Here is something I wanted to share from the pastor of the church I've been attending for about the last year or so. Enjoy.
How to make Successful Ministries
Church people these days are giving a lot of thought concerning how to make their ministries more successful. In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 the Apostle Paul gave wonderful insight into successful ministry in Christ's church. It is worth our careful consideration. There he wrote, "And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God."
Paul knew that the Greeks, including the Corinthians, valued philosophical speculation. They filled their mouths and minds with varying teachings concerning the latest philosophy. Truths about the meaning of life, and the gods, and the duty of humans, and what was the most basic of all elements were some of the subjects on which they enjoyed waxing eloquent. The Athenians, we are told in Acts 17, always loved to be discussing something new. In short, they valued human knowledge and an entertaining display of language.
In contrast, Paul's preaching was a simple exhibition of the truth of God. Whatever obscured the pure truth of the cross he would not use in his ministry. Why not? Because he knew the gospel would be successful for its power lay in its unadorned form not in any embellishments or so called improvements. Its success could never be carried on the back of human philosophy or great Greek oratory style. He had to preach Christ and Him crucified because he wanted people's faith to rest on the power of God not the wisdom of men. 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 "For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."
From these Scriptures, we learn that the gospel is to be consumed raw not marinated in fancy words or dressed up in the acceptable language of the age. Paul called the gospel in Romans 1:16 "the power of God unto salvation." So we must remember as we minister to others, that sophisticated speaking cannot add any power to the power of God. Paul was concerned that the pure gospel was heard and received by men, and the more it was fluffed up with the ideas of men, the less it was clear that the truth had really been received by men. Our commitment to, and faith in, the preaching, teaching, and witnessing of the cross will be evident if we humbly proclaim and explain the fullness of the cross to the people God brings to us. 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Galatians 6:14 "But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
Let's maintain a cross-centered and word-driven ministry!
Tom Leake, Pastor-Teacher
Hope Bible Church www.hopebiblechurch.org
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