The Essence of Ministry
When asked what it is that God expects of men, Jesus summarized it this way: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
Love God, and love people! You can’t get any more pointed than that. Let us consider how these key principles apply in the ministry of reaching the lost, establishing local churches and developing ministries that will not only succeed, but will thrive.
When we love God we will:
• Faithfully preach the Word in such a way that transformed lives are the result. The purpose for which God inspired the Scripture should be the pattern with which we employ it (2 Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:21-25).
• Guide growing believers in a walk of personal holiness and Christ-like living. This should not only be taught as part of the whole counsel of God, but be modeled so that there is a pattern that can be imitated (Acts 20:27; Philippians 3:17).
• Lead the church to express love and devotion to God in meaningful, heartfelt worship. Our focus should be more on doctrinal substance than on our feelings. But when God’s truth reaches the the heart of the believer, there will be a response that comes from the heart (John 4:23-24; Hebrews 10:22).
• Make obedience to His commands a priority by expecting it in the lives of those who commit to being a part of the church as it grows (Luke 6:46).
• Show respect for God’s authority by remaining faithful to the sound doctrine we have learned from His Word. The church planter must be fully convinced of God’s truth and firmly grounded in his doctrinal understanding so that he can chart a solid course for the church (2 Timothy 3:14-15; 1 Timothy 1:3-4).
When we love people we will:
• Seek out those who are lost rather than expecting them to come to us. In church planting it is easy to fall into the trap of setting up our shop, setting out our shingle and hoping that somehow people will stumble in. Remember our assignment is to take the message of Christ to all people not just have it available if they come (Luke 19:10; Luke 15:3-7).
• Work hard to bring every believer to spiritual maturity. As faithful servants, we must spend every effort to see God’s purposes accomplished, even as His power “dynamically energizes us” for the task (Galatians 4:19; Colossians 1:29).
• Focus more on people than on plans and programs. It is easy for a growing church to stray away from this simple priority as we begin to manage multiple ministries activities. We may even get to the point of saying “send them away!” But the voice of the Savior still calls “give ye them to eat” (Mark 6:34-37).
• Welcome sinners in our ministry, accepting them while not condoning their sin. We should not try to be like them. There are plenty of others like that, and they have found no help from them. It should not be our goal to make them comfortable. They cannot be comfortable under the guilt of their sin. But when sinners are in the church they should get a sense that we love and truly care for them (Luke 15:2).
• Care enough for wayward believers to go after them and bring them back to the fold. Young sheep will not always be near the herdsman when they are in trouble or in danger; and when they are rebellious they will often run away. But the heart of a true shepherd will give up comfort and ease to go after the wandering lamb (John 10:11-15; Galatians 6:1-2).
In our ministries, may our love for the Lord and love for the lost dominate our motivations, dictate our methods and define the measure of our success.