Aug. 21, 2022 - A Life of Ministry
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Tonight we will be gathering together - as a fellowship - for our church dinner… and because of the timing of the dinner...
Normally we would have our church dinners in April - to more correspond to our fiscal year...
BUT...
This year we started thinking about that timing...
And we thought that because this is the time of year when - as a church - we KICK OFF our new season of bible studies - kids program - etc...
It just made more sense for this to be the time that we GET TOGETHER - look back on the past year...
AND...
Look ahead to a new season of life at AFBC...
And so with this really being a - starting point - for a new year of MINISTRY...
in MANY ways and in MANY forms...
TODAY - we’re going to look at - MINISTRY...
And HOPEFULLY - realize how INTENTIONAL we have to be - in LIVING out our lives of MINISTRIES...
Today - we’ll start by looking at the apostle Paul...
Looking at how HE handled ministry...
and hopefully learn from him...
And then we’ll close by looking at some characteristics of the HEART that we need to examine in our own lives.
So to start - let’s go to 2 Cor 5:17-19 and see what Paul has to say to us - as we GAZE OUT into a new season of life in the church...
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
We’ve said this many times here at AFBC - but we all need to realize that we ALL (all who have bowed the knee to Jesus)...
We are ALL - currently - in - Ministry!
Paul says - to the Corinthian church - and by IMPLICATION- to us...
That God has SIGNED US UP - for ministry!
The Ministry of Reconciliation!
To be RECONCILED:
is to reestablish a close relationship
to be ACCEPTED
The CALL that goes out to the world - THROUGH US - is this:
BE reconciled to God - In Christ!!
That’s the message!!
And so - If we to think about the MINISTRIES that we PARTAKE IN...
What’s the GOAL of that MINISTRY?
Every ministry - has the same GOAL - ultimately…!!
What is it?
Let’s look at Paul’s ministry to see...
We know that Paul was considered the - Apostle to the Gentiles…but what was his AIM / GOAL?
16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
Paul was a minister of the Gospel....for what reason?"
(v16) - so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
So the aim of Paul's ministry was to offer to God the Gentiles....offer them how?
To offer them as ACCEPTABLE...
...Sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
What does Paul mean?
What does it mean to be Sanctified?
Let's say you're someone who had always hid certain income on your taxes...
You then get saved, and you begin to tell the truth on your taxes...That's sanctification
Let's say you're someone who had always lied on your timesheet at work...
But then you get saved and you begin to follow Jesus...and you begin making accurate entries on your timesheet...That's sanctification
Let's say you're someone who had always given 'misinformation' on facebook....
Or someone who had always boasted in yourself on facebook...
But then you surrender your life to Christ and begin following Jesus...
And that misinformation becomes 'truthful' information and the boasting stops...That's sanctification
To help us more with this, Paul gives us a more detailed picture of what this is in verse 18
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
What is sanctification....?
Obedience to Christ.
It’s the PROCESS in life - of spiritual growth!
Where we - MORE AND MORE - begin to live LIKE Jesus!
BUT - understand what this is saying - Paul’s AIM is to - - “bring the GENTILES to obedience”
Paul’s focus was on the Ministry of Reconciliation - to BRING OTHERS to Jesus - so that they may then GROW in Christ - and learn to OBEY Him!
That’s Paul’s AIM...
What about his motivation for doing this?
18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
We see Paul's motivation in verse 20
“and thus I make it my [ambition to preach the gospel], not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation”
Paul was controlled by a Holy Ambition in his life...
His holy ambition!...to preach the gospel in places where Christ had not been preached.
There are people out there who have never heard the gospel...And the Bible says that there is a group out there who will believe...
They're just waiting for someone to speak truth to them...They're just waiting to hear the gospel...
Now, we all have different giftings, There are as many different callings in this room as there are people....from a specificity standpoint...but the question goes out to each of us...
Am i driven by a Holy Ambition...?
What drives my life?
What drives your life?
Do you WAKE UP each day - asking of yourself - What can I DO TODAY - to advance the kingdom of God?
And that can HAPPEN - anywhere!
In your home...
your place of employment
your neighborhood
ANYWHERE
Are we putting time and ENERGY into FIGURING this out for ourselves?
Paul’s ULTIMATE GOAL in life? - - Carrying out the Ministry of Reconciliation!
NOW - HOW should we THINK about doing that? (Living out the Ministry of Reconciliation)
Because here’s an IMPORTANT truth -
SLIDE:
We must be intentional in how we go about carrying out the ministry of reconciliation
From this point on - in this sermon - we’re going to DIVE INTO some content from Desiring God Ministries...
Content that will hopefully get us thinking about our own walks of faith!
TO help us examine ourselves (hearts) to more efficiently walk thru a LIFE of MINISTRY...
We’re going to start with characteristics that EACH OF US need - and SHOULD CULTIVATE - Because we’re CHRISTIANS...
So these first set of HEART characteristics are - ESSENTIAL!
They’re not - OPTIONAL...
What are they?
SLIDE: (1) Essential Desire: That Others Will Glorify God
Essential Desire
Essential Desire
This REALLY is the ultimate goal of ALL ministry....
Whether it’s a Food Ministry...
Sewing Ministry
Youth Ministry
Music Ministry...
Whatever it is - the REASON we...
hand out food
sew blankets
talk to teenagers
Sing songs...
IS THAT - others will GLORIFY GOD!!
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Based on this verse - the BASIS of our ministry is that OTHERS GLORIFY God...
And so if we DON’T CARE about that....
We will be terrible at Ministry...
We’ll actually cause people to CURSE God....instead of Glorify Him!
And so - it’s ESSENTIAL - that we DESIRE that OTHERS glorify God!
What else? - What else is ESSENTIAL?
SLIDE: (2) Essential Desire: To Love Both Friend and Foe by Trusting in God and Hoping in His Promises
Essential Desire
Essential Desire
Not easy to do RIGHT?
What we need to know is that trust in God and hope in His promises LEADS TO LOVE!!
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
When we have STRONG faith in the GOODNESS of God - it inevitably works itself out - IN LOVE....
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel,
See - when our HOPE is STRONG - we are FREED from fears and cares that PREVENT us from LOVING others!
WHICH MEANS - being people in MINISTRY (as we ALL ARE)...
we must be people who have STRONG CONFIDENCE in the sovereign goodness of God to work everything together for our good!!
HOW DO YOU THINK people spend their entire LIVES - ministering to YOUTH? Without just GIVING UP?
They’ve EMBRACED this truth!
They LOVE others by TRUSTING God and HOPING in His promises!!
EVEN if it takes - 20 years to see that HEART turn to the Lord!!
We must desire:
that others glorify God...
To love both friend and foe by trusting in God and hoping in His promises
But what else?
SLIDE: (3) Essential Desire: To Meditate On and Pray Over His Word
Essential Desire
Essential Desire
We just mentioned how we’re to have - ROCK SOLID CONFIDENCE in God....as we walk through MINISTRY!
It’s ESSENTIAL...
But how do we come to HAVE this kind of CONFIDENCE?
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Couple this reality with Psalm 119:18...
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Faith in God - is - ROOTED in God’s word!!
See - when we HEAR God’s word - and hear of Jesus Christ....we’re actually HEARING about the ONE - IN WHOM ALL the promises of God have their - YES!!
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
When we HEAR of Christ - we are MOVED to TRUST HIM!!
IF - IF — IF we PRAY that our EYES be opened!!
If we’re going to live of LIFE of MINISTRY....we must meditate on the Word of God and pray for illumination!
IF WE DON’T - - our faith will grow - WEAK...
....and NO ONE will be moved to glorify God BECAUSE of us…!
SO - We must desire:
that others glorify God...
To love both friend and foe by trusting in God and hoping in His promises
To Meditate On and Pray Over His Word
AND??
SLIDE: (4) Essential Desire: To Acknowledge Our Helplessness
Essential Desire
Essential Desire
ALL ministry life - - Has it’s ROOTS - in desperation!
Jesus Himself COMMENDED the man who said this...
13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
We HEAR the desperation...
Jesus said of His own ministry...
17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This means that the beginning of Christian ministry must be in the acknowledgement that WE are the sick - who need a physician!!
AND ONCE we’re humbled in this way - we’ll be opened to READING the DOCTOR’s prescription - in the word!!
And think about it - the more we read of the Doctor’s PROMISES - our FAITH will grow and become STRONGER!
And what happens when our FAITH becomes STRONG??
ALL BARRIERS to love - like GREED and FEAR will be SWEPT AWAY…and we’ll begin to CHANGE!
We’ll begin to LOOK LIKE JESUS!
We’ll begin to become the kind of people who RISK THEIR LIVES - even for our enemies....
We’ll become the kind of people who DON’T hold GRUDGES
We’ll become the kind of people who SEEK the GOOD of others - even at GREAT sacrifice to ourselves!
To be effective in ministry - we MUST be a people ROOTED in Bible Study and PRAYER!
THESE are the ESSENTIALS of ministry!!
We must desire:
That others glorify God
To love both friend and foe by trusting in God and hoping in His promises
To meditate on and pray over His word
To acknowledge our helplessness
NOW - to those things that aren’t ESSENTIAL - aren’t at the CORE - - but those things that we MUST cultivate in our hearts if we care about others and care about doing ministry - EFFECTIVELY!
These are things that if NOT cultivated - will make us HORRIBLE at ministry - and will actually cause us to do MUCH harm to those around us!
SO - I would actually contend that it IS ESSENTIAL that pursue GROWING in these following things!
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Restlessness
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
NOW - WHY would we want to CULTIVATE - restlessness??
Those in ministry should have a holy discontentment with the status quo.
The lost of this world has inertia that causes them to settle in...
...and makes them very hard to move off of dead center.
Those in ministry should have a hankering to change,
to move
to reach out
to grow
and to take a group or an institution to new dimensions of ministry.
They should have the spirit of Paul, who said in Philippians 3:13–14,
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The history of God’s REDEMPTION - is STILL playing out!
The church is CRUMBLING all around us...
There are STILL LOST sheep not apart of the fold...
There are IMMENSE NEEDS ALL around us!
SIN is wreaking HAVOC in the church!
THEREFORE - it’s UNTHINKABLE that we would be CONTENT with the way things are right now - IN THE CHURCH and in this world!
So you know what God has done....
He’s put a HOLY DISCONTENTMENT into some of His saints - a Holy Restlessness into some of His people...
And it’s THOSE PEOPLE who will be EFFECTIVE in ministry!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Optimism
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Seems odd that we should be RESTLESS - AND optimistic?
How does that work?
Those in ministry should be optimistic, not because man is good, but because God is in control.
Those in ministry must not let their discontentment become disconsolation.
When we see the imperfection of the church, we must say with the writer of Hebrews,
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.
The foundation of our faith-life is Romans 8:28,
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
We should reason with Paul that, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).
Without this confidence based upon the goodness of God manifested in Jesus Christ...
the perseverance of those in ministry would falter and the people would not be inspired.
Without [optimism], our restlessness becomes despair.
But WITH optimism in God’s promises - our restlessness becomes a raging FIRE within us - to move us FORWARD!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Intensity
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
I was taught at a young age - that when I shake someone’s hand - I use a FIRM grip!
None of this limp biscuit / dead fish nonsense....
One of the worst qualities someone can have - is APATHY!
That WISHY WASHY way of life
It’s threatening to a life of ministry!
WHICH MEANS - INTENSITY is a great trait to have - in a life of ministry!
Listen to this John Piper quote:
SLIDE:
If your life is one extended yawn, you are simply blind.
How TRUE this is!
11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.
Jesus warns us in Revelation 3...
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Jesus has NO TASTE for people who are - APATHETIC to the things of Christ...
LUKEWARM!
We must give evidence that the things of the Spirit are INTENSELY REAL...
And we cannot DO THAT - unless we are INTENSE ourselves!!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Self-Control
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
This DOES NOT mean - Prim and proper and UNEMOTIONAL...
It MEANS - to master our drives
If we’re going to LEAD others to God - thru MINISTRY...
then we CANNOT be led OURSELVES toward the world!
What does Gal 5:23 say?
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Self-Control is a fruit of the Spirit!
WHICH means - it’s not attained by mere WILL POWER!
it’s CALLING on the power of God to help us get MASTERY over our emotions and our appetites...
that could lead us astray
OR cause us to occupy our time with POINTLESS endeavors!
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
Those in ministry must EXAMINE themselves...
To see if they are DOMINATED by...
television
alcohol
coffee
golf
the internet
social media
fishing
pornogrpahy
WHATEVER!
25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
We’re all IN MINISTRY!
We need to track down our BAD HABITS - and break them by the power of the Holy Spirit!!
Those in ministry should LONG to be FREE from EVERYTHING - that hinders our JOY in GOD and service to others!!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Thick-Skin
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Here’s a hard truth:
If you take 1 step into ministry - you WILL - be criticized!
NO ONE will be significant in ministry if their aim is to please others and seek their approval!
Paul said...
10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Those in ministry don’t seek to please man - they seek to please - God!
If criticism disables us - we’ll NEVER make it in Christian ministry!
That’s doesn’t mean we can’t be HURT by things - we just need to know how to HANDLE the hurt!
We need to be able to say WITH the apostle Paul...
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
We’ll CERTAINLY - FEEL the criticism - but we can’t let it CRIPPLE us!
How about this?
SLIDE: John Piper
“Those in ministry must be able to digest depression because they will eat plenty of it.”
There will be MANY days when it might seem easier to just QUIT - why?
Because criticism is one of Satan’s favorite weapons.
NOW -we have to clarify - sometimes the criticism is warranted -
Jonathan Edwards once said...
…that he made it a spiritual discipline to look for the truth in every criticism that came his way before he discarded it.
GREAT advice - no?
We must be thick-skinned!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: High Energy
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Lazy people will never be effective in ministry.
Lazy people will never be effective in ministry.
Those who are EFFECTIVE in ministry live out Eph 5:16
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
They live out John 9:4
4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.
Effectiveness in ministry comes from people who DO NOT GROW WEARY of doing good!
WHY?
They KNOW in due time they will REAP what they SOW!
They are STEADFAST, immovable, always ABOUNDING in the work of the Lord knowing that their work is NOT in VAIN!
BUT - they ALSO do not take CREDIT for their work...
They say with Paul...
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
it’s been said - that the WORLD is RUN - by TIRED men!
How true this is - of Christian ministry!
Christian ministry is lived out by TIRED MEN!
Those EFFECTIVE in ministry DO NOT desire to live out their days in EXCESSIVE LEISURE...
They WORK! Because FAITH - WORKS!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Critical Thinking
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
Those in ministry must be people who, when they see a set of circumstances, thinks about it.
They sit down with pad and pencil and doodle and write and create.
They test all things with their mind and hold fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
They are critical in the best sense of the word; that is,
not gullible or faddish or trendy.
They weigh things and consider pros and cons and always have a significant rationale for the decisions that they make.
They’re HARD THINKERS!
Paul said…to Timothy
7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
God’s way of imparting to us insight is not to short- circuit the intellectual process.
We must be critical thinkers
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Tactfulness
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
What’s the definition of Tactfulness?
the quality or skill of handling difficult or delicate situations without giving offense
Paul said -
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Listen - What’s the GOAL of ministry?
That OTHERS come to GLORIFY God!!
Sometimes we handle ministry in ways where we FORGET the WHOLE POINT!
Sometimes our MOUTHS and ATTITUDES actually WAR AGAINST the point of ministry!
Sometimes we PUSH people AWAY from God!
…because we’re not - TACTFUL!
Sometimes we’ll speak about things in a group setting that should NOT be discussed
Sometimes we’ll act as though we have NO SOCIAL AWARENESS...
We’ll just SAY whatever we WANT to say in the moment - REGARDLESS of who is around or the situation!!
We HAVE to remember that IN MINISTRY - we’re aiming to CHANGE hearts - not simply get jobs done!!
Tact is that quality of grace that wins the confidence of people who are sure you won’t do or say something stupid.
You CANNOT positively impact people for Christ when those people have to hang their heads in embarrassment at the inappropriate and insensitive things you say or do.
WHICH IS WHY - Tact is VITALLY ESSENTIAL for those in Christian ministry.
If we have an event at church...
AWANA
Our Easter Event
Night to Shine...
Where we have GUESTS in the building - OLD or YOUNG...
And all they experience in us is...
anger
bitterness
frustration
or attitude...
Our IMPACT toward them - will be a very NEGATIVE one....and that impact might very WELL have eternal consequences for those people!
How IMPORTANT this is!!
How INTENTIONAL we must be!!
How GRACE SATURATED we must be!!
But what else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Theological Orientation
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
If we’re going to IMPACT people for JESUS…thru lives of ministry...
Then we must KNOW that ALL of life - down to its smallest detail - has to do with God!!
Paul said...
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
We should be people who THINK about life...
THINK about how things fit TOGETHER - under the banner of God and His purposes!
How does politics
WAR
sports
entertainment
money
gossip
ALL fit together and relate to GOD?
We should be people who CONTEMPLATE the Theology of Life...
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Imagination
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Would you agree that MOST people are experts at seeing ALL the problems and REASONS NOT to move forward with something??
Very few people - are DREAMERS!
I think when it comes to MINISTRY...
Many people BUY what FEAR is SELLING!
We need to CULTIVATE a sense of IMAGINATION...
Can you IMAGINE yourself PREACHING one day?
Can you IMAGINE yourself doing the impossible?
OVERCOMING the impossible?
In 2 Kings we read this...
15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Those in ministry must PRESS ON to SEE the power of God OVERSHADOWING the problems of the future...
We must rest in the PROMISES of God - not what our eyes always tell us....or what FEAR tells us!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Organization & Efficiency
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Those in ministry must look for ways to use time to the full and shape their schedule to maximize their usefulness... for Christ.
They should take time to plan their days and weeks and months and years.
Even though it is God who ultimately directs the steps of mankind, those in ministry should plan their path
9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
We shouldn’t be a people who just - WING everything!
We should be like a dolphin - which can swim against the current - or WITH it!
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Decisiveness
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
The call for those in ministry is - BE DECISIVE!
Those in ministry cannot be paralyzed by indecisiveness.
They should take risks rather than do nothing.
They should soak themselves in prayer and in the word and then rest in God’s sovereignty as they make decisions, knowing that they will very likely make some mistakes.
What else?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Perseverance
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
Jesus said this in Matt...
13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Paul said this in Galatians...
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
We live in a world of - INSTANT gratification!
My kids know NOT what a commercial is....WHY?
Everything is STREAMED - ON DEMAND!
Instant gratification!
Very FEW people excel in the virtue of perseverance!
Very FEW people STICK with it - in ministry - when things get difficult!
We must CULTIVATE the characteristic of perseverance…!
The big tree only falls after MANY, MANY little chops.
The criticisms that come your way will be long forgotten if you keep on doing the Lord’s will!!
Christianity is a marathon - not a sprint.
Perseverance is key!
And lastly?
SLIDE: Characteristics to Cultivate: Restfulness
Characteristics to Cultivate
Characteristics to Cultivate
It’s interesting that we began this list with - RESTLESSNESS!
And NOW - the call to RESTFULNESS...
1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Those in ministry must know that ULTIMATELY - the productivity of our labor - RESTS in the God!
And that God can do MORE while we SLEEP - than WE can do while AWAKE - without Him!!
We MUST be able to - REST!
We should be good stewards of LIFE - and HEALTH
Jesus said...
31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Jesus knows that REST is key to effective ministry!
We should rest PHYSICALLY - AND...
Rest IN CHRIST - spiritually!
We must cultivate RESTFULNESS in our ministry!
Looking back - we should cultivate ...
Restlessness
Optimism
Intensity
Self-Control
Thick-Skin
High Energy
Critical Thinking
Tactfulness
Theological Orientation
Imagination
Organization & Efficiency
Decisiveness
Perseverance
Restfulness
…into our hearts!
Being INTENTIONAL in our efforts to do so...
And so I’ll close with these words from John Piper:
All Christian ministry begins with a sense of desperation — knowledge that we are helpless sinners in need of a great Savior. That moves us to listen to God in his word and to cry out to him for help and for insight in prayer. That leads us to trust in God and to hope in his great and precious promises. That frees us for a life of love and service which, in the end, causes people to see and give glory to our Father in heaven.
And so may we - as a church - embrace the task before us...
To Examine our own hearts - for a life of ministry!
Let’s pray