We are about to start a new series at Manly Life on ministering like Jesus. For many of us, the idea of knowing about Jesus is fine, but actually doing the things he did can seem like a step too far. For that reason we will be looking at the simple ways he ministered life to people, and how we can do that too. For us, 3 things will underpin that and they can be found in how the Apostle Paul ministered like Jesus.
He says in Romans 15:18-19 – “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God.”
Simply put, Jesus ministered with compassion through his deeds. He ministered authoritatively through his words, and he ministered powerfully with signs and wonders by the Spirit.
A quick example – the woman at the well who Jesus ministered to in John 4. He takes compassion on a woman who is otherwise an outcast by ministering with a word of knowledge (something he could not have known about her except through God’s revelation) and points her towards himself as the messiah. There it is – compassion, words and power. The result is a changed life!
I think we can all take small or big steps in this direction with our lives. With the end result of seeing transformation in mind, this is a worthy thing to commit our time to! See you on Sunday…