0:10 What a celebratory day. Amen? I encourage you that after the service, that you greet and, thank the deacons and also the new members that will be acknowledged after the message. Just greet them and and thank God for them, and, and let's establish that culture of of being a family, a family in the faith. And as well after the service, I wanna also mention if you do desire to be baptized, please meet with pastor Daniel Bena and approach him, and he will give you directions of how to be prepared for that day.
0:43 And so just please keep that in mind. No more announcements. Meet me in your bibles in the book of second Timothy in chapter in chapter four. And together, we sang, and worship hasn't concluded. Now we worship over the word of God as it is washed over us.
1:07 In second Timothy chapter four, one verse to consider this afternoon, one verse that we will meditate on, one verse that we believe suffices to hear what God has to say to us in this day. In verse five, we read, as for you, always be sober minded. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.
1:36 Lord, we ask you that you would empower the ministry of the word. We ask you, oh Lord, and we confess that our love is often small, and it is cold. But Lord, take the fire that Jeremiah said was your word, and let it consume our hearts. Let it burn up all the dross, all the things that we've gathered that mean nothing, that are trivial, that are broken and unfulfilling. Lord, we pray that You would do a cleansing work as we receive Your word.
2:10 We pray, O Lord, that this word would not be measured by eloquence or even, passion. But Lord, let the word do its work. And let us sense the power of the Holy Spirit as He works through the word into our hearts. This is our deepest desire. That Christ would be seen.
2:28 That he would be cherished and adored as his word is spoken to us. And so, Lord, as you did on that mount, hide all men except the God man, Christ Jesus, in our midst, in our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This short verse is what we will give our attention to today.
2:50 And it is really a summary of Paul's instructions to Timothy. It just really crystalizes everything that he's been saying up to this point. And as we look at this, this is directly given to a man who is called to be a minister and a pastor of a church in his day. The apostle himself is ready to share with his spiritual son of his soon departure into glory and the reward that awaits him because he was a servant of Christ and of the gospel. And after touching on that, Paul will conclude his letter by giving practical instructions for immediate needs concerning him and and warnings that dealt with their world.
3:30 But as we will see in the coming weeks, though there is a context, although it is clear that it is between two men and the ministries that they represent, it is rich with meaning for us today. And we will learn that in the coming Sundays if the Lord wills. But today, as we look at this one verse, as we look at this particular piece of scripture, we see four charges given to us in like bullet point fashion. And we can take our time on each of these charges and commands, but instead of looking at each of them in great detail, we will focus on the last command. The last command while not neglecting the others, but we wanna just hear these three words and what they mean as they really encompass and they really summarize what Timothy's duty is and what is yours and mine as well.
4:21 Fulfill your ministry. Fulfill your ministry. Paul is about to spell out those heart stirring words that I'm sure you have heard at the funerals of faithful saints. I fought the good fight. I finished the race.
4:40 I have kept the faith. I can't imagine being able to say anything less than that of my own life, and I hope you you hope to say the same at the end of yours. And this man who is a spiritual father with all of his heart, desired for his protege, desired for this man that he has watched grow over the years in his faith and in his practice and in his ministry, he wants him to be able to resound that same declaration when his appointment with death arrives. But the only way that Timothy can share in that sweet experience, the only way that he would be able to reflect back on his journey throughout his days on the earth and be convinced that it wasn't a waste. The only way that he can even know a certain excitement as he is ready to enter into eternity is if he fulfilled his ministry.
5:34 It can only come by knowing that you have done just that. And Paul's desire for Timothy is the leadership's desire for you. That every single one of you in this place would know now and you would know at the end of your life, I have indeed fulfilled my ministry. But what does that mean? What does that imply?
6:04 It is to commit yourself to the assignment that God has given to you until you arrive into glory. It speaks of a way of life. One that is serious about steadfast service to the Lord. A wholehearted commitment and desire to be diligent to serving God in the way that he has ordained for you. In the way that he has planned for you, in the way that he has prepared for you.
6:30 To fulfill means to make completion of. It means that you know that with the grace and the time and the strength and the flexibility that you've been given, you have done all that you can to fulfill the duties of the unique ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ has called you to for the long haul. Fulfilled your ministry. And it is in that pursuit of life that you and I will know a richness of the soul. And it is in that pursuit of life that you and I will have a confidence that there awaits us a reservation of rewards that will outshine all the trophies and prizes that this world can offer.
7:15 Fulfill your ministry. Fulfill your ministry. Before Paul's about to speak of his death, before he's about to get personal, he gives this charge. Timothy, I beg of you. Make sure that your life surrounds around this knowledge.
7:31 I am serving the Lord. Everything orbits around that. It is not a piece of the pie. It is the pie itself, and I fill it with all the other things that I must do as a as a human that needs to survive in this life. Fulfill your ministry.
7:46 And the spirit of God who expressed this desire for Timothy through Paul has no lesser expectations for you and I at this time in church history. I know things are busy. I know things are distracting. I know technology has developed. I know a lot of things have advanced since Timothy's day, but one thing hasn't changed.
8:04 You have a call in your life. When God extended his hand and gave you the opportunity to be saved, he also extended his hand, once you said yes, to serve him in a particular way. It's not that some have received salvation while others have received salvation and a special call. If you have been saved, God has also predestined for you a particular way of life that will glorify him as you are indwelt with his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not gonna make you a puppet.
8:39 He invites you into fulfilling your ministry. That's not really a complex subject. That's Sunday school level understanding of the basics of this faith. But as much as you and I have heard that growing up our lives, and it almost doesn't have impact anymore because we're so familiar with their ministry. I know I'm supposed to serve God and do this.
8:56 We all might understand generally that every Christian is to serve God to a specific capacity. But the fact that this charge is laid out tells us that it's possible to miss the mark. To actually miss the mark. I can believe that all Christians should honor God with practical service, but I can also miss the opportunities that the Lord would have for me from the moment I said yes to him to the moment where he says it's time to come home. And that's what I want to address today.
9:30 Because those same people who would acknowledge that yes, God has called me to a specific ministry might have at one point in their lives, usually in the early stages of salvation, be totally consumed with the, the desire to do nothing else but reserve all your resources and give all your time as much as possible to knowing that you play a part in advancing the kingdom of God with your contribution. But why is it that when we study the trajectory of Christians' lives, why is it that over time many of them in their service to God, in their zeal for God, in their dedication to a particular ministry or ministries fizzle out down to mere church attendance? Why is it that many good hearted Christians lose heart? Why is it that that dissipates? Why is it that it evaporates and we feel as though we're just comfortable observing our lives play out before us without intentionality?
10:29 How does that happen? Well, this message aims to provide those insights. And in understanding those insights, I pray that you and I would protect ourselves from these pitfalls that have sabotaged many callings and have stolen many crowns that were prepared to be laid on the brows of those who have put their faith in Christ. I wanna, I wanna tell you today why Christians quit. I'm not talking about pastors quitting the ministry.
10:55 They do at an alarming rate every month, by the way. I'm not speaking about pastors. I'm speaking about every single one of us who's been called to serve the Lord. And that could be hidden. That could be through speaking.
11:05 That could be through serving. But why is it that so many Christians quit? They don't quit on the faith. They don't quit on hearing sermons. They don't quit on attending a local church, but their hands, their hands are not on a specific plow.
11:19 There there are no callous marks. There are no scars. There's no dirt underneath their fingernails. How does that happen? I wanna give you very simple insights that will hopefully protect you and I from ever, ever, ever living a life that is meaningless.
11:36 If your ambition in life is to retire somewhere in a nice home where you paid off all your debts and you get to travel a little bit more than you did before, that you have a little bit more freedom than you did when you were raising kids, I'm telling you that is not God's plan for your life. God wants you to serve him until your dying breath. God wants you to be spent for him. God has put too much in you for you to look no different than those who are pursuing the American dream. There's a kingdom dream.
12:10 There is a vision beyond this life. And that's what makes Christians so unique. Not just where we're going because we put our faith in the perfect savior, but how we're getting there and what we're doing in the meantime. Can I tell you why some Christians do not fulfill their ministry? Let me give you one.
12:29 Meet me in the book of Colossians chapter four. Colossians chapter four. Let's go to verse 17 together. This book is one of the most gripping letters that portrays the supremacy of Jesus Christ. But in this wonderful, wonderful spelled out theological masterpiece, you come to verse 17 and you see that the apostle Paul makes a personal appeal to a man named Archippus.
13:04 And what does he say to Archippus in verse 17 of Colossians chapter four? He says, and say to Archippus, see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord. See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord. Archippus is only mentioned here and in the book of Philemon. That's it.
13:31 We don't have much to work with. But whoever this man Archippus is, we can at least make two strong conclusions about who he is. And number one, the first thing that we can understand about this man is that he himself knew what he was given by the Lord for the Lord. He knew what he was supposed to do as a Christian. If you ask him, what is your ministry?
13:55 What do you do? What's your service? He can, he can tell it to you. He can, he can spell it out. He can say, this is how I serve in my local church.
14:03 This is what I do with my resources. This is what occupies my time. But what's concerning here is apparently there's some hesitation. Apparently there's some loss of enthusiasm here. Enough for Paul the apostle to be concerned, concerned enough to write this out in a letter that would be read publicly, not just to one church, but different churches.
14:25 I mean, he's calling him out. We're not given the reason why. But one thing that we wanna touch on is this. He knew what it was. And someone once encouraged that as you come to this verse, why don't you replace Archippus' name with your own and read it as though it was directed to you and see how your heart responds to such an admonition.
14:48 So I come to this verse and I read, and to and say to Daniel, say to Daniel Batarseh, see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord. Now put your name there mentally and read that over and over again. And then ask yourself, how does your heart respond? Would you say something along the lines of, as a response to Paul, I understand, but Paul, I gotta be honest. I don't know what it is that the Lord has called me to.
15:15 I don't know what I have received in the Lord. I don't know what my part is to play. I don't know what I am to exactly fulfill. If that is the case, my question to you is, in response, are you satisfied with remaining in the unknown? Does that not challenge you?
15:35 Does it not cause you to, to prayfully consider what it is that the Lord has called you? What he has reserved for you to receive? Because God's will for you, God's will for you is not just for archivists. It's for all of us in this place. It's that you would discover what he has planned for you, and it's not much of a mystery.
15:52 God is more eager for you to obey him than you are to obey him. God is more eager for you to experience the joys of serving him than you are. And so we have to understand here that Archippus knew, and he was not to remain idle. He was to be active. He was to be engaged.
16:11 He was to be busy. Therefore, prayfully evaluate your desires. If you wanna know how you can come one step closer to understanding what it is that the Lord has called you to, prayfully evaluate your desires as indicators of how you might serve God. Paul used that same thing with elders as those who desire the office of an overseer. Desire.
16:37 What are the passions in your heart? What do you feel like you're inclined to? If you just let your your thoughts rest, what do you see happening? What brings you joy? What brings you excitement?
16:47 What motivates you? Examine such a thing. And then from that place, also consider your gifts as indicators of how you can be effective for the glory of God. Desire is one thing, but then look at the ability. Does it match the desire?
17:00 Though it may not be matured, there has to be some kind of skill. What is the gifting? What is natural to you? What flows out of you? What is not forced?
17:09 What is there that has a grace? And that others can recognize when you do this, I'm blessed. I can smell the fragrance of the Spirit of God through that as you serve in such a way. And then from there also examine the needs around you and do not think little of them. Everybody that wants to know God's will wants a message from heaven.
17:30 They want an angel to appear in their room. But it's much more simple than that. To understand and to fulfill your ministry does not mean that you will have some ministerial position, that you'll have some title, that you'll have some long term tenor. That's not the case. It can be as simple as opportunities that come up from time to time, and you joyfully submitting yourself to that opportunity knowing that you're fulfilling a need.
17:55 It can be seasonal. It can be sporadic. It can be here and there, But you know within your soul, I am doing something for the Lord. And the question is, after knowing that Archippus understood what his ministry was, as you heard earlier, why is it that he is not walking in it? I would like to add even this thought.
18:20 That in your pursuit of wanting to know what it is that the Lord has called you, consider the undefined ministry that Archippus is called to. We aren't told what he's supposed to be doing here. Some have guessed. Was it a pastoral position? Was he a deacon?
18:36 What was he doing in here? And I believe that the mystery is divine design. I I believe the fact that it's not spelled out invites us to realize that no matter what type of ministry that it is, wherever God has called you, whatever it is that he has predetermined for you to be providentially positioned in, it deserves eagerness. It deserves wholehearted commitment. It deserves for you to give yourself over with all that is in your heart.
19:06 It's not just a particular ministry. It's a ministry, the ministry that God has invited you in. Some would guess that the reason why Archippus is not in this the way he's supposed to be is from a clue in the verse right before it. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans. And see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.
19:37 And say to Archippus, see that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord. How does that connect? Well, one tradition, this is not dogmatic. This is not this you can be opinionated about this and your salvation will be secure. Okay?
19:52 Some would say that the flow of thought here might indicate that Archippus was a member of the church in Laodicea. He was either a leader of that church or he was, some prominent figure within that congregation, or he was just somebody who just attended there, who was a member of that local assembly. And if it is the case that Archippus was from that church, where Laodicea is also mentioned is in the book of Revelation chapter three. It is the church that is known for being lukewarm. It is a church that is being condemned by Christ for not being completely worldly, but not being blazing hot for the Lord either.
20:34 And if tradition is right, then for Archippus to be from there makes total sense why he is not fulfilling his ministry. He is among those that gathered as a church regularly but were lukewarm. They, they were, you know, one day they're in it, one day they're not. They were not totally, sold out for the cause, but some days were better than others. You can find them one day where they are blazing for the Lord.
20:59 Another day, stretch of time where they're just cold and indifferent. One of the signs of lukewarmness is a lack of care of whether or not you are actually serving the Lord. It's not even a burden. That's void. It's just, I'm just here.
21:17 I'm just floating in this church. I'm just floating in life. If archippus were us from that church, then could it be that lukewarmness plagued his heart? And one of the ways in which you can see that dominating somebody's soul is when their hands are not busy. Is when they're not willing to lay down their lives in some particular way.
21:38 When There's no inquiry, there's no prayer, there's no Lord. What is it that you have of me? Like what Paul says on the road of Damascus. What shall I do, Lord? That that question isn't asked.
21:47 It's not sought after. The church of Laodicea, what what was their problem? Well, they were satisfied in riches. They were satisfied in luxury. They actually boasted in how much they were succeeding in life, and God says, you're pitiable.
22:02 You're poor. You're naked. You're blind. In the world, you look like you're you're enjoying yourself. You're you're having much pleasure and there's comfort there.
22:12 But are you fulfilling your ministry? Are you fulfilling your ministry? I have to say quite honestly that many Christians can live decades in the faith, and that, that's, that's never a concern. It might have been at one point, but it's, it's, it's never a reoccurring theme in their lives. Wherever God places you, that question should be asked.
22:33 Okay. Lord, here I am at this place. May not be my choice. It it may not be where I necessarily plan to be. But what is it that you have for me to do here?
22:43 Fulfill your ministry. The reason why people give up is they haven't even started to begin with. They don't know. And they are content with that. But I would also wanna say something.
22:57 That as I'm bringing this before you, some people are really burdened sometimes because of the mystery of what it is. They make it very complicated, or it's not sophisticated enough, or it's not obvious enough, or it doesn't seem to be as impactful as what's happening right here or what happens here for twenty five minutes on a Sunday. May I show you how God values all ministry? May I show you how God praises what we would often ignore and neglect? It's in an obscure text that often people read over and don't consider the impact of.
23:29 But the Holy Spirit saw no so necessary for us to read those simple verses in order to understand how God views every person fulfilling their ministry. Third John. Let's go to that epistle together. It's only a few verses. And look at verse five.
23:53 No chapters, only one. Look at verse five. John the Apostle is writing to a man named Gaius, and he says in verse five, beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. What's happening here?
24:21 John is praising this man named Gaius because he was putting much effort into doing what? When missionaries would travel by, when they would come by his street, his town, he opened his doors and he gave them a bed to sleep in. He gave them food. He gave them a little money for travel. He brought them in from the cold.
24:42 He protected them from threats outside. All Gaius did was nurture and supply the needs of the sent ones who would go out to preach the gospel. And he's saying, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers. And they were strangers. He didn't know them.
25:02 It's like as though a speaker was coming to this church, and somebody would volunteer and say, let him stay at my place. I know of a church that when they have their conference, big church, what they do is they don't put their pastors in hotels, but the members of church all open their homes to these pastors who are coming for that pastor's conference. It's the same idea here. But look what he goes on to say in verse seven. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles, unbelievers.
25:29 Now look at verse eight. Therefore, we ought to support people like these that we may be able to be fellow workers for the truth. Now here's the thing. We applaud the ones who are sent out. We applaud the missionaries and the evangelists, the ones who put their time and effort on the street corners and in the jungles and who go from conference to conference to build up the church of Jesus Christ.
25:56 God praises them as well, but he also applauds the ones who take care of them. Not just the saint, but the supporters of the saint. There's a whole letter here dedicated to that ministry. And not only that, he actually says that we may be in the verse of verse eight, the end of verse eight, fellow workers for the truth. So it's not some sub ministry.
26:23 It's a partnership in God's eyes. Who would have thought, who would have thought that the Shunammite woman who opened her room for Elijah, or Elisha rather, was to fit in this kind of praise, was to be, was to be commended in the same way Gaius was. All she did is that she noticed that this man would come in and out of town. And so she asked her husband, why don't we do something for this prophet? And so they build a room and then whenever he came to town, he would come and and she would feed.
26:51 I'm sure it was wonderful middle Middle Eastern food. And that's all that's all he received, a place to sleep and food to eat. And whatever that woman thought in that moment, according to this with the harmony of scripture, she was a faithful partner, a fellow worker to the prophet of God. And so sometimes as we sit here and we hear a challenging message on being a minister and being a servant and being a slave of Jesus Christ, we wonder, okay, what is it? Send me as a martyr wherever I've got to go.
27:25 Hold on. God may call you to be a martyr and he'll make it very clear and he'll give you the grace to endure the sword. But what if it is God if God is just calling you to open your house? Is that a lesser thing in your eyes? It's not to him.
27:40 What if it's just to pray for those who preach? That's what you're supposed to do. Just take a little bit more time in your day to dedicate time to showering the men that you know who proclaim God's word with intercession. What if it it what if it's just you intentionally, coming intentionally, reflecting on people that you know of this church and you will target people with sincere prayed up spirit led encouragement? You know how God sees it?
28:12 Your fellow worker. To the grand drama of redemption in the world, you are a fellow worker. Whatever it is, whether it's opening your house or being the person who goes from house to house because you preach and you have an itinerant ministry, God sees it as a partnership, and he will praise them equally. The reason why people don't fulfill their ministry is because they don't even know what it is. They don't really care to know what it is.
28:45 That's a tragedy because Paul says, see to it. Meaning, hey, make sure Archippus knows I'm calling him out. You can't be idle. You gotta get busy. God's called you to something and we're feeling the neglect of your ministry.
28:59 Get to it again. Another reason why people do not fulfill their ministry is back in our main text. Let's go back to second Timothy four five. At first glance, when we read that verse, they kinda seem like disconnected commands. But when you reflect on it long enough and you actually merge them together, what you see is a wonderful insight to the potential of God's work in and through us.
29:33 What do I mean? We read, be sober minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. Well, what does that have to do with one another? I argue that you can make these commands and place them into two separate categories. The first two deal with Timothy's focus and attention to the inner man.
29:55 Be sober minded. Endure suffering. What what does that mean? That that's internal. In other words, make sure you you disciple yourself.
30:07 Don't don't worry about preaching to your congregation. Preach certain truths to your own soul. Establish yourself from within. You're gonna have to wrestle with some of your thoughts, Timothy. You're gonna have to deflect certain lies that will try to weaken your convictions and your courage.
30:26 So before you do anything else, make sure that your mind is sober. Make sure that you have the inner fortitude. Because the second reason why people do not endure in fulfilling their ministry is because they have failed to understand the difficulties there are in ministry. Because look at the second set. The first set is inward.
30:48 Look at the second one. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. Those are Timothy's energy and attention going to other men. The first set, yourself.
30:59 The second set, to those around you. And even as a pastor, you're going to teach, but do the work of an evangelist. In what way? Preach the gospel as you teach God's word. There are people in your church, Timothy, as a pastor you're going to occupy much of your time around those who are saints.
31:18 But there are going to be people from within who are unconverted. Is that you today? Is that you today? Are you unsaved? The church is supposed to have pastors that in their teaching verse by verse, chapter, book by book, yes, through that should cause sinners to repentance and faith.
31:42 And that is why you hear the gospel from this pulpit almost regularly because pastors are called to preach to those in the midst who do not know Christ. But not just do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. You're a pastor still. Give your time to ministering and to feeding and to shepherding and counseling and praying with those who are walking with Jesus Christ.
32:07 What's the point? You understand these categories. Two are internal. Two are external. And the the point of that organization is that you and I cannot be effective in our service to others unless we are first sound and secure in our own souls.
32:27 He didn't say do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, be sober minded, and endure suffering. That's to put the cart before the horse. He says you need to be sober, and you need to be ready. And then you can be an evangelist, and then you can fulfill your ministry. You have many believers with zeal and excitement who wanna serve God, but they have no longevity.
32:54 They burn out. They give up. They move from church to church. They sign up for a ministry. Like Peter, they declare their dedication until death.
33:07 And all it takes is a, is a little trouble, a little turbulence, and they're out. And then now we gotta fill it up again. And then we gotta fill it up again. Why? I'll give you one reason why.
33:15 They're not sober minded. And they are not prepared to suffer. What does Paul mean to be sober minded? It means to be clear in your thinking. It means to be alert.
33:27 It's the opposite of being influenced by external substances. When a man is drunk, he cannot control his thoughts. He is influenced by something else determining his words and his actions and his behavior. What he's telling him is you, before anything else, you need to get a grip on yourself. You better know how to be clear headed.
33:52 What's the context? Well, throughout this time, we've been hearing that the world that Timothy was living in was gonna change drastically. There was gonna be a rise of depravity. There was gonna be people lining up to going to these supposed churches who were teaching demonic things. And so with this shift coming, with the hype of the newest and the latest, with sin all around and with events breaking out on the headlines, Timothy could be tempted to be influenced by such things.
34:21 He could be swayed. And so he had to be so concrete in his doctrine and his ministry practice through the waves that would crash on him and in his church. But not just the world that lords. Timothy's personal world was gonna be changed. His mentor, his beloved friend was gonna die.
34:39 He's not gonna be able to hold his hand. He's not gonna be able to send letters to encourage him from a distance. Timothy is gonna go into the cloud. He's gonna go into the storm by himself, at least without Paul. With all of that being considered, Paul says, as for you, Timothy, you better get control of your thoughts.
35:03 Because unfortunately, if you are a person who cannot be composed, and those who do not practice sobriety of the soul, who are easily moved by breaking news, whether it's in your own life or in the world, who are easily taken up by emotions. They're easily angered. They're easily made sad. Those people who are determined to serve God but are also influenced by such things will not be able to fulfill their ministry. It's just not gonna happen.
35:36 It'll be sporadic. It'll be like fireworks. It'll come here and there. But the ministries that they will be a part of will suffer, which brings us to the next point because they're not ready to suffer. Ministries in local churches often suffer because the people who are serving in those ministries did not anticipate the pain of serving God.
35:59 Oh, you think it's just for pastors? Is a pastor a separate body, or are we all not connected as members of one body? When my hand hurts, the rest of my body feels it. When there is pain in my leg, it screams throughout my my frame. You know this.
36:23 How much is Paul going to mention suffering in one letter? Join with me in suffering. Suffering's here. Suffering there. Suffer suffer suffer suffer suffer suffer suffer.
36:31 You think the Bible's trying to give us a hint? Serving Jesus Christ is not easy. If you believe otherwise, you will not be able to fulfill your ministry. And if it has been easy, give it a little bit of time. If it has been easy for a long time, if it has been easy for years, maybe you're doing something wrong.
37:01 It's costly. It's demanding. It's often underappreciated. There are challenges from within and there are obstacles outside. Sometimes ministry is often made more difficult because of stubborn saints and often because of satanic forces that try to throw ministries off course.
37:26 And again, all you have to do is be dedicated long enough to a church that preaches God's word for you to feel what I am talking about. It's a very unique experience. And as I said earlier, people suffer because ministries suffer. And ministries suffer because the ministers weren't ready to suffer. Ask the people in the parking ministry if there's such thing as obstacles.
37:56 Ask people in the hospitality ministry. Are there challenges? Ask the people who serve in Sunday school. It's not roses. Ask any ministry if there is anything within that has caused them to be pressured, that's caused them to pray a little bit longer, that's caused them to contemplate their involvement in that ministry, and you will know that there is suffering in every ministry.
38:24 People don't see it. People don't believe it. And some, when it gets really hard, believe that the solution is to go to another place where there will be less pain and less trouble. You're in for a surprise. It reminds me of the whimsical story of a preacher who shared about a pastor who came to his wife one day because he had received a call from a town next door.
38:46 And he was invited to be a pastor of another church. And so he sits down with his wife and he says, listen, I just got a call to another church. The church is larger. It's much better. The people cause less trouble.
38:59 They are refined. They are cultured. And they don't cause issues from within. The pay is better. So get this, honey.
39:08 I'm gonna go upstairs and I'm gonna ask the Lord if it's his will for us to move to that church. And his lovely wife innocently said, fine. I'll, I'll come up with you and we'll pray together. And he goes, oh my, no. You stay down here and you pack.
39:30 People don't wanna stick it out. People have come into this thing, whether a pastoral position or anything else, less, in terms of involvement and demand. And when the going gets tough, I'm out of here. And I believe we're seeing the repercussions of this individualistic mentality in the church, in marriage, and in everything else. If it doesn't benefit me, the moment it be get it gets costly and demands, I'm out of here, you will not be able to fulfill your ministry.
40:14 Lastly, why do people not fulfill? Why do people quit? Why do people give up? Why are people inconsistent? Because they keep desiring somebody else's ministry.
40:28 When Paul told Timothy to fulfill your ministry, he was calling him to be faithful to his ministry. To his ministry. The one that God called him to, nothing more, nothing less than that. Even when he told him to do a work of an evangelist, he didn't say you are an evangelist. He didn't say become an evangelist.
40:46 That's the office. He says in your pastorate, make sure that you have evangelistic qualities. You're a pastor still. Many believers get themselves in trouble. You know why?
40:59 Some because they are lazy in their own lane. Others because they want to drive in someone else's. Fulfill your ministry. There are some who strive to operate in something that God has not wired you for. They did not receive a grace to perform or execute it.
41:22 Others want to feel more responsible. They want to feel as though they're making more of an impact serving people. And because of that, they neglect the exact role that they've been given because they spread themselves so thin and and their attention is given elsewhere except the very thing that God needs you for. And there are others who romanticize what ministry can offer to self or to a sense of identity. And so they begin to covet something that God is obviously not giving you or gifted you for.
41:53 And then because that's not met, the disturbance of being covetous is now being felt among those who are trying to serve God. Can I tell you the most satisfying way to serve? The most satisfying way to serve God is when you are submitted to his providential permission. When you just just like make it simple, man. Just make it so simple.
42:18 Just submit like, Lord, what is it? You know my gifts. Here's the here's the place I'm at. Here's the family I'm with. Here's my schedule.
42:27 Use me. Use me. I I I don't have to feel like I'm the savior of the world. I don't I don't have to feel like I'm the next big thing. Just use me.
42:42 That will save you from a lot. If you just simply believe that you are a separate piece with other separate pieces that when put together is a masterpiece of God's grand advancement of his kingdom in this generation, it's so enjoyable. It's so wonderful. We're all wearing the same jerseys. We're all wearing the same uniform.
43:04 We all have the same cause. And if we do that right, that is the necessary ingredients for growth. If you're in this place today and you are passionate about seeing growth both in size, because more means more people saved, and you believe that you wanna see greater strength, a greater testimony, a brighter light, greater power flowing from the place that you've committed yourself to, Can I just tell you what we need to do? I'm closing with this verse. Just meet me there in Ephesians.
43:33 In Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians four fifteen, Paul says, rather speaking truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped. Now look at this. When each part is working properly. Makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
44:19 Do you know how we can be free from being stagnant? Do you know how we can be free from from just not seeing anything move throughout the years? Is when every single person is determined to say, just just tell me what it is. Lord, show me what it is. I will stay there.
44:36 I will do it. If there's more, you'll give me the grace to do more. If it's just this, then I will do it as best as I can by the empowerment of your Holy Spirit. And when each when each part, nut and bolt, is moving, and all the little tricks, all the little things, and any any kind of equipment or any kind of thing moves, then things begin to advance and more ground is taken up for the glory of God. We would get in much trouble if in our physical bodies, our fingers didn't wanna operate in the way they are called to operate because they're protesting to be ears.
45:14 And if our right foot would scream to us constantly in pain because it wanted to be a hand, we would be paralyzed. And that sounds silly and that sounds ridiculous, but then what about the body of Christ? When there is different parts in the local assembly who have members not willing to move in the way that God has called them to move. And instead of there being a concert, the same concert as you see this happening right here, hopefully it's not distracting, this concert of the body flowing in unison, this body flowing in harmony, Instead of there being a concert, it's chaos. You see one arm limping, you see one leg not moving, and and and God is just saying just if you just all trust in me and you just say, Lord, put me where I need to watch how I can I can fashion you and watch the vitality and watch the grace that will flow through this body, picking things up, moving forward, protecting itself only when each part is working properly?
46:19 Why do many Christians not fulfill their ministries? Some don't care. They I mean, after this, it's quite possible. You're just like, whatever. Some did not anticipate the hardships that come with ministry.
46:34 And some complicate the simplicity of fulfilling the ministry that God has called you to. So I hope and pray that with this charge, we would continue in the attitude and direction that we have been up to this point. Fulfill your ministry. Let's pray. Well, we thank you for this word.
47:10 Lord, we see the wonderful insight of being able to allow your spirit to work in us first, to be sober minded and to endure suffering before we actually have any chance of being effective long term to reaching the lost and fulfilling our ministry among one another. And so, Lord, help us be sober minded. Help us. Help us have the strength and the the honesty of the reality of serving you. And, Lord, when we lose hope and motivation, help us see Christ who served the father with great challenges.
47:44 In those three years, great, great obstacles, persecution, threats, hunger, sleeplessness, sleeping in a storm. And, lord, we thank you for this body of people who wanna serve you. May that may that be true in the days and months and years to come that that what moved us forward, yes, your grace, yes, your word, But, Lord, every part working properly. We long to obey you and just be the part that you have providentially allowed us to be. We give you worship now in Jesus' name.
