S1: And the very people that you try to minister to
S1: often are the people that hurt you the most. But
S1: you gotta man up. You got to woman up, and
S1: you got to say that there's no opposition, even from
S1: the ones that I'm trying to minister to, that will
S1: make me stop doing what God has called me to do.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford,
S2: junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago.
S2: I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us. As today we
S2: continue a message how to have an effective ministry. And pastor,
S2: any time that you are in any sort of leadership
S2: role and you're doing ministry, you're going to face criticism.
S2: People are going to be coming at you because they
S2: don't like something that you did. And as you said
S2: very often, you're just going to have to learn to
S2: man up or woman up through that. For the person
S2: who's not encountered much of that yet, they don't have
S2: real thick skin yet. Um, what what maybe helped you
S2: early in your ministry days to when you encountered that opposition.
S1: You have to know the value of opposition. Paul said
S1: in first Corinthians 16 he said, and a great effectual
S1: door has been opened for me, and there are many adversaries.
S1: Here's what Paul was saying. Man, look at this great
S1: door of opportunity, and look at this equal opportunity, because
S1: he uses not but he uses an, which is a
S1: conjunction that shows continuity. What Paul is saying is that
S1: the opportunity has equal opposition. Sure. So we you know,
S1: here's what I tell our people all the time. Sometimes
S1: you have to realize that there hateration can be used
S1: by God for your elevation. Look, we said it. It's trite,
S1: but true. New level, new devil. I changed it, Steve
S1: did it. Yeah. I said.
S2: What's it.
S1: Now? New level. Stronger devils. True. Oh, yeah. I think
S1: it's a truism, man. And so it's part and parcel
S1: of it. If you're not ready for the opposition, you're
S1: not ready for the opportunity. And so just pray to
S1: God eases you into it like a tub of hot water,
S1: you know, put your toe in. But generally you get
S1: thrown in like, wow, I'm overwhelmed. This is too hot.
S1: But you hang in there, baby. God will cool it
S1: off for you.
S2: He'll cool off and that's where you're going to see
S2: him step in and do something pretty cool.
S1: That's right.
S2: Well, we are in acts chapter 20, so join us
S2: there as we continue a message entitled How to Have
S2: an Effective Ministry. Here's Pastor Ford.
S1: Now motivation tells us why we serve. Manner tells us how.
S1: Listen to what Paul says with all humility of mind,
S1: with all humility of mind and many tears. Here's what
S1: he's saying. Here's how I serve. realizing it was a privilege. Man,
S1: that sure brings everything together. When we understand to serve
S1: God is a privilege that God would use someone like me.
S1: What an awesome God. So with all humility of mine,
S1: I heard a story of a young man getting ready
S1: to do his trial sermon. And he he just, uh,
S1: was was like, fired up. And he was going to
S1: get them straight. He had studied this message and he
S1: was going to get them straight. So when it came
S1: time to preach, he mounted up to the pulpit. He
S1: stormed up. Tum tum tum tum tum tum. He looked
S1: at him and glared at him. He's getting ready to preach.
S1: And then he forgot his message and he forgot his notes,
S1: and he walked down with his head down. He walked down.
S1: And when he was on his way down, one of
S1: the teenagers, one of the senior Saints met him and
S1: this is what she said. She said, young man, if
S1: you would have went up like you came down, then
S1: you would have came down like you went up. Now
S1: you think about that. That's powerful. If you would have
S1: had humility that you had going down, coming up, then
S1: you could have stepped down in boldness that God had
S1: used you. And, uh. Wow, that's a powerful truth. You know,
S1: too many of us are arrogant, but but let me
S1: just tell you. Uh, you know, God doesn't need us.
S1: He said I have 7000 that haven't bowed the knee
S1: to Baal. And we need to understand. It's a privilege. Man,
S1: I you know, I subscribe to the voice of the
S1: Martyrs and Open Door Ministries. Uh, there are other ministries,
S1: but those are the two that I felt led, uh,
S1: to follow and to support, and I do. And let
S1: me tell you, and I, when I read almost every
S1: day about the Christians who are being martyred in other
S1: countries just because they're believers. Uh, the things that we
S1: take for granted, uh, where they count it a privilege
S1: to come to church and worship, uh, without being threatened, without, uh,
S1: being shot and all those kind of things. Man, we
S1: just don't know what a privilege we have. And so
S1: Paul says, yes. Listen, listen. You need presence. You need
S1: to be with them. You need participation. You need to
S1: be a worker. Here's the third ingredient that Paul says.
S1: Paul says that you need and I need if we're
S1: going to have effective ministry proclamation, be a witness. So presence,
S1: be with them. Participation. Be a worker. Proclamation. Be a witness.
S1: Listen to this in in in verse 20. And how
S1: I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but
S1: have showed you and have taught you publicly, and from
S1: house to house, testifying both to Jews and also to
S1: the Greeks. Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord
S1: Jesus Christ. He says, man, you know, I shared the
S1: good news and that's that's it. That's all we have
S1: is the gospel. You know what I heard a preacher said?
S1: If I knew who he was, I'd tell you, because
S1: I know the ladies would want to get him. He said,
S1: if you tell a woman something, it goes in both
S1: her ears and out of her mouth. Uh, but if
S1: you tell a man something, it goes in one ear
S1: and out the other. Well, anyway. Well, you know, here's
S1: what I want to say. If we would spread the
S1: gospel as readily as we share the gossip, more people
S1: would be saved. And so Paul says, I kept back nothing.
S1: I evangelize, and that's what we're called to do. Uh,
S1: we are to share our faith with those at our job,
S1: at the, at the school, at the health club, wherever
S1: we are in the supermarket, we're to share the good
S1: news of Jesus Christ with our neighbors. And Paul said,
S1: proclamation I was a witness. Now you're a witness. You're
S1: either a witness or a good witness. And notice the
S1: qualifiers here. Notice, first of all, the comprehensiveness of his proclamation.
S1: Here's what he says and how I kept back nothing
S1: that was profitable unto you. Guess what that is? He
S1: said the comprehensiveness of my proclamation. I preached everything he
S1: says and have taught you publicly and from house to house.
S1: I have taught you everywhere, testifying both to the Jews
S1: and also to the Greeks. I have shared with everybody.
S1: Look at it. Everything everywhere to everybody. Evaluate your witnessing
S1: because that's what he said. Acts one eight but you
S1: shall receive power. After that. The Holy Ghost is come
S1: upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria,
S1: and the uttermost parts of the earth. Here we are
S1: all demographics. What is Jerusalem? The place of their greatest failure.
S1: What is Judea? Place of their greatest conflict. They were
S1: getting ready to leave. Well, the grace of the place
S1: of their greatest failure. Uh. They all denied Christ, uh,
S1: and fled. And so go back there, witness. Place of
S1: your greatest failure. What about Judea? Place of their greatest conflict. Uh,
S1: they left ministry, went back, eight of them following. Peter
S1: went to the fishing business, and Matthew knew he ain't
S1: had no business fishing. He was a tax collector. Ain't
S1: know nothing about no fish unless he fishing money out
S1: of a men's pocket. And so here they went, back
S1: place of their greatest conflict. How about Samaria, place of
S1: their greatest prejudice. Because the Jews had no dealing with
S1: the Samaritans. go there and witness, and then the uttermost
S1: parts of the earth, the place of their greatest uncertainty.
S1: We are called to those who go and share. And
S1: then don't forget, the Great Commission has largely become the
S1: great omission. Go ye, therefore in all the world preach
S1: the gospel to every creature, baptizing them in the name
S1: of the father, son, Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
S1: all things whatsoever I commanded thee. And lo, I am
S1: with you always, even till the end of the age.
S1: He says, I had a comprehensive witness. How about you,
S1: my brothers and my sisters? Are you telling everything everywhere
S1: to everybody? Paul said he did. How many? Won't be
S1: like the Apostle Paul? I do. But then notice not
S1: just the comprehensiveness of his proclamation. Notice the content of
S1: his proclamation. Repentance toward God. Oh, I'm sorry to say
S1: a bad word. Repentance. Yeah, it's inherent in the gospel.
S1: If you are going away from him, it takes 180
S1: degree turn to turn to Christ. What did I just do?
S1: When I put faith in Jesus Christ, let's say behind
S1: me here is all the things I did, uh, in
S1: all of my sin. When I say I'm turning my
S1: back on that and I'm having faith in Jesus Christ,
S1: it's 180 degree turn. Okay, I hate to get the
S1: Bible in this, but now word from our sponsor, second
S1: Corinthians 517 therefore, if any man, woman, boy or girl
S1: be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things have
S1: passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And so
S1: it is repentance toward God, faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh,
S1: I love that Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe it tells us
S1: that this content has to be saturated with Lord Jesus Christ. Straight,
S1: no chaser, Lord, his deity, Jesus, his humanity, Christ, his sovereignty.
S1: And so we want them to know the good news
S1: of Jesus Christ about his deity, humanity, and sovereignty.
S2: And as Pastor Ford, talking about how to have an
S2: effective ministry, really a study from acts chapter 20, verses
S2: 17 through 28. And this is a message we're bringing
S2: you today that actually was part of an instructional video
S2: for Pastor Ford's leadership team. But we felt this content
S2: was so good, we had to make sure that it
S2: made it on the radio. So if you don't hear
S2: all the noise in the background, that's why this content
S2: is so rich though. We wanted to make sure that
S2: you had the chance to hear it. If you want
S2: to hear it again, you can always come to our website.
S2: Treasure Truth radio.org order copies of the broadcast on CD.
S2: You can download MP3's for free, or you can simply
S2: stream this broadcast through your computer or mobile device. Another
S2: way to listen is to download the Moody Radio app. Now.
S2: It makes it really convenient for you to listen to
S2: Pastor Ford's teaching whenever it fits your schedule. But not
S2: only can you listen to this program, but other moody
S2: produced radio programs. You'll find links to the app when
S2: you come to our website. Treasure Truth radio. Back to
S2: the message. Here's Pastor Ford.
S1: That we have to be like those children in the play. Ah,
S1: I love this little story. I tell it often. They
S1: were going to do a play and, uh, come that
S1: that evening up the middle aisle with a big paper
S1: mache cross that they had made singing onward Christian Soldier.
S1: The adult that was over it said, no, that's too weighty.
S1: It's not. No, no, no, put it behind the door.
S1: And so they put it behind the door and they
S1: came ready. They opened the double doors. The kids began
S1: to sing. Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war with
S1: the cross of Jesus. Then they all stopped and pointed,
S1: hid behind that door. They would not allow Christ to
S1: be hid. How about you? Can people see Christ in
S1: you and be drawn to him like a moth to
S1: the flame? Here's the fourth mark. Here's the fourth mark.
S1: Almost done. Hang in there with me. The fourth mark. Perseverance.
S1: Be a warrior. See the first three. Talk about the
S1: commitment we must have. The last two talk about the
S1: cost we must pay. Now, when you start talking about cost,
S1: folk begin to drop off like flies. Because we want
S1: a gospel. That's all honey, all ease, all flowers. No bees.
S1: But notice what he says. Let me just walk through
S1: and show you in verses 22 through 25, the price.
S1: Paul says it's a sermon all by itself. But let
S1: me give you what he says. And now, behold, I
S1: go bound in the spirit. Here's the first thing he
S1: says the first cost. Have determination. Persevere. Have determination. I
S1: go bound in the spirit. Now my Bible spirit is
S1: small s which is human spirit which means. Then he's saying, listen,
S1: in my humanity, I am not going, uh, to, uh,
S1: do anything but serve Christ. And so I will have determination. Lord,
S1: is this, he says, not knowing the things that shall
S1: befall me there. He's saying, expect the unexpected that that
S1: that the Bible tells us trials and tests, they just come,
S1: we fall into them. We're not expecting them. And so
S1: he says, if you're going to pay the price, you
S1: have to have determination. Expect the unexpected notice. The third
S1: thing he says here, he says, save that the Holy
S1: Ghost witnesses in every city that bonds and afflictions abide. Me.
S1: Know what he's saying? Be ready to suffer for Christ.
S1: Because remember what Jesus said, that we have to pick
S1: up our cross, die daily and follow him. There's a
S1: cost to follow Jesus. Salvation cost us nothing. Discipleship cost
S1: us everything. Notice what else he says. He says, but
S1: none of these things move me. In other words, be
S1: independent of circumstances. Then he says. He says, neither can
S1: I my life dear unto myself. Be ready to die.
S1: Isn't that the same thing as what no one is?
S1: Be ready to suffer and be ready to give the
S1: ultimate commitment to Jesus Christ. Be ready to die. Then
S1: notice what he says. He says, uh, that I might
S1: finish my course with joy. What's he saying there? Keep
S1: your eyes on the prize that your ministry. You want
S1: to hear Jesus say. Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
S1: You want to finish what you started because God said
S1: you were going to finish it. Where did he say
S1: that pastor for? Glad you asked. You ask intelligent questions.
S1: Philippians one six. He says, being confident of this very thing,
S1: that he who hath begun a good work in you
S1: will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. And
S1: then notice what else he says. He says, think of
S1: the impact on others. He says to testify the gospel
S1: of the grace of God. He's saying, listen, as you
S1: testify the gospel of grace, people are going to come
S1: to it. Think of the impact on others. So as
S1: we begin to minister, there are people that are going
S1: to come, and the very people that you try to
S1: minister to often are the people that hurt you the most.
S1: But you gotta man up. You got to woman up,
S1: and you got to say that there's no opposition, even
S1: from the ones that I'm trying to minister to, that
S1: will make me stop doing what God has called me
S1: to do. Here's the last one. I'm going to drop it.
S1: I'm not going to push it. He says, wherefore I
S1: take you to record this day that I am pure
S1: from the blood of all men. Listen to what he says,
S1: verse 27. For I have not shunned to declare unto
S1: you all the counsel of God. Here's verse 28 take
S1: heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over
S1: which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed
S1: the church of God which he hath purchased with his
S1: own blood. For I know this, that after my departing
S1: shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
S1: Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things,
S1: to draw disciples after them. Therefore watch and remember. By
S1: the space of three years I ceased not to warn
S1: every one night and day with tears. Now get this
S1: first mark presence. Be with them. Second mark participation. Be
S1: a worker. Third mark proclamation. Be a witness. Fourth mark perseverance.
S1: Be a warrior. Fifth mark protection. Be a watcher. He says, man,
S1: you gotta watch. Now, there's some words in here that
S1: I want you to see. Because there there are those
S1: who think that elder, bishop and pastor are three different persons. No. uh,
S1: he's talking to the elders. Verse 17. Now he uses
S1: the word overseers, which is the word bishop to feed,
S1: which is the word pastor in one passage. He's speaking
S1: to the same individuals, and he uses all three terms.
S1: And the reason being, because the elder speaks of the
S1: person and, uh, pastor speaks of the performance and, uh,
S1: Bishop speaks of the position. Uh, and so it's one person,
S1: three aspects of that one person. Uh, so but he says, listen,
S1: you have to watch. Be on guard. Now, remember, the
S1: Jews had three watches in the night and the Romans had, uh, four, uh,
S1: started 6 to 10, uh, 10 to 2, 2 to 6.
S1: That was Jewish. Uh, Romans 6 to 9, 9 to 12,
S1: 12 to 3, 3 to 6. They thought that four
S1: hours was too long for anyone to be on guard
S1: and so hear what they're saying. What is our job
S1: to watch? He says don't only watch inside. Watch outside.
S1: I'll never forget we were having prayer and a person
S1: that joined us, uh, that just came from the outside.
S1: And of course, we're always welcoming people. We thought, what
S1: an opportunity. And everybody's trying to share the gospel with
S1: the lady. We get in our prayer circle, and we're
S1: praying it's her turn. And she prays, Lord, help me
S1: because I'm a kleptomaniac. You should have saw the eyes open.
S1: Matter of fact, I opened mine. That's how I know
S1: everybody had their eyes open. And so I open up
S1: my eyes and. And then I did what the scripture says.
S1: Watch and pray. I had one eye on the woman,
S1: and I had one eye closed in prayer. And I
S1: watched the women as they were grabbing their purses, and
S1: men as they were holding on to their back pockets
S1: and their wallets. And it was like, wow. We had
S1: to watch and pray And Paul says, listen, let me
S1: tell you why. Because there are those who are on
S1: the outside and we see it all the time, especially
S1: with doctrines that are detrimental to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
S1: Paul said it's another gospel, but it's really not another gospel.
S1: Paul said it is heretical. You know, like, dare I
S1: say it, uh, a prosperity gospel. Don't throw out the
S1: baby with the bathwater. But you know, Jesus never promised
S1: we'd be healthy, wealthy and wise. He didn't say we
S1: couldn't be. He never promised that because he said, John
S1: 1633 in the world you shall have tribulation. But be
S1: of good cheer. I have overcome the world. So he
S1: promised us we'd have tribulation. Promise us there'd be trouble,
S1: you know. And so here, now, uh, we've got to
S1: be careful. We've got to watch. And then he said,
S1: there are wolves in sheep's clothing, that there are people
S1: who come in. You know them, uh, as those who
S1: worship with you, but you better be careful because many
S1: of them as well are are like individuals in the Bible, like, uh,
S1: diotrephes who love preeminence and would not allow itinerant preachers
S1: to be ministered to by the church. And so how
S1: have you done in this little exam? How to have
S1: an effective ministry? Because you need presence. Be with them.
S1: You need participation. Be a worker. You need proclamation. Be
S1: a witness. You need perseverance. Be a warrior. You need protection.
S1: Be a watcher. And if you do those things, one
S1: day you will hear God say, well done, thou good
S1: and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord.
S2: You're listening to Treasure Truth with Pastor Ford, and it's
S2: our hope that as you listen to this program, you'll
S2: be encouraged and equipped with tools that you need so
S2: that one day you'll hear God say, well done. Well,
S2: of course, God's Word takes root best when it has
S2: a nurturing home environment where you can share what you're learning,
S2: where you can get shaped by feedback. Unfortunately, many homes
S2: are shaped by marriages that lack that biblical foundation. And
S2: maybe that's where you're at today. You long for spiritual
S2: intimacy with your spouse, but you're not on the same page,
S2: and you don't know how to get to that next
S2: level in your relationship. We'd like you to have a
S2: book by Pastor Ford called Seven Reasons Why God Created Marriage.
S2: This in-depth resource will help you understand why God intended
S2: the marital relationship, and it will help you grow closer
S2: to your husband or wife. Request seven reasons why God
S2: created marriage. When you give a gift of any amount
S2: to this ministry, call us at 888644 7660 or go
S2: online to Treasure Truth Radio.com. Org. If you'd like to
S2: send a check in the mail or address is Treasure Truth,
S2: 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. You know,
S2: Pastor Ford has been helping men and women grow in
S2: their marriages for more than 30 years as a pastor
S2: and a marriage counselor. And as you read his book,
S2: you'll strengthen the pillars of your marriage and reap the
S2: benefits God intends for you along the way. So give
S2: a donation and request seven reasons why God created marriage.
S2: Call us at 888644 7660 or go online to Treasure
S2: Truth Radio. I'm Steve Hiller. Our producer is Amy Rios.
S2: Join us again tomorrow for more Bible teaching from Pastor
S2: Ford here on Treasure truth. A production of Moody Radio,
S2: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.