Questions for Church Leaders (5)
“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!.” John 4.35
A logical follow-up
Once we as church leaders have explained that the way to the Kingdom and glory of God is through the work of ministry, for which all disciples are to be equipped, a logical follow-up question suggests itself:
“OK, great. But what’s my ministry?”
Now in some churches leaders may answer that question by pulling out a bulletin from Sunday morning, pointing out all the “ministry” opportunities offered by the church, and encouraging folks to think and pray about which might be a fit for them.
Or they might suggest that those seeking some ministry fill out form or questionnaire, to help them identify where their areas of “giftedness” might lie. Discover the gifts God has given you, the idea goes, and you’ll be in a better position to know where you ought to serve.
But Jesus did not define the work of ministry either in terms of where we might be slotted—which church ministry opportunities—or where we may be inclined—our sense of what we know or might be able or like to do. Jesus defined the ministries for which we are to be equipped neither by where we’re slotted nor inclined, but by where we’ve been sent. He told His followers, “As the Father has sent Me, so I also send you” (Jn. 20.21). Wherever we have been sent is where we must serve, with whatever works of ministry that field of endeavor might require. For this is where the harvest of God’s glory awaits us.
Sent like Jesus
In the same way that God the Father sent Jesus to minister, so He is sending us. Every saint, that is, every believer in Jesus Christ. Let’s break that down a bit.
First, God sent Jesus to a particular place, time, and people. Jesus was sent to Palestine during the period of the Roman Peace, to minister to the Jews first but to Gentiles as well. His ministry included good works of love and justice and good words of truth and life.
Second, Jesus’ purpose in coming to this place and time was to bring near the Kingdom of God, as we have already seen. He intended that God’s rule of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit should come to earth as it is in heaven wherever He was at work.
Third, Jesus actively sought to reach others with the message of the Kingdom and the touch of its gracious, transforming power. He didn’t wait around for others to come asking about Who He was or what He was all about. He walked up and down and all around His mission field, seeking folks and reaching out of them in all kinds of ways.
Finally, Jesus came to die in order that, through His death, others might live.
So, what is it about Jesus’ coming to earth that isn’t clear? We have been sent like Jesus, each of us to a particular place and people, with the Good News of the Kingdom. By denying ourselves—dying to ourselves and the world—and daily taking up our cross of ministry, we intend to bring that Good News to others by all our words and deeds. And we do this, like Jesus, to build up His Church, advance His Kingdom, and bring glory and honor to God.
Lift up your eyes!
So the answer to the question, “What’s my ministry?” ought to be, Lift up your eyes! That is, look around you. Where you go, the people you’re with, the work you’ve been given to do, the daily opportunities you have for showing Jesus to the world. Your ministry is defined not by what your church offers in the way of programs or services, or what some inventory of spiritual gifts might disclose about your interests or inclinations. Your ministry is defined by your life, by the place in the world field to which Jesus sends you each day for the purpose of making disciples to His glory (Matt. 28.18-20).
Now that we know where we’ve been sent—the people and opportunities that await us every day—we’re in a position to get the equipping we’ll need to do the works of ministry our assignment requires. Above all, we’ll need to keep growing in love for Jesus Christ. Only as we see Him in glory, beauty, majesty, and might, and the scars on His head, hands, side, and feet, will we be moved by love to serve Him well. Then, we’ll need to learn and practice the ways of love—how to care for people, become a good listener, talk with others in a friendly and edifying manner, help them as often as we can, and so forth. We’ll also want to explain the hope we have in Jesus Christ, so, in addition to some training in how to love our neighbor, we might like a church leader to help us learn how to share the Good News of the Kingdom.
There’s lots more to learn as well—how to bring the light of the Kingdom to bear on the culture in which we’re involved, for example. How to talk about contemporary issues and situations from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. How to encourage our fellow saints and ministers. And how to keep growing as disciples of Jesus and citizens of the Kingdom, so we can continue to improve our ministry in all the places to which we’ve been sent.
As church leaders, we need to help the saints identify and prepare for the ministries Jesus is sending them to in the normal course of their everyday life. By teaching and encouragement, and not least by our example, we need to answer the question, “What is my ministry?” by telling our believing friends to follow Jesus, just as we are seeking to do.
For reflection or discussion
1. Who are the people to whom God regularly “sends” you?
2. Are all those people believers? How can you encourage those who are?
3. What about those who aren’t believers? How should you prepare to do works of ministry for them?
Next steps—Preparation: If you have never mapped out your Personal Mission Field, I encourage you to do so right away. Watch this brief video, then download the worksheet and get started bringing the Good News to your appointed field of ministry.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
A good supplement to this ongoing study on the Church is our free PDF book, Pray for Your Church. Download your copy from The Ailbe Bookstore by clicking here. Also, we encourage you to visit our ReThinking Church page, where you’ll see a variety of free resources to help you church.
This week: Our Read Moore podcast is into a new series of readings from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. In our Crosfigell teaching letter, we begin to examine some of the wonderful spiritual poetry from the period of the Celtic Revival. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are studying the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
