| The Model For Modern Ministry |
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Have you ever noticed how hard it is to improve upon an original? When something is an original everything that follows it is compared to it. When a business is successful it seems that everyone begins to copy that organization's blue print for success hoping to capture and duplicate that sucess for themselves. Churches and ministries are no diffent. I even found myself trying to incorporate Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Church" into my ministry when it first came out. After all the Saddleback Church was way more effective than what I was doing! Overtime, the Lord began to speak to me and deal with me that there is no need to copy other ministries, but to copy the Scriptures and to follow that model. The book of Acts though known for the coming and the ministry of the Holy Spirit,also gives us some key practices that we need to follow and apply to our ministries of today!
What are some of the key practices that we need to follow and apply to our church today?
In corporate culture we call it "best practices" things that work for us. What are some "best practices" that we can learn from the original church and apply to us today?
I. The early church was marked by Power.
Christ gave the promise of power in Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive "power" after the Holy Ghost has come upon you." What did they have power to do? Well, for one right here in Acts 1:8 The Holy Spirit came upon them so that they could be witnesses for Christ. There was power in their evangelism! Peter preached and 3,000 people were saved in one day! (Acts 2: 41) It is a well known fact that many churches go a whole year without reaching anyone for Christ. What's that all about? Where is the power in our evangelism efforts? I have learned the Roman Road, the 4 Spiritual Laws, Evangelism Explosion, and Faith all of these are witnessing programs. I have led people to the Lord through the use of them, but they did not require supernatural power to accomplish those conversions. I came unto them in "word", but wouldn't it have been nice to come unto them in "word and power?"
1:5 how that our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and `in' much assurance; even as ye know what manner of men we showed ourselves toward you for your sake.
Peter and John at the Gate called "Beautiful" witnessed in power, "silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Acts 3:6. The lame man not only got up and walked, but he was walking and leaping and praising God! Another example of power was a few chapters over in Acts 5:14-16. Sick people were being lined up in the streets on beds and couches and people we getting healed as Peter passed by. The surrounding cities came to Jerusalem to be healed and experience deliverence from evil spirits. 5:14 and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them and women; 5:15 insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some one of them. 5:16 And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round about Jerusalem, bring sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Now that is witnessing not only in word, but also in power! The same Spirit that rasied Christ from the dead dwells in You! (Roms 8:11) You have the same Holy Spirit as Peter and John had. Why is the church not experiencing His power? We see pockets and episodes of God doing something here and there, but the promise was to be poured out on "all flesh" not just a select few. The Apostle Paul said something, that we hear but often want to apply it to other churches and other people and not ourselves in 2 Tim 3:5 he said that we are to turn away from those that have a "form of godlness but deny the power!" The church has plenty of form! Plenty of liturgy! Plenty of style!, but where is the power?
As a point of application, there is a correlation between the Holy Spirit and power. The obvious observation is that if the church is lacking power then the church by in large is restricting the ministry of Holy Spirit. We the church are quenching Him, and grieving Him, which prevents the flow of His power in our lives. I by no means have arrived at that place where God's power flows through me that when I pass by people get healed! But I want to! Wouldn't that be cool if all of us could? God is no respector of persons. If Peter who by no means was a perfect man, had that kind of power flowing through him, I seem to think it could flow through any one of us.
I didn't realize how long this would be as I started to write, so I will continue on later.
God Bless you, and let's press in and submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit.
Brother Todd |
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