The world today is becoming more commercialized; man is losing focus on why he was created. God, in His wisdom, created all that is seen and unseen this is found in the book of genesis. A man was created on the last day of creation and was given dominion over all creation. Man since has misused his authority starting with Adam through to this age. Sin brought hardship and it has now found its way into the church. Ministers are trying to be in favor with the congregation at the expense of a timely message intended to be preached. Jesus modeled quite another approach to ministry and training when he taught His own disciples. This approach is valuable and timely for today’s Christian leaders. Jesus-driven ministry can be found in what He (Jesus) taught His disciples. His teachings centered on love and care for your neighbor. Preparation is vital for success in ministering. We must learn to identify with our people so that we can better meet their needs, receive and maintain the power of the Holy Spirit, understand how God affirms us, and learn how to spend more time in His presence. The following steps outline a ministry that is Jesus centered:
Preparation for ministry
As a minister for Jesus, one should be prepared for the mission. In preparation, understanding your message is very important and will help in sharing the same with your congregation. Asking God to fill you with the Holy Spirit allows you to tap into His wisdom, guidance, and boldness ready for ministry. Tapping into God’s anointing rather than our own strengths helps us be better ministers. We stay in tune with God by living a prayerful and holy life. The bible testifies to Paul, Peter, and even Stephen using prayer as an avenue to communicate with God asking for guidance and protection in their ministry. Jesus taught that a life of prayer is a crucial component of ministry preparation. It is necessary that we must learn to identify with people so we can better meet their needs, receive and maintain the power of the Holy Spirit, understand how God affirms us, and spend time in His presence.
- Identifying with people; it is incumbent upon us to identify with those we minister to the way Jesus did. He took on the weakness of the people and showed them a way to seek divine intervention from the Father. Being in identity with people can be achieved by listening to their issues and addressing them in a biblical way, become their servants. Apostles in the New Testament always were servants of the people. All letters which Paul wrote start with Paul being called a servant of Jesus Christ. Modern ministers tend to dwell on feeling not thinking. If we want to minister with the heart of Jesus, we need to expect difficulty as Jesus Himself did not have an easy time. Pain and frustration are part of the mission we should not run from it. If we endure the suffering and deliver God’s message of love, we will be effective in God’s Kingdom.
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit; we must rely on God’s power which is manifested in His spirit. Scripture teaches that even Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit. He even told His disciples that a Helper will be sent to us from the Father. This power should affect our character and it is to be desired since it attracts others to God. Power without character is dangerous to us and the church. If we keep our hearts open to the Holy Spirit we can live holy lives.
- God’s Affirmation to Us; God affirms us to help us overcome loneliness and discouragement and realize how much glory He will receive because of our sacrifices. We need strong convictions regarding our relationship with God and His acceptance. This will provide us with contentment and freedom in our service. We receive affirmation through the Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit. This will change our behavior. “Our passion should not be focused on how to provide for our needs. It should be to know and do God’s will. If we will concentrate on that, God will provide what is necessary.”
- Spending time in His presence; Jesus was also taking away from the people to the wilderness where He prayed and fellowshipped with God. Retreating and fasting are good as you have time with God.
Necessities for successful ministry
In order to remain relevant, your ministry should reflect you. Diligent study and application of God’s Word, regular quality prayer, and ability to have godly people around you.
- Saturation of the word; Jesus when tempted he quoted Scripture. If you are to fight temptation, Scripture knowledge is vital. We should study the Bible and use it as our final authority, hence, saturated in the Word of God.
- Praying; Jesus went out to the mountain and prayed. He was seeking God consistently. Prayer is part of the minister’s work and the most important. It helps us calm down, be filled with God’s love, feel secure, and release our worries to God.
- Team ministry; having departments or groupings also helps in ministry growth and strength.
Discipling others
Jesus told us to make disciples, not converts. Disciples know what the message is and can duplicate it to others. We can do this by revealing god in our lives. Revealing God by teaching the Word of God. (2 Timothy 1:6) “People are exposed to a lot of discouragement and rejection from others. May we be people who remind others of their potential under God and help them fun into flame the gift of God.”
Ministering to others
Jesus ministered to the sick, poor, and bereaved. He reached out and touched their hearts helping them in their needs. We should be able to develop the skills to do the same. This is done in church, visiting their homes, and meetings.
Conclusion
Jesus-driven ministry is a holistic book that I highly recommend for anybody who has a calling to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although the author wrote the book addressing church ministers, I believe it is for all who have had a calling to be His disciples.