Lesson 9: The role of ministry in spiritual growth
“Spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. We grow up in order to give out.”
Rick Warren
Introduction
• You were put here to serve God and to make a contribution.
- There are things that God has designed specifically for us to do.
- They are custom-made for each of us.
• The way we serve God is by serving others.
- “If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, I should question whether Christ is really in my life.” Rick Warren
• In the Bible, the words ‘servant’ and ‘minister’ are synonyms, just like ‘service’ and ‘ministry’.
- The Bible says every Christian is called to service.
- Regardless of your job or career, you are called to full-time Christian service.
- There is no such thing as a ‘non-serving’ Christian.
• When most people hear the word ‘ministry’, they think of pastors, priests and professional clergy, but God says every member of His family is a minister.
• The beauty of Christianity is that believers have been redeemed for a reason, converted to a cause, and saved to serve.
- We are saved to serve, not to sit around and wait for heaven.
- “Holy living consists in doing God’s work with a smile.” Mother Teresa
Study in depth
I Why should I serve?
a) “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10)
- I’ve been created for ministry.
b) “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)
- I’ve been reconciled to God for ministry.
c) “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
- I’ve been chosen for ministry.
d) “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)
- I’ve been gifted for ministry.
e) “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” (John 20:21)
- I’ve been sent for ministry.
f) “Your attitude MUST be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve …” (Matthew 20:28)
- I am commanded to minister.
g) “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)
- I am accountable for my ministry.
h) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23, 24)
- I will be rewarded for my ministry.
PERSONAL APPLICATION
II How do I know my unique ministry/service?
a) You have been S.H.A.P.Ed to serve.
- Spiritual gifts (What am I gifted to do?)
- Heart (What do I love to do?)
- Abilities (What talents and skills do I have?)
- Personality (What is my unique style?)
- Experiences (How have life’s experiences shaped me?)
b) What God made me to BE (my SHAPE) determines what God intends me to DO (my ministry).
c) “Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you are using your gifts and abilities in the area of your heart’s desire and in a way that best expresses your personality and experience!” -Rick Warren
d) Your primary ministry should be in the area of your SHAPE but your secondary service is wherever you are needed at the moment.
e) Your SHAPE reveals your ministry but your servant heart reveals your maturity.
- No special talent or gift is required to stay after a meeting and pick up trash or stack chairs.
- Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.
III What do I need to know about my spiritual gifts?
a) A spiritual gift is, “the supernatural ability to carry out the work of Christ through his church.”
b) It is a special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer at their conversion, to be used to minister to others, and therefore extend and deepen the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.
c) Important principles of spiritual gifting that we need to keep in mind:
- Only people with God’s Spirit have spiritual gifts. (1 Cor. 2:14)
- Every Christian has at least one gift. (1 Cor. 7:7)
- The Holy Spirit decides what gifts I get. (1 Cor. 12:11)
- No one receives all the gifts. (1 Cor. 12:27-30)
- No single gift is given to everyone. (1 Cor. 12:29-30)
- You can’t earn a spiritual gift. (Eph. 4:7)
- The gifts I’m given are irrevocable. (Rom. 11:29)
- I am to use the gifts God gives me. (1 Tim. 4:14)
- It is a sin to hide the gift God gave me. (1 Cor. 4:1-2 & Matt. 25:14-30)
- Using my gifts glorifies God. (John 15:8)
- My gift is not for my benefit, but for the church’s benefit. (1 Cor. 12:7, LB)
- Each gift is given to produce unity and maturity in our church family. (Eph. 4:8, 12-13)
- No gift that is better than any other. (1 Cor 12:7-11)
d) Spiritual gifts are all about God the giver:
- He knows them.
- He gives them to us.
- He expects us to use them.
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e) As recipients of spiritual gifts, we need to:
- understand them
- discover them
- use them
f) The most effective way to discover your spiritual gifts is to actually start serving and getting involved in ministry.
- You are never going to know what you are good at until you try.
IV What should my attitude for ministry be?
a) Jesus is our role model minister/servant.
- John 13:1-13:20
- In this passage Jesus washes the disciples feet and in doing so teaches us a powerful lesson on servanthood.
- Here is is a key that unlocks the door of fruitful ministry and a fulfilling life.
- It empowers you and me to serve with joy and not lose our passion for ministry.
b) What do you need to know in order to take the place of a servant and follow the example Jesus gives us here?
• Know who you are in God.
- If we don’t know who we are in God we will spend most of our energy doing things to define our identity.
- And tragically nothing we can do—no attainment, no honor, no accomplishment, no amount of human recognition can adequately define our identity. Why? Because your identity is not found in what you do but in whom you are by the grace of God.
- Paul spends so much time in the first half of Ephesians explaining to those believers who they are in Christ. (Eph 1:4-5)
- We don’t minister in order to find out who we are. We minister out of who we are.
- The first thing you and I need to have as a foundation for effective ministry is a revelation of who we are in God.
- I am what I am by the grace of God. (1 Cor 15.10)
- Jesus bows before the disciples and washes their feet. Why hadn’t one of the disciples done that? We have a clue from Luke 22 because Luke tells us about an argument that arose amongst them as to who would be greatest in the kingdom.
- In the context of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, John makes this comment in verse 3, “Jesus knew” – Knew what?
o “That the Father had put all things under his power,
o And that he had come from God
o And He was returning to God.”
1. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power.
- It looked like thirteen helpless men hiding from the wrath and fury of the religious hierarchy and Roman might. But in reality, reclining in that tiny upper room was the power center of the universe.
- All power in heaven and earth belonged to Jesus.
- He was not the helpless victim of some sinister plot to kill him. He was the willing, voluntary Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.
2. He knew his commission.
- He was not acting on his own initiative alone. He was sent by the Father with a specific mission to accomplish.
- God has a mission for every human being. You will find no greater satisfaction in life than to discover that mission and pursue it with all your heart.
- Being sent implies a backing. When you and I are operating in obedience to the Holy Spirit, you’ve got backing that is out of this world.
- One of the great themes in the gospel of John is this sense of mission and commission in Jesus’ life. John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
3. Jesus also knew where He was going.
- Verse 3 “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God.”
- Soon and very soon we are going to see the King. Does that truth grip your heart and fortify your integrity?
- Does the fact that this life is but a vapor compared to eternity keep problems in perspective?
- “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” (1 Cor 15:58)
• Know who you are serving.
- John 13:1 “Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”
- Love is one of the most amazing dynamic there is. In a way it defies explanation.
- Love will cause a person to sacrifice personal comfort and gain for the well-being of another.
- Love motivated Jesus to pay the ultimate price for our redemption.
- But how can I love stinky, selfish, rebellious people enough to serve them?!
- Love is the motive for service. But how do we get motivated that way?
o I need the influence of the Holy Spirit shedding God’s love abroad in my heart.
o Without God I cannot truly love other people.
c) Service is the pathway of real significance.
d) Real servants serve God with a mindset of 5 attitudes:
- They think more about others than themselves.
- They think like stewards, not owners.
- They think about their work, not what others are doing.
- They base their identity in Christ.
- They think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation.
V How can I recognize a real servant heart?
Real servants are as they DO.
• They make themselves available to serve.
- If you only serve when it is convenient to you, you are not a real servant.
- You must allow your schedule to be interrupted by God whenever He needs to.
• They pay attention to needs.
- When God puts someone in need right in front of you, He is giving you an opportunity to grow in servanthood.
- Great opportunities for servanthood pass quickly, sometimes never to return again and we may miss many of them because we lack sensitivity or spontaneity.
• They do their best with what they have.
- God expects you to do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.
- It doesn’t have to be perfect for God to use and bless it.
• They do every task with equal dedication.
- God will never exempt you from the mundane. It’s a vital part of your character curriculum.
- The little things in life determine the big things.
- "I don’t do any great thing; I do small things with great love." Mother Teresa
• They are faithful to their ministry.
- They keep their promises, fulfill their responsibilities and don’t quit when they are discouraged.
- They serve faithfully as long as they’re alive. You will never retire from serving God.
• They maintain a low profile.
- Just like the hidden parts of your body are vital and indispensable, the most significant service is often the service that is unseen.
- They don’t serve for approval and don’t allow the spotlight to distract them from their work.
VI How can I serve effectively?
a) Learn to serve like Jesus:
• Be available.
- “Two blind men... shouted, ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’ ... Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ He asked.” Matt. 20:30-32 (NIV)
- “Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now.” (Prov. 3:28)
- 3 Barriers to Availability:
1) Self-centeredness
“Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.”Phil. 2:4 (MSG)
2) Perfectionism
“If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done.” Eccl. 11:4 (NLT)
3) Materialism
“No servant can serve two masters... You cannot serve both God and money." Luke 16:13 (NIV)
• Be grateful.
- “Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that you always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here...’" John 11:41-42 (NIV)
- “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Ps. 100:2 (KJV)
- “It is He who saved us and chose us for His holy work not because we deserved it but because that was His plan...” 2 Tim. 1:9 (LB)
- 3 Barriers To Gratefulness:
1) Comparison
2) Criticism
“Who are you to criticize someone else’s servant? The Lord will determine whether His servant has been successful.” Rom. 14:4 (GW)
3) Wrong motivations
“When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.” Matt. 6:1 (CEV)
• Be faithful.
- “I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” John 17:4 (NIV)
- “The one thing required of servants is that they be faithful...” 1 Cor. 4:2 (TEV)
- “Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort.” 1 Cor. 15:58 (MSG)
- “He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other Christians.” Heb. 6:10 (NLT)
- “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things so; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matt. 25:21 (NIV)
Application
A) 5 guidelines suggested by Peter Wagner to discovering your spiritual gifts and the areas in which God might want to use you in ministry/service:
1. Explore the possibilities. Study the Scripture (1 Cor 12; Rom 12; Eph 4; 1 Pet 4), read books about the gifts of the Spirit and talk to people who you believe are gifted in the areas you want to explore. When you resonate with someone else’s gifts, it may be the Spirit’s way of helping you identify your own gifts.
2. Begin to experiment with the gifts you feel drawn to. Allow time for the Spirit to confirm and develop the gifts He has for you. The Holy Spirit will present you with needs and opportunities. As you respond, you will find out where you are useful and how you are drawn to serve. Keep a dialogue going with God about what He is doing and how He wants you to serve.
3. Examine your motivations and feelings. When you enjoy doing something, you usually do a better job at it. The Holy Spirit will generally match spiritual gifts with your temperament, abilities, personality and experience so that you will say, “This is what I really enjoy doing; I’d rather be doing this than anything else.”The Scripture promises that if you “Delight yourself in the Lord…he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Ps 37:4)
4. Evaluate your effectiveness. What is God accomplishing through you? Where are you effective in helping people? Where are you getting positive feedback? If you have the gift of healing, people should be getting well. If you have the gift of teaching, people should be edified. When you operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, there will be good results.
5. Expect the confirmation of your gifts to come from the Body of Christ. Don’t rely on just your feelings, wishes or dreams. What God has given you will be confirmed in many ways, but especially by others in the faith.
B) Begin taking simple steps towards serving God:
• Each day this week, as you pray, ask God to bring you someone whom you can serve or give words of witness or encouragement. Determine to take action on the direction the Holy Spirit gives.
• In the next week, take some time to reflect on the acts of service you have engaged in during the past few weeks. Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I serving a genuine need or serving my own need to serve?
- In my service, am I seeking to gain control, merit or appreciation for myself with this person or with God?
Ask God to help you to be aware of your motives and actions at the same time He is empowering you to be free as you grow in service.
• Service flows naturally out of a love relationship with God. Spend time daily this week in worship to God. Let the Spirit draw you from worship into holy service and give you fresh motivation for ministry and mission. Remember the words of Tozer: “Fellowship with God leads naturally to obedience and good works.”
• Develop a plan to earnestly desire and seek spiritual gifts to exercise in service. Review the five simple steps outlined above and begin to explore and experiment with spiritual gifts. Take time for the Holy Spirit to match spiritual gifts with your temperament, abilities, personality, and experience so that you can say, ‘This is what I really enjoy doing; this is how I want to serve.”
• “Nurture a love to do good things in secret,” says Jeremy Taylor. This week let your acts of kindness go unnoticed. Pray for your coworkers. Find some hidden way to serve them. Let your faithful response to the Spirit’s leading unleash a contagious tidal wave of love and service.
C) Take time over the next week to go through the following list of spiritual gifts while attempting to decide on these three options for each gift.
o I’m pretty sure I have this gift.
o I may have this gift.
o I don’t think I have this one
List of Spiritual Gifts
I SERVING GIFTS
ADMINISTRATION (Organization) (1 Corinthians 14:40)
The supernatural ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry. The ability to coordinate many details in a purposeful and strategic manner, thus executing the plans of leadership.
DISCERNMENT (1 Corinthians 12:10)
The supernatural ability to distinguish right from wrong, truth from error, and to give an immediate evaluation based on God’s truth. The ability to discern whether the source of a person’s motives (or an experience) is from Satan, self, or God’s Spirit.
FAITH (1 Corinthians 12:9; 13:2)
The supernatural ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God’s promises, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.
GIVING (Romans 12:8)
The supernatural ability to generously and cheerfully contribute material resources and/or money so that the Body of Christ may grow and be strengthened. The supernatural ability to earn and manage money so it may be given to support the ministry of others.
HELPS (Service) 1 Corinthians 12:28
The supernatural ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition. The propensity to invest your own talents, time and energy in helping someone else accomplish the purposes of Christ, thus helping others increase the effectiveness of their own ministry and SHAPE.
HOSPITALITY (1 Peter 4:9-10)
The supernatural ability to make others feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable. The supernatural ability to coordinate social factors that promote fellowship
LEADERSHIP (Romans 12:8)
The supernatural ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction (“vision”) of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The supernatural ability to recognize the SHAPE” of others and involve them in effective accomplishment of ministry. The supernatural ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
MERCY (Romans 12:8)
The supernatural ability to detect physical, mental and emotional pain and empathize with those who are suffering, whether in or outside of the church family. The supernatural ability to provide compassionate and cheerful support to those experiencing distress, crisis, or pain.
II SPEAKING GIFTS
EXHORTATION (Encouragement) (Romans 12:8)
The supernatural ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The supernatural ability to bring out the best in others (by encouragement or rebuke) and challenge them to develop their potential.
KNOWLEDGE (1 Corinthians 12:8)
The supernatural ability to discover, collect, analyze, organize and communicate information that is vital to individual believers or the entire church family. The ability to comprehend a large amount of information and provide it when needed for effective decision-making.
PROPHECY (Preaching) (1Cor.14:3, 24 - 25)
The supernatural ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces unbelievers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
TEACHING (1 Corinthians 14:26)
The supernatural ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that brings understanding and enlightenment. The ability to equip and train other believers for ministry.
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WISDOM (1 Corinthians 2:6-16; 12:8)
The supernatural ability to understand how God’s Word relates to life’s experiences and to communicate God’s perspective on specific life situations in a simple and understandable way.
III SIGN GIFTS
HEALING (Acts 5:14-16)
The supernatural ability, at the prompting and through the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring about in specific instances physical, emotional or spiritual healing. In the biblical pattern, healings were attendant to ministry and were a validation of the person, their ministry and the truth proclaimed.
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INTERPRETATIONS OF TONGUES (1 Cor. 12:10, 30)
The supernatural ability to interpret or fully explain in the common language of those present what was spoken by another exercising their spiritual gift of tongues.
KINDS OF TONGUES (Acts 2:4-21; 10:46)
The supernatural ability to speak in a language unknown to the speaker that declares the mighty deeds of God, gives thanks to and blesses God, but which may be discernable to a person familiar with that language. (1 Cor. 12:10, 28,30; 14:14-17, 22)
MIRACLES (Acts 5:12-14; Acts 14:3)
The supernatural ability, at the prompting and in the power of the Holy Spirit, to effect acts, events or conditions outside the realm of natural causes and effects, yet which are readily discernible through the natural senses. According to the biblical patterns, miracles are attendant to ministry and are a validation of the person, their ministry and the truth proclaimed.
IV SUPPORT GIFTS (Gifted Ministers)
APOSTLE (Missionary) (Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 1:11)
One who has been called out and set apart by the Holy Spirit and through the church sent out to preach the gospel, proclaim the word of God, teaching, exhorting and strengthening the souls of those who respond to their message. It is a multi-gifted person whose ministry is to exercise the gifts given in establishing new churches. (Acts 13:2-5, 14:3, 21-23; Romans 15:20)
EVANGELIST (Ephesians 4:11; Acts 8:26-40)
A gifted person equipped for a special ministry primarily to unbelievers to communicate the Good News of Jesus in a positive, non-threatening way. (Note: Philip, who was one of “the seven” original deacons, is the only named evangelist (Acts 21:8) although Paul told Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist”. The only other use of the term is in Ephesians. It literally means “one who preaches the good news”, which was also an important task of apostles as they went out “to preach the gospel” and establish churches. It appears that as a specific term, it developed late in the recorded New Testament period.) (Acts 21:8; 2 Timothy 4:5)
PASTOR/TEACHER (Eph. 4:11; Acts 20:17-32)
(Note: The grammar in Ephesians indicates that these two terms focus on ministry aspects of one person.) This is that person in a local church who ministry is to “shepherd the flock,” or show great care and concern for the overall well being of the members, and “to teach”, or to clearly explain with relevant application the truths of Scripture. The overall goal of the pastor/teacher is to equip the saints for ministry. This requires multiple gifts, but different ones will have different combinations of gifts, so the effectiveness of their ministry in the several areas will not be the same.
PROPHET (1 Cor. 12:28, 14:3, 29-33; Acts 21:9; Eph. 4:11)
One whose ministry focus is to edify, exhort and console primarily believers from the word of God. (Note: Prophets are also to pass judgment on what has been preached by other prophets, yet each remains humble and submissive to the other prophets.)
V OTHER POSSIBLE GIFTS
CRAFTSMANSHIP/ CREATIVE COMMUNICATION (Exodus 31:3-5)
The supernatural ability to build, maintain, or beautify the place of workship for God’s glory. The ability to express worship through a variety of art forms.
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INTERCESSION (Colossians 1:9-12)
The supernatural ability to pray for the needs of others in the church family over extended periods of time on a regular basis. The ability to persist in prayer and not be discouraged until the answer arrives.
