40 Motivations for Outreach Ministries (Heb. 12:1-4)
By fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ we are enabled, empowered and enlightened to be energized for the outreach ministries that please the Lord and bear fruit in every good work while we increase in the knowledge of God.
1. Commission - The Lord gave us the great commission seven times in the New Testament each describing a specific facet of our responsibilities to reach the lost. (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; Luke 24:44-48; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Romans 15:20,21; Acts 26:18,19)
Paul summarizes the essential message when he writes, "I make it my ambition to evangelize where Christ has not been named."
2. Christ's Purpose - John wrote of Christ's purpose for coming to earth, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) To follow Christ involves proclaiming His main purpose in seeking and saving those who are lost. (Luke 19:10)
3. Character of God - The Father seeks those who would worship Him. (John 4:22-24) In Luke 15:1-7 we see the heart of God who seeks out the one lost sheep and leaves the 99 as there is more joy in heaven over one who is lost. "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
4. Calvary - Kurt Kaiser wrote, " Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
Jesus to Calv'ry did go,
His love for mankind to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair.
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh how He loves you and me.
Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
5. Completer - Paul wrote, "He who began a good work in you is able to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6) He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He wants to see that the gospel is preached to the whole world so that everyone has a chance to clearly understand the gospel in their own language. There remain approximately 3000 unreached people groups or about 2.7 billion people in this category.
6. Church - Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18-20) We believe that the Lord is enabling those who will plant and grow His church throughout the world in greater quantity and quality.
We see the model for this in the fifteen qualities of the early church described in Acts 2:41-47
7. Contact the Lost - Jesus said, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save those who are lost." We need to be in contact with the lost and engage them with the power of the gospel of love, grace and forgiveness.
8. Concern - Paul wrote, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God for salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. For the righteous person will live by faith." (Romans 1:16,17) There is power in the gospel to save the lost from sin, death, hell and the power of satan and sin. Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you. By this will all men know that you are my disciples because you have love for one another. (John 13:34,35)
9. Conviction - "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment." (John 16:8) Let the Holy Spirit of God use you to bring conviction to the heart and mind of people about where they will spend eternity.
10. Collaboration - Paul wrote, "Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." (Phil. 2:2,3) When the church is united around outreach ministries they find harmony, like mindedness and cooperation unlike any other ministry.
11. Conquering - Paul wrote, "If God is for us who can be against us. He who spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all. will He not freely give us all things." (Romans 8:31,32) In outreach ministries we find the greatest demonstration of God's mighty enabling to conquer our fears, foes and problems. We tend to forget about our problems and watch God do amazing things far beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works mightily within us. (Eph. 3:20)
12. Capabilities - Paul wrote, "I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power." Phil. 4:13) When we are engaged in outreach ministries the Lord supernaturally supplies us with everything that we need and more. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. (2 Cor. 9:8)
13. Continual Infusing of the Fruits of the Spirit - Paul wrote,"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control." The more we give out the more our cup is replenished by the Spirit of God. Jesus said, "Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, overflowing, it will be poured into your laps." (Luke 6:38)
14. Creator - God created us to give freely as it has been given to us. Jesus said, "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." (Matt. 10:8)
15. Competency - The Lord gives you the competency for every outreach ministry He calls you to do. Paul wrote, "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Cor. 3:5,6) Do not worry about the adequacy of your abilities as the Lord is able to make you sufficient for every aspect of His will, way and workings.
16. Contends - The Lord will fight the battles for you as you endeavor to do His will. "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) The battle is the Lord and He will give you victory over the enemies.
17. Circumstantial Mastery - No matter the circumstance God is greater as He demonstrated one day on the sea of Galilee. He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." (Mark 4:39) Do not allow circumstances to daunt your progress in outreach ministries.
18. Capacities - When the Spirit of God fills you there are seven key manifestation that are evident in your life and ministry written about 600 year before Christ by Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord. (Isa. 11:2) The Holy Spirit gives us supernatural capacities to give witness of the gospel across cultures in relevant, appropriate and need meeting ways. When I helped to start churches and teach in a seminary in Nigeria for nearly twenty years the Lord enabled me through these seven capacities to communicate through a maze of adjustments (cultural, language, traditions, personalities, educational levels, historical perspectives, emotional states, ranks in society, financial challenges, worldviews etc)
19. Controller - Christ is the controller of all things and He wants all people to repent and to come to the knowledge of the truth. "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. (Col. 1:16,17)
20. Conscience - We want to prick the conscience of all people with the gospel of Christ. Paul wrote, "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." (Romans 2:14-16)
21. Condemnation - Paul wrote, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) All of those without Christ live under the wrath and condemnation of God. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36) Let us ask God for a greater burden to reach the lost, hurting and unreached people of the world before it is too late.
22. Cultivation - Serving people develops us by helping us grow in all aspects into Christ as we speak the truth in love. Eph. 4:15. If we do not minister to others we will never build up our spiritual capacities.
23. Cleansing - There is motivation for asking God to forgive and cleanse us from all sin in order to be pure and holy in our ministry to others. (I John 1:9)
24. Contribution - The Lord helps us make an eternal contribution to the cause of Christ for eternity through our outreach ministries. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth but treasures in heaven." (Matt 5-7)
25. Clear conscience - The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (I Tim. 1:5) When we fail to serve the Lord with gladness we feel guilty and ashamed of not living up to the will of God for our life.
26. Civil governmental punishments - When we do not obey the law of God or the law of the land there will be civil govt. punishments that will result. (Romans 13)
27. Contending - God will fight against those who oppose His will either by the sins of commission or by the sins of omission. (James 4:17) If anyone knows the right thing to do it and fails to do it for him it is sin. The wages of sin is death... The mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. (Rom. 8:6-8)
28. Complain not - Phil. 2:13,14 tells us to do all things without complaining or grumbling that we will be children of God without reproach in a crooked and perverse generation among whom we shine as lights in the world.
29. Consequences - Gal. 6:6-8 tells us that whatever a person sows that will they also reap. If one sows to their own flesh they will reap corruption. But if they sow to the Spirit they will reap eternal rewards.
30. Celebration - John 16:33 - Jesus said, "IN the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." We can expect opposition but also celebration for the joy of the Lord is our strength, health and victory.
31. Christlikeness - Matt 4:19 says, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." By following Jesus fully He will make us fruitful and also more like the Master. There is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
32. Chart and compass - Prov. 3:5-7 teaches us that as we acknowledge the Lord as the boss of our life and ministry and trust in Him with all our heart He will direct our paths. In His presence is fullness of joy and in His right hand are pleasures for ever more. (Psa. 16:9-11)
33. Counsel - Isa. 11:1-4 assures that in our ministries He will give us wisdom, understanding, counsel, power, knowledge and the fear of the Lord by the Holy Spirit's enabling. We will never lack anything when we are seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. He promises to counsel us and teach us in the way to go and guide us with His eye upon us.
34. Confession - We have to be willing to admit our weaknesses, sins and inabilities in order to experience His cleansing and deliverance. When we agree with God He is able to show us that His grace is sufficient in our weaknesses. The weaker and more pure we are the better He is able to use us as His instruments.
35. Correction - 2 Tim. 3:16,17 says that the word of God is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness that the person of God could be equipped, thoroughly furnished for all good works. We need to accept correction in order to realize that the Lord chastens those who He loves. (Heb. 12:10)
36. Cross- Jesus said, "Take up your cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23,24) By engaging in ministry we realize that the cross is not greater than His grace. The clouds cannot hide His blessed face. With Jesus here below we can conquer every foe."
37. Cheer - We can be of good cheer in the midst of our tribulation knowing that it works character, hope, and the love of God will be poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who is given to us. (Rom. 5:1-5)
38. Character of godliness - The more we engage in Christ's ministries the more we become like Him.
39. Contending against enemies - Psalm 34 says, "I cried to the Lord with my voice and He delivered me from all of my enemies." Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. "They overcame him because of the blood of the lamb, the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives even to death." (Rev. 5:14-17)
40. Compassion - Matt. 9:36-38 says, "Looking out on the multitudes He felt compassion on them because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd and He said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He might send workers into His harvest fields." The more we engage in ministry the more compassion we develop for the lost, dying and hurting of this world.
