Series: The Cure [#26]
HOW TO HAVE A VICTORIOUS MINISTRY
Romans 15:14-33
Introduction:
This has been an exhausting couple of days. The Supreme Court has decided that they are “god” and have re-defined marriage. On a day that should have been pure joy- The enemy tried to steal that joy from us. On Friday, our youth went to the Monahans Sandhills State Park and online that received over 3,000 views. On Friday, The Supreme Court of the United States voted 5 to 4 in favor of legalizing same sex marriage in all 50 States.
As I spent time on Facebook looking at all of the comments concerning Tharon, I couldn’t help but notice the rainbow background on so many people’s Facebook profile picture. For the most part, these were all people who were in favor of the decision. What really bothered me the most was the amount of Christians that I know who were pleased with the ruling; and then to make it worse berated other Christians who disagreed with that ruling. Christians, such as myself, were called hateful and judgmental. They wrote things like the Bible says not to judge, and the Bible says we are to love, and even that David and Jonathan, Naomi and Ruth, and Jesus and John were gay. Wow. Have people completely lost their minds?
So Christians, what do we do? Do we give up? Do we give in? Do we run in fear? No, we keep ministering. Don’t act like this is the first time in history when a Nation full of people disagreed with Christians. Our text is perfect for today. It is interesting to me that although we are out of the doctrinal portions of Romans and are in the P.S. from Paul to the Romans; that it still fits perfectly.
Paul is talking about his ministry and he gives us the 2 main aspects of that ministry. Verses 14-22 talk about his ministry to the unbelievers and verses 23-33 talk about his ministry to the believers. Before you begin to eliminate yourself from this sermon, understand that if you are a Christian, then you are a minister. You don’t have to be a pastor to be a minister.
Romans 15:14 (NIV)
“I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”
I was going to title this sermon, “Surviving In The Ministry”; but it hit me, “That’s the problem: Jesus didn’t give His life for me to just survive; He gave His life for me to have victory”. So this sermon is titled, “How To Have A Victorious Ministry”.
Romans 15:15 (NIV)
“I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
1. Realizing your ministry is built on grace.
I did not choose God. God chose me.
John 15:16 (NIV)
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”
You aren’t ministering because you are so awesome, you are ministering because of God’s grace. God chose you; God has a plan for you; and God gave you the ministry that you are in because He made you for it.
Romans 15:16 (NIV)
“To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
2. Building your ministry on the Word of God.
Everything you do and don’t do should be based upon the Word of God. That is why I refuse to perform any same-sex marriage ceremony. Not because I’m hateful. Not because I’m homophobic. Not because I’m judging them. It’s because God’s Word says that marriage is between one man and one woman.
Romans 15:17-18 (NIV)
“Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
3. Doing it for the glory of God.
Your ministry is not about you, or your pride, or your reputation. Your ministry is about giving glory to God. On the Church’s Facebook page, I shared the CNN.com article about Tharon and I left a comment that said, “Bel Aire is excited to see Tharon not just swimming well; but touching others as he gives God the credit for his success.” Swimming is one of Tharon’s ministries and Tharon needs to give God all of the glory.
Romans 15:19 (NIV)
“By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
4. Remembering that your ministry is powered by God.
Evidence of a ministry that is powered by God is a ministry where lives are changed. You don’t change lives- God does.
Romans 15:20-24 (NIV)
“It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
5. Remembering that your ministry is planned according to God’s purpose.
Paul’s plans were not always God’s plans. Do you see any letters to the Spaniards in the Bible? No; but he planned on going to Spain. Did he make it to Spain? It depends on which scholar you ask. Some say that he did while others say that he did not. It is good to have a plan. Just remember that when your plan and God’s plan don’t match up- Follow God’s plan.
Romans 15:25-29 (NIV)
“Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
6. Allowing God’s people to support it financially.
What? Ministry costs money and without the financial support of others, it will struggle.
Romans 15:30-33 (NIV)
“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
You have a victorious ministry by…
7. Depending upon the power of prayer.
I need your prayer. You need my prayer. Any ministry is only as strong as the prayer behind it.
Conclusion:
With what is going on all around us, we must minister to others more now than ever.
