Real Ministry is Costly

2nd Corinthians 11:23-28

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones,three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Quickword: Real Ministry is Costly

Earlier this week, I was able to connect with a friend from my military days who after retiring works in full time ministry. The Spirit of the Lord directed me to call him to seek his advice regarding a personal challenge in ministry that I’m having. I’ve learned over the years that It’s a blessing to have people in your life who care about you enough to tell you what you NEED to hear and not what you WANT to hear. This morning upon waking I reflected on that conversation from earlier this week and realized that after nearly 30 years in ministry, that ministry at no level is easy, beloved it, I have the scars to show. Those who know me well know that I value loyalty. Sometimes those who are the closest to you are the most disloyal. This week I found myself asking why. Why is loyalty too often given and not reciprocated. After sharing with my friend and brother, I understood a lesson about ministry that I already knew; that being the why of what we go through to serve is really not that important. These verses in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth illustrate some of the challenges he faced during his ministry. Paul’s journey reminds us of the struggles of ministry surmised in 2nd Corinthians Chapter eleven; Real ministry comes with a cost.

- Real ministry requires real work.

- Real ministry opens us up to be hurt by friend and foe.

- Real ministry will cause us to labor through hunger and thirst.

- Real ministry puts daily pressure upon those who labor.

Often times we have this need to want to know why certain things happen to us while we are doing ministry. My brothers and sisters, the why is not important, it's not important when we absolutely surrender our lives unto God. I confess this morning that I recognize that there are parts of my journey that I'm still struggling to surrender because I have this human desire to know the why. In the grand scheme of things, if we are trusting God to order our steps, the why is really not important. As I come to the end of 2023, I believe the Lord is moving in a mighty way, ways in which I don’t understand. Likewise, you maybe wondering why things are the way they are. My brother and my sister, what I’ve learned is that what is important is that we trust and wait on God throughout the ups and downs of life. The why is not important. Why is not important but the Who is. What’s important is to whom are we depending on to lead and guide our lives? Yesterday, we celebrated the birth of the Savior, but the ministry of the Babe born in Bethlehem was to be crucified out on a hill call Calvary some 33 years later not for His sins but for yours sins and my sins. This morning I’ve made up my mind through the uncertainties of life, I’m going to trust in the Lord with the understanding that Real ministry is costly.