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In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
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Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
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Building True Ministry Identity
In John 21:15-17 Jesus gave His criterion for ministry. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord, You know that I love you," Peter answered.
Then Jesus said, "Well then, tend My lambs,"
A second and a third time Jesus asked Peter this question. Peter was grieved and answered, "Lord, You know all things. You know that I love You."
Jesus’ response was the same: "Tend My sheep."
What is the one criterion Jesus gives? If you love Me, feed My sheep. If you love Him, you will tend His sheep. You will feed them. You will care about them. That is what ministry truly is.
I would like to focus on three important qualities for this ministry. Remember now, we are talking about us—teachers—as ministers. The person who is a servant-leader is a minister.
Let’s look first at our life-style and examine what kind of minister we are.
How do you view your ministry? As a business? As a profession? As a vocation?
I want to show you the etymology—the root meaning—of these words. You will see that our mental attitude toward the ministry really affects how we minister.
The word career comes from the racetrack. A career is a lane in which a competitor runs. So if you think of your ministry as a career, maybe you consider it a rat race!
The word job is derived from piecework. A job is that for which one is paid. This would be a mercenary view—I’m doing ministry because it is my job. Perhaps I get paid for this, so it is what I do for a living.
Profession means that for which one professes to have qualifications; vocation is our calling.
I hope we view ministry as a vocation; something God has called us to. Sensing the call, and recognizing that He wants us in it, makes all the difference in the world. Ministry becomes a real joy.
The reason our life-style is so important is because the medium is the message. We are the message, and people are going to watch our lives far more than they listen to our words.
We should then have character, sincerity, and purity. The Greek words in the New Testament for character are interesting. Many times these words are translated "sincerity."
At least three Greek words are used for sincere or genuine. The Latin translation for one of them means "without wax." In ancient times the noses often broke off the statues before they were sold. In order to get a good price for a statue, merchants would put a little bit of wax on the piece of nose and glue it back on. But when the buyer put the statue in his backyard, the sun melted the wax, and the nose fell off. It was not genuine. It was insincere. Sincere, the opposite word, means "without wax."
Another word in the New Testament for sincere means "without stone." Many times before a farmer could plow a field, he had to take out all the stones. So the Palestinian farmer’s goal was to buy a field without stone.
When the Holy Spirit comes to cultivate our lives, He reveals some problems we need to get rid of. If we are sincere—genuine—we are without stone.
Not only are we judged by our own conscience and by the conscience of others, we are also judged by the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit, the light of God, shines through us, then we are truly genuine. We have character.
The second part of identity for ministry is discipline. The New Testament words for discipline fall into three categories. I call these discipline level one, discipline level two, and discipline level three.
Discipline level one relates to teaching children. Today the word pedagogue has a neutral understanding that means a teacher. But in the first century the pedagogue was a person who had to correct the child. So level one is the discipline of correction.
We find this word used in Hebrews 12:5, 6 and Hebrews 12:11. If we are found without holiness or sincerity, God has to apply the discipline of correction to our lives.
God doesn’t delight in this discipline. He wants us to live a holy, righteous life-style; and only when we fall into error does He correct us. So discipline level one is negative. We receive it as administered by God.
Discipline level two is the discipline of commitment which has its meaning in the root word for gymnasium. It is giving ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God instead of instruments of unrighteousness to produce sin. It is active, not passive. It is not something God imposes on us. It is something we work out ourselves.
This discipline is found in 1 Corinthians 9:26 and 1 Timothy 4:7,8. Paul talks about bodily exercise profiting a little, but godliness profits both in this life and in the eternal life. This is the discipline of commitment.
Discipline level three is my favorite. It is the word for power, authority, or control—absolute governance. Who is ruling here? God is the ruler. He has the ultimate control.
Reaching discipline level three is when all that commitment pays off. You have committed yourself to live holy and righteous for the Lord. He has pointed to an area in your life that you need to work on, and you’ve agreed to do it. You’ve avoided some of that correcting discipline, and now you are maturing and growing in Him.
Finally you arrive in that area to be in control We have that Spirit-controlled temperament when we are walking by the Spirit, and it is the grace of God that gives us the ability to do it.
Even in Greek literature, self-control was considered the cardinal virtue. In the New Testament it is the fruit of the Spirit translated as temperance and moderation. Discipline has brought about control, so godliness and the fruit of righteousness are produced in our lives.
Example is the third aspect of the minister’s identity. People tend to learn best by experience and example. If the medium is the message, then our example is extremely important for our group to grow and mature.
One time several of us told a friend how to get to a certain address. He didn’t understand. We drew a map; he was still confused. Finally somebody went to his house and drove in front of him all the way to lead him to the address. Now that is learning by example.
The word in the New Testament for example is tupos. And the idea Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 11:1 is, "Mimic me as I mimic Christ, and I will be the example." Now the word tupos refers to an impression made by a blow, such as type that is set for printing. We are to be models or examples of the image of Christ, influencing other people’s lives. It should bring us to our knees in prayer to realize that the impression we leave on others should be the impression Jesus has left on us. So we should be very careful that the impression we leave, that the example we make, is the example of Jesus Christ.
All of us can have these important qualities that are so essential to the ministry. Basically ministry is living a genuine Christian life, loving Jesus, and caring about people.
