Effective ministers of today – Part 2

Wrong motives of being a minister and being in the ministry are: Seeking fame, financial lucre, respect and honour, self-importance and self-worth or to prove a point to others. Once you have any of these motives, you cannot really become an able minister. Right motives of being a minister are: the clear call of the Lord; readiness to serve; doing the Lord’s will; fulfilling your purpose; desiring to add value to others and contributing your own quota to Kingdom expansion. I Cor. 16: 15.

It is your motive that will continually motivate you. It is your motive that will determine whether God will be with you or not. It is your motive that will determine your reward with God. Check and re-check your motives to see that they are the right ones.

• Mandate for Ministry of the Effective Minister Matt. 28:19-20; Acts.1: 8; I Cor. 7:20.
No one can become an effective minister without a clear mandate from the Lord. There can be no ministry without a clear mandate. While the general and non-negotiable mandate is to preach the gospel, yet God must give you an area to preach. You must preach the gospel according to youth, marriage, raising leaders, reaching gentiles, Jews, women, men, rich, poor, widows or church planting and missions.

It is your mandate that will become your ministry – Col. 4:17, Acts. 20:20; II Cor. 4:1; II Tim. 4:5. Ministry is a vision, objective and divine assignment. It is given by the Lord to individuals. There are ministries in every church, but there is no church in every ministry. If you are called and gifted as an evangelist, teacher, prophet, pastor, apostle, singer or intercessor, stay in that calling and ministry. We are:
• Saved for ministry
• Called for ministry
• Commended for ministry
• Authorised for ministry
• Anointed for ministry
• Gifted for ministry
• Rewarded for ministry

Your ministry must be productive, proven, pure and positive. Your ministry must lead to transformations. Transformations of lives, homes, destinies, communities and cities are the hallmark of effective ministries. Make sure you receive your mandate from God, not from men, circumstances and wrong motives.

• Message of the Effective Minister Eph. 4:15; II Tim. 4:2; II Cor. 13:8.
There can be no message without a messenger. Every good messenger must have a clear message from the Lord. II Sam. 18:19-30. Don’t run without a clear message from the Lord. Every able minister must run with the true message of the gospel. No matter what we preach, it must revolve around the truth of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts. 1:1
• Live the truth of the gospel
• Stand in truth of the gospel
• Stand for truth of the gospel
• Defend the truth of the gospel

Preach a balanced, scriptural, doctrinally sound and relevant gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Don’t preach only one-line-of truth, but a wholesome gospel. You may start on one line of truth, but grow to preach the whole truth of God’s word. You may start with faith, finances and grace, but balanced it with godliness, faithfulness and purity as time goes by. Ministers with only one line of truth don’t usually last long. It’s either they move into error or they are ruined by scandals. II TIm. 2:15-19. God will confirm His word, not your theories. Mark 16:20.

• The Magnet of the Effective Minister Ecc.9: 8; Acts.10: 38; Ps. 92:10; Joshua 3:7.
Every effective minister must have magnet in his or her lives. This speaks of the presence and power of the Lord in your life, the anointing of the Holy Spirit that draws people into your life and ministry. The Charisma of God that produces results, the workings of the Lord in you and through you that produce unmistakable and undeniable results. Acts. 2:22. This magnet will be the seal of God’s approval over your life and ministry.

Check the following:
• The supernatural power of God must flow through you.
• It is the working of God in you that will attract men and money.
• It is the results you produce that will hasten your credibility.

An effective minister must key into God’s power through fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit, fasting, prayers, holy living and dedication to God, so as to be true channel of His unlimited power. Matt. 17:21; Roms. 8:26.
Dr. Francis Akin-John, Church Growth Consultant, Growth Centre, 6/8, Mukadaz Close, Off Palace Way, Iyana-odo B/Stop, Isheri-LASU Road, Lagos. 08023000714 akingrow@yahoo.com