Leadership:
Following Through In Ministry
Written by Glen Dawursk, Jr. -- www.yuthguy.com
In Lewis Carroll’s classic story, “
Why do many churches lack
direction in their ministry? __________________
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Being motivated by God is an
awesome experience, but maintaining an attitude of “motivation” is far more
difficult. That “attitude” often becomes
clouded by our sinful nature and we often lose the focus or direction of our motivation;
but first we need to know our purpose in ministry.
Ü The need
for purpose:
“For example, H.G. Wells, famous
historian and philosopher, said at age 61: "I have no peace. All life is
at the end of the tether." The poet Byron said, "My days are in
yellow leaf, the flowers and fruits of life are gone, the worm and the canker,
and the grief are mine alone." The literary genius Thoreau said,
"Most men live lives of quiet desperation."
Ralph Barton, one of the top cartoonists
of the nations, left this note pinned to his pillow before taking his own life:
"I have had few difficulties, many friends, great successes; I have gone
from wife to wife, from house to house, visited great countries of the world,
but I am fed up with inventing devices to fill up twenty-four hours of the day." (Morning Glory,
Someone once said that a man
without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. These great men lacked real “purpose” in
their lives and without purpose they had no passion and without passion they
had no motivation to live. They lacked
real direction.
What is the purpose in your
ministry? Why do you do what you do?
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Ü Ask these
questions about our purpose:
1) Does our purpose include
“Giving God __________?” Glory
Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
John 15:8
This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves
to be my disciples.
C.S. Lewis once
said, “The glory of God, and, as our only
means to glorifying Him, the salvation of human souls, is the real business of
life.” (http://www.christianglobe.com/Illustrations/theDetails.asp?whichOne=p&whichFile=purpose)
2) Does our purpose include
“Becoming More ________ Jesus?” Like
Romans
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
3) Does our purpose include
“Following God’s _________ For Me” -- His divine guidance?
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Psalm 37:5,23-24,31
+ Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
+ If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD
upholds him with his hand.
+ The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip.
CBS News Anchor Dan Rathers
keeps his professional focus by keeping three pieces of paper around him at all
times. He keeps one in his wallet, one
on his desk and another he carries in his pocket. On each paper is the simple question:
"Is what you are doing now helping the broadcast?" (www.hillcrestalliance.org/sermon/981011.html from Our Daily Bread,
March 9)
Isaiah 42:16
I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along
unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not
forsake them.
Psalm 62:5
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from him.
When we evaluate our purpose
in ministry, we also need to set our priorities. Is this purpose worth fighting for? How does this purpose rank against my
personal values in ministry? Both our
purpose and values must be inline with God if we are going to see blessings in
our ministry – otherwise we will struggle throughout the journey and will be
dissatisfied when we complete the process; and we will lack the “passion” to
accomplish our ministry purpose.
Passion is doing something
“________________”
Colossians
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for men.
What do we want to do
“heartily” in ministry?
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How would you define
“Success in Ministry?”
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Do you consider yourself
successful in ministry? Explain.
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According to national
consultant Mike Murdock in his book, Leadership
Secrets of Jesus, “Success is the
progressive achievement of God-intended goals.”
(P. 218, Tulsa, OK,
Honor Books 1996)
Goal setting is an effective
way to stay motivated and focused in ministry.
Goals must focus on the potential for the future within the framework of
the purposes of ministry. Unfortunately
Satan prefers stagnation and prefers for us to remain in the status quo or the
past.
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
Isaiah 43:18
"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
Jesus leads us toward the
_____________. This is also called
“vision” in ministry. future
ÜWhen setting
ministry goals, consider the following:
Most important: What is the scriptural basis for the goal? Find a supporting scripture
verse for each of your ministry goals.
Types of goals:
There are “now” goals and
“out there” goals. Always determine
where your goal falls.
Ü Assignment
Ø
Below, write a specific goal in your ministry for each
of these types.
Ø
Evaluate whether each of your goals fits your purpose
and passion.
Ø
Also consider whether your goal specific enough,
is attainable but challenging and who it will be accountable to.
Now (immediate/ongoing): _________________________________________
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Soon (1-2 years): ________________________________________________
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Later (3-5 years): ________________________________________________
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Out There (6 or more years): _______________________________________
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Ü Stumbling
Blocks to Goals
Remember Satan does not want ministry to
happen. He will create stumbling blocks
to your goals in ministry. Someone once said,
“When you're up to your neck in alligators, it's difficult to keep your mind on
the fact that your primary objective is to drain the swamp.” Satan will try to
distract you from your purpose and passion by confusing your goals or by making
them seem unattainable.
Think of a time when Satan distracted you
from your ministry:
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Satan often uses doubt or fear to confuse
us. How is this done in a church
ministry? Where do finances enter into
the process?
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Satan also blocks our goals and stagnates
ministry potential through the following:
Remember, a Christian is like a tea bag, we
do not come to full strength until we are put into a little hot water. God promises that these stumbling blocks are
only temporary and perseverance always pays off.
Ü Ministry
must see the “Goal Line.”
Ü Strive to
____________ the race.
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I
may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me–the task
of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
“There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and
Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee
Braves. The teams were playng in the World Series, and
as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, intended to pep up his
teammates on the one hand, and distract the
Dream of the success the
goal will accomplish. What will happen
to our church, our youth group, our Christian day school, our ministry? What positive things could happen to the
congregation? Brainstorm where ministry
potential can be and then maintain endurance as you strive to complete the
race.
Proverbs 13:19a
A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul.
Matthew 10:22
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will
be saved.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things
with Him who gives me strength!
Write a prayer asking for
God to bring focus back to your ministry’s purpose, to give you passion and fun
in ministry and offer you endurance as you seek to accomplish your ministry
goals.
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Answers to some of the key questions:
Does our purpose include “Giving God Glory?”
(p. 2)
Does our purpose include “Becoming More Like Jesus?” (p. 2)
Does our purpose include “Following God’s Will For Me?” (p. 2)
Passion is doing something “Heartily.” (p. 3)
Jesus leads us toward the future. (p. 4)
Strive to finish the race. (p. 6)