holy Spirit. Others were being sensitive to Holy Spirit, therefore, sensitive towards me. See, it really had nothing to do with God in my case, but with the people who claimed to be of God.

As we leave here tonight, I pray that you take these 5 Attributes of effective Ministry and incorporate them into your life, to share the message of Jesus with this world. It is not about you, or me, it is about Him. God bless you tonight. Lets pray.