Short devotion: What is Ministry?

Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. (NIV)

I love this Bible verse because it contains what ministry is all about. There are three main tasks that Jesus accomplishes here and throughout my many years of ministry I tried to fulfill them.

The first task was to teach the people about the Kingdom of God. This meant reading, sharing, and studying the ancient texts of the Jewish people. God had given them history, poetry, wisdom and prophecy through these texts. Christ’s task was to interpret those sacred words with a new understanding that would extend God’s blessing of salvation not just for the Jewish people but for the entire world.

Secondly, Jesus proclaimed the good news about God’s Kingdom which meant that He preached the word in local synagogues, as well as in marketplaces and homes. He preached to them the truth about God’s existence and how mindful God was of their lives. His preaching was radical because it turned their cozy spiritual world upside down where the poor were blessed and the powerful were rebuked, where the vulnerable were uplifted and the vain were undermined; where the weak were strengthened and the strong were diminished; where the first would be last and the least would be first in God’s eyes.

And the third task that Jesus was given was to heal broken people of their illnesses, injuries, and issues. He made the lame to walk and the blind to see. He liberated people from their demons and obsessions. He gave faith to the fearful and granted peace to the possessed. He healed hearts that were broken, minds that were mangled, bodies that were crippled, and souls that were enslaved.

So, this beautiful verse reveals to us all that Jesus set out to do: to teach the truth, preach the Word, and heal the people – three things that all who minister should also seek to accomplish.

Point to ponder: What kind of ministry has Christ called me to undertake and fulfill?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your ministry still continues in our world today. Grant us opportunities to share Your truth, spread Your Word, and offer healing to others. In Your Holy Name, we simply pray. Amen.

 

John Stuart is a retired Scottish pastor who now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Church devotional - Preaching 101 - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

2 Timothy 4:3-4          For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 

            The first part of 2 Timothy 4 deals with the art of preaching and how valuable it is to grow the faith of church people. As a preacher, I am biased about this, but I believe Paul’s cautionary advice to Timothy is as relevant now as it was way back then. Preaching is not a form of vocal entertainment or a religious TED talk presentation. Preaching is about expressing the hard stuff about our faith and how much it actually influences or interferes with our lives.

            Some people think that preaching is easy; indeed, if anyone was given the opportunity to preach a one-off sermon, they would make a wonderful presentation. However, preaching to the same people week by week, month after month, year over year, is never easy because the longer you preach in one place, a deeper insight is given which can be very challenging and really uncomfortable at times. In fact, some people hop from one church to another because the sermons begin to seriously impact their lives and meddle with their nominal commitment to a local congregation.

            Paul’s advice to Timothy was given to make the young preacher aware that church people are sometimes fickle and only embrace what they want to hear. They even go to great lengths to find preachers and teachers who will reflect their personal opinions and values, which is potentially dangerous because they can be easily led astray by a charismatic speaker or a religious charmer, who will separate them from God’s Truth and turn them away from the Gospel. Any authentic preacher knows this and so he or she will work hard to present God’s Word in Kingdom terms, not popular trends.

Questions for personal reflection

How often do I pray for the preacher at my church? When the preacher preaches something I find hard to accept, where do I look for the Truth?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You have called some people to be preachers in Your Kingdom here on Earth. This calling is never easy and has become more difficult during these post-modern, secular, and affluent times. Sustain those whose difficult duty is to maintain our faith connections through the words You give them. Bless them as they prepare their sermons for this coming Sunday. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about this devotional, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is an old drawing of John’s called ‘Emmaus Bread.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Emmaus.

Preaching devotion - Paul the Preacher - 2 Corinthians 4:5

2 Corinthians 4:5       For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

            I like the candid writings of the Apostle Paul. He always tells it like it is, even though his words may rankle our 21^st century understanding of living our faith. He lived the latter part of his life as a devoted servant of Christ and ended up in prison for his faith. His mission was to spread the Gospel, plant churches, and confront evil in the world. He was arrested for being a religious radical and executed for daring to appeal to Caesar. I think if he was alive today, he would still end up being incarcerated or assassinated. Paul practiced what he preached and died for what he believed.

            He must have been a great preacher, whose reputation spread across the small church communities in the Mediterranean region. He could have lived a charmed life and set himself up as a powerful orator, who would have been greatly esteemed and widely supported. However, Paul knew that his ministry of preaching was not about himself; it was all about Christ. He did not preach or teach to win personal favors. He preached to convince people of their sinful ways and essential need of Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Preaching was not a vehicle to pander to what folks wanted to hear; it was a channel of God’s Word, Work, and Way. To Paul, it was a method of leading people back to God’s favor and blessing through the life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ.

            These days, preaching does not have the affect or influence that it once had. In any given week, preachers have about 20 minutes to impact church folks, which is not a lot of time compared to the hours we spend watching sports, viewing our TV programs, or catching up with our favorite celebrities. And it’s virtually nothing compared to the time we daily spend texting, tweeting, or face-booking. And yet, as Paul correctly wrote thousands of years ago, preaching is all about Jesus Christ being our Lord and how we should serve Him with our lives. In other words, preaching is about preparing us for Eternity, instead of pandering to triviality or popularity.

Questions for personal reflection

What did the pastor preach about last Sunday? Is that message still affecting me today?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You personally chose Paul as the most important preacher of the Gospel and teacher of Your Way. His words still ring true today, but we sometimes push back against them. Help us to re-read his writings to give us a better understanding of how to live our lives in service to You and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make a comment about today’s message, John will be delighted to receive your email. Send him your comments to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s current bulletin cover design and is based on Psalm 150. If you would like to view a larger version online, please click on the link: Psalm 150.

Short devotion: Crazy Preachers - Acts 7:51

Acts 7:51         “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”

            Stephen was a mighty preacher and spoke the truth bluntly, but in the end it cost him his life. He was convinced in his heart that his own people needed to be challenged and convicted by the Holy Spirit before they could be changed. He wasn’t doing it out of malice or malcontent; he was doing it because he wanted the people to humbly come to Christ and be saved. The pity about his passionate preaching was this: the people refused to listen to what God called upon him to say.

            Prophetic preaching is very rarely heard these days. People like us go to church to be lifted up, not sorted out. We are looking for words of encouragement and spiritual means of support to get us through each week. We need to know that God loves us and approves of who we are, what we are doing, and what we hope to achieve. We seek meritorious blessings from God and practical ways to fulfill our dreams. We come for something from God and feel empty when we get nothing from the service, the preacher, or the worship.

            Stephen didn’t last long as a preacher. Acts chapter 7 contains most of what he passionately preached on that ill-fated day. The people were infuriated and turned into an ugly mob. They reacted that way because Stephen was meddling with their cherished beliefs, their own understanding, and spiritual feelings for God. To be told that they were doing it all wrong was just unthinkable, unacceptable, and blasphemous. So they did the very thing that he was preaching about: they killed another prophet. In their fury, they did not realize or refused to recognize that they were guilty of the very things that Stephen was pointing out. The preacher preached the truth in order to change their lives; all his hearers did was to deny his words, his message, and then take his life.

            Stephen wouldn’t last long in our society either. He would upset our comfort zones and tread on our toes. He would meddle through his preaching and push us away from God. We wouldn’t stone him; we would just completely ignore him. That’s why prophetic preachers are so rarely found these days – they just don’t want to rock the boat or upset the church. Preachers and church people are alike because they suffer from the same condition: they just can’t handle the Truth.

Questions for personal reflection

Have I ever been ‘stung’ by a sermon? What did I honestly think about the preacher?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your Gospel is not easy to preach, teach, or even accept. We want to live our own lives peacefully and happily, freely and prosperously. We forget that our faith costs lives, even in today’s world. Speak to our spirits today and express to us what we need to change in our lives in order to truly follow You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com. John welcomes your comments and questions.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on a verse from Psalm 134. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8574831320_492585350d_b.jpg