The Foundation of Ministryنموونە

THE FOUNDATION OF A MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION

A high-rise building can only stand firm if it has a strong foundation. By examining its foundation, we can determine how many floors could be supported by that building. A foundation plays a vital role in a building. The same thing is also applicable to a ministry. Our ministry’s foundation determines the number and strength of our ministry.

There are so many people who want to be used, like the servant of God “A” or “B” who was used by God amazingly. However, after they began to get involved in ministry, many fell like a collapsed building. Some of them even ran away from their ministry. Why? Because their ministry’s foundation is not strong.

It’s not wrong to have a desire to be used by God extraordinarily. It’s not wrong to have a zeal to pursue and run in God's calling to serve. However, we need a strong foundation to do that.

Let's read from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17. It says that the foundation of a "building" or our ministry is Jesus Christ. We will continue to build and move in our ministry wherever God sends us. However, do not forget that Jesus Christ is the foundation of our ministry.

DISCUSSION

Brothers and sisters, we need a strong foundation in our ministry so that we could be like Lord Jesus or apostle Paul who completed the tasks of their calling well (finished well).

1. Jesus Christ is the center of life (Luke10:38-42)

Did Martha do anything evil? No. God told Martha that being busy serving others was good, but sitting at God’s feet was the best thing she could do.

Martha was more concerned about the guests who came to her house. She might be busy preparing food and drink for Jesus’ disciples. This was a ministry.

What is the best thing for a family? A father might say that he would work hard every day, from morning to night, to please his family. However, in reality, money, facilities, and everything else that you could get from a job might not be the best thing for your family. The best thing you can give your family is the time to sit with them.

The Lord Jesus longs to be close to us. Making Jesus the center of our lives means putting Jesus as the most important person in our lives. Everything exists because of Him, including our ministry and the chance to serve Him. Therefore, making Him the center of our lives is very appropriate. As it is written in Romans 11:36, “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

What do we do when we sit at His feet? You may worship Him, lift your thanksgiving and songs with all of your heart, listen to His voice, meditate on His Word, and open your hearts to receive His love and power.

2. Jesus Christ is the center of a ministry (Philippians 3:10-14)

For Apostle Paul, all the great things that came with a ministry were meaningless. His main purpose was to be like Jesus. We know many servants of God who are famous and blessed by the Lord. Do not have the ambition to be a certain servant of God. May the center of our ministry be to be like Jesus. “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29).

How to be like Jesus Christ? Praise and worship are one of our ways to become like Jesus Christ. We will be like what we worship. If we worship the Lord Jesus, our hearts and minds will be like Christ. We are inviting Jesus to come through our praise and worship, and the power of His presence will change us to become like Jesus Christ.

What was Apostle Paul’s intention when he wrote about “Through the fellowship in His suffering?” We will surely find challenges or processes in our ministry. We might suffer when we experience that, but remember that Jesus also feels what we feel because we have made Him the center of our ministry. He will certainly help us and give us strength.

John the Baptist said that Jesus was the center of His ministry. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30).

3. Jesus Christ is our strength to serve (2 Cor 3:4-6)

Apostle Paul and his colleagues acknowledged that they could not do the ministry with their own strength. Everything could be done because of Lord Jesus Christ, who worked in them.

In this New Testament era, we receive the power of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to become God’s servants. The Spirit of God gives us power, ability, idea, creativity, and wisdom to serve the souls and the works in His field.

Brothers and sisters, how could we receive the power from the Lord Jesus? Prayer, praise, and worship are how we obtain Jesus’ power. Therefore, let’s do it seriously until the power comes down on us. Acts 16:25-26 recorded when Paul received God’s power “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

CLOSING

·A ministry is God's calling for every believer, but remember that the foundation of our ministry is Jesus Christ.

·Jesus is the center of life (the owner of this life), the center of ministry (the owner of the ministry), and the source of strength (the One who gives us the ability to serve).

·Share your experience(s) related to the three points above.