This quarter, we focus on the baptism with the Holy Spirit in our weekly devotional series. This week’s devotional comes from John 6 – 12.
Jesus demonstrated for us what Spirit-led ministry looks like. It is passionate about people. It is dependent on the Father. And, Spirit-led ministry always glorifies God.
Spirit-led ministry is about the people who need to know Jesus and about those who are growing in our care.
As you read John 6 – 12 this week, notice the passion Jesus had for bringing people into the kingdom of God. He constantly invited people to believe in the Father. He invited them to believe in Him—the One the Father sent. He did this by His message and by demonstrating forgiveness for people like the woman caught in adultery (John 8).
Jesus was so passionate about people that He always kept the door open for them to enter and begin a journey of faith with God. Even when some refused to believe, Jesus said He was not here to condemn them. He was straightforward in His message but without condemnation.
Spirit-led ministry is about depending on the Father.
Jesus modeled dependency on His Father and stressed the fact that He only said what He heard from the Father. He only did what He saw the Father do (John 8:26, 28; 12:49 – 50; John 5:19).
Even when it came to those who would become His followers, the Bible says it was the Father that drew them to Jesus (John 6:44,65). Acts 2:47 puts it this way: “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” This is not a statement of predestination, but rather speaks of our need for God to accomplish this work.
Spirit-led ministry is about lifting up Jesus and glorifying the Father.
Jesus showed us how to glorify God when we minister. Jesus did everything in His ministry to please His Father. Throughout John 6 – 12, Jesus makes clear that He did not come to Earth to do His will, but rather the will of His Father. In this, He glorified His Father. Notice how Jesus honored the Father during the feeding of the 5,000 in John 6, when He told the crowd that it was His Father who had provided the bread from heaven.
In circumstances difficult to understand, as in the death of Lazarus, Jesus reminded us that, “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4, NKJV).
Let us follow the example of Jesus in Spirit-led ministry. With Him, as in John 12:28, let us declare, “Father, glorify Your name,” and may we hear the response from heaven saying, “I have … and I will again.” As the Holy Spirit leads us in ministry, let the life-giving message of Jesus be clear in everything we say and do: “If I am lifted up, I will draw all people to Myself.”
By: Humberto (Beto) Paz, area missionary to Eastern and Southern Africa with Foursquare Missions International
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