The Focus of Ministry: Inward, Outward, and Upward
(Romans 15:1-7)

Introduction

All of us love our little church. All of us want to see our church grow, become strong, and be recognized as a leader among the churches here in St. Louis. And we can certainly make that happen. But what is the chief obstacle to ministry that we face, as the community of All Saint of North America? What is our major barrier? I want to give you a moment to formulate and ponder that while I look up the scripture lesson for today. You only get to pick one. It’s got to be the # 1. Some might say, it’s our lack of facilities; it’s our location (or lack thereof), it’s our lack of infrastructure and programming; it’s our lack of unified vision. Maybe it’s one of these or least half a dozen other things too. That’s why we form committees and other such things to try and plan things. While all of these are legitimate concerns, none of them even comes close to the heart of the matter. Let us listen to what the apostle Paul says about the focus of ministry.

First, the Focus of Ministry is Inward

“Those who are strong” does not refer to physical strength or force of personality. It is not the “muscle men” who lead the community. I surely wouldn’t be in that group, flabby like I am. It would be people like Jesse, Lydia, Jim, and probably others. Not that these people shouldn’t. My point is the apostle is talking about spiritual might. By what means do those who are spiritually strong bear the weaknesses of those who are not as strong? How do they do that? Saint Paul says, “by not pleasing ourselves.” The focus of our ministry must be inward first. That is to say we demonstrate spiritual strength by putting our brother first, by cutting off our desires, our wants, our demands, our way. In a word, humility. Let’s think about ministry for a minute through the eyes, not of the one doing the ministry, but through the eyes of those receiving the ministry, those being ministered to. We perceive the spiritual state of a person’s heart mainly through love and concern that a person shows us. You can’t hide that. You can’t you fabricate that either. Saint Paul says we demonstrate love for one another through humility. “Those who are strong spiritually”, if we are not humble, that spiritual strength becomes a tyranny. We cannot compel someone to step in line or to love Jesus. But we can urge them through love and humility to consider it. So, what is our major obstacle to ministry? It’s nothing external: location, building, or programs. It’s inside. It’s called pride.

We’ve all seen it. We know what it looks like. It’s the way a person carries himself. It’s the frame of mind. It’s the attitude. Pride is to spiritual strength what poison is to the physical body. But how do we overcome our biggest obstacle? The answer is that each one of us needs to look inside ourselves. The answer is not out there, it’s in here. It’s inside your heart. Be willing to receive heavenly instruction. Be willing to embrace obedience. Now you might be thinking to yourself. Sub-deacon, this passage is talking about putting others first. How did we suddenly get on this obedience thing? I’m glad you asked. Many times in our everyday life we are given opportunities to practice obedience, i.e., humility. For example, your wife wants you to take the umbrella with you. Do as she wishes to practice obedience. Your colleague at work asks you to finish up a very small project. Do as she wishes to practice obedience. A friend asks you for companionship and understanding. Do as he wishes to practice obedience. Jesus calls you to put your neighbor’s wishes in front of your own. Do as he wishes to practice obedience. Saint John Climacus says, “Obedience is the grave of your own will, but from it rises humility. We must be willing to empty ourselves for the sake of love. Put to death the passions in your heart that demands to be right. Pleasing the self leads only to strife and discord. Humbling ourselves leads to virtue and edification. The focus of ministry first is inward. Blessed is the person who has a friend that will gently and humbly point out the ugliness of this sin. Blessed also is the person who can humbly receive that which the friend points out. Humility is the key to ministry.

Second, the Focus of Ministry is Outward

Again, we all want the best for our church. We want it to be spiritually strong. We want our church to grow. We want to nurture love and concern for each other. But we cannot force others to become like Christ. We cannot intimidate the other into submitting. We cannot program theosis. Saint John Chrysostom says, “We consider it necessary to make a man better not by force, but by persuasion.” How do we do that? It’s not complicated, through love and humility. Each one of us can help establish the “tone” of our church. Here’s what I mean. How many of us have walked into a church or a monastery and said, “Wow! There is something special about this place. You can feel it.” That’s what we want too. We can create the atmosphere, the ethos, the environment that cultivates and nourishes Christian love. This is within our power to do. Saint Basil said, “What is this ethos of a Christian? Faith working through love… Not to seek one’s own good but the good of the loved one for the benefit of his body and soul. We do this, brethren, by looking at our own hearts. We sever our appetites and sympathies with the wrong things of life, most especially our self will, so that we may receive divine compassion and consolation.” The atmosphere that we want to establish here is a leadership of humility. We can do this. It’s up to you and me. We set the tone for our church whether we are aware of it or not. If we project the tone of animosity and disregard for our brother, it becomes evident. On the other hand, if we humble ourselves and put our brother first, that becomes evident too.

Third, the Focus of Ministry is Upward

The third focus of ministry is upward. Patience, comfort, and hope are all gifts from God above that bring glory to the Father in heaven. Humility is the first virtue. It unlocks the door to patience, comfort, and hope. If we do not have humility we will not have peace in our soul. Saint John Chrysostom said this about patience. “Patience is a wonderful virtue. It places the soul in the calm harbor, as it were, sheltering it from the billows and winds of evil. Christ has taught us this at all times…” Patience is born out of humility, brethren.

Saint Paul finishes here by imploring the Father to grant them humility put into action. What does Saint Paul mean by “think the same thing?” Does he mean no variance in opinion? The context of the passage provides the answer: humility, neighbor first, self denial, example of Christ, bear insults. This is the mind of Christ; this is the mind of the Church. The mind set of humility, service, and unity in the Body of Christ bring glory to the Father. Therefore, reach out to that person sitting across the room from you, or even that person sitting next to you or in front of you. Humble yourself and receive them. By doing so, you will learn patience, comfort, and hope. In turn, this makes us able to receive one another in Christian love.

The Conclusion

The focus of ministry, brethren, is inward, outward, and upward. Show your spiritual strength through humility. After you do that, the focus of ministry is outward. Demonstrate your love for the other person by putting their wishes in front of yours. You will strengthen the spiritual atmosphere of our church. When we are humble we acquire heavenly patience, consolation, and hope. The mindset of humility nurtures concord and harmony in the body of Christ. The focus of ministry is then upward as we bring glory to God by loving one another.

May God have mercy on us and grant us the grace to overcome our chief obstacle so that we may cultivate a holy, god-inspiring atmosphere in our church. Glory to thee, O Christ our God and our Hope, glory to thee! In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

last updated:Monday, 31-Jul-2006 22:08:10 EDT

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