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John

John 
Day 
Day 61

Important lessons with reference to ministry

Text: John 4:1-45

IMPORTANT LESSONS WITH REFERENCE TO MINISTRY

The Disciples had much to learn from their Teacher concerning ministry. They couldn’t have had a better Instructor. Jesus taught by example. Great care however must be taken, or one could end up misunderstanding Him.

Jesus did not disdain the partaking of food. He was not telling His disciples that they should not set aside time to have a meal. Setting aside time to have food was right and proper. However, the Disciples needed to learn the following lessons concerning ministry.

1. Single-minded

Jesus was truly exemplary in this respect. He had begun a ministry with the woman of Samaria. He had sown the Gospel in her heart. His conversation with her was not just social interaction. It was in fact the commencement of a ministry!

The disciples learned that when Jesus began something, He always finished it! One must always be single-minded until that work is completed, even if that meant giving up a meal!

2. The Right Consciousness

The Disciples must have been aware of how Jesus served. They must have imbibed these lessons even as they watched Him serve. He had shown so much personal interest in people. After all did He not devote time to speak to them personally, and thus they were so deeply moved to follow Him as His Disciples? He had shown that same attitude of personal concern for others. He had given time to speak at length to Nicodemus. Had He not also given the same kind of loving concern to the woman of Samaria?

Jesus sought to teach His Disciples much more about what it really meant to serve. It wasn’t just work that Jesus gave His attention! Nor was it just people that He was genuinely interested in. He was most conscious of doing His Father’s will! That was a “new” dimension concerning ministry!

It would take much to cultivate this aspect of learning what it means to serve God! It would mean a very special sense of closeness to the Father just to discover His will. Jesus maintained that closeness to His Father. At this point of time, obviously the Disciples did not have that kind of closeness to the Father. They did not know how to see ministry as “food”. Nourishment was important! The natural law of life was that one must have food for the body! The spiritual law of ministry was as vitally important! One must regard ministry as being so important, that it is food for the soul!

Jesus taught precious lessons about service through His own personal example. What a privilege it must have been to see Him in action close up. But what a challenge it must have been to the disciples. It meant that they would have to re-think their understanding and approach to serving God. Jesus showed complete devotion to the work that He knew was His Father’s will! How long would the Disciples take to learn such lessons concerning service?

CORRECTION OF A COMMON-PLACE PROBLEM

Jesus chose the lessons He sought to teach His Disciples! One of the common-place problems concerning serving was that of procrastination. Many tended to put off till tomorrow what must be done today! Thus He said to His Disciples,

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months
and then comes the harvest?’ “
John 4:35

Jesus was aware of this proverbial saying. This saying represented many people’s approach or attitude to life and ministry. The following things are tied to this attitude.

1. There was a lack of urgency in service.

2. There was a spirit of procrastination.

3. There was a lack of commitment.

4. There was a lack of proper understanding concerning time!

5. There was a lack of zeal.

6. This was a common excuse for not working hard!

Jesus did not want His Disciples to take this approach to ministry. This approach would yield poor results, if any at all! What should be the proper approach? Jesus went on to offer a correct understanding as far as ministry to God is concerned!

A NEW APPROACH

Jesus’ approach to life and ministry was refreshingly different! He sought to teach His Disciples how they must adopt this new and correct approach towards ministry!

“Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes
and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”
John 4:35

Jesus needed to open the eyes of the Disciples concerning the ministry that lay ahead of them! They must work as farmers do when it came to harvest time!

1. One must work with the utmost sense of urgency. If the harvest is “white” then the grain must be brought in quickly, or they might just spoil.

2. One must be prepared to work very hard. Harvest time has to be one of the busiest seasons of the year! One must be prepared to work at break of dawn until dusk! A whole day’s work must be put in to ensure a good harvest!

3. One must serve with the greatest sense of responsibility. Any good and responsible farmer would be able to appreciate the advice Jesus gave concerning the work to be done at harvest time! Harvesting work would demand everything the worker has!

4. Only a good and true farmer would be able to appreciate the significance of the words of Jesus when He used the phrase, “white for harvest”. The farmer finds new strength and inspiration to do his work from merely looking at the white harvest field!

HOW DO WE SERVE THE LORD?

Do we need to correct our approach to serving the Lord? Let us be challenged to serve as Jesus did! Let us look at harvest field and be moved to serve meaningfully!