One of the greatest proofs of whether our ministry has been effective is watching what happens when we leave a place. For a work of God to be effective and fruitful, we must step out of the initial role of presenting the gospel (the whole counsel of God – Acts 20:27), and then watch the Holy Spirit take complete control. Paul and Silas went to Thessalonica after Philippi, and “on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead” (Acts 17:1-9). Some joined Paul and Silas, but others used “wicked men of the rabble [to] form a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attack the house of Jason” (17:5). We might conclude from this that evangelism outreach was a failure. Let’s look at the conclusion of this: “Our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…you became imitators of us and of the Lord…so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:5-8). It is very evident that Paul and Silas were very effective in their ministry, even though their time in this place was short. Notice what made their work effective – the Holy Spirit! It is not the length of time we are in a place or whether we build hospitals, schools or church buildings. The real question is whether the Holy Spirit is working in us and in those who hear and receive the gospel.
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What a difference the coming of the Spirit made in Peter and on all the others who received Him. They obeyed Jesus’ instructions “not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). In the absence of Christ they would “receive power when the Holy Spirit” came upon them becoming His “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (1:8). This monumental assignment required prepared hearts through waiting in prayer. As the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost and filled those gathered, things were happening that caused the “multitude” to be “bewildered…amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean’” (2:6, 7, 12). Peter, the man who seemed to always say the wrong thing at the wrong time, is now totally different. “Standing with the eleven, lifted his voice and addressed them” (2:14). Peter continued to preach in power what the Holy Spirit gave him so that those listening “were cut to the heart” (2:37). Look at the results: “So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls” (2:41). Transformation occurs when we allow the Holy Spirit to take charge. One of the greatest needs we have in our day is to stop trying to do ministry with our methods and abilities. Submission to the Spirit opens the door for divine power to communicate timeless truth through these vessels of clay. Old habits and personal traits that hinder God’s work disappear as we allow the Spirit to gain total control, working through us for God’s glory. One of the most important principles of leadership development is being careful who you watch and who you follow. We live in an age of ‘hero worship’. Whether it is sports, politics, TV personalities or some respected leader in the church, the general trend is to allow someone to eclipse the single most important person we should be watching and following.
“Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them…When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”” (John 21:20–21). Just at the end of the severe test Jesus put Peter through in verses 15 to 19, He said to Peter, “Follow Me”. Was the test of Peter’s love for Jesus and this exhortation not enough to redirect his mind and heart so it was solely focused on Jesus? It is evident that the future was consuming Peter’s thinking rather than placing his attention on his Master and Teacher. Notice how Jesus responds: “If it is My will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”” (John 21:22). Paul affirmed this principle of having Christ as our single goal and the One we must follow; “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). The prerequisite is whether the model we are following is a clear reflection of Christ. In other words, whoever the mentor, teacher, pastor or model we look at, they must be pointing our attention and the direction of our lives to Christ. At the same time, we must be very careful not to idolize someone, no matter how skilled or gifted they are. A good leader will model following Christ and insist on others doing the same! As a father of four, a grandfather of fourteen, and great-grandfather of one, I urge all the fathers on this Father’s Day, to make sure your life and words are pointing your family to Christ. You are being watched by them and many others. If we fail in this most important task, we have failed them and missed God’s purpose of our lives. It was a severe personal test, not in private, but in front of his peers. Jesus had just provided breakfast for the fishermen/disciples which was another proof of his resurrection. In this setting, Jesus gets right back to preparing these men for the Day of Pentecost and what would follow.
There is the presence of the other disciples, “Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’” (John 21:15). Obviously, Peter said “Yes”! But Jesus continues His interrogation and probing with the same question two more times, followed each time by ministry instructions. Peter “was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’” Are you allowing the Lord to ask you penetrating questions that test the purity of your heart for Him? Is your heart agitated with the length or intensity of the test He is taking you through? My mind goes back to the preparation God took Joseph through before becoming prime minister of Egypt. Sold by his own brothers, falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, put in prison and forgotten by fellow inmates who were released. “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love” (Genesis 39:21). It was a very long and severe test, but he never turned his focus away from the God he served. In this, God prepared Joseph for a critical role in Egypt that saved the seed of Abraham. Check out the blog tomorrow as we look at what happened to Peter after Pentecost. Just hours before Jesus’ arrest, He spends time with the disciples seeking to prepare them for what was ahead in Jerusalem and a place called Golgotha. He warns them that “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered’” (Mark 14:27). Little did these physically strong men understand the horrific events that were about to take place and their own weakness in the hour of trial.
Whether it was out of love for his Lord or the remaining boastfulness in Peter, he responds to Jesus’ warning with, “Even though they all fall away, I will not” (14:29). Such self-confidence proved incapable to stand in the face of this kind of trial. Jesus further warned Peter of where this attitude would lead – public denial! While we often focus on the personal failure of Peter, we must not forget the effect this denial had on the “servant girl…and…bystanders” who said of Peter, “This man is one of them” (14:66-71). How watchful we must be of the attitudes of our hearts. It goes against every natural and cultural bent to admit that we are weak and publicly exhibit a spirit of dependence. Effective leaders must show humility, dependence and admission of weakness. This was the hallmark of Paul’s life (See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) – “For the sake of Christ then, I am content with weaknesses” (12:10). Are you afraid to admit weaknesses in yourself because of what others may think? Your ability to be an effective leader will be determined by how concerned you are about what God thinks about yourself rather than what men think and say. (See John 5:44). When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man, and skill a man, When God wants to mold a man To play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart To create so great and bold a man That all the world might be amazed, Watch His methods, watch His ways. How He ruthlessly perfects Whom He royally elects! How He hammers him and hurts him And with mighty blows converts him Into trial shapes of clay That only God understands, While his tortured heart is crying, And he lifts beseeching hands! How He bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes. How He uses whom He chooses, And with every purpose fuses him; By every act induces him To try His splendor out- God knows what He’s about! Author Unknown I was speaking not long ago with an eager young man who wants to serve the Lord on the mission field. Without knowing where the Lord would send him, he quit his job and made an announcement of his intentions. I applaud such energetic pursuits after the Lord’s work. At the same time, there are lessons God wants to teach us in preparation for His calling and His work so we are abundant in fruitfulness. I would put forth this axiom: The more we are willing for God to prepare us, the more effective and fruitful we will be in His work in and through us, and the more He will be glorified by all we do. Moses is a great example of the long years of preparation God put him through for the task of leading Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan. Take note of these steps:
Obviously, every leader that God uses does not go through 80 years of preparation, but it does remind us how much He wants us to be willing to let God set the time-table on our preparation. Never under estimate how God wants to use you and be willing to let Him shape your life for His purpose to bring Him glory! Yesterday we saw how Jesus was anointed by the Spirit for His ministry and then was led through a very severe test by the devil in the wilderness. What was His test score? “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about Him went out through all the surrounding country. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.” (Luke 4:14–15). “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Matthew 4:17). Every test God allows or takes us through should result in greater effectiveness in His work. This is a consistent principle throughout Scripture and we will see it manifested in those studied in the days ahead. It is tempting to look at these examples objectively without making a subjective application to ourselves. The purpose of these blogs is to help us apply God’s truth and principles to each of us so our usefulness in missions and the church is increased and Christ is exalted. Jesus returned from testing in the wilderness by the devil “in the power of the Spirit”. No one can fail this kind of test and come out of it in the power of the Spirit. How Jesus finished this test is a clear indication of the way He went through the test. If you remember, each point in the test was answered with the Word of God; “It is written”. Reliance of the truth of God’s Word becomes the measure of our success in passing any test that God put us through in preparation for His work. Throughout Scripture we see leaders who were powerfully used by God, but first they were tested and proven by Him. Activity and knowledge are no substitute for being tested for usefulness, purity and power. We are to rejoice in our test and boast in our weaknesses so that we cooperate with God in transforming us into vessels of purity, channels of God’s power, and instruments for increasing the glory of God. In this and following blogs, we will look at specific individuals that God prepared through severe testing and personal empowering through the Holy Spirit. Who better could we start with than the Lord Jesus? “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him;” (Matthew 3:16). This is followed in chapter 4:1; “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Notice how these two events coincide with each other. When we submit to the will of God, He gives all that is needed to face any test and come out the other side in victory (see 4:10-11). Are you going through a time of testing or trial? Be careful not to label it ‘an attack of Satan’ when in fact it might be God’s hand behind it allowing you to be tested by him to prove your character as reliable in His service. Ask God to supply grace to learn through the testing. From our parental experience as children, that statement in the title usually has a negative meaning. My wife would tell our children that she had eyes in the back of her head, meaning that she could see what they were doing when they didn’t think she was looking. I want to present this statement in a positive context which we find in the early development of the church. Powerful preaching of Jesus was convicting souls of thousands who were being saved daily and added to the church. The Lord was using the apostle to heal a man lame from birth. These men were standing up to the religious authorities who tried to shut their mouths from presenting the gospel of God’s grace. At the same time, there was a silent voice that spoke just as loudly as the apostle’s preaching. The following is an astonishing observation; “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13). Though these men were not marked by the popular success stories of the times, their lives were a living manifestation of Christ. Three and a half years walking with their Master was suddenly kindled with light and power by the Holy Spirit. They could not hide their close association with the Founder and Builder of the church. The characteristics and marks of our lives are being watched by the world. What would they say about us? Does our time in the Lord’s presence transform us into a living portrait of Christ for the world to see? When people saw the fruit of Christ in their lives, the opposition had nothing to say. |
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