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October 19, 2019 - February 9, 2020
Dr. Campbell knew that authentic ministry requires absolute commitment. Why? Because in a ministry based on God’s Word, where truth is proclaimed and pleasing people is not one’s objective, there are jagged edges not generally known by the public.
Once you’ve made a commitment to serve Christ in response to His clear call on your life, the Enemy places you directly in the crosshairs of his scope. And he is an excellent shot! It’s open season on all new recruits to the ranks of gospel ministry.
The distances traveled by the apostle Paul are nothing short of staggering. In point of fact, the New Testament registers the equivalent of about 13,400 airline miles that the great apostle journeyed; and if one takes into account the circuitous roads he necessarily had to employ at times, the total distance traveled would exceed that figure by a sizeable margin.
Accordingly, Paul’s commitment to the Lord entailed a spiritual vitality that was inextricably joined to a superlative level of physical stamina and fearless courage.
Once Paul and Barnabas hit Cyprus, they didn’t simply build a fire on the beach and wait for word to get out that they had arrived. The historical narrative states they went through the “whole island,” proclaiming the gospel and teaching the Word of God.
The thirty-five-hundred-foot climb up and across that coastal range led them to Perga, then more than one hundred miles north beyond the mountains to the Roman colony of Pisidian Antioch.
The long, arduous journey eventually led them to Lystra (14:8).
“But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them’ ” (Acts 14:14–15).
Remarkably, though laying lifeless in a pool of his own blood, Paul got right back up and walked back into the city from which he had been dragged and left for dead. I mean, is this missionary determined or what? True grit.
Paul
he entered that same city and spent the night there (14:20). He picked himself off the dusty ground, pushed aside the larger stones, wiped the blood from his face and hands, gathered his composure, and climbed right back into the pulpit. They could not drive him away. Welcome to an authentic ministry!
A ministry that lasts is a ministry that relentlessly perseveres through periods of enormous persecution. It is not fickle. It does not need the applause of people. It rejects being enshrined as a god. Authentic ministry delivers the truth of God, no matter how jagged the edges or perilous the threats.
the first two of four observations about why Paul’s ministry was authentic.
First, Paul’s ministry was saturated with the Word of God.
On that first journey Paul took with him just enough to live on, suf-ficient clothing to cover his nakedness, a heart full of hope in God’s truth, and a confidence in God that would keep him faithful.
If you’re getting ready to go off to school, or preparing to take on new ministry responsibilities, or getting ready to launch a new phase of your career, don’t do it without first establishing a regular time to meet alone with the Lord, preparing yourself for the
new challenge by spending time in His Word.
If Paul could saturate his life in the Word of God, you and I can too.
Be known for your biblical commitment, your biblical counseling. Be known for your biblical advice. Be appreciated for your biblical stand on moral values.
Second, Paul’s message emphasized the gospel to the lost and grace to the saved.
First, to the lost he presented the gospel:
“Let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses” (Acts 13:38–39).
Our responsibility is to invest the Gospel in the lives of the lost and leave the results with Him. That’s what Paul did. It made his ministry authentic.
Second, his message included large doses of grace for the saved.
If you and I consistently and compassionately deliver the Gospel to the lost and grace to the guilt-ridden and ashamed, we will never run of out people who long to be free.
Once they’ve arrived, release them. Release them into the magnificent freedom that grace provides. Don’t smother them with a bunch of rules and regulations that put them on probation and keep them in that holding tank until they “get their lives straightened out.”
Making us holy is the Spirit’s work.
I’m convinced there are at least three essentials for a fulfilling life:
clear sense of personal identity, a strong sense of mission, and a deep sense of purpose.
people who know who they are, who possess a clear sense of their mission, and who understand God’s plan and purpose for their lives, are people who experience genuine fulfillment. That doesn’t mean they don’t face extreme obstacles. Rather, it means they have learned to face those challenges in ways that transform obstacles into opportunities. Rather than stumbling over them, they press on through them.
In his book Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl wrote these amazing words:
“We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last pieces of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of his freedoms is to choose his own attitude in any given set of circumstances—to choose one’s own way.”
I’m convinced our best attitudes emerge out of a clear understanding of our own identity, a clear sense of our divine mission, and a deep sense of God’s purpose for our lives.
The only way to move beyond that sort of paralyzing stalemate is to learn to accept and trust God’s plan. You release the controls and wait for Him to move.
Though the responses were mixed, Paul’s responses were mature.
That’s the third of four observations I want to make with regard to Paul’s authentic ministry.
When Paul needed to be firm, he stepped up.
You may face similar opportunities to confront enemies of truth. They come in a number of different forms. Some are more insidious than others. My advice, when the opposition against the truth is this severe, based on Paul’s model, is that you do it. Leave the results with God. Step up and speak out in the name of the Lord. Be certain of His protection. Don’t rush in. Pray for wisdom in the choice of your words before saying anything, and then speak boldly.
All the way through ministry, people leave. In every church there will be individuals, who for whatever reason, move on to other things. This includes those in leadership.
Regardless of the circumstances surrounding their departure, the journey continued. For Paul and Barnabas there was neither time nor need for a long, drawn-out farewell. They pressed ahead, keeping their eyes focused on the goal.
Paul’s Response to Unexpected Opportunities to Preach
When Paul was invited to speak, he spoke.
Without hesitation he delivered the goods. He started in Genesis and preached all the way through to the ministry of Christ completely from memory! He had no notes. He did it extemporaneously.
Let’s trace his sermon outline through the passage in Acts thirteen.
People are hungry for the Word of God. When you have hungry hearts and great food served well, there’s no problem getting people to come for the spiritual meal. Finding people who long to be fed the nourishing meat of God’s truth is no great challenge.
Therefore, my advice is simple: When you have the opportunity to share the good news, share it. But be careful not to dump the whole truck. If you’re sitting on a plane and the opportunity presents itself, don’t feel compelled to preach through the whole Old Testament before getting to the heart of the Gospel.
When Paul was rejected, he didn’t quit.
Good ministry will always have its critics.
They are the squint-eyed, negative folks who look for any possible reason to block the
work of God. They’re everywhere, even in the church. But such obstacles nee...
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