Keys to Effective Ministry (4)

4. A ministry that is effectively blessed by God is performed in God’s power.

He says, “By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit, I fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” In John 15:5 Jesus is talking. He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. But apart from Me you can do nothing.” If you are not preparing yourself spiritually for the ministry you’re in -- whether you’re a greeter or an usher or a hostess or whatever, it’s not counting. 

But if you are spiritually preparing yourself, saying, “Lord, I realize that today in our church there will be 5000 plus people who will come across this patio. May I just touch a few of them with the love of Jesus Christ.” Then it counts. You do it in the power of the Holy Spirit. You don’t just do it in the power of your own personality. Some of you are just naturally vivacious. But what impresses people in a spiritual sense is when somebody’s had their heart prepared and love is just coming through them. You can tell. Even if you’ve only got a split second chance to pat somebody on the back, or care for them, it makes a difference.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “`Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 2. Notice how Paul ministered. Many of us think that Paul was a super confident guy, always felt like he knew everything, had it all together, never had any doubts or fears or failings. "When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with eloquence or superior wisdom. As I proclaimed to you the testimony about God I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and in much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise persuasive words but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.

” God says He’d rather take a weakling and use them. Why? Because people will say, “It must be God. I know that person. Look how God is using that person’s life to effectively change other people, to touch children, youth, college students, men, women, businessmen in our church. Ordinary people being used in extraordinary ways.” That’s what God wants to do. It’s performed in God’s power. On my strength alone, I can’t do it. But on God’s strength “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Pastor Rick Warren 

Like our page on Facebook: West-Way Initiative