As I do often, I spent some time this week thinking about the USAGEM. I really love all of you.  I got to thinking about who we are and why we exist.  We are entertainers and musicians that all have common ground in our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We love Him and we serve Him.  We consider ourselves as ministers and having a "ministry".

As I thought about this God caused me to re-evaluate my thinking on the word “ministry”.  It is always my hope and intention to go to God’s Word and shed light on my thinking.  I ask only that the Holy Spirit would reveal to me what I need to know and understand from what I’m reading, and that I not take anything out of the context from which it is written.  I don’t want to build up straw men, just to knock them down.

In my study of the subject this week, four things seem to formulate in my mind about ministry.  This is not meant to be a long discourse, just a few thoughts to start your minds thinking as the Lord did mine.

First of all, I look at the word “ministry” and found it totally entwined around the word “servant”; after all, the definition of the word ministry is “to serve others.”  There are actually two kinds of service because there are two kinds of servants.  One word for servant in the New Testament Greek is the word “doulos” (doo-loss).  It means, “bond slave”.  This person is in a state of slavery because they were purchased as a slave or born into a slave family.  The Apostle Paul, on several occasions, referred to himself as the “doulos” of Christ.  I believe that all Christians are “doulos” to Christ because we’ve been bought by the blood He shed on Calvary’s Cross.

The other word is “diakonos” (de ack on os)  It refers to one who is serving in an office with the purview of the local church, such as Pastor, deacon, teacher, etc.)

With this in mind I share four thoughts with you about ministry:

1.  True ministry is always a team effort.

“Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”

                                                                                                                 1 Corinthians 1:10

There are NO “Lone Rangers” in ministry.  What each of us does affects what the world thinks about all of us.  I’m sure that we all know someone who in the past was hurt by the actions of what they saw a Christian “minister” do.

If we are ever going to be effective in the cause of Christ, we must see ministry as something that we are a part of and not something that is exclusively ours.

2.  True ministry centers on God’s message, not the messenger.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn’t use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s message. For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.  I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you.  I did this so that you might trust the power of God rather than human wisdom.”

                                                                                                        1 Corinthians 2:1-5

You don’t have to be a great orator or a fabulous singer to share the Gospel effectively!  The persuasive power is in the story not the storyteller!  Paul wasn’t against those who carefully prepare what they say or sing, but against those who try to impress others with their own abilities!

3.  True ministry considers the needs of others.

“This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ.  When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who follow the Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ.  When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, I fit in with them as much as I can. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.  When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ.  I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.”

                                                                                                          1 Corinthians 9:19-23

In this passage there are several important principles for ministry:

A.    Find common ground with those you are ministering to.
B.    Avoid a know-it-all attitude.
C.    Make others feel accepted for who they are.
D.    Be sensitive to their needs and concerns.
E.    Look for your opportunities to tell them about Jesus Christ.

Beloved, here is a saying worthy for ministry:

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!”

4.  True ministry includes preparation and feedback.

“Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too.  I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I talked privately with the leaders of the church. I wanted them to understand what I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure they did not disagree, or my ministry would have been useless.”

                                                                                                          Galatians 2:1-2

After his conversion, Paul spent many years preparing for the ministry to which God had called him.  His preparation included time alone with God, and time with other Christians.  Sometimes, new Christians, in their zeal, want to begin a fulltime ministry without investing time in studying the Bible, getting to know the Lord better and learning from solid, foundational teachers.

We don’t have to wait to start sharing Christ with our friends and neighbors, but we probably need more preparation before we start out on a new, specific ministry, whether it is volunteer or paid.

Accountability is also a major part of ANY ministry!  We should have a group of people around us who know us very well, are Godly people in their own right, and are not afraid to tell us the truth and let us know when we are in error!  This helps to keep our feet to the fire and going down the right path.

“The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”
                                                                                                               Proverbs 27:9

“Plans succeed through good counsel”
                                                          Proverbs 20:18

These are just some thoughts I had on ministry as we continue to ponder and plan the direction that our ministries are going.  This is by no means the final word on the subject or a treatise either; I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

God bless and keep you in all you do!

Dave Wooten