The making of an effective minister – Part 1

The Lord Jesus Christ wants to make every believer a minister, conqueror and champion. He has set up a five-fold ministry to make the church function adequately and grow. Born to reproduce and saved to serve, every believer must work towards becoming effective in his ministrations. If the service of the believer will produce something significant in the kingdom, he must grow.

Just as a seemingly useless piece of metal undergoes a process of development before it becomes a coin that is useful to the public, the believer needs the same process to be productive in ministry. God needs to (i) Melt the believer from the raw material shape that he had been; (ii) put him into a Mould of His choice; (iii) Mend rough edges in him that need to align with the will of God; (iv) Mature him and make him ready to circulate. When Jesus called His disciples, they were like mere raw metals. Peter, for one, only emerged different after he underwent the process of becoming an effective minister. When God is through with His work in a believer, heavenly confidence springs up in him. He no longer thinks of problems or mountains but of the all-powerful and Almighty God. Transformed, the believer receives answers to prayers concerning personal problems and national challenges.

Christ brings about true change in a person’s life. Christ specialises in transforming ordinary people into extra-ordinary individuals. He specialises in changing people from being failures to being champions and successful people. All that the Lord is waiting for is total surrender to Him. The believer has two roles to play: (i) “Follow me” (ii) “I will make you fishers of men.” Highlighted are human and divine responsibilities. If any man will fulfil his part of the responsibility, God will surely fulfil His own side too. Those who fail to fulfil their parts cannot become fishers of men.

There is a great difference between faithful and the false followers of Jesus Christ. Only those who faithfully follow Christ become fishers of men. False and insincere disciples follow Christ, not for the interest of the kingdom, but because of personal comfort. People with no selfless and sacrificial pursuit of Christ are false followers and cannot become champions in the kingdom.

False followers do not follow because of what they can give, but because of what they want to get. When the conditions of service are not convenient for them, they turn back. Thus, they are selfish. Their comfort and that of their families come first before that of the kingdom of God. Any kingdom project that does not favour their agenda is rejected. If they are not consulted first and given a prominent and pre-eminent place, then the kingdom project is not allowed to proceed. They follow Christ only when it is convenient for them and cannot experience the power that accompanies followers of Christ.

Further Reading (King James Version): Matthew 4:19. Luke 9:57-61. Mark 10:28. Matthew 4:19.