The Basics Of Ministry
“Then the seventy (disciples) returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your Name.” Luke 10:17
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, after His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, He chose twelve men to be His disciples. They would be those of His inner circle who would not only see firsthand the works of God through Christ, but hear His life-giving words, words which were given to Him by the Father, and communicated in the power of the Spirit. Not only would the authority of Christ be revealed by His dominance over demons and the devil, but His words would be unlike those of any other man on earth, for as some would say, “No man ever spoke like this.” There was by the demeanor, the disposition of heart, mind, and spirit of the Lord Jesus, a uniqueness that set Him apart from all others. The twelve men that He chose to be with him during His ministry, though one would totally deny and reject Him, were men of different temperaments, callings, capacities, and gifts. They were men with flaws, weaknesses of character, and failures at times in their devotion to Christ. But they were men of sought God, and because of what they discovered in Christ, would not be turned aside from seeking to follow Him wholly. These men, though lacking in knowledge and wisdom with regard to many spiritual things, were teachable, receptive, and earnestly willing to not only be taught, but to teach others also. What then was Jesus’ method in dealing with, and forming these men? We might say, in some respects, His dealings with them can be represented by two concepts, the first being that of being CAUGHT by Christ, overwhelmingly laid hold of by God to the point that they were changed forever by the little knowledge they had of Christ, but more so, by the visible manifestation of God in the flesh. That vision of Christ was a remarkable contradiction to all that was of the “world” system, and the sin nature of men. There was nothing in Christ that was not true, and full of grace. He was of a flawless character, who could not be proven to be a sinner. On the contrary, He was seen, if not understood to be the Messiah, yet a man, or teacher, sent from God. Christ’s method began by the spiritual revelation of Himself to the individual hearts of His disciples. This can be summed up by what Jesus once said to Peter: “…flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:17)
The second way that Christ dealt with His disciples was His perfectly spoken word, or words. Though these words represented the objective eternal truth as opposed to the thoughts and ways of sinful men, they were accompanied by the power of God, and thus, they were LIVING. The fact that Scripture declares that they were living communicates to mankind that by them man is brought into contact with God Himself, expressing and revealing to men, the eternal truth of His ways, and His power. The Apostle Paul would affirm this in his first letter to the Corinthians when he wrote: “My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should NOT be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Cor. 2:4) Christ’s teaching and preaching was perfectly accomplished always in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, a power of such importance and effect, that men would be convinced of their origin in God, and then, convicted of their sin, seeking the mercy of God to be saved, or be made honorable vessels fit for the Master’s use.
To Jesus’ disciples, whether twelve or seventy, His words would ring out continuously, loud and clear: “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:4)
Dear Father, Send forth many laborers. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
…