God’s Measure of Ministry

Sunday, October 19, 2014

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,”

Acts 20:18–20

When I came to Lancaster Baptist Church in 1986, there was a handful of people and the church was in real financial trouble. We could have tried to resolve that by focusing on stewardship or a giving campaign, but that didn’t offer much hope for a solution. I hadn’t ever pastored a church before, though I had been on a church staff. There were a lot of things I didn’t know, but the one thing I knew for sure was that the city of Lancaster and our larger community of the Antelope Valley needed the gospel of Jesus Christ. So we started out knocking on doors and brought witness of the gospel to thousands of homes.

With all my heart, I believe that the purpose of the local church is summed up in the commission Christ gave His disciples just before He ascended to Heaven. This last command of Christ should be our highest priority; every facet of church activity should in some way relate to this, the purpose of the church. Acts 5:42 records that the Jerusalem church was indeed fulfilling this purpose: “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” This young church was constantly engaged in making the gospel known to the world. We do not need new methods today. Our great need is for obedience to God’s revealed plan of soulwinning.

Today's Growth Principle
God is not impressed with our programs and methods; He wants us to follow His command and be faithful witnesses.

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 59-61

CHAPTER 59

¹ Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: ² But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. ³ For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. ⁴ None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. ⁵ They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. ⁶ Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. ⁷ Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. ⁸ The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

⁹ Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. ¹⁰ We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. ¹¹ We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. ¹² For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; ¹³ In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. ¹⁴ And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. ¹⁵ Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

¹⁶ And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. ¹⁷ For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. ¹⁸ According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. ¹⁹ So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. ²⁰ And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. ²¹ As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

CHAPTER 60

¹ Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. ² For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. ³ And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. ⁴ Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. ⁵ Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. ⁶ The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. ⁷ All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. ⁸ Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

⁹ Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. ¹⁰ And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. ¹¹ Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. ¹² For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. ¹³ The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. ¹⁴ The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵ Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. ¹⁶ Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. ¹⁷ For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. ¹⁸ Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. ¹⁹ The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. ²⁰ Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. ²¹ Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. ²² A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time.

CHAPTER 61

¹ The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; ³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

⁴ And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. ⁵ And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. ⁶ But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. ⁷ For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. ⁸ For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. ⁹ And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. ¹¹ For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

New Testament Reading

2 Thessalonians 3

CHAPTER 3

¹ Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: ² And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith. ³ But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. ⁴ And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you. ⁵ And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

⁶ Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. ⁷ For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; ⁸ Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: ⁹ Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. ¹² Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. ¹³ But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. ¹⁴ And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

¹⁶ Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. ¹⁷ The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. ¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The second epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 20

¹ Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. ² The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul. ³ It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. ⁴ The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. ⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out. ⁶ Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? ⁷ The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him. ⁸ A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. ⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? ¹⁰ Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the LORD. ¹¹ Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. ¹² The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. ¹³ Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. ¹⁴ It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth. ¹⁵ There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. ¹⁶ Take his garment that is surety for a stranger: and take a pledge of him for a strange woman. ¹⁷ Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. ¹⁸ Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war. ¹⁹ He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. ²⁰ Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. ²¹ An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. ²² Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee. ²³ Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good. ²⁴ Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way? ²⁵ It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. ²⁶ A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them. ²⁷ The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. ²⁸ Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. ²⁹ The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. ³⁰ The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.