This thing called "Ministry" (Part 6)

For a few posts we have been focusing on what this thing called "ministry" is about. Now, notice I did not say "all about" for that is what the professional writers spend hours amassing great quantities of research and data to produce books do. I on the other hand have been tracking through 1 Corinthians to see how Paul handled ministry to a difficult group of early believers in the pagan city of Corinth. To catch up check out this link.

(Acts 20:24) "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."

Paul had his ministry in mind when he addressed these Corinthian believers. His was a ministry commissioned by Christ and contained solely in the Gospel. This gospel now comes to bear in 1 Corinthians 9.

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:19-27)

What is this thing called ministry? To Paul it was Submission and Subjection. Submission to a greater cause than his own, and subjection to greater people than himself.

Submission to a greater cause

The Cause is the Gospel. The cause is the salvation of human souls. The Cause is one that transcends pettiness and programs. The cause is the message of life vs. death and the only way to know life is through Jesus Christ. Paul knew that message. Paul was very ready to propagate this all important proclamation of God's eternal love.

"For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Would that I felt that way about the Gospel. Oh, I claim to, I strive to, I want to. But to minister with such passion that I am submitted to nothing more than the Gospel message and that all else takes a back seat to the task of letting everyone around me know that Jesus died for their sins and offers them release and hope for eternity's opportunity. To be a true minister I need to subject myself to the overwhelming emotion and burden of the Gospel message. Not programs, not TV shows, not all the other things that want to trap me and bind me and pull me away from reaching people. Let it be that we are bound to the call of God to share this love story in every facet of life we find ourselves in. Be in Submission to the Gospel message.

Subjection to Greater People

In verses 19-23 (see above), Paul states that there are people at stake here - Jews, those under the Law, those who are without law, weak, all men. Paul grants us his desire to reach those who are without the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Paul does everything for the Gospel's sake (v. 23).

He becomes all things to all people. He becomes a Jew to win the Jews, as one without the law to win those who are without the law, weak to win the weak, and whatever it takes to whoever he is near; he does it to convince them, to show them their need of the Savior.

Now, we have Paul's own disclaimers here in these verses. He still is under the law of Christ and God and he acknowledges that his message is never based upon observance of the Mosaic Law or its commandments (v. 20, 21). The message still remains pure and the messenger remains true to the commands of Scripture, but he as the messenger goes to them and reaches them where they are. He finds a way to empathize and even to sympathize. He does not make them conform to something they are not before he shows them how to be accepted and transformed by God.

The societal standards are not the standards Paul used to draw people to Christ. He did not make people good Christians before showing them Christ and letting Christ remedy the areas of need. Paul did not preach reformation programs but instead transformation.

Ministry is transformation of lives, not conformation of traditions and regulations and even expectations. Who will we reach? What groups will we approach? Who makes our list of hopefuls? To Paul, if you lived and breathed, you were fair game. That is ministry. Souls, not classes.

Let's be partakers in the Gospel. Let's aim for what we know to be imperishable. We need to discipline our lives to focus on the eternal and keep our eyes on that goal. Let's not disqualify ourselves by giving attention to temporal or even sinful satisfaction. Let's give our bodies as the sacrifice God can use to reach even into gutter to demonstrate the utter love of God through Jesus Christ.

Now that is Ministry!