For some of you this question may sound rather strange, but the truth is that it is very timely. Because there are many ministries that are like rockets or like fireworks in the night sky. They are launched up into the heavens, they are beautiful, but they blaze for a moment and then they go out. Serving God is not something easy, nor is it something simple. It is complex, and it is part of the battle we have with Satan. So what I want to share with you this morning is a kind of know-how, a few secrets about the principles we must keep if we want to „survive“ in ministry. Because we long not merely to survive, but to have longevity in ministry — to be fruitful not only at the beginning, but also at the end of our walk with God.
A SECURE, HEALTHY, AND CONSTANT PERSONAL CONTACT WITH GOD
The first condition for surviving in ministry is to maintain a constant personal contact with God.
King Saul failed as king because he lost his contact with God. In 1 Chronicles 13:3 it says that in his day the people had not sought the ark of the covenant, which was the symbol of God’s presence in Israel (1 Chronicles 13:1-4).
1 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. (1 Chronicles 13:1-4)
In our day, maintaining a constant personal contact with God happens through the Holy Spirit, through the reading of God’s Word, and through prayer. Reading and prayer are the pulse of the Christian. If he does not practice them, his spiritual pulse grows weak and he begins to die spiritually. Reading God’s Word is like food and water for the inner person of the Christian. And here we are speaking not only about reading what you will pass on to others, but about reading personally for yourself.
Prayer is like breathing for the Christian. Without prayer he grows cold and dies spiritually. If a person speaks in unknown tongues, then he should pray in unknown tongues every day. Either way, we must listen to God’s voice and have His leading personally in our lives, and that comes through much, constant prayer.
In Acts 20:28 the apostle Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders and tells them first of all to „keep watch over themselves.“ You see, „watching over yourself“ comes before ministry. Why? Because everything we do is teaching and witness — not only our sermons, but our lives. People do not listen to our words; they watch our lives, and so our actions, our conduct, and our relationships must always match our words. In 1 Timothy 4:16 the apostle Paul says the same thing to Timothy: „Watch your life…“ — keep an eye on yourself, observe yourself, correct yourself, change yourself. Take the mask off your face. Be honest with yourself, with God, and with others. Part of being mature in Christ is being able to set things right, and above all to set yourself right. If we stop correcting ourselves and refining ourselves, we stop growing. In 2 Corinthians 13:11 the apostle Paul says:
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11)
Spiritual pride is an obstacle to growth, because the greater you become in God’s kingdom, the harder it becomes to admit that you are wrong.
Have a personal time with God; read the Bible first of all for yourself, and then for others. Stand firm before God, and just as Enoch walked with God, so you also walk with Him; just as Abraham our spiritual father was a friend of God, so you also be His friend.
THE RIGHT POSITION
THE RIGHT POSITION IN THE BODY OF CHRIST
Just as every bone in the human body has its place, so every part in the body of Christ has its place. In Ezekiel 37:1-10 we read of Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones. After he prophesied according to God’s will, every bone came together with its bone, so that a countless army might arise.
1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’ ” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army. (Ezekiel 37:1-10)
You see, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the Spirit, so that He would enter them and they would come to life. But God did not pour out His Spirit until every last bone of that „vast army“ had gone to its place! Here we can see a spiritual principle: if we want the outpouring of God’s Spirit, then each one of us must discover the place God has for him in the body of Christ and take it.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’ ” (Ezekiel 37:11-14)
And no one should be resentful, since it is not a man but God who places each person in the place appointed for him. In 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 the apostle Paul says:
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)
When every part of the body of Christ is in its place and fulfills its function and its task, this produces the growth of the church. Until every single member of our church begins to do his part of God’s work, our church will not begin to grow. In Ephesians 4:15-16 the apostle Paul says:
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:15-16)
You see, the growth of the body is not produced by a few parts, but by „each part“ of the body of Christ! God has no big positions and small positions. Every single position is important, and without it the body cannot do. According to some theologians, before Lucifer fell he had a place in heaven and was anointed for a particular thing, but he tried to move himself into a position where God had not placed him, and this led to his downfall.
When someone is a baby, we expect nothing from him; but when he grows up, we expect him to take on responsibility — to take up a certain work in the church, a certain ministry, to discover that God has something more for him than to sit in his chair on Sunday morning.
But we must also have patience. For we cannot place into ministry people who have not yet become mature followers of Christ. If you are irritated by little things, if you take offense easily, if you sulk and pout, if you are forever discontented, then no matter how many years you have gone to church, you are still a spiritual baby.
Every place of ministry in the church represents a responsibility. One of the measures of maturity is a person’s ability to take on responsibility. Some positions carry more responsibility with them, and for that reason they also imply more authority. There are people who crave only the authority of a position, but they do not see the responsibility that is in it. In Matthew 20:20-28 we read:
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:20-21)
Notice that in this case the sons of Zebedee did not even have the courage to come with their request to Jesus themselves. Perhaps they sensed there was something wrong in it, but their mother urged them on, and she came to ask a position for them in God’s kingdom. Seeking a position without a sense of the responsibility that goes with it, and without the desire to serve, was a problem for Christ’s disciples then, and it continues to be a problem for Christ’s disciples today. Some time ago a servant of God said this to me: „Beware of people who seek a position — they will hurt you. But seek out people who seek responsibility — they will bless you!“
22 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. 23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” 24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:22-28)
Notice what Jesus said in these verses. First, it is not He who gives the positions, but the Father. And second, God’s kingdom does not work the way this world works. People in this world use their positions for control and for personal advantage, but we are to use our positions in order to serve others. Serving and giving are the reason for holding any position in God’s kingdom. God never raises someone up so that he may control or so that much may be given to him, but so that he may serve. The goal of any ministry is not that everyone should see you, but that you should be a blessing to others. And if you are faithful in the little, then God the Father will promote you and set you in a higher place — He will give you more authority, but also more responsibility, so that you can serve even more.
What are the dangers in ministry with respect to our place in the body of Christ? One danger is that we move on our own initiative into a position where God has not placed us. An example of this is King Saul. God had placed him in the position of king. But at one point he was tempted to offer his own burnt offering and so to put himself in the position of a priest — something God had not permitted him. The account of this is given to us in 1 Samuel 13:8-14.
8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
Another example of people who moved into the wrong position were Aaron and Miriam. In Numbers 12:1-15 we read:
1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. 2 “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this. 3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. 7 But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9 The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the tent, Miriam’s skin was leprous—it became as white as snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had a defiling skin disease, (Numbers 12:1-10)
You see, there are consequences for those who move away from the place where God has put them!
11 and he said to Moses, “Please, my lord, I ask you not to hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother’s womb with its flesh half eaten away.” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “Please, God, heal her!” 14 The Lord replied to Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.” 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back. (Numbers 12:11-15)
The one danger is to move on our own initiative into a position where God has not placed us. The other danger is to abandon or to abdicate the position where God has placed us. An example of this is King David. At a certain moment in his life, as king he was supposed to be at the head of Israel’s army, but instead he chose to appoint someone else to that duty while he himself stayed home. It cost him enormous trouble — both for himself and for his family. In 2 Samuel 11:1 we read:
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 11:1)
A position is not for self-importance, but for service. What matters is to be faithful in the little. There are consequences for people who move away from the place where God has put them.
THE RIGHT POSITION IN TIME
Given that we live not only in space but also in time, we must watch not only that we are in the right place, but also that we are there at the right time.
In Numbers 9:15-23 we read of how God led His people with the pillar of fire.
15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. 23 At the Lord’s command they encamped, and at the Lord’s command they set out. They obeyed the Lord’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses. (Numbers 9:15-23)
In the same way, we too must be led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:14)
MOVING WITHIN GOD’S BOUNDARIES
In the game of football, the players cannot score a goal if they are not on the field. Even if you score a goal, if you kicked the ball outside the boundaries of the field, it will not count. In the same way, ministry too has its boundaries. Outside of them it becomes invalid.
What are God’s boundaries for ministry?
- Light — 1 John 1:6-7
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
LIKE A DOCTOR SCRUBBING HIS HANDS
A doctor, a member of his church who was concerned for his health, once approached the distinguished pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, Dr. Maltbie Babcock. Giving Dr. Babcock a few tickets to the theater, he said, „Take these; you need the rest and the diversion that going to this show will bring you.“ His pastor looked at the tickets. But seeing that they were for the kind of show he could not attend with a clear conscience, he graciously answered, „Thank you, but I cannot take them; I cannot go to this theater.“ „But why not?“ asked the doctor. „Let me explain, doctor,“ said the pastor. „You are a physician, and in particular a surgeon. Before an operation, you scrub your hands meticulously until they are perfectly clean. You would not dare to operate with dirty hands. I am a servant of Christ. I work with precious human souls. And I would not dare to carry out my service with a dirty life.“
—The Expositor
- Love — John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
FIRST CORINTHIANS 13 (A PARAPHRASE)
If I know their language perfectly and speak like a native, but do not have His love for them, I am nothing. If I hold diplomas and academic degrees and know all the up-to-date methods, but do not have His attitude of understanding love, I am nothing. If I am able to refute the religions of people successfully and to demonstrate their foolishness, but do not have His winning tone, I am nothing. If I have all faith and great ideas and magnificent plans, but not His love that sweats and bleeds and weeps and prays and pleads, I am nothing. If I give them my clothes and my money, but do not have His love for them, I am nothing.
If I give up all my prospects, leave my home and my friends, and make the sacrifices that a missionary career demands, but turn out to be sour (embittered) and selfish amid the daily annoyances and offenses of the missionary life, and do not have the love that gives up its rights, its diversions, its cherished plans — I am nothing. The virtue has ceased to go out of me. If I can heal every kind of sickness and disease, but bruise hearts and wound feelings for lack of His love that is kind — I am nothing. If I can write articles or publish books that win applause, but fail to translate the Word of the Cross into the language of His love — I am nothing.
—South African Pioneer
Satan often tempts us to grow hard, to lock ourselves in our shell, and to become insensitive to others. Sometimes he even encourages us to take revenge. But in Romans 12:17-21 the apostle Paul says:
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)
- Truth — John 14:6
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
If we step outside the truth, we step off the Way.
- A clean conscience — Romans 14:21-23
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. 22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:21-23)
A PIRATE CONFESSES A HARDENED CONSCIENCE
The pirate Gibbs, whose name for many years was the equivalent of terror for the trade of the West Indies and South America, was at last taken captive, condemned, and executed in the city of New York. Before his death he confessed that when he committed his first murder and plundered his first ship, his pangs of remorse were heavy and unrelenting. His conscience was subjected to torments that became for him an inner hell. But after he had sailed for years under the black flag, his conscience withered and hardened to such a degree that he could rob a ship and kill everyone aboard it, and then lie down and sleep through the night as sweetly as a baby in its cradle. As his crimes increased, his pangs of remorse decreased.
—J. H. Bomberger
- Following the Holy Spirit — Galatians 5:18
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18)
- Abiding in Christ — John 15:4-6
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)
- Humility — Humility is important, because it increases God’s grace upon us (James 4:6).
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6)
GRACE IN RELATION TO MINISTRY
If we do the work of ministry in our own strength, we will burn out. But God does not expect us to serve Him in our own strength. In 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 the apostle Paul shares:
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:9-10)
Grace is God’s ability at work within us, so that we do things we could not do on our own.
God’s grace is a wonderful thing. And the good news is that it is not for the apostle Paul alone, but God has grace for every single Christian, for every one of His children. This is stated in Ephesians 4:7:
7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. (Ephesians 4:7)
Of course, the „measure“ of grace differs, but no one is left out. There is grace for every one of us.
So then, having grace, we must not boast in it, but use it in serving one another. In 1 Peter 4:10 the apostle Peter says:
10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)
The first thing we learn from this verse is that God’s grace is special. It comes in „various forms,“ like a many-colored carpet.
Second, we are its stewards — we are responsible for the grace that God has given us. And as „good“ stewards of it, we must prove faithful. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 the apostle Paul says:
1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)
Another important thing about God’s grace is that it is sufficient. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 the apostle Paul shows that God’s grace is enough for what God wants us to do. We need nothing more.
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
„My grace is sufficient for you!“ — this means that God’s grace is enough. If we have it, we need nothing else!
And finally, we must not forget that God’s throne itself is not a throne of judgment, but a „throne of grace.“ According to Hebrews 4:16, we may ask for grace for every particular situation — in our time of need.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)