MINISTRY REVISITED

I’m afraid too many folks equate ministry with administration. Rather than doing like Jesus and being in the market place with the people, ministry today too often takes on the idea of something done in offices and other special places where people decide what should be done and then decide how others should do it and/or who should do it. This is not criticism but, I believe an extremely realistic viewpoint.

Jesus’ time spent with his disciples in that upper room giving special instructions did not take up a great deal of time in his ministry. It may seem to be so when looking at John 13ff. But, it occurred during the last week of his public ministry.

For 3½ years less one week he was out there in the trenches where the action was to be found. If you examine carefully you will be drawn to the conclusion he spent most of that week in exactly the same trenches. And, don’t forget he also washed the disciples feet in that room (Jno. 13). Actually, a grand conclusion must be drawn: Jesus was all about ministry and if I am to be about the same thing, I must learn from him. Furthermore, it is not enough just to learn it; one must participate in ministry as a lifestyle. Is that a fair assumption based on the facts?

Ministry (should be a verb as well as a noun) doesn’t happen so often just because we don’t do it. What? Last week we quoted I Corinthians 10:31 to note ministry involves whatever we do for others to the glory of God. Too often we are just afraid to move out of our own comfort zones into the lives of others and get involved in their pain, their needs, and their lives in general.

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. . .And, in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years (Abraham Lincoln). I guess those two quotes go together; they certainly fit. So often we don’t do something because of our fear of failure and we come to the end of life with an accumulation of not very much accomplished.

So, living is the issue, but it is more than just existence. Losing ourselves in living for Jesus and others is what ministry is all about. At the same time it is a terribly therapeutic experience. One will have little room for self absorption and self pity when one is involved constructively in ministry; i.e., living for Jesus and others.

John Raskon (1819-1900) said it this way: When love and skill go together, expect a masterpiece. That’s Jesus and I believe he wants the same of us (Jno 14:15 & 15:14).

So, ministry might just happen in the upper room among a few but it moves out of the quiet confines of safety into a world of hurt and need and hostility and hate and injustice and child abuse and drug and alcohol abuse and family violence and it goes on and on. But, so does the minister! You are loved with heavenly love. h

PART-TIME JOB or MINISTRY?

I want you to try to envision something. Go back to John 3 with me.
3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
I don’t ever like to approach the Bible with assumption, but for a very valuable lesson, let’s assume for a moment that verse three went something like this: in reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, I work from 8:00 a.m. ‘til 5:00 p.m. and only on Wednesday and Sabbath evenings, which is actually the first day of the Week, after 6:00 p.m. Please come back during those hours.

Sounds like Jesus would be punching a clock, working for a business, and guarding his time tenaciously. I have learned a valuable lesson. I got it from Jesus and I share it with you: Ministry is a fulltime job. Part time jobs are for businesses. Can you imagine a father saying, I’m just a part time husband and father. Part time jobs are for those who have the PIE CONCEPT. A piece of pie represents every aspect of life. To Jesus, ministry was the whole pie.

My daughter asked me the other day, Why did we come home from vacations to do funerals? Didn’t anyone else know those people? My answer to her was: Maybe not. And, those folks wanted me to do the funeral. I coached baseball because it kept me close to my wife, who was always beside me, and my kids. That was part of ministry for others.

Ministry is grounded in the love of Christ. How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Eph. 3:18)! Paul left no stone unturned in ministry when he said, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31); and, in ministry, we can do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col. 3:17).

The PIE CONCEPT is bogus ministry. It is no ministry at all. One cannot have a piece for this, and a piece for that, and be one way to some and another to others—never a part time job. Ministry (Gr. diakonia) is and always will be what Jesus did and what Paul taught: I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved (I Cor 10:31). That way I can try to be like Jesus. In my own life I can work hard to be the best husband, father, friend, brother, etc., etc. I may get Jeremiah’s results but, along with him, I will glorify God—you too!

Aren’t you glad the outcome of John 3 gives us the perfect example? He punched no clock that day. He did what he did every single day and in the middle of the night. He ministered to Nicodemus. That’s why he came to our world and shared our life (Matt. 20:28: not. . .to be served but to serve (Gr. the verb of diakonia). Can I do less and follow in his steps (I Pet. 2:21) in any sense? You must choose for yourself.

NEW BEGINNINGS

How often do you think of each new day as a new beginning? It is all in how you see things, isn’t it? Yesterday began a new week. If we were living in 20 a. d. yesterday would be just another day. When Jesus arose there was one of those most unique beginnings. Well, it involves a lot more than just a new week, for our purposes today, that’s one thing that began when he arose. Sunday became the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10) or the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Sunday was always the first day of the week to the Jews but now it becomes the day of new beginnings with the resurrection of Jesus.

So, yesterday we began a new week. Today is a new day and if you expect it to be no better than yesterday or last Monday you might be off to a really bad start. Of course, that is relative. Last Monday and yesterday may have been great for you. If so, look for today to be even greater. It will be a great day and a great week. We have new beginnings. The Psalmist said,
This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. (118:24)

I believe it has so much to do with expectation. What do you expect to happen in your life today and tomorrow and what do you expect the days to be like? Let’s fix our attention on today. Do not ever base your new day on past accomplishments. Perhaps, it could be that your expectations of the day and your own abilities to accomplish something great for you or for someone else are based on faulty thinking because of lack of past accomplishments. Not good for you!

We won’t let that happen today. It is a new beginning. Meditate on that all day. We must work the works of Him who sent me, while it is day. . .—Jesus. So this is your challenge and mine: expectations for today, tomorrow, the next, etc. How will you see them? Opportunities for living, serving, giving, doing, being, overcoming, and many more ing words—they each are action terms. That’s what we will be about today, tomorrow, and the next. Don’t forget what the wise man said,
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave,
where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor
knowledge nor wisdom. (Eccl. 9:10)

I ran into a great statement by Oliver Wendell Holmes recently. I can’t remember where I found it but I hope it will provide you with the thoughts of new beginnings and expectation and expand your thought world for today: The mind, once stretched by an empowering idea, can never fully shrink to its original dimensions.

Once we get all that we will better understand where real empowerment comes from for our daily living. Read Ephesians 2:20-21
Expect great things with each new beginning. h

THE ROAD OF LIFE

Good Morning to You,

I really believe it to be a very important fact of life—part of what we accomplish in life we do accomplish quite by accident. Sometimes it’s the presence of others in our lives that helps us complete the task we might have before us. I’ve found that to be true over and over again. God surely places lots of neat people in our lives—all along the road of life—to help us accomplish what we need to accomplish. Where would we be without them?
On the other hand, who you become in life is not a matter of accident. It is a matter of choice. But, it still takes people all along the road of life to help us achieve what we become. Don’t you believe God places those people along the road to help us down that road to success? I do!
What about your life? How do you see it? Do you approach each new day full of energy and exuberance? When you meet someone along the road, do you do whatever is necessary to help them make their day? Their life? The Scriptures always encourage us by telling us God is at work in us to work his own good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). And we are to love one another (Rom. 13:8).
Just as we are dependent on others, others are likewise dependent on us. Along that road to success these people are looking for help just as we are. Most are looking for just about the same things we are looking for in life. For those people we meet along the road, we must be fully present in every way. Don’t let another single thing appear more important than what you are doing for those persons at that very moment. People are that important! It is our job to help them know that and that we genuinely care for them.
That kind of attitude and action would help us so much as we travel down that road of life, don’t you think? It is such a wonderful road when we look at it that way. h