Me....apathetic?

I received an interesting email from a friend this past week. He had ministered at our church just a couple of weeks ago and, as always, I had tossed that ultimate question out to him as I do all the guests that come our way -- "What do you see in ministry as you travel this country and move from church to church?"



His answer was the same one that has come to me from mosts in these last several months. He said, "As I travel, I am finding a common thread for the apathy that has set into the church, but not all are getting proactive."

Man, this is so disappointing! But, as a senior leader of a ministry, I would have to agree with my friend. It caused me to take a look at the term "apathy" to better understand what we were experiencing. What is apathy?

As you look into the etymology of this term you find that it dates back to 1594; the 16th Century. It comes from the Greek language. The word is "apatheia". It's a term that has two parts -- "a" and "pathos" -- "a" meaning "no" and "pathos" meaning "emotion". Therefore, we conclude that it means "no emotion". A synonymn would be "impassiveness," or "to have no feeling, or "indifference" which means "to lack interest or concern."

Are you "apathetic" in your spiritual walk? Does this sound like something you are experiencing when it comes to the idea of a regular and frequent time of worship in your local church and its ministries? I hope not. But it seems to be the norm throughout the church world today. Sadly, many are disengaged from spiritual life collectively. The Scriptures teach us in Hebrews that we are "not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together."

God wants you connected! Connected? Oh yes! And Scripture bears out a model that Jesus has for the church; those persons who make up the body of Christ. This "Jesus model" is taught in the two biblical "greats" recorded in Matthew's gospel (Mt. 22:34-40; 28:18-20).

What is that model? Will it assure a connectedness to all the God has for me as a believer? Most certainly! Here it is ....

1) WORSHIP - Jesus said, "Love with all your heart...". When we do this in every area of our life, we live a lifestyle of worship.)

2) FELLOWSHIP - Jesus said, "Go and make disciples...". This is a relational experience. You can win people to Jesus when you have a relationship with them. It continues and grows when they are also saved.

3) DISCIPLESHIP - Jesus said, "...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded them..". This teaching continually nurtures and equips believers; it's lifelong.

4) SERVICE - Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." That's ministry right outside your door. Not to mention the many areas that you are needed in your local church.

5) EVANGELISM - Jesus said, "...baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit...". You don't baptize until salvation is experienced. And salvation doesn't come until some form of "evangelism" has taken place.

This model keeps the believer active in their faith and their walk with God. And it has perpetual benefit; ongoing! It will assure connectedness and keep you from apathy?

Me...apathetic? You answer that.......with your life. : )

What is Ministry?

What comes to your mind when you think of the word "MINISTRY"?

*A man dressed properly in a suit and tie preaching a message from a pulpit?

*A notable figure reaching the masses in the context of a coliseum or convention center?

*A gospel singer packing out the biggest baddest building for miles around as thousands line up two hours prior to the event that was a sell-out?

I'm sure there are a host of things that come to your mind when you think of ministry. While all of the above may constitute ministry, I have come to the conclusion that most folk limit their thinking to the confines of their local church. But I'm also convinced that most of us need to think outside of the box and see what ministry really is.

When I think of ministry I think of the influence of a man who has taken an unconventional, creative, and label-free (in terms of denomination) approach to ministry. That man? Dr. Mark Muirhead. "Dr. Mark" is the host Friends Forever TV in the spicy land of Jamaica "mon". You can visit him on the web at http://www.atworldradio.com/ or http://www.friendsforever.bz/ .

Dr. Mark taught me a great understanding of the word "ministry". He said..."MINISTRY TAKES PLACE WHEN DIVINE RESOURCES MEET HUMAN NEEDS THROUGH CHANNELS OF LOVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!"

Why don't you commit that to your memory? Why don't you let that get down on the inside so it will directly affect what comes out of you as you minister?

God is the source! He is our resource for ministry. It has to be about Him....ALL ABOUT HIM. And He is all about humanity! "For God so loved, HE GAVE!" His resources are the only means of filling the emptiness of all of humankind! That's right....ALL of humankind. People just like you and people that are NOT like you.

In fact, John teaches us that love comes from God and He that loves knows God ..... and he that does not love, does not know God. That's deep! Jesus adds, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one for another" (John 13:35).

So God is the source.....that meets the needs of humanity.....and the needs are met through the channels of love that He desires to use. That's us! That's you, too. That's ministry. And when that kind of ministry takes place, God is glorified!

So...is ministry a man in a suit and tie preaching? It can be. Is it a notable figure reaching the masses at the convention hall? It can be. Or, is it a gospel artist packing out the biggest baddest building to sell-out crowds who gathered in long lines? It can be. But....it can be outside of the box you've been livin' in.

Ministry is when you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to a person and you are sensitive to their personal need. You love them through Him. Even if it's one person. It may be the guy on the street who always seems to hang out and wait for a chance to get something to eat. It may be someone who has lost mom and dad and their placed in a home where there daily needs are met.

It may be the person you work with whose life is falling apart. It's definitely outside of the confines of that building we call the church.

Thanks Doctor Mark for teaching and living real ministry. Thanks for influencing my life. I've got everthing you ever shared with me in a folder. I've got every fax you ever sent. I read your emails. I listen to your program. I do it, because you understand "ministry". I salute you as "my friend forever". :)

Check him out at http://www.friendsforever.bz/ .