AUTHORITY/ACCOUNTABILITY/RESPONSIBILITY
There are many Christians that want to be in some ministry. They want to authority to be in charge. They want to lead... BUT....
Let’s look at some Scriptures :
Paul said to his student Timothy :
"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." (II Tim 2:3)
"...for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal;..." (II Tim 2:9)
"If we endure, we will also reign with Him;..." (II Tim 2:12)
In the Gospel of Mark, we read :
"As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ And Jesus said to Him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, "DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, DO NOT DEFRAUD, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER’ And he said to Him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.’ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me’ But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property." Mark 10:17-23
And further in this Chapter, we read Jesus’ words :
"Jesus said, ‘Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake’" Mark 10:29
Then in 1 Tim 1:6, the Apostle Paul said :
"You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit."
Reading all these passages, do you still want to be in ministry or do you still want the authority of being in charge of a ministry ? Do you really ?
If you want to be in ministry, if you want to be in charge of a ministry, if you want to have the authority, I suggest you read, or better study both instructional letters from the Apostle Paul to his student Timothy. You’ll find out that with being in charge of a ministry, it also carries something else we need to consider. Being in charge also means to be accountable for that ministry and for those you are or will be ministering to. And besides accountability, you will need to be faithful in what you are called to do.
ACCOUNTABILITY – RESPONSIBILITY – FAITHFULNESS
ACCOUNTABILITY
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Accountable for what ?
Accountable for our reputation
In Ministry you need to take a stand for righteousness.
Particularly when you are in ministry, your life need to line up with your
mouths and what comes out of your mouth needs to line up with your
life.
In Ministry, we need to be accountable for own ethics.
Accountable for our morality
Be very careful to clean up your life.
You need to take the "world" our of your life.
You need to be aware of immorality with your eyes, your thoughts (unseen immorality). Be aware of immorality behind closed doors in our families. (Would you like your pastor to be a fly on your living room or bedroom wall sometimes ?)
Accountable for our temperament
you need to be slow to anger
you need to speak the "right" words
Accountable for our habits
you need to be aware for "habitual" sins against your body, against others and against God
"I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, that you have not obeyed My voice." Jer 22:21
"Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands." Micah 2:1
What is a lie – What is the truth ?
Accountable for our own maturity
you need to grow up
Now, Paul speaks well of his student Timothy. What made Timothy so successful ?
The answer was "Faithfulness to God by being faithful to God’s servant".
When my pastor asks me something, I do it!!! (of course, if it is not contradictory to the Word of God)
Faithfulness is the cornerstone of our success – NOT our talents or abilities.
II Tim 2:2
"The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
Faithful means – who also shall teach this doctrine.
Luke 12:42-43
"And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time ? Blessed is that slave whom his master find so doing when he comes."
Stewardship of "life".
Faithful means – who also shall rule over his household.
I Tim 1:12
"so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Placed in ministry by Jesus.
Faithful means – who also be placed into the ministry.
Matt 25:21
"His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."
Ruler over many things and be happy about it.
Faithful means – who also shall be ruler over many things.
If this principle of being faithful to God – through being faithful to God’s servants, if this principle works, then God will
- give the ability
- make the faithful servant able notwithstanding an apparent lack of ability or talent
- mature the faithful servant
THREE THINGS ARE ESSENTIAL IN BECOMING FAITFUL
===============================================
How much are we in touch with Jesus ?
How faithful are we really ?
When Jesus was tempted, after rejecting the devil, reminding the weasel of the Word of God, he returned in the power of the Spirit, which enabled him in ministry (He got the ability).
Still want to be in ministry ? Still want to be in charge of a ministry ? Want to have the authority ?
Then be accountable, responsible and faithful.
Pastor John Fryters
(delivered in Under The Juniper Tree Chapel on March 29th, 2009)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
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