What does a biblically sound and theologically balanced ministry look like in the context of a postmodern world, and how would you incorporate Holy Spirit empowerment into such a global ministry?
Living and helping others to live a life which is based on Bible and theology is a lifelong challenge in this postmodern world. A life which is deviated from the Biblical truth is deception. The postmodern world is pushing out the general population to a distance from the real truth and authority. That causes immorality to be creeping into the world with a great pressure. Consciously or unconsciously the truth is been ignored by the people and accepting the vanity of the world as an individual truth which is against the truth of the Word of God.
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A minister could do only what he is appointed for, but until people allow Holy Spirit to come and work inside nothing will change. Ezekiel 36:26 and 27 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you… And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Holy Spirit is the Counsellor, Intercessor, Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, and teacher within who releases the power of God for life and ministry. So the Christian leader needs to understand the importance of the Holy Spirit who helps to teach and guide the humanity in all truth. In John 14:6 Jesus says that “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Because the history claims the birth of Christ, this truth is absolute and those who negate this truth will be accountable to …show more content…
It is the Father God who sent His Spirit to bear witness to His Son, and the Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit. When the ministers approach this world, it is the Holy Spirit do the work of conviction of sin, faith in Christ, new birth, and Christian growth in the hearts of people. The global ministry will be possible only when the Spirit renews and empowers the ministers to reach the common people to reveal the truth and
I agree with Kitchens, Mead, and Roxburgh who all basically say in their own way that one change in ministry that we need to focus on more is the congregational life of the church. However, I think Mead explains it best when he says that the future church must be more intentional in the spiritual formation of its laity (Mead, location 919). According to Mead, the church is moving towards becoming a more missional institution that cares for the needs of the community. Therefore, oftentimes laity will be the ones on the front lines and will need the capacity to minister to people on their own without the help of clergy. In order to do this they will need more directed and intensive training to deal with...
...style, names, words but the way to church renewal in world-wide discipleship. What is really needed in this secular society and church is a “discovering again of Jesus,” explaining it as “a thicker Jesus.” Therefore, one last insight the book taught me was to think about discipleship interactively. It is not a passive but an active message. It is by going into the flied of spiritual battle that true discipleship follow the ways of Jesus. It is not a commitment one but of many who shares and advocate for the same rights and duties to exercise what was recommended by their Leader. What the book implies as the main theme is that discipleship must be active and incarnational meaning that all believers should feel anxious to support the cause of Jesus in a world that although dead in their sins is safe under the divine umbrella of the power of incarnational discipleship.
Throughout this Gospel, we are having testimony and evidence presented to us. The evidence is not only in words and deeds which were heard and witnessed; it also consists of the truth Jesus brings from his ‘dwelling in the Father’s presence’. These truths are eternal and unchanging. Even though we live two thousand years later, Jesus is still ‘The way, the Truth and The
Jesus gave insight regarding these roles during His discussion with the disciples in John 14-16. From this, we learn that is was the role of the Holy Spirit to “guide [the apostles] into all truth” (John 16:13). It was by way of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that these men preached and taught the truth, and through that same inspiration that the writers of the New Testament penned the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20, 21). The role of Jesus (the Word) is that the message that the Holy Spirit would “guide” the apostles in belonged to Him and would bring glory to Him. “‘He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you,’” (John 16:14). It was also in Jesus’ (the Word’s) name, or by His authority (cf. Matthew 28:18), that the Holy Spirit was to be sent. Finally, the Father’s role in New Testament revelation was to send the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name (John 14:26). It is also clear that the message which belonged to Jesus originated and came from the Father Himself (John 16:15). It was Deity that revealed His will in the form of the New Testament, and each Person had a specialized role in that
Jesus Christ, said he was the way, the truth, and life and that no one enters the kingdom of heaven accept through him. Through Catholicism, Christ’s Church, humanity has everything necessary for salvation. Since humanity is the Body of Christ, we are all called to his Church and to fulfill the Gospel. Though not everyone has the full knowledge of Christ and his Church, every individual has mission to find the fullness of truth and to seek it.
The ministries of Jesus and the Holy Spirit are closely related, each one serving an individual purpose while complimenting the other. Although the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all one in the trinity, they each have different roles that they play. The Holy Spirit plays an active part in our lives, as does Jesus. The role of the Spirit changed with Jesus. When Jesus died and rose from the cross, He opened up a new doorway for us, a new opportunity for us to experience the Holy Spirit. The Spirit became active and real to us in a way that He never could before. Today, our lives are focused on Jesus, focused on His love and sacrifice. His present ministry is seen through His believers. We are His lights in this present dark world.
“The call is something that is an indescribable joy and an indefinable burden at the same time.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 32). There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a congregation of the redeemed moving forward in their faith. However exciting this may be, it is usually not the thrill that propels the pastor in his service. It is the burden placed on the pastor by God that compels him in his work. The pastor understands that he is largely responsible for the work of God being accomplished by his faithfulness to his calling. “All through the Word of God and down through the annals of history, when God has moved it has almost always been attended by the preaching of the Word.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 31)
Many years ago, a friend and pastor whom I dearly loved and respected told me that there are three areas of responsibility in sharing the gospel. They are ours, the Holy Spirits, and the one that hears the gospel. Our responsibility is to go where we are called. That is it, to go and allow our self to be used. The Holy Spirit’s
God is the focal point for spiritual gifts, talents, and training for leadership. The disciples were trained by Jesus. He did not take disciples into a classroom but He taught by examples.9 Many times the disciples were put in situations by Jesus to help them learn on-the-job. Even in missions, leaders cannot be prepared for every circumstance that may arise; however; with his talents, spiritual gifts, and the Holy Spirit, one can have the resources necessary to be successful. With one’s failures, spiritual gifts, and talents, the Holy Spirit will use these things to train leaders as they continue to aspire in
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him not knows him. Y...
In a fast growing and changing world, leaders need spiritual gifts to formulate godly and wise decisions for their organizations. Spiritual gifts are received “by the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the connection between social and personal holiness…such as speaking in tongues, the validity of ecstatic demonstrations and experiences, the role of public exhortation and testimony, the nature of spiritual warfare and miracles of divine healing. The Holy Spirit gives these gifts, as He wills, to surrendered believers” (Gyerston, 2009, pg.1&3). “Through the Holy Spirit, Christian leaders are commissioned to cooperate in the divine-human synergies of conviction-confession, conversion- repentance, consecration-obedience, and confirmation-perseverance”
Biblical witness centers on the Spirits activity of “binding believers to Christ, incorporation them into the church as the body of Christ and equipping the church for mission.” Despite the best effort of the Church to be the hands and feet of Christ it is reassuring to know that the Spirit is still present and working in the hearts of people outside of the church’s work. Without the work of the Spirit in the hearts of believers and throughout the word, humanity would not know the love of God. The Holy Spirit gives liberates and brings new life it unites, encourages and brings hope to a world pledged by darkness.
Another aspect of pastoral ministry is that every pastor is unique. God has gifted each pastor differently and with his own style. It is imperative that a pastor use the gifts that he has to bear witness about Christ. It is also important to preach Christ and not self. It is crucial that a pastor understand who he is, accept himself, and to develop the gifts given by God. Too often, preachers compare themselves to others and envy what they do not have. That is dangerous and sinful. One must accept the gifts given by God and to use them for His glory.
The cry is often heard and the complaint made of the abundance of religious information by which we are bombarded and yet they are so many who are spiritually blind. Spiritual blindness is more often than not a self inflicted disorder because people willfully refuse to believe and Paul states it thus, “…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they believe a lie.” (2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11). When people keep practicing rejection of the truth it becomes normal for them to accept and become comfortable with lies. People are blind to the truth of God’s word and are not recognizing the warning signs even though they are prevalent and pronounced because Satan has blinded the eyes of the unbelieving world. We have now reached the stage where spiritually the horns are sounding and we do not hear, the red lights are flashing and we do not see and our sense of danger has been curtailed. What follows next is all but
The Holy Spirit gives us power to make things possible. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The power enabled the apostles to heal the sick (3:1-10, 5:15-16, 9:32-35) and raise people from the dead (9:36-43). The power also enabled them to speak the truth boldly (4:1-14, 7:1-53,