The Blessing and Challenge of Ministry

Ministry is rooted in the command God to Adam in Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over...” (creation). KJV 1:28

This command is at the same time a Blessing. God has given his human child the responsibility to care for and tend the garden. It is clear from the earliest pages of the Bible that God intended that we have a purpose and a focus in our lives as His children.

That same purpose and focus finds expression in the Great Commission given to disciples in the last moments of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Matthew 28:18-20

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (NLT)

Both commissions require work and are very specific about what must be done. This is the nature of ministry. It requires a four letter word, “Work”. The call and the challenge to ministry are issued by God to his people. Many people believe that a calling is a dramatic experience had by someone who has been selected for a specific and spectacular task. In fact, we have accepted the call to discipled living as men and women following the Way of Christ through the act of obedience in baptism.

2 Corinthians 4:1ff shows us very clearly whose we are and to whom ministry belongs.

“And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up. We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that.  If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they are perishing. Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. We don’t go around preaching about ourselves, we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants because of what Jesus has done for us. For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness’, has made us understand that this light is the brightness of the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. But this precious treasure, this light and power that now shine within us is held in perishable containers, that is in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.”

The Demand of Ministry:

The demand of ministry is real and when the demand is not met with an adequate supply, there is a deficit in the lives of people who would have otherwise benefited from ministry.

God tells us through Paul in Ephesians 4:11-12

“He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to EQUIP God’s people to do his work and build up the body of Christ.”

The responsibility of those who are given to the church is to prepare and outfit God’s people to do his ministry. Therefore, it is clear that the demand of ministry is not solely in ordained ministry, but also in the lives of the “lay” ministry. God goes on and says later in the chapter, that under the direction of Christ,

“...The whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. 4:16 (NLT)

The great truth of ministry is that no part is greater than the whole. Meaning that both lay ministry and ordained ministry are equally critical to what God describes as:
“...healthy and growing and full of love.”

The demand is upon every disciple to engage in ministry. We are all called to service in God’s kingdom. Because we have been called, we have been also equipped with the gifts necessary to accomplish the work that God desires of us.

As a church working to do more than exist in the 21st Century, we must look forward with eyes of faith and expectation that there is a great work prepared for us to do. There is a work that has been made ready for us. Jesus said it in Matthew 9:37& 38

“He said to his disciples, “The Harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” (NLT)

Yet the words that precede this passage of scripture in the pericope Matthew 9:35-38 tell the true challenge of people in need of ministry. Verse 36 tells us, “He (Jesus) felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd."

Next: The Demand of Ministry