Introduction
How does God organize people for
effective ministry? This is a question that is not often pondered. God puts
people in many different types of situations that will ultimately bring him
glory. It also matters in how we define ministry, if we define ministry as any
act of service that brings glory to God then there are some great examples to
be found in the Old Testament. Let's take Joseph as an example, by his
willingness to serve God whole heartedly even after his brothers intended him
harm, his entire family ended up in a better situation. Another similar situation takes place in the
book of Daniel when the three Hebrew boys refused to bow down to the idol and
worship. This en-turn led the king to glorify God and worship him.
God's
Design
From the beginning God has had a
plan. God is the ultimate creative being, because he is the only one who can
create from nothing or ex nihilo. He
worked hard at creation for six days then on the seventh He rested. In chapter
2 of Genesis verse fifteen, God gave man charge over the garden to work in it
and care for it. Just as God made man and watched over him and took care of
him. We can also say that God has plans for us to do things long before we ever
existed. You may be asking yourself, how I can make such a statement but all
you have to do is read the Bible it is right there in black and white. Paul
writes in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them."(ESV)
In the book of Numbers God gives
specific instructions to the people of Israel, he first numbered all of the men
of fighting age, and set them apart by tribe. However, not every tribe had men
set apart for war. The tribe of Levi was specifically set apart to the service
of God in the tabernacle, and was to keep guard of the people of Israel while
they ministered at the tabernacle (Numbers 3:8). Every man had a job to be done and no matter
how menial in the end it was to be done to the glory of God. We are admonished
by Paul not to work for men but for the Lord in Colossians 3:23.
A
Closer Look
There are several passages in the
New Testament I think we should take a look at to gain a clearer understanding
of what the Lord had in mind for His people. Let's start with Mark 3:14 &
Acts 4:13, from a casual glance these two verses may seem like they have
nothing to do with one another; in actuality they are very closely related. The
verse in Mark speaks directly to the act of the Lord's choosing men to follow
him; not only to follow him but that would learn directly from him and then go
out and preach. Now use a critical eye and read over that verse in Acts again
instead of just glossing over like we tend to do to so many other things. Did
you notice what was said? 13 "Now
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were
uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had
been with Jesus."(Acts 4:13 ESV). These two men had been handpicked by
Jesus they were average men with no special training in the eyes of the Jewish
community. They did however possess something no other normal person did, a
close personal relationship with Jesus. This relationship was so powerful that
people were able to notice that these men had been with Jesus, because he
taught as one who had authority. The phrase for they had been with Jesus was
not used for some passing association but a deep personal relationship.
Moving forward we will look at Paul's letter
to the Thessalonians, to gain a greater understanding of how as servants of
Christ we are to carry ourselves. To better understand the fifth verse of
chapter one, we need to process chapter two verses five through ten. Let's hear
what Paul had to say,
"5 For we never came with words of flattery, as
you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether
from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of
Christ. 7 But we were
gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we
were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God abut also our own
selves, because you had become very dear to us.
9 For you remember, brothers, our labor and
toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,
while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and
righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers." (1 Thes
2:5-10).
Paul is telling those reading
this letter that he had a deep seated love for them and instead of making any
demands of them for their well being, he and his fellow co-workers in the
gospel worked hard to provide for themselves in an effort to not hinder the
Gospel. One thing that stands out in this passage is the tender language Paul uses;
it is of a familial nature as he refers to a nursing mother and her children. Paul
was reminding them of how they lived among them so that they could love one another
in a very similar manner. Now we will review what Paul had to say in 1 Thessalonians
1:5, “Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power
and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind
of men we proved to be among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5,
ESV) What kind of men were they, well Paul told us; they were gentle, affectionately
desirous of them for the sake of the Gospel and hard working.
Bringing
It All Together
Dr. Michael Mitchell in chapter
eleven of his work Leading, Teaching, and
Making Disciples puts great emphasis on this familial language. Not necessarily
this passage in particular but of the language of the New Testament as a whole.
In the New Testament there are many different ways that believers are referred to:
slaves, sons/daughters, soldiers, and the list goes on. But the language use the
most is based around the nature of a family with God as our Father and Christ as
our brother, the first born and we are co-heirs with him.
In gaining a better understanding
of this family dynamic is helping I relate to my children, when the atmosphere
is filled with love and understanding things tend to go a whole lot smoother.
On the flip side is when I begin to come frustrated with a situation and my
voice escalates the demeanor of the entire family changes and it seems like
less is accomplished; or what is accomplished is not to the quality or standard
as could have been in a different setting. Just like with any family each person
has a role to play; they are not all glamorous but they all serve a purpose. When
we do as we ought to because of our standing in the family it brings glory to our
Father, while allowing us to be effective.
Conclusion
Going back to the stories I referenced
in the beginning we can see that God can take and use any situation He please for
effective action. In Numbers 22 God chooses to use a donkey to keep Balaam from
going forward with his wrongful actions. Since God has already set in place for
us the things He wishes for us to accomplish we can trust Romans 8:28 when Paul
says “God works all things together for who love him and are called according to
his purpose.” (my mix from several different translations over the years). If these
principles were taken seriously the church would feel like home; when I say the
church I am not merely referring to the building it plays its part, I more specifically
mean the people. In the end when everyone serves the function they were created
for there is harmony and love has room to grow, while productivity and relationships
have the chance to grow simultaneously. What has God called you to, and how are
you responding? If you need to change course so that you are fulfilling the position
that God has specifically called you to, do so and see the difference it will make
in your life.
