Ministry is simply a lifestyle…Sunday Bible Study notes 1/30/2021

 

What Is Ministry?

The New Testament picture of the Church seems to leave no place for spectators. In the early Church, everyone was involved in caring for the needs of others in the community. Incidentally, it has been a pleasure to see this happening in our modest Bible Study ministry… To model after the first churches gives a sense of freshness, of new beginnings, innocence and of righteousness… Although we are but few the sense of brotherhood / sisterhood has been a powerful force within our fellowship here.. We are always on the right track to follow the teachings of Jesus, and the examples Paul and Peter…

Peter 4:10 reads…

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” In this save vein Matthew 10:8 reads - Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. This is the instruction of Christ…

So we have our gifts… and using these we are all called to do ministry but in different ways so that the gospel can be proclaimed, the kingdom can be built, and God can be glorified — it is the calling of God.

For most of my life, the word “ministry” was reserved for the elite, extra-spiritual pastors among us. People were “called to the ministry” and “doing ministry” in ways that always seemed to be in front of a crowd, preferably with a microphone.

The only exception was when I watched a slideshow of missionaries overseas, years ago, “doing ministry” among unreached people. And even for me, when I was growing up, I felt a “call to ministry” but I ignored it then and went my own way.. In some ways, the idea of ministry , in my mind, was actually blown out of proportion. I didn’t see the joy of ministry then. Only the sacrifice, struggle and hardship of rejection was glaring in my mind..

So, as with most things in life, we need to evolve and find the right balance and prospective. We learn that insight or revelation that can be had only through the grace of God and only if we are open to it…

I can see clearly now, in my more advanced years, that every follower of Christ is essentially “called to the ministry” because ministry is what we do for God. Ministry is simply a lifestyle…

A literary definition of ministry doesn’t concern me so much because we can all look in Webster for that if we feel that we must.. It is the spirit and substance of ministering that makes spreading and sharing the word of God so easy and satisfying to do.. It is in the substance of it that we find the depth of ourselves and the joy of it all…

Some people can talk all day and say nothing. We all know the type… But people of substance don’t need a pulpit or microphone to be heard because each well placed word has power. We may not know the impact that we have on others as we live our lives with grace, dignity and rightness..As we do our best… no matter.. This is ministering.. to be a living example of a Christ filled life, teach when and if we can, help each other as we are able and use our gifts to share with others the greatness of God…

Some may define ministry as leading or participating in a mid-week small group. Maybe ministry means volunteering to feed the homeless after church. Maybe ministry looks like giving up a week to go on a missions trip to a foreign country. Although that would hardly be possible now.. or just helping a brother in need…

If this is true perhaps your idea of ministry is shaped by a specific role - on the worship team, a youth group leader, a pastor, a deacon, an elder, or Sunday school teacher, community leader etc.

All of these examples are In some way, beautiful definitions of biblical ministry.

However, I am deeply persuaded that our thinking about “ ministry” is often too limited. And if our thinking is limited our lives are limited also..

In many different cases with countless independent churches, that have published articles from all over the world, one can find a trend that seems to represent and over all prospective of Ministry as appears to be reduced to a couple of broad ideas… The first being

Vocational Ministry: the title someone holds, either paid or volunteer. or

Locational Ministry: a specific scheduled activity at a predetermined time and place.

The Bible, on the other hand, presents a much more comprehensive picture of “ministry.”

Colossians 3.. Paul writes:

16Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Isn’t this what our ministry lifestyle should look like?

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (ESV)

CLOTHE YOURSELVES

The ESV says "put on then" or "clothe yourselves." Imagine every day that you're getting dressed for the job of ministry. If you're a plumber, a professor, or a police officer, you need to wear a uniform, or at least follow a dress code.

In the same way, Christians need to "clothe themselves" for the lifestyle of ministry that God has called us to. Using Colossians 3:12-15 as our guide, here are 10 attitudes of the heart that you need to clothe yourself with every day.



1. Compassion

Compassion isn't only an awareness of another's need; it's a desire to do something to relieve it. If we are the children of the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3), it makes no sense to receive such amazing compassion and respond to others harshly and unsympathetically.



2. Kindness

Kindness is generous, tender, and warm-hearted interaction, speaking and acting in a way that's understanding and considerate. Even if you're confronting, exhorting, or admonishing, ministry must be characterized by the kindness of Christ.



3. Humility

You and I are more like the people we minister to than unlike them. We have not yet arrived ourselves, and we still need the daily grace that God calls us to share with others. Ministry must not be done with a "holier than thou" attitude, but with a "stand alongside you" attitude.



4. Meekness

By cultural definition, being meek is typically an insult, but by biblical definition, meekness is something to pursue (Matthew 5:5). Meekness never compromises what's right; it simply means showing the way with tenderness and speaking in a way that's soft and mild. Remember, Proverbs 15:1 tells us that harsh words create problems rather than solve them.



5. Patience

One of the hardest things God calls us to in ministry is wait. I want to plant seeds in the morning and harvest mature fruit in the afternoon! But God's work of change, in us and in others, is a process. When we lack patience, we speak in haste and apply human pressure in the forms of guilt and ultimatums, and while the outward behavior may temporary modify, it never results in biblical heart change.



6. Forbearance

Forbearance, or "bearing with one another," is the same as patience … but under pressure! The hardest time to exercise patience is when we're being provoked. All I want to do in those moments is retaliate. But we have the example and power of Christ: "When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23). Notice that our Savior's forbearance grew in the soil of an active trust in the justice of the Father.



7. Forgiveness

When we've been sinned against, we must renounce our feelings of anger and bitterness and a desire for vengeance. This allows us to free the person from the fault and from any need for payment. Why do we do this? Because Christ first forgave us - and don't forget about the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21–35).



8. Love

This is the ultimate quality for ministry, the virtue that holds all the others together. Love means the willingness to sacrifice personal position, possessions, desires, and needs for the good of another. It's a willingness to wait, work, suffer, and give for the benefit of another. Love means being willing to lay down my life for another.



9. Peace

Peace doesn't mean that your life will be free from conflict or strife. On the contrary, ministry is often unpeaceful. But "the peace of Christ" provides inner rest, contentment, security, and hope that stems from an active trust in the presence, power, rule, and grace of Christ. When you look at life from the vantage point of who God is and what he is doing as Lord and Redeemer, you can be at peace in the midst of conflict.



10. Thankfulness

We live in an age of entitlement, but if we remember what the gospel says about who we are and what we really deserve, it shouldn't be difficult to live and speak out of a thankful heart! Thankfulness is a spirit of gratitude for gifts and graces that we couldn't achieve or earn. It reflects an awareness of the incredible mercy I continue to receive from the Lord's hand, and in turn, I give that mercy to others, even though they don’t deserve it.



WE AREN’T QUALIFIED FOR MINISTRY

I don't know about you, but when I read this list, I feel guilty and overwhelmed. I recognize how far I fell short yesterday, and I look at the calling for today, and I'm simply unqualified! No degree or library of books prepares me for this ministry lifestyle. That means that you and I must cry out for the mercy and strength of God, who alone can forgive us when we fall short and enable to us to clothe ourselves for ministry each day.



When Paul provided us with that information he isn't giving us a checklist; rather, he's telling us to "put on Christ."To be effective in ministry, you must take on the character of Christ. Incarnate Christ in your life in the same way that he incarnated the Father on earth. Bring the glory of Christ with you as you as you minister to others.

The most important encounter in ministry is not people's encounter with you, but their encounter with Jesus. We are simply called to set up that encounter.

In Acts 6, there was a situation going on in the First Church that caused the apostles to step forward and make a big organizational decision. Luke records:

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:1-7).

We read, much later, in Acts 20 that Paul told the Elders in Ephesus:

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).





What Is the Purpose of Ministry in the Church?

So, does that mean that there is no distinction between any type of ministry and that no matter what we do (whether it is serving tables, teaching Scripture, taking out the trash, or watching kids) is all equal in importance?

Some will say “No way “— there are definitely orders of importance and will declare that the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important task, service, or ministry that we can provide to others.

I say whether you are serving tables, , taking out the trash, teaching, or watching the kids it is the spirit within you that is a beacon of light wherever you go, no matter what you do. No task is beneath us and no helpful interaction is a waste of time. It’s what we put into it that makes all of the difference.. It is our spirit that will shine through and attract others to walk with God also… It is the quiet power of Christ that we clothe ourselves with each day..

So, we are all called to do ministry and even minister, but in all kinds of different ways so that the gospel can be proclaimed, the kingdom can be built, and God can be glorified. The important distinction between what kind of ministry we do is not who we are, what job we do, or even what abilities we have — it is the calling of God.

What Does This Mean?

Therefore, ministry is what we do for God’s glory based on where He has placed us, how He has gifted us, and what He has called us to do according to His infinite wisdom and for the proclamation of the gospel.

God has uniquely designed each of us to function in ways that bring us purpose and significance... God equips us with a unique calling to play a specific role in accomplishing his mission on earth as we make disciples. Through prayer we can be in perfect harmony with God’s plan for us.. Each one of us are special and unique as God created us and so we can use our talents, given to us to spread the “Good News” of the gospel to all who are within our circle of influence..



Along with the worship of God, community or the fellowship of believers and evangelistic endeavours, ministry is one of the pillars of the New Testament church. It is not the calling of some, but the privilege of all believers. It is how we can “…serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13).



Ministry is about giving of ourselves and our time, talents, and resources to bless and help others. The cry of the minister is “someone’s got to do it, might as well be me.” When we serve in ministry, we will find our greatest joy and most fulfilment in life.





God help us each to allow the mystery and the purposefulness of Jesus' suffering to become part of our own lives that we may be effective instruments of your healing and a comforting presence to all those to whom we minister.

We lift to You our concern for people who are more likely than others to become severely ill from COVID-19 — the elderly and people with chronic health conditions and millions of people who are isolated. Protect them from harm and be their comfort in this time of uncertainty….Help all those who thirst for your word in this time of isolation, may they find fellowship... Be with all those with depression and other mental health issues which were caused or exacerbated by this world wide health crises ..

You know our every need. We ask for your blessing tonight on our bible study, it’s members and their families.. May we all receive the gift of revelation as you see fit…

We ask these things in Jesus’ name…

Amen