#8 5-13-07
Pure Motives for Ministry
Introduction,
Today is Mother’s Day. Mothers demonstrate great amount of love. No one loves like a mother. The kind of love a mother has for her children is the kind of love we need in ministry (1Thess 2:7 ,8)
Text, Philippians 1:15-18
I. The Wrong Motives for Ministry (1:17)
A. Selfish motives (in pretense)
1. To gain recognition from a position of ministry, ministry status and success.
2. To gain finances. To be greedy by taking as much as you can to serve selfish needs and wants..
3. To gain affection from people.
B. Envy (1:15)
1. Envy defined: is the desire to deprive others of what is rightfully theirs.
2. Jealousy: is wishing to have what someone else possesses.
C. Strife (1:15)
1. Strife through competition.
2. Strife to the level of hostility
II. God will test you motives
A. God can withhold the fame
1. You can serve in obscurity for years without any recognition.
2. Others will get credit for what you have done.
B. God can withhold the finances
1. Offerings can be very low where it will remove part or all your salary.
2. You can lose your job.
C. God can remove friendships
1. Instead of gaining affection from people they turn against you.
2. Some of your closest friends abandon you.
III. Pure Motives for Ministry
A. “In truth”
1. Truthfulness in all that you do in ministry.
2. To have integrity of motives, you are not doing it to serve self.
B. Out of love for God
1. The greatest motive for ministry is to please God with obedient service
2. We are bond-servant for Christ. We give our live in willing service.
C. Out of love for others
1. Paul was driven to minister because of the “affection of Christ” (1:8)
2. God’s love is not emotional but having and showing good will towards others. (1:15c)
Are you motivated to serve God?
How intense in your desire to serve God?
What motivates you to serve God?
Are your motives focused on self?
Are you driven by God’s love to serve others?
