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Title: The Qualities of a Minister When we think about a minister we most often think of the pastor or the preacher. There is, however, an artificial distinction drawn between those we refer to as ministers and those referred to as laymen, between the preacher and the congregation. I say the distinction is artificial because we are all members of the same body and we are all ministers. I'm not talking about our calling, the Bible specifically makes a distinction in calling. When Paul wrote the Ephesian church, he wrote in Eph 4:11-13, "And He gave some {as} apostles, and some {as} prophets, and some {as} evangelists, and some {as} pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." (NAS) There is a distinction in calling. The word translated minister in this verse is the word diakoneo, it's means literally servant. We derive the word deacon from the same word. Ministry means to serve and a minister is a servant and that's what we are all called to be. The Bible says in Gal 5:13 "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only {do} not {turn} your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (NAS) Each and every believer is a minister, not necessarily a pastor or preacher, but a minister, and everyone who ministers in Christ's name should be dedicated, caring and unselfish. As Christians each of us must be sincere and honest in our service for Jesus Christ. Beginning in verse 19 of chapter two Paul wrote personal comments concerning the sending of Timothy to Philippi, and sending back Epaphroditus, whom the Philippians had sent to minister to Paul. From these personal comments we find three distinct qualities of a minister. First, a minister is to have a genuine concern for those to whom they minister (v. 20, 26). Paul mentions this quality possessed by Timothy in verse 20, "For I have no one {else} of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare." (NAS) It's also seen in Epaphroditus in verse 26, where Paul wrote , ". . .he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick." (NAS) Two words in that verse show Epaphroditus' concern the word's longing and distressed. Epaphroditus had a strong desire for his fellow believers in Philippi and was very concerned because they heard of his illness. It was natural for Epaphroditus to be concerned for the Philippians, he was one of them. He had a strong personal bond to the church there, but his concern also included Paul who describes him in v. 30 as my brother - a brother in the faith, a fellow-worker - in proclaiming the faith and a fellow-soldier - in defending the faith and he is there ministering to the needs of Paul not only as their representative but because of his genuine concern. Delores Bennet is a person like that. For more than 30 years she has been helping kids from the streets of Detroit. She's organized sports teams, fairs, picnic, informal job-referral services, and has opened her home to street kids as a place where they can come talk freely and share their hopes and fears with someone they know cares. She has become somewhat of an institution in Detroit known by city leaders, juvenile-court judges and the police. She's not a social worker nor a paid professional; she's an ordinary person with a genuine concern. (Time, "Kids Who Sell Crack," May, 9, 1988, ) Each of us must develop that kind of caring attitude within ourselves in order to willingly serve, willingly minister to others in Christ's name. That was the kind of concern and compassion displayed by our Lord Jesus as he fed the multitudes as he made the Lame walk and the blind see and as he cleansed the lepers and touched the outcasts of society and as He gave Himself upon the cross to restore men and women boys and girls to a right relationship by atoning for theirs sins. While we were alienated from God, unloving, uncaring, unwilling and unable to do anything about our condition hatful and hating, spiteful and wicked, lost and alone. He loved us and desires that we love others. Love them just as He did not willing to accept sin. But love enough to reveal it for what it is, that which separates mankind from God. Love enough to point the way to Christ. Love enough to demonstrate Christ-likeness in our own lives willing to minister physically and spiritually to the needs of others. That kind of concern also requires a dedication to serve the interest of Christ. Phil 2:20-21 "For I have no one {else} of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus." (NAS) What did Paul mean they all seek after their own interests? Isn't that what we all do? I mean we all work and we try to find the best job we can that pays the most and provides the most so we can have things we want like homes and cars and television and computers, we like nice clothes and good educations so we can have better jobs that pay more and provide more so we can have more things we want. Is Paul saying that's wrong? Not at all. In 1 Cor 10:31 Paul wrote, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (NAS) He doesn't say that in verse 22 in so many words but that's the implication of what he said. As a minister of God all the things we do and have are to be used by for God's glory. Almost everything we have or do can be used either for God's glory or dishonor. I say almost everything, because if I said everything I'm sure someone would come up with something that might not fit, but think about it. My television, preachers in the past and some today cry out against against it. It has been referedr to as hellevision. We can all think of ways in which it dishonors God. The programming you watch may dishonor God, but some of it honors God and it brings the gospel to many people who can't get out and get to church. I watched a Billy Graham crusade the other night from Nashville, many people who might not go to church to hear of Jesus have heard of Him through Billy Graham on television. Now, I might spend so much time in front of my television I don't have time for God, then again I might be able to relax in front of the television and have more energy to serve God. You can go through that kind of reasoning with other things, even coming to church. Coming to church should be God honoring, unless you come for the wrong reasons. It honors God when you come to worship and serve and learn, but what if you come to be self-righteous, or to network and meet people who will benefit you in some way, then it becomes dishonoring. You can on and on. The point is as Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5:15 ". . . He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (NAS) A dedication to serve the interests of Christ means no compromise with the world at Christ's expense. Paul was concerned many of those with him were doing just that. In his later letter to Timothy he gave him this warning: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Tim 4:3-5 NAS) Paul's prophetic words ring loud and clear today. Christians today accepting and embracing all sorts of new age, old age myths, bringing pagan teaching into the church, compromising with the world, turning away from the truth; not hearing and not heeding sound biblical teaching, denying the very truth of the biblical revelation; following instead their own desires. Every Christians is a minister and we must always be on guard that whatever we have,
whatever we do, whatever we are brings glory to the Lord. That kind of dedication
requires a unselfish spirit. That's what Paul says about Epaphroditus in verse
25 and verse 30 - he
was unselfish. That's what Jesus was referring to in Matt 5:14-16 when He said,
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do {men} light
a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to
all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (NAS) Not
hiding nor hording our faith, but sharing our faith willingly with others.
We've have been shown mercy that we might show mercy, we have been forgiven that we might be forgiving, we have been loved that we might love, we have been given light that we might show light, we have been ministered to that we might minister too. Calvin Miller says we have become a generation who recite the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, gimme, gimme, gimme. We should instead be praying send me, send me, send me. Let me ask you, are the qualities of a minister evident in your life? They should be, and they must be, because as a believer you are a minister of Christ, and He wants to use you to minister in His Name in your world. [Back] |