Redfining Our Christian Terms Part 5: Ministry - continued
Nov 27th, 2008 by Steve Highlander
In the last article (part 4 of ther series) we looked at the current concepts of “ministry.” The popular idea is that of position, power, authority and at least a little bit of being catered to. These are foreign notions to to New testament ministers and writers.
As we saw earlier, the word Ministry was the Greek word from which we get deacon. It literally means “to run errands.” So “ministers are “errand boys.” Not exactly the ego stroking concept we often run into today.
Jesus is our pattern in all things. Ministry is no different. He said, “I came to serve not be served.” Too many people today see “ministry” as a celebrity status. While the present mindset emphasizes position, the New Testament emphasized attitude. What is the attitude of the real “minister?”
If ministry means “running errands”, then the attitude of ministry is service. I said in the last article that God wants servants who lead, not leaders who serve. My wife argues with me that there is not a difference. I strongly stick to my guns. The attitude is everything. The “leader” mentality starts on top and has to humble itself to serve. However the servant mentality starts from a place of servanthood, not authority.
The New Testament “minister” sees his or her “ministry” as a service in two directions. The first is serving God. The second is serving people. In regards to serving God, the body of Christ is just that, God physical extension on earth. Our job is to allow God to use us to get His will done, Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “thy kingdom come, they will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven.” There is no way to seriously pray that prayer without making ourselves available for the demonstration of His kingdom and the accomplishment of His will. To pray it and to expect it to happen apart from human participation in general or even personal participation in particular, is to miss the point altogether. Each of us, not just the professional clergy is to be a minister FOR God.
The other aspect being a minister is to minister TO God. To attend Him. The Old testament tells us that the priests went daily into the Holy Place accomplishing the “service of God.” This Holy Place ministry didn’t have much to do with serving people, because only priests were allowed in this section of the temple. It was about communion with and ministry to God. Three items were in the holy Place: the golden altar of incense representing prayer and worship, the golden candlestick representing the illumination of God’s word and the Golden table of shew bread, representing communion and spiritual nourishment from God.
It was in the Holy Place that the priest related to God personally. To be an effective minister each of us needs our daily time in the Holy Place o f prayer, worship, Bible study and communion with the Spirit of God.
The outward aspect of ministry related to serving people.Rev Dave Hamer, from American Patriots in Prayer was a former pastor of mine. He said something I will never forget. “If you are going to be used by God, you are going to be used by people.” I have found this to be a true statement.
We’ve been discussing the attitude of the minister. To often today we find the attitude that the ministry is to be served and cateredto. Jesus modeled a pattern of selfless ministry. People used Him all the time. My personal opinion is that many of the people who flocked to Him in the crowds were among those who were shouting “crucify Him, crucify Him,” on the day of the crucifixion.
Genuine ministry is not about YOU, it is about the one you are ministering for (God) and the ones you are ministering to (people). When minister becomes about the minister many difficulties arise. This is what produces, arrogance, pride, control, burnout and much damage in the Church.
Every young ministry has to pass through the idea that ministry is about them. The quicker the better. We are often excited about ministry because of the things we get out of it: recognition, feelings of usefulness, leading, being in front of people and many other flesh-based motives. While God works around these things initially, the minster that will not allow God to purge the mixed motives will either burn out or damage the church.
The truth is ministry is not all that much fun to the flesh, there is a cost involved in real ministry.
The minister was a servant - not a king. His leadership role is by example and his authority comes from respect. The attitude was one of sacrifice for the sake of the Master and those He died to save. Jesus told His disciples, if you want to be a leader, be a servant.
