What Matters In Ministry

 

The Christian Journeyman Walk-Line 

Pastor Gary Patterson 

WHAT MATTERS IN MINISTRY 

"For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:8-11) 

 Walk-Line: The key phrase I want to focus on in our text is: "the affection of Jesus Christ." I want us to answer the question: What is involved in "the affection of Jesus Christ." What and who did Jesus love? What mattered the most to Him? As the apostle Paul writes to the Christians at Philippii, he says "I long for you with the affection of Jesus Christ." Just as Jesus loved these people at Philippi, so Paul loved them too. What matters the most in ministry? It is a love for God, and a love for one another. Having that desire to minister to the needs of those around us, even those who intend to harm us, and persecute us. Yes, we are to abound in knowledge, discernment, approving of excellent things, sincerity, and the fruits of righteousness. But most of all, which all of this can be bound together in that greatest gift, which is the virtue of love. 

What matters most in ministry, 

Is not to excel in the pursuit of self, 

but to excel in knowledge and discernment, sincerity, 

approving the excellent things, the fruit of righteousness. 

But above all we are to excel, in the affection of Jesus. 

A deep desire of love, and ministry to all. 

___g/Patterson 

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