Transcription
[Music] Good morning. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me, or your iPhone, or whatever it is you use to get the Word of God, turn with me in Romans chapter 15. As we continue our series from the book of Romans, and we're coming down the final stretch. It's exciting to study the book and to learn the things that the Lord is teaching us through it.
The title of the message is, "The Work of the Ministry." The Work of the Ministry. And honestly, as you read Romans chapter 15 and verses 14 through 33, as we look at the text, you're gonna see what I mean by this statement. You might, if you were reading it, think the following. Number one, you might wonder, "Why did Paul put this in there? Why is this in the text?" Second, as we look at it, you might say, "Well, this would be very, very appropriate for a a pastor's meeting or for students getting ready to enter vocational ministry."
But in Romans chapter 15, what Paul does is, Paul gives us insight into his ministry. And it's really helpful for everyone in this sense that it gives us an understanding of the basics of ministry. So that if you move from the Springfield or Joplin area and you are looking for a new church, this really gives you a grid for deciding what church you're going to be a part of. Because what we're looking at is seven characteristics of a healthy ministry, seven hallmarks of a ministry that God is using.
I would also say this, it helps you to know how to pray for your pastors. And I hope that you are praying for your pastors because all of us benefit from your prayers. It strengthens us. And that's true since the church and as well. I think it gives you a sense of understanding regarding what pastors do. I mean, what do pastors do? That's probably a question you've asked yourself. Like, "What does John do all week?" And when I'm asked that question, people say, "What do you do all week?" I indulge people's thoughts and say, "You know what? I'm just waiting on Sunday." And they're like, "Really?" And I'm like, "Yeah, pretty much. Just Sunday." And we've got Wednesday in there too.
But no, seriously, you know, people wonder. They think, "Well, what do you do? If you just, I mean, you work on Sunday, and do you do anything else?" I was, before we had our Fitness Center at the South Campus, which if you're not a part of, you'd love to be a part of it. But before we had it, I was working out at Mercy's fitness center. And and there was an older lady there. And and one day I was riding the bike and and just reading. And and she came up and she said, "Excuse me," she said, "Can I ask you a question?" I said, "Certainly." She said, "Are you the pastor of James River?" And I said, "I am." She said, "Well, do they, do they pay you full-time to do that?" I said, "Well, surprisingly, yes." I mean, you know, it's what a deal. She said, "Well, what are you doing?" I kind of had that discussion. I said, "Well, you know, I preach on Sunday." And then I said, "I throw in Wednesday as well." But I mean, that's kind of it. And so she was quite amazed by that. And there was no point trying to change her opinion.
In Romans chapter 15, Paul opens up his heart and shares about his ministry. In some sense, you could say it almost reads like a journal entry from the Apostle Paul. I don't know about you, but when I've read the biographies of great men and women of God, there's there's times when you just would like to know at times how they thought on certain things. I mean, even today, there's a, I think at times when I've gone through ministry, there's, you, you wonder at times, "How would somebody think on something?"
I remember several years ago, when we were getting ready to move into this building, we were meeting at the Southwood campus, where today the Evangelical Free Church is. And we were going to move here. And because it was three times the square footage of our other building, and and we're moving a congregation really out of one county into another, and just wanted to make sure that we did things the best we could. I decided what I was going to do is talk to a a pastor who had done that. Adrian Rogers was at the time, had been a past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, one of the greatest preachers of his generation and of the last century, had a television show and and very well-known. But I knew he had moved the church from downtown Memphis out to where their present location is. And I had never met him. But I sat down, wrote him a letter, and I just said, "Dr. Rogers, here's, you know, who I am and what we're facing. And I would be willing to pay you for two hours of your time to talk to you about some things."
And so about three months later, his secretary had set up a time for Debbie and I to fly down to Memphis. And we spent an entire afternoon with Dr. Rogers. I'll never forget it. I mean, just an amazing man of God. As he talked about, he answered our questions and then told us a whole lot more. He was one of those men that if he had not been a pastor, he would have been president of the United States. I mean, he just had that, he had that ability, that kind of gravity and weight to his presence and his personality. It's great to be able to learn from people. Some of you are in a vocation where it would be good for you to find somebody who's doing what you do, only doing it bigger, better, and learn from them. It's, it's valuable to do that.
Well, the Apostle Paul, in that way, gives us the opportunity in Romans chapter 15 to learn from him, to hear his heart, to see how he does ministry, to get a look at his priorities. And so as we look at this, if you're taking notes, and I hope you are, seven qualities for an effective ministry. Seven things. We'll just look at them quickly, each one.
The first one is respect. If you're going to have a healthy ministry, a godly ministry, then the minister should treat people with respect. I mean, here's the Apostle Paul, and as he's writing to the Romans, he's never been to the church, he didn't start the church. It's actually probably a series of house churches. And among that gathering, Paul knows some of the people. That's obvious from what we read in Romans chapter 16. And certainly, as he's written them, he knows there are issues that they're dealing with, maybe through his acquaintances, he's heard of the issues. And then beyond that, is just simply the weight of what he has written in the gospel. I mean, Romans, the greatest treatise on the gospel in the entire Bible.
And so as Paul is writing them, he recognizes that this group of people who have never met him could be taken aback by the directness of his style, by the fact that in chapter 12, he gives 21 commands. There's more commands in Romans chapter 12 than in any other chapter in the New Testament. Is Paul gives these directives to the church, and they can be thinking, "Who's this guy think he is?" And so Paul writes them in verse 14, "I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another."
First of all, as he's, as he's writing them, notice three phrases: "full of goodness," "filled with knowledge," "able to instruct one another." What Paul's doing is, he's treating them with respect. He says, "I realize that that you're really a good church, that you're filled with goodness, that there's an overflow of not just moral excellence, but genuine goodness." One of the fruits of the Spirit is goodness. And I don't know about you, but it's really refreshing to see that in somebody. In fact, I would say this, it's one of the things maybe I value in a person almost more than anything else. When you meet somebody and you walk away from talking with them and you say, "They're just a good person." You know somebody like that? I hope you do. Hope you know several people like that. I mean, it's one of the things when I think of Debbie, that I'm that probably as much as anything I'm attracted to, is she is a genuinely good person. Her first inclination is to think good of people, to talk well of people, to lift people up. There's a generosity of spirit and character that extends to her words, her thoughts, her actions. Paul saying that church was filled with goodness.
Then he says, "you're filled with all knowledge," which is certainly a kindness on his part to say. I mean, he's essentially given them the the book of Romans, and he says, "You know it. And you y'all know some things. You're, you're filled with knowledge. You know a lot." He commends their knowledge. "And you're able to instruct one another. You're able to counsel one another. You're able to advise one another. You're able to solve problems." You know, if you're, if you're going to do God's work in God's way, you're gonna have a godly ministry. You have to treat people with respect. In fact, when you're watching a church, when you're evaluating a church, you just have to ask yourself, I think it's a good thing, "How do they treat people? Do they love people? Do they respect people?" It's an important part of ministry. And it's not always easy.
I remember in our first church, I was 22, and the church had been troubled. And and David was six months old. And and we're just learning ministry. And so we get there to this church, and it's in a rural community. And and you know, you do what you always do. And you're in a small church, I guess you start by cleaning out the closets because closets are always like packed with with junk. And all the old Sunday school quarterlies, they used to have those. And all the stuff that churches saved that they shouldn't. So anyway, I I call one of the retired board members. And he has a little Chevy Love pickup with a little trailer. And I say, "Hey, can I borrow it?" Or "Can we?" He said, "I'll help you." And so we fill the whole trailer and his truck full of trash. And we're taking it out to the dump. And as we're going out to the dump, he he says to me, he says, "Can I tell you something?" I was like, "Sure." He said, "I didn't vote for you." I said, "Well, thank you. It's nice to know who my friends and enemies are." So they say, "Can I tell you something else?" And I said, "Sure." He said, "My wife didn't vote for you either." Then he said, "Can I tell you one more thing?" So I wish you would. He said, "We don't think you're God's man, and we don't think you'll last six months." I said, "What? Can I tell you something? If he just kind of nodded his head. And I said, "I think you're wrong. I think I am God's man. That God has sent me here. And I think I'm gonna last more than six months. So you're gonna have to learn to love me because I sure do love you."
I'm just telling you, you have to treat people with respect. Had another board member. And he, I mean, this is all just at the the ministry happened very rapidly there, growing up, if you will. He was the vice chairman of the board and the treasurer. And he had unilaterally cut my salary by 25%. And I knew, I knew if I, if I argued with this guy, or I go in and appeal to the board, and I, then they're gonna say, "Well, he's all about money. That's all he cares about." I thought, "You know what? I can win the battle and lose the war." And I'm better off to just win him. To hang out, to go to his business, go have coffee. He again was retired. He had a business, but he turned it over to family. But go have coffee with he and his wife and spend time with them and hang out with them. I, I had another two board members in the in the first probably three months who came in, both of them separately, to beat me up. I'll never forget this one. He was a big farmer guy. I mean, he was really strong. And and he hadn't liked something I had done. And he said, he shook his finger at me. And he said, "If you ever do that again, I'm gonna make you a part of the foundation of the church." And you know, I don't know what possessed me. I don't know what possessed me. But you know, I said, "Well, if you feel that way, you might as well do it now." And I don't know, there must have been angels all around me. And then I went on to say, because, you know, what the fact of the matter is, we're gonna disagree on things. We're not gonna agree on everything. But that doesn't mean that we can't love one another and get along with one another. That there's times we're gonna see things differently. But that doesn't mean we're not on the same team. And being able to talk him through that.
Another one, I was interviewing people. I just think at all these, I mean, these were all right at the start. I would interview people and ask, "Well, what's your ministry in the church?" And in this one guy, he said, "Well, you know, I'm kind of the devil's advocate." And you know, he was right. But again, rather than draw lines that divide, it's a job of of a minister to love people, to respect people, to reach out to people, to include people, to be around people, to treat people with respect. You can treat anybody, can treat somebody with respect when you agree with them. Anybody can treat somebody with respect when it's obvious they love you and they agree with you. And therefore, you, the question is, how does the ministry treat people when the people disagree? Or when the the people aren't quite there? Or when, in fact, the people may be acting in an unsanctified, unchristian manner? It's up to the minister to be a person who treats people with respect. This is what you see in the Apostle Paul. And you'll see it in Timothy, in his letters to Timothy, as he talks about being careful that in the way we work with people, not to inflame situations, but to love people through them.
It's a second word, calling. Calling, verse 15. Or yes, first 15, Romans 15. "But on some points I've written you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles." Would you notice? Paul understands his calling. He understood that he was called by God. He understood that he was sent to the Gentiles. That that was, in fact, his ministry. In Galatians chapter 1, in verse 15, he says, "But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by His marvelous grace. Then it pleased Him to reveal His Son to me so that I would proclaim the good news about Jesus to the Gentiles." Paul says, "I have a ministry, and it wasn't my own idea. It was a ministry given to me from the Lord, and with it, directions for what I am to do."
Listen, everybody in ministry has to understand what it is that God has called them to do. And it's good for people to have that sense of calling. A thing to look for when you're, when you're looking at a church is, "Do they understand what God has called them to do?" Because when a minister doesn't understand their calling, they then begin to copy different people. So that the ministry is, is in one season doing this, and another season doing that, and another season doing that. It's like there's no consistency, there's no congruity, there's no divine sense of purpose. God calls people. He calls pastors. So the way it works, that like James River, one of the callings that is of God on my life is, I have a calling to expose the Word of God verse by verse. It's what I'd, it's what I know God has called me to do. And I can't do anything else. So that, and that directs decisions I would make. When I came here, one of the questions I had was, "Hey, because I didn't send him like the best of John Lindell, as if something like that exists. I sent them my two most recent sermons." They listened to him. And they said, "That was back in the days of cassettes." So for those who are younger, you can see him at the Smithsonian. There in, not my cassettes, but you know, I sent those to them. And they're like, "Well, it just kind of sounds like a Bible study." I said, "I am, pretty much." They said, "Well, do you think people are gonna want that?" I said, "I don't know. But it's what I do. And if you want me, that's what you're down for." Because there's a calling. When you, and not everybody's calling is the same. So I'm not saying my calling should be everybody's calling. It's very important for me that you would understand that I'm just simply, I'm saying that when you look at a church, when you look at a minister, in a ministry, there should be at some point clear to you a sense of divine purpose. That that minister, that ministry has charted their course according to the compass of divine calling.
I mean, when people, you know, and it affects, it affects the church. The church should have a calling. Let me just say this, James River is called by God. And this doesn't originate, originated with me. But the first four families who started the church said, "God has raised this, has called us to start a church to reach the lost by reaching young families." That's not to say we won't reach other people along the way. But the ministry is geared toward that. Everything you see here is is aligned with that. And the day that we don't see that happening to the degree it needs to is the day we're going to make changes. And have you been here a long time? You've watched different changes that have been done because that is our calling. And so a ministry understands its calling. If people come and apply at James River, I mean, well, we have a heart for people looking for work. We aren't interested in hiring people just because they need a job, or even because they're incredibly talented. We want people who who sense a divine calling. They sense that God wants them to work here. That God is leading them to be a part of it. It's part of calling.
Third principle, power. And I love this. Look at it. Romans 15, verse 17. "In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed." Now watch this, "by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God." Paul says, "There's a divine power that is obvious in my ministry." You see him talking about that in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. He says, "That my message and my preaching were very plain, rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom, but in the power of God."
Honestly, my job is not to razzle-dazzle you with some fancy oratory or theological footwork, as if I could. Honestly, I mean, I'm straight up, though. The messages you get are pretty plain. I mean, when I was putting together the book and talking to people, one individual had this view of it. He said, "You know, frankly, your messages are just kind of like a commentary on the verses." And I said, "Yeah, pretty much." I mean, that's kind of what you're getting. You're getting a verbal commentary. You know, it's not, there's not a lot. I'm not a big storyteller. I may tell more stories in this message than you'll hear the rest of the year. I mean, you know, I'm not a big storyteller. But my confidence is in the Word of God, rightly divided, under the power of the Holy Spirit, to change people's lives. What I pray for, and what has characterized the church, is the hand of God is on this church. I pray that that His hand would be on my messages in the same way His hand is on the church. Because that's been a hallmark of this church from the beginning. That's what you want in a church. A godly ministry is characterized by power.
And when you're looking at a church, one of the things you want to ask is, "Is there a power of God that is evident? Are lives being changed? Are people being saved? Are people being baptized?" That is part of the way you rightly evaluate. I'm not talking about comparing yourselves with others or competing with others. I'm talking about in the place, when you're seeing it, when you're watching it, is it obvious God is at work? When you walk in the door, do you feel the presence of God? Do you sense that God is using the ministry to strengthen you, to touch you, to encourage you? Do you see the ministry doing that in the lives of others? Do you see people, as we said, getting saved? Do you see people filled with the Spirit? Do you see people growing in their understanding of God? Do you see people being healed? Are those things happening? Those are marks of God's power. And if it's happening in this place, it is because the Lord is moving in this place. And we're very grateful for that and for its working. But that is a mark of an effective ministry. The Spirit of God is working powerfully, supernaturally, in that place. And He's doing that in this place to the praise of His glory.
So forth mark, or hallmark characteristic of a godly ministry, let's call it vision. Paul had a vision. He was always planning ahead. He was always had his eye on the future. Look at it in Romans chapter 15, in verse 20. "And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. But as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard of will understand.'" This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I've enjoyed your company for a while."
Here's Paul, what's happening in Paul's life as he's writing this? Well, he's just coming off of arguably one of the greatest revivals in the New Testament, maybe it would rank as one of the greatest revivals in the history of the church, the revival at Ephesus. You read about it in Acts chapter 19, where the Apostle Paul is lecturing five hours a day. He's working early in the morning, he's working late at night, so that during the time people would typically be taking a nap, he can rent a lecture hall on the cheap and he can give lectures, five-hour sermons on the Word of God. And the results were predictable. People were getting saved left and right. In fact, as he is working, what's happening is the sweat rags are being taken and placed on people, and they're being healed. So there's a supernatural move of God, and people are coming to Christ in unprecedented numbers, so that the Bible records that in two days, $2 million worth of occultic and pagan books were being burned as people got rid of paganism and embraced the true God through faith in Jesus Christ. And the Word of God rang throughout the province of Asia. So it wasn't just an emphasis, it was all over Asia Minor that people were hearing the gospel.
I mean, imagine it. This is happening, and a lot of people, if that were happening, they would be thinking, "Well, you know what? I'm just gonna ride this wave till this wave hits the beach, and then I'll kind of think about it." But not Paul. All the while, he's got the revival in Ephesus, and he's working with the Corinthians and the Corinthian controversy. He's riding back and forth, trying to make sure he deals with the false teachers there and brings unity to the church. And all the while that's happening, Paul's thinking about Rome. Paul's thinking about Spain. And Paul is writing the Epistle to the Romans. Talk about a man with vision.
What is vision? It's a sense of what God is doing in a region, what God is doing in a country, what God is doing in a city, what God is doing in a church, what God is doing among people. It's, it's an understanding of what God is doing. Do you have a sense of what God is doing? That's what vision is. If you don't, then you don't have vision. It's finding out what God is doing and giving yourself to it. It's like Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 19 in the Message: "If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves." When you're not aware of what God is doing in a church, when you're not aware of what God is doing in your life, when you're not aware of what God is doing in your marriage or in the lives of your children, you're gonna stumble all over yourselves. On the other hand, "When you attend to what He reveals," last part of the verse, "you are most blessed." Vision is understanding what God is doing in a time and in a place.
Listen, that's why we tell you all the time that the video announcements are not just a filler in the service. The video announcements are an opportunity for you to get a sense of what God is doing in a place, what He's doing here. You've got camps, the amazing thing that God is doing there. You've got Grow Track. You've got Project Partnership, the way God is gonna work through that, it has worked. You've got the Men's Conference. You've got Sizzling Summer. It's telling you, listen, here's what God is doing. And why did we tell you that? So you can attend to what He reveals, so that you can jump in, so that you can be a part. Because when you jump in and you're a part, you're most blessed. And that's our goal for you to have that sense of what God is doing. And they encourage you to jump in, to be a part, to get in Grow Track, to go through the four sessions, to get on a Dream Team, so that you're actively serving. It's not enough that it doesn't do any good to go through Grow Track if you don't have any commitment to serve. I mean, to jump in. I mean, 5,000 people every single week involved on a Dream Team, actively serving. And I mean, can I just tell you, there are hundreds of opportunities of unfilled ministry positions where you, it doesn't get the idea it's all being done. Listen, it's not all being done. There's a place for you. That's why there's vision. That's the value of vision. People can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves. And honestly, a godly minister has to have that sense of vision, that sense of what God is doing. That, that's a part of my job is, is to have that sense. You say, "Well, how do you get that?" Well, number one, you've got to spend time in the presence of the Lord. You can't see what God is doing unless God opens your eyes to what He is doing. And we have to keep our spirit renewed, right? I would say this, joyful in Jesus. And if I can just say it for, for just a moment, because as I was writing the message, I really felt a burden that perhaps there would be pastors who are here today, or maybe there are pastors and you're watching online right now, that it's important for you to have vision. And one of the things that robs pastors of their spiritual vision is not the besetting sins that we might name, but something that is much more subtle: fatigue. Not just tired in body, but being mentally tired, being tired in your soul, being tired in your spirit. I mean, when your soul gets tired, it's true for pastors, it's true for everybody. You become vulnerable. You begin to undervalue the ministry you're a part of, even undervalue, if you can imagine, your relationship with Christ. When a person gets tired, what happens in that moment is, any one of us can find ourselves underestimating the impact of decisions and ultimately losing our sense of vision. Especially, I think for ministers, this is critical. The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, people perish." And I just feel perhaps there are some watching today, and I'm not calling you out, I'm simply trying to encourage you to think about what's happening in your life. And I'm concerned because some of you have moved from seeing people saved to simply trying to save yourself, just to make it through another day. Listen, the ministry requires vitality. To have vitality, you have to have rest, and you need to have vision. You want to have vision. Vision is a good thing.
Number five, compassion. Number five, compassion. Look at it. "At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem." Really, that is all summed up for us in 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and 9. "For they were pleased to do it, and indeed owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings." "When therefore I have completed this and have delivered that to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you."
So again, this vision, it's in everything that he does. But what Paul is doing is, he's taking and offering for the poor in Jerusalem. What he's saying is, "Listen, if the church started in Jerusalem, and we've benefited spiritually from them, we should be interested in blessing them physically." And this is something that's always on Paul's heart, that that people that are struggling, that people that are hurting, that that they would have a compassionate response from the church. I mean, you see this in Galatians when he goes to Galatians, or when he writes to the Galatians, he tells of his own journey how at the beginning, at 14 years after he had been saved, he and Barnabas go to Jerusalem and their meeting with the elders there and talking to them. And we read on this comment, as as they visit, make sure that their their ministries are in line with the Apostles' ministry. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I've always been eager to do. Paul says, "I've always been about helping the poor."
A godly ministry is going to look for ways to minister God's compassion to those who are in need. And I'm thankful that, I mean, it explains for you perhaps the ministry that James River has. It's why we do Bags by the Bumper every single month. It is a a ministry to those who are in need, a way to provide groceries and provide them for people in a way that maintains their dignity. I love the One Heart Ministry, as we give away 100 bags of groceries a week. I love the Preschool Academy downtown, as we're offering a free, high-quality preschool education to people that are in poverty. They're getting their kids are getting an amazing education, and it's not a handout, it's a hand up, as we're ministering not just to the kids, but to the families. It's a powerful thing God is doing there. It's why we do the Season of Giving. It's why we, we're helping people every single week for the ministry of the church. It's why we're out there fixing homes and patching up things after a tornado. This ministry of compassion, when people are hurting, the church ought to be there. That's part of a godly ministry.
Number six, opposition. Opposition. A godly ministry is going to encounter opposition. Look what Paul says, verse 30. "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints." Paul's got, he knows opponents. He's got people who are challenging him. It was always that way. He writes to the Corinthians, he says, "A great and effectual door." He's talking about his time at Ephesus. He's in Ephesus writing the Corinthians. He says, "A great and effectual door for service has opened unto me." And then he writes, "And there are many adversaries." This is part of any ministry. That there's going to be times of opposition. The ministry is not always easy. And there are times when it's incumbent upon a church, there are times when it's incumbent upon a pastor to stand up and to speak the truth, even when people may not want to hear it. It has to be done graciously. It has to be done prayerfully. It needs to be done carefully. But it still needs to be done. And you've seen that if you've been at the church over the years, then we've spoken out on different issues that have arisen when there is a moral component or something that the society or the church needs to be aware of. Because frankly, what can happen is the church can be so conditioned by the society that it no longer thinks scripturally.
So most recently, we covered the abortion issue. And that message has been listened to 70,000 times. It's amazing. And we're watching people's hearts change. We're watching God touch the nation in a variety of ways. In something that would have been unthinkable a few years back, as heartbeat bills and different kinds of of measures are being introduced that protect the unborn, that speak to the sanctity of human life. And when the church speaks that way, there's gonna be people who don't like it. Be people who will speak out against it. Be people who will say things. And people, people do that. I mean, you know, I mean, I've been, I've stood in line before at different places and had people say, "Are you that person?" And I've said, "Yes, I am." And that person. But honestly, nothing we've encountered, or nothing I've encountered, even comes close to the Apostle Paul. From this man, had rocks thrown at him until they thought he was dead at Lystra. Was beaten and placed in jail at Philippi. He says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, "He said he was beaten with rods three times." You don't really understand what that means unless you know what the rods were. And you know, on the back of the dime, there's like a bundle of sticks with leather wrapped around it. Those are rods. And what they would do is they'd use the leather to hang you by your, to hang you upside down, and then they would have you where they could could hit the bottoms of your feet with with the rods until it broke the bones in your feet. Paul says that happened three times. He received 195 lashes. People tried to kill him. But he never let those things stop him. And that doesn't mean it was easy. I mean, at times, very, very discouraging for him. He says to the Corinthians, in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1, verse 8, "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life." He said, "I thought I was gonna die." That was as he's writing that in the great revival of Ephesus, people turned against him. Things happened. He thought, "This might be it." And that wasn't the only place. He writes in, in Acts, we read about this, that at Corinth, the Lord Jesus personally appeared to him to encourage him. She just said, "Don't be afraid. Keep on speaking. Do not be silent, for I am with you." Paul, don't give up. I'm right beside you. A godly ministry will face opposition.
And then finally, teamwork. Any ministry that's godly has this teamwork component. We're going to look at it more fully in Romans chapter 16 next week. And as we go through chapter 16, you're gonna see Paul mentions 35 people. What I love about Paul is, Paul is not some lone ranger who thinks he can do it all by himself. He wasn't a superstar who didn't think he needed others. He worked with others. He depended on others. He had confidence in others. When you read his writings, it's always Paul and Paul and Silas, Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Luke, Paul and Timothy. I mean, the ministry is a team sport. It's not a spectator sport. It's a team sport. It's everybody involved, doing what we can for a purpose greater than ourselves, and watching God by His power make up for our deficiencies and take us farther than we could have ever gone on our own.
So amazing to see. If I can just say it, that ministry includes you. The ministry of James River includes you. And I'm gonna just say, I'm gonna echo something I talked about last week, but I want to say it again. I want to thank the thousands of people who make this church go week after week. Whether it's at Joplin, and the people who show up to set up the campus there. Whether it's at the North Campus, and the people who are there who are part of making that ministry happen. Over at the West Campus, what happens out there on the plaza, in the atrium, is amazing. Not to mention all the ministry areas. What happens in this building, 370,000 square feet at the South Campus, and it's filled with ministry that's happening, lives are being changed. The people who are working on Sunday and Wednesday and through the week, thank you so much. People who come in and volunteer, you inspire me, you encourage me. Debbie and I feel privileged to be able to to be the pastor of a place like this. Thank you.
And then to those who aren't yet, you haven't yet found your place on the team, listen, can I tell you, there is, there is a need for you. There's a lot of ministry yet to be done. And and your life is going to be richer for it. Because it's impossible for any one of us to do any active service for the Lord without the Lord honoring that in our lives and doing something powerful in our lives. It's a response because you and I'll never give anything to the Lord that He won't pay back many times over in our life, talent, energy, money. I just want to encourage you, find your place, get involved. And you're gonna be a part of something that's much bigger than any one of us separately, or all of us put together. You know, it takes a team. It takes a team.
I was reminded of that Thursday night at the New People's Party. And we were going, we were at the close, and I was greeting some people. And there were people in the in the area where we had had the meal, and they were cleaning up. And there were children's workers, and they were getting parents reconnected with their kids. And there were there were other people explaining ministry and giving tours. I mean, there was a whole lot of things going on in the in the building. And as I was greeting people, a young man said, "Can I talk to you for just a now?" Said, "Sure." Began to tell me his story. Had been out of church for seven years because of a hurtful situation. And the New People's Party was his first time back at church. And I never thought to ask him why he came to the New People's Party. I thought that was really interesting. I was glad he was there. But here's what he said: "While I was sitting in that room, I felt like I need to rededicate my heart to the Lord." I was like, "You mean right now?" And he's like, "Yeah, I would like to do it right now." So while all of that other ministry is going on around me, I've got the privilege of praying with him to recommit his life to Christ. I thought, "Listen, if the rest of the ministry isn't happening, I'm not going to be able to do that. That's not going to happen."
Do you realize that's, that's that's how it works? When when we get to heaven, the Lord is going to recognize everybody who is a part of everything that we're doing in this place. And everybody's going to be credited with all that God did in this place. And whatever your part was, it will be as if you were the only person doing it. I'm just saying, jump in. Be a part. It is so exciting. The stories I just told you, that one story, but honestly, story after story. I was with somebody yesterday in the hospital. And they were telling me about their, you know, they'd had surgery. And they were, you know, talking about how they'd hoped God would heal them. But just just a few months ago, God had healed their knees. Came forward here at the altar, were prayed for. And they were they were scheduled for surgery. Their knees were shot. And God touched them supernaturally. And they've never had swelling or aches or pains or any problem. God healed them. And they told their doctor. Their doctor was like, "That is so wonderful, because if He hadn't healed you, you would have to have the surgery. Your knees are in that kind of shape." You know, God is working in so many different ways. And I don't know who prayed for them down here, but God does. And heaven keeps record of those kind of things.
Listen, a godly ministry needs everybody doing what they can, where they can, to touch whoever they can. And through that, God builds the church. The church isn't about John and Debbie. It's about every single person who's a part of this place. God using you for His glory, to advance His kingdom. In Jesus' name. Amen.