Living to Minister - the King at Work

Pastor began the afternoon service with a definition of communion: trying to identify anything in my life that would stand in the way of being used by my Lord, such as sin. Then he said he realized he needed to go further in his self-examination to find things that are not so evident. One challenge is measuring ourselves by the attitude of the Lord Jesus. How do we maintain the pursuit of holiness and interact with the culture?

Pastor mentioned two great joys. The first was meeting with new believers or older believers who have begun to grow again, and included:

1. The freshness of discovery.
2. The simplicity of faith.
3. Honesty with struggles.
4. A zeal for progress. Their zeal can affect me. I have much to learn, and must
listen and learn.
5. Challenges with adjustment.

The second joy was being involved with the unchurched, and meeting with them in an "unofficial" setting. This joy included:

1. An openness of spirit--many people in our culture need someone to listen to
what they are articulating. It is not about the truth I know that I just "have"
to share. Do I have Christ's attitude, or do i cause resistance and/or shut
them out because I do not like something about them?

2. Unguarded expression. They will most likely say things I will not like.

3. Freedom of exchange--finding out where they are.

4. Exposure of the heart. What are they looking for? What do they know?

5. The reality of need. They all need Jesus. They know they need something,
but don't know what. We know what they need.

Ungodliness is not being like Christ. We must have a publican mindset at all times; a chief of sinners approach, rather than a pharasaical one. I have more knowledge about me than I do about anybody else, and know what a sinner I am.

Matthew 9:36-38 tells us how Christ dealt with the crowd who came to hear Him. First, we are told how to look at men--as fainting and scattered without a shepherd. He saw their hearts. Their souls were distressed and without direction. We cannot be drinking in from the reservoir of the culture and have the heart of Christ. That dulls our view of reality and causes us to think like the culture. His sensitivity reflected the heart of the Father. We will not have the heart of Christ if we do not have the eye of Christ. We must look past the externals. People's appearance is screaming that they need something. They need the Christ of the Scriptures.

Second, we are told how to feel about men--He had compassion on them. It was pity rather than anger or curiosity. There was no aversion, but compassion. There is no room for indifference. I need to pray this into my life. I must pray for the lost as well. Salt and light must come into contact with decay and darkness.

Third, we are told how to respond to men (v. 37-38). There must be patience growing out of lowliness of heart. We know God condemns pride. They need to see the spirit of Christ in me. I am to lift up Christ and He will draw men to Himself. People know when you don't approve and are pushing them away. There must also be a demonstration of forbearance--not giving up on people. How do we do when what is being said to us or about us is not true? Jesus never came to His own defense. There must also be meekness and gentleness extended.