Page 16 - BMIN191 Beginnning Internship

16 Beginning Ministerial Internship: Student Manual

minister must choose to worship God in ever increasing ways and times. Daily
times of prayer and praise are essential. While we grow from being in God’s
presence, we equally submit to the priority of His leadership in all that we do.
Worshipping God keeps both the servant and the Lord in their right places.

An Obedient Heart

4 Why did Saul think that The Essence
as long as the sacrifices A minister with a right heart for ministry must have obedience to God’s Word as
were offered, God would help
his army? a chief goal. Samuel scolded Saul for his failure to obey the clear directives he had
been given. When Saul offered excuses, Samuel responded by insisting that God
requires obedience rather than any substituting acts of worship (1 Samuel 15:22).
An obedient heart is a transparent heart. Because we cannot hide any part of
our true nature from God, we are compelled to acknowledge and confess the true
nature of our lives. An obedient heart is a heart that is clearly open to the truth
imparted by the Master and is always ready to turn away from acts of failure.
An obedient heart is a serving heart. No other motivation will prove sufficient
for the work of ministry than the desire to demonstrate love for Christ through
obedience. Indeed, God has established that the greatest demonstration of
worship is obedience to His commands.
A life of ministry can bring many days of heartache and overwhelming
demands. To survive emotionally, a minister must hold fast to what will keep him
or her earnestly pressing on—the desire to love God through obedience. All other
motives will ultimately fail.
Finally, an obedient heart is an essential part of the example God expects
of those who lead. James affirms that those who guide others will be held
accountable to the highest standards (James 3:1). Without an obedient heart, a
minister has little chance of a passing grade in this test of servanthood.
The Demonstration
Throughout the first century, the apostle John continued to teach believers
about the precepts of the Christian life. He spoke firmly and clearly concerning
the evidence of a believer’s connection to Christ—love through obedience. It was
John who wrote of Jesus’ “new” command (John 13:34), to love one another and
that obedience would be the evidence of that love.
Unfortunately, some ministers find themselves sliding into the same mindset
as the Pharisees of the New Testament. But strict adherence to human-made and
often meaningless ideals provides a poor example of a healthy spiritual life that is
marked for ministry. Obedience to Jesus’ command to love takes one to a higher
level of personal fulfillment. And those that look on are able to see the nature of
God as He relates to His children.
Perhaps the best gauge of a consistent resolve to serve out of obedience is the
attractiveness of a person’s life. A modern day concern is that ministers succumb
to many compromises and distractions that detract from the commitment of
serving the Lord in obedience. The result is failure to please God or man, and the
frustrated or defeated leave the ministry. Is there a remedy for this modern-day
pattern? Holding fast to a walk with the Lord, with obedience as its foundation,
is certainly the start of any remedy. Jesus’ love and obedience to the plan of the
Father attracted literally thousands of people. A leader that keeps this model in
his or her heart will do the same.