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Warren Wiersbe - Essentials of Effective Ministry - 4 of 20 | Back to the Bible | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Warren Wiersbe - Essentials of Effective Ministry - 4 of 20
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The content emphasizes that effective ministry requires a balanced approach, combining the toughness of an athlete, the trustworthiness of a steward, and the tenderness of a parent, all motivated by a desire to please God rather than men.
[Music]
welcome to back to the Bible radio
featuring best-selling author an
internationally known Bible teacher
Warren where's being in Chapter one of
first Thessalonians Paul tells us what
his evangelistic ministry was like we
have Paul the Evangelist Paul the
missionary but in chapters 2 and 3 we
find Paul the pastor you know we are so
accustomed to calling Paul a missionary
that we forget he was also a missionary
pastor Paul knew it was not enough to
bring the babies into the kingdom into
the family you have to raise those
spiritual children to help them grow in
the Lord so in chapter 2 Paul tells us
how he pastored these people how he
encouraged them chapter 2 verse 1 Paul
writes for you yourselves know brethren
that our coming to you was not in vain
it's interesting to notice throughout
this letter how often Paul reminds them
of what they already knew chapter 1
verse 5 as you know what kind of men we
were among you for your sake and then
chapter 2 verse 1 that we just read and
he also repeats it in verse 2 even after
we'd suffered before as you know we were
bold in our God chapter 2 verse 5 God is
witness not only were they watching but
God was watching and right in the middle
of verse 5 we did not use flattering
words as you know and he says it again
down in verse 11 as you know why was he
doing this because after Paul left town
people started lying about him Paul had
to leave town I think they probably got
a peace bond against him and said if you
come back into town you're in trouble
now Timothy was able to go back and
Timothy was able to minister to the
people and help them but Paul had to
leave and so people were saying to these
Christians oh well that Paul what kind
of a fellow was he he came in town he
got you into trouble he took what money
he could take and away he went now Paul
is refuting that in chapter 2 he tells
them look remember what we did while we
were there
our coming to you was not in vain that
word in vain means fruitless empty no
effect failure if I had been in Philip I
with Paul they had arrested me taken
away my rights beaten me and put me in
the inner prison I don't know if I would
have gone to Thessalonica but Paul did
Paul said you know that when we came to
you our coming was not in vain it was
not an empty thing now in chapter 2 Paul
gives to us the essentials for effective
ministry so many sermons are in vain it
seems so many services are empty and
void of power so many ministries are
simply not making it to the glory of God
why well we lack some of these
essentials you'll notice in verses 1 and
2 Paul compares himself to an athlete
and in verse 2 he says but even after we
had suffered before and were spitefully
treated at Philippi as you know we were
bold in our God to speak to you the
gospel of God in much conflict now the
word conflict there gives us our word
agony there's a whole family of words in
the Greek language that are translated
in our New Testament as conflict trial
and so forth here he's talking about the
agony the word means the agony the
stress the determination of the athlete
as he is running the race he's saying in
verses 1 and 2 when we came we won you
to Christ now as good athletes we have
the kind of toughness that we need to
keep going even though the going is
tough here's the first essential for an
effective ministry we need the toughness
of an athlete I'm going to come back to
that but let me go on to the second
essential verses 3 through 6
we need the trustworthiness of a steward
notice verse 4 but as we have been
approved by God to be entrusted with the
gospel Paul said I am not only an
athlete who is running a
and I've got the toughness to stick it
out I am also a steward who has been
entrusted with the gospel and I want to
be faithful
we need the toughness of the athlete 1st
Thessalonians 2:1 and 2 we need the
trustworthiness of the steward 1st
Thessalonians 2 verses 3 through 6 don't
stop there though we need the tenderness
of the parent it's rather interesting in
verses 7 and 8 he compares himself to a
nursing mother but we were gentle among
you just as a nursing mother cherishes
her own children imagine Paul the great
Apostle Paul comparing himself to a
nursing mother then in verses 9 through
12 he compares himself to a father an
encouraging father verse 11 as you know
how we exhorted and comforted and
charged every one of you as a father
does his own children
we need the tenderness of the parent now
this is a balanced ministry the athlete
toughness the steward trustworthiness
the father and mother tenderness this is
what ministry is all about you see Paul
was the kind of a person who cared for
people Paul had time for people oh
that's difficult
I have pastored three churches and I
tell you the larger a church becomes the
more difficult it is to minister to
everybody individually you just can't do
it I don't know how some of these men
with these huge churches minister to
people by the acre but somehow they get
it done I trust what I look at verse two
now we need the toughness of the athlete
but even after we had suffered before
that's physical suffering and were
spitefully treated at Philippi that's
emotional suffering they were insulted
they were humiliated as you know we were
bold in our God to speak to you the
gospel of God in much conflict in much
agony you see a man or a woman running
on the Olympic team cannot
when I would have quit perhaps I would
have said well if they're going to
insult me and humiliate me and beat me
and put me in prison and I haven't done
a thing wrong if this is what ministry
is all about I'm through my friend
remember this it takes toughness to
serve the Lord the president Harry
Truman used to say if you can't stand
the heat get out of the kitchen and
there's a lot of truth to that in first
Timothy chapter 4 paul writes to young
Timothy and tells him how to be a tough
minister how to keep on going when the
going is tough first Timothy chapter 4
verse 7 but reject profane and old wives
fables be careful what you eat
intellectually and spiritually and
exercise yourself rather to godliness
for bodily exercise profits a little but
godliness is profitable for all things
having promise of the life that now is
and of that which is to come he says
Timothy if you ought to be a tough
athlete he you exercise we need
spiritual disciplines today without
spiritual discipline I fear we're not
going to get much done if we would put
into our ministerial work the same kind
of discipline and devotion and
determination that athletes put into
their work we would all have better
churches and we'd all be better pastors
we need the toughness of the athlete
secondly we need the trustworthiness of
the steward in verses three through six
he talks about his stewardship first he
says our exhortation our message did not
come from deceit now there's the message
or uncleanness
there's the motive nor was it in guile
there is the method a steward must be
faithful in his motives his message and
his methods I've heard people say I
don't care what methods you use as long
as you get people saved Paul didn't
believe that there are some methods that
are not worthy of the gospel our our
exhortation did not come from deceit
that means error we must
the right message he was entrusted with
the Word of God God had entrusted the
word to Paul Paul took that word to
Thessalonica the Thessalonians people
shared that word with others for from
you the word of the Lord has sounded out
in Macedonia and in akia well we need
the trustworthiness of the steward in
our message we must guard the gospel and
preach the gospel and defend the gospel
and practice the gospel but don't stop
there someone says well my message is
right well what about your motive our
exhortation did not come from deceit or
uncleanness the word uncleanness their
means motives now there are many wrong
motives look at verse 4 but as we have
been approved by God to be entrusted
with the gospel even so we speak not as
pleasing men there's a wrong motive to
preach the gospel to get a crowd to have
people follow you all the celebrities
today in the religious realm it breaks
your heart to see these people who are
building fan clubs in the name of Jesus
Christ pleasing men but we please God
who tests our hearts neither at any time
did we use flattering words you see the
right motive is to please God to glorify
God in verse 5 he said we didn't go
after money a cloak for covetousness
verse 6 we didn't go after praise nor
did we seek glory from men what is the
motive for your ministry if your motive
is to please God then you can be
faithful to him all we need the
trustworthiness of the steward in our
message and in our motives and in our methods
methods
nor was it in guile he says in verse 3
that word guile means the baiting of a
hook cunning devices using methods of
psychological salesmanship to try to win
people verse 5 tells us flattery will do
that tell people how good they are lying
to them flattery in our message and in
our motive and in our methods we must be
faithful to
the Lord why because God is witness
chapter 2 verse 5 God is witness God
sees our hearts he knows the motives God
hears our message
he knows whether or not we're preaching
the truth God watches our methods and if
someone says well the end justifies the means
means
then you've parted with the Apostle Paul
there are some methods of sharing the
gospel that cheapen the gospel there are
some methods of presenting the gospel
that are not worthy of the gospel in
verse 12 he says that you would have a
walk worthy of God well we need the
toughness of the athlete and the
trustworthiness of the steward may God
help us not to be quitters and may God
help us not to be deceiving
to be open and aboveboard and honest as
we share the wonderful message of Jesus Christ
the most expensive message in the world
is the gospel it cost God his son it
costs Jesus Christ his life some
messages are rather inexpensive but the
message of the gospel is the most
expensive message in the world the
greatest treasure
it's the saving gospel of Jesus Christ
now this gospel has been committed not
to angels but to us to men to women boys
and girls Paul says in 1st Timothy 1:11
this glorious gospel of the Blessed God
was committed to his trust now what did
he do with it well he committed it 2
Timothy chapter 1 verse 18 this charge I
commit to you son Timothy according to
the prophecies previously made
concerning you now he gives it to
Timothy he repeats this in 1st Timothy
chapter 6 and verse 20 first Timothy
chapter 6 verse 20 old Timothy I can
just hear Paul as he's dictating this
letter o Timothy
guard what was committed to your trust
so God committed the gospel to Paul Paul
committed it to Timothy now what is
Timothy supposed to do with it well he's
supposed to commit it to others 2nd
Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2 and the
things that you have heard for me among
many witnesses commit these to faithful
men who will be able to teach others
also we are stewards of the gospel and
because we are stewards of the gospel
our job is to be approved of God verse 4
as we have been approved of God not as
pleasing man but God who tests our
hearts now it's an easy thing to try to
please people but it doesn't work out in
the end we'll get mail at the broadcast
from people who read our magazine or
they read our books or listen to the
broadcast ministry and they disagree with
with
some people even say now if you continue
to teach that we're going to drop our
support well we're not here to please
men we want people to support the
ministry but our ministry is not for sale
sale
nor is our conscience for sale how we
cannot be bribed God wants us to please
him and we don't want to be arrogant or
independent that's the wrong attitude
but submissively yielded to God we want
to be faithful to him it's not going to
make a bit of difference when I stand
before the Lord Jesus Christ how many
people on earth applauded me or
criticized me the important thing is did
I please the Lord and every day I search
my heart and every day I pray to God at
the beginning of the day early in the
morning Oh God help me today so des
Minister as to please the Lord you see
there's a danger in verse five of
flattery covetousness verse six seeking
glory trying to get praise from man all
how easy it is to use these
opportunities to build up yourself
instead of building up the Church of
Jesus Christ head back to the Bible we
don't have any celebrities we're
servants we're here to serve Paul is
very careful to tell us he was faithful
as a steward of the gospel now don't
stop there though stewardship involves
something else it involves the the
ministry of our spiritual gifts in first Peter
Peter
we are told about this first Peter
chapter 4 and verse 10 as each one has
received a gift and that means a
spiritual gift first Peter 4:10 is
talking about spiritual gifts as each
one has received a gift minister to one
another as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God the manifold grace of God
exhibited in spiritual gifts oh what a
wonderful Lord we have he does not give
us a job
to do without first giving us the
equipment to do the work that encourages
me to know that when God calls he equips
when he equips he enables when he
enables he encourages when God called
Paul he equipped him for his ministry
now Peter writes to believers and says
everything's going to come to an end the
end of all things is at hand
therefore use your spiritual gift as
good stewards of the manifold grace of
God we have in our churches today
multitudes of people who have put their
gifts on the Shelf and they're not
serving the Lord and that is sin just as
we must be good stewards of the gospel
we must be good stewards of our
spiritual gifts and whatever gifts God
has given to you use them to the glory
of God we should also be good stewards
of the material resources God has given
to us in that parable of the steward in
Luke chapter 16 the Lord Jesus says in
verse 10 it's an amazing verse Luke
16:10 he who is faithful in what is
least that's money is faithful also in
much that's the gospel the the things of
the Lord the truths of the Bible and he
who is unjust in what is least that's
money is unjust also in much that's the
Ministry of the word of God and if you
have not been faithful says verse 12 in
what is another man's that's money who
will give you what is your own that's
the spiritual riches from the Lord no
servant can serve two masters
we have been commissioned to use our
material possessions to the glory of God
there's a direct relationship between
the material wealth and how we use it
and spiritual truth and how we minister
it I didn't say that Jesus did that's
why my wife and I do not support
ministries that are not faithful in the
use of money they don't have any audits
don't have any reports they don't have
any reputable system for reporting
what's going on with the finances we
should also be good stewards of our
opportunities in Ephesians chapter 5
verse 15 these verses convict me see
then that you walk circumspectly that
means carefully looking around not as
fool's but as wise don't walk through
this wicked dangerous world with your
eyes closed redeeming the time buying up
the opportunity because the days are
evil now because the days are evil we
are tempted to say well why do anything
they're gonna get worse and worse the
old corpse is rotting no no Paul says as
you walk through this dirty dangerous
defiled world use every opportunity you
have to serve the Lord I suppose when I
get to glory the thing I'm going to
regret the most at the judgment seat of
Christ is wasted opportunity
oh the opportunities I have had to
witness and to help and I guess I didn't
do it the way I should have and I'm
sorry I've prayed about it we need to be
as trustworthy as a steward good
stewards of the gospel are you
committing the gospel of Jesus Christ to
others well stewardship is important
isn't it not only stewardship of the
gospel but stewardship of our spiritual
gifts are you using your spiritual gifts
to the glory of God
let me exhort pastors and Sunday School
teachers to help people discover and
develop their spiritual gifts oh how I
thank God for my early years at a little
church in northern Indiana where I was a
member and then I became pastor and
those dear loving people received me and
encouraged me and they helped me to
discover and develop my spiritual gifts
how I thank God for a group of friends
who took a young man to their heart
prayed for him and encouraged him to
develop his spiritual gifts are you a
good steward of the possessions go
is given to you that's important one of
these days we're going to be gone and we
want to be able to use everything God
has given to us for his glory
are we good stewards of the
opportunities that God has given to us
this matter of stewardship is so
important and it's important that we
have the right motive you'll notice in
verse 6
Paul said nor did we seek glory from man
we didn't demand respect we commanded respect
respect
we didn't demand support we didn't
demand obedience no either from you or
from others when we might have made
demands as apostles of Christ he said I
wasn't there to get I was there to give
my motive was to share what I had to
share my spiritual gifts to share
whatever material wealth I had to buy up
the opportunity and to win people to the
Lord Jesus Christ that is what the
Christian life is all about being a good
steward in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ we're glad you joined us today if
you missed part of the program or you'd
like to listen again just come to back
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