7 Pillars 1. True Ministry is Initiated by God. Sets the stage, starts the work, equips the workers. 2. What God Initiates, God Anoints. Provides the power and direction. 3. Ministry is Received not Achieved. Not an accomplishment of men, but an assignment given. 4. True Ministry is not the Result of Our Efforts, but of His Surrender. We do not get God s results with our effort; He gets them through our surrender. 5. God gets the Glory for His Ministry. If men get glory, we are on the wrong track. 6. The Church is an Organism, not an Organization. Working together, yielding individual motivations to the life of the Body. 7. The Role of Church Leadership is not to do all the work of Service, but to Equip the Body. Looking at how the leadership in an equipped church is to function. True Ministry is not the result of our efforts, but of His surrender Clearly this involves our surrender to the Lord Yet, the issue here is what Christ is able to accomplish in and through me, not what I can accomplish for Christ.
It is through what HE has done For me and now is able to do Through Me that we are speaking of His surrender meaning the action step He took in surrendering His life at the cross in order to save me, indwell me, sustain me, empower me and now through me to reveal His life! I. Our Effort - Flesh Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. When we do ministry in our own effort there are several things which we must not be deceived in We begin to think that our service is by 1) Our Strength our energy to accomplish the work Ephesians 3:16 17
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Colossians 1:10 11 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously We begin to think that our service is by 2) Our Strategies what we think we can do 1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. Ephesians 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; We begin to compare our ministries with others and or other people 3) Our Standing our measure compared to others
Galatians 6:3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Romans 14:4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 2 Corinthians 10:12 (speaking of the false apostles that were comparing themselves to Paul) For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. We begin to take credit for 4) Our Success what we deserve credit for Galatians 6:14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. When we recognize that True ministry is from God, anointed by Him and received from Him we begin to realize that we must walk in His surrender II. His Surrender His surrender will always involve: 1) His Love He constantly is doing what s best for us Romans 8:35
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. His surrender will always reflect 2) His Lowly attitude He sacrificed His life for us Philippians 2:5 8 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. His surrender will always involve: 3) His Leadership He has a plan and will lead us John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
Colossians 4:3 4 praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. His surrender will always reflect: 4) His Lordship He deserves all the credit Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him. 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Conclude: True ministry is not a result of our effort but His surrender Bondservants of Christ Are we bondservants of Christ? Paul calls himself a willing slave o Gal. 1.10 ; Phil. 1.1 ; Titus 1.1
The term in the Greek is the word ß doulos. It is the word for slave. You see, flesh always has strings attached. It has an agenda. We need to learn to walk in Him, by Him by His Spirit not our flesh Romans 15:17 18 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, Only Christ can produce this in you and me. He must replace us. He is the True Bondservant and though Him we experience His Surrender in us. We are just the conduits through which He manifests Himself.