Monday’s Ministry Encouragement: Written to encourage you, my friend in ministry, to be refreshed and renewed as we live for Christ and look toward the Bema.
“I’m a visionary. I make a plan, execute the plan, and then ask God to bless it!”
Pastor friend, is that you? If we are all honest, we have said something along those lines in our ministry lifetime.
As revealed last week, my wife and I are launching out into a new field of ministry (Post #1, Post #2, and Post #3). This is a step of faith., and one we believe is totally of the Lord’s initiative.
I am greatly intrigued by a truth from the life of Christ that I cannot clearly grasp, but it speaks volumes to me. In John 5:19, we read, Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. And He goes on to say are recorded in John 5:30, I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Here is Jesus, very God, saying that He cannot do anything of Himself, only what He sees the Father doing, and He does nothing of His own initiative.
Pastor, we put so much pressure upon ourselves that is not pleasing to God. Our expectations, the expectations that we think the congregation has for us, the accomplishment of our goals, the false fulfillment of achieving our goals, all lead to a potentially frustrating, discouraging ministry. This path could even lead to a degree of fallout in the ministry.
Men, look at Christ, the Head of the Church, the Head of the local church you pastor. He did nothing of His own initiative, only what He saw the Father doing. Therefore, each of us as pastors must spend time in the prayer closet with our eye upon Him through His Word hearing from the Head of the Church, and then following what He initiates.
With all due respect, everything does not rise and fall on leadership. Everything rises and falls on God. Therefore, keep your eye on Him. What He initiates, He provides for, He is responsible for the results, and He gets all the glory! What you initiate, you have to provide for, keep it propped up, and you get the glory! You may get some results, but your reward is here, not at the Bema. It’s the difference of Christ pastoring His flock through you or you pastoring your flock through you. . . and then asking God to bless it!
There is nothing wrong with planning, setting goals, and executing the plan . . . as long as it was of Christ’s doing, His initiative, gleaned by abiding in the Vine (John 15:1-16)!
What has Christ initiated in the ministry where you serve?
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