Outward facing Gospel

How can we be better tools of the Gospel?

Eight ministry principles

These apply to your life and to ministry.
They are basic biblical concepts. Each Sunday, I preach the same message from a different part of the Bible. Our church is not there yet. I'm not there yet.

Love your neighbor

Loving your neighbor along with loving God is fulfilling the will of God for your life. It may seem overly simplistic, feel free to take it up with God. But we don't do this, hence the need for salvation. Love is the sacrifice of commitment or the commitment to sacrifice. Love is the call of the church.

Know your neighbor

To love presumes that we must first know the other person. We must know the other person deeply. We should know each other's sins and struggles. This applies firstly to those in the church then those of the world. Love your family and the family of God... And love those who are unlike us. Without favoritism. Who do you love without favoritism? Who do we love without categorizing them? Do we love them because they are images of God?

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:19‭-‬20 ESV

We need to listen to those we are trying to love. God may desire us to be ears rather than God's mouth. Job's friends listened for seven days and nights because of his great suffering.

God works through the community of God as He works in the community of God

How are we relevant in the work of God? We are sinners. Both inside and outside of the church. But our sins are forgiven, so we can be broken in our sin as we work among sinners. God works through this.

God super-intends our plans

God is sovereign. He is in control. We can plan, but God determines the outcome. Our trust should not be in our plans, but rather on God.

We are His instruments, but we are in His hands. The Holy Spirit moves as it wishes. So we should lightly hold onto our own plans and outcomes.

There are different responses to the Gospel

We should expect different outcomes to sharing the Gospel. Mockery. They mock the cross and the preaching of the Word. Sometimes, they is interest and curiosity. And then there are those who believe. God promises salvation of some.

What is our expectation and reaction to other people's reactions? Do we pin our hopes on their immediate reaction? Do we take their rejection of Jesus as a personal rejection?

There's more power in we than me

Each member of the body is dependent upon each member of the body. There is interdependent relationships within the church.

There's power of God is in the gospel

The power is not in persuasive ability. The same power that created the world is in the Gospel. The same power that raised Jesus from death to life. For those who are in Christ Jesus, they stand in the grace of God. There are no exceptions.

Remember the power of prayer

We need to know that prayer is work. Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. We are to be walking in constant communion with Christ. Prayer is our response to the Gospel. The basis of prayer is our security in God through Christ.