The Relationship-Based Ministry: The Reflection of His Glory
Text: (2 Corinthians 4:6 ~ KJV) - For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
Introduction: I must begin this afternoon by saying we can no longer settle for just church, we must begin to operate in ministry. Church is good. Church is the product of the redemptive act of God the Creator through Jesus the Savior, in Christ the Anointing, that lives as the community in which the Spirit the Sustainer is kept alive through you and I, the believers.
Church at times can be very religious. The Lord showed me how he views the church of today. As I looked at this, I began to realize that many of our members, Pastor Likely, don’t really want to hear us preach the true Word. They just want us to be entertainer with a nice hum. They want us to make them shout and cut a step, just for the sake of doing it. I’ve discovered that these people have religious church, but not relationship based ministry!
This is an important subject, because you need to know the difference between religious church and a relationship-based ministry. You see religious church is stuck on that same old routine and never wants to change. But a relationship-based ministry is based on a connection, an association, a kinship, camaraderie, and a companionship that exists between that ministry and God the sustainer of that ministry.
And in order to have a relationship-based ministry; there must first be fellowship to build the relationship to go forth into ministry. (Get that later…)
The relationship-based ministry is the glory that our text talks about. It is a picture of creation. God commanded the light to shine out of darkness. John says that the ones that follows after Christ can not walk in the darkness but must have the light of life in him. Peter tells us that he called us out of darkness into the light to show forth the praises or the glory of the one that called you out.
The glory that Christ gives to his relationship-based ministry is the very presence of God himself. God dwells in the believer and the believer dwells in God. God manifests Himself to the world in the believer’s life.
This is the reflection. When we God look at the relationship-based ministry, he praises it or glorifies it because he sees the reflection of the relationship-based family of the complete body of Christ. But when we look at God, we see him and the pattern of the relationship-based family and praise him or glorify him because of the revelation to us through the application of the information of his word.
The ministry of the relationship-based ministry is the ministry of conversion.
I. Conversion is said to be a dramatic experience that it is best illustrated as breaking through the barriers of darkness and overcoming it with a fortress of light. In fact, the creation is the only dramatic event strong enough to reflect conversion. Conversion is so dramatic that it is like a brand new creation. Paul says that if anybody is truly converted his undergoes a transformation that causes him to be a new creature. But I particular like how Jesus said it in John 3:19-21, "And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. For everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.
But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that all may see that his actions have been done in God."
II. So this brings us to the realization that Conversion can only be done by divine power of God! The relationship-based ministry is only the instrument used to show forth the light but it is God that does the work.
Paul said that he did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God kept everything growing. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is significant, but God, who keeps everything growing, is the one who matters. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same goal, and each will receive a reward for his own work. For we are God’s co-workers. You are God’s farmland and God’s building. As an expert builder using the grace that God gave me, I laid the foundation, and someone else is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it.
After all, no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is already laid, and that is Jesus Christ. Whether a person builds on this foundation with gold, silver, bricks, wood, hay, or straw, the workmanship of each person will become evident, for the day will show what it is, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what a person has built on the foundation survives; he will receive a reward. If his work is burned up, he will suffer loss. However, he himself will be saved, but it will be like going through fire.
III. This is why we conversion requires seeking God’s glory in the face of Christ. It is the knowledge that the glory of God was in Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ was the image of God.
(Conclusion): The Bible says "That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of Lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen."
There is power in a Relationship-based Ministry. I dare you to reflect God’s Glory.
In the midst of your circumstances reflect his Glory.
In the midst of your confusion reflect his Glory.
In the midst of your crisis reflect his Glory.
I don’t know about you but I’ve got to reflect his Glory.
Because He’s Almighty.
Because He Blessed Me.
Because He cares for me.
Because He delivered me.
Because He Erased the penalty of sin that was against me.
Because He forgave me.
Because He gave me eternal life.
Because He heard my cry.
Because He justified me.
Because He kept me.
Because He loves me.
Because of His Mercy.
Because He never left me.
Because He Opened doors for me.
Because He paid the price for me.
Because redeemed me.
Because He Saved and Sanctified me.
Because He took my place at Calvary.
Because of His Undying love for me.
Because He gave me Victory.
Somebody ought to reflect his Glory in this place. Because there’s Power in a Relationship-based Ministry.
