Podcast Transcripts

What is Ministry? That really is the question that I think believers have varies understanding of or views about. In this episode we are going to explore the definitions, according to the Bible of what is ministry and how that should play out when your government changes a ruling that reflects biblical principles. Now onto the intro…

Please enjoy this podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Although efforts were made in editing, this transcript may include a few typos. It’s difficult to catch some minor errors. Enjoy!

Welcome to Hanging Out With Jesus Podcast. The place where we help you identify what’s hindering you from moving forward in Christ and your destiny, and then, providing disciplines to help you remove the barriers in order for you to see who you are and whose you are in Christ Jesus, so you can Go And Do what God’s designed you to do.

Hi, I’m your host, Lyvita and founder of The Me Project Academy and its newsletter all designed to equip and encourage you with the tools needed to help you come out of complacency and be a Hearer who applies God’s

word intentional and always within your life. For more information about this podcast, the academy, or get in contact with me go to www.hangingoutwithjesuspodcast.com

You will need a pad, pen and bible with a comfy place to write and ponder because it’s going to be one of those type of episodes…with AHH moments.

So stop what you are doing and come walk with us, where we intentionally and daily hang out with Jesus.

3:55 - Let’s pray….

Key Topics With Time Stamps / Transcript With Time Stamps

5:10 - Now what is ministry? I have a couple definitions for you to ponder:

1. 5:18 - Google Dictionary – You can choose from the work or vocation of a minister of religion or (in certain countries) a government department headed by a minister of state.

2. 5:45 - GotQuestions.org - "Ministry" is from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning "to serve" or douleuo, meaning "to serve as a slave." In the New Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the pattern for Christian ministry—He came, not to receive service, but to give it (see Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17).

3. 6:50 - The Be Wise Series by Warren Wiersbe – “It involves loving, feeding and disciplining God’s family so that His children mature in the faith and become more like Jesus Christ.

7:23 - Now think about what I just shared in which I will highlight a few things: ministry is work or vocation, it involves serving others, along with disciplining God’s people. (Pause for 1 minutes)

7:40 - Did this thought cross your mind, “That sounds like something a pastor does or the leaders in a church?” But did this thought cross your mind, “As a mature believer am I suppose to be doing some type of ministry or ministering?”

The answer would be YES, to both!

8:15 - You and I, are leaders in the church body who should be doing something called “ministry”, to serve others by doing what Jesus Christ taught us.

9:25 - Matthew 28:18-19 says,

“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

9:50 - Some believers call this the Great Commission because this is the last thing Jesus said to His disciples as He was taken up into heaven. For us, it is a clear understanding and definition of what ministry is.

10:25 - Second Timothy 4: 1 – 5 is another scripture that gives a clear understanding and definition of what ministry is:

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

11:25 - Then you have Ephesians 4: 1 – 16 which not only tell us about ministry but why we do it. Take some time to read it. I’d like to look at verses 11 and 12. And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds[c] and teachers,[d] 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

12:00 - Saints did you catch that? The gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher is given to the saints for the work of ministry. These gifts were given to do ministry. All those works are ones of service. Therefore, ministry is serving. And as Believers we are to serve the world the Gospel, teaching what we have learned from God’s word. And here is the interesting part. If you are a Mom. Then you teach, shepherd, prophecy over your children and husband, and share the Gospel with your friends. They are also an apostle in the sense that you have been sent out to share

the Gospel to the lost. Some people are more gifted in areas than others, but Saints these are positions that we give various authorities, when in essence it’s not about the position but ministry is about “equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” and that mean going out witnessing to the unsaved and bringing them into the fold for teaching them to become mature believers in order that they can go out and do the same.

17:10 - Whoa! Ministry is serving and we are servants to spreading the Gospel.

17:15 - Wow, so what kind of believer are you, am I… immature or mature? Fleshly or Spiritual? Serving the world when appropriate and being lazy about studying the Bible or consistently trying to apply God’s word to the best of our understanding of what we have read and allowed the Holy Spirit to teach us?

18: 00 - Saints, we are all ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We all serve others in some capacity. Ministry is not just for pastors, clergy, church planters, and workers in the church. It’s any and every one that accepted Christ as their Savior. We have a ministry. Work to do, that only we can do the way God’s designed us to do it. Yes, you have a ministry.

18:30 - Now that brings me to what’s been happening with the overturn of Roe vs Wade, the LBGTQI+A movement, racism, gun violence, our children and grandchildren running after idols and money, what should our take be on all of this when you are ministering to others, causally speaking to others and fellow believers? How should you respond when our government seems to be reverting back to biblical principles? How should we response when our government goes against biblical principles? Something to ponder, huh?

19:15 - First, we know that our mission, goal is to spread the Gospel.

19:45 - Second, we are to spread the Gospel using the gifts, talents and tools, God’s placed in us and has worked out of us through experiences, rather good or bad.

20:10 - Third, it’s about God’s will and not our own. It’s here Saints that we can get like Simon Peter, during his growing stages with Jesus on earth,

forgetting the mission because it all becomes about ourselves and what we can do. Example, cutting off the soldier’s ear in the garden.

21:45 - Here’s my suggestion. It’s biblical. It’s what Jesus Christ would do, I believe. Our take should be to find the root of the problem. Everything I mentioned above started with a thought that eventually evolved after much pondering to become what it is. The root … is sin.

22:30 - But do you, we? Are you, we focused on the world’s definition of what a victory is or focused on stopping the cause of what’s happening? You see sometimes what a believer should be focusing on can get tricky at times because we live in this world and it has a way of getting us dusty. That’s why we must be IN the Word to learn how to live as we journey THROUGH this World.

22:35 - It’s time to take your eyes off of what the world defines as victory because people are still having reckless sex, sex outside of marriage is welcomed in our society. Living together is the thing that you do before marriage. The LBGTQI+A are fighting for rights and acceptance for their union to be called marriage.

24:00 - Let’s not get it twisted. Focus on destroying the root of the problem instead of following after the world.

1 John 2:16, says, “For all that is in this world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world.”

It is the desire of the flesh, another bible translation says, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Saints, it’s all one-sided. It’s selfish. Wake up.

Our ministry is to “pluck up, and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant,” (Jeremiah 1:10) by telling folk about Christ. Then teaching them the truth through God’s word and showing them how to spend alone time with Him. God will bring the increase.

So what should our take be on the overturn of Roe vs Wade, the LBGTQI+A movement, racism, gun violence, our children and grandchildren running after idols and money? Simple. Know the root of the problem. Here it’s sexual immorality. Now do what God’s called you to do, focus on pulling up, breaking down, destroying and overthrowing the root in order to build and plant God’s Word into every person’s life you encounter. Celebrate what needs to be celebrated, but don’t do as the world and become divided because everyone isn’t doing what you do. Follow Christ Jesus, pray, listen and do what He says and not what you think is right.

26:15 - Saints, we are being asked to do something greater than ourselves … spread the Gospel in homes, work place, neighborhood, and beyond. Seems impossible? Remember you don’t serve an impossible God. If He said it, then it will occur. All you have to do is follow. Trust Him and believe.

Study and read the Bible. Learn and develop your calling. Then by all means do what you are called to do …serve God’s people and others, as He has designed you to do. Follow Him and not the desires of the world.

27:00 - Maybe I can help with helping you identify hindrances, myths, wonderings, that give you PAUSE, STOP you from moving forward in Christ and then help show you disciplines to develop in your life to help remove the barriers and reduce you falling prey to the same ones over-and-over-again. I’m opening the Fortified Coaching Program where we will meet for 8 weeks around Who I Am and Whose I Am. The Bible study is free allowing you to ask questions around removing hinderances in your life and learning how to spend quality and lasting time with the Lord. Seeking His face and hanging out with Jesus in order to live a life pleasing in God’s sight instead of being moved by every wind and doctrine.

Sign up for The Me Project Newsletter, link below and in notes, to get more information on the Fortified Coaching Program, prayer, and new releases of this podcast. Also encourage family and friends to listen in, if you find this podcast to be a blessing.

Saint, you are so loved by God and an awesome individual.

So until we meet again over the airwaves, intentionally and daily, hang out with Jesus.

Shalom!

Resources Mentioned on the Episode and suggested reading & social media handles:

· GotQuestions.org

· The Be Wise Series by Warren Wiersbe

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· www.goodreads.com/lyvitabrooks