ministry – jeremycouture.me

Jesus was Rejected – Failure or Success?

Jesus was rejected by many of His peers. Does that weaken or strengthen His claims?

One of the best ways to persuade others with an argument is to answer their strongest objections. If you can provide a reasonable explanation for someone’s biggest challenge, you can “take the wind out of their sails” and maybe win the day. This approach follows the logic of the familar parable: “The best offense is a good defense.”

John seems to take the same approach at times in His Gospel, which is aimed at converting unbelievers into believers (John 20:30-31). In John 12:37-50, He tackles the potentially embarrassing issue of Christ’s rejection. Why believe in Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah and Savior of the World if so many of His own people rejected Him during His earthly ministry? Doesn’t that prove or at least weaken His claim of being sent by God?

Instead of shying away from this objection, John leans into it in the closing verses of John chapter 12. He uses Isaiah 5:31 and 6:10 to point out that God’s messengers haven’t always been well received. Moses, Elijah, Ezekial, and Isaiah all faced signifcant opposition in their day and Jesus experienced the same.

In addition, John reveals the motivation behind much of Israel’s rejection of Jesus. The “rulers” would have been members of the Sanherin, the Jewish “Supreme Court” of its time. Many of these rulers had a private respect and admiration for Jesus, but they refused that share it publically for fear that they would loose the respect of their peers. The problem wasn’t with Jesus and His teaching or miracles, it was with the hard-heartedness of His audience.

John helps us to see that Christ’s rejection was a sign of His failure, but instead, it was a sign of His success. Jesus was faithful to His mission, even if He wasn’t hailed as hero by all of His peers. Popularity can be a poor measure of success and it’s an even worse measure of the truth.

God-Centered Worship versus Self-Centered Worship

How do they differ?

This past Sunday at Northside Baptist, we studied the cleansing of the temple story in John 2:13-25. We took note of several ways that Jesus challenges believers today, including challenging our self-centered forms of worship. The Jews in Jesus’ day allowed merchants and money changers to distract from true God-centered worship. Even though elements and styles of worship change through the years, there are some priorities of gathered worship that stay the same. These priorities help us differentiate between God-centered worship and self-centered worship.

Preaching God’s Word. The Bible is God’s holy, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative message to humanity. It tells us what we need to know about the world, ourselves, and most importantly God. The Scriptures inform and empower our worship; without them we have no basis for truth.

The Bible may be used in a variety of ways in worship, but the primary way it guides our worship is through expository preaching. Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix define expository preaching as “the process of laying open the biblical text in such a way that the Holy Spirit’s intended meaning and accompanying power are brought to bear on the lives of contemporary listeners.” This kind of proclaimation and explanation are essential for God-centered worship.

Praising Christ and Exalting His Name. In Hebrews 1:1-2, we find that Jesus Christ is God’s full and final revelation to the world. He is the “heir of all things” and should be the focus of our adoration and praise. The expressions of worship that we include in our times of gathered worship should all be intended for one purpose – to praise God’s one and only Son.

Music is a big part of modern worship and for good reason. Corporate singing allows congregants to participate in the service in an active way. But care should be taken to choose songs that highlight the objective nature of God and His redemptive plan for humanity in Jesus Christ. Some songs only talk about our subjective feelings as objects of God’s love. This second category falls short of the true nature of worship.

Engaging with the Holy Spirit. The Third-person of the Trinity is active in the worship of the church. In addition to salvation, the Holy Spirit is involved in empowering, illuminating, sanctifying, and bestowing gifts on all believers (Acts 1:8, John 14:16-17, Romans 8:2-17,1 Corinthians 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit makes His presence known as believers gather for worship.

There are other priorities that could be added to this. Specific expressions of worship like fellowship with other believers, observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and sacrificial giving are all valuable and worth noting. My goal has been to highlight the participation of all three members of the Trinity in God-centered worship. It is only when we pursue these priorities together that we avoid the self-centered alternative.

What priority would you add to the list? Feel free to add it below!

Why is Children’s Ministry So Important?

Why is children’s ministry so important?

People bring their Bibles to church, but they also bring their expectations. Sometimes, those expectations clash with other churchgoers in the same congregation. Since children are rarely involved in church leadership, their needs and interests can take a backseat to other “more important” ministries. Here are 10 great reasons why churches prioritize children’s ministry.

1. The family is an important part of God’s plan for the world. He invented gender, marriage, and procreation – God invented the generations! The 10 Commandments and the Epistles both include important instructions for children to honor and obey their parents (Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:1).
2. The majority of people who make a decision for Christ do it before the age of 18. Most studies place the percentage around 85 percent. This number may vary slightly by family or by the stripe of church, but surely it is above 50 percent. Consider your own experience – did you make a decision for Christ as a child or a teenager? If so, then you know about the importance.

3. If a person comes to Christ at a young age, they can follow Christ for their whole lives. The rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-27 is identified by his age, as well as his wealth. What if this young man would have decided to follow Christ? That would have been an amazing story of God’s grace.

4. Children can be examples of sincere faith. Jesus’ disciples drove children away, but Jesus welcomed them into His presence (Mark 10:13-16). The way children accept things as truth is a living illustration of what it means to have saving faith.

5. Believing parents are commanded to disciple their children – and they need help. Parents in the Old Testament were expected to teach their children about the things of God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). This expectation is continued on into the New Testament as well (Ephesians 6:4). Parents can have a huge positive spiritual influence on their kids.
6. There are all kinds of forces clamoring for our kid’s attention and loyalty. Retailers and advertisers have focused their efforts on children for decades. Today’s social reformers are directing their efforts at younger and younger ages to capture kids while they are still impressionable. The destructive power of Satan takes on a whole new level of meaning if you think about it in relation to our young ones. (1 Peter 5:8)

7. Reaching out and ministering to kids is the key to ministering to the whole family. Children’s and youth ministry is one of the top three ministries that modern families are looking for in a church. (The other two are worship/music style and preaching). Some church planting experts are recommending a children’s minister/director as the first staff hire beyond the church planter himself. Parents will come to and even in engage in the church if their children are happy and growing.
8. Churches need the energy and enthusiasm of up-and-coming generations. It’s inevitable – we all grow older over time. Churches need a balance between the wisdom and experience of older generations and the energy and enthusiasm that children and youth bring. I’ve had several conversations recently with apologetic parents and concerned church members about the noise and activity level of some of the kids in our church. In my opinion, that’s a good thing because we need these kids!
9. God blesses the discipling efforts of those who minister to children. Proverbs 22:6 is a general principle rather an iron-clad promise. As a church, we have an opportunity to partner with parents as they “train up their children.” This kind of ministry focus invites God’s blessing and we need all the blessings we can get!
10. Every person, no matter how young they are, is precious and important to God. The sanctity of human life begins at conception and extends all the way to natural death (Psalm 139:14). Sanctity refers to the holiness and intrinsic value of every human life. The very young and the very old are frequently discounted in our culture, but not so with God.

Take your pick – there a lots of reasons why children’s ministry should be important in today’s church. Investing in children will pay off dividends now and for eternity.

5 Pro-Tips for continuing Student Ministry During COVID-19

This is a guest post from Brad Callaway, the Minister of Youth and Education at Unity Baptist Church, where he has been serving for the past 14 years. He lives in Ashland Kentucky with his wife and three children.

A lot of resources and information has been developed to help church leaders navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Most of that information, however, is focused on the church as a whole. But what about youth and student ministry?

This is a perfect season to take stock and refocus for the days ahead. Here are five pro-tips for student ministry from a ministry veteran.

1. Don’t Unplug! – As easy as it is to unplug from people during isolations, don’t. You’re students need you, if not more than ever right now!

2. Nurture Your Soul – Time has shifted during this period. What time you spent doing other things has surely opened a door to focus more on your spiritual health. If not, make that time. Teaching from the overflow of God’s grace is what your students need from you.

3. Be Aware of God’s Presence – Just because we are all running this life race at a different pace now, doesn’t mean God has stopped working and moving in our midst! He is so active around us!

4. Be Creative in Relational Opportunities – You’re students NEED to not just get text from you, but they need to see you and each other! Think outside of the box a little more and provide opportunities for students to safely build relationships.

5. Don’t Lose Heart – There is a calling upon your soul to lead students right now! Will things ever be the way they were before COVID? Probably not. Will your group look the same? Probably not. Will students fall away? Probably so. The harvest is ready, and you are a harvester. Go harvest souls for Christ. Lean into Christ and mentors for encouragement, guidance, and healing.

What did I miss? Leave a comment in the comment section below to continue the conversation about student ministry in these changing times.

Working Toward Effectiveness

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Yesterday I preached a message from 2 Timothy 2:1-7 on effectiveness in ministry. In the passage, Paul paints four pictures of effectives ministry for his associate, Timothy: a strategic teacher, a selective soldier, a self-disciplined athlete, and strong farmer. Yesterday I preached the message, today I’m working on putting it into practice.

The pictures presented in the passage all have an application to my life and ministry, but the picture of a selective soldier stands out me right now. The picture of a selective soldier is a picture of priorities. A soldier can’t follow the order of his commanding officer if he’s wrapping up in civilian affairs.

I have a tendency to try to be all things to all people. This seems like a positive quality, but it’s not. It’s not good for me to be involved in so many things that I don’t do anything well. It’s not healthy for me to find my joy and self-worth in making other people happy, no matter how noble the task. I know myself well enough to pushback against this natural impulse.

Effectiveness in life and ministry means setting priorities. As a result of yesterday’s message, I am trying to prioritize three things: preaching, gospel conversations, and quality time with my family. Some weeks are “messier” then others and I don’t set aside enough time to prepare for my preaching responsibilities. Since I have been gifted as a pastor-teacher and I have been called to serve Unity Baptist Church, effectiveness for me preparing and preaching to the best of my ability.

I believe that preaching is important, but so is personal evangelism. I’ve had the privilege of studying evangelism at the highest academic levels, but that doesn’t make me an evangelist. Sharing the good news about Jesus Christ and pursing gospel conversations makes me an evangelist. I am praying right now for opportunities to share Jesus this week.

As a vocational minister, my personal life and my work life are intertwined. Sometimes these roles get out of balance. At various times in my life, I’ve prioritized my work life over my family life. I honestly feel like I’ve improved in this area, but I don’t want to repeat my unhealthy patterns of the past. I just came back from a week-long family vacation and I praise God for an opportunity to prioritize time with my family.

These are just some of the things I’m thinking about to work towards more effectiveness in my ministry. I want to serve Christ as faithful soldier who choses his duties wisely.

What are you doing to improve your effectiveness in ministry?

Photo by Paulette Wooten on Unsplash

Devotional Thoughts for Leaders: How to Multiply Your Ministry

Ministry can be tiring, especially when you feel like you have to do everything yourself. Kingdom work never stops. There are always more people to care for and more opportunities to explore. Wouldn’t it be great if you could multiply your ministry without having to do something extra? It’s possible if you make up you mind to never minister alone.

Moses learned the hard way that it is “not good” to lead alone (Exodus 18:13-26). Elijah shared his ministry with Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21, 2 Kings 2). Jesus choose twelve disciples, walked through life with them, trained them, sent them out, and held them accountable (Mark 6:7-21, 30). Paul continued this practice and always surrounded himself with a long list of assistants and associates, Timothy being the most notable (Colossians 1:1, 4:7-17).

Christian leaders who want to make a big impact on the world need to make one small decision: to never minister alone. Do as much ministry as you possible can with other people who are willing to learn. Not just for the sake of accountability, but for the sake of mentoring. The church is in desperate need of more leaders, so don’t waste your leadership experiences on yourself; share them with someone. This isn’t just for pastor and church staff. This is for anyone who is working to make a difference in the world for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. In the short term, the people that you bring along with you will encourage and challenge you. In the long term, they will multiply your efforts and continue making an impact when you are gone.

Here are 3 question to help you multiply your ministry:

1. Who can I invite to join me in ministry?
2. What do I do that I can share with someone else?
3. How can I help other people catch a vision for ministry mentoring?