Meaningful Christian ministry

Part 2

By David Woodbury

Those who are sent are sure of their calling. Now there is a balance here which those in Christian ministry must work towards. Much damage has been done within the church by those in ministry having an air of arrogance about their ministry. Often it is camouflaged by a holy persona and to challenge their arrogance is often a difficult task. Those in ministry must work hard at an experience of authentic Christlike humility. Having an unwavering sense of destiny about Christian ministry will give us divine confidence as opposed to human arrogance.

Those who are sent are intent that others may know the reality of God. As we have discovered the primary task in Christian ministry is the proclamation of the good news and part of that is helping people come to know and understand that God does indeed exist and that he exists for them personally. This is not an easy task as no one can really prove the existence of God and people need to be helped to explore for themselves his existence in a personal way. Ours is the task of introducing people to the possibility of God’s existence and leaving it to the Holy Spirit to bring the affirmation within them.

Jesus was under no illusion as to his vocation and who it was that had commissioned and sent him. Over and over again in speaking with people, he claims this divine sense of being sent by God for a specific mission. Now he comes to the place where he must transfer his vocation and mission to those who would follow him. (See John 17:1-26, John 20:19-21)

These verses are the hinge pins between the ministry of Jesus and Christian ministry as we know it. On the night before he died, Jesus prayed that the Father would send us into the world, just as he was sent into the world.

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world (18)… "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (20). Those who are sent into the world are those who will believe in Me. This includes all followers of Jesus from the apostles right down to those in the local congregation of churches around the world, including us. We consciously need to see ourselves as inheritors of the ministry bequeathed by Jesus on the night before his arrest and subsequent crucifixion, and in doing so we need to seek for ourselves the same sort of vocation and calling that was part of his ministry.

For ministry to be effective and authentic it must bear the stamp and authority of one who is greater. The amazing thing about it, however, is that when Jesus leaves, he gives us a very similar mission. "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

Jesus possessed a strong sense of mission – he knew that he was sent to fulfil God’s plan of salvation for the world, and those who call themselves Christian must seek and find a strong sense of mission if their Christian ministry is to be effective and fulfilling.

To serve

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21 (NKJV)

Quite early in his ministry, Jesus declares that he has been sent to serve. These two characteristics of being sent and serving are the hallmarks of his ministry. This passage of Scripture precedes the serving ministry of Jesus. After his preaching in the Synagogue, he calls his disciples and commences his healing and serving ministry. When he finished reading he said, in essence; "Folks, that's what it’s all about, now let’s go and do it," He left the synagogue and began healing people and ministering to their needs.  He proceeded to move into the very ministry He had just defined, He had declared His faith, and now He was clearly and undeniably demonstrating His faith in the actions He was to carry out.

What is obvious here is that quite early in his ministry Jesus is conscious of His mission (See Luke 7:22 and Mat 11:5) and proclaims he is the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. Here he makes the direct link between being sent and serving. There is no greater mission statement than the one Jesus declares in Luke 4. Perhaps this mission statement ought to be read every Sunday before we commence worship. It may well change how we see our roles in the church.

20 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. John 12:20-26 (NKJV)

We are not really told why these Greeks wanted to see Jesus. We do know that the Greeks had a seeking mind and a great curiosity about the truth. Bear in mind that Jesus had just cleansed the temple and it may well have been that these Greeks had been in the court of the gentiles and witnessed this act of authority. Perhaps it was that these Greeks sensed that here was a man who held the ultimate truth and they wanted part of the action. No doubt the words of Jesus would have shocked them for he lays down the conditions for service.

Here is the crucial key to Christian ministry; the willingness to die to self, or as Paul puts it, to put to death to old man (Romans 6:6. Ephesians 4:22) It may well be impossible to truly offer service in Christian ministry if we have not put to death to old man, for the reality is that self will always rear its ugly head. There is a truth here which every sincere Christian needs to learn: it is when we bury personal aims and ambitions that we become of real use to God, for the reality is that the person who loves life is motivated by two basic desires; self-serving and a desire for security.

Jesus reiterated a number of times that those who want to hoard life will in the final analysis, lose it. (See Mat 16:25; 10:39; Luke 9:24; 17:33) He teaching was that only in true selfless service is greatness found. The rich and powerful businessman may win respect but it is the humble servant of Jesus that will win love. The person who is intent on business and personal success and achievement may well in the end, miss both the friendship of others and God. People who are always looking out for themselves are hard to love. Many people are in business today only for what they can get out of it. They may well become rich, but one thing is certain – they will never be loved, and love is the true wealth of life. (William Barclay The daily bible study – John 12:23-26)

Many people spend their life seeking to find themselves and finally end up empty shells never really knowing who they are or what was the purpose of their existence. Those who have enmeshed themselves in a life of service have found the secret of truly finding oneself and in so doing, finding a purpose for their existence. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

In seeking to find yourself and your life’s destiny you are basically seeking fulfilment and happiness. A life given to service has discovered that secret. That brilliant German theologian, philosopher, and physician Albert Schweitzer knew more about the secret of finding himself in true service for humanity and said on one occasion: I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.

It would seem that the disciples had a hard time grasping this concept of servanthood for it seems that the questions of who would be greatest among them arises a number of times and you have to suspect that this motivation is very much part of the unregenerate nature of humanity. To become a servant flies in the face of human ego. (See Matt 20:24-28, Luke 22:24-27)

However, the characteristic of serving is one that the business world understands quite comprehensively. Anyone who understands human behaviour and the business world will tell you that what customers want most of all is service.

1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. 2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" 7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." 8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." 9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" 10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." 12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. John 13:1-17 (NKJV)

Now we need to get a correct perspective on this passage of scripture and understand that the feet washing was a cultural activity, but nevertheless a dramatic and unforgettable symbolism. It was the custom of the day that before people came to a feast they would bathe. However, as the roads were dust in the fine weather and mud in the wet weather, there were always water pots at the door of each house to wash traveller’s feet. The role of feet washing always fell to the lowliest of servants. When Jesus takes a towel and basin he adopts the role of the lowliest of servants and enacts a lesson in service and humility.

When he concludes his lesson he sits down again to make his point and to see whether or not the disciples have understood the lesson. He says in essence: If you want to be my disciples, to be part of my kingdom, understand the example of serving I have given you, and now that you understand, just do it. Note that there is no hint here of optional serving:  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

We become ministers in the Priesthood of all believers

Now we come to our age and must contemplate and comprehend how all this applies to us today. There is a very real sense in which we follow in the footsteps of those twelve disciples and the dual roles of being sent and serving underpin our lives as Christians.

We are sent

Jesus sends into the world all those who call themselves Christian and believe in him, just as he was sent into the world by the Father. Our calling is not to withdraw from the world of unbelievers into a commune where we are surrounded by fellow Christians. The example left for us by Jesus in the Gospels is of one who lived with those that did not know him. (See Matthew 10:5-8. Mark 3:13-15, Matthew 10:16, Luke 10:1-3, Mark 16:14-15, Matthew 28:18-20)

The commissioning and the sending of the disciples of Jesus sets the authority and the framework of all disciples who subsequently will go out in his name. Inherent in this process of sending out is the concept that those who are sent on ministry are chosen by divine will and they bear the authority of him who sent them. Just as Jesus had a divine vocation so do those who choose to follow his way; they are also sent by the Father on a divine vocation.

Jesus' vision of ongoing ministry

Ongoing ministry is promised to those who choose to believe. Jesus knew that beyond the ministry of the apostles there would be a multitude that would follow in ministry. (John 14:12, 17:20-21, 1 Peter 2:8-10)

With the death and resurrection of Jesus, the need for the special individual to mediate between god and humanity was abolished. All who chose to follow the Jesus way became members of a royal priesthood, a holy nation, with direct access to God through Jesus.

A significant outcome of the Reformation was the development of the concept of the priesthood of all believers. Luther wrote ‘It says in 1 Peter 2, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a priestly kingdom.” In this way we are all priests, as many of us as are Christians’.5 Therefore, there is no necessity for a priest to act as an intermediary between individual Christians and God; the only mediator between God and humanity is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). The Church collectively is a ‘royal priesthood’ and therefore each believer has a vocation and a ministry to fulfil. Nevertheless this does not mean that all can fulfil the ‘priestly’ functions, rather that each Christian must fulfil his or her own function within the Church. (The Salvation Army Hanbook of Doctrine – 2012)

Good works have been prepared for our Christian ministry

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Eph 2:8-10 (NKJV)

When a person is born again and receives new life in Jesus he is given a vocation he is created in Christ Jesus for good works. For the truly born again Christian a role in Christian ministry is a given rather than an option. Just as Jesus fulfilled the mission to which he was sent, so too must we seek and fulfil our mission in Christian ministry.

30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. John 19:30 (NKJV)

It is finished. When Jesus cried these final words from the cross he was saying that his vocation here on earth, the task that his Father sent him to do was fulfilled. There is a sense in which they re-echo in the words of Paul when he is in prison in Rome. He writes to his young protégé Timothy and gives him great advice about conducting Christian ministry. In amongst his advice, which is wonderful advice to all in Christian ministry, are these words: fulfill your ministry.  (See 2 Tim 4:4-5)

Contemporary Christian ministry is based on the example of Jesus and the apostles. If we so desire it, it can be seen as a vocation to which the Christian is called, and perhaps that view of it makes it more fulfilling and meaningful.

We may well feel that such a committed vocation belongs to a bygone era and that today’s disciples cannot access the same degree of passion and spirit. In the final verses of one of his song John Gowans writes.

All the promises of Jesus
Are unchanged in every way,
In my yesterdays I proved them,
I believe them for today.
Still God gives his willing servant
Full equipment for the task;
Power is found by those who seek it,
Grace is given to those who ask.

John Gowans

Video reflection – I believe that God the Father

(Click on link to play video)
https://youtu.be/4dQP2q7tA74