My Philosophy Of Ministry

By Mike Carsten

 

Matthew 28: 19-20, 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

These two verses compel us into action, but the responsibility that comes from verse 19 can be daunting. Why? Because we do not want to miss-represent the Lord’s instructions. we must be diligent in our walk with the Lord.

We must start with Ideals.

An ideal may be defined (according to “Webster’s New World Dictionary”) as: “existing as an idea, a model; thought of as perfect; existing only in the mind; imaginary; idealism; a conception of something in its most excellent form; a perfect model.”

Ideals motivate a person’s life by giving an overall direction for what a person wants to achieve.  Life takes on meaning when people have ideals and have used them to establish purpose for their lives.  Some persons consciously choose their ideals and establish specific goals to move them toward their ideals.  Others have ideals but have not made any specific goals to assist them in achieving their ideals. They simply make decisions each day about situations that arise and hope they are moving in the right direction. Still others have not established any overriding ideals for their lives. They live each day as it comes along.  Persons frequently learn that they gather values from the environment around them.  An ideal serves as a compass to give direction to decisions about life’s choices.  Goals provide specific, measurable, and attainable steps to move us toward those overriding ideals.

We must be a part of and a steward for The Church.

WHO IS THE CHURCH?

1. The Body of Christ.  The church is the people of God.  The New Testament describes the church as the Body of Christ. The church is both local assemblies of believers and the whole people of God: the faithful fellowship of the saints, living and dead, not limited by time and space. It is the whole community of those who are in union with Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 12:12, For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.)

(1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.)

Write these other verses down to look at later. Hebrews 11:13-16; Hebrews 11:39-12:2

1. Laity and clergy in partnership. The clergy preaches and teaches the Word of God, lead worship, and shepherd the congregation to which they are called or appointed.  The laity of the church is called to work as active disciples, in unity with the clergy, using their unique gifts to fulfill the mission of the church – making Christ known to the world.  Pastors need to hear an affirming word about their partnership with the laity in the work of the church. The whole body of Christ, laity, and clergy, must share in seeking to understand what God in Christ can do through them in His church and in the world.  We are to love, pray, study, serve, teach, and admonish in love, and seek to extend the church on earth – uniting the hearts of all in Christ’s love.

I must have Piety.

PIETY: The direction of one’s whole life to God. The call to be a Christian is a call to piety.

Piety is the pattern of Christian life: searching for God’s will, being open to God’s Spirit, allowing one’s life to be formed in the image of Christ, availing oneself of worship, Communion, Christian community, Bible study, prayer, and seeking the gifts of the Spirit for ministry and service.

Some characteristics of piety are qualities, which are visible. A man or woman who is directing their whole life towards God will appear to the world in a natural, courageous and joyful way.

1. Christ-likeness (Fruit of the Spirit). This first characteristic involves following Jesus’ example and seeking to develop His character and conduct in our lives

(2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.)

(Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.)

Jesus was the perfect embodiment of the Fruit of the Spirit.

 (Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.)

Christ-likeness also involves allowing Jesus to produce the Fruit of the Spirit in us…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You can look up of these words to find the deeper meaning for them in your Dictionary / Concordance.

1. The Christian life springs from our grateful response to what God is doing for us, in us, and through us in Jesus Christ

(I Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus).

Christians are a people made and moved by gratitude. They are a people whose central act of worship is in thanksgiving. Their faith in Jesus Christ makes it possible for them to give thanks in every circumstance. Grateful Christians are giving and forgiving people.

1. One is set free to live a life of piety when Christ dwells in the heart by faith.

(John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”, 36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”) However, freedom is not liberty to do just as one likes, nor is it an end of all restraints

(1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.)

Persons who seek to be free from the will of God will inevitably become prisoners of their own will.

1.  Christians mature in piety as they grow in their love for God, and His will.

(Ephesians 4:13-16 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.)

The fruits of maturing can be seen in the sensitivity to the needs of others and the courage to be known as a disciple of Christ. 

Piety is strengthened through Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship, and Communion.  Piety is more a process than a possession, more a pattern of Christian life than a list of Christian virtues.  Because it is a process, it is never completed.  The Christian, therefore, is someone on a journey of faith, a person who keeps on submitting heart, mind, and will to the shaping power of the gospel through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Piety relates to

IDEALS:  Piety is the lived ideal of a life in grace with Christ.

GRACE:  Piety is the daily response to God’s grace in our lives.

THE CHURCH:  Piety is strengthened by the believer’s participation in the Body of Christ.

THE HOLY SPIRIT:  Piety is formed and nurtured by the Holy Spirit, God present with us.

I must study.

Studying means the acquiring of knowledge, as by reading, etc.; careful examination of a subject; treating a subject in detail; earnest effort or deep thought.  

Study is bringing the whole self to the task of learning.  For a Christian to study, we need to use all our senses, including the intellect, so that we may keep on growing in our ability to know and do God’s will, as it is revealed in Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 22:36-37 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”)

The first reason for Christians to study is to seek to know God more fully as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Friend.  So, we study His Word to know Him better.  

The second reason to study is to learn if we have misconceptions regarding who God is, what He has done and is doing, and about our relationship with Him

The third reason to study is to come to know ourselves as God’s special creation; to understand that He wants us to live a life of piety and to better understand how we might achieve that ideal.

 Another reason a Christian should study is to know God’s purpose for our life.  In studying, we learn to see the world as the object of God’s love and as His gift to us.  We also learn to draw closer to Christ in our daily discipleship. We will be better prepared to take God into the streets.

I must act.

Christian action is a natural outgrowth of life in grace.

Christian action is motivated by the love of God and neighbor.

(Matthew 22: 34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”)

Action is an outgrowth of the Christian life.  Our Life in Grace is supported and developed by Christian action.  It strives to make clear that Christ reveals Himself to us in many ways; through our Christian brothers and sisters and through life’s trials and joys, struggles and victories.  

To make Christ known.  Through our actions, we make Christ known to others. Faith comes alive in action; action comes alive in faith.  We are loved by Christ and we cannot hold it in.

(1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.)  

(Philippians 2:15-16  so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.)

Ministry and service.  Service is the sharing of Christ in deeds of love and mercy.  Christ revealed this to us by His willingness to become a servant when He washed the disciple’s feet.  He fed the 5000.  He healed the lepers.  He cried with Mary and Martha.  He rejoiced at the wedding party.  He died on a cross, for all of us.  He was and is the prime example of the Servant-Leader.

Evangelism.  Scripture speaks of being a neighbor as one who dwells with another with justice, love, and sensitivity.  It sets no limits on the answer to this classic question except to say that you have no neighbor until you are one yourself.  

Scripture speaks of being a friend, one of the warmest and most loving words Jesus used.  We have been befriended. His grace has set us free; free to be a friend to others as Christ is our friend.  The call to action is a call to friendship.

Make a friend.  Be open to establishing new relationships.  Every person is potentially your friend in Christ.

Be a friend.  A friend stands alongside, responds when needed; is present for another, sees the warmth and grace in another’s life, celebrates the joys and feels the pain.  The Christ who is alive in us reaches into the lives of others as we develop caring friendships.

Bring your friend to Christ.  As Christians, we quite literally and tangibly share Christ’s love with others.  In part, we are, in an awesome sense, Christ to one another.  At times we may share Him openly with spoken words in Jesus’ name.  At other times, our words and deeds must speak for themselves.  If you love your friend, you want the very best for him/her – Jesus Christ.

We must choose our environments.

There is an urgency to bring Christ into every part of the world.  To do so, each of us must do our part… we must bloom where we are planted.  We must not forget that a plant does not choose its place.  It uses the soil in which it finds itself to grow and bear fruit. So, must each of us.  Environment is the combination of the circumstances which come together in a given time and place.  Wherever you are at any given time, whoever you are with, whatever you are doing… that is your environment.

I have chosen (HOG), Harley Owners Group, as my primary environment for my mission field. I pray that through God’s grace and guidance that my performing of religious tasks, spiritual care, advocacy, and spiritual healing will bring others I meet to Christ.

Praise and glory to God.

Thank you.