A Ministry With a Purpose

For the past two years, I have had the privilege of leading a group of 30 men through a verse-by-verse study of the Book of Romans.  We have met on Tuesday mornings at 6:00 a.m. for an hour of study and 30 minutes of prayer.  This time with these men has been a highlight of my week.  Oh the truths that God has taught us as we have dug deeply into His Word.  I must admit that there have been weeks when we have only delved into one or two verses, but the discussion has been so incredibly rewarding and encouraging.  God has been strengthening our walk with Him.  We are now nearing the end of that two years, as we are now in Romans 15.

This week I wanted to share with you some truths that God challenged me with in Romans 15:14.  There the Apostle Paul writes, "I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another."  God impressed upon my heart that this verse really is an outline of effective purposeful ministry.  There are three parts to it.  The first part is found in that phrase "You yourselves are full of goodness."  I believe this has reference to having a high moral character.  Moral integrity is lacking in our world today.  In fact, quite honestly, the lack of moral integrity is championed through the various media sources.  Honesty is no longer a desired feature in many corporate structures today; it is "get ahead at all costs" that brings success.  A strong work ethic is no longer built into the American workforce; it is to get paid as much as you can for doing as little as you can, and who cares if the work is done well.  One of the purposes of ministry is to help people rediscover the values of moral integrity; to be people who always take the moral high ground.  To be people who do not compromise their moral integrity for any purpose; in other words, to be like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Okay, you say, that is a very good purpose.  But how can a person get there?  That brings us to the second phrase Paul uses in this verse: "complete in knowledge."  I do not believe that Paul is talking here about learning that comes through an educational system, although that is very important as well.  But today's educational system and its values hardly guide a person to cultivate a high moral character.  So, where does this knowledge come from?  It comes through the study of the Word of God.  You see, as I dig more deeply into the Scriptures, I get a much clearer understanding of what God's desires are for my life.  I get a much clearer understanding of what God considers to be right and wrong.  I hear His heart as I read.  Now I am not talking about a brief devotional exercise - although I do not discount that God can work through His Word in any amount of time that we give to it.  But I believe the thought Paul would have us understand is that we need to commit ourselves to a serious study of the Word.  He advised Timothy, "Study to show yourself approved unto God...one who handles the Word of God correctly" (2 Timothy 2:15).  Small group Bible studies are important for this reason.  Adult Sunday school classes are important for this reason.  Online studies are important for this reason.  As we study the Word, we grow in our moral integrity and our moral character becomes more defined.

But Paul is not yet finished.  He concludes by adding, "competent to instruct one another."  Let us follow the train of thought here: Our purpose in ministry is to help people to cultivate a high moral character.  This is done through helping them grow in their understanding of the Word of God.  But, real ministry does not end there.  No, those who are growing in their understanding of the Word of God need to reach out and share with someone else.  We call this discipleship.

Discipleship, for many churches, is a program that is done for several week.  I may go to a class for a few weeks, read a couple of good books, and then be declared that I have been certified as a disciple-maker.  And, unfortunately, that is where discipleship sadly ends for many churches.  Friends, discipleship is not a program.  Discipleship is a lifestyle.  Discipleship does not happen in a few weeks.  Discipleship happens over the course of many months and even years.  Jesus built into His disciples for three years.  Paul spent many years building into the life of Timothy.  Discipleship is sharing with another what God is doing in your own life.  It is sharing with another what you are learning from the Word of God.  It is building the moral character that God has been cultivating in your own life into the life of another.  And then, discipleship is completed when your disciple becomes a disciple-maker himself.

Friends, I have now claimed Romans 15:14 to be my focus for the remaining years of ministry that God will give to me.  I want to help those within my congregation to begin to value being men and women who take the moral high ground with their lives; it makes no difference if they are 15 or 35 or 65.  I want to challenge them to dig more deeply into the Word of God.  I want to preach and teach the Word with more clarity so it can be better understood by all.  And I want to continue building into the lives of the men within my congregation, so that they, in turn, can build into the lives of their families and of those with whom they work.

We do not have much time left before the trumpet blows.  The tragedy in Kenya last week and the kidnapping of hundreds of Christians in northern Syria and Iraq remind us that followers to Jesus Christ are marked by Satan for attack.  The owners of the Indiana Pizzaria better understand now what Jesus meant when He said, "the world will hate you because it hated me first."  Will you and I take the moral high ground when we are confronted with being a Christian?  Will we dare to be like Daniel and his friends?  Will our character withstand the assaults because it is firmly established upon the Word of God?  We will be skilled in the use of the armor that God provides for us?  Let's get started before it is too late.