Multiply

Actions speak louder than words. Just as faith without works is dead, so teaching and training without a lifestyle of godly action is worthless. Today’s episode of Multiply highlights the importance of leading by example.

Bivocational ministry is hard work. Essentially a bivocational church palnter takes on two jobs. Tis is a pattern of ministry that the Apostle Paul exemplified almost 2,000 years ago as he planted th church at Thessalonica. His experience gives us insights into how we can handle the toil and hardships of bivocational ministry.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians “Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Wow! Those words challenge me. I love people. But I am not sure that I live up to the standard of love Paul set.  Today’s podcast identifies some actions you as a church planter can take to increase the love you feel for the people you serve.

Godly leaders are resilient- we don’t give up

Godly leaders are clear- we specialize in truth and transparency. 

Godly leaders are Christ-focused. We do not promote ourselves

• We do not preach ourselves. The world – and, I would suggest, the Church as well - has too much of this.
• We preach Jesus Christ as Lord. This is the simplicity, and the Power, of the Gospel.  

We are your servants for Jesus’ sake.  Godly leaders are servant leaders.

Some people think that only ordained clergy can share the Good News of Jesus. Some people think that only those who have been formally trained in a theological seminary are authorized to share the message of Christ.  Some people who attend your church may be thinking right now, “I could never share the Gospel, I would not know what to say.” Or, “I might make a mistake if I shared the Gospel; I better leave that job to experts like my pastor.”

But really, who is authorized to communicate the Gospel? How is one authorized proclaim the Good news of Christ? 

As I have tried to teach by example (recall the podcast ‘You Became a Model’); I stress to those I disciple that it is how we react when we are treated badly. This is pertinent when people oppose God through our life and ministry. To be honest, it hurts! I have cried many tears as the Spirit of God was grieved and our service to individuals was met with a great opposition.

God delights in delivering people from idolatry and fear of the spirit world. Jesu shed his precious blood to set us free from fear. God is delivering thousands of people from idolatry every day.  If God has delivered you form fear of the spirit world, praise God. Give him glory.

Last time, I closed with this instruction.  “As leaders, it is important that we delegate the necessary authority to others when we assign tasks to them.” I cannot emphasize this enough; if we delegate responsibility without the necessary authority, we will frustrate our followers. 

The Apostle Paul was especially glad that the Thessalonian believers had followed Christ so well that they “became a model to believers” all over two provinces of Greece.

This is what we dream of as church planters. We want those who hear our words and see our lives to trust Christ and experience the joy of the Holy Spirit.  But we are not looking and hoping just for changed belief. We are hoping and praying for changed behavior. And that is just what Paul saw among the Thessalonians. 

To learn more about modelling Christian discipleship, listen to the Multiply podcast episode called “You Became a Model” by clicking here:

You as church planters know and are experiencing circumstances that are very hard and this is what the Apostle Paul is speaking about. Things are hard YET these circumstances cannot rob us of our Eternal joy and hope that God’s word gives us. Jesus told us that we would never be alone, that He would send us a comforter that would guide us into all truth.