The School of Ministry

 

 

THE SCHOOL OF MINISTRY

 

THE PRINCIPALS OF BUILDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD



 

Addition and Multiplication of the Church

 

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:47

And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7

The Lord added and multiplied the souls into His Kingdom and the numbers of the disciples grew and multiplied in the Church.

 

Everyone who receives salvation is to be raised up as a minister of the Gospel. Then the Gospel is to be preached to others and the others are to also spread the Gospel to others and by this the Gospel goes to your City and the surrounding Counties and to your State and then the surrounding States and then your Nation and then your world!

 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

 

The Apostles were commanded by Jesus Christ to teach, disciple all the new converts and make them also into disciples.

Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be). Matthew 28:19,20(Amp)

All of God's people are called to be ministers. This is according to Ephesians 4:11-16.

And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers. His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church), [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead. Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). For because of Him the whole body (the church, in all its various parts), closely joined and firmly knit together by the joints and ligaments with which it is supplied, when each part [with power adapted to its need] is working properly [in all its functions], grows to full maturity, building itself up in love. Ephesians 4:11-16(Amp)

Jesus Christ told His disciples that whoever would be chief among them was to be a minister or servant.

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matthew 28:26-28

The early Church evangelized the world in 200 years because every part of the Body of Christ was willing to accept their responsibility as a minister.

As ministers your ministry is to the lost in your City, State, Nation, and World.

 

Here are five important aspects of your ministry-

 

1.     To whom am I sent?

2.     What am I going to minister?

3.     Where am I to minister?

4.     When shall I begin to minister?

5.     How am I going to minister?

 

To whom am I sent?

 

Jesus said,

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost. Luke 19:10

 

What am I going to minster?

 

You and I must minister the Word of life and liberty, the truth which will set men free from every kind of sin, evil habit and diseases.

 

The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. John 6:63

 

Where am I to minister?


Where do you find sinners, those who are searching, hungry, lost?

 

Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23

 

When shall I begin to minister?

 

Today is the day of salvation. We are in a race against time.

 

I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; fro the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4

 

How am I going to minister?

 

There is one word which stands alone as the answer to this question: POWER.

 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

 

With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and power, on the Day of Pentecost God raised up a new breed of people, a people walking in the power and authority of Almighty God to fulfill His will upon the earth.

 

The tongues of fire upon the heads of the 120 in the upper room was a outward manifestation of an inward transformation that had happened to them.

 

An example of this is the change that happened to Peter.

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. Acts 3:1-11

When Jesus Christ took Peter with Him and went apart for His times of prayer, what did Peter and the other disciples do while Jesus was praying?

 

They slept.

 

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Mark 14:37

 

When Jesus Christ was on trail for His life, what did Peter do?

 

He denied Him.

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. Matthew 26:69-75

Where were Peter and the other disciples when Jesus was hanging on the cross?

 

They were hiding.

 

Yet in the third chapter of the book of Acts, we find this same man, Peter, approaching the gate of the temple. He had come to this temple on many occasions, but this time it was very evident that this was not the same Peter.

 

Something had happened to Peter. His body was the same, his physical characteristics were to same, but it was quite evident that something had happened to him.

 

Peter encountered a cripple who had been sitting at the gate of the temple day after day for many years. He had passed this crippled man on many prior occasions when all he could do was look at him with sympathetic eyes.

 

This poor man might be typical of all the needy, the broken, the sinsick, who long have sat at the door of the Church with their needs unmet.

 

No doubt there were beautiful services going on inside the temple on many occasions, beautiful ceremonies, long robes, the chanting of prayers, the sprinkling of incense.

 

Yet unnoticed and with his needs unmet sat this poor crippled man.

 

Without a doubt Peter had seen the man on many prior occasions, perhaps tossed him a coin when he could.

 

Peter had the keys!

 

This time as Peter walked by the crippled man, something seized him, and he seized something. With John he walked over to this man, infirmed, crippled from his mother's womb.

Peter said, Silver and gold have I none. I don't have anything to give you materially, but I give you what I have. Look at me.

 

I have something to give you.

 

He took the crippled man and lifted him to his feet.

 

You do not take a crippled man and lift him up to his feet unless you have something! And you had better know what you have.

 

Peter literally took this man by the hand and lifted him up.

 

This was a different Peter.

 

Was this the same Peter that slept when Jesus prayed?

 

Obviously not.

 

Was this the same Peter who, before the cock crowed three times, said, I am not associated with Jesus Christ?

 

No, not at all.

 

Was this the same Peter who would not even approach the cross while his Master was bleeding and broken and dying?

 

It could not possibly be.

Was this the same Peter who, when the message came to him from the other disciples that Christ was risen, said, I don't believe it.                                                                                            

 

Is this the same Peter?

 

Far from it.

 

He is the same physical man. He has the same face, he has the same physical body, he is even in the same environment, but he is not the same inner man.

 

Something had happened to Peter.

 

I tell you what happened to Peter must happen to you and to me!

 

What had happened to Peter?

 

He had an experience.