Elements of Effective Ministry

Acts 14:19-28

Theme: Ministry/Service

Thesis: The elements of Paul and Barnabas’ ministry provide a good model for our Christian service today. Serve Christ with dedication, initiative, industry, thoroughness, and accountability.

Introduction:

It is good to look around at other Christians, ministries, and churches to learn how we can serve God most effectively. Yet, to see Christians and churches doing the same ministry in different ways is healthy and refreshing. The methods will change with time, peoples, and technology, but the objectives should remain the same. Each servant of God must follow Him step by step as He leads!

The best way to prepare and evaluate one’s service for Christ is to compare it with the Word of God. God’s principles are the key. God gives us several ministry models throughout the NT, and this passage in Acts 14 is one of them. It portrays for us some elements of effective ministry.

Message:

I.                Dedication: Suffering Persecution for the Cause of Christ (14:19-20).

A.    Dedication refers to being committed to God’s purpose and the associated tasks regardless of the required effort or the fierceness of the opposition. Half-hearted commitment will never suffice in the Lord’s work.

B.    Paul accepted opposition as normal

1.Paul was willing to be misunderstood

2.Paul accepted suffering as normal

3.Paul continued his work undistracted

C.    Take a handful of promises and press on in the work of God

1.Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. [12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matt. 5:11-12).

2.If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified (1 Pet. 4:14). 

II.             Initiative: Preaching and Teaching the Gospel from city to city (14:21).

A.    Initiative is the capability of assessing what is required and independently pursuing it. Such servants do not act without God; they act with courage on what they know God requires. They are responsive, resourceful, and enterprising; they aren’t waiting around for God to say “go” again. Slothfulness and sluggishness are out of step with service to Christ.

B.    They Knew What Christ Required of Them and Threw Themselves Into the Work

1.Street preaching

2.Individual witnessing—God has already given the mandate; we must go!

3.Gospel conversations—Look for ways to get into a witnessing situation.

C.    They went to the people, cities, and regional centers first to Evangelize

1.Effective evangelism is usually a combination of many factors. Do not rely on a single method; employ multiple strategies. Be creative.

2.Develop a regular visitation night. This is always a part of an effective outreach plan.

3.Staffing for evangelism.  Some churches have individuals devoted to evangelism ministries. It is still important to emphasize, however, that evangelism is every one’s responsibility.

III.           Labor: Servicing the Disciples and New Churches (14:21-23).

A.    Industrious is the motivation and drive to work and labor in the gospel ministry. Ministry is not the place for the lazy or lover of conveniences. God uses servants who are not afraid of hard work and the demanding efforts associated with discipleship, education, training, and leadership development.

B.    Confirming—to establish, strengthen, and render more firm

1.Affording companionship

2.Answering questions

3.Beginner discipleship—Assurance, Bible, Church, Devotions, Evangelism, Fellowship, and Giving

C.    Exhorting—to entreat, instruct, and admonish

1.Regarding inward disciplines—prayer, fasting, and meditation

2.Regarding outward disciplines—simplicity, solitude, and submission

3.Regarding corporate disciplines—confession, worship, and generosity

4.The exhorter knows that mastery of remedial disciplines promotes growth and spiritual advancement

D.    Ordaining—to appoint to leadership by vote

1.Leaders were prepared and placed

2.Formal recognition of these individuals divine calling to ministry

E.     Commending—to entrust them to the Lord’s care and guidance

1.Christ takes immediate and full leadership of the church

2.The leadership and the church are responsible for discerning and executing Christ’s plan and will

IV.            Thoroughness: Revisiting Cities To Conduct Evangelistic Campaigns (14:24-25).

A.    Thoroughness is caring enough to give attention to details and ensuring the task is completed; giving the appearance an effort is being made to evangelize will not reach out to “every creature.” Token effort may soothe our conscious, but it does not please our Lord.

B.    Evangelism: Gospel preaching/witnessing

1.Our objective is to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus Christ

2.The fruitfulness and results are the Spirit of God’s work

C.    Response: Hardened city—Perga

1.Some people and places are unresponsive to the gospel

2.Seek to move the individual hard cases along the continuum to faith—antagonistic atheist, soft atheist, agnostic, unsure skeptic, unconcerned, observer, explorer, receptive, and responsive.

D.    Recourse: Not all people and places are equally receptive, hardened, or fruitful

1.Move on to other opportunities; don’t be discouraged, frustrated, nor become too fixated on a hard case

2.Maintain a prayer list of hard cases and serve them when you can

V.              Accountability: Returning to Sending Church to Give a Report (14:26-28).

A.    Accountability is simply recognizing a responsibility to God, our church, and others; irresponsibility is problematic and incompatible with ministry.

B.    An Expression of Accountability

1.Christians should make deep commitments to Christ and be held accountable for following through

2.Christians should be trained and unleashed into reproductive ministry

3.Accountability helps to stimulate actions

4.Follow up on decisions, commitments, and assignments is a vital part of personal and ministry growth and development

C.    A Recognition of Authority—these extraordinary servants were still submissive to their sending church

1.Even Spiritual Believers need accountability

2.Even Accomplished Believers require further accountability

D.    A Report on the Work that Has Been Accomplished

1.This can be in the form of a written statement

2.The back side of a visitation card could be used to report results

3.Keeping a record of attendance for Sunday School

E.     A Chance to Rejoice in the Lord’s Accomplishments

F.     A Time of Reunion and Reinforcement of Values, Vision, and Strategies

Conclusion: To be more effective in ministry, serve Christ with dedication, initiative, industry, thoroughness, and accountability. While there is nothing wrong with finding good men of God who will share their years of wisdom and experience, God should always be consulted first and foremost. It is good to ask ministry friends for advice about this ministry or that program, but we must personally trust the Spirit of God to use Bible principles to guide each of us in our service for Christ.

Merely adopting an idea or mimicking another servant’s ministry, program or style is never recommended. Each of us are unique servants of the Lord with our own blend of gifts, skills, knowledge, and motivations; it is correct to embrace this reality and trust the Spirit of God to work through us. We all have different co-laborers with different skill combinations in various locations with multiplied non-identical opportunities; this too must be accepted as God’s calling and allocation to each of us as individual ministers of grace.

What can characterize each ministry is dedication, initiative, industry, thoroughness, and accountability. We each will enjoy differing productivity and fruitfulness, but we all can cultivate the same character qualities for ourselves personally and for the work of the Lord. May our service for Christ never ever be marked by half-heartedness, slothfulness, laziness, token effort, and irresponsibility!

The Philippian Jailer's Salvation I

The Philippian Jailer’s Salvation I

ACTS 16:25-34

How can a person be certain of their personal salvation?  What must a person do to experience salvation? A genuine salvation experience is presented in this story, and by it we can examine our own salvation experience.  This Bible account will assure us that we are saved, or it will help us decide we need to be saved. This historical event reveals what God must do in salvation, and what we must do in response to the saving initiatives of God. Each of us should be able to discern whether our salvation experience match the Bible’s example. While no two salvation experiences are identical, there are common elements to every genuine conversion.

Genuine salvation is entirely through faith in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work. You see, God begins with illumination and conviction to bring about conversion—repentance and trusting Christ. The result is salvation (new birth) and a desire to please the Lord—the beginnings of transformation.  Let us note these elements in the Jailer’s salvation experience.

I.  The Preparation for the Jailer’s Salvation (Acts 16:25-29). 

God often uses difficult challenges and awkward situations to bring people’s attention to the most important matters in life. One of the most crucial issues of all is a relationship with God, and the forgiveness of sins.  Many people leave this matter unaddressed; they ignore God their entire lives. Except God take the initiative, they would continue in ignorance. Well, how does God initiate and prepare the hearts of sinners for salvation?

A.  GOD USES THE TESTIMONY OF FAITHFUL BELIEVERS.

Acts 16:25, And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

1.      They were Willing to Endure Difficulties as Witnesses for Christ (16:19-24). These preachers sustained a strong witness through terrible difficulties. Paul and Silas has been tried unfairly, striped and publicly humiliated, beaten with rods, imprisoned, and put in chains. Their backs were lacerated, bloody, swollen masses of human flesh. We can only imagine the excruciating pain.  Now they were sitting there in a dark smelly, rat and roach infested dungeon. . . .  But still they bore a strong testimony to the wonderful grace of God! All of this God would greatly use to get the attention of the jailer!

2.       They Prayed and Cried Out to God in the Midst of their Ordeal (16:25). They probably asked God for strength, to forgive their persecutors, and to use their sufferings to reach others for Christ.

Ps. 50:15, And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Jer. 33:3, Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

3.       They were Focused on Praising God Instead of Complaining about their Pain. Perhaps they praised God for His Salvation, the privilege to suffer for the cause of Christ, and for the presence of God through all the suffering. Beaten and imprisoned, Paul and Silas respond by singing a hymn of praise—a song sung directly from the heart to God. The relationship between their song of praise and their supernatural deliverance through the earthquake cannot be overlooked.

Praise directed toward God can shake open prison doors! A man was converted, his household saved, and satanic captivity overthrown in Philippi. Today, as well, praise can cause the chains of bondage to drop away. When you are serving God and things do not go the way you planned, learn from this text. Remember praise triumphs gloriously!

4.       Their Strong Testimony of Faith Gave God an Opportunity to Work Among the Lost. Their faith in the Lord was a strong witness and God used it to prepare the heart of the unsaved for the gospel.

I am reminded of the 4 Men That Brought Their Crippled Friend to the Lord in Luke 5:16-26.  Jesus healed the man and forgave his sins when he saw his friends’ faith. Luke 5:19-20, And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. 20, And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

B.  GOD INVOLVES HIMSELF SUPERNATURALLY TO DRAW PEOPLE TO HIMSELF. 

Acts 16:26, And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

This was a supernatural moving of God.

    1.  God Used an Earthquake to Get This Jailer’s Attention.

John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Often sin provides pleasure for a while—for a season sin is more enjoyable than the force of guilt and regret. The result is people become happy in their sin and have no sense at all that their lives, motives, plans, and behaviors are offensive to God.  When people go on with their lives generally ignoring God, He in mercy will take the initiative to bring their attention to their true spiritual condition.

    2.  God Still Uses Various Means to Grab A (Lost) Person’s Attention Today.

         a. A Natural Disasters (Fires, Floods, Earthquakes, or Storms)

         b. A Tragedy (Death of a Friend, Love One, Co-Worker, Someone in Your Unit, or a Family member ect.)

         c. Our Personal Circumstances (Financial Reverses, Failed Marriage, Person Problems ect.)

         d. The Preaching Of the Gospel of Christ!

         e. Good parents who love God and model the Christian life at home.

         f. The trials and testings of Christians who magnify Christ through their pain.

     3.  God Purposefully Moves Events to Prepare Hearts For Salvation. The earthquake was a natural disaster God used to ultimately achieve supernatural goals.  This is what makes this a supernatural moving of God.  He was interested ultimately in this jailer’s spiritual welfare. God will bring us to the very end of ourselves and our resources so that we will finally look up and remember that He remains the ultimate Reality.  When this happens it is time to turn to God.

C.  GOD MAKES PEOPLE AWARE OF THEIR SPIRITUAL CONDITION. 

Acts 16:27, And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

1.      When the Jailer Was Awakened, His Heart Was Filled With Terror and Hopelessness. 

           a. He realized he would be executed for the prisoners he thought had escaped while he was sleeping on duty.

           b. He realized his execution would bring shame to his family’s name; therefore, he had rather kill himself then to be put to shame. His suicide would actually appear as if he was killed by one of the escaping prisoners.

     2.  Sometimes Life Will Provoke us to Great Fear, and to Despair in Hopelessness. Often we turn to God for help in the form of a ‘microwave fix,’ and other times we run straight to the world’s way of coping.  In every case a person either turns to God or turns further away from God. We will either seek God’s help or look to some humanistic solution.  The tragedy is that some people view turning to God as only optional, not mandatory! But we should always turn to God! Nah 1:7, The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

         a.  The Disciples In A Storm Turned To Jesus. Mark 4:38, And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

        b.  The Woman With The Issue Of Blood Turned To Jesus. Mark 5:25-27,  And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,  26, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 27, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

       c.  The Desperate Father Who Brought His Demon Possessed Son Turned To Jesus. Mark 9:17, And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

  3.  The Jailer’s Physical Awakening Led to a Spiritual Awakening. There was an inner awakening to his sinful condition before a holy God—conviction.  His fears of losing his job and perhaps his life gave way to deep conviction of sin. He was now afraid to meet God in his sins. He became keenly aware of his personal need for salvation, deliverance, and a new beginning.  He took the initial step of recognizing his personal need for God and forgiveness.

           a. The sinner must be convinced he is in desperate need of the Savior, Jesus Christ!

John 16:7-11, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me; ¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; ¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

To “reprove the world” means to warn about the consequences of sin: convict, convince, tell the fault, or even rebuke.  The idea is to overwhelm with arguments for the purpose of persuading: to conclusively prove wrong with evidence. The Holy Spirit in a sense takes the sinner to “court” and causes us to recognize our sinful nature/condition and the consequences of being a sinner.

Rom 5:12, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (See also Jude 1:14-16; Rom. 3:10-20, 23; 6:23).

  

            b. Every sinner must be awakened to his need to be saved before he would trust Christ as Savior!  

                  1.  A Person Must Realize He Is Spiritually Sick Before He’ll Call A Spiritual Doctor to Make Him Well. 

MATT. 9:12 … They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

                  2.  A Person Must Realize He Is Drowning in the Sea of Sin Before He will Call on a Spiritual Lifeguard to Rescue Him from death.  Ps 69:1-2, Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.  2, I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

            c. Each Christian can be used by God to make Others Aware of their personal need for the Savior also. Each Christian should desire for their Testimony to Awaken their friends and associates to their unsaved condition!  We today should also long for an Earth quaking moving of God, that sinners can realize their need for Christ!  Don’t hide your light; let it shine!