{"id":4249,"date":"2019-02-27T13:24:50","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T19:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4249"},"modified":"2019-02-27T13:24:50","modified_gmt":"2019-02-27T19:24:50","slug":"redefining-the-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/redefining-the-ministry\/","title":{"rendered":"Redefining the Ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ken Riggs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ephesians 4:11-13<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you hear the word “ministry,” what do you\u00a0think? Many of us have a church background,\u00a0were raised in church and have heard the word\u00a0“ministry” frequently, but what does it really\u00a0mean? Is it something that only preachers and\u00a0missionaries do? Is it something that is only done in a spiritual\u00a0context, such as at church? Is it possible to minister outside\u00a0the four walls of the church? I honestly believe it is time\u00a0for believers to redefine what the ministry is all about.<\/p>\n

In the first two chapters of Genesis, God created the\u00a0world and pronounced everything He made good. God\u00a0made man and from man made a woman. In their original\u00a0creation, they were perfect and without sin. In their\u00a0original creation, they were told to subdue the earth, till\u00a0the ground, have children, and take dominion over the\u00a0earth and the animal kingdom.<\/p>\n

However, Genesis 3 gives a different picture. Sin comes\u00a0on the scene. The devil convinced Adam and Eve they\u00a0could be just like God, or perhaps become gods themselves.\u00a0Everything then changed. Mankind lost control\u00a0over the earth; work was no longer enjoyable; bearing\u00a0children became a literal pain; the earth itself was cursed\u00a0and produced thorns; man began to work by the sweat of\u00a0his brow and became separated from a holy God.<\/p>\n

Matthew 4 and Luke 4 continue that kind of picture\u00a0when the devil tried to get Jesus to worship him. The devil\u00a0even boasted about the fact that he was in control of everything.\u00a0He even told Jesus He could have the world and\u00a0everything in it if He would worship him. Quite a change.\u00a0Before sin it was perfection; after sin it is perdition!<\/p>\n

Have you ever wondered what would have happened\u00a0if Adam and Eve had not sinned? What would the world\u00a0be like without sin? Art, music and culture would have\u00a0never deteriorated to what it is; it would have been good\u00a0and wholesome. Language, society and humor would be\u00a0clean and decent; politics, athletics, movies, printing, and\u00a0law would be just, honest and fair. Get the picture?<\/p>\n

Everything that now bothers us would not be bothering\u00a0us. Life would have continued to be a perpetual Garden\u00a0of Eden, but note that even before Adam and Eve sinned,\u00a0they were busy, industrious and creative. In other words,\u00a0before they sinned, everything they did was in praise and\u00a0adoration to God. It could not have been any other way.<\/p>\n

But the fact is, Adam and Eve did sin, and from that\u00a0time to this, mankind and his surroundings have been going downhill. The devil has been successful in taking over\u00a0the affairs of mankind. The devil boasts about the fact that\u00a0he is in control of everything.<\/p>\n

The devil said to Jesus, “l will give You all this domain\u00a0and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give\u00a0it to whomever I wish” (Lk. 4:6)<\/p>\n

But note the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20: \u201cAll\u00a0authority has been given to Me in heaven and on the earth\u00a0. . .” (Matt. 28:18). In other words, Jesus is saying, “l have\u00a0come to take it back! What has belonged to the devil is\u00a0now mine!” Note carefully the next words. We call them\u00a0the Great Commission. “Go, therefore, and make disciples\u00a0of all the nations. . .” (Matt. 28:19).<\/p>\n

What is He saying? He is telling us to go and tell people\u00a0that when they come to Him, He will give them the ability\u00a0to make wonderful, beautiful and glorious what the devil\u00a0has made profane, filthy and vulgar. He is in the house and\u00a0He is in charge. This earth is not the devil’s but God’s. “The\u00a0earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof . . . ,” says David.<\/p>\n

For too long we have limited the Great Commission.\u00a0Yes, it involves evangelism; yes, it involves soul winning. I\u00a0firmly believe and practice both of them. I also believe\u00a0one of the reasons we are not seeing evangelism and soul\u00a0winning flourish is because we have forgotten, or perhaps\u00a0have never known, what else the Great Commission involves.\u00a0Because of the Great Commission, we have been\u00a0given marching orders to not only evangelize but to do\u00a0anything and everything to the glory praise and honor of\u00a0Jesus Christ. It is at this point that we need to redefine the\u00a0“ministry,” and its proper context within the church.<\/p>\n

Four Negative Aspects <\/strong><\/h3>\n

By showing the negatives, I am referring to those things\u00a0that we actually do, and have even thought we were doing\u00a0the right thing, while in reality we may have been mistaken.<\/p>\n

Wrong Concepts<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have thought and practiced the attitude that going to\u00a0church was the equivalent of being a Christian. That may\u00a0seem harsh and we may want to deny it, but I guarantee\u00a0that many who attend church think they have fulfilled their\u00a0responsibility. Church is something they do. Church is\u00a0someplace they go. They do and go but don’t realize that\u00a0church is not just what you do and where you go. Church is\u00a0actually where you go to be refreshed, inspired and trained\u00a0to do whatever work it is that you ate doing. Church is\u00a0where you go to receive the energy and the instruction to\u00a0be the best Christian you can possibly be on your job.\u00a0Church, in the truest sense, is what you are.<\/p>\n

It has been said by others that we have succeeded in getting\u00a0people to “DO” church. They know what to do. They\u00a0know how to act. Many of us have become quite professional\u00a0at it. We know what to say and how to say it. We\u00a0know how to look. We know when to sit, when to stand.\u00a0We know what is expected and what is accepted. For too\u00a0many, once they leave the location of the church, it has little,\u00a0if any, impact on what they do the rest of the week. Too\u00a0many do not consider what they are doing as a “ministry.”<\/p>\n

Conformity vs. Conversion <\/strong><\/p>\n

We have equated conformity with conversion. If you\u00a0doubt this, watch what happens in your mind when you\u00a0see someone, even in church, who does not have the\u00a0same set of standards and values that you have. You may\u00a0not know them, but if they dress differently than what\u00a0your standards allow, you assume they are not saved. On\u00a0the other hand, if they look good, have the length of hair\u00a0and skirt hem that you think is appropriate, you assume\u00a0they could be a Christian. How tragic!<\/p>\n

Some of the most popular cults in the world look like\u00a0good Christians but they are not. \u00a0I fear that sometimes we\u00a0are more concerned with an outward appearance than\u00a0we are with an inward relationship. Do not get me wrong.\u00a0Christians should be careful of their attire, but I do not believe\u00a0for a minute that conforming to a set of rules, regulations\u00a0or dress codes is the same as conversion.<\/p>\n

Unbiblical Distinctions<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have highlighted some ministries and ignored others.\u00a0I am an ordained minister of the Gospel. I believe in a\u00a0divine call. (I can assure you, if I did not feel the call of\u00a0God, I would have given up a long time ago.) Being an ordained\u00a0minister does not give me any special advantages.\u00a0I am no better than others. I am a Christian first, and being\u00a0a Christian demands that I do everything and anything\u00a0to the glory of Christ.<\/p>\n

I recognize that some of this may have happened because\u00a0we make a distinction between “full-time ministry”\u00a0and “part-time ministry.” I am a full-time pastor and receive\u00a0a salary from the church I serve. Does that make me\u00a0any better than those who are employed elsewhere? Is it\u00a0not just as appropriate for others to serve the Lord with all\u00a0their being even though they may receive a paycheck\u00a0from a secular world?<\/p>\n

A former colleague of mine referred to this as ministry\u00a0with a capital “M” and ministry with a small “m.” The capital\u00a0“M” refers to those engaged in a ministry as a livelihood\u00a0while the small “m” refers to those whose livelihood\u00a0comes from other sources.<\/p>\n

I do not believe the Bible makes a distinction between\u00a0those whose livelihood is paid by the church and those\u00a0who are supported by other means. I have been in situations\u00a0where a person may have sensed a call of God to\u00a0preach or go to a mission field and they are bragged on for\u00a0being sensitive to the leading of the Lord. Yet those who\u00a0do not feel such a leading, but are serving the Lord just as\u00a0faithfully are seldom bragged on or encouraged. Too often\u00a0they are criticized for not choosing a professional ministry,\u00a0or a ministry with a capital “M.”<\/p>\n

Let’s face it, if everyone entered a full-time ministry,\u00a0who would we serve? If every member of a congregation\u00a0was a full-time pastor, who would be in the congregation?<\/p>\n

Confusion about the Kingdom <\/strong><\/p>\n

We have equated the church with the kingdom. The\u00a0church is not the kingdom and the kingdom is not the\u00a0church. The church is where believers come to be\u00a0trained, inspired, and encouraged. The kingdom is where\u00a0we work. Someone said it like this: the church is the locker room;\u00a0the kingdom is the playing field<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For too long we have thought, and maybe even taught,\u00a0that all a believer has to do is come to church. Be faithful to\u00a0the services, the doctrines and the policies of the church\u00a0and everything will be okay. All that does is keep us within\u00a0four walls. We are to be “. . . in the world . . . ,” the kingdom,\u00a0without being “. . . of the world. . . .” One of the greatest miracles\u00a0of all is the fact that Christ can keep us from the worldly\u00a0systems while at the same time giving us opportunities to\u00a0influence others to get out of that system.<\/p>\n

Six Positive Aspects<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let me suggest six practical principles about how we\u00a0should view the ministry. If you have not read I Corinthians\u00a012:46, you must! Briefly, note two basic observations: (1)\u00a0there are a variety of ways to serve, and (2) there is one common\u00a0denominator. The variety of ways to serve is referred to\u00a0as (a) “. . . different kinds of gifts . . .” (b) “. . . different kinds\u00a0of service . . .” and (c) “. . .different kinds of working . . .\u201d\u00a0 The\u00a0common denominator is stated in three different ways but it\u00a0is actually only one: (a) “. . . the same Spirit . . .”; (b) “. . . the\u00a0same Lord. . .”; and (c) “. . .the same God.”<\/p>\n

Know the Lord and Know That You Know the Lord<\/strong><\/p>\n

It should be obvious that only those who know the Lord\u00a0can actually serve Him. What does it mean to know the Lord\u00a0and know that you know Him? It means that you have had a\u00a0conversion experience; it means that you have an ongoing,\u00a0growing relationship with Him; it means that you know more\u00a0about Him than you did when you were first converted.<\/p>\n

I am convinced there are many good believers who know\u00a0they are saved, have a growing relationship with Him but\u00a0have never come to grips with the fact that what they do as\u00a0a means of making an income is also their ministry. In too\u00a0many cases, it’s because they have assumed the “ministry”\u00a0meant you were a preacher or a missionary. They should not\u00a0be blamed for that, however. They have learned that!<\/p>\n

It may not have been intentional, but for too long the\u00a0church has left that impression. If you doubt that, ask\u00a0those young people who do not go to a Christian college\u00a0if they are preparing for a ministry. Ask those Christian\u00a0teachers who are teaching in the secular world if they\u00a0consider their teaching a ministry. Ask those in the church\u00a0who have secular jobs if they realize what they are doing\u00a0is a ministry. Some will recognize what they do as a ministry,\u00a0but the vast majority will not.<\/p>\n

Be Connected to the Church <\/strong><\/p>\n

I believe in the local church. I believe that every born again\u00a0Christian should become affiliated with a good Bible-believing\u00a0church. I am suspicious of people who claim to\u00a0have a ministry but are not part of a local church. There are\u00a0other organizations outside the church that are valid ministries,\u00a0but I still believe every believer needs to be connected\u00a0to a local church. It is the local church that gives you\u00a0fellowship, accountability and responsibility. Remember,\u00a0the church is not the kingdom and the kingdom is not the\u00a0church. The church is where we receive the strength to do\u00a0the work we are called to do in the kingdom.<\/p>\n

Do What You Do as a Calling and an Anointing of God <\/strong><\/p>\n

To hear some speakers you would think that only\u00a0preachers have the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly teaches\u00a0there is no group of people who has a monopoly on the\u00a0Holy Spirit. There is no such thing as a Holy Spirit Elite\u00a0Club. Every believer has the Holy Spirit. Every believer has\u00a0the indwelling potential to do great works for God. The\u00a0working of the Holy Spirit is not confined to things that are\u00a0just spiritual. The church should be praying for a scientist\u00a0who is a Christian to discover a cure for cancer. The\u00a0church should be praying for a generation of political science\u00a0students to be Spirit-filled. The church should be\u00a0praying for writers to write books, novels, plays and films\u00a0that will glorify the Lord.<\/p>\n

Not only should the church be praying for new generations\u00a0to come on the scene with this attitude, the church\u00a0should be praying for those who are presently seeking to\u00a0use their abilities as a ministry. Have we prayed\u00a0for elected officials in Washington who are not afraid to let\u00a0their faith be known? Have we\u00a0prayed for Christian musicians in the broad field of music\u00a0as they seek to use that medium as a ministry?<\/p>\n

Go back to the book of Genesis. Before the fall and the\u00a0entrance of sin, Adam and Eve were instructed to be creative, to be industrious. I firmly believe if Adam and Eve had\u00a0not sinned, every area of life today would be a glorious tribute to God. Art, literature, music, politics, education, science\u00a0and a host of others you could name would be bringing\u00a0praise and adoration to the God of all creation. Are we\u00a0so blind that we think when the Bible says we are to do\u00a0everything “. . . heartily as unto Him . . .” that it means only\u00a0those things that we classify as being spiritual?<\/p>\n

Never Let What You Do Be Done in a Shoddy Way <\/strong><\/p>\n

I remember grading a paper for a student of mine. His\u00a0spelling and grammar left much to be desired. When I\u00a0gave his paperback he was shocked that I had given him\u00a0a low grade. That was bad enough, but then he said,\u00a0\u201cWhy did you mark off for spelling and grammar? You’re\u00a0not the English teacher.” He had failed to get the concept\u00a0that everything a Christian does should be the very best.<\/p>\n

Whatever a Christian does should be the very best.\u00a0That does not mean we should develop an attitude of perfection\u00a0in the sense that we are never satisfied, but it does\u00a0mean we should constantly be striving for excellence.\u00a0One of the highlights of my life was when I served on the\u00a0faculty at Flee Will Baptist Bible College. While I served as\u00a0Director of Student Teaching, one of my responsibilities\u00a0was assigning students to various schools in Nashville for\u00a0student teaching. One of those schools was the Akiva\u00a0School, the Jewish school located behind the College.<\/p>\n

I remember telling my students this: “You are not going\u00a0to Akiva to evangelize. You are going to put into practice\u00a0what you have been taught in the classroom. We are being\u00a0allowed to use their facility and we must respect their\u00a0religious differences.”<\/p>\n

Later that year, the Rabbi called me in for a conference.\u00a0One of the young ladies from the college had a cross\u00a0on her graduation ring. The Rabbi asked me to tell the young\u00a0lady to not wear the ring when she was in the classroom.\u00a0Both the young lady and I complied with his request.\u00a0 Was that a compromise? I think not. It was showing respect.<\/p>\n

I believe in personal soul winning but when a person is\u00a0hired to do a job, their main responsibility is to give eight\u00a0hours of the best work they can. The soul winning should be\u00a0an outgrowth of the excellence on the job. Try not doing a\u00a0good job and see how far you get in trying to win your boss\u00a0to the Lord. Try doing a good job, and even going the extra\u00a0mile and see if that does not make a better impression. Try\u00a0witnessing to your waitress at your favorite restaurant without\u00a0leaving her an appropriate tip and see how far you get in\u00a0telling her about Christ. Lousy employees make for ineffective\u00a0soul winners, and cheap tippers cheapen the gospel.<\/p>\n

Have the Proper Ambition <\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two kinds of ambition. One is that which is\u00a0based on the teachings of the Bible and is wholesome, holy\u00a0and pure. The other one seeks only for the approval and praise of others. Let your imagination go for a moment.\u00a0What would happen where you work if you told your boss\u00a0you had been praying for him and asking the Lord to give\u00a0him direction and wisdom? What would happen if your\u00a0boss knew you were sincerely interested in the growth of\u00a0his company? What would happen if he knew you were\u00a0more interested in the success of his company than you\u00a0were in your own personal success? You get the picture.<\/p>\n

The ministry God has given you is to be for the glory of\u00a0the Lord and the edification of others. Guard yourself\u00a0against using your ministry as a stepping stone for something\u00a0else. That does not mean God will not lead you to\u00a0something else, but just be sure it’s God who is doing the\u00a0leading instead of selfish ambition.<\/p>\n

Be Constantly Renewed in Your Spirit <\/strong><\/p>\n

Not everyone has the privilege of being around Christian\u00a0people all the time. I have worked in the secular world. I\u00a0have worked in construction. I have worked in the print\u00a0shop. I have been around those whose language is not always\u00a0clean. This is again one of the reasons for being faithful\u00a0to your local church. You need the church for that continual\u00a0cleansing that comes from the Word of God.<\/p>\n

When you work in the secular world, you need a constant\u00a0habit of reading the Bible. The world is not always a\u00a0friend to grace nor to your Christian life style. Another miracle\u00a0of Christianity is the fact that you can be in the world\u00a0without becoming part of it, but I must be honest and say,\u00a0you have to work at it. You must make a conscious decision\u00a0and effort to keep yourself clean, but it can be done.<\/p>\n

Let’s go back to the beginning. The Great Commission\u00a0is not limited to just soul winning. A part of the great commission\u00a0is the fact that all believers have a responsibility to\u00a0share their faith with others, but it’s also the responsibility\u00a0of the church to help others see that everything they do is\u00a0to be done for the glory of the Lord.<\/p>\n

Jesus said, “. . . go and disciple others . . .” The word \u201cdisciple”\u00a0in this sense is not a noun but a verb. As a verb it refers\u00a0to something I am to be doing. To disciple others carries the\u00a0idea of teaching. The church has an obligation to teach every\u00a0believer that in whatever field of work they are involved in is\u00a0a ministry. One missionary of days gone-by said it like this:\u00a0“I’m a missionary by profession, but I repair shoes to pay the\u00a0expenses.” All believers are ministers first and their means of\u00a0employment is the way they pay their bills.<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact <\/em>magazine, January 1999.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ken Riggs Ephesians 4:11-13 When you hear the word “ministry,” what do you\u00a0think? Many of us have a church background,\u00a0were raised in church and have heard the word\u00a0“ministry” frequently, but what does it really\u00a0mean? Is it something that only preachers and\u00a0missionaries do? Is it something that is only done in a spiritual\u00a0context, such as at church? Is it possible to minister outside\u00a0the four walls of the church? I honestly believe it is time\u00a0for believers to redefine what the ministry is all about. In the first two chapters of Genesis, God created the\u00a0world and pronounced everything He made good. God\u00a0made man and from man made a woman. In their original\u00a0creation, they were perfect and without sin. In their\u00a0original creation, they were told to subdue the earth, till\u00a0the ground, have children, and take dominion over the\u00a0earth and the animal kingdom. However, Genesis 3 gives a different picture. Sin comes\u00a0on the scene. The devil convinced Adam and Eve they\u00a0could be just like God, or perhaps become gods themselves.\u00a0Everything then changed. Mankind lost control\u00a0over the earth; work was no longer enjoyable; bearing\u00a0children became a literal pain; the earth itself was cursed\u00a0and produced thorns; man began to work by the sweat of\u00a0his brow and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4250,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4249\/revisions\/4250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}