Ministry in and out of church . . .

 

They have been called pew-warmers. They come to church every Sunday, even take classes for this or that, but never plug in to serve. In a church the size of ours, it is easy to let others do it. Most of them are younger, have more energy, and if they take turns, no task takes much of a chunk of time or effort. Once a month to wash brunch tablecloths or clean up after everyone eats is easy. However, there are a few who come in late, leave early. It seems going to church is like attending a movie theater.

It is easy to be critical. What about those who spend hours preparing sermons? Or Sunday school lessons? Or leading small groups? We know that serving Sundays in the church building is not the only option for doing ministry.

And Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 10:1)

“Disciple” means learner and “apostle” means sent out. Jesus taught His disciples what to do and how to do it. Some of this was ministry toward one another, yet in this verse, it was outside the body of Christ. Those with unclean spirits needed healing. Those with physical disease and affliction needed healing. Those who didn’t know about Jesus needed to hear about Him. Today, needs are like that and even greater and more varied.

A father tells us that his daughter, age 14, has had an evil spirit since she was very young. She needs the ministry of deliverance. Daily we hear of those with cancer and other diseases. Many fear death and need to know about Jesus. People have physical  needs that can be met by our time, money, even just our attention. I read yesterday that loneliness is destroying lives just as much as smoking cigarettes. The Bible calls me to do what I can to demonstrate the love of God with my efforts to minister to others.

I just read part of a book that describes the need for prayer and how many Christians make excuses for not praying or for very little praying. One prayer warrior said, “ . . . . one of the crying evils of these times, maybe of all times—little or no praying. Of these two evils, perhaps little praying is worse than no praying . . . . Little praying is a kind of make-believe, a salve for the conscience, a farce and a delusion.” (E. M. Bounds)

These thoughts touch my heart. I can make excuses too. Often, they involve being too busy, or too tired. However, Jesus taught His disciples by example. He prayed in His busyness and fatigue. And this is what He wants from me. It too is an important ministry.

Prayer requests are sometimes listed in church bulletins. Prayer meetings are necessary because without prayer, the church weakens. Some will eventually shut their doors. The leaders in a prayerless church cannot be strong in the Lord without prayer support. Prayer is one ‘ministry’ that is possible no matter when or where, and not restricted to the building.

Another ‘out there’ ministry is the Great Commission.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20)

How many folks that warm the pews are out there warming up hearts to faith in Christ? How many are sharing Jesus with unsaved family and friends? How many are making disciples without being on a list in the church office? I heard last week from a woman whose faith was mightily restored because of a letter a Christian wrote to another person and that other person shared it with her. Ministry takes many forms and God uses our acts of obedience, however ‘small’ they might seem.

Jesus, in reading these things, I’m convicted of my excuse-making. I’m not called to teach Sunday school or make/serve/clean up in our brunch ministry, but I am called to pray, not just for those who do these things, but for many other needy people and needy places in this messed up world. Forgive my lapses. Give me an eagerness to pray that overcomes any excuses I make and overwhelms my tendency to ‘forget’ which is the worst excuse of all. Fill my heart and mind with what You want me to pray about, and the things You want me to do when I should be the answer to my own prayer requests. Fill me with Your Spirit and may I listen well and obey quickly. Amen.

READ often about the way Jesus lived and how He prayed. Focus on Him and hear what He wants me to do and how He wants me to pray.

 

 

 

Reaching the target . . .

 

I’ve heard that ancient marksmen who shot an arrow that fell short of the target were shouted at with a word that means ‘sinner’ which illustrates the NT verse: “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). I’m not sure if the story is correct, but I do know that the verse hits the target. The longer I walk with Jesus, the more I realize how much I fall short when I try to do anything in my own strength.

At first, I did not realize the difference. I have skills and abilities. It took some time and much experience with Him to realize the fruitlessness of trusting myself, never mind even recognizing when I was doing it. Like those first disciples, every Christian needs the power and enabling of Jesus Christ to deal with the needs around us.

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (Matthew 10:1)

At first, the disciples didn’t know the difference either, yet as they began to realize their efforts fell short, they also realized that Jesus could overcome all their inadequacies.

Lest I think these disciples were super stars or above-normal people, today’s devotional reminds me that all Christians are in the same category; on our own, we fall short.

One example is the ‘duh’ category. Jesus gave a detailed explanation of what the future held regarding His death and resurrection, “But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” (Luke 18:34) Human understanding falls short.

Another example is that target of humility. It marks those whom God blesses, but the disciples missed it too.

And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:33–35)

Imagine their shock when the King of kings washed their dirty feet! (John 13). They were so full of themselves that they didn’t realize that pride was not a target.

They fell short in faith too. Jesus often said to them, “O men of little faith” and even after He rose from the dead, “ . . . He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.” (Mark 16:14)

They fell short on commitment too. Peter vowed he would not deny Jesus, but he did, and the others ran away when Jesus was arrested. All this failure needed more than ‘try harder’ which is the advice Christians often give to one another, but ‘trying harder’ fall short too. We need the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

The disciples fell short yet the NT tells how they turned the world upside-down with their powerful preaching and miracles. It wasn’t learning a new behavior that changed them; it was the Holy Spirit who moved in their lives as they realized their need to know God’s Word and His will. They prayed for power and the spiritual resources needed  to hit the targets facing them.

Jesus, You still give that Holy Spirit power to Your people. Our problem is that we still try things in our own strength and need to confess that as sin. Then we must give self-effort a boot and ask Your Spirit to fill us. Without Him, falling short becomes a bad habit and a discouraging hindrance. You give the resources I need to overcome my weaknesses. Your words to Paul and to me are so true: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I need to respond as Paul did and find out that feeling weak is a good thing: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10) The sin of falling short isn’t about being inadequate; it is in trying harder instead of letting that weakness be my cue to call on You! The feeling of being weak may not go away, but Your power will come in and others will see You rather than my efforts.

TODAY: Rejoice that the targets are too far away — and pray to be filled, recognizing from Galatians 5:22-26 what God will give me so I can be adequate for whatever God puts before me.