Welcome to NECF. We're thrilled you're here.
Make sure to stay with us till the end, where
we'll share some great resources to deepen your
faith. Now, let's dive into this week's sermon.
So, very quickly, we'll continue from where we
stopped on Sunday, and I'll just do a bit of
a big hack. I don't know whether we're hearing
me clearly. If we're hearing me clearly, then...
I think just a thumbs up or something. Thank
you for hearing me clearly. Okay, good. So we're
going to continue where we stopped and we said
the topic is still ministers of God. It's still
ministers of God. I want to remind us that it's
plural. It's not singular. It's ministers, meaning
that we're doing it together and we're doing
it as a team. And that's how we can be effective.
And our text is from 2 Corinthians 6. And I want
to read it from the Amplified. Because the Amplified
adds something to it that I want us to see and
pay attention to. It says, to no purpose. Do
not receive it to no purpose. What this last
line points to us is that there is a purpose
for what we have received. There is a purpose
for what we have received. And that purpose is
the work of ministry. And on Sunday, we say,
who is the minister? We ask ourselves that question,
who is the minister? And it says, the minister,
the word there is from the Greek word, which
is diakonos. And we say that that word implies
a servant, someone who serves or to serve with
another. We said it implies someone who serves
or to serve with another. It means that is when
you refer to as a minister, you are someone who
serves and you're not just serving yourself.
You're not serving your own purposes. You're
serving God because you are his minister. You
are his minister. And we said, we saw that as
a minister, we have an identity and our identity
is tied to the one who sent us. The one who has
called us, the one who has given us the mandate
as a way to do the work of ministry. And we say
that that identity is tied to a responsibility,
means that we're responsible during the course
of the prayers. And we see that we're called
to that ministry of reconciliation. What has
been done to us, we also... do to others. We
are trained to train others. We are trained to
bring others in to call others out of darkness
because when we are proclaiming that which we
have seen or that which Christ has done to others
for them to come into that reality. And we see
that the ministry that we are called into is
a natural consequence of salvation. The ministry
that we have is a natural consequence of salvation,
meaning that an individual is saved and trained
for the work of service. And it's very important
that we prioritize that work of ministry as believers.
And we can get, I think on Sunday I painted a
picture for us how we can be distracted, we can
be sidelined from little things. Our everyday
life, you want to do this one thing and then
you just get sidelined. And we have to come to
a place where we realign ourselves to what we
are called to. Reorient ourselves to what we
are called to because we can be doing a lot of
things, which is what we're going to take time
to focus on in this meeting. how we want to have
singleness of mind. We want to be doing that
thing that he has called us. And every other
thing that we're doing is tied to that one singular
thing. And we say that the local church is the
training ground for believers to do the work
of ministry. The local church is the training
ground for it. We cannot train ourselves. You
can't be trained outside of the local church.
And we'll see in this teaching why it's important
for us to be part of the local church. We'll
further expand it on. And we also discussed,
we talked about the grace of God. We looked at
a couple of passages and I want to just remind
us of what the grace of God is. You see, the
grace of God is all that is freely given to us
from God to man for salvation and for the work
of ministry. And that is the definition in North
Shore because we look at several passages of
scripture. And I want us to come to that place
where we bring everything together. Know that
it's from something that is freely given to us
from God. It's not something that we can walk
to have. And that gift of God is what brings
us into heaven. That gift of God is everything
that we need for the work of ministry. It's everything
that we have been given for the work of ministry.
Praise God. So the gift of God is all that is
freely given from God to man for salvation and
the work of ministry. All that has been given,
freely given from God. to man for salvation and
the work of ministry. And what I want us to take
time to discuss in this teaching, and we're going
to look at examples of different characters,
different individuals that had this singleness
of mind, that had one thing at their focus, and
how that one thing they had in their focus helped
them drive... was the drive or the motivation
and was what led to the result and what led to
the life or the character of the individuals
that we are going to be looking at. And we're
going to look at a couple and we're going to
do this. We're going to do this with the help
of God and we're going to see how we go. So we
are going to look at David. We're going to look
at the life of David and we're going to see it
from Psalms, Psalms 27. I want us to open our
Bibles to Psalms 27 verse 4. Psalms 27 verse
4. And we know that David is one, is a king.
And David, when David shows up, we see him serving,
we see him tending sheep. The father heard. Psalms
27 verse 4. Psalms 27 verse 4. So, Psalms 27
verse 4. So it reads, it says, One thing I ask,
one thing I ask of the Lord, the thing I seek
most is to live in the house of the Lord all
the days of my life, delighting in God's perfection
and meditating in his temple. Delighting in his
perfection and perfections and meditating in
his. I will read it again from the New King James.
It says, One thing I have desired of the Lord,
that I will seek that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold
the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his
temple. And one thing I want to see from the
life of David, because he starts that psalms,
he starts, he starts, he's the one that wrote
the psalms, he starts the psalms from verse 1.
He says, The Lord is my light and my salvation.
So why should I be afraid? Why should I be afraid?
He says, the Lord is my fortress, protecting
me from danger. So why should I tremble? He says,
when evil people come to devour me, when my enemies
and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart...
will not be afraid. Even if I'm attacked, I will
remain confident. I like the last part. It says,
even if I'm attacked, I will remain confident.
And this is a man of war. David is a man that
went to battle. David is a man. And he's telling
you, and know that all of this, one, two, three,
I think there was a point in time, I think when
I had a ringtone where this was, this was the
verse that was actually beside, I think the ringtone
had the verse. And that was one part, like the
ringtone was just, you know, it gives you the
stats of the Lord is my light and my salvation.
You don't hear that and it doesn't exude confidence
that this person is sure what they're talking
about. This person is confident, not in himself,
but in the Lord. The person is confident, not
in himself, but in the Lord. And David speaking
is a man of war. He went into battle knowing
one thing, that his strength, his abilities,
every of those things. and nothing except for
God. Except for God. And David was one person
that you knew through the way he did his things,
knowing that what was very important to him was
his relationship with God. And that's why he
says that one thing. And his one thing, his own
one thing is right. And that one thing motivated
every of his actions. And I want to remind us
as believers, there should be one thing that
motivates every of our decision making. It should
be one thing that is our digital making is anchored
on. And every other thing should flow from it.
And that is our relationship with God. Meaning
that our faith in God is what should drive our
motivation, not the other way around, where several
things are the things that drive our motivation.
And we'll see it exemplified in the life of David.
David is telling us very clearly, he is his light,
he is his salvation. And that is where he...
He anchors his faith on God. And then that is
what makes him not to be afraid of anything.
And I know that you, which is what we'll come
to, as a believer, as someone who knows the God
that they serve, as someone who has a relationship,
as someone who is taught, as someone who is learning,
you want to come to that place where you are
very, very, very confident. in the God that you
serve. And that is what gives you the boldness
to boldly declare. That's what gives you the
boldness to proclaim. That's what gives you,
that's what takes away every form of fear. Because
fear is inconsistent with our identity. Because
we serve a God, because we know the God that
we serve, we are bold, we declare. And this is
one thing that David exemplifies in his whole
life, where he, because of the relationship he
has, he determines and detects how He lives and
the way the things he appreciates and the things
he wants to do. He says, one thing I've desired.
And what is important to him is that constant
fellowship and communion with God. And we see
it in how he says it. He says his confidence,
his faith, all of that is anchored on the priority
of the relationship he has with God. That prioritizing
the relationship we have with God. And there's
something I think I read. which book was that?
It very clearly states that the believer never
lacks faith. A believer never lacks faith, no
matter the situation. Because a believer believes
in the one who has saved him, the one who has
called him to the work of ministry. So even with
regards to the work of ministry, you have faith.
for the person that you're speaking to. You have
faith for the walk that he has called you to
because he's the one that has called you to the
walk and he's the one responsible. So you are
putting your trust in him who has called you
because he's the one, he who has called you,
he's faithful. He who has called you is the one
who placed our confidence in. And we have a tendency
to place our confidence in things that we are
not 100 % on. I was here, I think I was talking
last week with someone or on the weekend with
someone. I was like, we sit down on chair, we
take a seat on the chair. We don't know who made
the chair. We don't know who was the manufacturer.
We're not confident. We just put our full weight
on the chair and we just move on like it's normal.
We don't know who the pilot is, but we're confident
that we're going to arrive at this. We don't
know who, we don't, there's certain things we
don't know about, but we have confidence in those
things. But we know this God and we know that
this God has done so much already. He has given
us a son. He has brought us to that place where
we know that he has promised. He has given us
his promise and he has kept his promise over
and over again. So it doesn't bring us, we never
come to a place where we are in doubt of God's
faithfulness when we know, when we are learning,
when we have a revelation of this God. And Apostle
Paul very much exemplifies this in the passage
where we were reading where he goes down and
states a lot of things that he has, a lot of
things that has happened. You see him in verse
4, starting in verse 4. He says, but in all things
we commend ourselves as ministers. That is 2
Corinthians 6 verse 4. He says, but in all things,
2 Corinthians 6 verse 4, but in all things we
commend ourselves as ministers of God in much
patience. In tribulations, in needs, in distress,
in stripes, in imprisonment. Apostle Paul knows
a lot about imprisonment and he still doesn't
look, he doesn't change his identity as a minister
of God, doesn't change it. He doesn't stop him
from carrying out his responsibility. He still
carries out his responsibility in imprisonment.
And as he's in tumult, in labors, in sleeplessness.
In fastings, by purity, by knowledge, by long
-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit,
by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the
power of God, by the armor of righteousness on
the right hand and on the left hand, by the armor
of righteousness on the right hand and on the
left hand. By honor and dishonor, by evil report
and good report, as deceivers and yet true, as
unknown and yet well -known, as dying and behold
we live, as chastened and yet not killed, as
sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making
many rich. as having nothing, yet possessing
all things. And we see that he contrasts all
these things, and he's trying to establish to
us that in all these things, he still stands
in his identity, his solid and confident identity,
because his identity is not based off of himself.
It's based on the one who called him, on the
one who called him. And in the same Corinthians,
I think that's verse 4. 2 Corinthians 4 verses
1. 2 Corinthians 4 verses 1. He said, therefore,
since we have this ministry, we have this ministry
as we have received mercy. We do not lose heart.
We do not lose heart. We do not lose heart. In
the NLT, he says, we never give up. We never
give up. Meaning that as ministers, we know what
we have. We never give up. We are consistent
in it. We are consistent in it. We are consistent
in it. And we know that it's a responsibility
of everyone. It's not the pastor's responsibility
to never give up for each and every one of us.
It's we, individually, never give up. Because
know that David is speaking of that one thing.
Apostle Paul is telling his own. He's speaking
about how we. Call it today as believers. He
says, since we have this ministry, we never give
up. We never lose heart. We never give up. We
never lose heart. And I want us to see another
one thing again. And in this particular one thing,
I want us to pay attention because we come to
this passage and we are looking at it from this
direction. But I want us to see what God is going
to be ministering to us strongly on. And look.
In Luke 10, in Luke 10, in Luke 10, verse 40
to 42, in Luke 10, verse 40 to 42, it says, But
Martha was distracted with many servants, and
she approached him and said, Lord, Do you not
care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore tell her to help me. 41 now says, And
Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha,
you are worried and troubled about many things.
But one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that
good part, which will not be taken away from
her. And we can look at this passage and we're
like, oh, Martha is just doing. She's just more
concerned about, oh, you want to look at what
was going on while she was doing the many things.
She was doing, it says, she was worried and troubled
about many things. She was worried and troubled
about many things. And 42 now says, but one thing
is needed. And it says, and Mary has chosen that
good part. Mary has chosen that good part. And
what was the good part? Note that prior to the
verses, my previous verses in 39, it says, and
she had a sister, Mary, that's verse 39 of Luke
10. She had a sister, Mary, who also sat at Jesus'
feet and heard his word. She sat at Jesus' feet
and heard his word. And I want you to understand
that as a minister, What should be more important
to you? Service is important. But what should
be more important to you or what should be more
important to us is learning at Jesus' feet. The
training that happens when teaching of God's
word is happening. Because that is what is most
important. In the Church of NACF, we have said
this so many times. What is important to us is
that people are not just serving. That people
are learning and they are growing. People are
learning and they are growing. Not just seven,
because you can be seven and you're not growing.
You can be seven, but you're not growing. What
is more important is that you are learning and
you are growing. That is why we prioritize and
we say, okay, leaders, members, every one of
us should be part of the midweek service. Every
one of us should be part of the cell meetings.
Every one of us should be paying attention and
be taking notes in the Sunday services. All of
this is to the end that everyone is learning
and is growing. And that is a hallmark. That
is what a minister, and that's what ministry,
that's what a minister of God should hold as
priority. That is the one thing, which is the
good part, that should be a priority to us. Because
you can be doing many things. You can be doing
many things, troubled. You can be doing many
things and be troubled about those things. But
know that there's something about when you're
focused on one thing and you're focused on the
thing that is good, the most important. You will
see growth. And your service will be more effective.
Praise God. Your service will be more effective.
See, those who are trained serve effectively.
Most of the people who struggle to sit under
the training and teaching, they are the ones
that you will have a hard time with in service.
And this is very important, that as ministers
of God, that we ensure that we devote ourselves
to the trainings that are happening in the church.
The trainings that are happening in the church
are what is most important to us. The trainings
that are happening in the church is what is most
important to us. And we also see another example.
And I love this example because it is not just
what is needed, it is also what we can lack.
It's not just what is needed, it's also what
we can lack. And we see this in, we can look
at it from Luke's account. Since we're in Luke,
let's look at Luke 18. Luke 18, verses 18 to
23. Luke 18, 18 to 23. This is an account of
the young ruler, the rich young ruler. It says,
Now a certain ruler asked him, saying, good teacher,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus
said to him, what do you call, and why do you
call me good? Why question, why do you call me
good? No one is good but one. That is God. You
know the commandments. Do you commit adultery?
Do you murder? Sorry, you know the commandments.
Do not commit adultery. Do not murder. Do not
steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your
father and your mother. And he said, all these
things I have kept from my youth. So when Jesus
heard these things, he said to him, you still
lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute
to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven
and come and follow me. 23 now says, but when
he heard this, he became very soulful. for he
was very rich. And when we read this passage,
we just look and then we say, oh, he's the wealth,
he's tied to his wealth. But beyond this, we
see a man that comes and he presents to Jesus
Christ a flawless CV. He says, my CV. He says,
this is my CV. He says, my CV is, I have kept
all, you see, in verse 21, he says, all these
things I have kept from my youth. As a minister,
you want to be very careful when you, during
the course of service, our pride is not, there's
nothing of us. Remember we said the gift that
we have received, we didn't pay any price for
it. It was freely given. And it's all that we
have is what we have. We have those things in
Christ Jesus. Yes, there's the effort, the responsibility
that we. we put into the work that gets us. We
know that there's no basis for you to come and
then you look at the person you're talking to
and you're saying, yeah, see, I've kept all of
these things. We can present. And we know that
our flawless series, if you want to always get
a job, you want to go with, you want to have
a series, you know, not this, this, that. You
want to have a series that ensures that you are,
you... You want to have a good CV. You want to
know how to write the CV. You want to know how
to package even the things that you have done.
You want to know how to package and put. But
in this work of ministry, our CV is, Apostle
Paul says it very beautifully, that it's not
all these things. He has even the things to brag
about. He has all of those things. But he knows
that it's not anchored on things. It's on what
Christ has done. He's able to brag and make his
boast on. And he comes and then he's out. saying,
okay, look at me, flawless. But know that the
only flawlessly we have is the one we have is
on what Christ has done. So if we want to go,
we present that. So the minister of God is not
taking pride in the things that they can do or
the things that they have done. They are taking
pride in the things that Christ has done and
the things that Christ is enabling them to do.
So what we are not doing, when we are doing God's
work, We're doing God's work in his own terms.
We're doing God's work with the CV or with the
ability that he supplies. So this man now is
presented with the one thing he lacks because
the person he's talking to is not a man that
will not see past the flaws or the errors in
his presentation or the motive behind it. And
he comes now and he presents that and then he's...
brought his attention is brought to the one thing
he lacks and i want you to notice that what he
lacks in this in a sense is that passion for
like because he's instructed here now to sell
all he has and give to the poor meaning that
his heart and which is very key once our our
desire and our heart our relationship well we
have a relationship with god our Every of our
desire is anchored. Remember what we said earlier.
We said that our motivation, once our motivation,
once our faith is what drives our motivation.
So if we have faith in God, we believe in God,
we know that what he has called us into is greater
than what it is that we can call ourselves into.
You mean that no matter what exactly it is that
we're doing, what he has called us into is more
important than what it is that we are doing,
like our careers. all those responsibilities
that we have, because that is what is most important.
We are able to say, okay, this is what is important.
I think someone says this, because you have a
relationship with someone, the person has your
heart. Your resources will easily flow because
you know that this person is important to you.
This person is a priority to you. So when an
instruction is given, because God is your Lord,
His resources are yours. Your resources are his.
You are able to respond easily. And the fact
that you love God, you will love the people that
are his. You will love the people. You will love
people. You will have relations. You know, some
people say, I'm not a people person. You know
that the ministry you have been called into is
a ministry where you deal with people. You don't
deal with chairs. Yes, if you are doing ushering,
you will be cleaning them and all of that. But
know that the end goal is that you're going to
be interacting with people. Even the reason why
you're cleaning things, the reason why you're
arranging, the reason is for people. You're ministering
to God and you're also ministering to people.
And the point here is that this individual comes
in and then he's wanting to do it in his own
terms. He's wanting to present his own thing
and then believing that that is how he's going
to get through. But we know that... The instruction
is the same and it has not changed. That the
moment we come into him, we are no longer ours
but his. And our activity, every activity is
anchored on that. The fact that we have a relationship
with him, he tells us how we do our things. And
this is very true for our personal relationships.
Once you have a friend that is dear to your heart,
you will go out of your way to ensure that if
they have a need, that their need is met. Once
you have a relationship, there's nothing that
is too big for you to give because you have a
relationship. And that is basically at the core
of it. As ministers, our responsibility is beyond
just the casual, the everyday run -ins. We understand
that we're called to something. We're called
to minister to people. People are the... the
agency by which people are important in the work
of ministry. So it means that we shouldn't have
a hard time serving. We shouldn't have a hard
time serving. We shouldn't have a hard time serving.
And I love how Mark's account, Mark's account
actually says he looks at him with compassion.
He looks at him with compassion. He looks at
the young rich one, he looks at him 21. He says
on Jesus Christ, Mark 10 verse 21. Mark 10 verse
21. It says, then Jesus looking at him, loves
him, looking at him with compassion. He says
to him that one thing you lack. Mark 10 verse
21. He says, one thing you lack. He says, go
away, sell whatever you have and give to the
poor. Go away, sell whatever you have and give
to the poor. But in 22 he says, but he was sad
at his word. He was sad at his word. He went
away sorrowful. for he had great possessions.
So this person at the instruction to give away
what he has is sorrowful. He was saddened by
that. It was sorrowful. So it means that as believers
or as ministers, we shouldn't have a point in
time where we come and then we are feeling sorrowful
because we are asked to serve others. We are
feeling saddened because we are asked to do the
work that we are called into. Remember we said
that this work of ministry is a natural consequence
for our salvation, meaning that that is what
will flow naturally from us. And there's a training.
We shouldn't run away from training. So he says,
so I want us to ask ourselves this one question.
What is the one thing that we lack that stops
us from genuine and wholehearted service to God?
What is that one thing? What is that one thing?
That is holding you back. What is that wanting.
That is limiting your desire. Or not allowing
you to. Because in the passage. Apostle Paul.
Let's go to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6.
In verse 11. Verse 11. Apostle Paul says. All
Corinthians. We have spoken openly to you. Our
heart. is wide open. Our heart is wide open.
The NLT says, the New King James says, it's spoken
openly to you. He says, our heart is wide open.
Our heart is wide open. Verse 12 now says, you
are not restricted by us, but you are restricted
by your own affections. You're restricted by
your own affections, meaning that the problem
is not from his own end. The problem is from
their own end. It means that something is now
more important. That is one thing that is different
from the main thing that is restricting them.
Praise God, that is restricting them. Verse 13
now says, now I turn from. It says, now in turn.
For the same, I speak as to children. I speak
as to children that you also be open. That you
also be open. In Daniel, he says, open your hearts
to us. Open your hearts to us. Meaning that he
says, so he's like, something else has your affection.
Something else has your attention. He's saying,
open your hearts. He's speaking to them as children.
He says, open. your heart out to us. Because
there's a need to recalibrate and realign ourselves
to what is important. And what Apostle Paul is
pleading, Apostle Paul is pleading to them that
they should respond to his plea and set their
affection on God and his people. Set their affection
on God and his people because their gaze is away
from what is most important. Their gaze is away
from the call and the responsibility that they
have. to do that which is the work of ministry.
And he's pleading to them. He's saying, what
exactly it is? What's more important? And another
question to us is, what or who have we set our
affection on? What and who have we set our affection
on? Like King David. It is his desire. One thing
as he desired. And his desire is for God. His
desire is for the things of God. Is our desire
for God, is our desire for the things of God?
If so, our response to the work that he has called
us as ministers will be seamless. It will be
seamless. Our response will not be arguing, will
not be having any, will just flow with things
that he instructs us to do. It will not be difficult
for us to follow through with his will. It will
not be difficult for us to follow through with
his will because what is important to us is the
work of ministry. And it's his work that he has
called us to. So we do it. And Apostle Paul,
again in Philippians, in Philippians 3, verses
13, he also screams, he says, I do not count
myself to have apprehended. He says, one thing
I do, one thing he does. Even Apostle Paul, he's
saying this loudly. Remember, we're talking about
the focus, that singleness. And every believer
should have the fact that we are. We're doing
this, we're pursuing careers, we're pursuing
this and that. There's something that we should
prioritize. We have to have our priorities set
on the work that we are called to. And as I said
on Sunday, sometimes things can happen, we can
shift, but we have to come back to the things
that are most important. We have to come back
to it. We have to come back to it. And I suppose
it's forget one thing it does. He's forgetting
those things that are behind. Meaning that there
is a tendency for us to allow the things that
we have done in the past to cloud us from the
things that he's wanting to do in the future.
And as human beings, we have this tendency to
do things habitually. We want to do things like
creature of habits. We want to do it like this
all the time. Sometimes we need to make... to
be able to help us to be able to do the things
that God has called us to even more effectively.
We need to make changes to do even the things
that God has called us to more effectively. And
I want us to see also that even the purpose that
God has called us to affect the way we will structure
ourselves as a church, there are a lot of things
that are changing, there are a lot of things
we are arranging so that we can be more effective,
so that people will grow, people will be trained.
And people will be sent out for ministry because
how it happens is that we are called, we are
equipped, and we are sent out. We're trained,
we're equipped, and we're equipped, and the equipment
is for the work of service. It's for the work
of ministry. Praise God. So in Acts 6, I want
us to see a situation that happened, and we want
to see the growth. We want to see the expansion.
I want to see the reasons for it. All the things
that are happening in Acts 6, verse 1 to 7. Acts
6, 1 to 7. Acts of Apostles 6, 1 to 7. It says,
now in those days, when the number of the disciples
were multiplying, there arose a complaint against
the Hebrews by the Hellenists. The Hellenists
are the Greek -speaking... The Hellenists are
the Greek -speaking believers, and it's against
the Hebrew -speaking believers. He says, because
their widows were neglected, meaning that there
was some form of discrimination that was happening
as a result, that was happening during the distribution
of food to the widows. He said, then the twelve
summoned the multitude of the disciples and said,
it is not desirable that we should leave the
work of God and sell tables, meaning that the
apostles, prioritize the work of God, the ministry
that we're called into over this thing that could
be some form of distraction. Therefore, brethren,
seek out among you seven men of good reputation,
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business. But we will give,
we say, but we will give. ourselves continually
to prayer and the ministry of the word. And the
saying pleased the whole multitude, and they
chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and the Holy
Spirit, and Philip, Procrius, Nicanor, Timon,
Hermanus, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch,
whom they set before the apostles, and when they
had prayed, they laid hands on them. Seven, then
the word of God spread, and then the number of
disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and
a great many of the priests were obedient to
the faith. And I want us to see something here,
that we understand that the decision of the apostles
to select this individual on the basis of a challenge,
because in... it's short -setting, you can have
conflicts. And the way they chose to address,
to resolve this conflict is by not giving all
of their attention to this, but creating a system
of leadership around that particular area to
be able to checkmate what was going on. And know
that they decide to have a set of criteria because
know that the purpose... that whatever purpose
it is of what you're doing will determine how
you structure it, how you create structure. Whatever
purpose you want to, if this is important to
you, there's a structure around that. If that
is not important to you, you leave it because
it's not important. But it very much tells us
how you structure things and knew that there
was a reason for it. They said they want to give
themselves to, to give themselves continually
to prayer and the work of ministry and that will
be destruction. And hence, you now decided to...
They now ask that they should find people. And
note that the choices, like the men of good reputation,
seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy
Spirit and wisdom, whom they have appointed over
the business. Note that all of these criteria
are the criteria that are lacking in a believer.
Are the criteria that should be lacking in a
believer. All of these criteria should not be
a criteria lacking in a believer. So it means
that everyone, like if they were, because the
instruction was to have seven men. So it means
that every other person will have, but know that
these individuals are to be leaders. They are
to be leaders. So it means that these persons
stood out and were selected. These persons stood
out for the position and they were matured individuals
because just imagine if you now carry it and
give it to some group of persons where people
don't even respect people because they are individuals
that are matured, they are individuals that have
these criterias and they were able to do the
work. What I want us to see is that the apostles
delegated this for focus, so that they will be
able to focus on what is important, which is
prayer. and the work of men and the prayer and
the word. So they are able to do that. And we
see that after that is done, the result of it
is that people are effectively trained and there's
an expansion. People are effectively trained
and there's an expansion. And let us know that
the spread of the word is the result of disciples
that were trained. The spread of the word is
the result of disciples that were trained because
if the disciples... Because it's not the apostles
that are just doing the work all by themselves.
You know that in the Church of Hennessy, it should
be every one of us doing the work of ministry,
serving. Not just the pastors, not delegated
to us solely. Yes, we're doing different things.
And it goes beyond Sunday to Sundays. An everyday
thing. It's an everyday thing. We have this time,
but we have more time outside of here than now.
The walk of ministry is a lifestyle for the believer,
meaning that anywhere we find ourselves, we should
be positioned to do the work. We should be positioned
to do the work. And we see that this spread,
the increase, we saw that in verse 7. It says,
then the word of God spread. And the spread,
as I repeat myself again, is as a result of the
disciples that were going out and doing the work.
The disciples... And the number of disciples
multiplied greatly, meaning that it's one person
giving rise to another. There is a multiplication
that happened as a result. So it means for tremendous
growth, everyone has to be involved in the training.
If we want to see growth, everybody has to participate.
One person can do several things, but if several
people are doing one thing, it's going to be
more effective. it's going to be a lot effective.
One person can do several things, but if several
people are doing one particular thing in particular,
there's going to be effectiveness in that particular
thing. And that's why we all are called to this
program. We are ministers of God and we are all
to that responsibility of doing that. And for
a long time, most of us have just negated ourselves
to just the normal routine. And that's basically
what church has done to where we just show up
and then once it's over, We go back home. We
come back and your month is over. It's now a
routine. It's now a routine. And I want you to
see something similar in Exodus. Exodus 18 verse
21. With Moses. Exodus 18 verse 21. Exodus 18
verse 21. Moreover, you shall select from all
the people able men. Such as fear God, men of
truth, hating covetousness, and place such over
them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties, rulers of tens. Rulers of
thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties,
rulers of tens. there's still a criteria. We
see that in the Old Testament. We just saw that
in the New Honor. We're seeing this in the Old,
where a selection is done based on a criteria.
People who are able men and they feared God and
they are men of truth, hating covetousness, and
place such men. Such men who have place over.
We see the disciples, a structure where Moses
is going to be more effective. And that was the
advice that his father -in -law, Jethro, had
given. Because it's beautiful when you can come
and do everything. And most of the times, we
do that because we trust ourselves to get it
done. But what will happen over time is that
we'll be doing a lot, and then people will not
be trained. And people themselves, and when you
have a church with a lot of people that are capable,
and sometimes we used to say this, we say, those
of us that are... and are just looking at those
that are struggling with it. We need to check
you again. I want you to understand why you are
in a place where there's a need and then you
are not wanting to see how you can meet that
need. I really want to understand what is sponsoring
the attitude of just watching and waiting until
when it's, you know, there's a people that the
car is broken or you see that the car is about
to break or the car is about to get damaged.
And then you are just waiting for you to be the
Messiah when it does happen. And then you now
show up and then you will now be saying, all
this while you have been looking at us. So you
knew that this thing needs fixing and then you
were just waiting. That is not godly. Praise
God. That is not godly. We are called to the
work of ministry and we want to see, we have
to put our hearts to it and ensure that we are
all in it and we are working towards it and having
everybody. participate and does their own quarter
to the effectiveness of the work itself. So I
want us to look at Acts 2. Acts 2. Acts 2. 42
-47. Acts 2. 42 -47. Where I looked at it briefly
at the church on Sunday. It is... And with many
other words, he testified and exalted them. That's
Peter now. And exalted them, be saved from this
perverse generation. Then those who gladly received
his word were baptized. And that day, about 3
,000 souls were added, seeing that multiplication
happening as a result of the preaching of God's
word. No, that is the preaching of God's word
that causes the multiplication. not just inviting
people to church, is the preaching of God's word
that causes the multiplication. Preaching and
having people saved causes the multiplication.
It says, and they continue to stay sparsely in
the apostle's doctrine and fellowship in the
breaking of breads and prayers. And not that
they continue to stay sparsely, meaning that
the teaching of the word, remember what we said
on Sunday, that is, when people are saved, trained,
what will naturally happen is that they will
be They are trained for the work of ministry
and will have expansion. And what we are believing
God for and what we know that God is doing in
this season is that he's given men a desire to
not sit down and just be receiving training and
not doing anything about it. Or rather, men are
getting that sense of desire to go out. And for
most of us, we feel that, okay, going out will
mean that you have to go out. I said it, I think
I said it now. So some of us have friends, housemates.
We have people around us that we have had so
many opportunities to present, and we don't.
We don't. And we are holding back. I think the
word that Abura Takunda came and gave to us during
the course of the prayers, we want to... go out.
We want to speak and it has to be consistent.
It has to be consistent. And we want to be able
to ensure that we are not just saying these words.
We are also believing God for the gifts to be
manifest. As you are speaking to the person,
you are praying and you are receiving a word.
You are asking them, okay, what do you need prayer
for? Or what are the practical needs that you
feel that you have? And then you are believing
the ones you can meet, the ones you You can pray
for, you'll see that I can be a tool for God
to be able to minister. And you want to be able
to make sure that you are going out of your way.
I think something happened last week where I
was really concerned for a particular individual.
I was praying for the individual. And then all
of a sudden I was like, I got a word that this
person is not saved. And all the while this person
is telling me all the things and just talking.
And when I asked him about it, he said, yes,
he was. And then only for me to ask them, okay,
what is then the gospel that got you saved? And
then the person is just stammering. And then
I now realize that, okay, that word I got was
very valid, that this individual wasn't saved.
And we want to be able to really believe because
there are people that show up in church and they
are moving around and they are not. And you want
to believe God to be able to address certain
things. And it's all by believing that God is
able to. do these things and is able to work
it and we're able to ensure that we get people
not just showing up in church because that in
itself will change that person from the state
of just a church attendee to someone who is equipped
for service. So in 43 it says, Then fear came
upon every soul and many wonders and signs were
done through the apostles. Now all who believed
were together. and had all things in common and
sold their possessions and goods and divided
them among all as many had need. So individuals
were just very, were just open because once God
has happened, you have people just very willing
to serve others with what they have. Remember
when we talked about the rich young ruler, not
be saddened by just the singular fact that he
was asked to give what he had to the poor. Once
people are saved, they are trained, it's very
easy for them to just commit to the needs of
others, commit to helping others in need. So
they continued daily in one accord in the temple,
breaking bread from house to house, meaning that
they were moving. There was that priority, moving
from house to house. They were moving to where
people were and ensuring that they were preaching
as well. They ate their food in gladness and
singleness of heart, praising the Lord. and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord added
to the church daily those who were being saved.
Meaning that there is also the positioning that
happens as a result of the expansion. There's
a position in that. I thank God for the Church
of NECF where we have cell meetings in house
environments, in people's houses, where we want
to really believe God for just how we're going
to position ourselves in such a way that there
are people around. that we can be able to minister
to and we can be able to bring to the knowledge
of the truth and then train. Because as I said
on Sunday, I said, you can get someone to work,
the main work is ensuring that they grow, that
they are trained for the work of ministry. And
that requires patience, that requires consistency,
that requires the great help that God is able
to supply to us. And in Timothy, 2 Timothy 2
verse 2, 2 Timothy 2 verse 2. 2 Timothy 2 verse
2. It says, And these things that you have heard
from me, among many weaknesses, commit this to
faithful men who will be able to teach others.
Meaning that you want to, you're not just, the
goal is that it is committed to faithful men
that are able to teach others. The goal is to
commit the things to the... teaching to faithful
men. This is Apostle Paul commending Timothy,
that he commends it to faithful men that are
able to teach others. And we see Apostle Paul
having, I think, he had a lot of individuals
around him that ministered, that were ministers,
right? That ministered to him that were ministers.
I want us to see it in this passage in Acts 20.
Acts 20. Acts 20, 4 -12. Tychicus and Trophimus
of Asia. It says, these men had, going ahead,
waited for us at Troas. But we sailed away from
Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and
in five days joined them at Troas where we stayed
seven days. And I want us to see how the work
of ministry brought people around him and then
also he moved. And then you have people ministering.
And we see him coming to Troas and then also
ministering in Troas. Now, there's verse 7. Now
on the seventh day of the week when the disciples
came together to break bread. Remember we said
that was a routine. They would come around, break
bread, ready to depart the next day. Paul ready
to depart the next day to spoke to them. and
continued his message until midnight. You can
imagine the time he started and he continued
until midnight. There were many lamps in the
upper room where they were gathered together.
And in a window sat a certain young man. That
is in verse 9. The window sat a certain young
man. Take your course. He says, Who was sinking
into a deep sleep? And I'm hoping somebody is
not sinking into it deeply. He was overcome by
sleep. And as Paul continued speaking, he fell
down from the told story and was taken up dead.
He said, I was taken up dead. But Paul went down,
fell on him, and embraced him. And embracing
him said, do not trouble yourselves, for his
life is in him. Now when he had come up, had
broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while,
even till daybreak, he departed. And they brought
the young man in alive, and they were not a little
comforted. They were not a little comforted.
Now that Paul had... thought and thought and
thought to tell you how what was important going
back to what we said about what was most important
to him. The man that slept and fell from the
dust did not distract him from the work he was
doing. He had gone prayed for the man and thanked
God for the healing. The man did not die. The
man did not die. But you want to see that even
in the life of Paul, Paul prioritizes the teaching
of the word and he comes in and he's an example
for us where he's moving from one point to another.
He spent this much time teaching and teaching
and wanting to see that the disciples or the
persons, the believers were equipped. And once
he even goes, he takes his time to send them
letters, to minister to them. They are certain
individuals that he was moving around with, which
one of them is Tiki Kos. I want us to see in
Ephesians where he, how he refers, Ephesians
6 .21, Ephesians 6 .21, Ephesians 6 .21, we see
him saying, he says, but you also, that you also
may know my affairs and how I am doing. Tiki
Kos, a beloved... brother and faithful minister
in the Lord will make all things known to you.
So we have an individual that is a faithful minister
that is going to help, that was helping him and
ensuring that the word is spread. And in also
Colossians 4, Colossians 4, verse 7, which is
what we, I think we're very familiar with that
passage down to 12. I'll just read it very quickly
to us. We see that Tychicus was a beloved brother.
faithful minister and a fellow servant with all,
he said, will tell you all the news about me.
And I want us to go down to 9, where he says,
and Onesimus, this is another individual again,
Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who
is one of you. He will make known to you all
the things which are happening. So these individuals
are ministers and they are enabled and they are
helping in the work of ministry. And then we
have... 12, 12, verse 12 of that same Colossians
4, Epaphras, which is, we pray this a lot in
church, said, who is one of you? Same as Onesimus,
who is one of you? I think during the course
of the prayer, we had looked at Philemon, where
he was commending Philemon, he was asking Philemon,
you should show love to this person, Onesimus.
He says, in 12, he said, Epaphras, who is one
of you? A born servant greets you, always laboring
favorably for you in prayers. that you may stand
perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Praise God. So we see that all these individuals
are ministers. All these individuals are ministers.
And in closing, I want us to look at 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58.
1 Corinthians 15, verse 58. It says, Therefore,
my beloved brother, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. Knowing that your labor is not in vain
in the Lord. Knowing that your labor is not in
vain in the Lord. Knowing that your labor is
not in vain in the Lord. Every minister's labor
is not in vain in the Lord. Our ministry to God
and to his people is what will last. Our ministry
to God and his people is what will last. And
we're not doing something that others before
us have not done. We're not doing something that
others before us have not done. We want to stay
steadfast. We want to not allow distractions
to stop us from doing the work. We want to stay
focused. I want to believe God for strength to
even do more than we're doing. I want us to just
close by saying, I'm a minister of God. We're
thankful you joined us today. Don't forget to
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to having you with us next time. God bless.