Doing Ministry Together

Discipling involves more than simply talking about how great it would be to reach out to people who don’t know Christ. Doing ministry together means that you’re doing it!

Look what Jesus did. He took His disciples and went throughout Galilee and Israel, ministering to people.

• He spoke to the masses
• He healed
• He cast out demons
• He taught

For two and a half years, Jesus went about ministering, and He took the disciples with Him.

When Paul challenged Timothy in Acts 16, he did not say, “Timothy, let’s hide away for three years. I’ll teach you everything I know from the Old Testament, give you a crash course in theology, and then you’ll be ready for ministry.”

Instead, Paul said, “Timothy, just go with me,” and Timothy joined Paul on his missionary journeys. Timothy learned how to have a ministry by hanging out with someone who is already doing it.

• Ministry may involve talking with guys at the basketball court where you’re playing hoops, or perhaps it involves showing your disciple how to talk about Jesus over coffee with their classmate.
• Maybe it’s modeling how to initiate a conversation with a person, build a rapport with them, and begin a deeper relationship with someone!
• Modeling ministry in these ways allows the disciple to see your heart for the lost.

Four things happen when you are in ministry together.

1. Our view of God develops

You may have a tremendous spiritual conversation, and your disciple walks away saying, “Wow, that is cool! Look what God did!”

• God shows up and works in someone’s life when you’re in ministry.
• Not when you sit around and talk about it, but when you get out and do it.

2. Compassion develops for the lost

Compassion for lost people really develops when we’re face to face with someone, hearing their hurt and pain.

Even when we meet someone whose life is all together, who is as happy as can be thinking science has all the answers and dismissing God as totally irrelevant, our compassion grows as we realize how lost they really are.

3. Our confidence in God will grow

 When you go out and share your faith at work or school,

Or go on a  mission and see God use you to bring someone to Christ.

Or engage in a conversation during which the Holy Spirit gives you things to say. He leads you;

• He recalls Scripture to your mind
• and recalls the answers to things you learned in the past.
• You walk away saying, “Wow, God used even me!”
• Confidence in Christ can grow as you’re involved in ministry.

But it’s important to start that process with someone by your side.

Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father’s Will

21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.[a] 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”

4. Ministry builds vision and passion

 When disciples are out sharing their faith, it’s all they can talk about.

There’s a passion, a zeal, an excitement. Because when you’re discipling and getting involved in a ministry, the disciple is getting in on what God is doing, and that naturally brings excitement.

Mark 6:30-52

 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii[a] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

As a discipler, you must love your disciple enough to model ministry in a way that prepares them, increases their confidence that God can use them, and helps them to develop true compassion for the lost.

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night[b] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Healthy discipleship involves all three components

1. Building relationships,

2. Studying the Word of God,

3. Doing ministry together.

The challenge is to balance all three and periodically evaluate which component needs improvement.

You learn to disciple by doing it.

• Building relationships and studying God’s Word may be easy for you.

• Ministry is usually the most difficult because it means stepping out in faith and bringing another person along.
• But if we do not embrace all three, we rob people of the privilege of growing, seeing God show up, and watching God work.