Ministering to and through the Whole Man

The call to salvation is a call to Christian ministry. Yet, as a pastor, I wonder if we truly understand this great Christian truth. Well, based on the 80/20 principle, the answer is a resounding no. With this reality, God has impressed upon my heart to mobilize more of our members to engage in ministry. God has given us (pastor and people) the specific charge of Ministering to the Whole Man: Mind, Body & Soul. I Thessalonians 5:23-24. For the next several weeks and months, we will be placing great emphasis on this theme in pulpit and Bible study ministry.  I wanna post for your viewing, use and edification the past two messages:

The Measure of Effective Ministry

Acts 3:1-10

Effective ministry is measured by the churches ability to transform the lives of men and empower them to spiritually stand and walk on their own.

Many churches and pastors are guilty of measuring the effectiveness of their ministries by the size of their membership, budgets, facilities and ministry programs. Yet, Willow Creek Community Church and Bill Hybel will tell you that these are the wrong criterias to measure ministry effectiveness. The truth of the matter is, many of  us will never pastor or be a member of a 20,ooo--multi-million dollar congregation. And so, we must measure the effectiveness of our ministries not by the aforementioned criterias, but we must measure our ministry effectiveness on our ability to transform the lives of men and empower them to stand and walk on their own. Acts 3:1-10, provides for us a picture of what, I think effective ministry looks like, upon effective discipleship.

Transitional Sentence: If the church is going to transform men lives and empower them to stand and walk on their own, the church must be...we must offer... we must...

I. Attentive of the Lame in our Path-(4-5)

A. We must be Attentive to the Appeal of the Lame

B. We must be Attentive to the Antidote for the Lame

II. Alternatives for the Lame to Ponder-(6)

A. We must offer the Lame an Eternal Alternative

B. We must offer the Lame an Empowering Alternative

III. Apprehend the Lame Personally-(7)

A. We must Apprehend the Lame Personally to Fully Elevate Them

B. We must Apprehend the Lame Personally to Firmly Establish Them

A Heart For Ministry

II Corinthians 8:16-17

Godly love will motivate the hearts of Believers in Christ Jesus to personally and passionately engage in redemptive ministry

Transitional Sentence: A heart for ministry is...

I. Supernaturally Produced-(16)

A. God Implants a Heart for Ministry

B. God Influences the Heart towards Ministry

II. Stimulated by Passion-(16b)

A. Titus had Passion for the Saints of God

B. Titus had Passion for the Service of God

III. Satifies the Petition-(17a)

A. Shares the Load

B. Serves the Lord

IV. Self-Propelled-(17)