Last night I had the honor of speaking to the men at NewSpring Church that were ordained into the ministry…I challenged them (actually, I challenged everyone in the room to wrestle with five questions…
#1 - Am I Obsessed With His Mercy or My Ministry? II Corinthians 4:1
If we are obsessed with ministry we will never feel good enough…if we are obsessed with His mercy then we can truly live in the freedom that there is no need to prove ourselves!
#2 - Am I Being Careless or Cautious? II Corinthians 4:2
OR…I asked it this way as well, “Is there anything you are doing privately that, if it became public, would disqualify you from the ministry?” If we are going to live lives that are above reproach we must be intentional about it…it will not happen by accident!
#3 - Am I Obsessed With His Word or My Words? II Corinthians 4:2
Our theology HAS to be the driving force behind our methodolgy…and the only way to solidify sound doctrine is to be obsessed with it! We can get so obsessed with what we want that we lose sight of what God wants (like people meeting Jesus!!!)
#4 - Am I A Fighter or a Flake? II Corinthians 4:3-4
We are at war…and not with other people (Ephesians 6:12) but rather with a very real enemy who works hard at blinding the minds of unbelievers…and we will either step up to the fight or run from it!
In fighting we have to do battle with…
A. Critics - they will always be around…the people who know everything you are doing wrong but don’t know you. They lash out at you—but not out of love and or concern…but with a self righteous/arrogant attitude.
B. Conforming - People try to make things “normal and natural” rather than begging God to continue to do the supernatural
C. Clock - Many times we think if we work harder then God will do more—thus causing ourselves to set an unrealistic pace and burn ourselves out!
D. Control - No matter how hard we try—we can’t make someone receive Jesus, we can’t control His Holy Spirit…we are not in control, HE IS!
#5 - Am I Making Much of Jesus or Much of Me? II Corinthians 4:5
The temptation in ministry is for others to see how good we are…and in doing so not fully understanding that God most often puts some of His greatest gifts in his weakest vessels! (II Corinthians 4:7)
MY PASSION is not to be an innovative leader but rather an obedient servant who hears the voice of the Lord and does what He says. The church does not need my creativity and ingenuity but rather the power of HIS HOLY SPIRIT as only HE can truly change lives!