We spent this last week on a mission trip with our youth--and I'm home now, trying to catch my breath, encouraged by seeing the truth of God's Word at work.
When we minister within our churches through Bible studies, teaching, and our lives, we may wonder what, if anything, we're accomplishing. Days are long, rest is rare, tests and trials abound.
But as I reflected on our experience this week, the phrase "[equip] the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" came to mind (Ephesians 4:12). And that, I realized, is the test of effective ministry. It begins with the pastor and leadership. Their equipping affects parents, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and lay leaders which then trickles down to every area of ministry. And the teaching of those in authority is reflected by service to others.
No service? No effective ministry. Know service? Know effective ministry.
Before passing the buck to your pastor or leadership team, it's important to recognize our individual responsibility. Am listening to and responding to the equipping God has provided in my local church? If so, how am I equipping others to serve and build up the body of Christ?
If that's not happening, it's time to stop and evaluate what's really happening.
In our case, youth serve alongside and under adults in many different ways in our local church. This week, as we ministered together in both manual labor and spiritual endeavors, they did so with a cheerful heart and ready hands. Service doesn't determine spiritual growth, but the result of spiritual growth is service; a love for God and others that makes itself evident in outward speech, attitude, and action.
It's a valid test for my own life as well. Am I serving only when others' eyes are on me? Or am I regularly, intentionally, secretly serving others for the glory of God? It's the test of effective teaching and ministry.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
'Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 5:1-18, emphasis added)
When we minister within our churches through Bible studies, teaching, and our lives, we may wonder what, if anything, we're accomplishing. Days are long, rest is rare, tests and trials abound.
But as I reflected on our experience this week, the phrase "[equip] the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" came to mind (Ephesians 4:12). And that, I realized, is the test of effective ministry. It begins with the pastor and leadership. Their equipping affects parents, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and lay leaders which then trickles down to every area of ministry. And the teaching of those in authority is reflected by service to others.
No service? No effective ministry. Know service? Know effective ministry.
Before passing the buck to your pastor or leadership team, it's important to recognize our individual responsibility. Am listening to and responding to the equipping God has provided in my local church? If so, how am I equipping others to serve and build up the body of Christ?
If that's not happening, it's time to stop and evaluate what's really happening.
In our case, youth serve alongside and under adults in many different ways in our local church. This week, as we ministered together in both manual labor and spiritual endeavors, they did so with a cheerful heart and ready hands. Service doesn't determine spiritual growth, but the result of spiritual growth is service; a love for God and others that makes itself evident in outward speech, attitude, and action.
It's a valid test for my own life as well. Am I serving only when others' eyes are on me? Or am I regularly, intentionally, secretly serving others for the glory of God? It's the test of effective teaching and ministry.
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
“So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
“Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
'Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]
For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
“Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 5:1-18, emphasis added)
