Principles for Successful Ministry 2

JOHN 13:12-17

SUBJECT: SERVANTHOOD/ PRINCIPLES                                                

THEME: Following Bible Based Guidelines in Christian Ministry Is Successful Service and Not Merely the Numerical Results or Impressive Statistics.  How and Why You Serve Christ Is Just as Important as What You Do for Him.   

INTRODUCTION: 

God requires service from every believer.  Ministry is not an option or a suggestion to be considered, but a commandment to be obeyed. This is true of every genuine believer. God knows that service is one way we can increase blessing and fulfillment in our own lives while bring great glory to Him. Though difficulty is a part of ministry, God does not command us to serve so that we might suffer hardness. Beloved, God directs us into service opportunities to reward us and bring us blessings. 

A measure of God’s blessings come to us in the form of ministry success which is far more than impressive numerical results, rapid ministry expansion, and sensational statistical reports. Following God’s ministry guidelines is success–how you serve Christ is important!  Beloved, ministry can be used of the Spirit of God to stamp Jesus into our character. While God is glorified when we bear much fruit (Jn. 15:5,8), He still requires that we serve His way for His reasons and not merely to impress others or to meet human expectations (Jn. 15:1-8, 16).  We must be motivated to do God’s Work in God’s Way!  Servant-leadership principles are the key.  In fact Jesus said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:17).

Serving God’s Way for Godly Reasons is Success. Once again success in Christian ministry is in finding and following Bible based guidelines faithfully and leaving the results and statistic with the Lord. So, what are some principles for successful service?

LESSON:

I.  PRINCIPLE #1: SERVE LIKE YOUR MASTER.

II. PRINCIPLE #2: BE A VOLUNTEER  SERVANT.

III. PRINCIPLE #3: SERVE WITHOUT COMPARISON.

  

IV. PRINCIPLE #4: SERVE WITHOUT EXCLUSIONS.

1 Cor. 12:6-7, And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. [7] But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

If a person volunteers to join you in your service to others, allow him or her the privilege of doing so.

A.  INVOLVE EVERY BELIEVER IN SERVICE. 

    1.  Nobody Is Ever Too Young or Too Old to Serve.

In fact, there's no retirement program for Christian service. Following the Lord's example, we each are to serve the Lord and to serve others every day of our lives.

    2.  Biblical Love is to Be Expressed by Every Believer.

Jesus called His disciples “little children” during the Last Supper and said to them, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. ” (John 13:34-35). Love knows no age limitations. Even a young child is capable of expressing love and care to others.  We don’t have many senior citizens in our church but they are potentially the most effect servants in a ministry!

B.  INCLUDE EVERYONE WHEN EXTENDING SERVICE.

Just as you exclude no person from an opportunity to serve, you must not exclude anyone from receiving service.

   1.  Consider Christ Helping Others.

Consider all whom the Lord Jesus touched with His hands. They included a leper, a child, and a blind man. He used His hands to wash the feet of His disciples. Consider the many different peoples he ministered to: the demon possessed, a Canaanite woman, Tax collectors, Zealots, Roman soldiers, Pharisees, the poor, the rich, the powerful, the outcasts, harlots, mourners, and even the dead.

   2.  Consider the Inclusive Nature of Calvary.

Eventually, He spread His hands out on a cross and died for the sins of all mankind.

      A.  Do Not Allow Ethnic Differences to Hinder You!

He certainly expects you to extend your hands to those in need regardless of their race, color, culture, nationality, or type of need (Acts 1:8; 2; 8:5, 26-27; 10:1-2, 33-48; 11:20-22; 13; 19:8-10). 

      B.  Do Not Allow Degradation to Hinder You!

Sometimes we avoid witnessing to people who are social outcasts and notorious rebels, but again this is not a legitimate reason to refuse to serve someone.  The only way some of these precious souls will ever be saved and know the Lord is if a real Christian begins to build bridges to them to win them to the Savior. This is exactly what Paul did among the Corinthians and what the other Apostles emphasized as well (1Cor. 6:9-11; Acts 19:17-20; 1Cor. 12:2; Eph. 2:1-3; Tit. 3:3-6; 1Pet. 4:2-4).  

      C.  Do Not Allow Sophistication to Hinder You!

Remember Cornelius of Acts 10:1-2 was a centurion — Roman Military Officer responsible for about 100 soldiers.  Consider the Epicureans, Stoicks, and Philosphers of Athen in Acts 17:16-34, no doubt these were great debaters and thinkers of their day.  In addition, Athens was the center of culture, education, and fine arts. What about the Grecian Honorable Women who were noted for their prominence in Thessalonica in Acts 17:11-12.   All of these are examples of the gospel reaching out to all people and any people without regard for race, social status, occupation, education, or culture!

Consider how inclusive God was in his plans for humanity and follow suit!  How does this effect whom you witness to and those you seek to disciple?

1 Tim. 2:5-6,  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; [6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

2 Cor. 5:14-16, For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [15] And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. [16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.   

2 Cor. 5:19,  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

2 Peter 3:9,  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

  

V. PRINCIPLE #5: SERVE WITH COMMITMENT.

Proverbs 16:3, Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.  

Psalm 37:5, Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  

Regardless of the degree of commitment to service that you may have made in the past—or lack thereof—you can make a new start today.

A.  START FRESH WITH A NEW COMMITMENT.

  

    1.  Seek God’s Forgiveness.

Ask God to forgive you for wasted opportunities to serve. Make a commitment to yourself to discover your talents and abilities that might be used in service.

     2.  Act Upon Your New Commitment.

And then, make a commitment to get involved in the lives of others and to give, help, and provide as you are able. A real commitment is one that is acted upon, not merely one that is talked about.

The Lord Jesus fully expects us to act on our commitments to serve Him faithfully. He still requires total loyalty to Himself! Matthew 8:19-22,   And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. [20] And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. [21] And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. [22] But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Our commitment to Christ must be complete. It is possible that this disciple was not asking permission to go to his father's funeral, but rather to put off following Jesus until his elderly father died. Perhaps he was the firstborn son and wanted to be sure to claim his inheritance. Perhaps he didn't want to face his father's wrath if he left the family business to follow an itinerant preacher. Whether his concern was financial security, family approval, or something else, he did not want to commit himself to Jesus just yet. Jesus, however, would not accept his excuse.  You too may need to start fresh with a new commitment!

Jesus was always direct with those who wanted to follow him. He made sure they counted the cost and set aside any conditions they might have for following him. As God's Son, Jesus did not hesitate to demand complete loyalty. Even family loyalty was not to take priority over the demands of obedience. His direct challenge forces us to ask ourselves about our own priorities in following him. The decision to follow Jesus should not be put off, even though other loyalties compete for our attention. Nothing should be placed above a total commitment to living for him.  Commit today!

B.  SERVE WITH ENDURANCE—IT TAKES COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE.

Commitment is required if you are to endure in your service through tough times and persecution.

    1.  Faithful Godly Service Will Be Rewarded by the Lord Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

1 Cor. 3:12-14,  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. [14] If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

Make certain that what you do with your time, energies, and talents is for the gospel, and your work will be counted as gold, silver, and precious stones. It is what you do for your own self-serving interests and self-gratification that will be revealed as wood, hay, and stubble.

    2.  Endurance Grows out of Commitment to Jesus Christ.

Matthew 10:22, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Jesus predicted that his followers would be severely persecuted by those who hated what he stood for. In the midst of terrible persecutions, however, they could have hope, knowing that salvation was theirs. Times of trial serve to sift true Christians from false or fair-weather Christians. When you are pressured to give up and turn your back on Christ, don't do it. Remember the benefits of standing firm, and continue to live for Christ.

Standing firm and enduring to the end is not another way to be saved but the evidence that a person is really committed to Jesus. Persistence is not a means to earn salvation; it is the by-product of a truly devoted life.

Commit yourself to being consistent in your service to Christ and others throughout your life. Philip. 1:27, Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

VI. PRINCIPLE #6: LEAVE THE OUTCOMES WITH GOD.

Philip. 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

You are not responsible fully for the outcomes related to your service. Your responsibility is to serve God and others to the best of your ability, with the full force of your love, energy, and talents. What happens as the result of your service is God's responsibility.

A.  IT’S WHAT GOD ACHIEVES THAT COUNTS.

John 14:10, Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  

      1.  The Apostle Paul Suffered Greatly in Giving Service to the Early Church.

         A.  His Ministry Was Filled with Conflict, Struggles, and Troubles.

If you were to evaluate Paul's ministry on the basis of the number of times he was beaten, imprisoned, ridiculed and scorned, rejected, or assaulted, you would consider his ministry to be a total failure. The value of

         B.  Paul's Ministry, However, Was Not Measured by What He Went Through, but by What God Accomplished Through His consistent, persistent, and insistent preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

      2.  It Is God Who Saves Souls; We Merely Do the Witnessing.

      3.  It Is God Who Heals and Restores; We Merely Do the “Medicating,” the Praying, and the Exhorting.

      4.  It Is God Who Delivers; We Merely Proclaim the Power, the Blood, and the Promises Made Available to Us Through the Name of Jesus.

      5.  When We Serve, God Works. He uses everything that we do for His good purposes and eternal plan.

B.  CONCENTRATE ON BEING FAITHFUL.

Matthew 25:21, His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

God calls us to be faithful. Our “success” is up to Him. Ministry is not something we do for God but, rather, something that God does through us. He is the One who calls us to service, enables us to serve, and produces His desired result from our service. Trust Him to work faithfully in and through you.

1 Thes. 5:24, Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Adopting an attitude of faithfulness in service is a tall order. Faithful servants are committed believers. Faithful servants are loyal Christians. Faithful servants are responsible persons. Their word is a bond. A faithful servant will choose to forgo distractions for the prescribed goal. They are not dissuaded by “wind or weather,” by personalities, by fatigue, or other distractions. That is why God rewards faithfulness so highly—why He places such a premium on faithfulness in our pursuit and execution of His will.

Consider the following questions and use them to x-ray your own heart before the Lord Jesus:

Am I serving God’s way?

Am I serving for godly reasons?

Am I motivated to impress others?

Am I like my Master?

Am I a consistent volunteer?

Am I comparing myself with others?

Am I excluding some in my service?

Am I committed in my ministry?

Am I leaving the outcomes with God?

Am I faithful to God’s work?