Tripod of Effective Ministry — Gbile Akanni

Tripod of Effective Ministry — Gbile Akanni

We are looking at the crucial place of the minister in the purpose of God in bringing revival. I would say the first priority is the man himself, is the minister himself. When I would look at the ministry, how do we execute this mandate that God has placed on our lives?

Responding to Spiritual Dryness and Declining Mission

How do we bring practical effectiveness into the work to which God has called us, especially in these days when things are generally dry, when the interests of many and the love of many had waxed cold, and when the gospel that used to be a common knowledge has gradually dwindled almost to a point where mission sending bodies before, where loads of missionaries have been sent out.

We are now in a place where we are needing to receive mission and receive missionaries. Now how do we respond? What must be the response of our ministry at this point in a time like this? And as I continue to meditate on this, what came to my heart is to look at the illustration that we could get from the life and from the ministry of Brother Paul as we mirror the ministry of Jesus Christ that he represented.

We could look at men who followed the Lord and say, be ye imitators of me as I am of Christ. So when we see men that followed him, who are like our own nest of kin, people that walked in the situation in which we find ourselves, we could learn a bit of things from their life and ministry.

And even though there are so many, many places, so many texts, so many biblical references that we could have, you know, engage ourselves in and trying to study, I found a small, what I would call a small summary of Paul's life and ministry that we could quickly look into.

Not in great details, but at least it could give us an insight into ministries that bring effectiveness. When you think in terms of how the Bible said that they turned Asia upside down in three years, when you look at the much that has come out of that life and his ministry that has continued to be a blessing even to our own generation up to now, what were the secrets behind it?

How did he execute ministry? And I'm hoping that as we study this, as we look at it together, when we come back from our lunch break, which will be a time of deep interaction, of praying for one another and of discussing how do we go on from here?

What does God want us to do? What do you perceive the Holy Spirit is saying to us at a time like this? Then we might be able to bring an input from different perspectives. So I found a summary. So usually when you begin to study from a summary, it's just a summary, isn't it?

Details of the content, you may have to go back into the entire book, but I thought that we could just take a summary. And I found a summary of his ministry being put to us in his own language. Again, what makes it strong for me is that now he's speaking from himself.

He's speaking as if he's giving a personal testimony. And the power of personal witness, especially from men of integrity, those who do not exaggerate can be very much. So I want us to look at Acts chapter 20 and Acts of the Apostles chapter 20.

And I would like to take it from verse 17. Verse 17. That was a summary. That was a summary. And you will notice that that was about his last public ministry before he went down to Jerusalem and before he went to Rome and before he spent the rest of his years in quiet ministry of writing and of encouraging the churches through his epistles.

And so this gives me a very good point that a man was giving account of his ministry when he was about to step into what we call retirement. He wasn't retiring. He was only moving to another segment of ministry where some of you I can look at are already stepping into.

Some of you by God's grace you spent your earlier years on the mission field and you are back home now. And what are you going to be doing? What else does God want us to do? I know that if the Spirit of God said go again, we are willing to go.

But then the truth of the matter is that we are coming to another segment. What will you do at this age again in fortress of the gospel in this land and in the nations? How do we do it? So I look at the life of Paul and I found that his life was broken into these wonderful segments.

There was a segment when God arrested him as a young energetic man. He was going everywhere and was preaching. Sometimes they dragged him on the floor but he is back again preaching. Now there came a point at which he would say let's go back again onto the places where we are preached and let us ordain elders.

He came to the point where yes he can no longer be going up and down. He must raise Timothy's that he will leave behind. He must raise Titus's that he must leave behind. He must raise people like Epaphras that he must put in different paths to make sure that what God called him to do was sustained and was kept going.

Now we cannot ignore the fact that there are seasons, different seasons in our ministry, different seasons in our lives as God's servants and we need to be responding onto what season we are at even in the discharge of the call of God on our lives.

And there came a point when it was no longer about going, it was now empowering younger leaders. Now all his epistles, do you know that we would not have known what Paul preached if he did not take time to write those epistles, isn't it?

We would not have known all that God used them to do if they did not write. And some of you by God's grace have come to that point now where some of your experiences, some of what God used you to do in your younger days so that it does not get buried with you.

You've got to write. I'm not talking about hungry authors. I'm not talking about people that just want to write just because they want to make a name. But you have a story to tell. You have an epistle that you must write before you go.

And this will mark a turnaround. Sometimes we are crying for revival. But one of the things you will notice is that presently the volume of truth that is available to the younger generation is very scarce.

When you turn to the television that the young men are watching, there is no content. Much of what is said is not sustainable. Actually, if that was what our fathers, we would not be here today because it's not sustainable.

There's no content there. So, as I look at the life of Paul, and as we begin to discuss as ministers of the gospel, how do we respond to the challenge of revival in Northern Ireland at this time? Now, I appreciate the fact that several of you by God's grace represent different streams, different denominations, and several of you came out of revival.

Isn't it? Now, those of us that come from what was called the mission halls in those days, it was a revival that broke forth here. And when I went to Scotland and I'm interacting with the ministry that came out of Duncan Canberra, how they send people just with the mission.

They say, you go on mission, sometimes they will just go and visit the whole city for weeks, trusting that God will give it a revival movement. Now, all of this, and all the things that our fathers had gone through that produced some of you, now you are now on top of the work.

You are now the leaders. You are now the people that God is depending upon to do something so that the heritage is not lost. So, how do we go about that? So, I found the life and times and ministry of Brother Paul as an illustration.

Now, I must say that the greatest man God had introduced to us is Jesus. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Isn't it? Hear him. But God in his mercy had also given us men, like I call them our own nearer kinsmen.

People that are nearer to us in experience. People that went through the same thing we are going through. Who also followed in the footsteps of Jesus that if we were to be careful, they would also have guided us to follow Jesus very, very deliberately and closely.

That's why we look at their lives. And is it not in the Bible when it says, those who have followed the way, look at their lives. Isn't it? So, we have a reason. So, I take this summary from this chapter 20.

By the time we move out of this chapter, every other thing you will be looking at was towards the end of the life and ministry of this man of God. And all the epistles that was now coming out of his ministry to Romans, to Corinthians, to all of this.

It was after these active years of ministry that most of it began to come out. So, sir, I must remind you, sir. Don't sleep without writing. Don't get gathered to your fathers without putting down the great deeds of the Lord.

Because the only hope for our next generation is that we must pass on the truth undiluted the way God has given it to us. The gospel must be preached again in this nation. We have assumed that the gospel has been preached.

May I tell you that the generation that had the gospel, they were your generation. They were the generation where the word of God was meticulously taught. The new generation you meet now is a generation of excitement.

Where somebody just want them to do something and there is no content. And I am praying that as we are looking for revival again, it will be a biblical revival. It will be a restoration to biblical Christianity.

So, let's quickly look at Paul from Acts 20 and from verse 17. Again, if we can, we will have gone through to the end of that chapter if we are able. But if not, we will pick what we can at this point.

Paul's Farewell Charge to the Ephesian Elders

And from Miletus, verse 17, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. Again, this looks like our meeting, isn't it? He called for the elders of the church. He sent to Ephesus and said, bring them aside.

Let them come to see me at Miletus. Let's talk heart to heart. 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 showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, except that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me, but none of these things move me, neither can't I my life dare to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

And now behold, I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the gospel, I mean the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore to yourself and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock, also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore watch and remember, that by the space of three years, I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. And now brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are sanctified.

I have converted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yes, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so liberally ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, as he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

When he had those spoken, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And let's stop there. Let's stop there. Now as I look at this summary, there are a few things, that I thought we should look into, as ministers, as men, that God has called, to bear the mantle of ministry, in this present time.

Especially that the cry of our heart, is that God will visit us again, and he will send revival across the land. Now what are the things that we could see, we could glean from the life, and from the ministry of Brother Paul here, as we put it all in the context of the call of God, that we have also received.

The Power of a Personal Testimony

First was the power of a personal testimony. The effectiveness of Paul's ministry, was resident in the power, of his own personal life testimony. And more and more as I look at, what made them effective?

What made their ministry effective? I couldn't run away, from the reality that, the effectiveness of a minister, is first and foremost, the effectiveness of his own personal life. But now, how did Paul, how did he harvest, how did he harvest, effective ministry, by the power of his own personal testimony?

How did this happen? Now, I will look at it from here, when we peep into some of the places, where he had walked, and what he said. Now he said, when they were come to him, he said to them, ye know, from the first day, that I came to Asia, after what manner, I have been with you, at all seasons.

In that little bag of us, there are several issues, that jumped to me there. The first thing was that, he was not boasting, he was not, he was not dazing them, he actually appeared to what they know. He said, you know, and I thought that, a man of God's, authority of ministry, is enhanced, when challenged, those who have lived, or those who have listened to him, or those to whom he has preached.

I said, you know, you know what manner of man, I have been, among you. You can close the Bible, you know what manner of man, I have been. Not occasionally, but at all seasons, in every situation, in every circumstance, that came my way.

Since the first day, I came to live among you, you know what manner of man, I am. As I was looking at, how Paul began, to say, you know what manner of man, I have been with you at all seasons. Serving the Lord, with all humility of mind, with many tears, at temptation which befell me, by the lying in wait, of the Jews.

You know that. You know, you know, all that happened to me. You are living witnesses of the kind of man, I am. I say, oh, does it matter? Transparent. A man of God, lives his life, in the midst of the flock.

Will it become a positive, ingredient, for the effectiveness of our ministry? If, apart from appealing, to the written word of God, apart from appealing, to the Lord Jesus, that is generally invisible to people, does it bring an ingredient for effectiveness, if we also can appeal, to the life, that we live, among people.

And I want to submit to you, that every genuine ministry does not only appeal to the written word of God, which it must appeal to, it does not only appeal to Jesus, who is invisible, it must appeal to a man, a life that is lived in the midst of the people, and these three witnesses, around the gospel, must be congruent.

Did you get what I'm saying? There are these three things that has to be congruent. The word of God we preach, we must preach the word of God. Because faith only comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, isn't it?

We must point men to Jesus, even though they cannot see him. Because, it is only by him that we are saved. We must point men to him. But there's yet, the third component. We must point men. I'm not talking of arrogance, I'm not talking of pride, I'm talking of a correct ministry.

We must point men, even to ourselves. It is not correct, it's not complete, and it's not going to be effective. To say, look at Jesus! Don't look at me. It's not biblical. The biblical ministry says, look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.

That's one leg. The second leg is, look at me, his prisoner. A ministry that does not have those two legs, and the third tripod, is the word of God. A ministry that is not anchored on these three cannot be balanced.

And maybe one of the things that killed the move of God was when we have more people who preached, but their lives were not available for examination. No matter what the modern way of preaching has brought, it will not be sufficient until men could identify with the lives we live before they can believe.

The Gospel in Word, Power, and Visible Example

Now, please permit me to ask you to look at how it worked out in the book of Thessalonians. Paul was talking to Thessalonians, now particularly. Now, let's see how it worked out. At first, as I'm reading scripture, I'm wondering, I say, ah, ah, why did you say like that?

But I realize that that's the way God has ordained it. God has ordained it that He will identify with a life and from that life amplify His message unto those who hear us. That's the will of God. That's the way it must work out.

We cannot be distant from the truth that we preach and expect that truth to create effect. We cannot. Now, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, please quickly go there. Look at verse 5 and verse 6. Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

And ye became followers of us, of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Ghost. Now, what does that mean? What does that mean? Paul said, our gospel came not to you in word only.

I'm happy that that's very important. If he said, our gospel came not to you in word, that would have meant that there's no need to preach. But he said, it came to you not in word only, which means it must come in word.

So, preaching is important. We must preach the word. Is that okay? But when he said not in word only, which means the word, as important as it is, is not enough as to bring effectiveness of results to our ministry.

He said, it came to you in word, not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost That the gospel, and may I say that the gospel, the true gospel, the Bible says, is the power of God. Isn't it?

For changing man. That the gospel we preach must not just come in word only, it must also come in power, especially the power of the Holy Ghost. Now, he now went on to raise one more point, the third leg, and in much assurance to know what manner of men we were among you.

So, I said, ah, what are you saying? He said, look, men have heard the word of God quite alright. Even men could have experienced the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit. But it's not sufficient.

There's one more point that will bring them to become converts. They need the assurance. And they will not get the assurance of the gospel unless they know what manner of men we were among you. Do you get that?

Okay, but when they will respond, look at their response, the Bible now says, and you became of the Lord. And I was thinking that the right way to put it, the real order should have been, you became followers of the Lord of us.

So, I first thought that maybe it's King James that made it so. So, I started checking all other versions. And I found that they maintained the order. You became followers of us and of the Lord. Let me explain that men cannot follow the invisible God until they find visible men to follow in order to follow God.

Please take note of this. Men will not be able to follow the invisible Father until they have found visible men who transparently mirror and amplify Christ to them. So, when they will follow, the first thing they will follow, they will follow you in order to follow the Lord.

This was Jesus. This was his method. When he saw men, what did he say to them? Follow me. Follow me. You know, they appeared that Jesus made to the disciples even when they have not yet known Him as the Messiah.

Because I felt that before they now started knowing Him as the Messiah, the Christ that is coming, the first thing he did is follow me. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. I am lowly, I am meek and lowly of heart and you'll find rest.

Jesus did not ask people to follow doctrine. Oh, am I making a mistake here? It was not doctrine he introduced to them. Sometime we were overzealous that what we are introducing to people is doctrine, not the person of Jesus.

And when we start introducing the person of Jesus, which is the reality, the people say, but we can't find Jesus. We can't find Jesus. We want to follow the person, but we cannot find the person. And you say, no.

He's here. He's here. That was what was the contention even among the disciples. Philip said, show us the Father and it will be sufficient for us. We want to see the Father. And what did Jesus say? He didn't start drawing a picture and say the Father has a big head.

In fact, He sits in the heavenly and all the.

Dangers. No, that's not what He said. He said, Philip,.

How long will I be with you? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. I pray that God brings our ministry to that level. No matter how little, we will be the residents, that our members, that when we point and paint Jesus to them, what we give them assurance is that they look at the picture of Jesus we have painted and they look at us, whom they can see, and there's no difference.

That's what brings effectiveness to ministry. And I found Brother Paul saying, you know me. You know the man or man we were among you. So you became followers of us and of the Lord. So I found that the biggest need and the biggest ministry that each one of us must engage and which I think is the critical need in this present day.

The young people, they are looking for models. Please take note. When Michael Jackson died, I don't know whether you were aware, there was one young man called Michael Jackson who turned our world almost upside down with his useless music.

They call him Michael Jackson. He was a young man when he began to sing and he could have been singing in the Sunday school. But somehow, somehow, he got derailed and he went into the world. And Michael Jackson had great talents.

He could compose songs. He was a great activist. Unfortunately, not for Jesus. And if you want to check how popular Michael Jackson is going to the world of the youth, you will see how much he has affected them.

He affected the way they make their hair. He affected the way they dress. He affected the kind of dance. Honestly speaking, sometimes when you go into youth group meetings and you see the kind of drum, their beauty, it is after the pattern of Michael Jackson.

He affected his generation so much. The young man died at 50. And I was surprised how the whole world, the whole unbelieving world celebrated that man. I was back in Nigeria and I saw many, many young people mourning him.

I said, what? They are mourning a useless thing? But he has affected them. Young people are looking for models. They are not particularly interested in theoretical analysis. They just want to see if the ministry of the Word of God is going to attract the young people again and fill our churches with souls.

This is an implement that we cannot ignore. I want to lay it before you as a matter of prayer. To say, Lord, will you please make our lives a living Bible? May we bring this dynamic onto our ministry.

A dynamic of life that could be touched, that could be examined, that could be analyzed. Now, as I am looking at it from Paul's angle, I just chose Paul because I felt we should be able to identify with Paul because he was like us.

The right person I should have been looking at is Jesus. Who said, follow me! At the end of his life, Jesus' life, people who followed him, do you know what they said? John was right. He said, we were with him.

We were with him. We beheld him and truth. He was a man full of grace and truth. That was the testimony of those who were with him. What would be the testimony of people who were with me? What would they say?

You know, when we read that in the Bible, we say, okay, it's for Jesus. It's for Jesus. But Jesus was only showing us how to serve him, how to be a minister. They said, we, you know, 1 John chapter 1 says, we have touched him.

We have handled him. We have looked into him. We have examined him. And he was full of grace. Dynamic of ministry. When our lives become vulnerable enough for people to examine it. Such that, even if they do not want to believe the word we preach, something in their conscience is convicting them.

You say, but you can't ignore this man. It's true. Even if you don't want to be a Christian, you want to be like him, isn't it? He's living a life that you are looking for. And now he says, it is Christ that makes that possible.

Why don't you follow that Christ? That's the assurance that they had. So, Paul was saying, you know this. You know me. And that was a very critical point. And as pastors, those of us that are sitting over a congregation, and we are raising people at various levels, how do we work that dynamic into our ministry?

How do we give people opportunity to be able to say, we know him. I didn't know the power of this until I started writing books. I didn't know. I didn't know that it means a lot. When you have read an author, you only imagine how he looks.

But the day you meet him, and what he writes in his book, and the man you are meeting are congruent. What does he do to you? He gives you a different assurance. Even when you take that book, you go and meet somebody, boldly say, I met him.

What he writes exactly is who he is. I have been with him. In fact, I ate with him. But supposing you have been reading a man's book for 20 years, you've really believed him, you've really followed his work, and you suddenly met him, and he was living a life that is totally contrary to what he has written that you have followed for years.

Please talk to me. What happens to all his books in your shelf from that day? You go and pack it. You just take it. It's an hypocrite. And anywhere you see other people buying that book, even though nobody mobilizes you to do that, you would just walk there and say, Oh, okay.

Are you reading this man? Well, I have many of his books. If you want, come and carry them. But I'm not wasting my time on such rubbish. I met him. He's not a genuine man. What happens? If your ministry has affected people for 10 years, when they don't know who you are, the day they discover who you are, if it is not congruent with what you have preached, that is the day all your ministry in their lives is finished.

In fact, it doesn't take one week. Everything finishes.

The power of.

Your personal life, personal testimony is what authenticates what we preach. And it is what gives assurance to the people, is what gives them conviction. I found that that is not to be treated lightly.

Any of us that want to be engaged in a Revival label, any of us that are crying to God, send a Revival to this land. Send a Revival to my church. Send a Revival to our area. Even though this will not come as a very high point when you are meeting people that are preaching about how to bring church growth.

They are talking about big, big, big, big, big things. They may not talk about this. But to me, as I study the Word of God, this is a very critical ingredient for effectiveness in ministry.

The power of your own personal testimony.

Manifesting Truth Rather Than Merely Proclaiming It

Now, Paul was corroborating that in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, please look at 2 Corinthians 4, what he said. I just realized that ministry is, yeah, pulpit is wonderful in ministry, but pulpit is a very little point in effective ministry.

2 Corinthians chapter 4, and look at what he said. In verse 1 and 2, 1 and 2, even up to, let me just read. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we think not. But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness,.

Nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but, this is where I want us to note, but, by manifestation.

Of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Oh, no. That looks like complicated. What is he saying? Number 1, I want you to, I thought what he should have said, that we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by proclamation of the truth.

I thought that that should have been the word there. It should have been proclamation. But, no. It was not proclamation. What was it? The manifestation of the truth. And I say, so, what does that mean?

How do you manifest the truth? How do we manifest the truth? It means that truth, flesh, we can exhibit. We don't just proclaim truth. What do we do? We manifest the truth. We don't just proclaim humility.

What do we do? We manifest humility. We don't just proclaim obedience. We manifest obedience by the manifestation of the truth. What are we doing? We're commending ourselves. I thought you should be commending Jesus.

I thought that the other was, we commend Jesus. But I found that genuine ministry, no, and God is happy. God actually is looking for ministers through whose life Jesus will be made manifest. So, we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

If our gospel is hit, it is only he to them that are lost. In whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them we believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, what is he doing now? He has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure where? In the universe. That's the will of God. On the outside we are still heavy. On the outside we are ordinary. But there's something that is being manifested in us every time and it is the truth, it is Jesus, it is his life.

That is a critical ingredient in the ministry. And if we are sincerely looking for revival it may appear slow but that's the key. In a little environment we are, may God use our lives to strike the people, to strike our church members, to strike, may the life of our wives, strike all the wives in the church.

In such a way that we don't need to be telling them, obey your husband, obey your husband. Our wives, what have they done? They have manifested that obedience to their husband. So it won't be difficult to tell a young wife and say this is how to relate with your husband.

It won't be difficult because they have seen it. But when the man of God on the pulpit only preoccupied himself with abstract theoretical preaching and has no truth to manifest. The church is looking for visibility and if there's no visibility there's problem.

There's problem. So many of them thought that church has become abstract, there's nothing there, let's go to where something is happening. Because they need something visible to follow the invisible. May the Lord help us.

Passionate Commitment to the Whole Counsel of God

Now, Paul in his own summary, back into Acts chapter 20 that we are studying, he also again noted another aspect that I thought we should highlight as we are looking for ministry, effective ministry now in this present day Northern Ireland.

We see in that verse 20 passionate commitment to the whole counsel of God. Passionate commitment to the whole counsel of God. He said, how I get back nothing that was profitable unto you. But I've showed you and I've taught you publicly and from house.

I have not kept back anything that is profitable to you. I have not kept anything to you. Then in verse 27 he said, I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Have you noticed that?

Now, this kind of minister who is passionately committed to the whole counsel of God. But I'm going to ask us to look at it in two ways quickly. What is the passion I'm seeing there? Number one, he is passionately committed to the undiluted gospel and he is passionately convinced that the truth of the word of God is profitable to men.

You know, one of the things that I'm struggling with in our own time is the fact that even the man of God on the pulpit seem to have lost confidence in the word of God. It looks to me nowadays that people will rather preach psychology, they will rather go to motivational speaking, rather than doggedly, committedly preach the word of God.