The True Purpose of Ministry
By Pastor Jim May
Jesus was just beginning his earthly ministry. To recap what has been happening in the first chapter of Mark, He had walked along the seashore and called Simon Peter and Andrew, his brother, as they were casting their nets into the sea and they cast aside their nets and became Jesus’ first two disciples. A little further down the beach Jesus saw two more fishermen. They may have been arguing or at least making a commotion as they were repairing their nets. Perhaps they were arguing over whose fault it was that the nets were torn, or how to repair them. Regardless of what was going on, they caught the attention of Jesus and he called them to lay down the net and come with him and become fishers of men. The “Sons of Thunder” laid down their nets, left their father and servants behind, and became the disciples of Christ.
Jesus then went into the synagogue and began to teach the scriptures and there he came into contact with the powers of hell. But Jesus was no stranger to Satan’s domain. He was there when Satan was created and made into the most beautiful and talented angel in Heaven. And Jesus was there when pride entered into Satan’s heart and he rebelled against God. Jesus was there when the army of the Lord conquered Satan and Jesus was there when Lucifer was cast him out of Heaven down to the earth and condemned for eternal punishment.
Jesus was there when Satan’s plans to kill him were stopped at the time of his birth into this world in that little town of Bethlehem. Jesus encountered the powers of hell time and again, even when he was baptized in the River Jordan, and then led into the wilderness for 40 days, he was tempted every step of the way by the Devil and his unholy angels.
No man on earth had ever faced Satan in the fashion that Jesus did. Jesus knew the power that Satan had because he had given those powers to him in the first place. He knew every single one of the fallen angels by name because he had given them each a name at the time of their creation in ages past. Jesus is very God, eternally existent, Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end, from everlasting to everlasting. Satan and his demons are not eternal, but created beings, with eternal existence after their creation. But their power is limited by God. Our all-knowing God knew that those being which he created could never be trusted to be ever faithful and so he limited their power so they could remain controlled.
Jesus now faced the powers of hell right in the synagogue. Don’t ever think that Satan doesn’t go to church. In fact, the church is where he prefers to hang out the most. Chances are that Lucifer, or one or more of his demons, are right here in this service right now, just waiting and watching to see who they can influence enough to hinder the move of the Holy Ghost in our midst. There is no place on earth where the devil can do more damage to the Kingdom of God and to the spread of the gospel than right here in the midst of God’s own people. If he can just get one disgruntled or unfaithful Christian to side with him and allow the devil to control them even for a little while, it won’t be long before there’s big trouble in the church. That’s why Paul warns us in Ephesians 6:14-18 to always be clothed in the full armor of God, that you have on the helmet of salvation to guard your thinking; the breastplate of righteousness to guard your heart; having truth around you holding your armor together so that no false doctrine can turn you away; with your feet ready to teach, witness and obey the gospel and to keep peace no matter what happens. Keep your faith strong and the Word of God in your heart. Be in an attitude of prayer and worship, and watch for every trick of the devil, praying for one another all the time.
Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I’ve never been to a church where there wasn’t an argument sooner or later. Most of the time, thank the Lord, we can settle our differences and go on to serve the Lord and love one another through it all, coming out stronger on the other side. But sometimes, those who are operating under Satan’s control won’t give up so easily. The arguments escalate into all-out warfare. Hurt feelings abound, gossip and words are spoken that hurt deeply and are not soon forgotten, and unless there is repentance, a church split is soon to come.
Understand this – it is never in the will of God for any argument to enter into the church. Any argument, no matter how small it may be, always has its roots in the operation of Satan within the church, or with sin in the heart of the ones who cause the trouble. Arguments bring confusion and confusion is never of God. So anytime you hear of even the slightest complaint about the church, or your fellow Christian, or the preacher, or anything that is going on in the church, you can know that the source of that complaint began somewhere with sin at its source. Satan is at work somewhere in the mix.
That’s when we must also realize that our battle isn’t with our Brother or Sister in the Lord. Even those who are the source of troubles in the church are not aware most of the time that they are being used by the devil. Usually we think of it as only a difference in opinion, but it goes much deeper than that. Sin is always at the source in some fashion or another. Sin that results from pride, thinking that we are right and everyone else is wrong; sin that results from self-righteousness, believing that we have the only right revelation of God’s will and that we have some private interpretation of the scriptures, and that everyone must believe as we do and act as we do; and there is sin that results from greed, passion, selfishness, envy or any number of reasons. I’ve seen these in action in church fights many times.
When Jesus came into the synagogue and began to speak, the demon knew who Jesus was immediately. He also knew that he was already defeated. God had already thrown him out of Heaven and he knew that he was about to get kicked out of the synagogue too. But he wasn’t going to leave without trying to interrupt Jesus’ teaching. Perhaps if he had kept his mouth shut Jesus would have just taught his message and left him alone, but the devil had to speak up and so Jesus threw him out.
Of course no one had ever seen a man order a demon around like that and it shook their theology to the core. Preachers can say that demons aren’t real; that miracles are of the past; that healing doesn’t happen anymore – until a demon is cast out, a miracle happens and someone gets healed. Then they have to keep silent before God or be exposed for the liar that they really are.
I love that old saying that says, “A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.” No one can tell you that the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues isn’t real, if you’ve been filled and spoken in tongues yourself. No one can tell you that healing isn’t for today, if you’ve been healed by the power of God. No one can tell you that God isn’t real, if you can feel him living in your heart. The closer you get to God and the more you know about Jesus, the less you will doubt any of the things of God. If you don’t know if it’s really real, then I dare you to give God a chance to make it real to you. The problem is that we often don’t want to get that close to God because it will mean that we can’t deny it anymore and now we have to live by it or be judged for failing to live up to the truth.
After Jesus left the synagogue his fame began to spread. This was the first bright light that Israel had seen in many centuries of utter darkness. No prophet had been in Israel for over 400 years. During all that time the powers of God operating in the midst of Israel had been missing. Now, not only was there a prophet in the land, but God himself was in Israel and they knew that this man was different. He drew a crowd wherever he went because people were hungry and desperate. They were without hope and they saw in Jesus, for the first time, a new glimmer of hope.
Jesus then healed Peter’s mother-in-law of sickness.
Mark 1:32-34, "And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him."
Capernaum had not seen a revival in many years but excitement ran through the streets and crowds began to gather at the door of Peter’s mother-in-law’s home. Jesus healed the sick, cast out devils and commanded the powers of hell to be silent. They could not speak as they had done in the synagogue and were completely under Jesus’ control. They dared not speak lest they would be cast into the Lake of Fire before their time.
But this was only the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. What a kickoff! If you think that taking the football inside the end zone and running 110 yards for a touchdown on the return is exciting, think about this: Satan has the ball. Jesus walks up and kicks him in the teeth and takes it away from him and then starts walking to the goal line. It’s Jesus alone against every member of Satan’s team. Jesus just keeps walking while every demonic tackler just falls backward. Satan can’t even call a play against him. Jesus just keeps walking as though there was no one else on the field and he is headed for the goal line without opposition. Jesus simply keeps on scoring time and again and even when the devil does try to stop him nothing works. Now that’s a ball game and it’s one that I am on the winning team. This world can root for the devil and his team all it wants to but I already know who wins the game and they don’t stand a chance. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and nothing can stand against him.
Jesus left Capernaum, because as he said in Mark 1:38, "...Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth." Every town where Jesus went, a revival broke out. Demons were cast out, people were healed and it came to the point that he couldn’t even find time alone even in the desert country. The people were hungry for what he had. Suffering abounded, and there was no other hope for deliverance, and so they came to Jesus by the thousands seeking deliverance and healing, and he helped them all.
Jesus’ ministry was going great. But he didn’t come just to heal sick bodies or cast out demons. Those were secondary purposes for the Son of God coming to this earth in the form of a man. God could have cast out demons and healed the sick without sending his only begotten Son into this sinful world. Jesus had a higher purpose and a greater calling and that calling would soon become evident and spark hatred in the hearts of men as never before.
Mark 2:1-2, "And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them."
Once again Jesus returns to Peter’s mother-in-law’s home only to be quickly swamped with crowds of people who needed his help. They jammed the doorway, the windows were blocked, and the streets were filled. His popularity was on the rise and those needing help came from everywhere to see this new prophet in Israel.
Now something was about to happen that changed his image in the minds of men.
Mark 2:3-4, "And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay."
There’s nothing new about this. Multitudes of sick people were brought before him. The only thing special about this man was that they tore the roof off to get him in front of Jesus. He must have been well-liked in spite of his palsy. He must have had a good attitude because the people wanted to see him healed bad enough to tear the house up to get him in. Something about this picture gives us a hint that this man’s heart and spirit were hurting more than his body and that he was seeking for something even greater than healing for his sickness. He was bedridden, but he also knew that he was sin-ridden as well. As I look at what’s happening, I wonder if he wasn’t more sin sick than physically sick. Look at what happens and I think you will see the same thing. I believe this palsied man was more sorrowful because of the sin in his life than he was for the sickness in his body.
Mark 2:5, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
What’s this? Jesus didn’t immediately heal the palsied man. He forgave his sins, all because of their faith. Could it be that this was the first man, or the first few men, in Israel who recognized that Jesus was more than a prophet? Could it be that they had already received a revelation that Jesus was more than a man? The Bible doesn’t spell it out, but it doesn’t say that they had faith – the kind of faith that results in salvation and the forgiveness of sins, not just in healing for the body, but healing for the soul.
At this moment in Jesus’ ministry, his image before the people was completely and irrevocably changed. Until now he was a prophet, a healer, a teacher or a preacher, nothing more than a great Rabbi, not unlike Moses, Elijah or some of the prophets of old who performed mighty miracles for the Lord. Now Jesus was something greater for he had forgiven the sins of the palsied man.
Until now the religious leaders had only watched and wondered but now they were angered. Do you see the picture of what’s happening here? Do you see what’s also happening in the church world today?
Satan doesn’t get angry, and the religious leaders don’t get upset as long as you are helping people, supply their physical needs and doing good things. Every body will speak well of you as long as your church is involved in doing good works for people. They will applaud you and recognize you for being a great philanthropist and for giving back to the community. Your name will be spread everywhere and people will flock to you to get what you have to give to them.
But the moment you begin to talk about sin, the picture changes drastically. Though the people will still come to get what you have to give away, the praises will cease and the troubles will begin. When you start preaching the gospel of salvation for sin and not just the blessings for this life, then you make the devil mad and you start upsetting the worldly religious leaders.
Churches that do good works can quickly gain national recognition and the leaders of the church will be given “attaboys” from the community. But let them start preaching repentance for sin and giving a pure gospel message, and the “attaboys” stop, people start backing off, and the praises of the community cease immediately. Satan doesn’t want the church messing with his territory. He doesn’t care if people are blessed, helped or healed by the church, but he hates it when he starts losing souls to the Kingdom of God because of the gospel message coming from the pulpit.
Jesus spoke these words in Luke 6:26, "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." That’s a warning that when we gain the praise of men and of the world, then we are getting very close to being a false prophet.
Mark 2:6-7, "But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?"
Men can be accredited with healing the sick. Men can be given the credit for opening blinded eyes, or giving hearing to those who are deaf, or driving away evil spirits. But no man has the power to forgive sins. Suddenly, Jesus went from being a man, doing what any man could do, to becoming God and doing what only God can do by forgiving sins.
Now the doubts began to come in. Who is this man; and who does he think he is? Now he is overstepping his bounds and disobeying the law. He claims to be like God, or to even “be God”. We can’t let that happen!
Mark 2:8-12, "And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion."
Jesus answered their doubts very quickly. It is no harder for God to forgive sins than to heal the body. He had forgiven the sins of the palsied man, now he healed the palsy. Jesus was making the point that he was God, and held the power of God to forgive sins.
This was more than the scribes could accept. No man could do these things and get away with it. No man could forgive sins, only God, and they would never accept Jesus as God in the form of a man.
And that’s the way this world still thinks today. The world will quickly accept anyone who goes about doing good things, but when the church starts proclaiming that Jesus is Lord and that the world needs a Savior, that’s when rejection starts. When Jesus says that he has the power to forgive sins, then the world is forced to confess that he is God, that he is Lord, and that they need a Savior. Man loses the power to be his own God and must confess that he needs Jesus, and that’s what they refuse to accept.
What about in your own life today? It’s easy to believe in Jesus for the things that he can and does provide for the flesh. Many people follow Jesus to get the loaves and the fishes; to receive the blessings of the Lord that he is willing to give. But have you given your heart and life to Jesus? Are you willing to also accept the fact that you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Are you willing to give yourself to Jesus in return for forgiveness of sin?
The primary purpose of the ministry of the church is to see souls saved by the gospel, through the blood of Jesus Christ. All else is good works and commendable, but we must not fail in our primary mission. To heal the body, and meet the needs of the flesh are good, but what good are they in the end if the soul is lost for eternity?
It’s the same in your life. What good are the blessings if they will only stand against you in the Day of Judgment? Jesus wants to provide for your needs in life, but he came for one True Purpose. Jesus’ True Purpose in Ministry is to see your soul saved! Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior today?
