The Spiritual Ministry

1. The Spiritual Ministry November 3rd 2012 Pre-servants Lesson

2. What is The Spiritual Minister? Ministry of Love Giving to Everyone Giving Spiritual Nourishment Ministry of Holy Zeal Bridge between GOD & people The Work of Angels & The Apostles Payment of a debt Is an Obligation Is a Scale, a Talent & a Responsibility Is about being a Good Example & Caring

3. Ministry of Love Love for God & His Kingdom He/she wants everyone to love Him too Love towards people & especially the children He/she wants them to reach God & experience the Divine Love Your service is an expression of overflowing love from the heart It is not dry, routinely & without spirit or fruit It is not knowledge transfer Love like Jesus loved : love of action“…having loved His own who where in the world, He loved them to the end.” (John13:1), “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,..” (John 3:16) You can have a spiritual effect on whom you serve only when you have sincere love for him/her They will reciprocate your love by trusting and accepting you They will open up and reveal what’s on their mind and heart Then and only then you will understand their spiritual needs and guide them to His Kingdom You then will serve with passion. Missing one of you r children will move you to visit him and pray for him

4. Ministry of Love….Continued Servants in all their activities don’t concentrate on themselves Their true love to God is to glorify and drew everyone they serve to Him Their objective is to offer all they can out of love In doing so their intention is to please God and those whom they serve They endure suffering and pain patiently for the goal of serving Our lord

5. Giving to Everyone Servants give without obligation, naturally, without being pressured They love, teach, visit, help and support everyone without partiality They give to everybody on every occasion and anywhere like their Master, Jesus “ ….Who went about doing good …” (Acts 10:38) At home, families, work, college, Church , etc The Holy Spirit plant it through useful words, blessing , helping and giving

6. Giving Spiritual Nourishment Servants nourish their children by feeding them with the good word of God Through the use of spiritual books, telling them the life of the saints, memorizing Bible versus and Hymns The teaching that is related to the theological beliefs & doctrines of the Church in a simple and spiritual method Spiritual influence doesn’t depend on time spent with the children but on the power of the spiritual word coming from the spiritual servant. Influenced by the power of the Holy Spirit . “ … the word of God is a living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12)

7. Ministry of Holy Zeal It’s a flame of fire inside the heart which makes it full of love towards others and desire their salvation. “.. Zeal for Your house has eaten me up…”(Ps. 69:9), “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1Cor. 9:22) It is a privilege from God to give us the chance to share with Him in caring about His children. “For we are God’s fellow workers” (1Cor3:9) The Holy Spirit, when we ask, works in us, through us and with us to establish the Kingdom. The service is a cooperation and communion with Him to equip us to evangelize and make us effective. “.. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matt 10:20)

8. Bridge between God & people Our service is a bridge were we deliver the Holy Spirit’s teaching. We take from Him and give back to His children and nothing from our own. Servants, in their ministry, are like the angels of God in heaven. They raise their prayers up to heaven on behalf of their children that God may give them utterance, to open their mouths.. (Eph 6:19)

9. The Work of Angels & The Apostles “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb 1:14) “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” (2Cor 5:20)

10. Payment of a debt The Church has brought us up, taught us, guided us to God and granted us the spirit of service. We are indebted to God and out of gratitude we serve in the world in the same manner that He served us

11. Is a spiritual Obligation The love for God oblige us to serve diligently We can't stand by watching others drifting away from Our Lord We who experienced God’s love will be keen to guide our children to the path of enjoying such an unprecedented experience. Just like the Samaritan women when she knew Christ “ Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.” (John 4:29) . Her life was turned up side down and became a preacher after being touched by His love and passed it on to others Serve using God’s gifts to you: Caring for the sick, solving problems for others, tutoring, being a good example. Not serving for whatever God calls you for is a sin

12. Is a Scale, a Talent & a Responsibility The ministry is a critical responsibility that we have to give an account for. What and how did we do to build our children up spiritually? We could be the only source of religious education at this stage of the child’s life : he/she might loose their soul because we didn’t provide the spiritual nourishment! We cant give what we don’t have: We need to fill our hearts with Him, His spiritual knowledge, otherwise, we can’t fill His children. God shall ask us one day “ Give an account of your stewardship” (Luke 16:2) Service is not an activity but responsibility & talent which we should offer to God to profit souls.

13. Being a Good Example & Caring The ministry is more than teaching: it is caring for the lives of others, nourishing the divine image, through a good example. The teacher is important in the ministry- not the lesson You who have tasted the sweetness of The Lord in your life wants others to taste it too “ Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trust in the Him!” (Ps 34:8) It is the life of a person filled with The Holy Spirit which overflows into the hearts of others It is not a teacher to fill his/her children’s mind with information what is needed but a servant with a pure heart, with a strong relationship with God that guide his/her children in the ways of God and intercedes for them A role model that practically demonstrate Christ like : the way they talk, the way they express their love, their spiritual behavior, their quietness and their smile, is more influential than their knowledge in the lives of their children.

14. Being a Good Example & Caring…Continued The children see in them the image of God so they love God who works in their lives. “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 18:3): Grow in spirituality & innocence like children Don’t be a stumbling block: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matt 18:6)

15. The place of God in the ministry Humility in the ministry Evaluating successful ministry