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Chosen for Service

12 Aug

We’re continuing to look at the offering that Paul is collecting for the needy churches of Judea.  He’s now informing the Corinthian church, who exactly will be taking this gift to Jerusalem.

This is found in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24.  You may want to read that passage before continuing with this post.

In this section of Scripture, we see three men.  One of them we know well, the other two are anonymous.  But they all possess a high degree of integrity.

I want to look at the way Paul describes them.  It should be something that we all strive to be like.  They definitely exemplify those who church leaders look for to advance in their calling.

The first of these men is Titus.  He was probably the leader of the group.  He was saved and trained up under Paul’s ministry.  It’s obvious that Paul treated him as a son.

One of the major parts of Titus’ attitude was a willingness to do anything Paul asked of him.

For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
2 Corinthians 8:17

As I read through Paul’s Corinthian letters, it seems to me that this church was not an easy one to work with.  In many regards, they seemed pretty arrogant about themselves.

“We don’t need your help.  We know what we’re doing.”

Yet, in spite of all that, Titus was enthusiastic to go to them as Paul’s representative.  This earnest willingness to do whatever it takes is a great asset in any ministry.

Next, we have an unknown brother.

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8:18

This is someone who most people praised for his service.  This means that his service to the Gospel was an obvious thing.  He could always be counted on to help out.  It goes on to say that all the churches wanted him in particular to be a part of this “offering detail”.

Finally, there was a third man that was a part of this team.  Look at Paul’s description.

In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 8:22

He has a big plus; he’s passionate.  That’s what the word, zealous means.  The church needs people of passion.

We need to get emotional about those things that stir the heart of God.  When this man thought about the need in Judea, he was moved with compassion.  Then he heard about the fact that there were Greek churches who wanted to help out financially.  This moved him to action.

It’s leaders like this who should be examples to us of how to live our best for Christ.

Question: What leaders have affected you the most in your walk with Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 12, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk, The Church

 

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Financial Equality

10 Aug

We’re continuing to look at Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  He’s talking to them about money and the giving of offerings.

As I’ve said, the churches of Judea were experiencing a famine and Paul wanted the Gentile churches to help out in this time of need.  He now explains a principle that we all but ignored in the modern church.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
2 Corinthians 8:13-14

What Paul says here is that he doesn’t want one part of the body of Christ at ease and relaxed while another part is under great pressure.  He wants to see an equal sharing of God’s work.

Unfortunately, we don’t see this in the church today.  Actually, it’s not been seen for a very long time.  In most cases, it’s every church for themselves.

Throughout the church, there are believers who could care less about the work of God.  They’re about going to work and making money.  They feel their part is attending church most weeks and giving a little something in the offering.

The way the world is right now, it’s time for the church to wake up.  We need to get back to the priority of sharing Christ.

At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.  Then there will be equality, as it is written: “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”
2 Corinthians 8:14-15

This verse says that your surplus will supply their deficit.  I praise God for churches who see beyond their own four walls.

Too many ministries have taken on the structure and attitude of corporate America.  American greed is at an all-time high.

The head of the company makes more money than they could spend in 10 lifetimes.  While their employees have to take on multiple jobs just to survive.

It shouldn’t be that way in the church.  We’re here to make Christ known.  What does the world see when they look at us?

There are ministry leaders across the country with multiple homes, cars, motorcycles, and jets.  At the same time, there are ministries that are struggling to survive.  What message does that send to the world?

What am I trying to say?  As much as it depends on us, we should be a giving people.  We should also seek to be a part of a ministry with open hands.  Giving is a part of the lifeblood of the church.

Question: What is your attitude toward the giving of offerings?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 10, 2020 in Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Excel In Grace

05 Aug

In my last post, we saw how the churches in Macedonia walked in the miraculous grace of giving.  Now Paul wants to use them as an example to the Corinthian church (and us).

So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
2 Corinthians 8:6

The last time Paul visited Corinth, the church promised a big offering for the churches in Judea.  They were going through a time of great famine and Paul wanted the Gentile churches to be a blessing to them.

Apparently, Titus, Paul’s son in the faith, was charged with the arrangements.  He was to make sure the money was collected and brought to the needy churches.

It’s continually made clear that giving is an act of grace.  God works through us to help others.

But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
2 Corinthians 8:7

The Corinthian church had many things going for it.  They were one of the largest churches of their day.  They also had a powerful ministry.

The apostle acknowledges the incredible work they were doing.  He said that they excelled in everything.  That word means to super-abound in quality or quantity.  They were a church doing a great work.

The first thing Paul lists is faith.  That’s where it all starts.  A church with no faith has no vision.  It doesn’t take faith to make sure you have a service every week.

You have to see where God wants to take you to.  What’s the next level in your ministry?

Another thing they excelled in was their speaking.  They must have had a great preaching and teaching ministry.  That’s a big part of church growth.

People need to be trained.  New believers need mentoring.  Mature believers need to learn the art of leadership.  We never stop growing.  A church without a teaching ministry is bound to stagnate.

Along with this, they also excelled in knowledge.  They wanted to learn.  That’s probably why they followed the corrections in Paul’s first letter.

A teachable spirit is very important.  The more we learn, the more we must be open to change.

A great pastor friend of mine says quite frequently, “Growth means change, and change is uncomfortable.”  So we have the choice; we can be comfortable and stay the same or uncomfortable and grow.

Finally, the apostle commends them for excelling in earnestness.  That’s an important component.  It’s the Greek word from which we get the English word, speed.

It’s one thing to know what you need to do.  Many churches know the changes that need to take place to bring them to the next level.  The hard part is taking that first step and doing what needs to be done.

The Corinthian church was graced in all of these areas.  Now Paul wanted them to launch full speed into the grace of giving.  We need to learn from their example.

Question: How quick are you to obey a new instruction from God?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 5, 2020 in Faith, Leadership, Ministry, Spirit of Excellence

 

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The Hard Truth of Ministry

13 Jul

I’m now getting back to my view of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church.  He’s continuing his description of how he’s affected by the call to minister the Gospel.

…through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 6:8-10

This is the side of ministry that not many people want to talk about.  It’s the price that you pay for obeying the call to preach the Good News.  At times it can be tough, but it’s definitely worth it.

The apostle talks about glory and dishonor.  That’s hard to deal with.  Most Christians don’t ever see it.  They sometimes view ministers as some sort of celebrity.

When I’m out in the world, interacting with society, it’s a different story.  When meeting new people, they usually ask what you do for a living.  They have a normal response to a doctor, teacher, or plumber.

When you tell them you’re a pastor or minister you get mixed reactions.  Sometimes they’re positive about it.  There are other times when they react as if I told them I was an illegal arms dealer.

The whole dynamic of the conversation changes.  They begin to apologize if they think they said something inappropriate.  If someone new joins the group, they’re warned, “He’s a pastor.  Watch what you say.”

Paul also understands about good and bad reports.  As a minister, you and your family live under a microscope.  Everyone watches everything you do; expecting you to live perfectly like Jesus did at all times.

Then, when they find out you’re human like everyone else, they write you off as an imposter.  In one sense you need to grow a “thick skin” to people’s attitudes.  While at the same time, you must keep an open heart to love everyone you meet.

That’s all a part of what Jesus talked about with His disciples.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11

Many people expect a lot from their ministers.  They look for encouragement, hope, healing, and counsel.  What they don’t realize is that ministers need those same things.  Usually, it means that they need to be very proactive or they’ll end up burning out and leaving the ministry.

Please don’t think that I have a bad view of ministering for the Lord.  I wouldn’t choose anything else.  The rewards are overwhelming.

My point is this: never cease praying for your pastors, ministers, and church leaders.  They need encouragement and support just like anyone else.  Seek to bring them joy in the ministry.

Question: What do you see as the rewards and challenges of the ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2020 in Encouragement, Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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My Ministry (Repost)

24 Jun

Over the next week or so I’m going to be away, visiting family.  So during that time, I’m reposting one of my more popular series.

Every so often I take a post to talk about my ministry.  There are always new followers of this blog, so I want to let you know exactly who you’re following.  I hope that you’ll continue to stick around after you find out!

The Lord called me to be a pastor back in 1987.  My anointing, however, is that of a teacher.  When the Holy Spirit anoints someone to teach, He works in them to bring out the truths of Scripture; making them plain and understandable to the body of Christ at large.

But the thing you really need to know about me is my passion.  What is it that drives me to serve Christ and His church?

I’m absolutely passionate about seeing the Church of Jesus Christ get into position for the Last Days.  I believe that we’re on the cusp of the final move of God on the earth before the return of Christ.

The church has come a long way since its backslidden state in the Dark Ages.  God continued to move upon His people, restoring things that had been lost.  But as far as we’ve come, there’s still one more thing that God needs to restore in us.

I’ve found that there’s a theme throughout the New Testament that we’ve whitewashed over.  In spite of the fact that this truth saturates the Scripture, we seem to have missed it.

It’s the understanding that God’s people need to be hearing and obeying God’s voice – His Word.  Please understand that I’m not talking about reading the Bible – God’s Holy, Written Word.  I’m talking about hearing from Him directly.

I believe that the first book of the New Testament that was written down was the book of James.  Listen to what he says.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
James 1:22

Notice that he uses the word “listen” and not “read”.  This is the first of many verses that deal with this issue.

I love the Scripture.  I read it, meditate on it, memorize it and confess it.  It’s through the written Word of God that I know how to be saved and how to serve the Lord in a general way.

What it doesn’t tell me is exactly what I’m supposed to do.  Who am I supposed to reach out to?  What am I to say to them and how am I to say it?  Where do I fit into the body of Christ?

All of these questions and more can only be answered by the Holy Spirit, Himself.  Unfortunately, many Christians think that hearing from God is only for a few highly spiritual individuals.

My passion is to educate believers on where God wants to bring them to and how to get there.  Most of what I preach and write about in this blog fulfills a part of this mission.

By the way, I’m currently working on my speaking engagements for the Fall and Winter should churches start public meetings again.  If you think that my ministry is something you want to see in your area, check out my Speaking Page on this website.  It will have all the information you need to contact me.

The return of the Lord is getting close.  We need to be intentional about preparing ourselves for the final harvest.

Question: How prepared are you for the return of Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 24, 2020 in Ministry, Return of Christ, Revival, Word of God

 

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Character is Everything

08 Jun

In my last post, we looked at the purpose of God’s grace.  It brings about God’s will in us.  What is that will?  It’s to bring the message of His salvation and favor to the world.

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”  I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2

This is God’s priority.  Bringing the message of salvation to the world we live in.

But what about us?  Is this our priority?  There are so many other things that we want to do and experience.  To some, God’s will is inconvenient.

Paul is getting to that.

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
2 Corinthians 6:3

This is something that every believer has to come to grips with.  How people view our ministry is based largely on how they view us personally.  Paul is literally saying that he doesn’t want to create an offence that would cause the ministry to be blamed.

That’s why we need to be constantly working on our character.  It’s the character of the minister that determines the perception of the ministry.

Unfortunately, there are those who think it’s just the opposite.  They feel that people should think highly of them because of what their ministry is accomplishing.

We have to understand that how we live is a reflection of Christ.  The world judges the Christian message based upon what they’ve seen in the believers they’ve met.  Sometimes they’re left with a negative opinion.

We need to accurately reflect the love of Christ no matter what we’re going through.  Paul now goes through a list of these qualities.  I think that it’s important for us to hear them.  So I’m going to take a couple of posts to explain what he’s saying to us.

And yes, some of them sound very inconvenient.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
2 Corinthians 6:4

The key is, Paul wants everyone to know that he’s a servant of God.  He doesn’t serve his own needs or wants.  He doesn’t serve the world or even the churches.  He serves God.

That has to be the foundation of our attitude.  We live and act at the Lord’s good pleasure.  We’re in the service of the King of the universe.  We want His kingdom to be accurately represented.

We serve with that in mind.  We desire the character of Christ to shine through us.  That’s the only way to draw people to the cross.

Question: How does your character reflect your service to Christ?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Grace for a Purpose

05 Jun

Paul continues to talk about the attitudes of a true minister in his second letter to the Corinthian church.  It’s something we can apply to our lives right now.

As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
2 Corinthians 6:1

We talk a lot about the grace of God. As believers, we’re always praying for grace. Many seem to be always running around seeking God’s grace. Why is that? How we answer that question is very important.

Why do you want the grace of God in your life? Is it another way of saying, “I want God’s blessing on my life.”?

I’ve heard grace defined in many different ways. God’s unmerited favor. The enabling power and presence of God. All we need for life and godliness. They’re all good descriptions, but they leave out a key ingredient – purpose.

There’s always a reason attached to the grace of God. Listen to how the Apostle Paul explains it in his letter to the Roman church.

Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
Romans 1:5

In this short verse, I see three elements of grace. They speak not only about what God wants to bless us with, but how He wants us to use what He freely gives us. We need to take these to heart as we seek to manifest God’s grace.

Through Him and for His Name’s Sake – He doesn’t give us His grace so that we can spend it on our pleasures. It’s about His agenda on the earth. What does the Lord want to accomplish through me? That’s where His grace comes to the forefront.

I need to pick up this attitude. I receive His grace so that His name will be magnified in my life.

We Received Grace and Apostleship – Grace and calling go hand in hand. Seeking God’s grace without finding your calling in Christ is worthless. It’s through His grace that you fulfill your purpose.

It’s the Lord’s grace that brings you into your destiny – what you were created for. Without that knowledge, you’re simply living from problem to problem. Instead of always seeking grace to get over the next obstacle, find the direction that the Holy Spirit is leading you to.

To Call People from among All the Gentiles – Paul was aware that God’s grace had pinpoint accuracy. He was called to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles. That’s why God poured His grace on Paul’s ministry.

It’s the same for us. As we grow in Christ, we need to fine-tune our calling. Who am I called to reach? What are my gifts and abilities? As you begin to answer these questions, you find that perfect position of grace that you’re called to walk in.

Be careful to always heed Paul’s warning not to receive God’s grace in vain.  That means that I don’t receive the grace of God for no purpose. Grace is always attached to destiny. Our walk today must be with an eternal focus. That’s what the Lord’s grace is all about.

Question: How have you seen the grace of God active in your life and ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on June 5, 2020 in Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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What Do You Live For?

27 May

Before the holiday, I was posting about Second Corinthians.  The Apostle Paul was explaining to the church that they needed to be prepared for their future performance review before the judgment seat of Christ.

That’s how Paul described the fear of the Lord.  It’s living under the knowledge that we have to give an account to Him someday.  That’s also why the apostle went into such detail describing his ministry.

We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.
2 Corinthians 5:12

The word, commend, in the above verse actually means to introduce.  Paul was afraid that his epistle was beginning to sound like a letter of introduction to a church that didn’t know him.

That wasn’t his goal.  The word opportunity is a Greek word that means a starting point.  Paul is giving them the basis for understanding true ministry.

The starting point is what’s in the heart.  That’s how you judge a ministry’s value.

Sometimes you ask someone about their ministry and immediately they start talking about all that they’re doing.  They take pride in the outside – what is seen.  That’s not the heart of a true ministry.

The more important issue is what God has done in the heart and life of the minister.  It’s about why I’m doing what I’m doing.  That’s where ministry for the Lord begins.

If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:13-15

This speaks volumes to me about the mindset of a church leader.  Paul makes it clear that it is Christ’s love that compels him – keeps him on track – to do God’s will.  That’s important.  It keeps us free from wrong attitudes.

Notice that it’s not the need that compels him.  Too many people are need-driven.  They see all the people who need salvation, help, or counsel.  They end up burned out because they’re not in tune with what God wants them to do.

Also, it’s not about the work that needs to be done for God.  There are those with the attitude, “If I see something that needs to be done, I just do it.”  That’s great in the short term, but you can’t sustain it.

That’s why in many churches 10% of the people are doing 90% of the work.  I can’t do both my job and yours and be effective at either.  We all need to be fulfilling our calling.  We all need to be compelled by the love of Christ.

The bottom line is that we live for Christ.  We don’t live to fulfill the needs of the people.  We don’t live for the work of the ministry.

WE LIVE FOR CHRIST!!!

Question: How do you see this at work in your ministry?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 27, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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Spiritual Blinders

04 May

I’m continuing my series through the book of 2 Corinthians.  Paul is talking about his ministry.  It’s a ministry of power because the Holy Spirit is working through him.

It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that gets the attention of the world around us.  That’s how we become a “light in the darkness”.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4

We as believers should be reflecting the light of Christ to the dark world around us. The Bible says that those in darkness hate the light. What does that mean?  Sometimes if they see the light of Christ clearly in us, it may make them uncomfortable.

Those who have been reading this blog for any length of time know that I’m an avid hiker. During some seasons, I’ll go out for a week at a time.

The first time I went on a solo hike, sleeping alone in the woods, it was a different experience. I set up my tent and when the sun went down I went to sleep. I had no clue that this would be one of the strangest nights of my life.

Around two o’clock in the morning, I woke up startled. It was as if I was in the center of a huge spotlight. The full moon was directly over me. I could see right through my thin, nylon tent as if it wasn’t even there.

I could see the trees, rocks, and everything around me as clear as day. I felt exposed and uncomfortable as I looked around. I’m very glad that there were no large animals near the tent!

This is the same effect as what happens in the spiritual realm when we reflect Christ. When you’re used to living in spiritual darkness, the light makes you uncomfortable. It exposes things that you’d rather not see. It shows you your true condition.

Satan makes full use of this effect.  He uses this discomfort with the light, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to get unbelievers to close their eyes to the truth.

Please take note of the fact that the enemy is called the god of this age. That means that there’s a time limit on his ability to act.

This verse tells us that unbelievers are given blinders if they want them. The Scripture says that if they persist in their unbelief, the enemy will give them blinders so that the light will not beam out to them.

This light is coming from the Good News of Christ – the Anointed One. The light is the glory of His presence within us.

Unbelievers are blinded to the light if they choose to believe the lies of the enemy. That’s why it’s now our job is to get them to take the blinders off. That’s a big assignment. It can only be accomplished in the power of the Spirit.

That’s why our ministry can’t be done in our own strength.  Time in the presence of the Lord is what will empower me to cut through the blinders of the enemy.  Only then will they see the glory of the Gospel of Christ.

Question: How have you experienced unbelievers becoming uncomfortable in the presence of the truth?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 4, 2020 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, The Gospel

 

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Ministry Without Power

01 May

As we continue to go through Paul’s second letter to the Corinthian church, we can see that the apostle relies on the power of God for his ministry.  He also knew that the church could see this reliance.

Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 4:2

Compared to the early church, we live in a generation that barely sees the power of God at work. As a result, we need to use other methods to promote God’s kingdom. Do you know what these powerless methods look like?

I believe that if God’s people would spend time with the Holy Spirit, and then obey what they hear, we would see society changed. Instead, we rely on human plans to try and do God’s work. It’s sad, but I think that we’ve simply gotten used to ministry without power.

In another of his letters, Paul described what was NOT true ministry.

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
1 Thessalonians 2:3

The first word he uses is error, which means wandering. This word literally means to stray because you’ve left the right way and are now simply roaming around.

It’s very easy to leave the right path if I never seek God’s will to begin with. Ministries with this problem are always trying something new because they saw it work somewhere else. They wander from new program to new program, hoping for something that works.

The goal should be to seek the Lord’s will for my life, then walk in it. That will keep me from wandering around, hoping to someday stumble upon God’s plan for me.

The next issue is that of impure motives. The reason behind the ministry is as important as the ministry itself. There are some ministries that seem like their only goal is to exalt themselves.

We live in a society where many of the advertising and political campaigns are based upon negativity. It’s not about what I’m doing right, but what you’re doing wrong. Unfortunately, we’ve carried this kind of thinking into the church.

I believe that I should be able to do what God has called me to do without having to put down any other ministry. The fact is that making someone else look bad, doesn’t make me look any better.

The final issue Paul talked about was trickery. It’s believed that this Greek word means to set up a decoy or bait in hunting. It’s unfortunate that there are ministries that view believers as prey.

To make things worse, the decoy or bait they use is the Scripture. Please understand me; I’m not saying that all televangelists are bad. Most of them are trying to do God’s will. But there are some who, I believe, only study the Bible in order to find a Scripture verse that will convince you to take money out of your wallet and put it into theirs.

I truly believe that if I’m doing God’s will, then God will provide my needs. Yes, He will use people to give into my ministry. But I won’t need to make them feel guilty or use any other form of trickery or deceit.

We need to be looking at the fruit of the ministries that we want to support. We should only give into those works that are proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ.

Question: What are the marks of a ministry operating with integrity?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 1, 2020 in Ministry, Power of God, Revival, Spiritual Walk

 

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