September 29
Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 3:23; John 4:46-54; Luke 4:16-30; Mark 1:16-20; Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37; Mark 1:29-34; Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 4:38-41; Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:42-44; Matthew 4:23-25
As I'm praying about next year's One Year Bible Challenge, the verse which keeps coming to my mind is Revelation 12:11(NKJV), "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." I will continue to pray about what that will mean for next year. The Bible Challenge is only one of a multitude of ministries at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge. What is of utmost importance is that those leading and those serving in those ministries never take their sight off the main aspect of all ministries, which is spreading the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. There are ministries that tend to the physical needs of others, such as Broken Loaves, Calvary Relief, Hospital and Nursing Home ministries. There are those that are based on teaching God's Word such as the teaching from the pulpit from our lead pastor, Lloyd Pulley, the Northeast Biblical Institute, the radio Ministry, the Discipleship Home Groups, etc. There are those that are focused on ministering to the young such as Calvary Christian School, Beyond Limits, etc. There are those which focus on specific issues such as the Bridge Women's Center and all those issues which surround a woman's decision to keep or abort a child. But, again, we must never lose sight of what the purpose of ministry is. Jesus launched His public ministry with these words in Matthew 4:17, " From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near."
Jesus then went on to engage in all aspects of ministry from feeding the hungry, healing the infirmed, engaging in spiritual warfare, and of course teaching. Just as in our church, these aspects of ministry were all very important, but they paled in comparison to the overarching purpose of His ministry which is to bring about salvation to the lost. As He read from the scroll of Isaiah and proclaimed that it was indeed Himself, who would fulfill this prophecy, notice what was first mentioned as to what He would accomplish in Luke 4:17-19, "The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” Who were the poor that He was to preach the good news to? We see the answer in Matthew 5:3(NKJV), "“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Even when He launches His Men's Ministry, and begins to call HIs disciples, notice what the job description was in Matthew 4:19, " Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Yes, they would be doing countless other things, but their primary focus was to bring the gospel message to others. As Jesus' popularity was growing, and people were intrigued by His miracles, He refocused His disciples on what it was that was of primary importance, in Luke 4:43, " But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”
Whatever specific ministry you are engaged in, you must never lose sight of Jesus' parting words as He launched all ministries which were to follow in Matthew 28:18-20, " Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Even if you are not officially involved in a specific ministry, these are your marching orders for your personal ministry. This is not a suggestion but a commission. Soldiers in an army do not have the right to refuse their orders or their commission. Neither do we! If your personal, public, or church ministry has become overly focused on anything else, stop it now, and refocus. Jesus came to save the lost. We were saved to bring the gospel message to the lost. Being a Christian is not a spectator sport, but one in which we are called to engage. Not engaging was never given as an option. Yes, it really is that simple. Please pray about your own mission field and see how God can use you in your sphere of influence.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: