Sabbath: Ministering Like Jesus
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Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 5:13-14; Phil. 2:15; Mark 12:34; Ephesians 4:15; Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 25:31-46.
Memory Text: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matthew 9:36, NKJV).
Jesus genuinely cared for people. He was more interested in their concerns and needs than in His own. His life was totally centered on other people. His was a ministry of loving compassion. He met the physical, mental, and emotional needs of the people around Him, and thus, their hearts were opened to the spiritual truths He taught. As He healed lepers, opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, delivered demoniacs, fed the hungry, and cared for the needy, hearts were touched and lives changed.
That’s because as people saw His genuine concern, they were open to the spiritual truths that He taught. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me’”. — Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 143. Jesus recognized that the world needed a demonstration of the gospel as much as it needed its proclamation. The living witness of a Christ-like life committed to ministering to others is a powerful testimony to the words we speak and gives credibility to our witness.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 22.
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There are two big themes that come out of the Gospels about Jesus' interaction with people.
I invite you to take the time to read one of the Gospels this week.
According to Matthew Jesus' ministry consisted mainly of preaching, teaching and healing.
Matt 4:23, Matt 9:35
I was puzzled and wondered what is the difference between teaching and preaching in Jesus' ministry?
I found this explanation by Andrew Wilson quoting John Piper:
Does the Word of the LORD agree with this explanation?
I believe it does see Matt 13:36, Matt 15:15, Jesus proclaimed the Gospel to the crowds and then explained their meaning to His disciples.
Consider the various events in Jesus' ministry and decide into which category it belongs. Or maybe "none of the above"?
I will now ponder how knowing the difference will help my ministry?
Any suggestions?
Thank you, Shirley, for clarifying the difference between preaching and teaching. I love your illustration.
My understanding of the difference between teaching and preaching is that preaching is more like just proclaiming a message while teaching is more like a demonstration.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Matt 16:24
Shirley, what you said meant a lot to me and makes sense. 1 Cor 12:28 KJV never mentioned Preaching as a spiritual gift. Sounds like you don't need a certificate to be a preacher. Sounds like many are preaching without even knowing it.
Ministering Like Jesus
We read that Jesus had compassion for people when he saw their general condition, whether it was their spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional life. All were taken care of because one affects another. For example- if someone goes three days without food or water they will become dehydrated which leads to confusion, as well as their blood sugar can decrease leading to all sorts of medical problems. The people were hungry. Jesus knew that. You don't needs a certificate to understand hunger and hungry people. Jesus was sorry for them and tried to get some food for them to eat. When you are hungry, you can't think straight. Some of those people (women and children) had to find their way back home.
Another word for compassion is being sorry for another person's predicament in life, whether self-inflicted or someone did that to them. The work Jesus was doing was the work given to the Priest and leaders in the temple or those in civil authority or those in the judiciary society. Those men had become deeply embedded in sin. Corruption was the thing of the day. Every man for himself. The Holy Spirit was not with those people. Religion had become an old form of ritual and formalities.
How are we called to minister like Jesus as an individual or a church?
Do we need to get the church involved in all of our ministries? Jesus did not involve the Jews from the temple in his ministries. They followed him to find faults in what he was doing.
He came to Isa 61:1-3; Luke 4: 18-19. Are our ministries doing those things?
Hi Lyn, You are correct that Paul in his discussions on Spiritual Gifts doesn't specifically mention "Preachers" but I believe the ones he mentions like apostles, prophets and evangelists would all be preaching the Word of the LORD.
Ministering the 'Faith of Jesus' - is how I see the question formulated. Jesus was man and divine; God's divine Spirit of Truth and power to restore rested on Him as He lived in His body of flesh.
As I understand it, if we 'minister like Jesus', we will minister in the same Spirit He ministered in whiles we live in our body of flesh - we minister by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For me, learning always boils down to discover the essence of things that are spiritually discerned. I look at life having two layers or man being like a coin having two sides - the physical and the spiritual. We use the physical in our ministering as a vehicle/vessel, but as we engage thus, what is operational is the spiritually infused part of our being; the Spirit ministering through us.
Jesus did not minister from the substance of the flesh, He ministered from the power given to Him by the Father of all to meet the spiritual needs of mankind as He ministered to their physical needs. Both, the physical part as well as the spiritual part receive nourishment at the same time; what lasts is the spiritual nourishment, because it nourishes the Soul, the whole being!
Ellen White:
- is the invitation to follow His teaching which benefits the physical body - compassion - as well as man's spiritual side. He says - you are more than your body, you are Spirit and live by the 'Bread from Heaven' and the 'Water from the Well that never runs dry'.
Jesus' declares and demonstrates the Presence of God with man through the Word of Truth and Life, to let man know that he, too, is now able to be transformed into the Father's Image!
Wow to this wonderful breakdown. You indeed are a good Teacher, Thanks Shirley