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.

 

 

 

The Joy of caring for one another . . .

 

Today’s devotional topic is about relationships forged between those with the common goal of sharing and defending the gospel. It’s easy to think of pastors and missionaries, but what about the people in the pews? I find it easy to have friends with common interests such as young families, hobbies, employment, education, yet not as many are focused on the same goal as Paul and the NT Christians.

It is right for me to feel this way about you all because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:7–8)

MacArthur speaks of those who were an important part of Paul’s life and who stood by him in every way, even when he was persecuted and put in prison. This is not the average activity of the average Christian. We tend to form relationships on other common interests. For me, this includes a common desire to study the Word of God and pray for the burdens God puts on our hearts.

This is the reason our ‘small group’ has become a group united in our affection for one another. This word is also translated as compassion. It can be emotional, but not necessarily. For us, it is more about kindness and caring expressed in words and especially in praying for each other’s concerns. If one family is hurting or has a problem, we all share their anxiety and pray for that situation.

Many of our prayer requests are about temporal situations that concern us. However, I’ve found it even more binding to share concerns for spiritual needs, especially for those who do not yet know the Lord and their lives are messed up with decisions made apart from His grace. While we may not experience the same problems in this life, all of us know and love others who need Jesus. We also all know the power of His love in our lives.

As Paul stated, his affection focused on those who were with him in his ministry to serve the Lord. We do that by advancing the gospel, by walking with and sharing Christ. Those who are not Christian can share common bonds about the trials of this life, but only those who are in Christ carry His burden for the lost.

That said, our group prayers become different when we pray for someone’s salvation rather than illness, marriage problems, financial worries, etc. Eternal life is vital, and the burden that others know forgiveness, cleansing, and peace with God seems to deepen our relationship with each other as we pray for those people. As today’s reading says, there is a special camaraderie among people who work toward life’s most noble goals and see God achieve eternal results through their efforts.

Lord, the devotional writer also says to guard those relationships, and cultivate as many as possible. I agree yet realize it is You and Your presence among us that makes the difference. Each of us admit how easy it is to focus on ourselves, or put physical well-being higher on the list than spiritual well-being. My prayer is that we do not drop either focus, yet remember that this life is not all there is. Those people that we pray for need Jesus because it is in You that we find victory over the trials of life, and can even learning from them. It is also in You that I learn to listen for Your instructions on how to pray. I can be begging for healing when You are using sickness for an important reason. As our small group continues to study and pray, unify us in our desire to seek your will and glorify Your name.

MORE: Pray for the members of our small group each day, and for their requests. Do a word study on ‘encouragement’ and ‘edification’ or forms of those words. How can I deepen my relationships by obeying the Lord in those areas?