Leaders should grow in the skill to facilitate Spirit-driven ministry

Good Christian leaders are skilled in discerning the leading of the Holy Spirit, helping others follow His working and creating space for them to minister in God’s power.  Life is not a one-man-show!

Scripture

1 Corinthians 14:26-33

26  …When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27  If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28  But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29  Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30  If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32  and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33  For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

 

Observation and reflection questions

Context: The Apostle Paul is addressing the issue of order and clarity in the very spiritual congregation in Corinth.

1. Paul is giving clear instructions in this letter about how to conduct yourself in a Christian assembly. Why? (verses 32-33)

• What does this suggest of the task of leadership even when the Holy Spirit prompts and empowers individuals for ministry?

2. What must remain the motive for spirit-directed ministry? (verse 26)

• What does this suggest of the task of leadership when individuals starts ministering in the group?

3. This epistle was written to a highly spiritual, disorganized congregation. Would you expect the congregation to be perfectly peaceful and ordered after these instructions was read?

• What does this suggest of the task of leadership to order ministry?

4. Note verse 26 regarding preparation for ministry. What does this suggest about the Holy Spirit’s work before the group assembles?

• What does this suggest of the task of leadership and the Holy Spirit’s prompting and empowerment of individuals for ministry?

5. In some communities there may be a hesitation to flow in the spiritual gifts as deemed normative in this portion of Scripture. Considering the portion of Scripture, what should the leader do to promote and facilitate the ministry of the Holy Spirit among gifted believers?

Personal Reflection and Application

The Lord is Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17) and ministers to people by gifting and prompting his children to speak and act in faith.  Yet leadership is still required to facilitate this working – to preserve order and ensure sincerity and accuracy, so that God’s peace may remain the seal for His work.

1. Think of your own fellowship group.

• How much freedom is there for Spirit-prompted and –directed ministry?
• How much freedom and power to you give to others to lead as the Holy Spirit prompts?
• How much order is there during Spirit-prompted and –directed ministry?
• How much security and peace do you ensure by marinating order?
• Following the pattern in this epistle, what can you do to insure more effective Spirit-directed ministry? Do this for/ at the next fellowship meeting. [hint: preparation, delegation, inspiration…?]

Prayer

Thank God His Holy Spirit’s empowerment and guidance.  Do you tend to quench and ignore His prompting? The confess and repent of this.  Do you tend to neglect leadership and maintain order and peace?  Then confess and repent of this.  Ask for inspiration and boldness to lead in the next fellowship group.

Covenant 3 – The Old and The New

The aim of this devotional study is to reflect on Paul’s comparison between the Old and the New Covenant.

Observations

2 Corinthians 3:6-18

6  [God] has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7  Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8  will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.

10  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.  11  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.  12  Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,  13  not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.

14  But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  15  Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.  16  But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Observations and reflections

Context:  Paul contrasts the New Covenant in Christ to the Old Covenant through Moses.  It is helpful to consider announcements of the two covenants as in these two cases

Exodus 31:18  And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Jeremiah 31:33  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, they my people.

1. Read through 1 Corinthians 3 and make a comparative table

Old Covenant	New Covenant
Letter	?
Kills	?
Ministry of death	?
On stone	?
Temporal glory	?
Ministry of condemnation	?
No glory	?
Shame of fading glory	?

2. What does Paul mean with the phrases “ministry of condemnation” and “ministry of righteousness”?
3. Jeremiah’s prophesy promised “the law within them… [written] on their hearts”? [Jeremiah 31:33] How?
4. What was the basis of the Old Testament? (What was the conditions of the Old Covenant or Pledge?) How was it managed?
5. What is the basis of the New Testament (or the New Covenant) according to this Scripture? How is it managed?
6. What does Paul say about the glory between the Old and New covenants? What does that mean?
7. What is the sign of the New Covenant at work? (v17)

Personal reflection

In which ways can you identify the following in your relationship with God:

A. “condemnation”: a feeling of being in trouble when you are found to behave wrong.

vs “righteousness”: a sense of being tested and approved of, being found acceptable

B. “law on stones”: measuring yourself based on what you are taught in Mosaic Law

vs “law on heart”: testing your motives based on the conviction of the Spirit

C. “ministry of death”: fear of failing God’s standards and threat of hell

vs “ministry of life”: anticipation for Jesus’ return to receive the fullness of our salvation – life with God forever

D. “veiled by Moses”: all you know about God is what he expects through the knowledge of the Law

vs “freedom in the Spirit”: a relational knowledge of God’s heart and will through the Holy Spirit.

Application and prayer

Considering your answers above, pray to God for a revelation of the New Covenant in Christ, assuring God’s satisfaction and our forgiveness and righteousness based on His shed blood.

This worship song will greatly enhance your time of prayer and reflection. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI]

Five Fold Ministry 5

The aim of this devotional study is to grow in understanding and appreciation of the gift of the prophet.

Scripture

Acts 11:25-30

25  So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26  and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

27  Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28  And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29  So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30  And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 21:8-15

8  On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9  He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

10  While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.  11  And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'”

12  When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13  Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14  And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” 15  After these days we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.

Observation and Reflections

Note: Agabus is one prophet we read about on these two occasions in the book of Acts.

1. What prophesy did Agabus give in Acts 11?
   1. What was the desired outcome from this message from God to His people?
   2. In this section we read that Agabus was one of a number of prophets who traveled from the Jerusalem church(es) to visit the new congregation(s) in Antioch. What does that suggest of the early church and the ministry of prophets?
   3. Summarize what you can learn from the ministry of the New Testament prophet in this account.
2. What prophesy did Agabus give in Acts 21?
   1. Note how he delivered the message; (i) what does that suggest of how he received the prophesy/ insight by God related to the future? [hint: think visually] (ii) and what does to suggest of the temperament of prophets?
   2. We notice that this congregation interpreted the message different from Paul. What can you learn about prophesy and interpretation in this regard?
   3. Again, summarize what you can learn from the ministry of the New Testament prophet in this account.

Reflection

1. If the teacher is preoccupied with the Word of God, the pastor with the well-being of the congregation, and the evangelist with bringing in the harvest – what do you think is the preoccupation of the prophet?  Another way to ask this is: if the eyes of the teacher is in the Word, the eyes of the pastor in the sheep, and the eyes of the evangelist is toward the harvest – where is the gaze of the prophet?
2. If Jesus “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry…” what do you think should the prophet equip the members in the local church to do?
3. Considering Agabus’ message in Acts 11 (above) – what is the danger of not cultivating and encouraging the gift of the prophet in the local church?
4. Considering the example of how Agabus delivered the message in Acts 21 (above), what is the danger of the church’s relationship with prophets today?

Application and prayer

1. Have you been equipped by a prophet (or someone who flows in the gift of prophesy) to hear and respond appropriately to the voice of God? If not – decide to position yourself today to “be equipped for the work of the ministry!” Ask your church leaders to help and pray that God will lead you to be equipped to hear the voice of God and respond appropriately.
2. Do you have prophets functioning in your local church? If you know them, ask the Lord for more grace and boldness and a platform to teach and inspire in the church. If you do not know any, pray to the Lord for these gifts to raise or add these gifts in your church.
3. Lastly, ask the Lord to entrust a message from his heart to someone who crosses your path today, and for grace to deliver the message accurately and boldly. Will you be obedient?

Five Fold Ministry 4

The aim of this devotional study is to grow in understanding and appreciation of the gift of the evangelist.

Scripture

Acts 8:1-16

1  And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.  2  Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3  But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

4  Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.  5  Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.  6  And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.

7  For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.  8  So there was much joy in that city.

9  But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.  10  They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11  And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.  12  But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13  Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

14  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16  for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Observation

Note: Philip was one of the first seven deacons appointed by the apostles (Acts 6:5), and is elsewhere explicitly called “Philip the evangelist who was one of the seven” (Acts 21:8).  This account above follows directly after the execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

1. Philip went to “evangelize” (share the “evangeli” or “good news” or “gospel”) in Samaria.
   1. What accompanied the spreading of the gospel? (verses 6-7, 13)
   2. What was the “good news” Philip preached? (verse 12)
   3. What was the result of the preaching of the gospel by Philip the evangelist? (verses 8, 12-13)
   4. What did the church leaders do after the good reception of the gospel by Philip’s preaching? (verses 14-16)

Reflection

1. What is the natural ministry inclination of an evangelist?
2. What do you suspect would be the natural frustration of the evangelist with a local church?
3. If Jesus “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry…” what do you think should the evangelists equip the members in the local church to do?
4. Considering the text above, what is the church’s relationship and responsibility to the evangelist and his/her gift?

Application and prayer

1. Have you been equipped by an evangelistic ministry to share your testimony and share the gospel conviction and power? If not – decide to today to “be equipped for the work of the ministry!” Ask your church leaders to help and pray that God will lead you to be equipped to share his gospel.
2. Do you have evangelists functioning in your local church? If you know them, ask the Lord for more grace and boldness and a platform to teach and inspire in the church. If you do not know any, pray to the Lord for these gifts to raise or add these gifts in your church.
3. Lastly, ask the Lord to infuse you with boldness and passion to share the good news of Jesus where you go today. Whom will you share it with?