Effective Ministry

 

When we spend time serving others, we often find ourselves looking for the most productive, efficient, cost-effective means.  We want a powerful program that requires as little effort as possible--because time is precious and the demands of life are great.  My guess is that the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus' day felt much the same way.  The people were many, the sacrifices, rules and demands were great (although many were the result of their own making--ahem!).

When Jesus called their bluff and rebuked them, these leaders wanted a sign--a way to judge His validity.  Perhaps, greedily, they were looking for a new technique or program that would improve their ministry.  What Jesus offered was not some thing, but some One.



 

 

 

In so many ways, we want to be the someone of our lives.  We pray, asking God to fix what doesn't suit us, or change it altogether.  What God has in mind, however, is to clean the clutter of our useless desires and replace them with His own.  His desires, His perspective, His way of thinking.  We can't fabricate God.  But we can, through His indwelling Spirit, know and become like Him, if we trust  His Son, Jesus.  Without repenting of love for myself and and asking Him to take His rightful place, the home of my heart will not change.  I can dress it up with church attendance, generosity, baptism, or any number of religious activities.  But without Jesus, there will be no lasting effect: no effortless love or peace or joy.  No inherent goodness or kindness.  Each thought, each act will be polluted with self: self-exaltation, manipulation and my own personal agenda.  This is what the Pharisees wanted--power to remain the same with an appearance of godliness.

 

But life with Jesus may not be what we expect: a pretty, come-to-church-smelling-good-and-everyone-will-adore-me life.  We may actually lose the appearance of godliness for a time (the mess tends to gets worse before it gets better). And the somethings of our life, the circumstances and outer array, may not change.  But once the Someone in charge does, life is very different.  The inside of my house is clean.  I can serve Jesus and go about my business with a song regardless of the circumstances.  I can kneel at His feet and weep.  I can cry in His lap and be comforted.  He is there.  Will always be there.  I may not look as "put together" as some.  I may not be as efficient as some.  My methods may even lack snaz and pizzaz.  But He is there.  And I have joy. And love for others.  And I become more and more like Him from the inside out.

 

If you are serving the people of God instead of the God of people, stop looking for what God can do.  Look at Who He is.  To follow Jesus is to be quiet, humble, gentle, loving, kind, and good, valuing the will of the Father above the will of myself. And that is so very opposite of who I am on my own.  "Oh, to be like Jesus."

 

“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,

My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
He will not quarrel nor cry out,
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Till He sends forth justice to victory;

And in His name Gentiles will trust.” (Matthew 12:18-21)

(Thoughts after reading Matthew 12.)

 



As You Go (Don't Forget to share Your Gospel Fuzzy!)

We're getting ready to start hosting Good News Club in the public elementary school this week.  Last Saturday we set up a booth at the local Children's Festival and made around 200 Gospel Fuzzies"  Even Mrs. Hinky Dink, the clown, sported a gospel fuzzy strolling up and down the street!

Sharing the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is exactly what His earthly ministry was about.  I was thinking of the opportunity to share the good news of God's forgiveness with children when I read Matthew 4. 

Matthew 4:23  says, "Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease, and every kind of sickness among the people."

When Jesus commands us to go (Mt. 28:18), He asks no less of us than He did of Himself. And the question isn’t will I go.  I already go somewhere everyday.  Each week I go countless places and see many different people.  The real question is how will I go?  Will I go in obedience, making disciples, or will I go in disobedience, seeking my own pleasure and desires?

And you?  How will you go today?

What I Don't Deserve

Guess what?  Doing what's right doesn't earn me good things.  You know that.  I know that.  Then why was I bummedwhen I returned from helping a friend to find a parking ticket on my windshield?  Why was my only detention in Middle School due to a good deed?
One might argue that we have a sense of justice--instilled by our Creator--that expects tit for tat.  The truth, however, is that most of the time I tat. I wouldn't admit it.  I try not to think about it.  You don't want to hear it because maybe you're the same, but if I'm honest, I take and don't return.  I inconvenience, manipulate and disservice others without noticeable consequences.  I sin against God and choose to think maybe He didn't see.  Or didn't care.  Or my actions were justified.
But God... Does He really use eternal scales, good vs. bad?
Not according to Scripture--and that's a good thing.  If He were to truly weigh my heart (good intentions and otherwise) and actions, each of us would come up short.  When we see reality for what it is, we are  helpless.  Hopeless.  Dead.  Each of us is disobedient and rebellious, wanting my own way all the time; totally, completely deserving of eternal punishment.  The only time I do good is when it benefits me in some way, shape or form. Period.
But God... who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:5-10, NKJV).
Have you ever used that passage to compare yourself and God?  I hadn't until now.  Here's the breakdown:
Me:
dead (verse 1)
walking in trespasses and sin (verse 2)
following my desires and wants (verse 3)
deserving of wrath (verse 4)
needing rescue (verse 5)
unable to do enough good (v. 9)
God:
rich in mercy (v. 5)
full of love (v. 5)
exercises love (v. 5)
gives life (v. 5)
raises me up (v. 6)
makes me sit in heavenly places (v. 6)
lavishes exceeding riches on me (v. 7)
demonstrates undeserved kindness toward me (v. 8)
rescues me out of His goodwill, as a gift (v. 9)
makes me His workmanship (v. 10)
recreates me in Christ Jesus (v. 10)
prepares good works for me to walk in (v. 10)

There is none like our God.  We cannot, will not come before Him apart from His grace and mercy; His lovingly kind touch.  So what's a parking ticket?  An opportunity to show His grace and mercy instead of the stinky, rotting response that comes naturally.  And it's all good.  Because He has been so good to me.