Third and Last part of Series from my parting message to NIST Graduating Students, Nassa Theological College Graduating Students and Kapsabet Bible College Graduating Students on the topic of how to succeed in ministry after graduation, based on I Timothy and amplified from Scott graduates whom I visited. All three parts of this series are important.
III. SET AN EXAMPLE FOR BELIEVERS I Tim. 4:12
1. Problem of age - youth not accepted.
By Western standards Timothy was not young. But the Greek idea of youth was very similar to Africa. Timothy was relatively young - in his early 30’s, possibly 35. But in a culture which highly respects age, 35 is still a young person. Timothy was relatively young when given the assignment to rule over the older ones.
2. How does one do it? He leads by example.
Actually, ALL church leaders are supposed to lead by example, and not by authority.
See I Pet. 5:2 Amplified Version: Speaking to the elders he says, “Tend the flock…not as arrogant, dictatorial and overbearing persons, domineering over those in your charge, but being examples - patterns and models of Christian living - to the flock, the congregation.”
3. An Example in what you are - a positive example I Tim. 4:12
Be an example in your speech and in your life - what you say and what you do.
One Scott graduate said there are three main reasons by people fail in ministry: Girls- Gold and Glory - Lust of the Flesh - Girls; Lust of the Eyes - gold; Pride of Life - glory.
“Be an example in Love, Faith, Purity” - take them in reverse order - Purity, Faith and Love. I suggest that these three virtues, Purity, Faith and Love are the solution to these three common character flaws. These positive characteristics are the solution to the 3 evils that destroy Christian leaders.
a. Purity - a clean, pure life with no hint of immorality.
Not only to be pure before God but pure before men - no hint or rumour. Eph. 5:3 “But among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality.” We need to watch our relationships with the opposite sex.
Not only to be pure in body but pure in your thoughts. “Guard you heart, for it is the well spring of life.
b. Faith - while purity and love deal with our relationships with others, Faith deals with our relationship with God. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Do you believe there is a God? that he saved you? That he called you into the ministry? Then can you trust God to provide for you and guide you? Faith in God will protect you from the temptation of covetousness, to steal money, misappropriate money.
ILLUSTRATION Billy Graham - God has helped him to live a life without any hint of scandal. Decision early in ministry: never to counsel women in private; never to receive salary from offerings.
c. Love - We have so many tragic examples of leaders who struggle for power. They are proud and arrogant. The tragedy is that everyone else can see that you are proud but you cannot see it yourself.
If you truly love your neighbour as yourself, you will not be proud and self seeking. You will be devoted to one another in brotherly love. You will honour one another above yourselves.
One servant of God told me, “Training should not make you puffed up. One must not be aloof. You must mix with them. One pastor said, ‘You are a layman but I am educated.’ But he was a dictator. He got a Ph.D and thought the world was in his hand. But he failed. People said, ‘We don’t need him.’ He thought the country needed him. He was proud of his education. But he was pushed out of the church. He desired to divide the denomination. He didn’t respect anyone. He left the country and went to the United States. In the USA he pastored a church, but ended up marrying someone’s wife. He did not guard his heart.”
CONCLUSION: You can only set an example for believer if you train yourself to be godly.
You can only endure hardness and persevere if you train yourself to be godly.
You have learned in Bible College. Now the rest is up to you. You must persevere in ministry. Perseverance is the key. But you can only persevere if you KEEP ON TRAINING YOURSELF IN GODLINESS. Train yourself to be godly. This will enable you to endure hardship and persevere, and to set an example.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Secret of Success After Graduation
Continued lessons learned by graduates of Scott Theological College which I shared at several graduations. These are my thoughts in outline form:
II. ENDURE HARDSHIP II Tim. 2:3-7
1. Meaning of phrase:
i) The word means, literally, Suffer. From this Greek word we get the English word, pathos. There is deep feeling and emotion expressed here. As we grow older in life we all do suffer pain, grief and hardship.
ii) This word means to suffer and endure evils, like hardship, troubles and problems.
iii) This word was often used of hardships of military service.
2. Example of hardship endured by a) a soldier; b) an athlete, and c) a farmer
This includes deprivation of good food, suffering discomfort, living in constant danger.
3. Examples of hardship in the ministry.
a) Financial Struggles -
b) Opposition to New Ideas
c) Jealous Leaders -
d) Church Divisions -
e) Slander -
4. Suffer with me
Suffer with me. Paul the elder, Paul the mentor, exhorts his son, Timothy, suffer with me these hardships in life, endure them, persevere in them.
Three times in II Corinthians he describes the hardships he has endured.
II Cor. 6:4-5 “Rather, as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.”
5. Secret of being able to endure hardship - keeping eye on the goal.
a) soldier - to please his master II Tim. 2:4
b) farmer - to receive the harvest II Tim. 2:6
c) athlete - to win the prize II Tim. 2:5
6. ILL. Jesus Christ - Heb. 12:1,2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
ILL. I know a young man and family called by God to be a missionary. A friend brought him and his family from his rural home to Nairobi and dropped him off in the city. He was told to find a place to stay that night and then find transportation to the bus by 7:00 A.M. for his destination on the mission field. He felt like giving up. He had a child to be carried, a small boy walking and lots of luggage. There was no transportation from the place he would stay that night. He felt like giving up. Then the question came to him. “Who called you to be a missionary? Did that man? He committed himself to obey the Lord and trust the Lord. He persevered and God provided the transportation in a miraculous way and he arrived safely.
Persevering during times of hardship is necessary for success in ministry.
To be Continued
II. ENDURE HARDSHIP II Tim. 2:3-7
1. Meaning of phrase:
i) The word means, literally, Suffer. From this Greek word we get the English word, pathos. There is deep feeling and emotion expressed here. As we grow older in life we all do suffer pain, grief and hardship.
ii) This word means to suffer and endure evils, like hardship, troubles and problems.
iii) This word was often used of hardships of military service.
2. Example of hardship endured by a) a soldier; b) an athlete, and c) a farmer
This includes deprivation of good food, suffering discomfort, living in constant danger.
3. Examples of hardship in the ministry.
a) Financial Struggles -
b) Opposition to New Ideas
c) Jealous Leaders -
d) Church Divisions -
e) Slander -
4. Suffer with me
Suffer with me. Paul the elder, Paul the mentor, exhorts his son, Timothy, suffer with me these hardships in life, endure them, persevere in them.
Three times in II Corinthians he describes the hardships he has endured.
II Cor. 6:4-5 “Rather, as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.”
5. Secret of being able to endure hardship - keeping eye on the goal.
a) soldier - to please his master II Tim. 2:4
b) farmer - to receive the harvest II Tim. 2:6
c) athlete - to win the prize II Tim. 2:5
6. ILL. Jesus Christ - Heb. 12:1,2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
ILL. I know a young man and family called by God to be a missionary. A friend brought him and his family from his rural home to Nairobi and dropped him off in the city. He was told to find a place to stay that night and then find transportation to the bus by 7:00 A.M. for his destination on the mission field. He felt like giving up. He had a child to be carried, a small boy walking and lots of luggage. There was no transportation from the place he would stay that night. He felt like giving up. Then the question came to him. “Who called you to be a missionary? Did that man? He committed himself to obey the Lord and trust the Lord. He persevered and God provided the transportation in a miraculous way and he arrived safely.
Persevering during times of hardship is necessary for success in ministry.
To be Continued
Friday, January 7, 2011
Secret of Success After Graduation
One address I gave at several College and Seminary graduations is worth while sharing with you. It is based on I and II Timothy.
SECRET OF SUCCESS ATER GRADUATION, Part One
Introduction
For the past 38 years I have been involved I the training of men and women for Christian ministry, both here in Kenya and in the USA. So I have done a lot of reflecting on the secret of success in ministry. All those who graduated have been trained in the same way by the same teachers in the same educational programme. Many succeed in ministry after graduation but some do not. Why is this? What is the secret of success after graduation?
This morning I want to speak to you on the Secret of Success after graduation based on three commands of Paul given to Timothy in the Pastoral Epistles.
How can you succeed in the ministry when you face challenges?
1. Train yourself to be godly.
2. Endure hardship
3. Be an example
I. TRAIN YOURSELF TO BE GODLY I Tim. 4:7,8
1. “Godly” - what does it mean to be “godly”?
I used to think that to be godly referred primarily to character. But character is not at the heart of the issue.
The Greek verb means "to be reverent, respectful, devout"
When this is directed to God, it means worship
Godliness begins with an attitude of devotion to God. This devotion includes the fear of God, the love of God, and trust in God.
Godliness is “a genuine reverence for God that governs one’s attitude towards every aspect of life.” Out of this attitude of devotion to God arises godly character. Arising out of this worship and reverence for God is godly character.
2. “Train yourself to be godly”
a. In English we get our word, gymnasium, from this Greek word. The word, “to train,” was used in reference to training in sports. It is interesting that the root of this Greek word means naked. It ancient Greek the young men would train in with gymnastic exercises while they were naked. The Greeks loved sports and of course our Olympics began with the ancient Greeks.
b. Training in sports requires real discipline.
Illustration: One of our Scott graduates was a great athlete who was encouraged by a world champion who was his neighbour, to go out for professional athletics. When he trained to run he trained every day of the year. He practised for THREE hours and FORTY minutes EVERY day of the WHOLE YEAR. He ran for one hour in the morning, 40 minutes at 10:00 A.M. and 2 hours every night. It was painful. It required discipline.
3. How to train for godliness
a. Some try to be godly through self discipline and self denial, like the monks.
b. The secret of godliness is Jesus Christ. 3:16 This verse speaks of Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of godliness, the mystery or secret that has now been revealed. Jesus embodied all that it means to be godly. He was the God-Man who prayed, trusted in his Father, submitted to his Father’s will. His lips and his life reflected the glory of God.
The secret of being godly is to know Jesus. Godliness is not derived through hard work and discipline. Godliness is derived through abiding in Jesus and Jesus in you.
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.”
c. The secret of godliness is a strong private life of prayer and Bible study.
II Cor. 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all behold as in a mirror the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Illustration: Over the past year I have visited and interviewed over 95 graduates of Scott Theological College. As I interviewed them, it became very clear that the secret of their success was their strong private life, devoting themselves to prayer and Bible Study.
d. This requires discipline and priority, especially when you are busy..
I Cor. 9:24f “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
4. “Train yourself to be godly” - present imperative tense, meaning, keep on training, continue on training yourself. Timothy was training but he could not rest on past achievements. Neither can we. You have been training yourself in NIST. Continue on doing so. A real danger of growing lazy - stopping some of the disciplines you learned here at NIST.
5. Physical training has limited value 4:8 - honours, awards, money, fame, physical health.
But spiritual training has value for this life and the life to come 4:8
This life - benefits of godliness are great in this life
Life to come - pleasing God and rewards in heaven.
TO BE CONTINUED
SECRET OF SUCCESS ATER GRADUATION, Part One
Introduction
For the past 38 years I have been involved I the training of men and women for Christian ministry, both here in Kenya and in the USA. So I have done a lot of reflecting on the secret of success in ministry. All those who graduated have been trained in the same way by the same teachers in the same educational programme. Many succeed in ministry after graduation but some do not. Why is this? What is the secret of success after graduation?
This morning I want to speak to you on the Secret of Success after graduation based on three commands of Paul given to Timothy in the Pastoral Epistles.
How can you succeed in the ministry when you face challenges?
1. Train yourself to be godly.
2. Endure hardship
3. Be an example
I. TRAIN YOURSELF TO BE GODLY I Tim. 4:7,8
1. “Godly” - what does it mean to be “godly”?
I used to think that to be godly referred primarily to character. But character is not at the heart of the issue.
The Greek verb means "to be reverent, respectful, devout"
When this is directed to God, it means worship
Godliness begins with an attitude of devotion to God. This devotion includes the fear of God, the love of God, and trust in God.
Godliness is “a genuine reverence for God that governs one’s attitude towards every aspect of life.” Out of this attitude of devotion to God arises godly character. Arising out of this worship and reverence for God is godly character.
2. “Train yourself to be godly”
a. In English we get our word, gymnasium, from this Greek word. The word, “to train,” was used in reference to training in sports. It is interesting that the root of this Greek word means naked. It ancient Greek the young men would train in with gymnastic exercises while they were naked. The Greeks loved sports and of course our Olympics began with the ancient Greeks.
b. Training in sports requires real discipline.
Illustration: One of our Scott graduates was a great athlete who was encouraged by a world champion who was his neighbour, to go out for professional athletics. When he trained to run he trained every day of the year. He practised for THREE hours and FORTY minutes EVERY day of the WHOLE YEAR. He ran for one hour in the morning, 40 minutes at 10:00 A.M. and 2 hours every night. It was painful. It required discipline.
3. How to train for godliness
a. Some try to be godly through self discipline and self denial, like the monks.
b. The secret of godliness is Jesus Christ. 3:16 This verse speaks of Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of godliness, the mystery or secret that has now been revealed. Jesus embodied all that it means to be godly. He was the God-Man who prayed, trusted in his Father, submitted to his Father’s will. His lips and his life reflected the glory of God.
The secret of being godly is to know Jesus. Godliness is not derived through hard work and discipline. Godliness is derived through abiding in Jesus and Jesus in you.
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.”
c. The secret of godliness is a strong private life of prayer and Bible study.
II Cor. 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all behold as in a mirror the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Illustration: Over the past year I have visited and interviewed over 95 graduates of Scott Theological College. As I interviewed them, it became very clear that the secret of their success was their strong private life, devoting themselves to prayer and Bible Study.
d. This requires discipline and priority, especially when you are busy..
I Cor. 9:24f “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
4. “Train yourself to be godly” - present imperative tense, meaning, keep on training, continue on training yourself. Timothy was training but he could not rest on past achievements. Neither can we. You have been training yourself in NIST. Continue on doing so. A real danger of growing lazy - stopping some of the disciplines you learned here at NIST.
5. Physical training has limited value 4:8 - honours, awards, money, fame, physical health.
But spiritual training has value for this life and the life to come 4:8
This life - benefits of godliness are great in this life
Life to come - pleasing God and rewards in heaven.
TO BE CONTINUED
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