FLOURISHING MINISTERS, FLOURISHING MINISTRY: LIFTING UP THE STANDARD

The story was told of three Pastors who had ideas about church and ministry. One said he can grow his ministry by his cute dressing and fashion sense. The other one said his ministry will grow because he had an ipad, technological equipments and gadgets. The third one insisted that only the word of God had the power to bring true growth, transformation and change to the church. While the first two are wrong, yet they are the ones in majority in the ministry today. Majority of ministers, Pastors and leaders are not lifting up the standard of God, both in their lives and ministries today.

A. SCRIPTURAL FOUNDATION Isaiah 59:19; 49:22; 62:10; Jer. 4:6; 51:12; Exod. 25:40

Whenever and wherever God calls and commissions His servants, He has always given them a Pattern, Standard and Model to follow. Noah was given the specification of the Ark from heaven (Gen. 6:21-22; 7:5). Moses was shown the pattern to follow in building the tabernacle (Exod. 25:40; 26:30; Acts 7:44).

1. God’s word is the standard yardstick for every Christian.
2. God’s standard of holiness, justice, truth integrity and love never changes.
3. Ministers are to build their work on the standard of God’s word.
4. God will never lower His standard for an human effort.
5. God will not come down to our standard rather, we are the one to go to His own.
6. It is only the word that measures to Hi standard that will get His approval.
7. Worldly and human standard will neve meet with God’s approval.
8. Every minister is called to lift up the standard of God’s word and will.

Many ministers and church leaders of today trample down God’s standard, tear it down, deny it, and render it of non-effect by their lives, styles and ministries.

B. THE FLOODS WE FACE TODAY -Isaiah 59:19

A flood is a rising and overflowing of something, a body of water. Symbolically, a flood represents the tactics of the enemy to overwhelm people, cities, societies, communities and nations with relentless evils. It twists truth in lies and destroys righteous foundations.

The church and society are faced with many floods seeking to demolish our faith:

1. The flood of secularism and humanism that destroys in the church.
2. The flood of immorality, animosity and sexual pervasion.
3. The flood of money, gain, profit and financial scandals.
4. The flood of separation, divorce and broken homes.
5. The flood of false doctrines and flaky preachers who peddle errors.
6. The flood of Gentile kind of leadership that takes but don’t give.
7. The flood of half-baked, half-cooked, ungodly and nominal Pastors.
8. The flood of nominal Christians that are not true disciples of the Lord.

Many churches are being overwhelmed and swept away by these floods today. The foundation of truth, godliness and integrity are being greatly eroded in the church by these floods today Preachers are compromising, preaching politically correct messages that approve gay lifestyles, drunkenness, taking money from politicians and thieves, divorce, sexual pervasion and questionable lifestyles.

C. THE LEADER WHO WILL LIFT UP THE STANDARD – Isaiah 59:19; Ezek. 22:30; Isaiah 6:8; John 1:6

God is looking for a man – real man that will stand in the truth, stand for the truth, stand by the truth and lift up the truth everywhere. The man that cannot be bought and that is free from the love and greed for gain, a man among men that is tough and that will stand tall in tough times is the one God is looking for. A man like Daniel in Babylon (Dan. 1:8; 6:4-11).

1. Daniel refused to get spoiled with the carnal food of the palace.
2. He maintained his devotion to God and self discipline.
3. He was holy, pure and full of excellent Spirit of God.
4. He set good and worthy examples before all.
5. He was devotional, prayerful and dedicated to spiritual issues.
6. He was faithful to the king without violating his devotion to God.
7. He did not compromise his belief in God for anything.
8. He displayed courage, faithfulness, integrity.
9. He displayed truthfulness to the king but uncompromising stand for the God of Israel.
10. He lifted up the banner of God high in the palace of Babylon.

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It is such men and leaders that God is still looking for today. These qualities must be in their lives:-

1. Must believe in the absolute Truth of God’s word-Psalm 138:2
2. Must know the mission of the church to be salt, light and truth in the society – Matt. 5:13-14; 1 Tim. 3:15.
3. Living by the scriptural standard of Holiness, Purity, Integrity. Love and Transparency-Heb. 12:14.
4. Preaching the gospel of repentance, salvation and freedom from sin; resulting in life transformations – John 1:5,7,8; Acts 2:38
5. Your loyalty must be to God, His word, not to men and organizations.
6. Make your stand known to all – don’t sit on the fence on issues.
7. Cry out against the sin, injustice and evils of the church and the society – Isaiah 58:1-2.
8. Courageously defend the truth, despite all odds.
9. Refuse to be seduced by the spirit of the age, but stand for God – Deut. 30:19.
10. Dare to be different and a standard bearer for God.

William Wilberforce was a man who raised a standard against slavery, though it took 26 years, yet he lived to see its abolition.

Martin Luther raised a standard against “indulgence’ by the Roman Papacy and lifted up the banner of ‘Justification by Faith’, though the battle was tough, yet the error was corrected, Bible was printed and circulated to the world.

You can be the vessel whom the Holy Spirit will use to raise a standard against the flood of evil of our day in the church, the society and denominations.