Developing a Passion for Meeting the Needs of the Family of God
Ephesians 4:11-16, Acts 6:1-7
February 13, 2005
Introduction
Today we pick up our series of re-iterating the purposes of the church. We’ve talked about worship, fellowship, and discipleship, and today we pick it up looking at the issue of ministry, or meeting the needs of the family of God.
God is passionate about his family, and he’s passionate about not only meeting the needs of his family, but in empowering his children to be used by him to do that.
I’m going to warn you ahead of time that some of what I’m going to say will challenge you, and may not sit comfortably with you right away.
But I’m going to ask that you hang on through the whole message, okay?
Sometimes we think of ministry as the "job" of the church, and in many ways that is correct, though not to the degree it’s thought of nowadays.
When discussing ministry, I think it’s important to think not in terms of a "job" that belongs to the institution of the church, but rather in terms of a family coming together to support its members.
When members of the family of God come along to meet the needs of other family members, ministry happens, helping the Body of Christ and honoring the Father.
I’ve said before that just like an earthly father, the Father in heaven likes to see his children getting along. And I also believe he is pleased when he sees them coming to each other’s aid.
God loves his family, and he loves seeing it function as he designed it. And one of those functions is to meet the needs of the family.
Today I want to give you three facts about developing a passion for meeting the needs of the family of God.
Fact #1: - God expects everyone to be involved in ministry.
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service,...
Ephesians 2:10 -
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Misconception: the pastor is supposed to do it all.
Truth: the pastor’s job is to train others to do the work.
Is this news to you? It’s not news to me, but one of the things that’s been on my heart for the last couple of years is how to develop our church into a body that really ministers.
We’ve made some good strides, thanks in no small part to Cindy Sippel, our director of ministry.
One of my goals for the church this year is to bring in tools to help all of us become involved in the ministries of the church, especially ministry that takes place outside of this building.
Let me show you an exciting example of what can happen when the people get involved in meeting the needs of the family of God
Turn with me to Acts chapter 6. If you’re using one of the Bibles in the seats, this is on page 774.
AC 6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
AC 6:5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
AC 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
There was a legitimate need, no question, but the leadership could not take away from their primary task to meet this need.
So they came up with a solution - involve those most able to meet the need! Who’da thunk it?
Let’s see - here’s a need, here are some people to fill it - NAHHHH!!! That’s waaaaayyy too simple of a solution. It’s gotta be more complicated than that! After all, we’re sophisticated people.
(as I was trying to type the word "sophisticated" I started typing "suffocating" - maybe a Freudian slip?)
People who are full of the Spirit, and enabled for ministry in this way are needed today, just like they were needed back then.
Look back at verse 7 -
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
You know what I think? I think this growth is a direct result of people seeing the love that followers of Jesus had for each other, meeting their needs.
Look, I hate to tell you this, but I am not able to do all the work myself. I am not able to meet all the expectations that people traditionally have had of pastors.
God has called me to help this church become a church that helps significant numbers of people come to Christ and live for Him, impacting our area for Jesus.
And because I’m trying to be obedient to that primary calling of God in my life, some things just don’t get done.
Is it because I don’t care? No. It might seem that way to some, but let me assure you that that’s not the case.
The issue is that given my schedule between the church and my other job commitments, not to mention my family, I simply cannot do it all.
I’m only one person, with the same 24 hours you have, with only so much energy and resources.
I do what I can when I can, as long as it doesn’t take away from being obedient to the primary task God has given me to reach people for Jesus and help you do the same.
The Bible makes it clear that I’m not supposed to do it all. And so I need your help, and I’m not afraid to admit it.
Let me invite you to step up like these people in the book of Acts, and experience the wonder of watching God work through you as you work to meet the needs of the Body of Christ.
The first fact about ministry and meeting the needs of the family of God is that God expects everyone to be involved in ministry, in some form or another. We’re going to talk about some options a little later.
But let’s move on to the second fact about ministry and that is that...
Fact #2 - Ministry has purpose.
Ministry is not just something the family of God does because it’s what we’re "supposed" to do. Ministry has purpose.
Let’s look at just a couple of them, okay? One purpose of ministry is that...
1. The body of Christ would be strengthened.
...so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God...
You all know the phrase, "There’s strength in numbers."
Well, it’s true, and it’s no more true than in the body of Christ.
Ecclesiastes tells us that a strand of three cords is not what? Easily broken.
Hebrews tells us to not give up meeting together because there’s strength and encouragement in being with other believers.
But part of that strengthening comes when members of the Body of Christ come alongside another member in need. Another purpose for getting involved in the lives of others in ministry is for...
2. Maturity in Christ.
...and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
You know what, this is a puzzler for me, and maybe you can explain it to me. We all know people who have been believers for years, but have never gotten past being able to handle milk from the Word of God.
They may have been saved for years and years, but they are still spiritual babies, never really maturing in their understanding of Jesus and the Bible.
Well, one of the purposes of ministry is to help people become mature in their faith. To help them eat meat from the Bible.
Listen to these three verses from Hebrews:
...though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
HEB 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God...
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way! We can be a church filled with people who are always striving to be more mature in Christ.
One of the purposes of ministry is to help that happen. We need to help people develop strong jaw muscles so they can eat and digest all the good stuff we have available to us in the Bible.
Let’s move on to the third fact about ministry and developing a passion to meet the needs of God’s people, and that is...
Fact #3 - Ministry brings great results!
I think when most people think of ministry, it generally deals with meeting the physical and emotional needs of a person who is hurting, lonely, hungry, or whatever.
These are legitimate needs that need attention. But contrary to popular belief, ministry and service do not end with meeting physical and emotional needs.
Ministry has a spiritual component to it, and we should enter ministry situations with the goal of not only alleviating other types of issues, but addressing spiritual issues as well.
Let’s look very quickly at three results ministry can have that we can find from our passage in Ephesians:
1. Ability to discern truth from error.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
I’m willing to bet that everyone in here is like me in at least one respect: you don’t like be made to look like a fool.
We’d like to think that we can sort out truth from error, that nothing will fool us.
But let me tell you, folks. Unless you’re growing in your walk with Christ, you’re open to being deceived.
If you always remain immature in your relationship with Christ through the Bible, or if you become complacent in your relationship with Christ, not allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the Word, because you think you’ve got it altogether, you are opening yourself up.
There’s a series of commercials on right now from AOL about protecting your computer from viruses. The message of the commercial is that if you are not continually updating your anti-virus software, you are vulnerable.
Same thing here. You need to keep updating your relationship with Christ, staying fresh, so you can learn the difference between truth and error, like that passage in Hebrews talked about, as does our passage here in Ephesians.
Involvement in ministry helps us not only sharpen our own swords, but those of others as well.
The second result we can find from involvement in ministry is...
2. Maturity in life and language.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
We’ve talked a good bit about maturity in life, but let me touch on the issue of maturity in language.
Circle the phrase, "speaking the truth in love." It’s one thing to speak the truth, it’s another to speak it in love.
Did you know that you can speak the truth in the wrong way? It’s true.
When you need to confront someone, can you do it in a way that the other person can see that you love them, or do they only see your need to be right about everything?
A person who speaks the truth in love does so with the desire not to be proven right, but the desire to see someone grow in Christ and Christlikeness.
3. A healthy body.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
What do I mean by a healthy body? Generally I mean things like being loving to others in the body and to guests. It also means a church made up mostly of people who are serious about living for Jesus and not just offering lip-service. I think it means a church made up of people who think of others before themselves. I think you get the picture.
Now I say generally, because I don’t know of a single church that only has those types of people in it. But I think that the overwhelming majority of believers in a church should be exhibiting these qualities.
There is something refreshing about walking into a church where everyone is getting along.
You know one of the things I like about this bunch here? They stick around and visit, sometimes long after the service, and it’s not just because their husbands are counting the money or whatever!
They actually like each other! What a concept!
Okay - the first fact about ministry is what? That God expects everyone to be involved in ministry.
What’s the second fact about ministry? That ministry has purpose.
And the third fact? Ministry brings great results. Okay. Now let’s look at some...
Ways to get involved in ministry:
* Find your spiritual gifts.
God has given all believers spiritual gifts. Every believer has at least one, and usually more than one.
A few years ago I did a series on spiritual gifts - how you can know what they are so you can use them in service for Christ.
I offered a gifts inventory to help each person identify the specific gifts God has given to each individual.
If you would like to take that inventory, see me after the service, and I’ll get one sent out to you pronto.
Why is this important? Because when you’re serving Jesus using the gifts he gave you through his Holy Spirit, your ministry is more effective, and it blesses you very much.
John MacArthur once said:
"No local congregation will be what it should be, what Jesus prayed that it would be, what the Holy Spirit gifted it and empowered it to be, until it understands spiritual gifts."
Please make the effort to find out what God has gifted you to do.
The second way to get involved in ministry is to...
* Actively look for ways to meet a need.
One of the best signs of a healthy church is when someone sees a need and gets going to meet it. They see a need and they take action.
Don’t wait for me to call you with a need, because you know what? I don’t always get called!
If you see a need, take action. If you think it’s something that the church as a whole should be part of, then call me or one of the board members, and we’ll get something going if we think it’s something God would have us do. A third way to get involved is to...
* Ask God to bring opportunities your way!
If you’re wondering how God can use in ministry, then start praying for God to put some people into your path.
But only do that if you’re serious about it! God likes to answer those kinds of prayers, because he is concerned for the health of the Body.
And lastly...
* Talk to me!!
If you’re looking for an area to serve in, come see me. I’ll talk with you, help you discover the spiritual gifts God has given you, and look for ways to use them. I’d love to do that! Talk to me.
By the way, I’m very proud of the way this church stepped up to the plate at the passing of Peggy Bitz.
Your show of love and concern will be remembered by Glenn and his children for years to come, long after the flowers are all gone.
Conclusion
I mentioned earlier in the message that I can’t do it all, and that the Bible says I’m not supposed to do it all.
So as we get ready to leave, I want you to examine your own life to see if God is asking you to possibly get involved in the ministries of AWC.
Maybe you’re a person who just loves visiting shut-ins. Come talk to me about that. I need help in that area.
Maybe you’ve got the gift of hospitality, and you’d love to open your home to others for fellowship or a Bible study.
Maybe you love children and would like to work in the nursery or in our children’s ministries.
Elmer Towns tells about a member of a motorcycle gang who was converted to Jesus Christ dramatically and the first Sunday he did the only thing he knew he should do and so he went to church. Nobody in the church knew him and he walked down to the second aisle and sat in the seat. And the people stared because he looked the part; big burly, bearded, long hair, black jacket, tattoos.
It came announcement time and the minister got up and made an appeal for nursery workers. He said, "We need someone to work in the nursery." But no one would volunteer. He asked a second time, "We really need someone to go be with our kids." But no one would volunteer. And the cyclist prayed, "Lord, I want to do what you want me to do and if you want me to go work in nursery just have the preacher ask a third time." And a third time the preacher said, "Please we need someone to work in the nursery." And the cyclist raised his hand, nodded his head and started toward the nursery. And immediately 50 mothers followed volunteering to work in the nursery. (SermonCentral.com - Contributed by: Aaron Burgess
Maybe it’s nothing like the nursery or opening your home or visiting shut-ins.
Maybe you’ve overcome something in your life, like an addiction or something, and you want to offer help to others. Please talk to me about that.
Or maybe you have the spiritual gift of faith, and you can pray for others. Whatever your gifts, I want to do everything possible to help anyone here use the gifts God has given you in service for him.
I’ve been focusing on the fact that ministry has as its focus the Body of Christ.
But obviously we can have a ministry to those outside of Christ. And many times, meeting those needs will open the doors to someone coming to place their trust in Jesus. So I’m not ignoring that aspect of ministry.
But here’s the bottom line of everything I’ve said today: God expects the family of God to do the work of ministry. All of the Body of Christ is supposed to be involved in some form of ministry.
The early theologian Tertullian said, "He who lives only to benefit himself confers on the world a benefit when he dies."
Folks, the church of Jesus Christ exists in part to serve the needs of the people of God. Jump in and be a benefit to others.
If you have never really given it much thought and prayer, let me encourage you to do that, because there is no joy like sensing the pleasure of God when you are using the gifts he’s given you for his glory and to expand his kingdom.
Let’s pray.
